Dan Er choked slightly, but upon seeing the Essence Power seeping from her fingertips, he grew even more excited: "They all say you've become a waste, but I see otherwise—you can still use it after all."
Though compared to before, it was much, much weaker.
Dan Er felt a pang of regret, but it also made him more at ease. The current Mingyi couldn’t possibly take his life.
So he cut straight to the point: "Since you can still use it, let’s make a deal. Simple—I want the map of Ji Bozhai’s residence. In return, I won’t reveal your identity to anyone."
Mingyi’s lashes fluttered, and then she smiled, though the warmth didn’t reach her eyes. "That ‘return’ of yours can be used again next time."
"Isn’t it better than having your identity exposed to Ji Bozhai right now?"
Mingyi turned slightly, clearing the doorway for him. "Go ahead and try. Tell Ji Bozhai that the person who’s shared his bed all this time is the Ming family heir. See if he’ll believe a man from Sunspire City."
Dan Er shook his head with a light chuckle. "No need to provoke me. Ji Bozhai is deeply suspicious—you know that better than I do. Once he finds something off about you, he’ll investigate, and sooner or later, he’ll uncover something."
Mingyi clenched her fists.
"I’m not asking for much—just a map," he said. "And I’m in no hurry. Deliver it to the cloth shop within three months. For someone like you now, it shouldn’t be difficult."
Difficult? More like impossible.
Mingyi was thoroughly annoyed.
Ji Bozhai was like a sleeping tiger—untouched, he was fine, but one wrong move and heads would roll. Her last trip to a study in one of his side residences had been perilous enough, let alone mapping out his entire main estate.
But Dan Er wasn’t wrong. Ji Bozhai was indeed paranoid. He didn’t need solid evidence—just a few plausible words from someone, and he’d start doubting her.
The most favored candidate of the Six Cities Tournament discovering that the person beside him was the former tournament champion from years ago—now that was a scene even a fool could imagine would be explosive.
A slight shiver ran through her. Mingyi lowered her eyes and relented. "You’re a Beast Master from Sunspire City. What do you want with the map of a High Priest’s residence in Star Yearn City?"
"Ji Bozhai isn’t just any ordinary High Priest. His Essence Power is strong enough to rival even your former self." Dan Er raised a brow. "You must’ve known that, which is why you deliberately got close to him."
Mingyi didn’t answer.
She had indeed approached Ji Bozhai intentionally, but the reason wasn’t what he guessed—and she wasn’t about to tell him.
"Aside from you, who else knows my identity?" she asked.
Dan Er waved a hand. "Relax. Only I know. The underlings running errands are just following orders."
Good. Just one person—much easier to silence.
Her brow relaxing, Mingyi turned away. "Within three months, I’ll deliver the map to your cloth shop."
"Let me make this clear," Dan Er called after her, smiling. "If the map doesn’t arrive in three months, or if I’m betrayed, your identity will be plastered across Star Yearn City’s notice boards for all to see."
Mingyi strode out without another word.
Three months was a long time. A delaying tactic would do for now.
But Dan Er had lied earlier.
Walking down the corridor, Mingyi’s eyes darkened.
Dan Er was an inner-court Beast Master of Sunspire City. He wouldn’t appear in Star Yearn City without reason. The six cities were teeming with experts—if they wanted to win the tournament by eliminating others, getting rid of Ji Bozhai alone wouldn’t be enough.
Such targeted interest in Ji Bozhai—could there be another reason?For instance, they, like her, had also discovered the secret about him.
Her pupils contracted slightly as Mingyi clenched her jaw.
"My lord, you're being particularly... oh!"
She collided head-on with two people. Still fuming, her body stiff, she sent the girl stumbling backward. Fortunately, the person beside her caught her and asked softly, "Are you alright?"
The girl clutched her chest and glared at Mingyi. "Can't you watch where you're going?"
After glaring, she then nestled against the other person's chest, panting delicately. "You scared me to death."
Following her movement, Mingyi looked up at the other person's face.
Handsome brows and striking eyes, full of vitality—who else could it be but Ji Bozhai?
Ji Bozhai hadn't expected to run into her here either. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately released the girl he was holding.
The girl had been melting into his embrace when he suddenly let go, causing her to fall onto her backside with a yelp. "Ah—"
Mingyi took a moment to react before slipping back into her tipsy act. Staggering, she took two steps toward Ji Bozhai, then lifted her head, her sparkling eyes scrutinizing him carefully.
"You look just like my lord," she giggled, her eyes shimmering like wine, rippling with intoxicating light.
Dazzled by her beauty, Ji Bozhai smoothly pulled her into his arms. "Since fate has brought us together, why not come with me, hmm?"
Her crimson-tipped finger traced his chest lightly before giving it a gentle poke. Mingyi stepped out of his embrace, shaking her head as she continued forward. "I already have my lord. I don't want anyone else."
Ji Bozhai scratched the bridge of his nose awkwardly.
This little minx wasn't completely drunk—she was just using the alcohol to vent her anger at him.
But who could have guessed he'd run into her here, of all places?
The girl on the ground stamped her foot indignantly. "My lord!"
But he paid her no mind, quickly catching up to Mingyi instead. "Let me explain when we get back to the manor, alright?" he murmured.
Mingyi gave a silly smile, as if she'd heard him but also as if she hadn't, and continued walking back to the private room they'd been in earlier.
When Ji Bozhai entered, he saw a table full of drunken maids and matrons.
She sat down and nudged Granny Xun beside her. "Granny, how could you fall asleep? You promised to keep drinking with me."
Granny Xun mumbled something, rolled over, and continued using the wine jar as a pillow.
Mingyi sat there dazedly for a moment before looking up at Ji Bozhai. "My lord, am I not as beautiful as that girl just now?"
Ji Bozhai coughed lightly. "You far surpass her."
"Then I must not be as fresh as her," she sighed, her lashes fluttering as they trembled. "I'm drunk today. Maybe when I wake up, I won't remember any of this."
"Yi'er." Feeling a pang of guilt, he pulled her onto his lap. "I really only came here today on official business, to catch up with someone."
Qi Bai's sudden death had placed immense pressure on Adjudicator Zhao, who had begun frantically investigating everyone who'd ever had a grudge against Qi Bai. Wanting to know the progress of the case, Ji Bozhai had accepted an invitation from some officials from the Hall of Judgment for a drink after leaving the inner court.
As for the other girl—that was just part of the act, playing along with the atmosphere.
...Though even he wasn't entirely convinced by that excuse.
Women were like flowers—pretty things to be plucked at will, no deeper reason needed.
But Mingyi seemed genuinely hurt. Though she nodded obediently at his words, tears still slipped silently down her cheeks."My lord, there's no need to worry," she said pitifully, covering her eyes with her hands. "This servant will forget everything right away. Please go about your business, my lord."
The more docile she appeared, the more it tugged at one's heartstrings.
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