Chapter 44 Daji (XI) First Appearance

Kui Ji was like an awakened female leopard, devoting herself wholeheartedly to the role of "female guard captain".

Lin Jiaojiao gave her unprecedented trust and space. Holding Lin Jiaojiao's token, she carefully selected from the strong female slaves at the bottom of the palace.

She had a sharp eye and did not choose those who were timid. She only looked for women with tenacity in their eyes, nimble hands and feet, and strong bodies. In the end, twenty capable female slaves were selected to form the "female guard" exclusive to Zhaixing Pavilion.

The training ground was set up in a secluded clearing in the woods outside the Beast Garden. Kui Ji taught all the martial arts and training methods she had learned in the Nine Kingdoms.

In the absence of swords, they used sharpened wooden sticks instead; in the absence of armor, they used tough vines to weave simple arm guards and chest guards; in the absence of war horses, they trained in infantry combat and coordination.

Her training is extremely rigorous: weighted running, fighting confrontations, queue changes, sentry guarding... every single one is required to be done to the extreme.

At first, the female slaves suffered terribly and complained bitterly, but Kui Ji set an example by always being at the forefront of every training session. Her wheat-colored skin gleamed with sweat in the sun, her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and her movements were as agile and powerful as a real cheetah.

Her wildness and strength were the best motivation in themselves. Gradually, the complaints faded, replaced by an unyielding resilience and... an unprecedented awakening of a sense of power.

Lin Jiaojiao would occasionally watch the training from afar under zero "safety assessment". She saw Kui Ji yelling at team members who had non-standard movements, saw her wrestling with team members in the mud, saw her demonstrating blocking and thrusting techniques over and over again, and saw a faint but determined light gradually ignite in the eyes of those originally numb female slaves.

[Zero, that's great.] Lin Jiaojiao was silently happy for them.

"Jiaojiao, you are good too." Ling's sudden praise made Lin Jiaojiao stunned for a moment, and then a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

While Kui Ji was training the female guards in full swing, the Beast Garden also welcomed its most grand moment. Emperor Xin sent out invitations to envoys from princes, important officials in the court and their families to enjoy the spectacle together. For a time, the royal capital was bustling with traffic and guests.

On that day, flags were waving and drums and music were resounding at the entrance of the Zoo.

Emperor Xin and Lin Jiaojiao rode on the extremely luxurious elephant chariot and slowly entered the garden surrounded by ministers and guests.

Lin Jiaojiao was wearing a moon-white gown embroidered with silver phoenixes today. Her long hair was loosely tied up, and she only wore a white jade hairpin. She was elegant and refined, like an untainted fairy in the sunlight. Her appearance instantly attracted everyone's attention, and they were filled with surprise, admiration, awe...all kinds of emotions.

Kui Ji led twenty female guards, dressed in uniform dark hemp cloth, with leather belts around their waists and sharpened wooden sticks in their hands. They had solemn expressions and marched in orderly steps to guard the two sides and rear wing of the elephant chariot. Their appearance also caused quite a stir.

"Is that... a female guard?"

"Look at their steps... so neat!"

"The leader...his eyes are so fierce!"

"The Sumerians... actually used women as guards? How bizarre!"

“…”

There were voices of discussion one after another, but Kui Ji looked straight ahead, with her back straight, standing guard at the side like a javelin.

The female guards behind her, although nervous, tried their best to maintain their formation, with a hint of nervousness and... a faint sense of pride in their eyes. This was their first time to appear in such a grand occasion.

The parade team moved along a carefully planned route. The garden was full of wonders, with rare birds and animals either strolling leisurely or playing and chasing each other, which attracted bursts of amazement from the guests.

Emperor Xin was full of pride and was always giving orders about the country's affairs, enjoying everyone's flattery. Lin Jiaojiao played the role of a curious and dependent person, expressing her amazement and admiration just right, which greatly satisfied Emperor Xin's vanity.

However, beneath the calm, undercurrents surged. Not all guests were well-intentioned. Some princes and envoys who were dissatisfied with Emperor Xin's tyranny or firmly believed that Su Daji was the "source of disaster" had scrutiny and a hint of imperceptible malice in their eyes.

Cruise to the wild animal area.

Inside the huge fence, several mighty lions were lazily lying on the rocks basking in the sun. Suddenly, a lion with an extremely large body and fierce eyes seemed to be disturbed by something. It stood up suddenly and let out a deafening roar. It paced anxiously in the fence, slapping the ground with its huge claws, raising dust. The violent momentum instantly scared the guests near the fence, making them turn pale and retreat repeatedly.

"Ah——!" Several women's screams were heard from the crowd.

The several male guards in charge of this area were also startled and subconsciously took a few steps back, tightening their grip on the long spears in their hands, but seemed a little flustered.

Just then.

"Female guards! Be alert!" Kui Ji's clear and wild voice suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap.

Without hesitation, she rushed to the front, pointing the sharpened wooden stick in her hand diagonally forward, squatting slightly in a defensive posture.

The twenty female guards behind her dispersed instantly as if by reflex, forming three arc-shaped defense lines in groups of two to protect the frightened guests behind them. Their eyes were sharp, their grips on wooden sticks were tight, and their movements were in unison. Although they were nervous, no one flinched. Their well-trained reactions and strict formations instantly calmed the scene!

Kuiji's eyes were as sharp as lightning, fixed on the agitated lion. She did not attack rashly, but instead slammed her stick onto the ground, making a dull sound, while simultaneously uttering a deep and powerful cry: "Ho! Ho!"

