Soon Ling Qi was incorporated in the back courtyard of HwaHwa. She helped in the daily work and also arranged food for her which was usually a problem.
HwaHwa was surprised when a good quality food was available to her on daily basis and one day she decided to check on how did she achieve that.
When HwaHwa sneeked into the kitchen she noticed the change in first glance. All the maids were scared of Ling Qi with just a single glance from her all the maids scurried around to do her bidding.
There was an assistant maid by her side who helped her translate with her hand movements.
HwaHwa kept listening to the gossip around her. One maid was whispering to another " Last week when old kitchen maid was unwilling to give food to her Lin'er ( name used for Ling Qi by other people in the house) for eldest lady. She pulled out a knife that was sharp and terrifying. She wrote something in the flour spread on the plate after that not only kitchen arranged all the good food from the house but they have been doing it daily".
The young maid asked " what did she write?".
The other maid made a face " that's a mystery no one in the kitchen could open their mouth not a single word was whispered out not even to masters".
As HwaHwa reached her room she found Ling Qi but both side were silent.
Ling Qi looked at HwaHwa " master would you not ask what I wrote to the kitchen maid?" She signed with her hands.
HwaHwa was silent, she was not surprised Ling Qi knew of her enquiry around the kitchen. She is an assassin knowing this much was just the basics of her training. HwaHwa spoke, what you wrote would probably be " If my lady not receive the food similar to the main house I will let the whole capital know how Go family treat their benefactor and as always there had been trend that the end scapegoat would be the lowest level worker it would be you the old kitchen maid to suffer in the end. If you are still stubborn I can end your life other way also".
Ling Qi's mouth was agape, these few days she had noticed that HwaHwa's mind was different from other young ladies in the capital who were only interested in getting ready and learn the six arts but HwaHwa was only interested in the survival and getting the bare minimum to survive in this mansion where everyone could not wait for her to die.
HwaHwa was still for a while " this trick of your will only work for 3 months at max because after a while any grace becomes a burden to the one who bears it and then we would have to find a new way to survive here".
Ling Qi was silent " then what should we do".
HwaHwa was silent " we need money to have resources of our own". She looked as Ling Qi" LinLin do you have any skill to earn money".
Ling Qi nodded, from behind her back she pulled out the same knife she used earlier. HwaHwa held it in her hand as she felt the sharpness of it's blade. This weapon took many lives previously because it had an aura of death with it.
Ling Qi took the knife and pulled at the bottom and a spike came out if during a fight if this spike was pulled out it could very well take the life of another.
Ling Qi pulled a small protrusion from the handle and a thin needle came out and HwaHwa knew it contained the poison to kill the opponents.
Ling Qi was proud and signed " I modify the normal weapons. Previously to avoid the clan from staking their claims on my efforts I did a commission based side business for it and no one knows about it. In her mind Ling Qi remembered an image of La Kun who knew that she modified weapons but not in detail about it
HwaHwa had money sign hanging from her eyes " good, we can now earn our own money now".