When Zheng Tiao spoke these words, his gaze was deep, and his body seemed somewhat stiff. But Ji Bozhai was still weak and didn’t scrutinize his expression closely, merely nodding with a light chuckle. "She is quite clever."
He wasn’t the least bit worried about whether Mingyi might offend anyone. As long as she remained unharmed, he could clean up any mess she made, no matter who was involved.
"Are you planning to return to Flying Blossom City soon?" he asked Zheng Tiao.
Zheng Tiao was originally a Fighter from Flying Blossom City. They had met during the Six Cities Tournament, where Zheng Tiao had said to him after their first exchange, "You are worthy of a match against the Ming family heir."
Ji Bozhai thought he had a terrible way with words. What was the Ming family heir to him? Had he gone through all that hardship just to fight him?
But Zheng Tiao was straightforward—though his words were few and not particularly pleasant, his thoughts were simple, devoid of scheming. Practicing with him had been quite enjoyable for Ji Bozhai.
Flying Blossom City was plagued by internal strife, and Zheng Tiao, having failed to rank in the top three, wasn’t eager to return immediately. After the tournament, he had boarded a beast-drawn carriage to Star Yearn City and temporarily stayed at Ji Bozhai’s residence.
By his calculations, the selection trials in Flying Blossom City should be starting soon.
"I’ll set off by the end of the month," Zheng Tiao replied.
Originally, he had planned to leave in the next couple of days, but after seeing Mingyi just now, he suddenly changed his mind.
The first time he had helped Ji Bozhai test her, the girl had been so frightened she flailed about, and he hadn’t gotten a clear look at her face, thinking her just an ordinary person. But earlier, when he observed her carefully outside, her stature and features bore an uncanny resemblance to Ming Xian.
Not that he believed she was Ming Xian—after all, Ming Xian was male, and no woman in the Azure Cloud Realm, no matter how bold, would dare disguise herself as a man to win multiple Six Cities Tournaments. That would be absurd. But he suspected Mingyi might have some connection to Ming Xian. If he could find an opportunity to question her, perhaps he could uncover Ming Xian’s whereabouts.
Another year of selection trials had arrived, and all the cities were bustling with preparations. He was curious—without Ming Xian, could Sunspire City truly maintain its place in the top three?
When Mingyi stepped through the door, Ji Bozhai was half-reclined against a soft pillow, dozing lightly.
The midday light streamed in, brushing over his still-pale lips, softening his usual roguish demeanor and lending him a sweet, approachable air.
Unconsciously, she lightened her footsteps.
Yet Ji Bozhai still awoke. His dark eyes lifted slowly, settling on her before he lazily let out a soft "Hmm."
For some reason, Mingyi found that sound especially pleasing, like a young leopard just emerging from its den.
She sat back down beside him, smiling brightly. "I’ve resolved the trouble for you, my lord. How do you plan to reward me?"
He pulled her toward him, resting his head naturally on her lap. "The reward is that I won’t hold you accountable for trespassing into Cyan Tile Courtyard."
Mingyi pursed her lips, about to protest that this hardly counted as a reward, when he added in a low voice, "If anyone else had entered, they’d have lost their head before they could even explain themselves."
A chill ran down her spine, and she quickly said, "Thank you, my lord."
"Don’t be so quick to trust others next time," he sighed. "If you have questions, just come and ask me directly."
Not all questions could be asked so plainly—like what he intended to do after eliminating all his enemies, or whether his residence truly held the antidote she needed.
Mingyi grumbled inwardly but cheerfully replied, "This servant understands."
Ji Bozhai wrapped his arms around her and sighed contentedly. "If only I had met you sooner."Her heart fluttered slightly as Mingyi blinked.
What did he mean by that? If he had met her earlier, then what? Would he have stopped his wild ways?
She didn't believe it.
A philandering nature was an innate habit, not something one could abandon for just anyone. Only when life became truly dull would such a person settle down. Clearly, he was just sweet-talking her, like he had with countless other women, trying to make her feel special—as if she had "saved" him—so she'd become even more devoted.
Logically, she understood all this. Yet she had to admit, Ji Bozhai's face was truly pleasing to the eye. Hearing such words from him made her heart beat faster than usual.
What if—just what if—he really decided to stay with her from now on? Could she then treat him like an ordinary man?
As his arms tightened around her waist, Mingyi pressed her lips together, masking the emotions in her eyes. She gently stroked his back, lulling him to sleep.
In the following days, Luo Jiaoyang and the others never caused trouble at the Ji residence again. However, they all attended Xue Sheng's funeral, and under the tearful gaze of Xue's widow, they felt too ashamed to pay their respects to Ji Bozhai after the selection tournament, as was customary.
In other words, they refused to acknowledge Ji Bozhai as their leader.
Da Si was deeply troubled by this and summoned Ji Bozhai to the inner court twice to discuss the matter. But Ji Bozhai remained indifferent. If they didn’t recognize him, so be it. During the previous Six Cities Tournament, he hadn’t been the leader either.
"And that’s exactly why our city lost last time!" Shu Zhonglin lamented. "If some noble or imperial clansman tries to steal your achievements again in the next tournament, taking the position you fought for to flaunt their incompetence, won’t Star Yearn City be burdened with heavy taxes for another year?"
In a private room at Flower Full Tower, their close friends had gathered. As soon as Shu Zhonglin finished speaking, Liang Xiuyuan sighed. "I hate to say it, Bozhai, but you’re too accommodating. Last time, you shouldn’t have conceded. Otherwise, Star Yearn might have had a shot at the top three."
Sitting beside Ji Bozhai, Mingyi couldn’t help but turn to Buxiu and whisper, "What happened last time?"
Without even glancing her way, Ji Bozhai reached out and pulled her straying head back, his tone calm. "Don’t ask him. Ask me."
Mingyi immediately straightened her posture and repeated the question to him openly.
Pleased, Ji Bozhai took a sip of wine before answering. "It was nothing much. Prince Ping thought I wasn’t fit for the task, having barely defeated Zheng Tiao. He believed I wouldn’t win again, so he replaced me with a clansman he favored to continue the competition."
The outcome was predictable. That clansman lost miserably after just one match, dashing Star Yearn City’s hopes entirely.
"I just don’t understand," Shu Zhonglin grumbled. "A victory for Star Yearn would benefit everyone in the city. Who wants to hand over half their hard-earned wealth to another city? They knew you could win, yet they came up with some excuse to drag you back."
Yan Xiao scoffed. "With your simple mind, you’d better not meddle in such matters. One wrong word, and you might bring disgrace upon your family."
Shu Zhonglin glared. "What did I say wrong?"Liang Xiuyuan shook his head, signaling him to drink, then changed the subject: "This year, those few promising talents in our city are quite good, though a bit stubborn. I heard they even requested to appoint Chu He as their leader, unwilling to follow your orders."
Ji Bozhai didn't mind: "Let them be."
Rather than saying he fought for Star Yearn City, it would be more accurate to say he fought merely to settle some old scores with certain people. As for whether Star Yearn City would ultimately win, or who would secure that victory—truth be told, he didn't particularly care.
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