《The Princess Consort Has A Lethal Destiny》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: God of Wealth Left</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Moon Temple at Yunjin Mountain seemed untouched by the hot weather down below. The small Taoist Temple simply gave off its refreshing presence.


    It felt just like spring.


    There was a soft cushion beside the pirs of the temple. A beautiful girl was sitting on the soft cushion.


    Donned in a Taoist robe, she leaned against the pir. She also held a particrly eye-catching feather fan in her hand and waved it slowly in her fair-skinned hand.


    The little bell on her wrist rang twice asionally in correspondence to her movements.


    Her long hair was rolled up into a small, half-sized bun. There was a wooden hair stick inserted horizontally into the bun. The ck hair that the bun did not hold spilled down her shoulders. Her long and narrow eyes gave off an air ofziness.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The old man across her sighed several times.


    ¡°It had just been a while, and you have sighed more than ten times now.¡± Xie Qiao stopped fanning with her hand. She rubbed the feathers on the fan with her other hand. ¡°If you really don¡¯t want me to go, just let the kid go and deliver a message. It¡¯s not as if they can tie me up with a rope, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡± The old Taoist master rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Over the past few years, I have finally turned you into a half-immortal with a sage-like character. The moment you speak, all my hard work is wasted again. If someone sees your behavior, do you think that the Taoist temple will receive any donations at all?¡± Xie Qiao smirked as she raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I act like this in front of others.¡± The Old Taoist snorted.


    Xie Qiao coughed slightly. ¡°You¡¯re so unreliable, and I am really worried about that. I think I really shouldn¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. Our Water Moon Temple can¡¯t force a youngdy from a good family to be a nun. You have lived here for so many years. Your father wants you to marry into a good family and live a normal life. If I stop him, he might take my life.¡± When the old Taoist master thought of that bandit, he felt his heart seize.


    Time had passed by so swiftly!


    He recalled the incident some years back. As he was traveling across the mountains and rivers, he was kidnapped by the ruffian, Xie Niushan.


    Coincidently, Xie Niushan¡¯s wife gave birth to a girl with a lethal destiny. As soon as she was born, her mother passed away. Her father was almost killed by government officials as well.


    The strategy advisor in the mountain stronghold was quite capable and immediately figured out that the girl had a lethal influence over her own parents.


    Xie Niushan had sent this girl away to be raised by the old Taoist master.


    He gave some money to rebuild Water Moon Temple, and the requirement was to treat this girl well.


    But he was argumentative, and he offended others the moment he spoke. So, Water Moon Temple would never receive donations. Things only got better when the girl became of age.


    ¡®Now that this girl is leaving, it means that the God of Wealth is going away.


    ¡®But it¡¯s not easy to stop her from leaving.¡¯


    ¡°Alright then. Pack all your things and get out of here. If I can¡¯t manage this temple anymore, I¡¯ll go to you for help. After raising you for so many years, I don¡¯t believe that your dad would watch me starve by not offering me food.¡± When the old Taoist master thought of this, he became quite pleased with himself.


    Xie Qiao grinned with her slightly pale lips.


    She did not have any possessions and the donation money all belonged to the temple. She would not have to take any money with her because the Xie family would not mistreat her.


    As they were talking, a young Taoist ran in. ¡°Master, that woman is asking when the senior sister will be able to leave?¡±


    ¡°I will be there in a moment.¡± Xie Qiao got up and flicked away the non-existent dust on her clothes. ¡°Old man, I¡¯m leaving. Don¡¯t forget to guard yourself against arrogance, impatience, alcohol, and lust.¡±


    ¡°Go, go, go! Are you the master or am I the master?! I don¡¯t need you giving me lectures.¡± The old man rolled his eyes.


    Xie Qiao walked out of the temple as if she was floating out.


    Sunlight from the outside shone on her face, entuating her already fair skinplexion.


    Water Moon Temple was not particrlyrge and they seldom kept visitors overnight.


    At that moment, a group of people led by Ms. Lu was waiting at the temple¡¯s main hall.


    They had grown a little anxious after waiting for quite a long time.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this girl for so many years. I have never seen here home or pay us a visit during Chinese New Year. Mr. Xie loves her and asked me to pick her up in person. But look at her, it¡¯s been more than an hour, and she hasn¡¯t shown her face yet.¡±

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Daughter of the Ugly Woman</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Lu was vexed at that moment, and she voiced her dissatisfaction.


    The person who had apanied her all along the way was her daughter, Pei Wanyue whom she had before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Mother. Those who live here in the Taoist temple are inevitablyid back Taoists. They usually don¡¯t care much about worldly matters and their families.¡± Pei Wanyue smiled.


    Ms. Lu huffed.


    This trip was not just to collect Xie Qiao.


    Before she married Xie Niushan, she had a daughter from her previous marriage and kept her at her mother¡¯s ce. With her husband¡¯s permission, she was going to bring her back this time. However, on her way back, she received an untimely messenger pigeon from her husband, saying that his first daughter was getting old. It was time she returned to live a good life.


    That was why she hade all the way here.


    She was Xie Niushan¡¯s third wife. She married him only after the Xie family became officials in the imperial court. So, she did not know who his first wife was.


    She only heard rumors that his first wife was childhood friends with her husband. The first wife was known as Ms. Peng, and her father was the previous head of the bandits¡¯ mountain stronghold. After he died, her husband and the Peng family had managed the mountain stronghold.


    It is said that those from the Peng family were not pretty.


    She was certain that this must surely be the case.


    Even though she had never met Mrs. Peng, she had met Mrs. Peng¡¯s son, Xie Pinggang, who was Mrs. Lu¡¯s husband¡¯s eldest son.


    That child was built tough and stocky, plus he was half a head taller than his dad and twice asrge as an average person. He was a frightening sight to see. This Xie Qiao was Xie Pinggang¡¯s biological sister, there was no way she would be petite, right?


    Ms. Lu sighed.


    ¡°Her father said so too. He was afraid that this child was not pretty, so he wants to bring her home earlier to get her married off...¡± Ms. Lu rubbed her temples. ¡°The children from our family are all infamous in the imperial city. Now that we are bringing one more home, we are really going to be theughingstock of the town.¡±


    Pei Wanyue was shocked too. ¡°But now, Uncle Xie is no longer a bandit. He can¡¯t exactly go around kidnapping a man to marry my sister, right?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? When the timees and she can¡¯t marry, Mr. Xie would surely point fingers at me and say that I didn¡¯t put enough effort into it.¡± Ms. Lu shook her head.


    Pei Wanyue had always been rather wary of this Ms. Xie.


    Now that she heard this, she sighed in relief.


    She was around the same age as Ms. Xie, and they were to enter the imperial city together. At some point, they were going to be up against each other. So if the other¡¯s reputation was in the gutter, then it would not spell anything good for her either.


    However, if Ms. Xie looked too ugly, it would make Pei Wanyue look good instead.


    ¡°Rx, Mother. If I can¡¯t marry, then I can cling on to Father for the rest of my life. There is no way they could me you for that.¡± Xie Qiao strode in as she spoke with a soft voice. It sounded weak and feeble.


    Ms. Lu jumped in shock and turned around immediately. Then, she was stunned.


    The neer was d in a muted navy colored Taoist robe. She carried herself tall and proud. Her voice was as clear as a river flowing through a bamboo forest. It rang crisp and light.


    She did not look very lively, but there was a gentle look in her eyes. Her figure was slim; her waist was thin and slender. Even so, not a single part of her suggested she was seductive. She had a light scent of incense on her, and she gave off an otherworldly presence to the point that she made everything around her appear dull...


    ¡°You¡­ you are...¡± Ms. Lu could not quite believe this. Could this be the ugly Ms. Peng¡¯s daughter?


    ¡°Greetings, Mother.¡± Xie Qiao respectfully gave a simple bow. ¡°I am Xie Qiao.¡±


    Ms. Lu swallowed dryly.


    Xie Qiao did not pay attention to Ms. Lu and the surrounding people.


    In fact, she dipped her head slightly. She seemed to be staring at the feathered fan in her hand. At a nce, it looked as if she was not paying attention.


    Yet the young Taoist by her side knew that she had seen something supernatural, or she had seen through the other person¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Your looks¡­ looks are not bad. It¡¯s just that you look sozy, it makes you look improper. When we get back to the imperial city, you cannot act so inappropriately when you meet others. You have to set a good example for both of your younger sisters.¡±


    Ms. Lu watched her own daughter, then looked back at Xie Qiao. Immediately, she felt a pang of difort.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: First Young Lady Looks a Bit Weird</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®I thought Xie Qiao would be a crude-lookingdy. I did not expect her to look so beautiful.


    ¡®Fortunately, she does not look sensible, and the rich boys in the imperial city have seen all kinds of beauties before.


    ¡®When a man looks for a wife, he regards her moral character highly.¡¯


    Xie Qiao did not have many possessions. After sorting out her stuff, she followed Ms. Lu and her daughter down the mountain.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s facial expressions turned wacky as she sat in the carriage.


    ¡°I have never seen ady like this. It¡¯s not that our family can¡¯t afford to eat meat, and yet she decided to be in the same carriage with a domestic animal. It will take one and a half months to arrive in the imperial city. How smelly would it get when she eats and lives with the animal?¡± Ms. Lu rubbed her nose as if she was already taking in the scent.


    When Xie Qiao went down the mountain, she brought along a bamboo box, and no one knew what was inside it.


    She also had a live huge fat rooster with her.


    That rooster had brightly colored feathers that shone brightly under the sun. Wherever Xie Qiao went, the rooster would follow her closely behind.


    ¡°Mom, the first youngdy looks a bit weird, but I can¡¯t tell you exactly what is weird.¡± Pei Wanyue frowned slightly, ¡°By the way, she doesn¡¯t seem to be in good health¡­¡±


    ¡°Her health wasn¡¯t good. I heard your Uncle Xie saying that she had an injury since birth.¡± Ms. Lu nodded her head.


    ¡°But for a fine youngdy, why did she choose to live in a temple? Isn¡¯t it better to keep her at home if she is not healthy?¡± Pei Wanyue said again.


