Imperial Capital, Shanglin Garden, early morning.
At Muntjac Meng Qiya's request, Landen brought a box of dumplings to the place where the royal family kept its High-level Magic Beasts. Blaze and Black Rabbit were curious and came along with him.
When they heard Landen had come to see Meng Qiya, the High-Rank Knight at Shanglin Garden didn't ask any questions and led him to a brightly lit castle. In the first-floor hall, the man and his two horses saw a little girl dressed in white.
The girl's white robe was exactly like the one the emperor had worn that day.
"Haha, so these are the dumplings His Majesty mentioned. They taste wonderful!" Meng Qiya, in the form of a little girl, deftly picked up a pair of chopsticks and began eating the dumplings. She didn't look like a muntjac at all.
"Are you human or an animal?" Landen asked, puzzled.
"Me?" The little girl smiled vivaciously, her big eyes darting about. "I'm a Magic Beast, of course! Though not entirely. I once devoured the remains of an Elf Legend and inherited some of her memories."
"So, are you—"
"A Magic Beast! There's no doubt about it!" Meng Qiya finished all the dumplings in a few quick bites, then turned back into a little deer. "This is my true form. What you just saw was only an illusion. When you reach Legend, you might be able to take on all kinds of forms too."
"All right, Lady Meng Qiya. Why did you summon me to Shanglin Garden in the Imperial Capital at this hour?"
"I want to find out whether your mount can understand the scent I left behind!"
"What?" Landen didn't understand.
"So you deliberately left a message on her!" Blaze looked displeased. She rarely got angry since reaching High-Rank.