He glanced back in the direction of Mingyi's small courtyard.
The place was simple—just a yard with two guest rooms and one main house, without even a rockery or pond—but it was brightly lit, with faint laughter from women drifting out.
He stood there waiting for a long while, but the door never opened.
Buxiu glanced over and tactfully informed him, "This courtyard connects to Situ Manor. I've already informed them on your behalf. When you need to come and go, they won’t use this door."
"You really understand me," Ji Bozhai said, narrowing his eyes.
"You flatter me, sir. I’m only following your orders."
Annoyed, Ji Bozhai glared at him. "Are you done yet?"
Buxiu quickly lowered his head. "Why are you angry, sir?"
"You know damn well why I’m angry. You know exactly what I want. Why must you keep making things difficult for me?"
Buxiu took half a step back and knelt, speaking softly, "It’s never us making things difficult for you, sir—it’s always been yourself."
If he had just admitted his mistake, his regret, and his wish to bring her back, none of this would have happened. Instead, he kept it all hidden, as if expecting Ming Guniang to return and apologize to him.
To him, Ming Guniang was a threat—but to her, wasn’t he just as much of one? They were never meant to be together, yet he kept pushing her further away.
If it were any other woman, Buxiu wouldn’t have interfered. But Ming Guniang had saved him and Granny Xun, and she had treated Ji Bozhai with nothing but sincerity. Why toy with her like this?
Ji Bozhai’s expression darkened. He flicked his sleeve and stormed into the manor, slamming the door behind him.
The women around him were startled by his outburst and hurried after him to console him.
Their chattering voices drifted over the courtyard walls and reached Xiuyun’s ears.
As she served Mingyi more food, Xiuyun muttered, "I used to think Lord Ji was a good man, but who knew he was such a philanderer? Completely unreliable."
Mingyi, enjoying Xiuyun’s cooking, waved it off. "He has the charm for it—let him be. Look at the wild Mystical Beasts. The strongest and fiercest always have multiple mates."
Xiuyun blinked. "Are you calling Lord Ji a beast?"
Mingyi choked on her food and flicked Xiuyun’s forehead. "You’re sharp at the wrong times."
Giggling, Xiuyun piled more food onto her plate. "I’m not used to the pots here, so the food isn’t as good as usual, but the vegetables from your garden are fresh, so it still turned out alright. You have to forge a Divine Tool tomorrow—eat more."
Her bowl was now a small mountain of food, and Mingyi froze for a moment.
She had never eaten like this before.
Back in Sunspire City, her meals had been meticulously tested by layers of attendants before being served, with every portion strictly measured. Later, in the inner quarters of Star Yearn City, the Dancing Girls would take only two bites before scattering to practice, all to maintain their slender figures. And in Ji Manor, Ji Bozhai never restricted her diet, but he rarely served her food himself.
Xiuyun was young, barely in her teens, but the way she piled food onto Mingyi’s plate while nagging her to eat more gave her an indescribable feeling.
Lowering her head, Mingyi shoveled the food into her mouth and then gathered the dishes. "You should rest first."
Xiuyun looked around nervously and swallowed. "The guest room is a bit dark… Can I sleep with you tonight?""Alright, but I rise early tomorrow and might wake you."
"No worries, I sleep like a log—even thunder wouldn't rouse me." Xiuyun cheered and immediately fetched her small pillow, placing it beside Mingyi's.
Mingyi's pillow was the rough stone kind commonly used by Fighters, its surface so coarse it looked uncomfortable just to glance at. Xiuyun wrinkled her nose as she studied it for a moment before her eyes lit up. She swiftly untied the ribbon from her hair and wrapped it several times around the stone, finishing with a bow at the side.
So when Mingyi finished tidying up and climbed into bed, she was greeted by a rosy, oddly bundled stone pillow.
She couldn’t help but laugh. "Silly, this is for Fighter training. Wrapping it like this blocks the Essence Power from reaching the stone."
Xiuyun pouted. "Why bother training even in your sleep with the little Essence Power you have? What a waste of a good night. Just sleep like this—it’ll be more comfortable."
After a speechless pause, Mingyi obediently lay her head on the rosy-wrapped stone.
"When I left the estate today, they cursed me fiercely," Xiuyun murmured, eyes closed. "Called me a money-loser, said I couldn’t even bring back a Fighter, so they wouldn’t let me take a single Shell Coin. But I’ll earn plenty. I’m going to Flying Blossom City to find him."
Mingyi’s ears perked up. "Find who?"
"Him..." Xiuyun mumbled, already drifting into sleep.
Amused, Mingyi tucked the blanket around her.
In the Azure Cloud Realm, few women dared to leave home and seek their own path. To most, such an act was no different from gambling with one’s life.
But she wouldn’t let Xiuyun lose.
Divine Tools were wartime resources, forbidden for trade between cities in the Azure Cloud Realm. Back in Sunspire City, they had been easy to come by—the city housed countless Artifact Smiths, making ordinary Divine Tools barely enough to scrape by.
But in Star Yearn City, Artifact Smiths were so scarce that only the inner court employed one. Even common Divine Tools fetched astonishing prices, let alone rare ones.
So when the first batch of One Tree of Splendor was displayed, the entire street flocked to see.
People gathered, pointing and murmuring. The items resembled Divine Tools, but since they were being sold by two young men, doubts lingered.
Both Mingyi and Xiuyun were dressed as boys. Xiuyun seemed nervous, but Mingyi was perfectly at ease, even deepening her voice naturally. "Let me show you how it works."
Channeling earthy-yellow Essence Power into the Divine Tool, she sent the One Tree of Splendor flying backward. Upon landing, it erupted into a Poison Needle Net—thousands of gleaming needles shimmering under the morning sun, a breathtaking sight.
To commoners, such a thing was an unheard-of treasure, even if not particularly rare. Gasps of awe filled the air. Seeing only a few dozen on the stall, a wealthy merchant immediately pulled out a heavy pouch. "I’ll take one."
The pouch clinked with what sounded like a thousand Shell Coins. Xiuyun swiftly collected the payment and handed one over.
Others followed suit, though some hesitated, lingering to discuss among themselves.
"Real or fake? Haven’t heard of any Artifact Smiths coming to Star Yearn City."
"Our only Artifact Smith is busy crafting Divine Tools for the royal guards in the inner court."
"But this looks convincing enough."
As Mingyi collected payments, she announced, "Tomorrow, we’ll have a batch of Fire Tree Silver Flower. If you’re interested, come take a look."Upon hearing this, those who knew a thing or two about Divine Tools finally grew excited. A richly dressed servant pushed through the crowd, sized up Mingyi, and said, "My young master requires a specialized Divine Tool. I wonder if you can forge one? The price is negotiable."
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