Scattered bits of news drifted into the main courtyard, and Mingyi pieced together about seventy to eighty percent of the situation.
Fatalities in the competition arena were inevitable. Fighters revered strength above all, so she didn’t think Ji Bozhai was in the wrong—though neither was he particularly kind-hearted.
Considering the crowd outside was merely well-intentioned, Mingyi didn’t intervene further. Instead, she lowered her voice and advised, "My lord, you’ll have to work with them in the future. While open attacks are easy to dodge, hidden arrows are harder to guard against. If you can avoid taking lives, it’s best not to."
Ji Bozhai remained silent, his back rigid with suppressed anger.
Seeing this, she dared not press further and simply brought him a bowl of fine porridge. "Rest and recover first. Once you’re better, you can have the stewed goose."
"Get out," he growled.
His temper was truly something—couldn’t even take a few words of advice? Mingyi grumbled inwardly. Having stayed up all night, she was exhausted. Without another word, she set down the bowl and stood to leave.
As her skirt swayed, Ji Bozhai’s fingers twitched slightly.
He wanted to pull her back, but his anger held him in check. His face was as cold as frost on a mountain in late autumn.
She didn’t spare him another glance, stepping out and considerately closing the door behind her.
The annoying sound of cracking melon seeds vanished, leaving the room hollow and silent. He leaned against the soft pillow, listlessly gazing out the window for a moment before yanking the quilt over his head.
Mingyi hadn’t gone far when she ran into Yan Xiao, who was rushing over.
Last night, Da Si had suffered a sudden heart ailment, and Yan Xiao had been in the inner courtyard until now. The moment he emerged, he hurried to the Ji residence, only to find Mingyi looking sullen just outside the main courtyard. "Don’t go in and provoke him," she said. "He’s fine now—just needs a couple of days to rest."
Relieved, Yan Xiao stepped closer to her. "You took care of him?"
"I did, but his temper is still flaring. Could you prescribe some cooling medicine for him, Lord Yan?"
From Mingyi’s expression, Yan Xiao could tell Ji Bozhai was truly unharmed. He relaxed and said lightly, "Let him stew. He has every right to be angry. He went into the match with earnest enthusiasm, only to encounter someone vile and ruthless. If he weren’t so formidable, he’d be the one dead now."
Mingyi froze, turning to him in shock. "What do you mean?"
"You didn’t know?" Yan Xiao raised an eyebrow. "It was Xue Sheng. They agreed to use only Essence Power, but he secretly laced his attacks with poisoned needles—thin and dense, nearly turning Bozhai into a sieve."
The selection was supposed to be a clean event. Ji Bozhai had planned to hold nothing back, hoping to recruit a few talented individuals to fight alongside him. Yet the moment he stepped up, he was ambushed. No wonder he was furious.
"At first, Bozhai wanted to spare Xue Sheng to question his motives, but Xue Sheng, betting on Bozhai’s reluctance to kill in front of Da Si, went all out, aiming for mutual destruction. Bozhai, being a man of passion, didn’t hold back and sent him straight to the afterlife."
Yan Xiao sighed. "The scene was so gruesome it triggered Da Si’s heart ailment again. After removing the poisoned needles from Bozhai, I was urgently summoned to the inner courtyard. Who’d have thought he’d tough it out? Honestly, he’s quite— Huh? Ming Guniang, where are you going?"
Before he could finish, Mingyi had already turned and sprinted back toward the main courtyard.
Hadn’t she just warned him not to provoke Ji Bozhai? Puzzled, he watched her go.
Mingyi ran so fast her sleeves billowed like sails. She burst into the main chamber, plopped back into her seat, grabbed the abandoned plate of melon seeds, took a deep breath, and resumed cracking them loudly.
The noise was unbearable.
Under the quilt, the man on the bed growled impatiently, "Get out.""I can't roll anymore," Mingyi panted. "This servant is exhausted."
Languidly, he peeked his eyes out from under the blanket, intending to glare at her, only to find her suddenly lunging forward until their lashes nearly tangled together.
Ji Bozhai was startled and frowned at her. "What are you—"
Before he could finish, she pressed her lips to his eyelids.
Her warm mouth carried a faint fragrance of melon seeds as she planted gentle kisses on his eyelids, one after another. His initial irritation gave way to awkwardness, and he feigned fierceness: "Keep this up, and I'll kill you along with them."
Mingyi, ever bold, smacked a kiss directly on his lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "This servant is here to apologize! I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn earlier. Without knowing another’s suffering, one shouldn’t preach kindness. My lord did nothing wrong yesterday—it was this servant who overstepped. Next time you meet someone so detestable, just send them straight to the underworld. Don’t give them a chance to fight back."
As she spoke, she even mimed slitting her own throat, her teeth clenched tightly.
Ji Bozhai nearly laughed but held it back, keeping his expression stern. "Not afraid of my ruthlessness anymore?"
"Not at all, not at all! How could it be ruthlessness when my lord is peerlessly radiant, matchlessly handsome? That’s celestial aura!" She picked up the untouched bowl of fine porridge beside them and scooped a spoonful to his lips. "Who am I to advise you? Whatever you do is surely justified."
The knot in his chest loosened abruptly. Ji Bozhai snorted and drank the porridge, calming slightly before muttering, "That man was insufferable—a sanctimonious hypocrite. His Essence Power was pitifully weak, yet he thought his so-called reputation would earn him a spot. That reputation might earn him some respect in Star Yearn City, but what use is it at the Six Cities Tournament?"
"Exactly!" she nodded vehemently.
"And that final strike—if I hadn’t killed him, he would’ve gone for my life. No one’s dared to attempt killing me to my face since I was fifteen. The audacity!"
"Exactly!" she clenched her fists indignantly.
"And that crowd outside—utter fools, swayed by the slightest favor. Unfit to stand beside me."
"Exac—... Well, my lord, the best talents in Star Yearn City are all out there. It seems you don’t have much choice?" She blinked.
Ji Bozhai lowered his gaze. "If only I knew more..."
A chill ran down Mingyi’s spine, and she quickly shook her head. "No one’s perfect, my lord. Don’t push yourself too hard. Even if everyone says next year’s tournament rests on you, no one expects you to win every single match alone."
Ji Bozhai looked surprised. "If I win them all, I’ll become the next Da Si. You’d... even if you weren’t Si Hou, your status would rise immensely. Why are you discouraging me?"
Mingyi smiled faintly. "This servant is just a small woman. Fine clothes and good food are already more than enough—what more could I ask for? Naturally, I’d rather see my lord happy."
Don’t end up like the Ming family heir, who gave everything for the glory of his family and city, only to be discarded in the end.
A twinge shot through her wrist, and she nearly dropped the bowl onto the bedding. Ji Bozhai steadied her hand swiftly, studying her pallor with a frown. "You should rest too. Don’t nurse me back to health only to collapse yourself."
"This servant understands." After finishing the porridge, Mingyi glanced at the Mystic Dragon circling outside. "This servant will think of a way to help you get some sleep."The crowd outside had been driven mad by Xue Sheng's death. What could a frail woman like her possibly do? Ji Bozhai didn't want her to go, but she was as impulsive as the wind—with a swish of her skirt, she vanished beyond the door in the blink of an eye.
Helpless, he called toward the side chamber near the main courtyard, "Zheng Tiao, follow her."
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