Divination Ritual

“Tonight,” Queen Zhu confirms. “With every passing hour, the likelihood that they realise we figured out their plan only grows. We can’t risk any delay. You have a whole day to prepare. Chun’er, prepare the royal guard for the trek though the desert.”

“Yes, Queen Zhu.”

“General Liu. You will work with Feng-laoban to secure the city and distribute necessary supplies. Also select which fighters will join the royal guard in the assault.”

“Understood,” they both say in unison.

“Sect Leader Dai. I trust you already know who to send?”

“Yes. I will make a list for you.”

“No need, I trust your judgement. Make sure they are ready at sunset.”

Dai Qian bows in acknowledgement. Everyone has their orders. We will—wait. I look at Queen Zhu and shyly raise my hand.

“Yes?” she asks.

“How do we know where their headquarters are? This is a very large region.”

Queen Zhu slams her hand on the table. “All the accomplished leaders in this room, and it falls to a young disciple to ask the most prudent question.”

She doesn’t explicitly say that they should be ashamed of themselves, but it is heavily implied. Especially Zhu Chun, who will lead the troops into the desert. She looks suitably chastised.

“That’s also why I called Murong Zhiyu here. Since you were exposed to the energy of the formation, you will help the royal diviner to determine their position within the desert expanse.”

“Feng Yu was cursed by the formation. Wouldn’t he be a better candidate?” I ask.

“Theoretically yes, but his cultivation isn’t strong enough to survive the ritual,” Queen Zhu says.

“... survive?” I stammer.

“Everyone is dismissed. Murong Zhiyu will stay.”

Zhu Chun gives me a sympathetic smile before turning away—the other two just nod and leave. What does she mean ‘survive’?? She wouldn’t kill her own daughter over this, would she??? As soon as the doors are closed once again, and we are all alone, Queen Zhu walks over to me and grabs my wrist.

“I knew it,” she says.

“Knew what?”

“You cleansed that Feng boy with your genuine qi.”

“He was dying.”

“He wasn’t. And you drew the curse into you regardless. After you already drew out the one from Dai Qian. Now you carry both of them. Just because your energy can neutralise them over time doesn’t mean it’s wise to take on their burdens like this.”

I didn’t actually know that was how it worked. In the drama, Murong Zhiyu merely cured people with her miracle power and that was it. Of course such a powerful gift needs to have a downside.

“Do you like him that much?”

“I care for them both. I haven’t made a decision yet, but I don’t want either to die no matter what I choose.”

“Your dedication to saving those dear to you is admirable, yet your duty as guardian should come first. You can’t risk your life.”

“I understand.”

“It’s good if you actually understand. Then follow me.”

“Is it really that dangerous? The ritual?”

“For anyone not of our bloodline, it would require using most of their cultivation, so it can be life-threatening. It can lead to qi deviation in the worst case. But it has been made to work with the qi of the guardian, who is attuned to the artefact and as such can use it to amplify the search.”

So I’m like a radio tower. No, just a connection to the radio tower. Great. I walk after Queen Zhu to the back of the room, where a panel opens into a door, which wasn’t at all visible before. The palace is likely full of secret doors and passages like this. It leads out into a garden, which we cross to reach a pavilion. In it, a person is already waiting for us in the middle of a raised platform. He looks like he’s meditating, yet when we come to stop in front of him, he opens his eyes. He is obviously a fox, but a black one. His ears and tail are showing and when he opens his mouth, I can see his fangs. He’a wearing a simple, black robe, his partially grey hair completely bound in a bun on the top of his head. He’s old, much older than anyone I’ve seen so far.

“Queen Zhu,” he greets her, bowing low while he’s still sitting. “Second princess Zhu.”

“We need to find the camp, as discussed.”

“Yes, my queen. I’ve already prepared the space.”

I look around. The small pavilion is empty save for the platform in the middle and two large braziers next to it, from which sweet smelling smoke is permeating the air. The light is low and when Queen Zhu closes the doors, it grows even more murky.

“Go ahead, then.”

The royal diviner rises to his feet and waves at me to come closer.

“Please lie down on these cushions, second princess.”

I don’t exactly want to, but this is literally what can save the city, which is my imperative, so I do it. The royal diviner lights a handful of incense sticks and starts walking around me, waving them in the air.

“Close your eyes. Concentrate on the magic you felt from the formation,” he says. “Yes, that’s it. Concentrate on the curses and the monsters. Remember their unique magic.”

All of a sudden I feel like I’m losing all power in my muscles, arms and legs so heavy I can’t move them any longer. My stomach flips as the sickly sweet smell of the incense rises into my nose.

“I can see… I…” the royal diviner mumbles. “I can feel a pull…”

I want to open my eyes, but even those are too heavy. I can’t move anymore! I can’t— Zhiyu! Zhiyu! I call out to her in my head, but she doesn’t respond. With some effort I manifest the dragon qi within me and shift into the half-form, horns and tail growing. The burden instantly becomes lighter and I can open my eyes again. The air above me is heavy with incense smoke. In front of my eyes it morphs into shapes that don’t seem like a natural flow, first into waves, then strands, then…

“I know where they are,” I say, suddenly, but it’s not my voice, who is speaking. It’s Murong Zhiyu. She’s awake and has taken over her body again. In any other situation this has felt very weird, but right now I’m glad that someone experienced is taking over. Murong Zhiyu waves her hand and the smoke in the room coalesces into three spheres.

“Xiyang,” she says as she points at the largest one, then at the next. “Yueji Lake.”

There’s a third one, to the northwest of them. With the distance between Xiyang and Yueji Lake taken into account, this should—

“That’s the Ghost Hills,” Queen Zhu says. “Yes, that makes sense. There’s an abundance of yin energy in these hills from a battle that has taken countless victims in the area hundreds of years ago. White fox rituals rely on yin.”

The royal diviner extinguishes the fires and incense in the room. With this, the heaviness of my body fades and with it Murong Zhiyu’s presence. I shift back into human form. Queen Zhu holds out a hand to help me up, which I gratefully take. She pulls me into her arms as I get up, holding me close. There’s so much fabric between our two robes, I feel like I’m drowning in silk.

“You’re going to make the royal diviner obsolete,” she says with a laugh and behind me something falls to the floor. I look over my shoulder and see the royal diviner pick up a scroll. “I apologise, I was just joking.”

The royal diviner doesn’t look pleased, but bows regardless. Despite his elevated status in the palace, there isn’t much he can do when confronted with the queen.

“With your permission I will make the necessary records,” he says obediently.

“Very well. You did well in facilitating the ritual. Come now, Qiu’er. We have a lot of important things to prepare.”