    Ms. Lu was taken aback, and she thought for a while. ¡°It is said that she must not see her family until she is a grown-up. Otherwise, she may die young.¡±


    Xie Niushan had only mentioned that to her once, and that was never touched upon ever since.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if your Uncle Xie will regard this daughter highly. I have never heard him mention her. He hasn¡¯t given her anything all these years, as if he has forgotten her. But this time, he has urged me repeatedly to bring her back and take good care of her...¡± Ms. Lu struggled to make sense of this.


    Her husband used to be a bandit, so she did fear him a little.


    She did not have the guts to make too many predictions.


    ¡°The first youngdy is so beautiful. When she arrives in the imperial city, Uncle Xie will now pay more attention to her, even if he didn¡¯t like her initially,¡± Pei Wanyue said softly with a sad and resentful tone.


    Ms. Lu was startled by her words.


    Then she shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s just beautiful on the outside. Does she know how to y musical instruments or chess, write calligraphy and paint? She doesn¡¯t even understand basic etiquettes. Who will fancy her? When she arrives in the imperial city, you must know how to sweet talk a little. Instead of calling him ¡®Uncle Xie,¡¯ you should address him as Father. Doing this makes us a family.¡±


    ¡°Calling him Father? Would Uncle Xie be happy to hear that¡­¡± Pei Wanyue was already mentally prepared for that.


    Although the Pei family were good citizens. They were only merchants, not officials.


    After her father died, the Pei family had no ce for Pei Wanyue. For this trip to the imperial city, she was actually going to seek refuge and live under the Xie family.


    ¡°He must be delighted. He mentioned you several times earlier,¡± Ms. Lu insisted.


    This stabilized the uneasy mood Pei Wanyue had earlier on.


    Xie Qiao held the dried little bugs in her hand. She poured them into the small bowl. She watched the big rooster eat with relish.


    ¡°Hah.¡± After passing a steep slope, Xie Qiao sighed suddenly.


    After a while, she said to the outside, ¡°Stop.¡±


    The coachman outside was stunned and shouted from the outside, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, First Young Lady? The madam said we are in a hurry today, and we must reach the nearby town by dusk.¡±


    Ms. Lu had brought twenty people on this trip.


    Originally, this carriage had been prepared for Pei Wanyue, but now it was taken up by Xie Qiao after her unexpected emergence.


    ording to the norm, she should have a maid to aid her in delivering any of her messages. But Ms. Lu did not have that idea and could only speak directly to the servants.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Died In Vain</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao lifted the curtains on the carriage and peeked at the weather outside. Her brows furrowed lightly.


    ¡°I still have some business to tend to. Tell the madam that we¡¯ll see if we could stay overnight in the mountains tonight,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    It was normal to camp out while traveling, after all.


    The coachman stopped the carriage, rushed to Ms. Lu¡¯s side, and whispered to her ear.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face showed her displeasure. ¡°What could be so important? She must be so used to acting so wild and fooling around.¡±


    ¡°Then should we stop the carriage? Mother, I heard that this area is famous for producing jade¡­ Precious stones are everywhere in the town¡¯s market. If we could reach the town earlier, then we could have some time to browse the wares,¡± Pei Wanyue suggested as she cocked her head to the side.


    Her voice was soft, making her look even more lovable.


    Ms. Lu had not spent time with her daughter for a few years now. She missed her so much, so of course, she would cater to her every whim.


    ¡°Go tell the first youngdy that she shouldn¡¯t be so yful and frivolous. If she insists on stopping just to fool around, then she will have to walk to the town on her own.¡± Ms. Lu was extremely stern.


    She was not her biological mother, but she was brought back by Xie Niushan in a carriage to be his wife after his previous wife passed.


    At the very least, she had the right to educate his children.


    The coachman conveyed the message back, word for word. When Xie Qiao heard this, her slightly furrowed brows smoothed back out instead as she shook her head.


    ¡°Da Xiong, let¡¯s get off the carriage.¡± Xie Qiao said toward the huge rooster.


    After she said this, she picked up her heavy bamboo box and hopped off the carriage. ¡°In that case, you should go together with the madam. I¡¯ll meet up with them tomorrow morning.¡±


    Before this, she did not pay attention to Ms. Lu¡¯s facial features. She only spared her a nce.


    However, she could tell that her facial features were dull, her face was covered in dust, and her eyes did not have any shine to them. Also, the tip of her nose was red, and the sign of fortune on her face was dull and gloomy. These were all subtle signs of bad fortune.


    The ce that she stopped at was considered to have the highest concentrations of water and wood elements. The air was refreshing and moist. If she were to meditate for a night here before leaving, then she would most definitely clear up the fog in her mind. Those little signs of bad fortune on her face would disappear too.


    Some would remain in denial no matter how much she attempted to exin. In fact...


    Xie Qiao squinted her eyes and thought for a moment.


    With Ms. Lu¡¯s departure, she might experience a loss of fortune, but she could avoid a disaster, and that was good too.


    The coachman was stunned for a moment. When he looked at the first carriage upfront, he remembered the madam¡¯s words from earlier and figured that it was not a good idea to stay and wait for the first youngdy.


    Besides, Xie Qiao had already lifted that bamboo box onto her back and was headed toward the forest.


    Her body was thin and slight. Every now and then, she would cough too. That bamboo box seemed like it would break her spine at any minute.


    Meanwhile, that huge rooster stuck close to her tail. It was a strange and mysterious sight to behold.


    Xie Qiao walked for about an hour or so as she reached a ce.


    Suddenly, her footsteps halted.


    ¡°So it¡¯s here? Then you have to stay put. As you can see, I¡¯m rather frail. All this physical work has gotten me beat. If we dig the wrong spot, I am definitely not going to start over,¡± Xie Qiao said to the air.


    In the direction she was staring at, there was a floating figure.


    It had the shape of a rather dashing man. The only thing about it was that it looked rather dumb.


    On his face was a scar that cut diagonally along his face. It was still dripping red, and his eyes were bulging. He was dressed in normal clothes.


    However, only Xie Qiao could see this sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The soul¡¯s voice was hoarse. It sounded horrifying.


    After he said that, he even floated over and stretched his head out. It seemed as if he was extremely worked up.


    If anyone else were here, they would not hear this hoarse sound. Perhaps they could feel the chilling breeze pass them by and hear the rustle from it.


    ¡°Stay away from me, otherwise I¡¯ll exorcise you.¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at this ghoul. ¡°You may think that you have died in vain. In my eyes, it all happened for a reason.¡±

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: An Auspicious Land</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao replied in a faint voice. Then she crouched down, took out a small shovel from the bamboo box, and dug a hole on the spot.


    ¡°Are you saying that I deserved to die?¡± The ghoul was raging in his fury, and the leaves under Xie Qiao¡¯s feet began rustling.


    Xie Qiao was not frightened at all and said, ¡°The appearance you have now is the state you were in at the point of death. Your eyes are bulging red, and your beard is slightly yellow. At first nce, I can see that you are a hot-tempered and impatient person. This kind of temperament will inevitably lead you to misfortune. You breathe through your mouth too, and you have ck spots behind your ears, that¡¯s a sign of misfortune where you will die at a foreign ce. One¡¯s appearance... is formed through one¡¯s thoughts. Do you understand?¡±


    The ghoul¡¯s eyes seemed to turn even redder now.


    It moved threateningly like it wanted to eat her alive.


    As the ghoul was approaching Xie Qiao, it could smell the faint fragrance of incense on her body.


    Suddenly, the ghoul stopped and calmed down.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I was acting impulsively and got my master into trouble. If it weren¡¯t for me, my master¡¯s actions wouldn¡¯t be revealed, and I wouldn¡¯t be hunted down. Now I am dead here, and my master¡¯s state of life or death remains unknown¡­¡± Suddenly, he covered his face and started crying.


    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t make so much noise.¡± Xie Qiao was a little impatient.


    ¡°Hic!¡± The ghoul instantly stopped crying. ¡°My house is far away from here. I only request that you find me an auspiciousnd and get me buried there, Master. Nothing else...¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s your request, I may not necessarily do it,¡± Xie Qiaoughed.


    ¡°...¡± The ghoul was grief-stricken.


    ¡°The feng shui here could have been very good. There is a dense forest, the southern mountain is a jade stone mountain, and water from the northern mountains gathers here to form a blueke. This ce can be regarded as an auspicious water gathering. However, the jade stone mountain has been heavily dug up now, leaving uncountable holes all over the ce. There is too little grass and trees in the mountain, and the humidity in the forest cannot be dissipated. Eventually, this ce is going to be a ce filled with Yin energy. You are dead, but you are still so hot-tempered¡­¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    ¡®There is no problem at all if he only stays there for a few years. But he will never get the chance to be reborn if he stays here for a long time.¡¯


    Xie Qiao felt resigned.


    The sun was setting now, and she did not feel like crouching down and digging holes on the ground to find bones.


    ¡®But that would not do, I have to umte good karma for myself.¡¯


    She did not know if she had been reborn without drinking the Soup of Forgetfulness, which might be the reason why she could see souls after she was born.


    In the past, whenever she was approached by the Yin energy of a soul, she would get sick. So she had to stay in a Taoist temple most of the time.


    Her master¡¯s name was Mo Lingzi, the fifty-eighth sessor of Water Moon Temple. He was not talented, and that was why he was not famous. However, Water Moon Temple had been built for many years in a deep-rooted lineage. All of those had protected her for more than ten years.


    Later, she studied with Mo Lingzi and delved into the books at the temple.


    asionally, she would help some souls pass on. As she got older, the ghosts stopped affecting her as much.


    Moreover, if she wanted to cure her problem of seeing souls, she had to solve it from its root. She would reap the benefits whether she captured or helped them pass on.


    ¡®I¡¯m already lucky to be able to live.


    ¡®So, naturally, I have to live well.¡¯


    ¡°Your bones have been buried quite deep down.¡± Xie Qiao gasped for breath and sat on the ground, looking a little tired.


    The ghoul smirked and said, ¡°I watched them buried me. It was raining at that time, and they were afraid that the water would wash me out. So they dug the pit until it was eight or nine feet deep. By the way... there is some money in my clothes. Treat that as a small gift from me with due respect.¡±


    ¡°Humph.¡± Xie Qiao let out a faint nasal sound.