The voice had a strange penetrating and intimidating power. The lion seemed to be shocked by the sudden and powerful shout, and the roar stopped abruptly. It stared at Kui Ji vigilantly, shook its mane anxiously, and finally growled, slowly retreated behind the rocks, and lay down again.

Crisis averted!

The whole process took only a dozen breaths! It was so fast that people had no time to react!

The whole audience was silent! Then it broke out into thunderous applause and exclamations!

"Good! Great skills!"

“What a quick reaction!”

"These women...are incredible!"

"Su Meiren's subordinates are indeed extraordinary!"

“…”

Emperor Xin was also stunned, then burst into laughter, his face full of pride: "Excellent! Excellent! As expected of my beloved concubine! Even the guards around her are so brave! Rewards! Everyone will get rewards!"

Lin Jiaojiao also breathed a sigh of relief, with just the right amount of surprise and relief on her face. She said softly to Emperor Xin, "It's all because of your majesty that these girls dare to be so brave."

Kui Ji put away her stick and turned around, bowing slightly in the direction of Emperor Xin and Lin Jiaojiao, then ordered the female guards to restore their formation and continue to be on guard.

There was a trace of sweat on her wheat-colored face, but her eyes were bright as stars, full of confidence and strength. The female guards behind her, although still nervous, stood straighter and their eyes were filled with unprecedented brilliance.

This small incident made Kui Ji and her female guards famous. They were no longer novelty vases in people's eyes, but a real guard force with combat effectiveness and discipline. Lin Jiaojiao's reputation was also further enhanced because of this "female guard".

However, not everyone is happy with this.

As the parade was coming to an end, an unpleasant incident occurred in a swamp area near the exit.

A young envoy from Dongyi, under the influence of alcohol, pointed at a red-crowned crane incubating eggs in the fence, spoke frivolously, and even tried to poke it with a branch. The red-crowned crane was frightened and let out a shrill cry, flapping its wings to avoid being attacked.

The petty official in charge of the zoo stepped forward to dissuade him, but the envoy pushed him away with an arrogant attitude: "Get out of here! I want to see what's wrong. It's just a flat-haired beast!"

This scene happened to be witnessed by E's son, E Chongyu, who was patrolling nearby. Young and energetic, E Chongyu had always respected his father, E's uprightness, and he hated such bullying and disrespect for living things. He immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Stop! This is the king's precious bird! How can you be so presumptuous?!"

The Dongyi envoy was already arrogant and, relying on the alcohol, he saw that E Chongyu was young and retorted, "Humph! E family brat! Who do you think you are? How dare you meddle in my affairs? Are you trying to stand up for your father?"

E Chongyu was furious! The verbal conflict between the two quickly escalated to the point of shoving. In the chaos, E Chongyu was pushed hard by the envoy, losing his balance and sliding towards the deep muddy swamp where crocodiles were kept nearby.

"Ah--!" E Chongyu screamed and was about to fall into the swamp full of ferocious crocodiles!

At the critical moment!

A dark figure rushed out like an arrow. It was Kui Ji. She had been on guard nearby, paying close attention to the movements. She was extremely fast. At the moment when E Chongyu was about to fall into the water, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his belt. At the same time, she pushed hard with her feet to stop his falling momentum.

"Hold still!" Kui Ji shouted softly, exerted force with her arms, and pulled the frightened E Chongyu back.

E Chongyu staggered a few steps, stood firm, his face pale, and looked at the rolling mud under his feet and the looming crocodile back with lingering fear. He looked up at Kui Ji, his eyes full of shock and gratitude.

"How dare you!" Emperor Xin roared. He had witnessed the entire incident, his face livid. The Dongyi envoy's arrogance and the fact that he had nearly killed the son of Marquis E had completely infuriated him. "Come! Capture this foolish lunatic! Drag him away! Feed him to the crocodiles!"

The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the terrified and now mostly sober Dongyi envoy away. The envoy's shrill cries for mercy gradually faded away.

Emperor Xin's anger was still lingering. He looked at the frightened E Chongyu and the rescuer Kui Ji, and his expression softened slightly. "Kui Ji! You've saved that life! A reward of 100 taels!"

E Chongyu quickly bowed in thanks, and Kui Ji also knelt on one knee: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward! Protecting guests is my duty!"

Lin Jiaojiao looked at this scene and felt relieved. Kui Ji's growth was faster than she had imagined. She not only protected the son of Marquis E, but also demonstrated the value of a female guard in front of Emperor Xin.

The opening parade ended with Emperor Xin's fury and Concubine Kui's stunning performance. The guests dispersed and the Zoo returned to peace.

Back at Zhaixing Pavilion, Lin Jiaojiao dismissed everyone and left only Kui Ji.

"You did a great job today..." Lin Jiaojiao looked at Kui Ji with sincere admiration in her eyes. "You remained calm in the face of danger and handled the situation properly. Saving the son of Marquis E was a great achievement."

A blush flashed across Kuiji's face, but her eyes remained bright and sharp: "Thank you for the compliment, my lady! I just did what I had to do."

Lin Jiaojiao smiled faintly: "Not only did you do what you should do, but you also proved your ability. General Fu Hao's path may be difficult, but you... have already taken a solid step."

Upon hearing this, Kuiji's eyes instantly lit up with a fiery light! She nodded vigorously, "This servant...will definitely live up to your expectations!"