Mingyi wasn't a greedy person, truly, but sometimes the offers were simply too generous—her human nature wouldn't allow her to refuse.

Moreover, the group had already grown accustomed to working together. Replacing someone at the last minute would only cause them trouble. They had even helped her take in the children—she couldn’t possibly repay their kindness with betrayal.

Besides, the people of Sunspire City wouldn’t stop hunting her and Ji Bozhai. Only by winning the Six Cities Tournament and proving to all the cities that they belonged to Star Yearn City would Sunspire finally relent.

And furthermore… well, she couldn’t think of any more excuses. The truth was, the money was good, and the job was worth taking.

She used to hesitate over matters of city loyalty, having served Sunspire for so many years. Suddenly switching to the Azure Mist Robe felt awkward, to say the least. But after returning to Sunspire once, she had an epiphany.

If Sunspire only valued her Essence Power, then her Essence Power could just as easily serve any other city.

Loyalty wasn’t worth much, but once it was gone, everything else came down to money.

When Qin Shangwu brought this up on the carriage leaving Star Yearn City, Luo Jiaoyang and the others had dismissed it as vulgar. But now, hearing it again, even he couldn’t help but brighten up. "What about us?"

Qin Shangwu glanced at him. "The three of you are after official positions for your families. You can’t have both."

They still had families to consider, while Mingyi was alone—money mattered most to her.

Sullenly withdrawing his head, Luo Jiaoyang thought it over. Fine. As long as they won the Six Cities Tournament, everything else would fall into place.

Which raised the question: were they even capable of winning in their current state?

With little time left, the group arrived in Star Yearn City. After a single welcoming banquet, they all shut themselves away in the Academicians' Court to train relentlessly. As the only one who had participated in multiple Six Cities Tournaments, Mingyi spent most of her time in her courtyard, sketching diagrams, analyzing the strengths of each city, and strategizing for every match while the others practiced.

She felt busy, but someone else seemed to have far too much free time.

"Miss, this is the pink jade hair set that Big Brother sent you." Bai Ying, accompanied by Fuling, struggled to carry in a tray before setting it down and wiping her sweat. "It’s so extravagant! I’ve never seen such flawless pink jade in my life—an entire set without a single flaw!"

Mingyi looked up from her documents and lightly tapped Bai Ying’s forehead. "You’re still so young, how can you say ‘in my life’ already?"

Then she glanced at the hair set. Hmm, it really was extravagant—even Sunspire might not have jade of this quality.

"Big Brother said if you don’t want this, he’ll send something else," Fuling piped up in her childish voice. "Boxes arrive in the courtyard every day—things that fly in the sky, run on the ground, or are buried in the earth. There’s all kinds of stuff."

Mingyi’s lips twitched.

Of course. Now that he was back in his home turf of Star Yearn, with money to burn, he was showering her with gifts nonstop.

Was she the kind of person who adored rare treasures? Even if she was, wasn’t it inappropriate for him to send them so blatantly?

And it wasn’t just treasures—he also sent meals, fruits, and clothes. The phrase Mingyi heard most often these days was: "Big Brother sent something again."Taking favors makes one's hands weak, so when Ji Bozhai came to her courtyard for dinner in the evening, Mingyi found it hard to refuse. Before long, rumors began circulating outside that she and Ji Bozhai had reconciled, and that she was so favored by Lord Ji that her seat was placed right beside his at the inner courtyard banquet.

Mingyi took a deep breath and focused on her meal, ignoring the person beside her.

Yet, that very person turned to her and asked, "Did you read the report I wrote about the competition Sunspire City lost in August?"

Since it was a serious matter, Mingyi had no choice but to respond, "I did. Even if you hadn’t conceded, we couldn’t have won. They had far too many Divine Tools."

Yielding early had spared their fighters from injury—Bozhai had made the right call, though Luo Jiaoyang and the others didn’t understand the situation.

Still, had she been there at the time, victory might have been possible.

Ji Bozhai nodded and shifted his cushion closer to hers. "Our training conditions are limited. Is there anything else I’ve overlooked?"

"Keep your distance," Mingyi said coldly.

His brows drooped as he sighed. "You’re always so gentle with Luo Jiaoyang and the others. Why must you be so cold to me?"

Then he smirked. "Though I suppose that makes me special."

Mingyi bristled. Didn’t he realize how many eyes were on him at this banquet? Why did he keep drawing attention to her by crowding her space?

Sure enough, a high-ranking official immediately approached her with a smile. "I heard the Golden Hairpin Fighter has a few young ladies in need of placement. I happen to know some excellent opportunities."

This man was currently in favor, so Mingyi couldn’t ignore him. She forced a response. "Oh?"

"Lord Zhao, Lord Li, and Lord He all have sons who’ve just come of age. While there are no vacancies for principal wives, they could still live comfortably as concubines."

Mingyi offered a perfunctory smile.

Bai Ying and the others had grown up in constant fear in Azure Snow City and had little interest in marriage. Besides, four of the six girls had Essence Power potential, and Mingyi wanted them to stand on their own feet.

But rejecting this man outright would seem ungrateful—after all, in their eyes, women of such complicated backgrounds were lucky to become concubines at all.

Ji Bozhai, who had been idly sipping his wine, suddenly spoke up. "I’ve already arranged their futures. No need for your concern."

"Of course, of course. If there’s ever anything Lord Ji needs, don’t hesitate to ask." The man chuckled, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Bozhai, glanced at Mingyi, and left with a tight-lipped smile.

Mingyi took a swig of wine and sighed softly. Ji Bozhai glanced at her and snorted. "What’s troubling you?"

"Life isn’t easy for women," she said. "I thought I’d found them decent paths, but to others, they still need to be 'settled.'"

The girls with Essence Power potential were learning Combat Skills from her for self-defense, while the other two showed a knack for commerce—she planned to send them to assist at Zhang Tai.

But as long as they remained unmarried, others would see them as unclaimed, leaving them vulnerable to future troubles.

Ji Bozhai gave her a sidelong glance and tilted his chin toward where Muxing and Da Si sat. "Look at him."Mingyi glanced over just in time to see Da Si speaking with Qian Li. Da Si seemed to be giving some instructions, and Qian Li hastily agreed, abandoning the banquet to rush out and attend to the matter.

"As long as you're in a high position, you can do whatever you want—even waste resources building palaces and temples, and no one will dare question you." Ji Bozhai scoffed. "So all the troubles in this world can be solved, as long as your rank is high enough."

Mingyi's heart skipped a beat, and she turned to him in surprise.