    As the sky was getting darker, Xie Qiao continued to work faster.


    The bones could not be shrunk into a ball, so the area she had to dig in the ground was quiterge.


    The ghoul could not do anything and just looked on eagerly.


    In the midst of it, Xie Qiao took a break several times. Her delicate appearance made him want to take a shovel and start digging himself.


    But he was a ghoul, and he could not touch anything solid.


    Plus, when he smelled the scent on her body, he did not dare move.


    In the bamboo box beside her were stacks of talismans. The ghoul was unsure of what use they were for.


    There was also a huge rooster.


    He had also ughtered chickens before he was dead, but now he was flustered by the stare of a rooster.


    There was a stream of Yang energy in this big rooster. He was very afraid that a sudden crowing from this creature might cause his soul to disappear into thin air.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: A Female Ghost</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had been digging at this hole for more than a few hours. The surroundings had already turned dark.


    There was only a singlentern hanging from a nearby tree. That me wiggled and flickered as a slight breeze blew past. It looked like a will-o¡¯-the-wisp.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve reached the bones.¡± Xie Qiao put on a pair ofmb leather gloves and slowly picked the bones out.


    This ghoul had died half a year ago, so the bones were pretty clean. If it were a rotting corpse, then she would rather be hical than do such work.


    Xie Qiao took extra care as she moved the bones.


    ¡°A-a ghost!¡± Not far behind, someone suddenly shouted. Then they scrambled away.


    Xie Qiao turned back when she heard. ¡°This is not good. Someone could actually see you?¡±


    The ghoul¡¯s eye twitched.


    Nope¡­ Instead, he thought that the ghost that the frightened guy was talking about was not him. He was talking about this Master.


    That guy had originally just wanted to find some ce to take a leak. Instead, he got so scared that he forgot to pull his pants back up as he tottered back to his team.


    ¡°G-ghost! There, more than one hundred feet away. There¡¯s a female ghost!¡± This guy was frightened to bits.


    His voice was so loud that he woke up the whole team who were resting at the camp.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this ruckus about?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s rather dark out tonight, so a guy was too cowardly and scared himself. I have sent someone to see to it,¡± the subordinate answered immediately.


    Not long after that, the good number of men that he had sent ran back. All of them were shaking and nervous.


    He could tell that there would not be any sleep tonight, so Zhao Xuanjing summoned these people into the tent.


    ¡°S-sir¡­ Not far away from where I was waiting, I saw a female ghost¡­ There were will-o¡¯-the-wisps floating around the female ghost. As I peeked, she seemed as if she was munching on something. Only the bare white bones were left...¡± The men¡¯s faces nched as they remembered the scene earlier. They really could not stand it.


    It was not like that they were cowardly; it was just that¡­ if it were just the usual hoodlums, they could handle those without a single thought.


    But who knew what that thing was!


    There were some things that the speaker did not state clearly. He thought that the thing the female ghost was eating was none other than a person. For the instance he nced at her, he thought he saw her throwing the remaining bones onto the ground.


    ¡°Take me there to check it out.¡± Zhao Xuanjing immediately stood up; it was getting interesting.


    When he said this, his subordinate¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t, Sir! If something were to happen to you, how are we going to exin things to the master?¡±


    Zhao Xuanting did not listen and went out in stride.


    The men quickly followed. In a sh, ming torches gathered together with sixyers of men surrounding Zhao Xuanjing. These bodyguards were all well equipped with sabers. Their faces were cautious, like they were prepared for battle.


    Naturally, Zhao Xuanjing was notpletely calm either.


    When it came to supernatural activities like ghouls, demons, or deities, it was best not to get involved in these kinds of matters. But if he did not get to the bottom of this, these bodyguards would continue to be in a state of chaos.


    Instead of running off in the night, why not experience it himself?


    With each step, he rushed closer to where the female ghost was.


    ¡°Quite a number of people havee,¡± the ghoul mumbled to Xie Qiao.


    His whole form was also squatting on the ground. It was like he was tired of standing.


    Xie Qiao had also just finished picking out the corpse bones.


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack...¡±


    With a piece of cloth, the bones were all wrapped up. When the bones knocked against each other, it created a muffled knocking sound.


    It was his own bones, but why did he feel so terrified when he saw the Master¡¯s pale and sinister face?


    ¡°Perfect, I¡¯m starting to get tired too. Now that there¡¯s such a huge pit here, it would be bad if someone were to fall in. Shall we ask them to fill it back up?¡±


    Xie Qiao dragged the package as she nced over at her handiwork in a daze. Her gaze was not focused.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: A Lost Lamb</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ghoul gave an awkward smile.


    ¡®This master is really beautiful, but no man would be captivated by this beauty in the middle of the night!


    ¡®Big beauties appearing in the wilderness are either demons or ghosts. People who do not run must be fools!


    ¡®Should I help her fill up the hole?¡¯


    ¡®Heh, if I do, she might end up getting buried together with my bones.¡¯


    The moment Zhao Xuanjing saw the figure of the woman, his face stiffened.


    But the next moment, he saw the huge rooster and...the bamboo box next to the female ghost.


    ¡®This female ghost carries baggage when she goes out?¡¯


    ¡®Moreover, a rooster can drive away evil spirits and avoid misfortunes. How can it hang around a female ghost?¡¯


    ¡°She is a person. You guys are really making a fuss out of this.¡± Zhao Xuanjing also breathed a sigh of relief, but he was a bit arrogant in his tone. Then he walked casually toward Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao stood on the spot and waited.


    As they got closer to Xie Qiao, they saw her more clearly.


    They all found the moment particrly strange.


    ¡®This youngdy is digging holes here alone in the middle of the night? Is her zodiac a dog?¡¯


    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡± asked the imperial bodyguard captain instantly. After he spoke, he nced at the suspicious sack of cloth on the ground. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Xie Qiao coughed slightly.


    Then she took her time and gazed over unhurriedly, ¡°I... was passing by here as I felt something wasn¡¯t smelling right. So I started digging. I didn¡¯t expect myself to go at it so seriously. Time passed by quickly, and it was already midnight. Now I have left behind such a big hole. This hole can¡¯t be left here. You came at the right time. I wonder if anyone is willing to help fill up the hole?¡±


    As soon as Xie Qiao finished speaking, a chilling breeze passed them by.


    This summer night had to be scorching hot. However, when the chilling breeze passed them by, they could not help but shiver.


    Everyone subconsciously swallowed down a mouthful of saliva.


    ¡°You will be blessed by doing good deeds,¡± Xie Qiao said solemnly.


    ¡°Young Lady, what are you digging on the ground?¡± Zhao Xuanjing nced over her face and asked her with a deep gaze and tone.


    Xie Qiao furrowed her brows together. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Just a lost littlemb. I¡¯m preparing to take it to an auspiciousnd tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°A lostmb?¡± Zhao Xuanjing raised his brows.


    When everyone heard this, they were even more terrified.


    The light from thentern shone at the man in the middle, making him more conspicuous.


    Xie Qiao looked over and found that this man looked young. He was about twenty years old, had a pure spirit, and strong bones. His physicalplexion was like a floating cloud. He stood firmly and resembled a turquoise stone. His eyes were shining like stars. He had a high nose bridge, impressive tall height, and smooth skin. With his long brows and lively looks, he really had a noble disposition!


    ¡®I did not expect to encounter such a rare person this early into my travels.


    ¡®He is a fine-looking man!¡¯


    ¡®Although he has a noble appearance, I can¡¯t tell when ites to the other aspects.


    ¡®Otherwise, there would not be so many guards around him...


    ¡®There seems to be something wrong with his right hand.¡¯


    Xie Qiao stared at him for quite some time, but he still looked calm, and an inquiring expression started showing up on his face.


    In the past, many looked at him in this way, and those gazes annoyed him. But for thisdy, for some reason, he did not feel that she was looking at him personally, but...


    The way she looked felt like she was reading a book and admiring a painting.


    He was not angry at all as he did not sense any bad intention in her gaze.


    Xie Qiao stopped gazing and lowered her head, returning to her previous manner.


    ¡°If you wish to see this lost littlemb, you can do so. But when you open this cloth, you wille in contact with some negative energy that you should not touch. You have to rebury it. Otherwise, your luck will be slightly worse in theseing few days.¡± Xie Qiao had a subservient look on her face. Her voice was calm, as if it was a small matter to her.


    ¡®There are so many of them, and I can¡¯t stop them if they want to see it.


    ¡®It is just that this ghoul is very short-tempered.¡¯


    ¡®If the ghoul gets angry, this will inevitably bring bad luck to them, which is only natural.¡¯

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: Sharp Tongued And Straightforward Half-Immortal Xie</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Now that the ghoul was angry,municating with it would be difficult.


    Because this was horrible.


    It was like¡­ a pure innocent person suddenly having their clothes pulled off and having their pathetic, bone-bare form exposed in front of many people. How could it not be angry?


    The imperial bodyguard walked over and opened up the package.


    Sure enough, the ghoul¡¯s expression turned dark.


    A taint of ck smoke started spreading.


    It was all Yin energy, the others could not see it, but Xie Qiao could. She did not like it. It was an eyesore.


    This ghoul was not even a strong one. Although Yin energy had spread out, it was not a big problem. It was just a few days of bad luck; once you got used to it, it was fine.


    The imperial bodyguard captain shuddered.


    ¡°Sir, these are human bones,¡± the imperial bodyguard captain answered promptly.


    Zhao Xuanjing found this girl very suspicious.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯ste at night, and you are digging up bones here¡­ What are you doing? Could you¡­ be raiding tombs?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s brows furrowed. His voice was a little cold.


    But anyone with some sense would suspect if thisdy had a specific fetish at this point.


    Things like tomb raiding really did not match thisdy¡¯s looks.


    ¡°Sir, are you blind? This is a grave without a tombstone. And even if I wanted to raid the tomb, I wouldn¡¯t look for a peasant who died such a gruesome death. Even though there may be a couple of silver, he died a violent death. I would still need to offer up the silver pieces as an offering for a few days to cleans them of bad luck before I could use them. Otherwise, they would bring misfortune upon others. ¡±


    Her voice was soft as a whisper and seductively light, but the words that came out of her mouth were a little harsh.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips curled.


