Luo Jianqing and Xuan Lingzi lived in the mansion of the State Minister.
It seemed that Zhao Yue’s brothers and sisters missed her so much. They greeted her warmly once she got back. Zhao Yue told Mr. Wang not to mention the attack in their journey, so those in the Zhao Family appeared to know nothing. There was nothing but family togetherness.
Xuan Lingzi and Luo Jianqing were arranged to live in the quiet west yard, a good place for cultivation. Luo Jianqing had noticed that the imperial palace in Sha Du City gathered most spiritual power in this kingdom.
The imperial palace was protected by spiritual power and imperial majesty, while the mansion of the State Minister was just next to the palace, also enjoying vigorous spiritual power.
The spiritual power here was of course, far weaker than that in Tai Hua mountain, yet by no means weak for an ordinary kingdom.
When Zhao Yue just returned, many people cared about her. However, days after days, they were much less considerate, as they had confirmed that Zhao Yue had lost her cultivation, which meant that she had nothing to do with cultivators anymore.
In a kingdom packed with martial energy, a person who couldn’t become a cultivator was pretty much a total loser.
But Zhao Yue didn’t care about that. She took Luo Jianqing and Xuan Lingzi out, showing them around the city and visiting each interesting place she had told them.
After they left the market of rogue cultivators in the east city, Luo Jianqing bought a bun.
Luo Jianqing slighted the goods in this market. The instruments made by these rogue cultivators were nothing compared to those made by his sixth fellow brother, not to mention Xuan Lingzi. But the bun was quite interesting. The seller said this mushroom stuffing bun was not able to be eaten up!
Luo Jianqing had a bite, and the bun indeed restored to a complete one quickly.
Luo Jianqing was fascinated by this unique “instrument”, while Xuan Lingzi just shook his head slightly.
Then, Zhao Yue brought them to Wu Dao Chamber of Commerce ad said, “As I told you, the chamber has everything here, but for a high price. And many eminent cultivators will come here to sell demon bodies they hunted in Wan Shou Mountain and some pills maybe. Some instrument artisan will also entrust the instruments they make to the chamber for auction.”
Hearing that, Luo Jianqing asked curiously, “I saw many instruments in the rogue cultivators market. Why don’t they entrust their instruments to the Wu Dao Chamber of Commerce?” As he asked, Luo Jianqing was still eating his “endless” mushroom bun.
Few people would have the heart to be angry with a handsome young man who was gazing at you seriously and biting a hot bun. Mrs. Lin was attracted by this adorable young man, but she didn’t know that he was much older than her. She just felt that Mr. Luo was good-looking, willing to help and funny.
Zhao Yue explained, “Because only precious instruments can be sold and auctioned in the Wu Dao Chamber of Commerce. The instruments made by those cultivators cannot even reach the threshold of the chamber.
Then, they entered the chamber.
The four-story building looked very ordinary outside, but after they entered it, they found a different world.
Zhao Yue said, “An instrument master built this place. Hundreds of years ago, he forged a Xuan Level instrument for Wu Dao Chamber of Commerce and left it in Sha Du City. So, it is now the headquarter of Wu Dao Chamber of Commerce. Small as this building seems, the internal space is quite large. Usually, nine hundred and ninety-nine goods are displaced at the first floor, ninety-nine at the second floor, and nine at the third floor. As for the fourth floor, I have never been there, but it is said that only one supreme instrument is stored there.”
As they entered the chamber, a receptionist came and led the way for them. The receptionist examined Zhao Yue for a long time and asked with atonement, “May I ask… are you Mrs. Zhao from the mansion of the Grand Master?”
Zhao Yue beamed, which made the receptionist even more solicitous.
As the saying went, A thin, dead camel was bigger than a horse. Even if Zhao Yue was in a comedown, she was still the family of the State Minister Zhao. It took them half an hour to finished viewing all nine hundred and ninety-nine goods at the first floor, which however, didn’t arose the interest of Luo Jianqing. For him, these were just normal instruments and pills, nothing equal to the bun he was eating. Seeing that, Zhao Yue said, “Let’s move to the second floor.”
However, the receptionist said awkwardly, “Sorry… but I’m afraid the second floor is not accessible today.”
Zhao Yue put on a grave face and asked, “Now the family of the State Minister has lost the privilege to visit the second floor?” Her tone was a little pressing and cold.
The receptionist was even more stumped, “Of course not, Ms. Zhao. You are still the most welcoming guest to the second floor. Besides, if you buy something, I can get commission, that’s a good thing. But… it is indeed inconvenient today.”
Just as they talked, two guests went to the second floor.
Zhao Yue’s beautiful face turned cold. She said indifferently, “I have the full access to any of these three floors since I was a child, but now you tell me that I cannot even go to the second floor. Then why is it accessible for those two people? I have never heard such a ridiculous excuse. You’d better clearly explain why it is inconvenient for me to ascend today.”
The receptionist was feeling a surge of embarrassment. He opened and shut his mouth, unspeaking. Zhao Yue was annoyed but also felt strange. When she was about to purse her question, a frivolous and casual voice came from the staircase, “Isn’t it sister Yue? I need to call you Mrs. Lin now. You haven’t changed much after all these years, except that you have been a loser.”
