Under the intimidating presence of Du Guqing, the servant hesitantly entered the room, moving slowly as if to signal that he was unwilling to make this choice.
"Quit stalling! Are you even a man? Move it!" Du Guqing snapped at the sluggish servant.
Watching her fierce demeanor, Jiang Bai couldn't help but compare her to the obedient, clever girl he had met the day before.
The servant trembled with fear and eventually collapsed to the floor. He was aware of Du Guqing's fearsome reputation, which was well-known throughout Ascending Immortal City.
Calling her the "Demoness of Ascending Immortal City" was no exaggeration. As the cherished youngest daughter of the city lord, who was at the Transformation stage, she was not only stunningly attractive but also incredibly talented, being recognized as the youngest Core Formation cultivator in the Celestial Spirit World.
With such titles, Du Guqing had always been handed everything she wanted in Ascending Immortal City. She was coddled by the City Lord's estate and treated with great care by the leaders of various noble families.
As the servant sat on the ground, tears welled up in his eyes, but he fought to hold them back.
"What a worthless fool! If you take any longer, I'll pickle you and send you to the Silver Moon Dynasty!" Du Guqing's threat left the servant shaking in fear, but after a few tries, he eventually found the strength to stand.
He moved closer to the door, while Jiang Bai's prediction about Xie Bao's arrival remained unfulfilled.
Du Guqing watched with a smirk as the servant approached. "Hey, charlatan, what now? Ready to admit defeat?"
She hoped to see a hint of panic in Jiang Bai's eyes, but instead found him in a tranquil state, eyes half-closed and smiling, seemingly unbothered.
"Not yet a clear winner. Miss Du Guqing, please be patient." Although Jiang Bai was somewhat dismissive of his customer service setup, he had confidence in its accuracy.
Du Guqing huffed in annoyance at her lack of success while encouraging the servant. "Come on! Just two more steps! Step through that door, and I'll reinstate you as the steward of the city lord's manor!"
The servant, upon hearing this, felt a surge of energy and stood taller, shedding his trembling demeanor as he approached the door.
To him, the doorway transformed from a mere threshold into the Dragon Gate that could change his life!
He took a heavy step, just one more to go!
Du Guqing seemed inspired by his determination, cheering him on internally as he drew closer.
"Go, go, go!" her heart urged.
With another determined step, he succeeded in reaching the doorframe. He just needed to lift his right foot to step across, and he would become Steward Liu of the city lord's manor!
At this moment, he felt not alone, as Du Guqing was nearly in tears from joy, her gaze filled with encouragement.
Liu San glanced back at Du Guqing and nodded vigorously. Though his right foot felt as heavy as lead, he pressed on.
Just as he was about to take the crucial step forward, a sudden gust of wind blew through the hall.
A massive figure appeared at the entrance. "Move aside, don't you have any sense?"
Xie Bao casually pushed Liu San aside and walked into the hall.
"Miss!" Du Guqing gasped in disbelief as she watched Liu San stumble to the ground, her face contorting in disgust.
Liu San shot a resentful look at Xie Bao, as though accusing him of ruining everything.
Xie Bao turned to Jiang Bai, confusion written on his face as he sought clarification.
Jiang Bai maintained his composure, gesturing respectfully to Xie Bao while sitting comfortably in his place.
Xie Bao felt he had likely thwarted Du Guqing's plans and awkwardly shuffled back a few steps to avoid further complications.
Just then, Ming Shifei appeared at the entrance, blocking Xie Bao's path to escape.
"Uncle Xie!" Du Guqing expressed her displeasure.
"Ah, Miss! I just remembered I have a furnace full of elixirs to finish refining! I need to hurry and check the heat to prevent them from being ruined!" He attempted to sidestep Ming Shifei and flee.
But Ming Shifei stood firm, his spiritual power emanating off him like an immovable mountain.
"Come on, coward! You really want to kick someone while they're down, don't you?"
"Heh heh, so what if I do?" Xie Bao glared at Ming Shifei's smug grin. Had it not been for Du Guqing's presence, he might have lost his composure and struck him.
"Uncle Xie, when did you pick up elixirs? You can barely get through the introduction without dozing off!" Du Guqing called out, mercilessly exposing Xie Bao's lie.
Embarrassed, he turned away, scratched his head, and slumped onto a nearby chair.
Seeing Ming Shifei at the doorway, Du Guqing obediently stood and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Sir!"
Ming Shifei acknowledged her with a nod, then exchanged greetings with Jiang Bai before taking his seat.
"What just happened here?" Ming Shifei asked.
Xie Bao, like a child caught misbehaving, buried his face in his chest but couldn't resist straining to listen.
Du Guqing's expression soured, reminiscent of someone who had swallowed something unpleasant, as she puffed her cheeks and stayed silent.
Ming Shifei turned his gaze toward Jiang Bai.
Feeling a bit trapped, Jiang Bai relayed the events that had unfolded.
After hearing his account, Xie Bao realized he had spoiled Du Guqing's schemes and avoided her gaze.
Inwardly, he grumbled, "This guy can predict an immortal's death; why would I want to provoke him?"
Both he and Ming Shifei were fully aware of Jiang Bai's fortune-telling abilities.
Ming Shifei dismissed the servant waiting outside, conjured up a soundproof barrier, and turned serious.
"Miss, I need to ask you not to disclose what I'm about to share."
Seeing the gravity in Ming Shifei's demeanor, Du Guqing straightened up, her curiosity peaked.
Could it be that this fortune-teller had genuine skills?
"Mr. Jiang Bai, your fortune-telling abilities are unparalleled. The city lord holds you in high esteem, so please don't act impulsively."
Du Guqing pouted, still somewhat skeptical, but Ming Shifei continued.
"Mr. Jiang Bai accurately foretold the time of the immortal's death yesterday, with no mistakes whatsoever!"
Du Guqing was left utterly shocked, frozen with disbelief.
Her mind raced as she mulled over the implications.
"The time of the immortal's death, with complete accuracy!"