"Mm." Chu He nodded. "So young, with so little training, yet his Essence Power is so strong—it's truly annoying."
"That's not what I meant." Luo Jiaoyang planted his hands on his hips. "Who's jealous of him? I'm talking about him as a person! He's so cold, impossible to get close to! Earlier on the training field, he injured me and just walked away without a word!"
Fan Yao chuckled. "If he had crouched down to comfort you, wouldn't you have felt even worse?"
"Fair point, but I still think he's got no humanity in him." Luo Jiaoyang grumbled, turning to Mingyi. "Good thing you left him. A fine girl like you—he really doesn't deserve you."
The surroundings suddenly fell silent for a moment. Even Mingyi, who had been focused on her Artifact Crafting, looked up and raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Luo Jiaoyang lifted his chin. "Tomorrow I'm moving into the empty courtyard next to the Artifact Crafting Hall. With me around, he won't have anything to—"
"What are you guarding?" Ji Bozhai's friendly voice sounded behind him.
Luo Jiaoyang's scalp prickled. He immediately flipped around, landing in a defensive stance, and snapped, "How do you walk without making any noise?!"
Ji Bozhai stared at him coldly. "As a Superior Fighter, if your movements can still be detected, you might as well go home and feed pigs."
Luo Jiaoyang snorted, muttering guiltily, "Our training's already over for today. You're not going to police our casual chats too, are you?"
"There's a tea-tasting event in Flying Blossom City mid-year. The instructor wants us to go and broaden our horizons." Ji Bozhai's smile didn't reach his eyes. "The event doesn't test individual ability but teamwork. As things stand, you’d all just drag me down. So I’m ordering everyone to train for two more hours."
"Who the hell do you think you are, ordering us to—" Luo Jiaoyang jumped up in anger, but Chu He pressed him down with a hand.
"He's right. The tea-tasting in Flying Blossom City isn’t a formal competition, but people from the Six Cities will be there. We lack real combat experience—it’s a good chance to train. To avoid embarrassing Muxing, extra training is necessary." Chu He stood, pulling Fan Yao up with him. "Let’s go."
Luo Jiaoyang followed reluctantly, turning back to Mingyi. "We’ll come by later."
Mingyi found his lively personality amusing, far more pleasant than the gloomy people in her previous team. With him around, the group wouldn’t be dull, so she smiled faintly.
However, that smile carried a different meaning in Ji Bozhai’s eyes.
Though they’d severed ties, though she was free to do as she pleased now, smiling at another man right in front of him—wasn’t that a bit provocative?
His lips twitched as he stepped onto the training field.
And so, from dusk till late into the night, Luo Jiaoyang was thoroughly "trained," inside and out. By the time he collapsed, he couldn’t even spit out blood anymore.
The man beside him crouched down solicitously and asked kindly, "You alright? Can you still stand?"
Luo Jiaoyang: "..."
Fan Yao had been right. Hearing Ji Bozhai’s "concern" only made him feel worse.
Seeing Ji Bozhai eyeing them for more training, Fan Yao had a quick thought. "It’s getting late, sir. Your residence is quite far, isn’t it? Why not rest at the Academicians' Court tonight? We’ll resume early tomorrow."Luo Jiaoyang rolled his eyes upon hearing this. Ji Bozhai was a madman who wouldn’t stop once he got going. Even if someone said that, he would never—
"Fine." Ji Bozhai reluctantly withdrew his hand. "There isn’t much time left before the tea-tasting event. I’ll ask everyone to come at dawn tomorrow."
Luo Jiaoyang was stunned. As someone helped him up and led him out, he still couldn’t believe it. "He just let us go? Why?"
Fan Yao gritted his teeth and laughed. "With a brain like yours, the less you talk, the better."
The three of them escorted Ji Bozhai to the gate of the vacant courtyard on their way. Hearing the clanging of artifact crafting from next door, Ji Bozhai frowned deeply. "This place is so noisy."
If you don’t like the noise, move somewhere else—Luo Jiaoyang was about to say just that, but Chu He, as if anticipating his words, immediately covered his mouth. Fan Yao smoothly continued, "Though it’s a bit noisy here, it’s close to the training grounds, which makes practice convenient. Please bear with it, my lord."
"Fine." With an air of reluctant condescension and undisguised disdain, Ji Bozhai stepped through the courtyard gate, carrying several large bundles of luggage that had somehow been packed in no time.
Thus, when Mingyi opened her door the next morning, she was greeted by a familiar face peering out from the opposite gate.
Her lips twitched. She cupped her hands in a perfunctory salute, then turned to fetch her meal.
The food at the Academicians' Court wasn’t great, but fortunately, Xiuyun was a skilled cook. All Mingyi had to do was pick up some fresh ingredients from the kitchen, and by noon, they’d have a decent meal.
But seeing Ji Bozhai’s face first thing in the morning was a shock. The whole way, Mingyi couldn’t stop wondering why this man, who was so used to luxury, would deign to live in the Academicians' Court. Had he abandoned his mansion full of concubines? They were probably still waiting at the gate with lanterns in hand. Even if they weren’t, there was no way he could stomach the food here.
As if to prove how well she knew him, no sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she returned to the artifact crafting courtyard with the ingredients, only to see a hefty gold ingot land in Xiuyun’s palm.
"I’ll trouble you from now on." Ji Bozhai nodded politely.
Xiuyun’s eyes sparkled, and she nearly jumped for joy. "My lord, just go about your business and return at noon for the meal!"
Mingyi: "..."
Ji Bozhai nodded at Xiuyun and walked out. As he passed Mingyi, he didn’t even glance at her—so upright and focused that she began to wonder if she was overthinking things. Maybe he wasn’t deliberately getting close to her but simply wanted better food.
But upon reflection, she thought, what were the odds? If Ji Bozhai didn’t like her, he had a thousand ways to avoid her. Why deliberately place himself right under her nose if not for ulterior motives?
The silly girl Xiuyun, meanwhile, was overjoyed. She ran up to Mingyi and handed her the gold. "This is such a good deal! Cooking with the Academicians' Court’s ingredients and getting a whole ingot of gold every month!"
Put that way, it did sound profitable. After a moment of silence, Mingyi patted Xiuyun’s shoulder. "Save it. We’ll be able to go to Flying Blossom City soon."
Eyes shining, Xiuyun spun in place, beaming. "Yes!"
Her expression was so lively it was impossible not to smile along. Mingyi teased her, "What’s so good? Looking forward to seeing Zheng Tiao?"
"N-no!" The girl’s face instantly flushed. "That’s not it! I meant the flowers in Flying Blossom City are beautiful. It’ll be nice to see them!"
"Oh? I don’t believe you.""Really, it's true." She tugged at her sleeve, her neck flushing red with urgency, eyes glistening with unshed tears yet tinged with guilt.
The young girl's heart was laid bare, utterly adorable in its transparency.
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