Unease.
Dan Er, who had strategized and maneuvered for so many years, felt uneasy under someone's gaze for the first time. Though the person before him was barely twenty, without even a trace of a beard, he still felt an inescapable discomfort, momentarily unable to answer his question.
Indeed, in the eyes of the world, Ming Xian had always been a hero of Sunspire City, to some extent even more representative of the city than the current Da Si. Why would he betray her?
His eyes darted around, but after a few moments of silence, he gave up fabricating an answer. Silence meant defeat—no matter what he said next, Ji Bozhai wouldn’t believe him.
"So, can I assume that Ming Xian's exile to Star Yearn City was your doing?" Ji Bozhai smiled.
Dan Er instinctively shook his head. "It wasn’t me. If I had harmed her, I wouldn’t have let her leave Sunspire City."
"In other words, you knew she was leaving Sunspire City but didn’t stop her, appearing to bear no grudge against her. Yet now, you have no qualms about pushing her into the open, showing no gratitude either."
"To have neither gratitude nor grudges toward someone who brought glory to the city for seven years—it seems your heart is filled only with yourself, with no room for anything else."
Ji Bozhai spoke leisurely, but Dan Er’s back gradually grew damp with sweat. He hastily snapped, "Enough!"
"Only the two of us are here, yet you’re so afraid of what I might say next. That means the person behind you holds a high status, at least not someone you can easily silence." He chuckled. "You dared to harm Ming Xian, yet you don’t dare to silence the one behind you. Could it be that he’s not just a subordinate, but your true master?"
Dan Er: "..."
This man—not only did he possess enviably gifted Meridians, but he was also this sharp.
If he went to Sunspire City, what would become of Prince Yong?
Fear gradually turned to anger. Dan Er hissed through gritted teeth, "You speak so fervently for Ming Xian—could it be that she has long betrayed her city and conspired with you?"
"You’d have to ask Moonchase City about that. After all, this year’s champion is them, not Star Yearn."
"You—!"
Retracting the Mystic Dragon and the Nether Domain, Ji Bozhai glanced at him. "It’s because of people like you that top-tier Fighters are becoming increasingly rare."
His tone was indifferent, but for some reason, Dan Er reacted as if his tail had been stepped on. He roared, "Fighters are nothing but brutes—what do they know? If cities were ruled by brute force alone, the Azure Cloud Realm would be plunged into misery!"
Ji Bozhai remained unperturbed. Turning to leave, he casually waved the documents in his hand. "Prepare to compensate me, my lord. The items in my residence are priceless."
Even if nothing was truly priceless, he could easily have someone draft an exorbitant list.
Dan Er’s face turned ashen as he glared at Ji Bozhai’s retreating figure. After fuming for a while, he finally turned to the person behind him.
Prince Yong, Ming Xin, looked at him in confusion, at a loss for words.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Dan Er clasped his hands and bowed. "Your Highness need not heed his words. Ji Bozhai is a cunning and ruthless man—every word he speaks is meant to frame this humble official. For Your Highness’s sake, I naturally wouldn’t concern myself with the fate of that useless Ming Xian. This does not conflict with my loyalty to Sunspire City."
"I trust you, of course," Ming Xin frowned. "But Ming Xian isn’t dead, and neither is Ji Bozhai. This..."
"Ming Xian may not be dead, but she can never return to Sunspire City under her true identity. She’s no threat. As for Ji Bozhai..." Dan Er paused. "There will always be another opportunity."
The next Six Cities Tournament was still far away. There was plenty of time.Mingyi casually practiced the moves she had seen in the secret cultivation manuals from Ji Bozhai’s study. The stinging pain in her meridians hindered her progress, forcing her to stop after a short while, frowning as she stared at her wrist.
“Sister, have some candy.” Situ Ling returned from outside and brought her another sugar figurine.
Today’s figurine was shaped like Chang’e, exquisitely crafted. Mingyi’s eyes lit up as she took it, examining it closely. “How can sugar be molded so vividly?”
“Practice makes perfect,” Situ Ling chuckled. “Everything in this world becomes more refined the longer you do it.”
It was as if something cool touched the crown of her head—Mingyi suddenly had an epiphany. Holding the sugar figurine, she focused, no longer forcing her Essence Power to rush violently through her damaged meridians. Instead, she let the remaining power trickle slowly, like a thin stream, past the broken sections.
This method would consume more Essence Power, but it would gradually accumulate at the fractured points, like ice forming.
Finding it effective after a try, she relaxed her furrowed brows and stopped, smiling at Situ Ling. “Little grown-up, you truly are my destined benefactor.”
“Sister Ming is my destined benefactor,” he waved it off. “If not for you, I would’ve lost the will to live when those people bullied me.”
Mingyi was startled, her brows knitting tightly. “You’re so young—how could you think of ending your life?”
Her tone was uncharacteristically stern, making Situ Ling shrink slightly as he lowered his head in apology. “I was young and stubborn back then.”
“Living means you can do many things, go many places, meet many people, and eat many delicious foods,” Mingyi said earnestly. “People don’t have an afterlife. Once you’re gone, you’re gone—scattered into the world, never to return. So don’t throw your life away.”
Had someone else said this, Situ Ling wouldn’t have listened. Anyone could preach, but life was hard, filled with endless troubles that could crush a person.
Yet, hearing it from Mingyi, his throat tightened slightly.
“I understand,” he murmured. “No matter what, I’ll fight to live.”
Only then did the woman before him smile, taking a bite of the sugar figurine before mumbling, “I’ll visit Zhang Tai this afternoon. I heard she opened a shop recently, and business is doing well.”
“A embroidery shop. It’s good she can support herself,” Situ Ling nodded. “But Sister, you shouldn’t go out yet.”
Why? Mingyi was puzzled.
Situ Ling didn’t explain directly, only sighing. “With Sister’s injuries so severe, how could Lord Ji only know how to sulk at you? Unlike me—I only know how to worry for you.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest as Mingyi laughed. “I never had a younger brother by blood, so I didn’t know having one could be so nice.”
“With those words from Sister, my efforts weren’t in vain,” he grinned, flashing two sharp canines.
Just then, a servant hurried in to announce, “My lord, a beast-drawn carriage from the Ji residence is approaching.”
Mingyi raised a brow, instinctively glancing around. “Do you have a secret passage here for me to escape?”
Situ Ling found it amusing. “Sister, why run?”
“People from the Ji residence never bring good news. Either Ji Bozhai wants to use Twenty-Seven to threaten me into returning to work for him, or he’s decided keeping me alive is too risky and plans to eliminate me here. I don’t want either option.”
He chuckled softly. “Lord Ji… really isn’t a good man.”She immediately pointed at Fu Yue: "Sister, go with him. There's a hidden room where you can take cover."
"Alright." Mingyi got up and left without hesitation.
Fu Yue followed behind her, finally understanding the meaning behind the lord's earlier words.
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