In the village stockade surrounded by forest, Li Huowang ate bamboo-tube rice beneath the gazes of those women.
Using a semicircular bamboo strip like a spoon, he scooped up the rice and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing in great mouthfuls.
As he ate, his conversation with Li Sui continued in his mind. "Sui Sui, what do you think?"
"Not much. They ought to be ordinary people of the Tianchen Kingdom. I'm afraid they don't know much either."
After finishing the bamboo-tube rice in a few bites, Li Huowang wiped his mouth and handed the tube back to the woman before him. "Thank you for your hospitality, sister. If it's convenient, could I borrow an empty room for the night?"
"Of course, I'll pay for the room." Li Huowang reached into his sleeve, drawing out several blackened pieces of broken silver into his palm.
"It's only one night, no need, no need." The woman was exceedingly warm and welcoming as she took Li Huowang by the hand and led him forward.
Are all the people of the Tianchen Kingdom this kindhearted? Li Huowang could not help wondering.
It was hard to imagine that these people had once all been believers of the Unborn Mother, and had ultimately betrayed her and stolen her Heavenly Dao.
"Sister, this place is pretty remote." Li Huowang looked around at the low houses and found that they were all wooden huts, or else woven from bamboo strips.
"Yeah, being remote is good. The grain we grow is our own, and nobody comes to snatch it."
"All your own? Doesn't the court collect taxes?" Li Huowang began steering the conversation toward the information he wanted.
"The court? What's a court?"
Only then did Li Huowang understand. The Tianchen Kingdom actually had no court. If there was