Mingyi: ?
The Academicians' Court truly held an exalted position, to the extent that even the pigs' feed had to be personally purchased by Ji Bozhai.
She had initially thought to grab a bite, but it seemed that wasn’t possible now. Shrugging, she returned to the Artifact Crafting courtyard to pack her clothes.
Situ Ling had bought many garments, but the sizes didn’t quite fit. After trying them on, she decided to ask Xiuyun to alter them in the evening.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed several additional chests nearby. "Huh?" she murmured, puzzled as she tried to recall how many chests Situ Ling had carried earlier.
Unable to remember, she walked over and lifted the lid.
Inside was a grand skirt embroidered with floral pearls, paired with a crimson jacket and a delicate pinkish gown draped with a hibiscus-cloud shoulder cape—vibrantly colorful.
Her fingers paused. Squinting, she held the skirt up against herself.
It fit perfectly.
Recalling Ji Bozhai’s earlier look of irritation, Mingyi suddenly understood. Had Situ Ling exposed his intentions, prompting him to feed the scallion pancakes to the pigs rather than give them to her?
Human nature was not only despicable but also wasteful.
Mingyi curled her lip and shut the chest.
After the two-day family reunion festival, Qin Shangwu led the group on their journey to Flying Blossom City.
Mingyi had expected Xiuyun to be excited, but glancing at her, she found her friend’s face clouded with gloom, silent the entire way.
The beast-drawn carriage soaring through the Azure Cloud Realm was spacious, capable of accommodating over a hundred people. While Qin Shangwu lectured the students, Mingyi pulled Xiuyun into a corner and whispered, "Did you forget something?"
"No." Xiuyun smiled bitterly. "I just didn’t expect... I thought they visited me out of reluctance to part, but it turns out they somehow learned of my admiration for a Fighter from Flying Blossom City. They meticulously planned for me to win him over so they could relocate there."
Mingyi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is Star Yearn City not good enough?"
"They don’t think so. They have to pay annual tributes and are looked down upon. Though Flying Blossom City isn’t among the Upper Three Cities this year, it has been many times in the past, holding higher status than Star Yearn City." Xiuyun sighed. "My second brother has been doing business in Flying Blossom City and has amassed considerable wealth. My father wants to resign and live in comfort but fears being accused of colluding with the enemy. So, he wants me to arrange their move under the guise of marriage."
Marriage sounded simple, but how could she possibly manage it? At this point, she wasn’t even sure if Zheng Tiao remembered her, let alone anything else.
Mingyi patted her head. "You’re already away—why worry about them? Whether you succeed or not, they can’t reach you now."
Blinking, Xiuyun realized, "Oh, right?"
Once she arrived in Flying Blossom City, the mountains and rivers would separate them—who could control her then? Her second brother had never liked the family and certainly wouldn’t help restrain her.
With this thought, Xiuyun brightened, hugging Mingyi and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Let’s go see the clouds!"
Both were dressed in men’s attire, and the affectionate gesture drew odd looks from nearby onlookers.
Unfazed, Mingyi met their gazes one by one until they sheepishly looked away. With a light humph, she turned to follow Xiuyun’s pointing finger toward the clouds.
The Azure Cloud Realm stretched endlessly, its sea of mist obscuring whatever lay beneath. But as the clouds parted, the southwestern horizon revealed Flying Blossom City, where petals danced like falling stars.Flying Blossom City was a place where flowers bloomed vibrantly and brilliantly all year round. With just a gust of wind, the streets would be filled with their fragrance. Delicate flower species that struggled to survive elsewhere grew here larger than cabbages, clustered together in breathtaking splendor.
The moment the beast-drawn carriage landed, Luo Jiaoyang sneezed several times in a row and had to tie a cloth over his nose and mouth. "I hate flowers!" he grumbled.
Fan Yao and the others were unaffected, but before they could even move their luggage to their lodgings, a crowd of people surrounded them.
Instantly on guard, they summoned their shields.
However, the crowd consisted mostly of women and elderly folks, who soon began tossing large, oversized flowers into Ji Bozhai's arms.
Had they been ordinary flowers, he might have accepted them graciously, considering the goodwill of these aunties. But the flowers here were bigger than his head, and each one weighed enough to make him stagger. Ji Bozhai had no choice but to dodge.
"Such a handsome young man, don't dodge! I have two lovely daughters—both can be yours!"
"My girl is no less charming than hers—come to my house!"
"Someone this handsome must wear flowers on him!"
Amid the laughter and teasing, even the students joined in the commotion. Ji Bozhai struggled to evade the floral assault and shot Mingyi a glare.
Mingyi: ?
What did this have to do with her?
Now that they had arrived in Flying Blossom City, Mingyi planned to part ways with them. She simply told them that if they needed any Divine Tools or repairs, they could come find her.
Qin Shangwu tried to persuade her to stay but failed. Mingyi had more than enough money—with a grand wave of her hand, she bought a large courtyard in Flying Blossom City and moved in with Xiuyun that very day.
Left with no choice, Qin Shangwu took the students to scout the competition venue. But when they went to find an inn that evening, they discovered all the major ones were already packed with teams from other cities.
Star Yearn City held little prestige and couldn't compete for accommodations with these other cities. Yet staying in more remote inns would affect the students' rest. Qin Shangwu was deeply troubled.
"Follow me," Ji Bozhai beckoned to Luo Jiaoyang and the others.
Luo Jiaoyang was reluctant to obey him, but seeing his confident demeanor, he grudgingly followed. "Where are we going?"
"To buy some things."
No place to stay, and now shopping? Luo Jiaoyai frowned in confusion, while Fan Yao and the others were more curious than anything. They followed Ji Bozhai to an antique shop, where he instructed, "Each of you, grab something—chairs, vases, anything will do."
Luo Jiaoyang was baffled, but Chu He's eyes lit up, and he immediately complied. Soon, every student, including Qin Shangwu, was holding a jade ruyi scepter.
Though it was a struggling little antique shop, the haul wasn't cheap. Ji Bozhai paid without batting an eye—a whole gold piece—then led them to knock on the door of Mingyi's new residence.
Mingyi sighed the moment she opened the door and saw his face. "Even a lingering ghost isn't this hard to shake off."
"Congratulations on your new home. Will you accept our gifts?" He raised the Jade Guanyin in his hand.
The jade's translucency and color were exquisite. Mingyi hesitated but ultimately opened the gate.
Then she watched as a flood of gifts poured in behind him.
"The inns outside are full," Qin Shangwu explained from the rear. "We'll need to stay a few days. You don't mind, do you?"
She didn't mind—she could even provide breakfast.Mingyi took the jade ruyi from his arms, her eyes gleaming as she pinched her sleeve to wipe it. "When traveling, it's only right to look out for each other. Teacher, you're being too formal with me."
She had already been distressed about spending so much money on the house purchase, leaving no funds to furnish it with such items. To her surprise, they had thoughtfully brought everything along.
Forget about wretched human nature—even the most wretched human nature would shine brilliantly under the glow of abundant wealth!
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