LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 123 The Mark

AoTian, Rijun and Ming Yushen were talking in the pavilion near the lotus pond and Haru was telling them how the rumour that Mingxia is the Golden Tiger had spread all around the kingdom.

AoTian also said how everyone in the court were forcing in the issue of sending his daughter to the inner palace. In fact in today's court, most of the time was spent in this issue.

Noticing Xing walking towards them, those men stopped talking about that and Rijun pulled a chair for her to sit.

Just as she sat, the not so friendly guy who delivered letters to Xing came together with Lin Mubai and both of them looked panicked and confused.

"Sister-in-law", Lin Mubai hesitated to talk more making Xing's heart beat frantically.

"What?", she shouted. What has he found?

"Ye Min here, said something weird", he was still fidgeting.

Xing glared at Ye Min, "What is it?", she asked grabbing the letter he had in his hand.

Xing noted it was Shengli's letter and it was as usually telling how much he misses her and also he had hinted in there that her life might be in danger and she should hold on to her life no matter what, for his sake. 'Do whatever you want to or have to. Burn the city for all I care. Just live well, my wife! I'll come for you soon', he'd written.

Did he come across something that made him write this? Why would I die? I want to live, live well with you! Xing thought.

"Tell me what you have to say!", Xing ordered Yu Min.

"Young Miss Huang.. ", he started and Lin Mubai hit the back of his head, "Didn't Brother wolf reprimand you for not adresssing Sister-in-law properly?"

Xing rolled her eyes, Is this the time to take note of this trifling issue of addressing ? But she was happy that Shengli did that for her. He always stands up for me!

Yu Min continued, " Sister-in-law", he stressed each syllable, " Three days ago in the evening, Brother Wolf gave me this letter and said he's going to meet s.h.i.+hong next and so I was watching over him from a distance and he... He just..he disappeared right before my eyes", he was sure that happened but was confused about how that might have happened.

" Was there anyone around him?", Xing asked.

"No, just him and his horse in the plains. Both disappeared", he gulped. He sounded ridiculous even to himself.

Xing waved her hands dismissing them and Lin Mubai and Ye Min left.

"Did the G.o.ds got brother Lei?", Haru asked. He had seen Xing disappear like that before when she was taken by the G.o.ds.

Xing took a deep breath. There are two possibilities, one is what Haru said. The next possibility is- spells. Someone must have used spells to hide him from humans and G.o.ds alike. In that case, only the person who put the spell can see Shengli and vice versa. In other words, Shengli might be held captive by the G.o.ds or by a human who can use spells.

Just then, a shadow guard from the Heavenly Flowers Palace appeared there startling Rijun.

"Lord Táng, We found trails of the one with the Lu blood and he disappeared in the great plains. He is hidden by a blood spell and even we cannot track further"

"Okay", Xing said and sent him off.

So it's not the G.o.ds but someone who knows blood spells? I thought those were taboo to use by humans. Elder Shu had used it and caused his family's fall. Who else would have the blunt courage to use it? s.h.i.+hong!

Xing was about to explain this to her family when her father asked the servants to place a brazier and that's when she noticed everyone was feeling a little bit cold in the evening wind but surprisingly she was feeling all warm and cozy even though she wasn't dressed warm.

G.o.ds!!! Really? They have to watch me this closely?

Xing was furious and that's when Seiren arrived to check if she was fine. His father hadn't stopped worrying about her.

"Seiren, darling! Take me to the mountains", she stood up and held Seiren's wrist and walked out.

"Let go of my hand! And don't call me darling!", Seiren seethed. Xing let go of his wrist and went out wearing the cape Shengli had given her previously.

Seiren asked AoTian's permission and he asked him to watch her closely and both of them left the Manor.

"She seems fine", Rijun said standing up.

" She'll only be fine when he is back. Now she is just distracting herself with other things. Same as what she did for ten years when he left her", Haru sighed. He knew her heart is still in pain and she is trying her best to look composed. But she has that serious expression in her eyes, so that should be good!

"What was in the letter? You mentioned that cousin Shengli wrote an odd letter to you", Rijun asked Haru.

"Yeah!", Haru sighed, "Xing has a mark in her back of the character 'w.a.n.g (王) '. Our master always said 'Watch her back' to me and I'd say that to Brother Lei always too. Apparently, he had a thought of a theory. Xing was born only in six months and the probability of survival is zero, right? And her mother also had mentioned to brother Lei that Xing didn't cry for a long time after she was born and somehow after a strong wind pa.s.sed by, she started crying. Combined with the fact that the location of the mark is exactly over her heart, brother Lei had come to the conclusion that that Mark was put on by the G.o.ds to keep her alive and if they want to take her life it would be easily done by wiping that mark on her back"

AoTian and Rijun were shocked to hear it and were scared for her. So those G.o.ds helped her survive because they had some business with her? Why is everything so complicated around her? Is her life really that fragile?