Dongling looked at her registration certificate in her hands.
Citizenship of Nanyi.
The most basic and even insignificant paper the Higher Class or even middle class and some lower class has. But there are those that did not have it and desire it more than anything. Slaves, orphans, and beggars. That sort. Servants that works with a Slave Contract or Servant Contract, whichever you have.
To those who are bounded by those contracts, they earned less than what they should have been payed with their services than when they have been. Far lesser because of this Certificate. The paper that prove you are a true citizen of Nanyi Country. It's very expensive to those that has no money but it made a big difference in treatment and in life. When you're looking for a job, unless you are recruited directly, you are asked if you have the Citizenship otherwise, don't even think about working in high paying places.
Dongling was a beggar and an orphan taken in by Princess Royal. Having food on the table, clothes on her back and roof on her head is better than the time on the street. Not to mention, Princess Beiyue is not difficult to serve.
"Your Loyalty paid off. You're no coward unlike my other servants. I'm going to make a new contract later, from now on you will work as my personal maid." Huang Beiyue said and tore Dongling's Slave Contract right then and there, "You're going to work with me. Li Dongling."
"Yes, Yes Princess, thank you! I will work hard!"
"Wipe your tears. Follow me, we'll recruit servants." Huang Beiyue said calmly and turned to leave.
Currently, the servants in the Princess Royal Manor are form the Palace, the servants that Huang Beiyue will brought in will be trained by them how to serve Huang Beiyue properly before they return back to the Palace. There was renovations in the Princess Royal Manor. Huang Beiyue already had her blue prints for the design she wanted. She had already planned this, of course she had fully expected Huang Huiwen to hold off at least for another five years but one shouldn't expect too much.
"Princess! You've arrived, I will bring the best ones for you to choose from-"
"No, bring them all, I will inspect them myself. From the youngest to oldest, from weakest to strongest, female or male, bring me all you have. And I mean all, if you miss one…" Huang Beiyue only glance sideways. It sent the threat clear enough.
That's how Huang Beiyue sat on the chair provided, sipping on the tea Dongling brewed. Waiting patiently. Tea are one of the things Demons can consume apart from Humans or Animals. Water as well. Being a Demon can be boring as well, specially when you're at the top. You tend to learn thing son your own or force a human to teach you, mainly because of the lack of entertainment. Kokushibu is still a Son of a Noble and an Heir to boot.
Kibutsuji Muzan has no interest what his demons do. Kokushibu was unfortunate enough to be the target of Muzan because as insane as it may sound, only perhaps Kokushibu is the only sound minded being within Waxing Ranks, if not Akaza because Douma is too much even for Muzan to handle. With many nonsense plant that the King of Demons force them to search, suffice to say demons of the Waxing Rank had high degree in Medicine, Poison, and Herbology, that is including Biology. Most of which, Muzan using his cells to drill it on their skulls.
This lead to many discoveries like how a yellow petal flower with brown core that grow facing the sun, Sun Flower they call it, had the same danger to Demons as Wisteria does but lesser pain and more akin to a silent killing poison. Either the humans did not know this or they sadistically preferred the poison to hurt demons. Some reflective and twisted sense of justice to inflict the same pain. Kokushibu doesn't know, humans are wierd, so are demons
So, Sunflower. At one point, Muzan had thought its an alternative for Blue Spider Lily, he probably at his wits end by then but even that was a bust. Kokushibu remembers it clearly, he was furious enough to rearranged the Waning Demon Ranks again, Kokushibu remembered it clearly because the Waxing Moons had to recruit six powerful demons to fill the gap of power. Kokushibu had recommended a Spider oriented Blood Demon Art demon, Sui? Hui? Rui? Yui? Which was it it?
Kokushibu remembered because it is enough to kill the lowest of the demons until low Mid ranked Demons, depending on how it is processed. There are more like that. Unlike Douma and Daki who are in charge in bringing in money for Muzan, the others delegated to searching for the Swordsmith Villages or the Demon Slayer Headquarters, Kokushibu and Akaza had to either study biology and science to find the cure for the Sun or out searching for the Blue Spider Lily, unfortunately Akaza liked to use the excuse to go and find the Blue Spider Lily and pick up martial artist to fight and kill, Kokushibu wasn't tat fortunate to have the same excuse. So aside from the owner of Infinity Castle, Nakime, Kokushibu is the most frequent resident inside than Muzan. To pick up the slack he had when the King of Demons finds another idea to try and expected Kokushibu to bring in result, more often than not, fail.
Huang Beiyue was snapped form her unrelated monologue and now the wide courtyard, packed with people. Some healthy, some not.
Peering through them through Transparent World without triggering the Demon Slayer Mark, Huang Beiyue had learned the trick in pairing it with Total Breathing Concentration and her spirit energy.
"You, you, you, step forward." Huang Beiyue walked passed the nervous and anxious people. There was no rhythm or reason, seemingly at random she ahd picked. Some are old, some are young. They were divided to three groups.
The group that would be her servants in Princess Royal Mansion is more than the ones that will be ordinary demon slayer caliber but they would be trained enough to at least ordinary caliber demon slayers. They won't be able to reach the level she wanted but they can at least be guards. Huang Beiyue had picked up one. Another girl, though she is already 14 she can still grow stronger if she train seriously with Dongling, who is talented enough to be a Pillar by right nurture but she is not on the same level as Muichiro in terms of Talent.
"I choose them, they will come with me." Huang Beiyue said calmly
"I will pay, Princess."
"Mn." Huang Beiyue swept her gaze across to make sure she did not miss anyone and made their way out, "Third Group, they will be trained to be Outer Servants, the Second Group, as Guards, you will train with Dongling but Dongling is my Personal Servant, you're the First Inner Maid." Huang Beiyue spoke calmly
Dongling had made sure to educate the new Inner Maid, An Ying. That is to polish her education, at least to learn reading and writing more. Dongling and An Ying is being taught by a Palace Mama.
