When a young lady asks if you’d like tea, does that mean she wants to spar with you? Ji Bozai watched from the side, feeling a headache coming on. He wanted to remind Zheng Tiao but didn’t know how to interject. There was a reason this man was still unmarried at his age. If he had any sense, he wouldn’t think of sparring with an ordinary woman.
However, unexpectedly, Xiu Yun didn’t get angry. She just looked a bit guilty: “I… I don’t know martial arts.”
“Oh, I see.” Zheng Tiao immediately lost interest and looked away.
Ji Bozai: “…”
Xiu Yun felt a bit sad, but seizing this rare chance to see Zheng Tiao, she gathered her courage and stood on tiptoe to ask him: “But I know some techniques for forging divine weapons. Would you like to compete with me in that?”
She had learned quickly from Ming Yi and was even praised for having talent. Xiu Yun felt confident in this area.
However, Zheng Tiao didn’t even look at her and said gruffly: “True martial artists don’t care about divine weapons.”
Xiu Yun: “…”
Ji Bozai rubbed his face.
He turned Zheng Tiao’s shoulder and pushed him towards the door, saying as he pushed: “You’d better go back now. We’ll see you at the venue tomorrow.”
“Alright, I’ll beat you tomorrow,” Zheng Tiao clenched his fist.
Then he and his fist were shut outside the door together.
Ji Bozai turned back to see Xiu Yun standing dazed in the courtyard, motionless for a long while.
If it were someone else, it wouldn’t matter. But she still had to take care of Ming Yi tonight. If she was distracted while they were competing, what would happen to Ming Yi?
Rubbing his temples, he walked over and said: “Zheng Tiao wasn’t targeting you specifically. He’s like that with everyone. He only cares about martial arts.”
“I know,” Xiu Yun hung her head. “But it’s too late for me to learn now.”
Ji Bozai couldn’t quite understand: “If it’s too late, then just like someone else. It’s not like he’s the only man in the world.”
Xiu Yun looked up, frowned at him for a while, then pouted: “People always find it easy to talk about others’ affairs. If it were you, sir if Ming Yi didn’t like you, could you just switch to liking someone else?”
“Nonsense, I don’t like her… What makes you think she doesn’t like me?” Ji Bozai took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. “She used to treat me very well. I just didn’t pay attention.”
“So now she doesn’t care about you anymore.”
“No, she’s just busy with other things. Besides, we see each other every day now.”
“But she still doesn’t care about you.”
“If I wanted to, I could win her back. She would care about me again.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“…” Veins popped on his temple as Ji Bozai turned and walked away.
He must be crazy to stay up late arguing with a little girl. He knew very well whether Ming Yi cared about him or not. Did he need to tell others? Besides, even if she didn’t care now, who knew what might happen in the future?
With Ming Yi’s personality, the fact that she had come all this way to be with him, to be good to him, meant she wasn’t heartless. She might still have feelings for him even now, just unwilling to say it.
It must be so.
Nodding firmly, Ji Bozai returned to his room.
He stood at the door and looked up, realizing this room was the farthest from the main house.
“…” Silently kicking open the door, he walked in and slammed it shut behind him.
The next day, when they set out for the venue, Qin Shangwu deliberately left some trusted men to guard the courtyard and asked Xiu Yun to take good care of Ming Yi before leaving with a distracted mind.
He had thought all night and felt that Ming Yi was crucial to Muxing City. If one Ji Bozai could get them into the top three cities, with Ming Yi added, who else but them could take the top spot?
Ming Yi just wanted money now – which was also what Muxing City lacked most at the moment.
Scratching his head in frustration, Qin Shangwu was already considering how much gold those antiques in the inner court could fetch if sold.
As they passed the dock, they happened to see a beast carriage stop. A group of plainly dressed people disembarked, wearing bamboo hats and keeping their heads down. As soon as they reached the shore, they walked away quickly.
Ji Bozai glanced at them and suddenly felt something was off: “Master, are there any city teams arriving later than us?”
“No, we’re the last to arrive. That’s why we couldn’t even get an inn,” Qin Shangwu came back to his senses and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
“That group of people just now, they don’t look like ordinary people. They all have some Yuan Power,” Ji Bozai looked back, but the group had already disappeared into the market crowd.
Beast carriage fares were expensive. Usually, only people from the inner courts could freely travel between the six cities. That group was so quiet, not like first-time riders of flying beast carriages. Yet they wore ordinary clothes as if trying to hide something.
“The competition is more important. Let’s not worry about that now,” Qin Shangwu said. “Although today is just the preliminary round, with yesterday’s grudge, you can’t let them off easily.”
Withdrawing his gaze, Ji Bozai continued walking towards the venue in the suburbs.
Ming Yi suddenly woke from her sleep with a start.
She cautiously looked out the window, got up grabbed Xiu Yun, who was about to pour her some water, and silently led her to climb up to the rafters.
The guards outside suddenly all took out their divine weapons, but the intruders were numerous and had strong Yuan Power. They were even more skilled in using divine weapons. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they broke in and kicked open Ming Yi’s door.
The room was very quiet, without even the sound of breathing.
The leader frowned and looked back at his men. One of them said urgently: “We’ve inquired. She should be here, otherwise, why would there be guards outside?”
“Fool, this is where Muxing City is staying. Of course, they would have guards,” the eunuch Ming An said angrily. “Go and inquire further!”
“Yes!”
The group hurriedly left the room, dispersing in all directions to blend into the crowd.
Ming An stayed behind.
After everyone had left, he looked up at the seemingly empty rafters and said calmly: “Your Highness’s Yuan Power has weakened severely. In the past, this old servant would never have detected Your Highness here.”
Xiu Yun was so frightened by his snake-like eyes that she cried out, almost falling from the rafters. Ming Yi reached out to steady her and calmly dispelled the Void Realm she had used for concealment: “I’m already a useless person now. Thank you for your concern, sir.”
She wore a smile on her face, but her eyes were full of wariness, ready to defend against any move he might make. Her peripheral vision had even marked out escape routes.
Ming An chuckled lightly: “Your Highness is confused. If this old servant wanted to harm you, I would have let you die in Chaoyang City long ago. Why would I bother letting you leave, and even just now, send those people away?”
Ming Yi pressed her lips together, bringing Xiu Yun back down to the ground. She narrowed her eyes at him: “That’s also what I want to ask. You are my mother’s trusted confidant, loyal to her for many years. Why have you repeatedly let me go?”
When he let her go, he even told her an earth-shattering secret.