With much discussed and thoughts sorted out, one thing was clear. The current Ming Yue was not yet ready to face the world. Even more so, since the old Ming Yue was supposed to be dead. Ming Yue needed a plan as she did not want to repeat history. She knew that she was not strong enough. In fact, apart from the little things she had to learn as a child raised in the dark world, she was not especially marvellous in anything else. It was moreover the fact that she did not have the opportunity and once she was in the Gu family, she did everything they told her to do. Even when she went to high school she remained ignorant and was nothing more than a pushover to be accepted as a part of their family. Now that it was her second chance she was planning to go all out. That is why she needed to learn to improve herself and to be able to call herself a Qi.
Soon enough the basic schooling started, and her start-up schedule was covered with etiquette, social norms, family history and business strategy.
"Why are you slouching so weirdly?" Shen Fei asked, looking at his sister slouching weirdly during her social gathering lesson. Ming Yue looked dumbfounded as she did not know what was wrong with that. She had some basic etiquette lessons taken when she entered the Gu family. She was sure that the French lady who the Gu's arranged for her specifically told her that slouching this way, showed that you were enjoying the meal too comfortably and it was an act of appreciation towards the chef.
She did not know what she did wrong. Just then, a thought crossed the siblings' minds, so they decided to test the theory.
Shen Fei: You eat inside out or outside in?
Ming Yue: Inside
Shen Fei: […]
Shen Fei: After you finish a dish what do you do?
Ming Yue: hand the plate to the server and ask for the next dish, it shows you are very enthusiastic.
Shen Fei: […]
Shen Fei: *cough* Ahem so bread, how do you eat the bread?
Ming Yue: You put it in your mouth and bite pieces off it with your teeth and if you require butter, you ask the host. Teacher Vier said that it shows that you are involved and active with the host.
Shen Fei: […]
Ming Yue: […]
And that is how it was decided that it would be best to forget every single thing that was taught in the Gu Manor.
Days changed to weeks and weeks changed to months as Ming Yue drowned herself in studying. Several masters specialising in fields from medicine to geography to ancient literature to royal etiquette to even ancient martial arts were arranged by her father. The ancient families had separate guidelines and schooling systems for all their descendants. Descendants of these special families had an exceptional ability to pick up what is taught to them. Thus, it had to be more varied, broad, and detailed.
Apart from that, she was personally trained by Qian Fei the nitty-gritty of upper-class matriarch women and of course, she was even guided in terms of fashion and getting a whole new makeover. While Longwei himself taught her the ways of the business and underworld – hence 'Joan' was born.
'Joan' is an alias, a group of talents and the first mode of attack towards them.
In her past life, Ming Yue read a book. It was about the heroism and bravery of a young maiden. She created a legacy for all women around the world – a woman adorned in armour as she galloped in her horse to victory. However, soon she met her untimely demise and was burnt to death. While that was the end of her story, Ming Yue could not help but feel a sense of familiarity between her and the legendary woman. That was why she created an altered identity specifically designed to wreak havoc – what a fitting name for a comeback, she thought.
After 1 year, Ming Yue mastered all her lessons to the extent that it extremely impressed her masters. She was on par with her brother and was going to sit for her high school examination plus the separate qualification examination special bloodline descendants sit for. Without further delay, they notified Lord Longwei that it was time to summon the old High Priest for the fire ceremony and the ascension and announcement of Ming Yue as an heiress of the family.
Since joining the family, Ming Yue learned a lot of things but one thing she took a bit of time to get her head around was the Qi family and the truth of her blood. The Qi family was not simple. Besides coming from an ancient royal bloodline, she was introduced to the many supernatural factors of her blood. Mainly, her bloodline was called the phoenix blood and it was said to have special properties that would gradually show over time once awakened. Secondly, the ceremony was used to acknowledge her as part of the bloodline- so more like a coming-of-age thing with a twist.