    Was he blind?


    ¡°Since it is a grave without a tombstone, then how do you know he was a peasant? Since you are not here to steal, then why are you keeping these silver pieces? Miss, why does it seem like you are contradicting yourself?¡± Zhao Xuanjing cast a judgmental nce at her, but his tone sounded flippant.


    ¡°This was all from my calctions.¡± Xie Qiao was concise andprehensive. She was as nonchnt as ever.


    Zhao Xuanjing was utterly bbergasted.


    Just as he was about to continue his questioning, his gaze fell on the bamboo basket. It seemed to have some yellow-colored talismans in it. Besides that, there werepasses and simr stuff in there.


    He was suddenly stunned. ¡°You are a quack sorceress? ¡±


    A quack sorceress this pretty? This was pretty rare, right?


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    She did not like being called this way.


    ¡°Call me a half-immortal.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. Suddenly, she bent down with a grunt as she yanked out a divination banner cloth. On it was written, ¡°Sharp-tongued and straightforward half-immortal Xie.¡±


    The audience felt their eyes twitch.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched. Though he was rather calm himself, his gaze on Xie Qiao was full of doubt.


    ¡°A Taoist who knows divination?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked as he forced a smile.


    When Xie Qiao heard this description, she felt ufortable, but she still nodded unwillingly. Then she pointed at the bones on the ground as she said, ¡°He died here. This location isn¡¯t nice, so I want to move his bones and build a grave for him. Now that you have seen his bones, he will not be happy. So I will have to ask you to follow me back. All of you who haveid eyes on this will have to rebury him.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing did not believe it at first.


    He had never seen a girl practice divination before.


    However, this girl was talking as if she knew her stuff, and she looked rather ethereal. Plus, she was dressed appropriately in Taoist robes. It certainly did not look like she was a tomb raiding thief. In fact, the way she carried herself was too mboyant for that.


    ¡°You say you know divination¡­ How can I believe you? How about this? I have quite a number of subordinates, so you¡¯ll read their fortunes. If you get them right, then we¡¯ll do as you say. If you get them wrong, then we¡¯ll send you to court.¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly smiled as he said this.


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    She understood. Just because she had the look of a swindler, people loved to say this when they consulted her for the first time.


    ¡°Deal. However¡­ I will not do many. Today¡­ I¡¯ll only read the fortunes for only three persons and I won¡¯t go too deeply into it,¡± Xie Qiao said.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: She Has A Temper</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There was a reason Xie Qiao had limited the number of persons for her fortune-reading.


    Although her master was not very talented, he still had the basics down pat and was very urate when he read fortunes. However, he never had a lot of business.


    Later, she spread news that the Taoist Master of Water Moon Temple was awesome and only read the fortune of three persons in a day. As soon as the news were out, people living in the vicinity started lining up to see her master.


    Since many people did not have the chance to see this enigmatic master, they developed more respect for her master.


    ¡®People regard rare things to be precious. If you do not limit the avability of the service, they would not think it is precious anymore.¡¯


    ¡°Fill this hole up, and I will go with you. I am a little tired. I have to rest while working at the same time.¡± When Xie Qiao finished speaking, she coughed twice weakly.


    She did not look to be in the pink of health because her face was as white as a sheet, and her body was so slender.


    Zhao Xuanjing made a hand gesture, and several imperial bodyguards went forward and filled up the big hole without much effort.


    Xie Qiao stayed true to her words and followed them to their camp.


    The nobleman also offered her to stay in a small tent. She walked in satisfyingly and sat down. Although she looked a bitzy and tired, she said, ¡°Well, who wille first?¡±


    The imperial bodyguard captain simply pointed his finger at a person.


    ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± The guard who was ordered immediately stood up and sat across Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take a look at your palm and face today.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was faint and gentle. ¡°Show me your palm.¡±


    That person obediently followed suit.


    Xie Qiao held a feather fan and ced the tip of the fan on the other party¡¯s fingertips. She nced at the palm of his hand. After observing it for a while, she looked at the fingers on the back of his palm.


    After a moment, she nodded.


    ¡°You had no one to depend on at an early age. Then your mom remarried, or you had to be an adopted child of somebody else. Although there is a palm line between your love line and wisdom line, the line is too blurry. So after bing someone else¡¯s son, you should be extremely happy. You still have a brother, but you are predestined not to be able to reunite with him in this life.¡±


    Saying that, Xie Qiao raised her head slightly and nced at this person.


    ¡°Your septum is clearly visible, and there¡¯s a distortion in your nasal bones. Plus, you have too much yin energy in your body. Your wife will tend to give birth to daughters but not sons¡­¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone suddenly sank. ¡°There is a cross in your nasbial folds, which is a fate of drowning. There is dark energy umting on your forehead, and there are ck spots on the corners of your lips. Once you have this sign, you will fall into a well and die in fifty days. You¡­ already have this fate for quite some time. Your lifespan is ending in just a few days, so be prepared.¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she sighed.


    ¡®I do not know from where he hade in contact with a drowned ghoul. Now the ghoul has possessed his forehead.¡¯


    Xie Qiao covered his forehead with her hand.


    The appearance of this male ghoul was even worse than the male corpse she had been digging up just now. Both had died of a misfortune.


    The ghoul had a swollen body. Water still dripped from his body. His white eyes were rolled up, and he did not say a word. He was still very dirty. She did not know how long he had been soaking in water until he could no longer speak.


    ¡°Me? Fall into a well and die?!¡± The bodyguard suddenly burst intoughter.


    ¡°Is anything she said before thest one urate?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°Young Master, it is not urate at all.¡± The bodyguard immediately shook his head, ¡°I am the only son of my parents, and my mother never remarried. Now my wife is pregnant and has yet to give birth!¡±


    ¡°Young Lady, do you understand now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Oh...it seems that I was wrong.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was quite surprised at her readiness to admit her mistakes.


    ¡°Perhaps your mom didn¡¯t tell you about her remarriage. Why don¡¯t you go home and ask? You don¡¯t have to be too sad when you learn about the truth. The kindness shown by foster parents is much greater than biological parents. It seems like your rtionship with your foster father is greater,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Zhao Xuanjing almost giggled.


    ¡®Where did such an obnoxious silly girl pop up from? She¡¯s really offensive.¡¯


    ¡°Young Lady, you are still at a young age¡­ Where are your parents? How could they let you go about swindling people like this?¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled as if he had not seen such an interesting character in a long time.


    ¡°A swindler?¡± Xie Qiao looked a little unhappy.


    Someone predicted that she would have a short life expectancy. She had agreed because it was true.


    ¡®But it was too much to call me a swindler!¡¯

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Send Her To Court</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    She pursed her lips, looking like she had been wronged, and no one knew what was on her mind.


    Now that she was in such a pitiful state, it had left these grown men looking at each other awkwardly, at a loss as to what they should do. The teasing faces from earlier were gone in an instant.


    ¡°I said I¡¯ll read three people¡¯s fortunes. There are still two left.¡± Xie Qiaoposed herself as she continued.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought thisdy was pretty interesting.


    Especially when she was acting all pitiful. She seemed rather seductive at that time.


    For some reason he could not fathom, he casually reached out and pushed his own imperial bodyguards aside.


    She continued to read fortunes.


    ¡°You have the look of someone who will aid the emperor. But somehow this trait isn¡¯t that prominent. There¡¯s only a faint inclination toward that look. It might be a hidden gift, but there wille a day where you will shine bright,¡± Xie Qiao said briefly.


    It was obvious that this person was fairly well off. It would not be enough for her to only say that he was wealthy and smart.


    Just as Xie Qiao said this, the imperial bodyguard immediately turned back and shot a look at Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhao Xuanjing was a little surprised.


    ¡°This is thest one. I¡¯ll see if you will have a smooth journey, alright?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    As she said this, Xie Qiao took out a tortoiseshell and three copper coins. ¡°ng, ng, ng.¡± She shook the coins. After a few rounds, she tapped her fingers and mumbled as she calcted.


    It certainly seemed like she was scaring people with the act.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand if I were to go deep into the topic.¡± After a while, Xie Qiao packed her things and said, ¡°you lot are not allowed to leave the forest before 11 in the morning. Otherwise, misfortune will befall all of you. ¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were dark. No one knew what he was thinking about.


    ¡°Send her to court tomorrow morning.¡± His words rang, simple and clear.


    It did not matter if she was urate or not. It was too dangerous for ady to be out in the wilderness at such an ungodly hour. She needed to be taught a lesson.


    Then only would she learn.


    Xie Qiao was speechless as she cocked an eyebrow.


    This was definitely not the first time someone had threatened her to send her to court. She was not the least bit afraid.


    Since she would only be sent to court tomorrow, then she should rest well tonight. After digging the ground for so long, her limbs were all sore now.


    Xie Qiao was easily content with what she had. She headed over and curled up in a random corner in the tent. Soon she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    Outside, The imperial bodyguard captain looked at Qin Zhi and asked, ¡°Do you want to write home to ask about this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, did you really really believe this girl¡¯s words?¡± Qin Zhiughed. ¡°Of all my years, don¡¯t I know my own father well enough? It would be more believable to say that I¡¯ll die from falling into a river, but falling down a well? We¡¯ve been out in the wilderness all daytely. Where are we to find wells? ¡±


    This maiden was pretty young, but she lied like breathing.


    She did not look half bad, but how could she proim herself as a half-immortal?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think¡­ that when she said about aiding the emperor¡­¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou lightly frowned.


    ¡°It does sound a bit scary.¡± Qin Zhi nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s most probably because this girl hasn¡¯t seen the world yet. Just think about it. Within our ranks, except for the young master, you are the most intimidating one. Of course she would say pleasant words to tter you.¡±


    Now when he put it that way, it made perfect sense.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not care whether she was spitting nonsense.


    Seeing that Xie Qiao was young, he did not tie her up. After they sent her to court tomorrow, she would learn her lesson and be a good person. She would know that out in the wilderness, there were many ¡°predators¡± like him lurking out there.


    The next morning, before the sun was up, they woke up and left.


    Xie Qiao did not stop them either.


    What will happen, will happen. It was not like she could rush to that person and hug his legs to stop him from taking another step.


