Zhi Rui went down the stairways and looked at the outside. A shadow crept behind her,

"One week," Zhi Rui said, and the shadow disappeared through the crowds.

It was afternoon, The heat in the desert punished everyone under the sun. But somehow it didn't bother Zhi Rui.

"Old man is this a trait of yours?"

(Yes, the mixing with foreign blood has shadowed those once common traits)

"So you people were natural heat resistant."

(The barbarian body has a natural resistance to all common forces of nature.)

Nodding to herself Zhi Rui walked out her manor, she turned to the side.

Seeing the big white manor adorned with gold and lavish sculptures, She put a hand on the door's handle when from the corner of her eyes, she caught a woman fidgeting.

She stopped and turned around.

Blue-amethyst trembling straightened her spine and said. "M-My Alpha I came to congratulate you." She stammered at first but managed to say her rehearsed sentence in one breath.

Zhi Rui nodded. "Call Sandworm and enter together." she didn't change expression.

As soon a the woman went inside Blue-amethyst plopped to the ground gasping deeply. 'I thought she'd have my head right where I stand'

Gasping, she clenched her teeth and looked behind in the distance.

It was a fleeting glimpse but she caught sight of Sandworm watching from afar.

"She called for both of us!" she yelled after a chuckle

With glee, she saw his face contort.

He took his time, and after five minutes Sandworm bypassed Blue-amethyst and went for the door.

Blue-amethyst followed and stood beside him to open the door.

"She invested so much on you, but still, you went right back to your cowardly and indecisive ways."

Sandworm looked coldly at her. "You speak your mind as if your despise can affect me in any way. After a few nights with you, I completely lost interest. whatever your opinion of me is, I care for it the same way I care for a handful of sand in the desert."

Blue-amethyst scorned with her eyes, Sandworm sneered.

They both entered.

----

----

----

Zhi Rui entered, and not minding the spacious hall, took the stairs and walked to the biggest and most luxurious bedroom she ever saw.

Big wide curtains, furniture, everything was white and gold with a little black. it was everywhere yet it didn't leave ones the vision tired.

Zhi Rui admired it while ignoring the young man taking care of the siblings lying on the large bed.

After looking all around Zhi Rui turned to the young man, he had dark hair and was slightly tall, but skinny.

He blushed and bowed "C-Chief A-Alpha, it's an h-honor"

He stammered and even misplaced his foot stepped backward.

Zhi Rui smiled the memories of her little servant that Chang Feng executed passed through her mind.

"You did enough, go fix us some lunch, I'll take care of them. And if Sandworm and Blue-amethyst enter, don't worry, I called them here."

The Young man nodded two times and ran outside.

Zhi Rui looked at him go with a smile. when he passed the door she napped her fingers.

""AHHHHHHHHH""

Two slave marks Shone red on the siblings. They woke up screaming and holding and scratching the place of their marks.

It was burning red, but slowly, it disappeared back into the skin. Crystal looked at her left chest as the mark went away. While rubble kept scratching his neck he couldn't see it but the familiar burning feeling reminded him of what it is.

"I wasn't thinking much when I woke up from my breakthrough so I just branded you as I see fit. Crystal's breast looked so succulent I had to bit it. And Rublle, your neck was o inticing I couldn't resist an innocent lick."

Zhi Rui said with a smile.

"HaHa", Crystal laughed derisively "So It wasn't a dream."

Rubble was in despair himself. He looked at Zhi Rui with rage but Seeing Crystal's state he jumped on her and held her shoulders patting her, but he wasn't sure if he was appeasing her or himself.

Zhi Rui patiently waited by the side of the bed as crystal was comforted.

She grabbed a white bread from the cart the Young man left behind and bit on it.

Rubble looked at her as she munched on it.

Steps echoed from behind Zhi Rui, Rubbled looked at the door.

Two polite knocks rang on the door "Chief Alpha, they're here."

"Let them in."

The doors opened, Sandworm wearing his dirty leather clothing entered with boots full of sand. Blue amethyst came right beside him in the same fashion.

Both dirty with sand and sweating from anxiety.

Zhi Rui didn't turn around, she observed the expression changing on Rubble.

His eyes bulged with red veins, he opened his mouth but didn't peak, he turned to look at Zhi Rui and pointed indignantly with his hand.

"This is the White manor! a sacred place!"

Zhi Rui smiled.

Crystal stopped sobbing, she saw the exchange between Zhi Rui and Rubble, then looked at the two dirt warriors standing in their bedroom. She understood it, and in the same second, she grabbed Rubble by the shoulders, "That's not important right now, focus on the bigger picture!"

He looked at crystal in the eyes and swallowed his pride.

He looked at Zhi Rui. "You're the strongest, and through some way attained our heritage, I'm willing to accept you as one of us." He spoke as if the words weight his life. "You can disrespect the white manor by bringing common warrior in, but please respect our bedroom. We're of the same race and share similar experts status, we should at least have that repect among ourselves.

