Concubine Cheng forced herself to relax. At least Hua Mengshi had controlled herself. If she hadn't, they'd be in front of Madam Hua in the morning, and that was something neither she nor Mengshi could afford.
"Mom... why not we hire an assassin to kill that bitch and her bastard!" Thinking about the seductive Long Red in the garden, an angry light reflected from Hua Mengshi's eyes. "Kill them, and Long Red will belong to Hua Mansion!"
Second Madame chided her harshly. "Mengshi! Don't spew rubbish! Hua Qiyue is clearly different than she once was, which means she must have support. We need to find out who it is. If she has powerful allies and we act harshly, we would be in even deeper trouble than we are now!"
Hua Mengshi's eyes turned red from anger. "So you'll allow them to bully your daughter and ignore my suffering?"
Second Madame looked at her lovingly and replied, "Mengshi, a great man will need to learn to endure. Now that we are uncertain about the background of Hua Qiyue, striking ignorantly will only do us harm. Remember, without my permission, you cannot act!"
Hua Mengshi pursed her lips as a huge sense of unwillingness erupted in her heart. However, she still agreed. Arguing with her mother now wouldn't achieve anything.
The maid, Surou, called from outside, "Madam and lady, I have something to report!"
"Come in!" The Second Concubine replied calmly. Surou walked in and was stunned by the cracked pieces on the ground. Second Madame said calmly, "Any good news, Surou? Your lady just broke a teacup on accident. Take care of it when you're done here."
"Yes, Madam. I heard news from Butler Wang that the Medicine Saint Ji family will be coming to the city to find disciples. They will be holding a platform martial arts tournament and the male and female winners will become the disciples of the Medicine Emperor. Furthermore, there will be precious prizes for the winners. I heard that it will be Purple Lotus Phoenix Ice!"
Hua Mengshi's eyes lit up, throwing all her unhappiness and gloominess to the back of her mind.
Not only was Hua Mengshi the most beautiful and wealthy woman of the capital, she was also the top female Qi Artist!
Girls were naturally disadvantaged at Qi Art compared to boys, making it much harder for them to learn. Thus, in Tianyuan Continent, there were few outstanding female Qi Artists.
While many men found it satisfactory to finish the Dragon Diagram standard, women kept their goals two standards lower, which was the completion of the Oracle Profound standard, and few ever reached it.
"Mom, this is a great opportunity for me! I completed Oracle Profound last night. If I do become the disciple of Ji family, it will definitely add glory to Hua Mansion!" Hua Mengshi exclaimed delightedly.
The Second Concubine nodded profusely, Her eyes filled with joy. "You've completed Oracle Profound standard so fast! Little Shi, I'm so proud of you!"
Her smile turned to a sneer. "Hua Qiyue doesn't stand a chance, no matter which master is helping her!"
The good news brought by Surou made Cheng and Mengshi feel much better. They immediately asked the servants to prepare fruits for them to enjoy under the moonlight.
Hua Qiyue heard the news, too, and was even more pleased than the others.
If she could get the Purple Lotus Phoenix Ice in two weeks and Yun Shimo can finish releasing Tianci's toxins in a month… everything was lining up perfectly! Hua Qiyue smiled brightly, full of confidence.
Lvxin and Youshui, however, were full of worry and concern. They knew that Hua Qiyue knew nothing about Qi Art and that it would be impossible for her to win the tournament.
Tianci was rubbed his belly, having stuffed himself at dinner. He rubbed his tiny face with Hua Qiyue's sleeves.
"Tianci, be good. Play with Aunt Lvxin for while Mom rests, okay?"
Tianci nodded obediently. Lvxin stopped Hua Qiyue and asked, "Lady, are you not feeling well?'
Lady Qiyue had gone to bed early for several consecutive nights, which was a cause for concern.
Hua Qiyue shook her head. "I'm fine. Just accompany Tianci to read and write, and shower him later."
Although what she was doing was important, Hua Qiyue felt little guilty that she had so little time to spend with Tianci.