    This forest had been rather big in the past, but after they found a jade mine, it started to shrink bit by bit. It was only that these parts had slightly nicer views, but after the forest...


    There were bare hills everywhere.


    If their party wanted to move forward, then they would have to go over that bump up front that was an abandoned mine.


    There were only patches of wilted greenery, and the ground was covered in stones. Hill upon hill came up one after another like rolling waves. Even though they were not tempestuous, they were still a mncholic sight to see.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Immortal</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were no valuable stones in that protruding hill. Hence, in the past, onlymoners would pick and choose some eye-catching stones here.


    The jade mine in this area was discovered many years ago, which was why this piece ofnd had been abandoned for a very long time.


    Zhao Xuanjing was sitting in the carriage.


    What was said by Xie Qiao yesterday shed through his mind.


    ¡°What is the time now?¡± said Zhao Xuanjin in a slothful tone while he opened the window of the carriage with his slender fingers.


    ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s still fifteen minutes to go before it¡¯s nine o¡¯clock in the morning,¡± someone said immediately.


    Zhao Xuanjing squinted his eyes and suddenly spoke indifferently, ¡°Stop the carriage and take a rest. We¡¯ll leave after fifteen minutes.¡±


    The imperial bodyguard below him was stunned for a moment. He did not dare to ask more and immediately told everyone to stop their journey to rest and recuperate.


    After Zhao Xuanjing gave his instructions, he realized how silly he sounded.


    For some reason, he started to believe what the young swindler said. When he gazed at the sky today, the weather was fine without clouds. ¡®In such clear weather and with so many imperial guards alongside me, what ident could possibly take ce?¡¯


    However, he wanted this youngdy to acknowledge her mistake. He nned to lock her up in an administrative office for a few days to teach her a lesson so that she would not be a swindler again.


    Xie Qiao was watched over by four people.


    She had been walking slowly at the end of the line, and she had to pause after taking a few steps.


    Among the guards who were watching over her was Qin Zhi, the one whose fortune had been read by her.


    At first, he was angry with the youngdy who spat out nonsense.


    But looking at her delicate and weak appearance, he felt that he, as a grown man, need not take the words of such a youngdy to heart.


    ¡°Why has the front line stopped? Is the young master really listening to you, youngdy?¡± Qin Zhi murmured.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°What a good coincidence. I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only traveled a short distance, and you can¡¯t walk anymore? If this continues, would we have to carry you?¡± Qin Zhi nced at Xie Qiao with a disgusted look, but since he could not be angry with this woman, he had no choice but to swallow up his anger.


    He wanted to walk along with his friends, but he had been ordered to watch over this woman.


    The youngdy walked like a sea turtle who had justnded ashore. She was a bit slow.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to carry me. Your young master¡¯s carriage will do the job,¡± Xie Qiao spoke feebly.


    She was used to taking her time with everything.


    She was walking quite fast today for her speed. With how fast they had been pressing onward for their journey, she felt like half of her life was gone.


    ¡°Argh...you¡¯ll be seeing the official in a moment. Yet you dare to fool around here¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, he raised his eyes and vaguely saw smoke and dusting out from a distance.


    The front line guards who kept a lookout spotted the incident and immediately reported that to Zhao Xuanjing. Zhao Xuanjing was drinking tea in the carriage. He was shocked to hear of the incident and ordered his horse-riding guards to go to the spot to investigate.


    The horse-riding guards returned from the investigation in almost no time at all.


    ¡°Young Master, in front...an abandoned jade mine had just copsed, and a lot of rocks went tumbling down. About fifty or sixty feet of the pathway were buried up.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Zhao Xuanjing had his eyelids twitch. ¡°If we had not stopped, would we be there by now?¡±


    When the imperial bodyguard captain heard this, he frowned and nodded seriously, ¡°If you calcte the distance, yes, we should be there by now.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing suddenly tightened his eyebrows.


    He brought along a lot of guards with him, and while fifty or sixty feet of buried pathway would not be enough to bury all of them, they would still suffer losses.


    If he had bad luck today, even he himself might be gone.


    This was a pile of mining waste, so there was only a little bit of soil in the area. There were also a lot of useless stones that were thrown all around there, and they slowly piled up to form stone slopes.


    If they were hit by the stones, they would have been seriously injured if not outright killed.


    ¡°Please... invite the¡­¡± Suddenly, he could not utter the word ¡®swindler¡¯. Thinking of the words on the fortune-telling banner, Imperial Guard Zhou asked, ¡°Would you like to invite Immortal Xie toe over?¡±

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: You Could Never Guess What Others Are Thinking</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing agreed to it.


    From a swindler to an immortal? Xie Qiao could get used to that.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou personally came to request for her, his expression was solemn. ¡°Immortal, our young master wishes to talk to you...¡±


    Qin Zhi was perplexed. ¡°Mr. Zhou? Why are you calling her an immortal? Weren¡¯t we supposed to take her to court?¡±


    Please don¡¯t scare him!


    This person had read his fortune. First off, she said that he was not his father¡¯s biological son. Secondly, she said he would never have a son. Thirdly, she even said that he will die by falling into a well.


    There were no other words that could describe how tragic his fate was.


    If she were an immortal, what did that make him?


    Qin Zhi was in a daze, but Xie Qiao suddenly grabbed her head. ¡°Headache. Can¡¯t walk. I need to rest.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was silent as he felt his eyes twitch.


    He felt that these were the girl¡¯s excuses. She was grumbling about theirck of manners yesterday.


    But when he took a closer look, there was really a sheen of sweat coating her forehead. Her face was shockingly pale. Even her lips werecking any color.


    He was shocked at that moment. ¡°Call the apanying physician over! Immortal, please rest at this cool spot...¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    She sat on the ground and immediately opened up the bamboo basket. First, she fed the rooster some food. Then only did she drink some water. After drinking, she said, ¡°Da Xiong, I¡¯m sorry that you have to suffer. You have followed me all this way, but there¡¯s no other way. You could never guess what others are thinking. There are many bad people in this world after all...¡±


    The corner of Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t suffer. Isn¡¯t your chicken for eating...¡± Qin Zhi was confused. As he stared at that huge rooster, the only thing that went through his mind was that such a fine sturdy chicken would have some nice meat.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hands stiffened.


    Then she slowly let out a sigh as she raised her hand and gently petted the rooster¡¯s feathers.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou red at Qin Zhi.


    This dumb brat, why was he not realizing anything yet?!


    He had even already started calling her an immortal, and he still did not understand?!


    Her prophecies had proven to be true!


    ¡°Immortal, Qin Zhi is a brat who has been spoiled by his family. He has no tact. Please do not pay him any mind. In fact, we might even need you to... ¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Before he could finish, Xie Qiao had a harsh coughing fit. ¡°Da Xiong¡­ I might not make it. What would happen if I left you behind? You¡¯ll definitely be eaten by evil people...¡±


    She coughed non-stop. Her frail body was trembling like she was about to drop dead at any moment.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was so scared that he told them to hurry up and bring the apanying physician over. Soon the apanying physician ran all the way over, panting. He rushed over like his life depended on it.


    Xie Qiao stretched out her fair, slender wrist. Her longshes were fluttering.


    That wrist so pitifully thin that it was like a stick that would break with a hit and snap with a crack.


    The physician¡¯s face was flushed from all that running. He hurried and checked Xie Qiao¡¯s pulse on her wrist.


    ¡°Miss, this illness has been with you since birth, right? Then there shouldn¡¯t be many problems. However, you are still weak. You need to take it easy and keep away from triggers. Rest quietly, when you are well again, there might still be hope surviving.¡±


    Of course, if she did not recover, she would die. But that was normal too.


    When the physician said this, Imperial Bodyguard Zhou did not dare to speak loudly after that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ fetch the young master here?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou asked cautiously after some thought.


    Xie Qiao did not answer. She looked like she was one step away from death.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou felt like he was stepping on eggshells.


    Just yesterday, they were rolling their eyes at this girl. Today, they were treating her like ss. The problem was that, after speaking to this girl, they were chased off before they said two sentences to each other. Something did not seem right here.


    When he saw Zhao Xuanjing, Imperial Bodyguard Zhou rted everything to him.


    ¡°The physician had seen her. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s faking it. When she coughed, I was really scared that she would cough her lungs out. It¡¯s likely that she won¡¯t be walking here. What do you think we should do¡­ Sir?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou felt troubled as he asked the question.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Why Not?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    He had seen sickly beauties before, but he had nevere across one to this extent.


    Yesterday, she was able to withstand the cold breeze and dug up holes to pick bones in the middle of the night. Today, she looked like she was a step away from death.


    ¡®This feels like a hoax.¡¯


    Zhao Xuanjing was also a little skeptical about her. But this person had saved his life after all. Regardless of whether she was really good at fortune-reading or it was just blind luck, he owed her a favor. He had to go and see her in person.


    Immediately, he asked his man to turn the carriage around.


    ¡°We are traveling in a simple and crude manner. If you don¡¯t mind, Ms. Xie, you can ride in my carriage.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s temperament is a bit cold, and he did not look very approachable. However, he was still saying in a polite way.


    She propped herself up.


    Then she took two steps forward.


    Suddenly she halted again.


    ¡°Do you still want to send me to the court?¡± She turned her head and looked at him indifferently. Then she furrowed her brows. ¡°If I am not in good health, I will die if I am sent to the administrative office. If I have to die either way, it would be more dignified to die out of fatigue...¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids were twitching.


    This was a difficult person to deal with.


    ¡°Young Lady, you are talented, and I¡¯m treating you as my guest. Since your prophecies came true, you cannot be a tomb raider. How can we send you to the administrative office?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s said with a sharp but deep and calm gaze.


    Xie Qiao moved her feet lightly on the ground twice, shaking off her Taoist robe in a little casual manner.


    ¡°Then please send me to the nearest town called...Floating Pavilion Town.¡± Xie Qiao did not raise her head much, and her voice was buoyant and light.


    Since she said that without much strength, her words were easily despised by others.


    She looked more like a scared kid.