The training ground is being reconstructed still along with many others, this included the big place where it will turn into a Greenhouse. Buying alchemy ingredients and replanting, to regrow them in the garden. Because frankly, Huang Beiyue is sick and tired of the blandness of the food in this world. Unlike before she restrained herself, now, without someone keeping her in check, Huang Beiyue began to do things and change things to her liking.
She gave Dongling and An Ying three months to finish the training as maids first, just lay foundation then toss them to training.
"Run laps 10 times before sun sets." Huang Beiyue expressionlessly said. With how vast the Princess Royals Mansion was, creating this obstacle course was no problem. The obstacle course was a path of trees and bamboos and many obstacles and booby traps that would resets itself back again once it springs, it's triggered by the vibration on the ground or when someone approached it.
Huang Beiyue calmly drew a new seal on the talisman. Formation, Talismans, and Arrays. It is very attractive, Enchantments is incredibly useful trick under one sleeves. Kokushibu was reminded of the Demon that Tamayo had turned, he coukd do something with the senses with his blood and paper, Kokushibu naturally wanted to learn more. To give him an edge in battle. Because obviously, he had learned. He had our three Pillars and one demon eating demon slayer. One of them did not even use a katana. Once bitten, twice shy.
This is a world of cultivation. There are many surprises that will be sprung on him. Basically, everyone has their own trick uo their sleeves, it's like it's a world where demons gained sun Immunity but traded their immortality and regeneration ability. The most popular, even if not as common profession is Summoner.
Huang Beiyue will not be complacent. Huang Beiyue was also reminded painfully that there was no Nakime and her everywhere door to take him places without much work. Space ability is incredibly rare, so a mount is preferable, specially strong and could fly.
Huang Beiyue shook her head, no, not the time. Focus on the task at hand.
Three years, Dongling is already undergoing Hashira Training roughly 4 months back, An Ying just busted her big gourd and ahs been doing it until Huang Beiyue deemed her enough to undergo Hashira Training.
Where the servants are full of envy towards the two, it was quickly wiped out when they saw the two, Dongling and Ying, practically had to crawl back to their quarters or pass out on the training ground. They felt like their job is more leisurely. The food is delicious, it's not hard work, Kokushibu was annoyed with some many peooek coming and going and the late of hot water, tossed her blue print for the Master Craftsman she had hired because she can't be bothered to craft them herself. Nezuko had a blacksmith and a craftsman in her Mansion. They re amongst the ones that had high salary but they also one of the busiest. They weren't complaining much because they are paid. That and the Princess really has a brilliant ingenious mind.
There are two additional Inner Maids that Huang Beiyue had obtained, a pair of twins, it never failed to make her heart twitch whenever she see them. Wei Yi and Wei Er are slaves actually but they have higher talent than An Ying but lower than Dongling. Though they are still yet undergoing the Total Breathing Concentration Constant Training.
Huang Beiyue herself had also taken into learning and slowly managing the Two Fiefs. Huang Beiyue need to make money. She will continue to raise her own forces and in order to do that she must have money. The past three years, Huang Beiyue had exploited the fertile land of the two Fiefs to lean in Agriculture and Culinary, half a year ago, with the cooperation with Bugiel Family, Huang Beiyue opened a Restaurant and Tea House. Waxing Moon Palace.
And it was a big success. It quickly became a high end restaurant despite the location more on the less populated area of the Bazaar, honestly they can't keep uo with the influx of costumers but Huang Beiyue also has extra hands sosbhe simply opened another ien on the other side of the Bazaar, Waning Moon Palace, keep the two restaurants distant to control the traffic flow of people, both restaurants has different menus and specialty. Not to mention, all of her workers are residents of her Fiefs, what they sold and what they earned, it was a profitable transaction, and as the Fief Lord, Huang Beiyue is satisfied. While Huang Beiyue is busy, she still kept up training, while Dongling and An Ying could not keep up with Huang Beiyue, she still kept her intense training.
Mourning period is over, Huang Beiyue still is not willing and will want another year of seclusion, she had given the Emperor at least 10% share of the profit of the two Fiefs, which now annually earned more or less 200 million gold taels. Originally, the Emperor did not want to take them but Huang Beiyue inssitedi, t was even little amount. She dared to have the Emperor overlook her paperwork for a year.
Their Spatial Ring packed with supplies. The trio took off towards Fog Forest on foot.
"This will be your final test. Spent half a year to a full year, cut off from any civilization. Train and if you have the guts, beat your chosen Spirit Beast to Submission." Huang Beiyue said, "It's unfortunate but the Wei sisters will be doing the same next year."
"Yes, Princess!"
"Go!"
Dongling went to the left while An Ying went to the Right.
Huang Beiyue charged straight towards the icy mountain. Something has been calling her this whole time.
Huang Beiyue's eyes narrowed, Supreme Spirit Beast, the Bingluan?
Ice Nature… ugh, reminded of Douma, again. Huang Beiyue grimaced but it will do for now. Huang Beiyue leap in the air.
Poor Bingluan, it did not know that it was just eyed by a Predator.
Meanwhile, somewhere far away in different location.
Dongling stopped running to turn to where the howl of a powerful spirit beast could be heard, where she had assumed Princess Beiyue had locked on as destination. Dongling shook her head, "Poor spirit beast." She murmured and continue on her destination.
While An Ying just glanced back before cursing at herself and continue to run, "I must have lost my mind worrying about the Princess, its probably the beast that was beaten to death."
Bing Luan:….. Where the hell did this lunatic came from?!?