She knew that she could become more powerful with Long Red. Not only did she need to win the tournament, she needed to be able to protect Tianci, as well.
Watching Hua Qiyue leave, Lvxin and Youshui looked at each other and sighed, bringing Tianci outside. He'd been gaining weight from the Long Red soup.
Hua Qiyue walked to her bedroom and changed into pajamas before lying down, entering the mysterious world with her green jade gourd.
This time, she smelled an overwhelming fragrance as she entered and quickly realized that her seeds had blossomed into beautiful flowers.
Hua Qiyue also realized that the sky was faded, compared to the previous deep crimson.
The soil was not as red, either, and green grass had begun growing on it. Before, it has seemed like a desert, but not it was a grassland.
"Hmph!"
She was knocked from thoughts by an unhappy grunt.
Lifting her gaze, she saw the figure of a man in the near distance. His body was like red sand on a jade plate.
Tianpi was lying lazily on a huge rock. He had a root in his mouth and unhappiness shown in his eyes.
Hua Qiyue smiled as she approached. She knew she needed to use flattery to get anywhere with Tianpi. She wasn't proud of it, but she'd do whatever she had to.
"Master, I'm here! See, I bought a watermelon for you!"
Hua Qiyue gave the watermelon to Tianpi.
Now that money was no longer an issue, fruits were everywhere in her court. Lvxin was worried that Tianci and Hua Qiyue might wake up hungry in the middle of the night, and had placed a few large watermelons in the room.
Tianpi glanced at the watermelon in Hua Qiyue's hands, smirked, and turned his head away from her.
"Hi."
Hua Qiyue laughed like a Buddha as she continued, "Master, what's wrong? What happened?"
Hua Qiyue put the watermelon down and cut it into large pieces before passing one of them to Tianpi.
He looked longingly at the juicy watermelon before taking a bite.
Tianpi chewed a few times and could feel the sweetness and juiciness of the watermelon. He waved his hand and the watermelon pieces flew into his hands as he ate one after another, tossing the rinds behind him carelessly.
Once finished, Tianpi wiped his mouth in a satisfied manner, then closed his eyes, continuing to ignore her.
Hua Qiyue blinked, trying to recall if anything she had done anything to offend him, but nothing came to mind.
All she had done today was take Tianci to see Yun Shimo for treatment. Could he possibly be jealous of Yun Shimo?Hua Qiyue was only a disciple of Tianpi, a relationship based on material benefits. Besides, he knew that if he had wanted to lay with her, he could have demanded it in exchange for help curing her son.
So, what was wrong?
Well, if he wouldn't talk to her, she'd have to take a different approach. She couldn't give up now. She needed his help to be strong, to protect Tianci.
"Master, what is wrong with you? Let me take a look!" Hua Qiyue said playfully.
Hua Qiyue reached out her hand, placing it on Tianpi's forehead.
The sensation of her soft, warm skin on his head made his heart skip a beat, and he pushed her away. "What are you doing?"
Tianpi sat up angrily as he turned to hide his embarrassment. He hadn't been in contact with a woman for hundreds of years, and had never been so close to a woman even before entering the green jade gourd.
Hua Qiyue moved her hands away as Tianpi sat upright, blushing like dawn had descended on his face.
"You aren't feverish. What's wrong, Master?" Hua Qiyue's eyes shone as she saw the jealousy plain on his face. "Were you unhappy to see me fall on Prince Nan?"
Tianpi jumped up. "Bullshit!"
"Then why are you unhappy?"
The corners of Tianpi's mouth twitched as he worked hard to smile. "I'm not unhappy. It's a misunderstanding."
In his 700 years of reign in this world, no one had forced him to hide his true intentions other than the four old ghosts, and now he was lying to save face in front of this woman, this… child!
Hua Qiyue blinked again and sat down next to him.
"Master, Tianci requires Purple Lotus Phoenix Ice. Do you have the seeds for it?"