    ¡°Do you have rtives in the town?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked one more question.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I have a mom and a younger sister.¡±


    The corners of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth twitched, and he nodded before he said quietly, ¡°Alright, but I have a few more questions to ask you. I wonder if you can answer, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°You could ask me again in the carriage. I am tired.¡± Xie Qiao lowered her head.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou and the others had been watching by the side. At first, they felt that their young master¡¯s attitude toward this youngdy was pretty good. But after seeing the pitiful and aggrieved look of the half-immortal, they could not help but thought that their young master¡¯s tone of voice might be too cold and fierce to her.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Qiao several times.


    This half-immortal¡­ was pretty good.


    It was just that her rate of speech was somewhat infuriating. She was gasping for air as she spoke, and her weakness made people feel as if she was about to kick the bucket.


    He had always been afraid of women who loved crying. If the woman¡¯s voice sounded like a mosquito, he would avoid her at all cost. So, when he was listening to this half-immortal talk now, he could feel his temples throbbing.


    Xie Qiao was toozy to avoid arousing misunderstandings. She simply hugged Da Xiong and got into the carriage after the young master.


    ¡°It... also needs to take a carriage?¡± Zhao Xuanjing lost his coolposure.


    He leaned back his body subconsciously.


    Xie Qiao lowered her head and leaned slightly against the carriage door. She hugged the huge rooster tightly and used her foot to push against her bamboo box.


    Her look felt like a gooddy who had just met up with a bandit.


    ¡°Why not?¡± she said with a trembling and low voice. She looked really subservient.


    Zhao Xuanjing had never ridden with a domestic animal in the same carriage.


    But if he did not agree, it would appear that he was domineering over the weak. Then he nced at the huge rooster coldly and then muttered, ¡°Of course it can.¡±


    Xie Qiao slightly curled up the corners of her lips, and her hand was ruffling the smooth feathers at the back of the huge rooster.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, what temple did you practice in?¡± Zhao Xuanjing opened his mouth and asked. After thinking for a moment, he added. ¡°Which Master did you learn from?¡±


    ¡°I have been resting at Water Moon Temple since young as I was ill for a long time. It¡¯s not worth mentioning, but I could tell a person¡¯s bad luck. If I am able to calcte a person¡¯s fortune correctly, it must be a coincidence.¡± Xie Qiao was trying to be humble about herself, which was something she rarely did.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Don¡¯t Be Shy</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    With a single sentence from Xie Qiao, the many questions in Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mind were stuck in his throat.


    Coincidence?


    She even counted the time down to the exact hour, and now she was telling him that it was just a coincidence?


    However, when he thought back about what happened yesterday, he was about to send her to court. So it was reasonable if she would not care to be bothered with him today.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, could you help me check if there will be any other dangers or obstacles along my journey?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked up and down Xie Qiao¡¯s face. For some reason, his tone was a lot gentler.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes in her mind.


    He would not just encounter dangers in this journey alone. There was no way this person would ever live a peaceful life.


    She had never seen anyone who attracted spirits and ghouls as much as he did. The amount of ck smog oozing from his body was enough to reach the skies!


    She had to keep her distance from people like this ...


    ¡°You will¡­ encounter danger. Just be more careful. If we have to perform divination for every little thing, then all the fortune-tellers would die from exhaustion¡­ Besides, Heaven¡¯s secrets must not be divulged,¡± Xie Qiao saidckadaisically.


    Smack.


    A silver ingot was ced on the small desk in the carriage.


    Judging by the size, it should be worth 10 taels.


    ¡°Danger¡¯s close.¡± Xie Qiao took the silver and kept it in her bamboo basket.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyebrows rose. Barely holding back hisughter, he asked, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Xie Qiao kept quiet.


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled. He was rather amused, so he deliberately took out silver notes worth 50 taels of silver and ced them on the desk. ¡°How much of your advice can this buy?¡±


    ¡°Be careful of soldier¡¯s des and sparks.¡± Xie Qiao continued to pocket the money, then she picked out a yellow talisman and a small copper mirror from her bamboo basket. ¡°Here¡¯s a safety talisman and blessed mirror to keep you safe. All you have to do is to keep them by your side at all times. These are only for this journey, they won¡¯t work for any others.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing took the two items over to examine them.


    The safety talisman was folded into a small triangle. It had a faint scent of incense; somewhat simr to the scent on this maiden.


    This copper mirror was the size of a palm, the perfect size to be brought around.


    There was no way to know if the money was worth it. But since he had already bought them, he would use them at some point.


    Just as Zhao Xuanjing was about to thank her, Xie Qiao spoke first, ¡°I can¡¯t read your fortune even if you pay me more.¡±


    In Xie Qiao¡¯s face, Zhao Xuanjing tucked these items in his arms.


    ¡°You have quite the personality, Ms. Xie,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with augh.


    Delicate, money-grubbing, and a bit like a bandit.


    The reason he said she was like a bandit was not because of her looks, but the air she had that he felt from her.


    She was just like a stray cat. She looked pretty pitiful and weak at first nce, but her ws were way sharper than a house cat¡¯s.


    ¡°You are quite the dawdler, Sir.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was mild as she finally raised her chin. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned on the carriage frame and took out a feather fan to fan herself.


    Her face was no longer flushed, and neither was she panting. The sickly look she had was all gone now.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced her over. He noticed that there was a small bell swaying on the half-immortal¡¯s wrist. It was actually made out of real gold.


    It may not seem that heavy, but she seemed a little less forlorn with that.


    When he saw her fair wrist move, he felt seduced as well.


    He looked to the side.


    They were about to reach Floating Pavilion Town.


    This group was obviously nning to rest in the town.


    They had originally wanted to send her to an inn, but Xie Qiao remembered that the Lu mother and daughter duo were strict with rules. They would not be happy to see all these burly men apanying her, so she alighted at the town¡¯s gate.


    ¡°Quickly go ask Ms. Xie for tips won¡¯t you?!¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou quickly pushed Qin Zhi.


    Qin Zhi was like a log, struck dumb on the spot. Each step was hard. ¡°She is ady¡­ She will definitely talk drivel.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou rolled his eyes. ¡°If she really talks drivel, would the young master invite her for a ride? Would I really tell you all this throughout this whole journey? Your pride is important, but your life is even more important. Besides, thisdy just indeed saved our lives. What¡¯s so embarrassing about running along to ask her some quick questions?¡±


    This guy was just shy!

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Rather Believe It to be True</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®It really is an embarrassment.¡¯


    But Qin Zhi could not say it.


    When he started keeping watch over this youngdy earlier, he had regarded Ms. Xie with disdain due to her ridiculously slow walking.


    Moreover, he really thought that it was impossible.


    How could he not be his dad¡¯s biological son? His dad loved him so dearly.


    But he could not say that the young master was a fool and had been deceived. So he shook his head firmly. ¡°No, just wait and see, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine. By then, the young master will know how good this prettydy is at deceiving people.¡±


    He believed in his father! He looked very much like his father!


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was so angry that he decided to ignore Qin Zhi. He hurried to catch up with Ms. Xie.


    ¡°Ms. Xie¡­¡±


    He called her twice, but Ms. Xie did not look back. Imperial Bodyguard Zhou anxiously called out to her again, ¡°Grand Immortal, wait for me.¡±


    Xie Qiao turned around.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eyebrows flew up, and he immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s regarding my friend, Qin Zhi, the one who had his fortune read by you yesterday. Can you help him? He is still young, and his wife is pregnant. If anything bad happens to him, his whole family will have a hard time.¡±


    Xie Qiao gazed at somewhere else.


    It just happened that she saw Ms. Lu¡¯s sullen face.


    Something was on her mind, and she did not wish to say more. She took out a safety talisman. ¡°Ask him to put this close to his body. He can hold it at bay for a while, but not for his whole life. His situation is different. If he doesn¡¯t resolve the fundamental problem, he will have to face death sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I will persuade him,¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said immediately.


    ¡®I would rather believe it to be true than otherwise.¡¯


    Regardless of whether this girl was a swindler or a grand immortal, it was better to seek the peace of mind first.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou knew the rules. He had to pay for the fortune-telling.


    He forked out approximately twenty copper coins.


    Xie Qiao did not regard it with scorn. Collecting a fee was just her acting ording to thew.


    Her safety talisman could treat the symptoms, but not the root cause. She did not collect too much money because that was inappropriate and not conducive to collecting good karma.


    Once she delivered the items, Xie Qiao went to find Ms. Lu and her daughter.


    Besides having a huge rooster by her side, she also carried a huge bamboo box on her back and held a package in her hands. Her demeanor made her look like a refugee.


    Ms. Li turned her head and nced at her, and she instantly flew into a rage.


    ¡°No wonder my luck is that bad today. Look at her! Everyone would think that I¡¯m abusing her! She has a carriage to ride on but chose to walk with her two feet and sleep in the wilderness all night without caring about her own reputation. What if she gets you into trouble in the future?!¡± Ms Lu grunted angrily.


    She had lost her money today!


    She felt really angry.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say that. She will be my eldest sister in the future. If you are too fierce, others will think you love me and despise her.¡± Pei Wanyue hurriedly calmed Ms. Lu down. ¡°We lost a lot of money just now. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not easy to exin about it after we are back¡­¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face went even paler.


    It was far more than just losing money.


    When they went out early this morning, they immediately went to the marketce that sold jade. They never expected to lose their purse after going around the market and buying two small stones.


    The purse was stuffed with two hundred silver notes, along with a small pendant.


    The jade pendant was given to her by her husband, who asked someone to send it over. There were originally two pendants, one for her daughter and the other one for Xie Qiao.


    The small jade pendant that was meant for Xie Qiao looked like white jade. It had been carved into the shape of a Pixiu, a mythical animal with two horns and wings. She did not know what the implied meaning of it was.


    The pendant was not big, but it looked quite expensive.


    The pendant given to her daughter was just as good, and it had an ivory white color.


    The carving on it was a simple little peach, which was iparable to the one given to Xie Qiao. That made her more angry as she started making theparisons.


    She thought about keeping that pendant with her for a few days. When she arrived in the imperial city, she would say that she was keeping it for this girl and would return it to her on the spot only if her husband mentioned it. But if he did not mention it...


    Then she would continue keeping it.


    ¡®Who would know that it had been stolen!¡¯

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Stating The Truth</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Pei Wanyue shook Ms. Lu¡¯s wrist as Ms. Lu regained herposure and sighed.


