The construction of the new Sunspire City progressed swiftly. By the time Mingyi arrived, the main city's interior had already begun to take shape.
The current residential layout was remarkably well-planned. Homes in the distant outskirts each had ten acres of land, while those in the nearer suburbs were allotted one acre per household. Even within the city proper, every courtyard had space to grow fruits and vegetables.
The soil here was fertile—whatever was planted flourished, unlike the rocky earth of before that yielded only meager crops after a year of toil.
As Mingyi walked through the streets, she noticed the excited expressions on the faces of the common folk. Long lines formed in front of seed shops, and the markets finally boasted fresh vegetables.
"Next year, we'll be able to eat rice grown with our own hands," Zhou Zihong said as he walked beside her, his eyes smiling.
Now, even if Sunspire City didn't make it into the Upper Three Cities at the Six Cities Tournament, they wouldn't be left destitute and without hope.
Mingyi smiled and asked, "Have the Fighters for this year's competition been selected yet?"
"I was just about to report to the Minister Superior," he replied, handing her a scroll. "This year's candidates are quite interesting. Please take a look."
She unrolled the scroll, and her eyes brightened.
Nanxing's name was actually listed there.
Nanxing was one of the children Mingyi had rescued from Azure Snow City. Compared to Bai Ying's thoughtfulness and Fuling's obedience, this girl seemed somewhat aloof. However, she possessed extraordinary talent in Essence Power and was both willing to learn and endure hardship. For her to appear on this list meant that despite her young age, she had defeated numerous opponents in the selection trials—no small feat.
"Let's go see her," Mingyi said cheerfully, heading toward the Academicians' Court.
Ji Bozhai's beast-drawn carriage followed behind.
The streets were so crowded that the carriage became stuck, unable to move forward. Mingyi, completely unaware, continued chatting and laughing with Zhou Zihong as they walked ahead.
Seated by the carriage window, Ji Bozhai watched them with an expressionless face, though the blood vessels in his eyes gradually darkened.
Buxiu hurriedly ordered the path to be cleared, then turned to reassure him, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Ming Guniang is just too excited—it's her first time visiting this new city."
"Hmm," he nodded, lowering his eyelids, though the corners of his mouth tightened slightly.
Once the crowd was cleared, the carriage hastened forward, only to see Mingyi and Zhou Zihong entering the Academicians' Court side by side.
"Your Majesty, we must disembark here," Buxiu whispered.
Ji Bozhai shifted slightly but then settled back into his seat.
"Forget it," he muttered. "I'd only be in the way. Let's wait until she's tired of playing before we go in."
The new Academicians' Court in Sunspire City was twice as large as the old one, divided into red and green sections—red for male students, green for female. At a glance, there were actually more students in the female section.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's benevolence, these female students were selected from abandoned infants rescued by local governments across the land," Zhou Zihong explained with a smile. "Many of them possess exceptional talent. Of course, there are also those with average aptitude—we've sent them to the neighboring Artifact Crafting Pavilion."
Above the pavilion's entrance hung a plaque bearing the character "Ming"—Mingyi's name. Inside were all the Artifact Smiths she had trained. Women without Essence Power could handle miscellaneous tasks, ensuring they had food, clothing, and even saved up a thousand or so Shell Coins each month. Those with Essence Power received even better treatment, able to support themselves, their families, and many abandoned infants.
Some of them later entered court service as officials. After court sessions, they would return to craft a few more Divine Tools.
The substantial profits from these Divine Tools gave them a means to survive. And once they secured their own livelihoods, they naturally paved the way for the abandoned infants who came after them.Thus, for the next few centuries, the Artifact Crafting Tower stood in glorious splendor, with those who prospered returning year after year to renovate and repay their debts of gratitude—but that is a story for another time.
For now, the women of the Academicians' Court were proving themselves equally remarkable. After Nanxing was selected as a Superior Fighter, the other girls redoubled their efforts in training. From afar, Mingyi could see a haze of cyan and violet Essence Power swirling above the courtyard.
"There are hardly any abandoned infants left in the main city this month. However, in some remote villages, old beliefs persist, and many baby girls are still being abandoned. I’ve already dispatched people to stake out these villages—any abandoned infants will be rescued without fail. Please rest assured, Minister Superior."
Mingyi clapped her hands in approval. "You are the most reliable."
Having not seen each other for so long, their conversation was entirely focused on official matters. Zhou Zihong couldn’t help feeling a little dissatisfied. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of distress or sorrow on Mingyi’s face—something that might give him an opening to discuss escaping Ji Bozhai with her.
But there was none. From start to finish, her eyes shone only with joy.
She had mentioned upon arrival that she could only stay until the end of the hour of Shen. Seeing that time was running short, he sighed. "Adjudicator Situ was detained by a murder case today and couldn’t come to pay his respects. Would you like to wait a little longer for him?"
Situ Ling missed his "Ming-jie" day and night, but he truly had no time to spare.
Lately, the city had been plagued by a series of murders, with the victims mostly being women gifted with Essence Power. If these cases weren’t resolved, he wouldn’t be able to face Ming-jie with a clear conscience.
But investigations were tedious. The autopsy alone took two hours, and by the time he hurriedly wrapped up the case and left the Hall of Judgment, darkness had already fallen outside.
Clutching his official hat, he sprinted toward the Academicians' Court, with Fu Yue struggling to keep up behind him. "My lord, slow down!"
He couldn’t slow down. He wanted to tell Ming-jie how capable he had become—how he had cracked a serial murder case that had stumped seasoned officials in just five days. He hadn’t failed her trust or expectations, and his reputation would one day outshine even that of the legendary Zhao Si Pan!
Even if he lacked Essence Power, even if he couldn’t protect her the way Ji Bozhai could—he had grown up. He could stand on his own now, a dependable man in his own right.
The wind brushed past the threshold, stirring up a light swirl of dust.
Panting heavily, Situ Ling scanned the courtyard, only to find Zhou Zihong standing quietly beneath a cluster of green bamboo.
"Ming-jie?" he gasped.
Zihong lowered his voice. "She’s gone."
They had to rush back to handle legislative matters and mediate relations between Sunspire City and the Palace City. Mingyi had waited an extra hour for Situ Ling, but in the end, she had no choice but to leave—only leaving behind a box of pastries for him.
Staring blankly toward the gate, Situ Ling bit his lip, his eyes reddening.
It had been so, so long since he’d last seen Ming-jie.
Zihong could at least send her memorials. But the cases in the Hall of Judgment—he feared writing about them would only frighten or upset her. Yet if he sent only perfunctory greetings, the Six Ministries would reject them for lacking substance.
He had been determined to see her today, no matter what. But then the killer had slipped up, and he had a duty to fulfill. He couldn’t abandon that poor victim just to tend to his own desires.
Slumping to the ground in defeat, Situ Ling wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "When will she come next?"
Zihong glanced at him but couldn’t bring himself to answer.The newly constructed inner courtyard didn't even include plans for her bedchamber, only a few meeting halls and some ordinary living quarters.
The Floating Island and Facing Sun's old city were too close, yet impossibly far apart.
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