It is indeed true that absence makes the heart grow fonder but in Qilin Huo’s case, it was difficult to deduce her true intentions. Seeking out her estranged husband while he was in the middle of planning to foil her plans was a little too much of a coincidence.

She grinned like a vicious fiend as she lowered her gracious body into the steaming water. The grey edges of the sixteen square meter bath had statues of Qilin mythical beasts all around.

These creatures might be mythical to the human race but to the Nocru it was the true form of the defeated superior lineage also called the Qilin clan.

In their highest ranking form, this clan was described as exceedingly beautiful creatures gleaming like gems and adorned in flames. They had scales on their bodies with their colour and amount depicting ranks in terms of the strength of their aether.

Their long powerful hooves were much graceful than that of a beautiful steed on earth and lion-like tails differentiated them from dragons.

In this clan, no two Qilin looked alike from their fiery manes, carp whiskers, unicorn-like horns, plumes of feathers, branched-like antlers and scales made of precious metals. But regardless of rank and appearance, they were still dazzling to the eyes.

The Qilin clan ancestors were known to be benevolent with a great sense of justice punishing evildoers and protecting the weak but a few lineages down things changed. The pure hearts were engulfed in hate, greed and defiance resulting in the deadliest war in Nocru with the Huishe clan.

The shameful loss hit hard on the formidable one as he sought out new territory to reestablish his authority. This is how Qilin Huo ended up in this place.

At first, she had dreamed of starting a normal life leaving behind her title as the banished princess of the Qilin clan. Yes, her father was the formidable one whose name was too great to be mentioned.

But as she carried that child in her womb her father constantly attacked her in her dreams slashing at her aether each time which drastically reduced her strength by half.

The threat was clear, he could still get to her across worlds and if she didn’t complete the assignment then her torment will be a never-ending one till she dies. This is why she sought after the easiest man to manipulate leaving behind her husband and son without looking back.

She even made him believe that her interest in him was gone and that she had been enchanted by the dashing rotten prince. This gave Ji Wen a reason to let her go but she was a selfish possessive Nocru after all. If he dared move on she wouldn’t hesitate to murder both him and his new lover before killing herself.

It was because of this that she fed him her blood that he would never have eyes for anyone else besides her. Even if he was faced with the most enchanting beauty though no one was as beautiful as her, Ji Wen wouldn’t be interested. This meant what Ji Wen interpreted as being broken was actually calculated by his enchantress.

For eighteen years she had only managed to take the keystone in Prince Rui’s hand and replaced it with a fake. Before she left she even employed him to do her bidding by making him think it was his idea.

Seducing him with the promise of power and ample source of seraphic energy she convinced him to find the rest of the keystones while she hid in the place closest to the centre of the earth so the formidable one couldn’t reach her.

In her hands, she held the other keystone which she wore around her neck like a pendant. All she had to do was lay in wait for Prince Rui to find the rest of them then everything would be settled.

What she didn’t foresee was her husband and of course, she still recognized him as her husband, would venture in the same direction attempting to stop her plans. This is why she appeared before him her intentions still unclear even to herself.

Qilin Huo emerged from underneath the water with her wet silvery-white hair sticking to her back and some of the strands draping over her chest concealing the grandiose peaks. Her hair was so long that it covered her butt making it hard for peeping Tom’s to take a peek.

She spread out her arms as soon as she stepped out of the bath and two Nocru girls dressed her in a thin white robe. Another servant brought over a red keystone disguised as a pendant which she carefully placed on its rightful place around Qilin Huo’s neck.

She strode out of the bath with the tail of her robe sweeping the floor. She entered her grand hall and carelessly sat on the throne with her crossed legs resting on the armrest. Because of her careless sitting posture, her long slender legs were exposed through the slit of the robe.

Vines of faint red tattoos could be seen on parts of her legs and neck giving off an alluring image that made one unable to contain themselves. “Speak your mind,” she said as the servants dried her hair with their seraphic energy.

A man dressed in maroon from head to toe emerged from the shadows and kowtowed before her. On his face, he wore a white mask with red streaks on the left side and a creepy black line on the bottom with its corner quirked up into a creepy smile.

“His highness knows it was Pirate King Ji who attacked his Pavilion and plans on hunting him down in Xiehe,” spoke the man before raising his head from the cold floor.

Qilin Huo let out mocking laughter as she sat up straight with great interest. “My Ah-Wen can easily deal with him. My only issue is that he will kill him so make sure that idiot doesn’t die…. I don’t want Ah-Wen to screw with my plans….,” she said as the servants brought over a Kang table and a locked brown chest.

She sat on a cushion on the ground crossed legged further exposing her thighs but she didn’t seem to care. The chest was unlocked and various brushes, paint and papers were laid out on the table before she waved them away.

Pulling back her sleeves she reached out for a thin brush and dipped it into black paint before asking, “Anything else?”

The man hesitated as he bit the inside of his mouth nervously before saying, “The half breed of the Haishe clan is still looking for Ji Yao.”

Her hand slipped at his words making her spoil the portrait of Ji Wen that she was working on.. She heard that bastard Rui had actually bedded a Nocru of Huishe clan but didn’t think much of it at the time.