Ehuang rifles through her notes expressing discontent as she couldn't find what she was looking for, her brows furrowed and a heavy expression crosses her features. From the side she peeks at Chao Bai sitting obediently and quietly on the bed, that Dipping Iris still cradled faithfully within her embrace. The doctor breaths deeply thorough her nose before doing her best to pull a smile and easing her way into a conversation with the spiritual beast who was semi out of sorts. "Chao Bai, in a few days I heard that the spiritual beast of Wu Mèng yáo wants to speak to you about a divination he received. Perhaps, the two of you are familiar?" Being called Chao Bai raised her head, but only ever so slightly from the flower. It was hardly enough for her to get a needles glimpse of those legendary silver eyes which chilled all to the bone. Ehuang held her breath for only a moment before releasing it once those eyes were lowered back onto the Dipping iris.
"We are not." How cold. Ehuang grimaces after receiving such a dismissive response and rifles through her herb drawer to concoct Chao Bai's pill for her. As she fusses and meticulously adjusts the dosage to the right amount she spoke to Chao Bai thoughtlessly to try and lift the spiritual beasts mood if even a little. "Did you hear about that rumor of that the Vermillion sect's daughter is trying to find a husband lately? Running around the mainland like a mad woman here and there, what indecency. I don't suppose she will get far from the mainland though so we will never get to see her in person. Since they live across the ocean its rare for those of Vermillion, Dark Tiger to traverse the sea to our territory. As Tiaozheng controls the port city it we would have heard by now if anyone from that continent crosses over."
Ah, I'm running low on Corydalis roots again. However, when peeking at Chao Bai once more, Ehuang didn't hesitate to grab every last strand she had left and crush it all down for the other nonchalantly. "-Recently, the little mistress of Swaying Lotus is also trying to expand her influence to our continent, its rather interesting as they are meant to be the Golden Cloud sect's closest ally. It goes to show that petty human alliances never last forever, isn't all rather ironic?" Sprinkling the mixture into a pot to boil down, she rummages in a lower drawer after putting on a glove and mask. After finding what she was looking for, Ehuang familiarly pulls out four vials of strange liquids from dubious origins. However, she was practiced in measuring how many drops needed within the pot after pouring out a cup and cooling it.
The stringent smell was brief and easily covered up by the numerous numbing agents previously added within. Only once she finished adding the drops of mystery liquid did she made her way over to Chao Bai careful to not let a single drop spill onto herself. "In order to make sure it's as effective as the last batch while amplifying the numbing of your five senses I had to add an extra gram of fox glove. Don't over do it for the next couple of hours and the nausea should pass swiftly." Chao Bai wordlessly took the bowl handed to her without hesitation making Ehuang rather upset as she was basically poisoning her own patient. But if someone had to do it, Ehuang would rather it be herself than someone else not trusting anyone to give Chao Bai the correct prescription. Watching with a dry throat as Chao Bai smoothly downs the bowl of poison she could only feel a familiar numbing sensation in her heart when she received a completely empty bowl back.
"...Once the effects calm down I'll brew the second batch for you, the water hemlock in my storage space isn't enough to make a full dosage so I'm going out to pick a few more from the river. If you feel anything different from normal, make sure you call for me on my communication jade." Chao Bai didn't say anything but Ehuang took it as a yes placing the bowl in her space to clean later she exits the room and closes it softly behind her exhaling heavily while leaning into the door. Her whole aura radiating misery, the hands behind her shaking faintly out of sight. Only when she could look up and carry on with the same confidence as before did she steadily exit the courtyard after leaving strict orders for no entry to any personnel besides herself. "Should the lady ask to return to her own courtyard what should we say?"
Being asking this Ehuang showed a troubled look before gritting her teeth stubbornly "On my orders the Lady shall not return to her own courters, if asked then tell her as such as well." Trying not to show her frustration Ehuang left without any lingering feelings muttering helplessly "Anyways, with her broken core besides having someone carry her on their back she cannot do much else till I return." Watching their healer as she leaves, the ones assigned to protect the courtyard too sighed to themselves knowing they had a long day ahead of them. "Will Lady Chao Bai really take no for an answer?" One of them murmur out loud receiving plenty of warning looks in return. "Even so, who are we to defy Ehuang's orders? At least we can say we tried if Lady Chao Bai does."
It wasn't much of a group though, merely a few graduated seniors whose job would consist of patrolling the courtyard and being errand runners if needed. Hardly any of them stood a chance if Chao Bai wanted to escape. But this fit her tastes well, as Feng Shuchang knew the woman preferred privacy over protection. In this moment as the people outside gossiped about her matters, the person herself rubs a petal of the Dipping Iris watching as the energy within the flower blurs between her fingers. Her tear ducts dried out, and in her heart she could only feel a meek sorrow following the events before. Now, her dreams could finally have an ending, but why was she still feeling pain in her heart?
It wasn't that she had become depressed, for she had long gone through the motions of losing her beloved. Caressing the flower she felt a lingering melancholy, along with relief embracing her. Lifting the blanket off her legs Chao Bai sways out of the bed towards Ehuang's work table and took out a small pot to fill with dirt. Potting the flower patiently without caring about her own image for once the woman without a speck of dust on her sleeve willingly cared for the flower with her own two hands. Only once it's roots were covered entirely did Chao Bai return to an aloof fairy looking down at the potted flower gently "Live well in his place." When the war is over, she would find the flower a proper place to thrive in peace. Clutching her chest Chao Bai winces as a wave of blood pulses through her chest knock the air out of her lungs.