Luo Jianqing noticed that Zhao Yue’s body got stiffened when she heard that voice.
Luo Jianqing raised his eyebrows and looked towards that person. It was a young man dressed up in purple minks and jewelry belt. He was handsome that seemed to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but his eyes had some trace of evil, quite unpleasant look.
Luo Jianqing looked back to Mrs. Lin quietly.
She said calmly, “Well, I didn’t expect that you would be here. I guess the second floor is indeed not convenient for me to ascend anyway. See you then.”
Mrs. Lin was about to leave, yet that rich guy opened his folding fan, which flew towards Mrs. Lin at an extremely high speed, blocking her way. The folding fan left an elegant arc in the air and flew back to that guy. He said negligently, “Sister Yue, after all we were so close to become a couple. It’s so heartless for you to avoid me like that.”
He was the “Shui” of “San Shui Hong Yue”, Qiu Shuifu, the son of the prime minister.
Luo Jianqing examined that rich guy curiously, while Qiu Shuifu only give him a glance. After all, for Qiu Shuifu, Luo Jianqing and Xuan Lingzi were just two good-looking people, nothing parallel to him.
Zhao Yue said seriously, “That’s my fault, but my family have given you considerable compensation. Please don’t embarrass me.”
Qiu Shuifu wafted his fan casually and teased, “I haven’t even started to embarrass you yet.”
Zhao Yue said, “I take my friends out for a visit today, so I should leave now.”
Zhao Yue was about to leave, but a fan wind again flew towards her and blocked her way.
Zhao Yue said furiously, “That’s going too far! My family gave you all the dowry as compensation, and you accepted it. And we were just engaged, not married. You took the compensation, and I went to apologize in your mansion personally. Why are you giving me a hard time now?”
Qiu Shuifu’s smile suddenly disappeared. His eyes were as cold as a snake. He sneered, “Because you broke off our engagement for a vulgar villager!”
As he finished, another fan wind rushed towards Zhao Yue. This time, it was to attack her.
Zhao Yue had noticed her families changing attitudes these days, and she understood that she had lost her prominent identity. State Minister Zhao just called her back and then he went to closed-door cultivation, so she had to tolerate all these alone.
Normally, any family member from the mansion of the State Minister would be accompanied by several Foundation Establishment guards when they went out, but obviously Zhao Yue didn’t have such privilege. Even Mr. Wang was banned from escorting her.
As the fan flashed towards her, Zhao Yue took out the sword and blocked. Qiu Shuifu didn’t use much power to control the fan wind, yet it forced Zhao Yue to step back dozens of steps. She was breathing unsteadily.
Seeing that, Qiu Shuifu’s eyes were full of teasing.
The bystanders dared not to offend any of them. Both the prime minister and the State Minister were from aristocratic family in Wu Sha Kingdom, so no one could rival them. On the other hand, Qiu Shuifu had reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. That was a remarkable achievement for a young man in his 30s, so it was hard to deny his promising future.
“You are really useless, aren’t you?” Qiu Shuifu laughed at Zhao Yue in disorder. He wafted his folding fan gently and another fan wind rushed towards her. However, the arc wind suddenly disappeared halfway in the air.
Qiu shuifu was baffled. He looked around and said, “I don’t know there is another senior here, but this is something personal between me and Zhao Yue. She broke off our engagement and humiliated me, so please stay out of this matter!”
As he spoke, his Gold Core guard stepped forward and watched around vigilantly.
It was obvious that the prime minister highly valued Qiu Shuifu. He even sent a Gold Core cultivator to protect his son, which was a cautious move.
However, no one answered him.
Luo Jianqing was standing by. He was lowering his head and biting his round, soft bun. He blinked, wearing a confusing look. Qiu Shuifu glanced at him, yet didn’t notice him at all. Qiu Shuifu looked at Xuan Lingzi for a longer time, who was calm, but also didn’t see anything different.
After a moment, he was still not answered by that so-called senior, so he raised his fan again.
This time, he used seven percent of his spiritual power, and the van wind formed a huge hawk in the air. The hawk honked and rushed downwards. Just as it extended the wings, the hawk fell into pieces before it could touch the clothes of Zhao Yue.
Qiu Shuifu shouted angrily, “Who is it?!”
The cultivator beside him also said coldly, “Mr. Qiu is settling some personal affairs with Mrs. Lin. Who is hiding there and helping the woman? If you are not comfortable with it, step forward and talk to me face to face. Only coward would hide!”
As he finished, the Cold Core cultivator stamped his foot with fury, causing a number of waves.
“Damn!”
Everyone turned to the shouting person.
They saw a handsome young man in green opening his eyes wide with a shocking face. He was looking at a bun on the ground contaminated by dirt. His fine and delicate eyes were filled with astonishment. His skin was as white as snow, eye-brows as thick as ink, and he was gazing at the bun on the ground. After a long gaze, he raised his head and frowned, “You just made too much noise and scared me. Now I have dropped my bun.”