The Ming family heir was universally acknowledged across the Six Cities for his formidable Essence Power. At twelve, he had represented Sunspire City as a Fighter and had remained undefeated for seven consecutive years at the Six Cities Tournament, never encountering a worthy rival. Over the years, the only one who came close to matching his prowess was Zheng Tiao from Flying Blossom City.
This year, however, Ji Bozhai crushed Zheng Tiao with absolute dominance. The outcome sent shockwaves through the Six Cities, and everyone eagerly anticipated his showdown with the Ming family heir.
Yet, just three days before the match, Sunspire City abruptly announced their withdrawal. Soon after, the Ming family heir vanished without a trace. Rumors swirled—some claimed he had been assassinated, while others insisted Sunspire City had backed out to avoid facing Ji Bozhai out of sheer cowardice.
Speculations ran rampant, but the Ming family heir never reappeared, as if he had evaporated into thin air. The Ming family, too, remained tight-lipped about his disappearance.
Though Ji Bozhai was consequently hailed as the uncrowned champion of that year’s Six Cities Tournament, Yan Xiao believed he must have felt regret—not only for missing the chance to duel such a formidable opponent but also because his subsequent matches were taken over by some privileged youths from Star Yearn City.
“Why bring him up?” Ji Bozhai clicked his tongue dismissively. “A coward who fled without even daring to face me.”
“The inner court of Sunspire City is a tangled web. Who knows what constraints he might have faced?” Yan Xiao shrugged. “Still, a man of his caliber wouldn’t surrender without a fight.”
“Who can say?” With a flick of his wrist, Ji Bozhai wiped out a cluster of black pieces on the board, smirking. “Perhaps his Essence Power paled in comparison to mine, and his looks couldn’t hold a candle either. Too ashamed to stand on the same stage as me.”
Yan Xiao: “…”
Truly, no one in the world could rival his level of narcissism.
Shaking his head, Yan Xiao resumed their game.
The unsolved murders of several physicians had heightened security in the inner court. The sacrificial ceremony was heavily guarded, with strict checks on all entrants. The subsequent clan banquet was even more heavily fortified—dancing girls were thoroughly searched, meals were tasted by designated testers, and invitations were meticulously verified, one person per ticket.
Seated across from Zhang Tai, Mingyi listened as the other girl sighed incessantly. “Honestly, I don’t even know why we’re needed at such an event. It’s just a bunch of high-and-mighty nobles treating us like decorations. And the dance the Music Bureau assigned is ridiculously hard—I’ve been practicing for half a month and still can’t get it right.”
Zhang Tai spoke while casting expectant glances at Mingyi, waiting for her to chime in.
Yet Mingyi acted as though she hadn’t heard, asking instead, “The overseer mentioned you fell ill again. What was it? Did you take medicine?”
Zhang Tai pouted. “What else could it be? You know how I am—a gust of wind leaves me coughing for half a month. Just taking some old remedies to barely keep it under control.”
She then studied Mingyi more closely. “I heard you’ve been quite favored outside. What brings you back to visit me?”
“Favored or not, it’s just fleeting glamour.” Mingyi lowered her eyes. “Only I know how my days truly are. I had some free time lately, so I thought I’d check on you.”
Though their acquaintance was merely circumstantial, both had been ostracized by other dancing girls for their striking beauty, creating a bond of shared hardship. While Zhang Tai secretly resented how Mingyi always outshone her, she also recognized her potential and maintained their friendship, hoping to benefit from it someday.
Mingyi understood this well. Superficial ties meant that asking for favors came at a price.
She disliked paying prices.
She preferred reaping the rewards.So she asked nonchalantly, "What time will you be done tomorrow? I'll prepare your medicine in advance."
Zhang Tai's face fell. "I haven't decided if I'm going yet..."
"You can skip it?" Mingyi looked surprised. "The manager just told me they're short on people."
Ever since the Adjudicator had beaten several Dancing Girls to death, their numbers had dwindled. The newly selected ones weren’t fully trained yet, and the veterans were frequently plagued by headaches and fevers. For other banquets, it wouldn’t matter much if a few were missing, but this was an inner banquet for the imperial clan—grandeur was essential. Orders had come down from above: unless you were dead, you had to crawl to the banquet.
Zhang Tai dropped her act and said miserably, "I won’t lie to you—I really can’t dance right now. If you have time to brew medicine, why not take my place? You know how those imperial relatives are—they won’t lay a hand on Dancing Girls. You won’t be in any trouble."
Just a cold—why couldn’t she dance?
Mingyi looked at her in confusion, her gaze slowly drifting from Zhang Tai’s face to her stomach.
Zhang Tai startled and instinctively pulled the blanket over her belly. "I—I… It’s not what you think."
"I didn’t think anything," Mingyi blinked. "Just noticed you’ve put on some weight lately."
Dancing Girls prized their figures above all else. Zhang Tai had always been disciplined—she wouldn’t suddenly plump up like this.
Recalling the manager’s honest, good-natured face, Mingyi smiled knowingly and turned to look at the screen beside them. "Is that your dance dress hanging there?"
"No," Zhang Tai said guiltily. "The inner court is cutting costs this year—no new dresses. The manager said we can wear our old ones for tomorrow’s banquet. That’s just my casual dress. My dance dresses… I dirtied them all."
Mingyi: ?
Dirtying one dance dress could be an accident, but all of them? That was a bit too deliberate, wasn’t it?
Amused, she asked, "If I take your place and Ji Bozhai blames me or turns against me, how will you make it up to me?"
Zhang Tai tugged at her sleeve with a pitiful expression. "Good sister, we’re both unfortunate souls. If you help me today, I’ll owe you a favor. Next time you’re in trouble, I’ll definitely help you."
Not bad—earning a favor was much better than owing one.
Mingyi hesitated for a moment before sighing in resignation. "We’ve known each other for so long—I can’t just watch you get punished. Fine, I’ll go in your place tomorrow. But if anyone finds out, you’d better cover for me."
Zhang Tai nodded eagerly. "Don’t worry. With me and the manager here, no one will notice a thing."
Dancing Girls all wore similar hairstyles and accessories, and there were no strict rules about which dress to wear. Mingyi could blend in perfectly.
Zhang Tai was brimming with confidence.
But she had overlooked one thing—Mingyi’s face. Even with completely different makeup, her beauty was striking. The moment the group of Dancing Girls entered, someone at the banquet couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
"The Music Bureau has been nurturing quite the talents lately. The one Ji Bozhai took away before was already stunning, but who knew there’d be another with such outstanding looks?"
The speaker was Meng Yangqiu, an official at the Judicial Bureau and also the illegitimate son of Prince Xian.
As soon as he spoke, several imperial relatives turned their gazes toward Mingyi and nodded in agreement. "With women like these to win over the officials, there’s no fear of unrest in Star Yearn City."In the eyes of the imperial clan, there was no such thing as beauty—women were merely tools for the state, categorized only as useful or useless.
Even so, someone beckoned to Mingyi. "Come here."
Though puzzled, Mingyi lowered her head and hurried over in small steps, kneeling to pay her respects.
"That dress of yours is quite unique," he remarked, his gaze tinged with nostalgia as he motioned for her to come closer. "It's been a while since I've seen that color."