    She walked over to Xie Qiao with aplicated look in her eyes and said, ¡°Brat, I told you not to run off. Why did you note back the whole night? I was so worried, we searched for you everywhere. This ce is full of crooks, and both your sister¡¯s belongings and mine are all gone!¡±


    Xie Qiao was calm.


    ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t me Xie Qiao. She didn¡¯t mean for it to happen. Something must¡¯ve happened that held her back,¡± Pei Wanyue quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Only the material things went missing, but none of us are missing, and that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s good that you are able to return.¡± Ms. Lu reached out to grab Xie Qiao¡¯s wrists. ¡°Why are your hands so cold? Let¡¯s hurry up and go back to the inn to rest. After we have our meal, we¡¯ll stay a day longer at most. Early tomorrow morning, we will leave immediately.¡±


    Xie Qiao promptly pulled her arm back.


    She seemed frail at first sight, but her arms were certainly strong.


    Ms. Lu looked at her empty hands. She was stunned for a moment as rage filled her heart.


    ¡°Mother, you went to Jade Street in Floating Pavilion Town today, right?¡± Xie Qiao said with augh.


    Ms. Lu was shocked. She denied immediately, ¡°No. What would I do there?¡±


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve searched high and low for me. Yet you still have the time to buy yourself a new jade hairpin?¡± Xie Qiao was as calm as ever.


    Ms. Lu quickly reached up to touch the hairpin on her head. Then her face went dark as she answered, ¡°I bought this from the imperial city.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xie Qiao answered with the ghost of a smile. Her eyes wandered about, and her voice was faintly discernible. ¡°The Water Moon Temple isn¡¯t far from here. So I know that aside from the few sculpture artisans working with the local authorities in Floating Pavilion Town, there are only three other artisans who could sculpt.¡±


    ¡°The jade products from the authorities are reserved only for the Royal Family. So most of the products in the market are mined and carved by the townspeople themselves. The jade quality is usually lower than the authorities¡¯ and smaller than theirs as well. But even so, the jade in this ce is a cut above those from other regions. The craftsmanship is even more unique. The flower pin on your head is crafted by¡­ Master Liew from Eastern Street, right? Only he could carve such ethereal designs.¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s mouth was gaping. Her face was flushed red, and she could not say anything.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, this is just a normal design. The imperial city has these too,¡± Pei Wanyue answered without skipping a beat.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xie Qiao gave a faint coldugh, then she said slowly, ¡°You can ask anyone and they can tell you that this picture is Master Yun Wei¡¯stest work from half a month ago. How did it get to the imperial city so soon? Besides, you haven¡¯t been to the imperial city yourself yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Master Yun Wei?!¡± Pei Wanyue was shocked.


    Ame hairpin like this was Master Yun Wei¡¯s own design?!


    Her hometown was rather far from here, but she had heard of Master Yun Wei¡¯s good name too!


    Master Yun Wei had onlye to fame three years ago. He was talented in literature and arts. An artwork from him was worth a thousand taels of gold. His calligraphy had been held in high regard and often copied by other schrs.


    On second thought, Master Yun Wei was indeed from Yunjin. But as to who he was specifically, no one knew.


    Ms. Lu had also heard of Master Yun Wei¡¯s good name. So at that moment, she was astonished too. ¡°Why would Master Yun Wei design hairpin patterns?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he was too bored,¡± Xie Qiao said mildly.


    Ms. Lu could not find anything to refute Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then, this hairpin would be...¡± Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes gleamed. If this were Master Yun Wei¡¯s design, would that mean she had struck gold?


    ¡°In your dreams, Mother. But you are free to daydream anyway. Suit yourself.¡± Xie Qiao lifted her eyebrows as she said this with a lightugh.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes twitched when she said this.


    Was she mocking her?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say¡­¡± Ms. Lu felt a little agitated.


    Pei Wanyue was quick to answer. ¡°Mother, Master Yun Wei¡¯s designs are open for people to copy or carve. I¡¯m afraid this design is already widespread and bought by a lot of people.¡±

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: Townspeople Brought Her Gifts</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®How can the hairpin be worth that much just because it is handmade?


    ¡®I suppose its jade material is giving it high value!¡¯


    Disappointment shed in Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes as she had lost some valuables today. She would be d if she could find some of them back.


    ¡°I am just passing by the town and staying there for a while. Your father has always been generous. If Ie to Floating Pavilion Town and hesitate to buy even a jade hairpin, he would definitely say that I am not caring enough to my daughters,¡± Ms. Lu said again.


    Xie Qiao snorted slightly and did not say much.


    ¡°Even if you want to buy a gold or silver mountain, I won¡¯t stop you from doing that, Mom. Just don¡¯t use my name.¡± Xie Qiao curled her lips, smiling coldly.


    Ms. Lu was a bit shocked to hear that.


    Pei Wanyue pressed her lips as she was feeling a little unhappy.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t me mom. The truth is... Among the things that were lost today, there is something Mom wants to give to you. Mom was anxious because of that,¡± Pei Wanyue said quickly.


    She was cautious and held her cuff gently with her hand. Her expression was nervous and pitiful.


    ¡°Is it a gift from Mom or Dad?¡± Xie Qiao raised her head and gazed at Pei Wanyue with her eyes.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s heartbeat was racing.


    Since the day she first met Xie Qiao, she had never gazed directly into Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes.


    Although she thought Xiao Qiao was good-looking, it seemed as though her eyes had flown away. Since she was always not paying attention, this had discounted her beauty two out of ten.


    Now...


    The gaze of this pair of ck eyes were so deep and calm. However, there was not much light in her eyes, making her gaze more fearful to look at.


    In an instant, Pei Wanyue broke out in a cold sweat.


    She did not know why she felt as if a cold wind was blowing toward her direction.


    This scorching weather was not that hot any longer.


    Ms. Lu was also startled and forgot to speak.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a gift from Dad.¡± Xie Qiao lowered her head again, and her sight fell on the road surface. Then she said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s okay to lose it. Mom, you could just ask Dad to rece another one for me.¡±


    When she finished speaking, Xie Qiao stepped into the nearby inn one step ahead of them.


    There were only three or five inns in Floating Pavilion Town, and she often came to the inns.


    As soon as Xie Qiao entered, the waiter in the inn noticed her immediately. Without waiting for her to open her mouth, he said, ¡°Ms. Xie! You havee down from the mountain early this month? Do you want something sweet or spicy today? The fish today is very fresh today!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s have fish. Remember to tell Chef Gui that I am going to the imperial city tomorrow morning. He doesn¡¯t have to keep food for me every month anymore,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    ¡°Are you going to the imperial city?¡± The waiter was taken aback, and then he looked sad. ¡°I will inform the chef about it now.¡±


    Ms. Lu followed closely and frowned slightly when she saw this scene.


    ¡°Why are you talking with this waiter? You¡¯ll lose your status if you do that,¡± Ms. Lu said.


    Xie Qiao chuckled lightly, ¡°What status do I have? If you don¡¯t mention it, I¡¯m just a female Taoist going down from the mountain. Besides, the people here are simple-minded. Things are not asplicated as you think, Mom.¡±


    After a while, the inn manager came here over personally and gave Xie Qiao a jar of wine.


    The manager gazed at Ms. Lu and her daughter for a moment. Heughed a hollowugh and walked back.


    Ms. Lu thought that the people in this town were behaving very weirdly.


    Especially after Xie Qiao came in, there seemed to be more people watching over them.


    After a while, the waiter returned and brought some other good stuff, including dried bacon, preserved fruits made out of a secret recipe, and a basket of dried goods.


    The manager did not say anything but just smiled at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao did not look up and said her thanks politely. She continued eating her food as if there was nothing out of the ordinary.


    But after a while, there were waves after waves of townspeople outside. They started bringing her gifts.


    Among the gifts were clothes for the summer and autumn, leather outfits for autumn and winter, a sack of dried insects, and many processed bean cakes. There were also a few pieces of jewelry and jade, and two carriages with coachmen?!

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: Embarrassment</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Lu was watching with her eyes wide open.


    The townspeople did not speak much either. They only walked to Xie Qiao and left her after they had ced the things down.


    The two pieces of stone sent earlier were even more eye-catching.


    She had seen it early in the market that morning. This piece of stone was actually priced at 80 taels of silver. It had even been numbered. She wanted to buy it, but now that she had lost her money, she could not.


    And now it was in this brat¡¯s hands?!


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart clenched again. She was so mad she could barely breathe properly.


    At that moment, a pair walked over, an old woman in her forties and a girl who looked like she was 15 or 16 years old.


    They made a dash toward Xie Qiao, then they said, ¡°Ms. Xie, let us apany you. ¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s tidy up the things here and move them to the carriage.¡± Xie Qiao promptly nodded and started to order them around.


    Ms. Lu was even more shocked. ¡°One moment.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything, Mom?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was mild.


    ¡°These... These are all gifts from others. Why are they giving you gifts? Could you have been using your father¡¯s good name to rob the townspeople here?¡± Ms. Lu spoke her mind.


    However else would it be? She was just a 16-year-old brat. How else would she be so well received and garner so many favors?


    ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Xie Qiao could not help but identally let out a scoff.


    ¡°The imperial city is a long way from here, way too far from this ce. If my father¡¯s name had traveled all the way here, would you still have been robbed this morning?¡± Xie Qiaoughed. ¡°These are just from some small favors that I have done for them in the past. Now that they heard that I¡¯m leaving, they are just sending some things as a token of appreciation.¡±


    ¡°Xie Qiao, this jade too? If we were to add these two pieces up, it would be worth 160 taels of silver. How could the regr townspeople afford it?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    ¡°Oh, those. Indeed, those are not gifts.¡± Xie Qiao nced over the stone. ¡°The shop owner owes me money, and he doesn¡¯t have the cash to pay me back. Now that I¡¯m rushing off, he¡¯s using these as mortgage.¡±


    ¡°Xie Qiao, you are too much. Are you trying to be a loan shark? Creating personal mortgages couldnd you in court. You have to understand that clearly,¡± Pei Wanyue blurted out. As soon as she said her piece, she dipped her head down and shot a nce at Ms. Lu.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s gaze was burning with rage.


