That day on the long street, Mingyi had used Ji Bozhai as her banner to humiliate her repeatedly. Yet today, before so many people, Lord Ji had openly shown her favor.
Xu Tianji couldn't contain her joy, her delight evident in the lift of her brows as she glared triumphantly at the woman before her, hoping to see some trace of sorrow or helplessness.
Yet Mingyi only faltered momentarily when Ji Bozhai spoke—just a fleeting hesitation—before adopting an expression of practiced indifference and turning to walk toward the lower seats.
"Hey!" Xu Tianji called out, dissatisfied. "Weren't you so eloquent earlier? Why slink away now like a coward?"
Mingyi didn't even glance back.
In this world where women relied on men's favor, what did it matter if she won a verbal battle? Without a man's protection, she still had to take the lower seat. Better to go early and save her breath.
Behind her, jeers and mocking laughter erupted, but Mingyi pretended not to hear, casually choosing a seat by the pond and settling in.
A man's words weren't worth half a breath of trust. Back at Flower Full Tower, he'd promised to always favor her. Look at him now—how many others had he made the same promise to?
She was still too naive to play his games.
With a quiet sigh, she resigned herself. Consider it repayment of a debt.
The Song and Dance Stage gradually filled, though the atmosphere remained subdued. The guests sat in the main seats, frowning at the tribute piled in the distance.
These weren't all the offerings—just one sample of each category—yet they already formed a small mountain. One could only imagine the staggering wealth required for the full tribute.
No one from Star Yearn City was in high spirits, especially the skilled Fighters, whose expressions were particularly grim.
"Can we skip the tribute next year?" Luo Jiaoyang grumbled to Fan Yao.
Fan Yao pressed his lips together. "Sunspire City lost a key general, and next year we'll have Ji Bozhai. We might stand a chance."
"Do we really need him?" Luo Jiaoyang was both excited and frustrated.
Fan Yao nodded solemnly. "The Six Cities Tournament has over twenty categories—Essence Power control, Combat Skills, forging Divine Tools, taming Following Beasts, and more. Though diverse, the core of every contest is Essence Power mastery. Many across the six cities surpass us in raw power, but few can rival Ji Bozhai."
Luo Jiaoyang turned away. "But I don't think he cares about Star Yearn City. He just treats the competitions as a means to profit."
Every Fighter was nurtured by their city and fought with devotion for its glory. But Ji Bozhai was different—a champion dredged from the Slave Arena, kept loyal with titles and riches.
Too unpredictable. The thought unsettled him.
He wasn't alone. Even Da Si, seated at the head table, shared these concerns. Hence, today's welcoming banquet placed Ji Bozhai at Da Si's right hand.
"Where's the young lady who was with you earlier?" Da Si asked genially.
Ji Bozhai bowed slightly. "Though I dote on Mingyi, today's occasion leaves me no leisure to attend to her. I had her seated below."
Da Si paused, then smiled approvingly. "Good. You understand priorities."
When Situ Ling had mentioned the Love Curse, Da Si had been torn—pleased at having leverage over Ji Bozhai, yet wary of its potential to distract him from duty.Upon seeing the situation today, it turned out quite well—nothing was neglected. When it was time for romance, there was romance; when it was time to consider the bigger picture, the bigger picture was considered.
Originally, Situ Ling had mentioned investigating Ji Bozhai’s background, but after all this time, no concrete evidence had surfaced, so he no longer wished to delve deeper. After all, at present, Ji Bozhai was the only one they could rely on.
“Moonchase City envoy arrives—Newgrass City envoy arrives—” came the announcement from outside.
Xu Tianji quickly leaned slightly toward Ji Bozhai and whispered, “The envoy from Moonchase City is Bo Yuankui, who has always been at odds with our city. His Essence Power is extremely high. The envoy from Newgrass City is Zuo Ping, who never minces words and also possesses formidable Essence Power.”
Ji Bozhai gave a slight nod, thinking that she seemed more useful than Mingyi—at least she had attended many welcoming banquets and knew these people’s backgrounds.
So he picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of meat on her plate.
Xu Tianji was both flattered and flustered. She hesitated for a moment before quickly eating it, all the while stealing glances at Mingyi in the distance.
Mingyi was seated directly across from them behind the pool, with a clear view of everything happening at the banquet table—including Ji Bozhai’s gesture.
Yet she showed no reaction, even resting her chin on her hand and beginning to doze off.
Xu Tianji narrowed her eyes and subtly signaled to Xiuyun, who was standing nearby to serve.
Understanding the hint, Xiuyun moved discreetly toward the lower seats under the pretense of serving dishes.
The once-celebrated little Dancing Girl now sat alone in this remote corner, drowsing pitifully.
Xiuyun crouched down beside her and deliberately provoked, “Tianji said the meat Ji Bozhai just served her was delicious—only available at the upper seats. Would you like to try some?”
Mingyi opened her eyes, unsurprised to see a face tinged with malice.
Still, the girl was quite pretty—almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose with a faint mole at the tip—even her ill intentions carried a certain charm.
Meeting Mingyi’s gaze, Xiuyun suddenly felt guilty and averted her eyes, though her tone remained sharp: “Tianji suits that seat far better than you. You’re nothing but a pretty face.”
Oddly enough, the words were rather flattering.
Mingyi leaned closer and blinked. “What part of me is pretty?”
Xiuyun had come to provoke her, but instead of getting angry, Mingyi smiled and moved nearer. Stunned, Xiuyun was about to scold her further when she noticed Mingyi’s skin—flawless, smooth, and radiant even up close.
She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Whose makeup do you use?”
“From Luo’s Shop on Changrong Street, mixed with finely ground pearl powder,” Mingyi lazily gestured. “It takes three hours to grind just a small jar. One dab of powder with three scoops of pearls makes skin as smooth as jade.”
Xiuyun gasped. “That complicated?”
“Nothing worthwhile comes easy.” Mingyi switched the hand propping her chin and extended it toward Xiuyun. “See? My hands used to be rough and cracked from hard labor. It took a month of soaking in goat’s milk to get them like this.”
Xiuyun grabbed her hand in astonishment, running her fingers over it. Though traces of calluses remained, the back was as smooth as fine silk.
“You really are… pretty everywhere,” Xiuyun blurted out, unable to hide her envy.
Mingyi chuckled. “If you want to learn, I can teach you when I have time.”After all, she had learned it from Zhang Tai. When it came to the art of beauty, the Dancing Girls in the inner court claimed to be second to none.
"Alright!" Xiuyun quickly nodded, afraid she might change her mind.
But after nodding, she suddenly realized—wait, wasn't she here to provoke someone?
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