Qin Shangwu looked at him with satisfaction, examining him left and right before happily stroking his beard. "If there's anything you don't understand in the future, feel free to ask me. If I'm not around, you can ask Tianji. She lives quite close to the Martial Hall."
At this mention, Ji Bozhai straightened his expression. "It's rare for Miss Tianji to understand Combat Skills. She should guide those taciturn Fighters instead. This disciple isn't particularly in need."
Qin Shangwu was somewhat surprised. "People outside say you have a fondness for beautiful women. I didn't expect you'd push away one delivered to your doorstep."
"Who has the mind to admire beauties in the Academicians' Court?" Ji Bozhai chuckled softly. "This disciple still wants to win next year."
"Good! Good!" Qin Shangwu was overjoyed and immediately said, "I'll have her move to a more distant room when I return."
"Many thanks, Master."
Sitting upright, Ji Bozhai thought to himself that this wasn't about remaining chaste for anyone—he simply preferred to focus wholeheartedly on one thing at a time. Whether indulging in revelry at Flower Full Tower or immersing himself in cultivation at the Academicians' Court, the two were never to be mixed.
Moreover, the Academicians' Court truly had its secrets. The Crystals he couldn't find at any price outside were casually displayed here as if they were worthless, and Fighters were even allowed to bring one personal attendant inside.
Buxiu couldn't use Essence Power, so the Crystals in the Academicians' Court were utterly useless to him. After some thought, Ji Bozhai decided to bring Twenty-Seven instead.
Buxiu had already investigated Twenty-Seven's background—another unfortunate soul born in the Slave Arena. He had trained in some Combat Skills in Sunspire City but had offended someone and was being hunted. By chance, he had hidden in Ji Bozhai's residence, seeking not wealth but safety.
Nothing ensured safety more than cultivating profound Essence Power.
Ji Bozhai expected Twenty-Seven to agree immediately, but to his surprise, the man stood before him and shook his head. "This one only wishes to live as an ordinary man, quietly passing the rest of his days."
Ji Bozhai found him utterly lacking in ambition. A Fighter who lost their fighting spirit was useless, no matter how high their Essence Power.
He was about to wave him away when his gaze caught on the man's robes, and his expression suddenly hardened. "Where did you go today?"
Twenty-Seven lowered his eyes, quickly scanning himself but finding no obvious mistakes before answering, "Only the servants' quarters. I didn't go anywhere else."
"Is that so?" Ji Bozhai rose and walked over to him, lifting a hand slightly. A tiny speck of moss from the tip of his shoe fell into his palm.
"This Ji residence is newly built. Even the servants' quarters are clean and pristine. Where did you pick this up?"
A sinking feeling settled in Twenty-Seven's chest. He pressed his lips together and said nothing more.
He wasn't good at lying—the more he spoke, the more mistakes he'd make.
Ji Bozhai's expression darkened bit by bit.
Outside, the sky gradually brightened. Mingyi awoke from a night of nightmares to find Ji Bozhai sitting right by her bed.
Startled, she reached out to touch him. "My lord?"
Ji Bozhai snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at her. "I originally intended to return with you yesterday, but matters there were too time-consuming. I sent you back first to avoid making you wait too long—were you angry with me, Yi'er?"
Had he waited here just to say this when she woke up?
Mingyi looked at him with a complicated expression. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, she was smiling. "What kind of talk is this, my lord? Official matters take precedence. How could this servant throw a tantrum with you?"
"Yi'er is always so understanding." He gathered her loose hair, running it through his palm. "With you here, this household doesn't even need a mistress."The tone of his words was hard to discern—whether it was sarcasm or something else.
Mingyi looked up at him and was surprised to find genuine sincerity in his eyes, as if he truly meant the compliment.
She quickly shook her head. "This humble servant is of lowly birth and dares not accept such praise."
Ji Bozhai chuckled softly, producing a pure gold hairpin adorned with gemstones in the shape of a butterfly and handing it to her. "In two days, there will be a welcoming banquet in the inner courtyard. You shall accompany me."
A welcoming banquet?
Mingyi was momentarily confused before belatedly recalling that after Star Yearn City's defeat in the Six Cities Tournament, they had fallen to the Lower Three Cities. By tradition, the host city was to hold a welcoming banquet, inviting members of the Upper Three Cities to drink and celebrate.
Of course, drinking wasn’t the main purpose—the primary objective was tribute. Every year, the Upper Three Cities took vast quantities of rice, livestock, silk, fabrics, gold, silver, jewels, spices, jade, and other goods from the Lower Three Cities. The exact amount depended on their whims, but the unwritten rule was that the value would not exceed half of the city’s annual tax revenue.
Back in Sunspire City, Mingyi had never attended a welcoming banquet—after all, with her there, Sunspire had never fallen out of the top three.
Now, in Star Yearn City, it could be considered... well, an enriching experience.
She accepted with a smile and examined the hairpin.
There was no denying it—as long as she didn’t develop feelings for him, Ji Bozhai was the perfect man. Sweet-talking, handsome, skilled in bed, and, even more rare, generous and tasteful. The hairpin was elegant yet alluring, striking enough to command attention at grand occasions without overshadowing others.
But there was one question.
Who would Sunspire City send this year?
Ji Bozhai had stayed up all night, so Mingyi prepared his warm, fragrant bed for him to rest before setting off to find Twenty-Seven for information.
But after searching everywhere, she couldn’t find him.
Puzzled, Mingyi circled the estate again and again until she unexpectedly ran into Buxiu.
"Looking for something, miss?" Buxiu asked.
Mingyi lowered her gaze. "I was planning to give Zhang Tai some silver to help her get by, but I lost it halfway. I’m searching for it now."
Buxiu frowned and immediately called over a few people to help look. Mingyi glanced at them but still didn’t see Twenty-Seven.
Asking directly was out of the question—Buxiu was highly suspicious, and there was a risk he might realize she knew Twenty-Seven, which would spell trouble. Mingyi thought for a moment, then feigned irritation. "This estate is full of loyal and honest people. Surely no one would dare pocket lost money."
Buxiu replied, "The old servants wouldn’t dare, but we’ve recently taken in many new ones due to shortages."
"Then gather them all for questioning," Mingyi said, stomping her foot in distress. "It was twenty taels of silver—enough to exchange for thousands of Shell Coins!"
Her love for money was well-known in the estate, so Buxiu saw nothing amiss and promptly summoned all the new servants hired since her arrival.
Mingyi scanned the group, her heart sinking.
Twenty-Seven wasn’t among them.
"That’s everyone," Buxiu told her. "Except for one who committed an offense last night. He was beaten to death with rods and thrown into the mass grave outside the city."
Her fingers clenched abruptly. Mingyi clung to a sliver of hope. "Someone was killed? What was his name?"
Buxiu gave her a slightly puzzled look. "You wouldn’t know him, miss. His name was Twenty-Seven."
"..."
Her mind exploded with a deafening buzz, and Mingyi’s lips turned deathly pale.She knew she shouldn't show such an expression, nor let Buxiu notice anything amiss. But when those words came out, she simply couldn't remain calm. Her hand shot out to grab Buxiu's collar, crimson veins spreading across her eyes as she demanded, "Who killed them?"
A fierce wind howled through the courtyard, turning the lush garden as cold as midwinter.
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