Mingyi's voice was a mix of desolation and resentment, anger and grievance. Her slender figure swayed slightly, trembling in the wind, even the hem of her skirt curling weakly, looking utterly pitiful.
Even if she hadn't been someone he personally appointed, Da Si couldn't help but feel compassion. Frowning, he turned to Sun Liao: "How dare you, in broad daylight—"
"I didn't!" Sun Liao, flustered and disregarding propriety, retorted angrily, "This person came to my residence to deliver goods. They arrived as a man and suddenly turned into a woman. Clearly, Lord Ji deliberately sent her to frame me!"
"You keep insisting Lord Ji is framing you, but why would he do that?" Situ Ling shook his head. "Without evidence, this is slander."
"What more evidence do you need? He's jealous that I can craft Divine Tools! Soon, even he would have to rely on my favor to obtain them. He can't stand that, so he wants to eliminate me early!" Sun Liao, still resentful, added, "During the selection trials, I was one move away from striking his vital point, but he forcibly knocked me out of the arena. He knows how skilled I am and fears my rise. Hmph."
Ji Bozhai: "..."
He still couldn't remember this man's full name, let alone any selection trials—those were just casual bouts for him, never encountering anyone noteworthy. Where did this guy get his confidence?
Qin Shangwu finally grew displeased as well: "Bo Zhai isn't that kind of person."
"He barged into my residence, injured me, then sent his woman to frame me—everyone saw it!" Sun Liao scoffed. "What more is there to say?"
Mingyi elegantly wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye and looked up at him. "Your residence is fully stocked, my lord. What could I possibly deliver that would allow me to enter without raising suspicion?"
Sun Liao froze, guiltily averting his gaze. "How should I know? I was injured and didn't handle such trivial matters."
"Then how did you know I arrived dressed as a man?"
"..."
Situ Ling, observing his expression, said coldly, "How dare you lie before Da Si!"
"I—" Sun Liao glared fiercely at Mingyi, intending to threaten her into silence about the Divine Tools. But when their eyes met, hers resembled the sharpest icicle hanging from a winter rooftop, frozen with a blade inside, sending chills down his spine.
His heart quivered as Sun Liao lowered his head, eyes darting nervously.
Mingyi pulled out "Star River Sunset" from her sleeve and, in front of everyone, deftly disassembled it into over a hundred components, then placed them before Sun Liao.
"I accuse you before Da Si of impersonating an Artifact Smith and deceiving the Academicians' Court. If you disagree, restore this Divine Tool to its original state, and I will apologize to you."
Cold sweat dripped from Sun Liao as he picked up a few components, pretending to examine them but making no move to reassemble them.
Qin Shangwu's eyes lit up the moment Mingyi dismantled the Divine Tool. Seeing this scene, he inhaled sharply. "Those previous Divine Tools... weren't made by Sun Liao?"
After a moment's hesitation, Mingyi stiffly pulled out a stack of Shell Coin Notes. "Sun Liao bought them from me. Today, I was only here to deliver a newly crafted Divine Tool, but he forcibly imprisoned me in his residence. Who knows what he intended? I was so scared, wuwuwu..."
The staggering amount on the Shell Coin Notes left both Da Si and Situ Ling stunned.
Qin Shangwu pushed past the others, disregarding everything else, and crouched before Mingyi. "You can craft Divine Tools?"Mingyi lowered her head. "I secretly learned a bit from someone before."
"Both 'The Moment I Arrived' and 'Thundering Force' were made by you?"
"Yes."
Qin Shangwu felt a momentary joy, but then grew concerned, fearing she might be a fraud with only superficial knowledge. He turned to Da Si and said, "I shall take her to the Academicians' Court for verification."
Understanding his preoccupation with the Six Cities Tournament, Da Si immediately nodded. Then, meeting Ji Bozhai's gaze, he solemnly declared, "Sun Liao is a man of vile character, slandering a superior fighter and attempting to kidnap a golden hairpin fighter. Minister Situ, punish him severely according to the law."
"Your servant obeys!" Situ Ling waved his hand, and Fu Yue promptly seized Sun Liao and lifted him up.
Stripped of the protection his status as an artifact smith had afforded him and now facing Da Si's stern decree, Sun Liao finally panicked. He shouted repeatedly, "I have talent! I can do it! What does a woman know? Those were my creations!"
But this time, no one believed him. Fu Yue gagged him, bound him tightly, and threw him into a carriage. Situ Ling inspected the Shell Coin Notes, discovering they were counterfeit, and proceeded to seal the mansion while investigating the Sun family's shady dealings.
While Situ Ling was bustling with activity, Ji Bozhai accompanied Da Si out of the Sun residence, his expression visibly displeased.
"What troubles you, my dear minister?" Da Si asked solicitously. "If anything weighs on your mind, speak it, and I shall resolve it for you."
"I was unaware Mingyi knew artifact crafting," he said, lowering his eyes. "She never breathed a word of it to me."
Da Si, assuming Ji Bozhai feared blame for concealing this, quickly reassured him, "Mingyi comes from humble origins and may not realize the value of artifact crafting. It’s understandable she kept it from you. I do not blame you."
Ji Bozhai remained silent, his gaze dark as it fixed on the distant clouds.
The feeling of learning her secret alongside others—even later than some—was utterly wretched, as if he were merely an outsider. Though now, perhaps, he was no different from one. Yet they had once been closest to each other.
He had believed he knew everything about her, that she was entirely within his grasp, only to realize she had planned from the start to stay by his side briefly, feigning compliance, never truly opening her heart.
An uncomfortable grip clenched in his chest. Ji Bozhai cupped his hands in farewell to Da Si, boarded a beast-drawn carriage, and hurried after Mingyi to the Academicians' Court.
The Academicians' Court was in an uproar, all because Mingyi had publicly used an artifact crafting platform to restore "Star River Sunset" and repaired the freshly damaged "Thundering Force" with available soft iron right before their eyes.
Her technique was practiced and masterful, her skill exceptional. As she fitted certain specialized components, the faint glow of Essence Power shimmered at her fingertips.
Though the color of her Essence Power remained unclear, this alone proved Mingyi was an extraordinarily skilled artifact smith.
Qin Shangwu was so delighted he could hardly contain himself, immediately ordering someone to fetch the Azure Mist Robe.
Yet Mingyi raised a hand to stop him, smiling awkwardly. "The Azure Cloud Realm has no precedent for women entering the Academicians' Court. I beg the master to reconsider."
Only then did the crowd snap back to reality.
Such a formidable artifact smith—and a woman?! How could she be a woman? Where would this leave the pride of Star Yearn City's countless men?
They could accept a golden hairpin fighter—after all, to them, she was merely a decorative figure, a topic for idle chatter. But if the only young artifact smith were also a woman, wouldn’t the other cities mock Star Yearn City for having no capable men?The atmosphere was a bit awkward when Luo Jiaoyang beside them spoke up: "What does it matter if it's a man or a woman? As long as the Divine Tool works well, that's what counts."
"What do you know?" Chu He rapped him on the head and frowned. "Every city's honor is important—not a single blemish can be tolerated."
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