His words hadn't finished yet and Crystal was already looking at him dumbfounded.

Zhi Rui's eyes were wide in surprised amusement.

Blue-amethyst couldn't hold herself, even if she was about to be killed she wanted to laugh at a fool's words.

Rubble looked confused by the people' reaction but his anger for the laughing Blue amethyst overshadowed all that.

"You're merely a level one warrior, what gives you the courage to laugh at royalty!?"

"HAHAHAHA!! ROYALTY!" Her laughter went crazy. her knees buckled and Blue-amethyst had to hold her belly.

Sandworm managed to keep taciturn the whole time, but Zhi Rui felt his pity for the boy.

"Wh-What's happening!?"He yelled in rage.

*SLAP!*

Rubble looks dumbfounded at Crystal.

A red pal mark on his face.

Her eyes were wide focused on his. she spoke slowly like talking to a child.

"Rubble, we're nothing. She won, you live in the barbarian lands, the weak has no turn. You passed all this time with her and already forgot what she is? She doesn't care for race, doctrine, respect or relationships. She seeks pleasure, anything besides that are laughable talk."

Rubble frowned "B-But S-"

Another polite knock on the door cut him off.

He looked with confusion at his sister.

"C-Chief Alpha, Great Warrior Rain from the White tribe requests for a meeting."

'Oh, how good' Zhi Rui thought and smiled.

"Call her in."

Rubble perked up. "Rain? the level three warrior? Good! She can take care of that commoner!" He said with hope.

Crystal sat back and looked at him despondently. he frowned in confusion again, "Defeated or not, puppets or not. Sister, we're ultimately royalty, they can't do as they please with us. Image must be kept! Even if fake."

Zhi Rui raised her eyebrows in surprise. Although erroneous, it was a reasonable motive, coupled with his ingrained bigotry It was understandable why he was acting like this.

He discussed a bit more with Crystal while their young steward went to catch Rain. She tried to explain, that his words were only valid when the old leader was in a reign that now they completely relied on Zhi Rui.

Three minutes later, another knock sounded

"Come in." Zhi Rui said.

Rain wearing a simple but elegant white attire entered with a gentle smile. She gave a quick look around the bedroom, but when she saw Zhi Rui standing up, she just hugged her warmly.

"Chief Alpha! It' been four days since our sparring, haha, I thought you forgot about me."

"I could never forget sister Rain. That kind of sand manipulation is exceedingly rare, I couldn't take it off my mind even now." Zhi Rui smiled and patted the woman' s shoulder.

"We should do it again soon then, so you can have a better look!"

"Definitely!" Zhi Rui nodded.

After greeting Zhi Rui, Rain looked inside and greeted the sibling with a wave. "Hey young ones, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Rubble stood on the bed speechless. She obviously saw them first, yet she only acknowledged their existence after greeting Zhi Rui.

Rain looked at Sandworm and Blue-amethyst and gave them a nod.

Rubble's eyes became unfocused he motioned with his hands lost in his mind, the place they were in was sacred, 'they ' were sacred but now, both were treated so casually

Crystal bit her lips and patted him on the shoulder.

"So, what do I owe this visit to?" Zhi Rui asked after amusing herself.

"Oh, as the neutral tribe we have to be present in these kinds of meetings. And my elder brother died so I'm taking his place"

Zhi Rui nodded.

"Well, then just register the following: I Zhi Rui, leave the man Sandworm and the woman Blue-amethyst as royalty in replacement of Crystal and Rubble. To take care of the people's administration."

Rain sat stunned "A-And what about the original, Crystal and Rubble?"

With a smile, Zhi Rui looked at the eyes of Crystal and rubble. and spoke.

"They'll move and live with me, I'll guide them on the path of the true barbarian heritage."

The siblings looked horrified.

"Don't be like that now~" Said Zhi Rui in a mocking sad tone "We'll have a great time."

"But that isn't good now is it?" Rain said with a wry smile "The royal siblings must make a front and give hope to the people. We can't afford to lose that."

"The stele told me how to raise them. And since they were the next closest thing resembling a relative, I took them to grow along with me. Before being a monarch they have to be complete man and woman."

Zhi Rui looked at her "You don't need to worry much, when I go away and take them with me, this place won't need them anymore."

The siblings heard and watched intensely as Rain pondered.

In the end, she sighed looked at the siblings.

"I know all your lives you were taught how to be what the people need you to be, but now you're free of those burdens." he smiled at them sincerely.

"Thank you for everything, wherever you go, have us in your heart."

Rubble' eyes filled with unshed tears. They were raised as kings and disposed of as servants.

Zhi Rui watched they mourn, and looked at the commoner's couple still trying to make sense of her objective.

She smiled

'On couple desired to lead their people even if it cost them their lives, so I took the people from them. While the other couple has a natural desire for control and dominance, so I make them puppet king and queen. They won't ever act out of their own free will without authorization from the three big tribes.'

Zhi Rui alternated from both of them and chuckled.