The little boy with the surname Ji knew that he would be Jiang Ai's lover in the future.

He was confident enough in his appearance—he was better looking than other men, and he learned things faster than other men.

If Jiang Ai is the most powerful woman, then he is the most powerful man.

Under the guidance of Jiang Ai's biological father, he personally sewed a complete set of clothes for Jiang Ai's coming-of-age ceremony.

He had thought he would be special.

He came from the Ji clan, with the intention of annexing the Jiang clan.

In the Ji clan, he had been reminded many times by his uncle—his uncle, the man who became the chief of the Ji clan, observed the night sky and saw a fiery star fall upon him.

He said, "You are different from other ordinary men."

He said: You are burdened with the destiny of a king.

The little boy with the surname Ji had fantasized many times about becoming a "king" in the future.

What is the fate of a "king"? He had fantasized countless times in the dead of night about such a future. Would becoming a "king" mean having endless food and living in a beautiful house?

His uncle couldn't answer his question, but the sensible little boy never pressed for an answer.

He was just thinking about it to himself.

He had always thought he was different from other men. He disliked making clothes and cleaning up the traces left by women after a feast.

But after he made the clothes for Jiang Ai's coming-of-age ceremony by hand, he held the gorgeous clothes and was overwhelmed with joy amidst the praise of the other men.

He wondered if he would become Jiang Ai's husband in the future, would that also count as becoming a "king"? After all, Jiang Ai was so capable that she had already organized many hunts before her coming-of-age ceremony.

She is the most amazing woman; he will become her husband.

He will be the happiest man.

The little boy surnamed Ji, standing by the river, hugged the magnificent robe in his arms even tighter. He greedily inhaled the scent he had left on the garment, and looked expectantly at the naked woman standing on the wooden platform.

She wants to be a king, so will the man beside her also be a "king"?

He trembled with anticipation.

Jiang Ai and the clan chief stood calmly facing each other on the wooden platform. The water droplets on her body shrank in the hot summer air and disappeared into her fur.

The clan leader asked, "Do you want the Jiang family to rule the world?"

Jiang Ai nodded.

The women beneath the wooden platform whispered among themselves. Jiang Ai's mothers were proud of their daughters, while those of slightly lesser bloodlines worried about the future. But they shared a mother by blood, the same blood flowing through their veins—so they weren't so worried.

After all, Jiang Ai was a child they had watched be born and grow up.

If Jiang Ai wanted the moon, they would think of ways to pluck it down for her.

Now, Jiang Ai only wants the world—more than discussing why they want to gain the world, the women are discussing how to gain it.

Their bodies are filled with the blood of the Mother Goddess, and they never resist fighting.

The chieftain chuckled softly. But her gentle laughter was punctuated by a stern question: "Do you know how vast the world is?"

Jiang Ai confidently raised her chin.

She said, "Everything I can see and touch is the world."

The clan chief smiled, his wrinkles deepening.

She was no longer young, and her physical strength was far inferior to that of younger women. Yet, she still used her wisdom and knowledge to sit regally in the position of clan leader.

The clan chief looked at the spirited young Jiang Ai, then at the women standing below the wooden platform, participating in Jiang Ai's coming-of-age ceremony. They were all young, full of expectations and ambitions for the future.

—She was the same.

If she had no ambition for power, she would not have become the chief of the Jiang clan.

The clan chief then laughed again.

The delicate, intricate feather decorations on her body trembled with her laughter. She reached out, her wrinkled hand gently stroking the feather ornaments at her waist.

This feather came from a bird with a sharp cry, a bird that had inadvertently wandered into their habitat.

Her fingers brushed aside the overlapping feathers, her fingertips lightly touching the animal hides hidden inside.

She was once a skilled hunter, leading the women of her tribe to hunt tigers, antelopes, bison, and wild boars. She skinned every beast that had died at her hands, cutting it into small pieces and tanning them into exquisite decorations.

Not only that, she also killed many newborn male infants in the Jiang tribe and dealt with many disobedient men. Unlike other tribes around her, she firmly adhered to the traditions of a matriarchal clan, leaving no room for men to grow up.

When conflicts arose between tribes, she never hesitated to use her long knife to cut off the head of the chieftain of the opposing tribe.

Her hands were stained with the blood of beasts and humans.

She was never a kind and gentle old lady.

The clan chief said, "Since you desire the world—then take it into your own hands."

She spoke calmly, as if it were nothing important. But the men below the platform cheered first—they cheered joyfully for the woman they belonged to, and for the women they were about to belong to.

Although they were unfamiliar with war, they knew how to support women.

The women then burst into laughter.

The women who had men called their men into the women's company. They happily stroked the men's faces and skin, then unceremoniously pushed them towards their sisters.

The men became like soft, easily bullied milk puddings, trembling and melting in the rough palms of the women.

After the women had their fill of playing with the men, they sent them back to the riverbank—telling them to give the clothes to Jiang Ai.

The young boy, whose surname was Ji and who was not yet a master, stood outside the women. His master was not among the women below the wooden platform, so he had not been invited to join the earlier commotion and laughter.

He could only stand outside the crowd, watching the man who had taught him how to use bone-pinching needles and twist grass into threads and ropes being wantonly kneaded by the women. Their faces flushed, as if this was a glory bestowed upon them.

His uncle once told him that these were tricks that women often used.

He once earnestly accepted his uncle's teachings to be a man of self-respect and self-love; but when he turned away from them, all he wanted was to join them.

He didn't want to be special anymore.

The little boy looked up blankly at the woman standing on the wooden platform. Jiang Ai, who had completed her coming-of-age ceremony, was no longer a girl, but a woman who would be recognized by all the tribes.

Her body was sleek and powerful; just thinking about how she would treat her husband made the little boy blush and hurriedly cover his face.

The ball of light said, "You want to replace him?"

Ai Cao smiled. She stepped down from the wooden platform, crossed the river, and picked up the stack of fine clothes that the little boy had been holding so carefully. She wiped herself clean with the old clothes and then put on the new ones.

She said, "Why not?"

She took the little boy's hand and pulled him into the midst of the reveling women.