Situ Ling sneezed violently.
He poked his head out and saw Ji Bozai’s beast carriage kicking up dust as it passed by. He couldn’t help but grimace, “He must be cursing me.”
“Who?” Ming Yi had already settled in the carriage and hadn’t seen outside.
“No one, just a petty person,” he snorted with a laugh as he sat down in the carriage. Seeing Ming Yi distracted by her cultivation, he couldn’t help but advise, “It’s only about an hour’s journey to the shop in Zhangtai. Why bother exerting yourself, sister?”
Cultivation was taxing, and such a short time wouldn’t yield much progress.
However, Ming Yi was accustomed to it. “I used to cultivate even while eating and sleeping. It’s become second nature to me.”
Previously, she had to hide it from Ji Bozai, and with her severely damaged meridians, she had put it aside for quite some time. Now that no one was monitoring her, and she had found a way to utilize her flawed meridians, she naturally wanted to cultivate diligently.
Situ Ling frowned upon hearing this. “Sister, your life as a Duelist was so arduous.”
“It wasn’t just my life as a Duelist. I’ve been like this since I was five,” she smiled. “I was born with bright red meridians, a visible sign of abundant talent. Who would let me rest?”
Some people only reveal their meridians in their teens, giving them over a decade of freedom. But for those like Ming Xian, whose meridians shone brightly from birth, sparing her infancy was already a blessing.
Situ Ling felt he might not envy Duelists so much anymore. Not having Yuan Power had its advantages; at least he could belong to himself.
As the city was still receiving envoys, the shops selling expensive gifts were busier than usual. When Ming Yi alighted from the carriage, Zhangtai was smilingly handing a wrapped brocade box to a customer.
“Yi’er!” Seeing her arrive, Zhangtai’s eyes lit up. She quickly bowed to the customer and rushed over, grabbing Ming Yi’s hands and looking her over. “Are you alright?”
Ming Yi turned in a circle before her, smiling. “I’m fine.”
“You scared me to death.” With slightly moist eyes, Zhangtai quickly had an assistant close the shop door, and then led Ming Yi to the back courtyard. “There have been so many rumors about you in the city lately. I didn’t know how you were doing.”
Rumors? She raised an eyebrow.
Since the fire at the Ji residence, she had been staying at the Situ mansion and knew nothing of what was happening outside.
“They say you’ve become a Golden Hairpin Duelist, that you set fire to the Ji residence, and that Lord Ji abandoned you,” Zhangtai frowned repeatedly. “What nonsense.”
Ming Yi laughed dryly. “Well, except for the second one, the others seem to be true.”
Zhangtai was stunned and stopped in her tracks.
She remembered how tenderly Lord Ji had treated Ming Yi at his residence, making her envious. How could he abandon her after just a few months?
Ming Yi was such a good girl – beautiful, intelligent, and kind-hearted. How could she be abandoned?
It seemed the problem wasn’t with the women but with the men.
Watching Zhangtai’s expression change from shock to sadness to anger, and then to helplessness as she tried to comfort her, Ming Yi quickly waved her hand with a smile. “I’m not upset. Don’t worry about it.”
Zhangtai immediately swallowed her tears and squeezed Ming Yi’s hand. “Right! We won’t be upset! If you have nowhere to go, come and stay with me. Zhang Liu and I can earn money now. We won’t let you be homeless.”
Feeling a warmth in her heart, Ming Yi nodded with a smile, but then said, “I have a place to stay, so I won’t come for now. But I might need your help buying some things.”
“Then you’ve come to the right person,” Zhangtai puffed out her chest. “I’ve become familiar with this market. I can get good prices on anything.”
The girl who once refused to lower herself to do business now spoke about these matters with shining eyes.
Ming Yi preferred this Zhangtai to the previous one. Although her belly was now visibly pregnant and her legs somewhat swollen, she seemed more spirited than when she was in the inner court.
Ming Yi handed her a list. It contained ordinary materials for forging divine weapons, cheap but in large quantities. She also passed over the gold ingots given by She Tianlin.
Zhangtai didn’t ask questions, just nodded. “Once I’ve bought everything, where should I send it?”
“To the Jing residence next to the Situ mansion,” Ming Yi gave her a map. “Follow this.”
Although staying at the Situ mansion saved money, Ming Yi felt uncomfortable. Ji Bozai had given her quite a few gold ingots before, and the neighboring Jing residence happened to be for sale at a reasonable price. Ming Yi bought it, close to the Situ mansion but giving her own space to forge divine weapons.
She had thought it through. To establish herself, she needed money. Although she had a lot now, it would eventually run out. With the title of Golden Hairpin Duelist given by the Great Sima and the divine weapon-forging skills taught by old She, it would be a waste not to put them to use.
“Since you’re here, let me show you to your cousin and Min’er,” Zhangtai lifted the curtain to the back courtyard.
As soon as Ming Yi entered, she saw Zhang Liu embroidering.
The former concubine of the Peaceful King, once adorned in silks, now sat before an embroidery frame in plain clothes. She showed no signs of distress but rather seemed quite at ease.
“Our benefactor has come,” she looked up with a smile but didn’t stop her work. “Please forgive me, this work is urgent.”
“Please, carry on,” Ming Yi sat down beside her and, upon seeing her embroidery, clapped her hands. “No wonder this shop is doing well. Your skill is truly unparalleled.”
“You flatter me, benefactor. I’m fortunate to have this skill to make a living,” Zhang Liu smiled, glancing at Min’er playing nearby. After a moment’s hesitation, she said to Ming Yi, “But with our current abilities, I don’t know if we can raise him well.”
Min’er was holding a pinwheel, looking carefree, but Zhang Liu’s words carried a hint of worry.
Ming Yi understood and beckoned, “Min’er, come here and let me have a look.”
Zhang Min obediently stood before her, his large, slightly brown eyes fixed on her without blinking.
Noticing a white cloth wrapped around his wrist, Ming Yi’s heart skipped a beat. She reached out to unwrap it.
As the white cloth unraveled, it revealed light red meridians.
Ming Yi’s expression turned serious. “When did this appear?”
“Just the day before yesterday morning,” Zhang Liu sighed. “I thought he didn’t have Yuan Power, since both his father and I have unremarkable meridians. Who would have thought… In another family, this might be good news, but for him, I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse.”
Zhang Min’s special status made it unsuitable for him to become a Duelist in public. Rather than risking his life, Zhang Liu hoped he could live peacefully.
Ming Yi thought for a moment. “It’s not bad. He’ll have the ability to protect himself, and maybe even protect you in the future. But he’s too young now. Don’t let him start cultivating yet. Wait until he’s about ten, then send him to She Tianlin in Chaoyang City. He’s a good mentor who values talent and can teach Min’er some things.”
Zhang Liu’s eyes brightened. “When the time comes, could you take Min’er there, benefactor?”
Six or seven years later, could she take Min’er to Chaoyang City?
Ming Yi lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly.
She feared she wouldn’t live to see that day.