"*gasp!" Staggering backwards from the pain Chao Bai hurriedly stores the flower in her spacial pouch before her legs gave way. Hunching over herself with sweat dripping down her brows the spiritual beast curls up clawing her chest. The sensation of her heart pounding faster and faster was terrifying, it was stronger than before as Ehuang had warned her it would be. Her head and heart was aching, her fingers clawing new wounds into her chest she could hardly feel. Gritting her teeth she bit back her screams, slapping the ground and shutting her eyes tightly she crawls desperately towards the tableside. Pulling her ribbon down with shaky hands the woman ties the blindfold around her eyes, her lips practically blue. Only when the solace of darkness consumed her did she breathe a mild sigh of relief.
Though the rest of her body still felt pain, as the soothing agent on the blindfold took ahold of her Chao Bai could recovered her breath enough to stand back up without needing to call for help. As she collapses on the bed the communication jade Ehuang left behind for her gave a shake gartering her exhausted attention. Reaching over she took a deep breath before activating the jade allowing a voice to leak from within "Ehuang? Is Chao Bai awake?" Hearing this question naturally Chao Bai did a sweep of the room and fell into a contemplative silence before opening her mouth to speak. Her voice hoarse "...Madam has a need for my services?" Feng Mei Xing also fell silent for awhile before her tone softened incredibly after digesting the fact that Chao Bai had recovered enough to get up on her own.
"Xiao Bai, are you feeling better now? If not then there's no need to strain yourself to answer." "Madam, if there's anything you need from me then please say so." So, as the cat has most likely already been let out of the bag Feng Mei Xing sighs over the jade before recounting the current situation as articulately as possible. Over throbbing headache and pinching in her chest, Chao Bai frowns lightly as Feng Mei Xing repeats the words the Tiaozhong's matriarch requested from her. "She wants me to meet with her spiritual beast?" Her voice filled with a hint of disdain at the mention of the spiritual beasts who allowed themselves who allowed a mere human be their guide. Probably guessing her thoughts somewhat, Feng Mei Xing soothes her by voicing her support in whatever decision Chao Bai wanted to make.
"If you do not wish to meet with him then you do not have to, going by carriage will take awhile and riding behind Feng Shuchang will tax your strength." Chao Bao contemplates the intentions of the other beast, a contracting beast of the leader of a sect must not be a simple beast either. But besides the consultation of Ehuang's treatments with their sect, there was not much else they should know about her nor should she be required to know more about the other. "Has Madam ever seen the matriarch's spiritual beast in person?" Being asked this Feng Mei Xing had an inking of what Chao Bao really wanted to know and answered truthfully. "I have, though only briefly as he rather dislikes people beside his partner's direct lineage. He introduced himself as a royal of the Red fox clan." Desert fox? A desert fox wishes to meet a sea serpent? As much as she was in pain, even Chao Bai could not contain her amusement at this time finding it rather fascinating. "Then, before the moon rises on the fourth day I expect the Tiaozheng sect to extend a fitting welcome for my arrival."
"You will come? There's no need to run over just because they asked, you don't have to worry if this will affect our relationship with the matriarch either Xiao Bai." Feng Mei Xing was both surprised and disturbed by the easy agreement. Chao Bai removes her robe and runs a hand along her bleeding chest, slowly wrapping it up herself whilst her tone reveals nothing to the other "A Royal wishes to meet me, how can I dare to refuse his request. Madam has no need to fret over my condition, Ehuang herself stated I will be fine with a bit more rest." Since ancient times her clan of snakes have been despised and feared throughout the masses, only a few spiritual beasts stood out proudly and without fear of their venom. The Red Foxes, suppose it is only fate that she is to meet one of the damned clans which took part in crushing the home of her ancestors. Despite her weak state, her lip rose to reveal a sharp fanged sneer.
In truth, Chao Bai should have been immune to all poisons since her birth, but unlike the other royals who could drink a thick soup of night berries as if it were a sweet treat. Chao Bai's body amplified it's effects once the poison enters her body to the fullest possible extent as if making sure every part of her body was on fire. She should have died at birth. But, unfortunately she was born a Royal. To hide her defect, it was Hui who stood by her side. Holding her in his arms when she cried out, held her hands back from clawing at her body to leave bloody patches and scars, warmed her when she fell ill and was tossed into the bottom of the sea to die. Unfortunately, Chao Bai squeezes the bandages in her hand, she had been the one who lived the longest between them. Perhaps, her condition had also been a blessing in disguise for it is helping her take revenge for his sake.
Now, she was going to meet face to face with a member of a clan who drove her people to the pocket dimension called An Xing. A defect Royal facing off one of their clan's greatest enemies, she found it funny. What kind of face will that fox make when he realize she was a descendant of the silver serpent and he had invited her into his very own home? Would he kill me? Or would he regret it so badly he would expose her identity in front of everyone making them turn on me? Grimacing when another wave of sharpness stabs her heart, she leans into the bed and did her best to steady her breathing feigning sleep. In any case, a royal who signed a contract under a human...It would be her first seeing such a thing with her own eyes.