    Xie Qiao let out a light sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin all of my actions to you. It would be too much of a hassle.¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    They were going home together today. So she would not want the conflict with her stepmother and her stepsister to continue.


    Even if she were to exin, they would have other questionsing in waves, one after another. There would be no end to them.


    ¡°You¡­ Do you still consider me as your mother? I¡¯m doing all this out of concern for you!¡± Ms. Lu raised her voice as she pointed to the stone and said, ¡°You have lived in the Taoist temple since you were young, and your father never paid any attention to you. Where did you get the money to lend to others?! You will exin this clearly to me. Otherwise, don¡¯t you think ofing back to the imperial city with us. Our family does not have anyone as embarrassing as this.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s chopsticks halted mid-air.


    The inn went quiet immediately.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s eyes gleamed. All the things that had happened along this journey would definitely make their way to Uncle Xie¡¯s ears. Then when the time came...


    ¡°Thisdy must be Ms. Xie¡¯s stepmother, right?¡± The counter attendant suddenly walked over. ¡°You two seem like it. After all, if you were her own mother, then you could¡¯ve just asked her in private. There wouldn¡¯t be a need for such a loud interrogation.¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face reflected her embarrassment, but she stood her ground. ¡°This is all for her own good. In fact, she has done wrong this time.¡±


    ¡°Madam, what you said earlier didn¡¯t really need Ms. Xie¡¯s exnation. If she had to speak for everything, her opinions would no longer be as precious as gold?¡± The counter attendant scoffed. ¡°It is but only two pieces of stones. They are gifts from the Zhang Family Jade shop, right? The son and his mother nearly died a few years ago, but they were saved when they were sent to the Water Moon Temple. Ms. Xie had also sent them two roots of premium ginseng. He didn¡¯t have the money at the time, so they kept a loan tab on it. Everyone knows about this.¡±

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: You¡¯re So Good-hearted</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Half-immortal Xie was one of Mo Lingzi¡¯s great disciples. The townspeople from Floating Pavilion Town as well as the nearest surrounding towns respected her very much.


    Her master seldom went down from the mountain, and it was hard to get a chance to meet him.


    So when people got into trouble, they would seek out the half-immortal.


    All of them were acquainted with her.


    They only knew that Half-immortal Xie had an indifferent attitude, did not like tough, and was cold-tempered. So in front of her, everyone talked about serious matters and never talked nonsense.


    She had heard earlier that this Young Lady Xie was born in ay family, and she had been raised in the Taoist temple because of her poor health.


    Since she was so beautiful, she must havee from a good family.


    ¡®Who would have ever thought her stepmother was such a shrew?¡¯


    The counter attendant looked at Ms. Lu, and his eyes were full of disgust.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face was raging hot, and she wanted to open her mouth to ask where did Xie Qiao get the ginseng from.


    Before she opened her mouth, Pei Wanyue quickly grabbed Ms. Lu, and said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Sorry, Sister. My mom didn¡¯t mean it. She was just worried that you have not been educated and would identally break the Xie family¡¯s rules. That¡¯s all, now that this is a serious loan repayment, my mom will naturally not say anything!¡±


    Water Moon Temple was located in the mountains, so having some good ginseng products was also normal.


    Many of the Xie family¡¯s servants had apanied them all along the way. She could not let people think that she and her mom were mistreating Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Xie Qiao clutched her chest and coughed weakly.


    ¡°Are you the sister of Young Lady Xie?! Why are you talking to her like that? I think you look more like an uneducated person!¡± When the grandma-granddaughter pair standing next to Xie Qiao saw Xie Qiao¡¯s fragile state, they immediately became worked up.


    This woman had lived for so many years, and she could tell that Pei Wanyue¡¯s words did not mean well.


    ¡°Youngdy, I will help you into the house and get some rest,¡± the little girl also said quickly.


    Xie Qiao responded and went straight to the second floor of the inn without looking at Ms. Lu.


    Xie Qiao had met this grandma and granddaughter pair a few years ago. Both of them had to escape to this town and sell themselves as ves. At that time, her health was worse off than now. She needed someone to help her to run errands, so she bought back their freedom.


    It was just that the Taoist temple was a very boring ce to be. There was nothing much for them to do, so she let them settle down at the foot of the mountain.


    People used to call them Granny Wan and Chun Er.


    Chun Er treated her like a porcin doll and helped her into the house.


    Xie Qiao just thought that her stepmother and stepsister were a little annoying. She just wanted to find some peace and quiet and was not really sick.


    But Granny Wan downstairs did not think so.


    She knew that Xie Qiao was a junior, and she was Xie Qiao¡¯s servant. So she could not direct her ire at this woman, so her eyes instead bore holes into Pei Wanyue.


    While packing up Xie Qiao¡¯s things, she grumbled, ¡°Why is there such a vicious person in the world?! Can¡¯t you see that my Young Lady is not in good health?! If anything bad happens, even if I have to sacrifice my life for it, I will make you pay!¡±


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s eyes turned red instantly.


    ¡°Mom¡­ I-I was just trying to be kind.¡± Pei Wanyue was trembling with anger.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s health was not good, so she hid herself when she wanted to!


    Now, it seemed to the outsiders that she was making Xie Qiao so angry until she could not get out of bed!


    ¡°Her health was not good? I thought she was fine just now, and she could stay out in the wilderness all night¡­¡± Ms. Lu immediately responded against the injustice over her daughter.


    But when she said this, not only were the counter attendant and Granny Wan unable to put up with it any longer, the other local townspeople could not tolerate it anymore as well.


    ¡°We all know that Ms. Xie¡¯s health is not good. How could you not know as her mother?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Xie takes medicine from the drugstore every month. They are all tonics. The doctor has said that she may live only for a few more years. How is that all fake?!¡±


    ¡°A few years ago, Ms. Xie went down the mountain and fainted on the road. That time, she almost stopped breathing! Both of you still think she is acting!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: What Treasure Is In Here</h4>


    With all of the sudden usations thrown at her, Ms. Lu was shocked.


    It was so embarrassing that she wanted to find a hole in the ground and hide in it.


    After Zhao Xuanjing and his group finished up their business, they had been nning to rest here too. Just as they stepped through the door, they heard the angry townspeople demanding justice.


    ¡°Do you all know this youngdy?¡± Zhao Xuanjing turned to ask someone.


    ¡°We do. Her master is the best Taoist master in the region. Ms. Xie¡¯s skills are pretty good too, but it¡¯s a pity that she hasn¡¯t been blessed with a body as strong as her skills!¡± The person even sighed after saying this.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s brows furrowed lightly. When he thought back to Ms. Xie, his heart was filled with awe.


    But did this girl really not have much time left to live?


    He could not help but feel a sense of difort rise in his heart.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not think too much of it. He only nced over at the mother and daughter, then went back to his room.


    There was already someone inside waiting to receive them. When they arrived, he immediately came forward to hand over some information and all the letters from home.


    Qin Zhi had also received his family¡¯s letters.


    He opened the letters excitedly to read them.


    The moment he did, his facial expression changed.


    His wife went into earlybor, and his child was born. It was a girl.


    ¡°Coincidence¡­ It must be just a coincidence.¡± Qin Zhi quickly patted his face as he swallowed dryly. Then he kept the letter calmly.


    Everything would happen naturally. He had always been fortunate, of course, he would have both sons and daughters!


    ¡°Your child is born?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou asked when he saw the delight on his face.


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s a girl. My wife says that even though she was born a month early, the doctors said there shouldn¡¯t be any problem. She looks like my mother and is incredibly pretty. She even drew a portrait. It¡¯s just too cute.¡± As he said this, Qin Zhi even opened up the portrait and showed it to Imperial Bodyguard Zhou.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eye twitched.


    Tanned as chocte. There was nothing cute about her.


    ¡°Yes, she is lovely.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou nodded as he hid his true thoughts. ¡°Keep the talisman well! Carry it with you at all times. Just in case, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡±


    As he said this, he shoved the talisman into Qin Zhi¡¯s arms.


    At first, he was hesitant about giving him this talisman. Now that he knew that Qin Zhi had just had his firstborn daughter, all his hesitation was thrown into the wind.


    Qin Zhi was as annoyed as a toad. ¡°I don¡¯t want this stuff! Mr. Zhou, you have truly fallen under that woman¡¯s spell. How could you believe her lies?!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t refuse it even if you try. I will tell the young master otherwise. You already know that even the young master epted her items. If you scoff at it, it only means that you are mocking the young master behind his back!¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou threatened him.


    Qin Zhi¡¯s hand halted. He had no choice but to respond to him dejectedly.


    Now that he had one more useless junk in his hands, he felt particrly ufortable.


    He felt weird all over.


    All he wanted to do was throw it away.


    Downstairs, Granny Wan tidied up Xie Qiao¡¯s items. There was still a funny looking package on top of the bamboo basket. Even so, they moved it into the room.


    Pei Wanyue could not help but catch a few more glimpses of it.


    There were just so many things.


    These things might not be worth much, but they represented how well-received Xie Qiao was.


    If this continued when they returned back to the imperial city, what shall she do then?


    ¡°Mom, what is that package? It sounds like it is cking. The noise is rather crisp too. It couldn¡¯t be another stone, right?¡± Pei Wanyue had seen almost all of Xie Qiao¡¯s things.


    She knew of the bamboo basket; it looked worn and tattered. Its contents had been carried down from the Taoist temple.


    However, this package was a different matter.


    It was not from the Taoist temple, neither was it a gift from others.


    Also, it seemed like this item really mattered to Xie Qiao. When she went upstairs, she even briefed the girl on it.


    Her voice was low, but judging by the shape of her lips, it seemed like she said something about not allowing anyone else to touch it.


    What kind of treasure was it that no one else could even touch?

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: An Auspicious Land</h4>


    Since Xie Qiao dug the bones of this ghoul, this ghoul would naturally not continue to wander in the forest, but followed her all the way here.


    At that moment, he was afraid that someone would stain his ¡°body¡±. He gazed around with his eyes, and his gloomy face looked terrifying.


    It was a pity that Pei Wanyue could not see this side of him.


    Otherwise, she would definitely sense his hostile gaze.


    After Ms. Lu was reminded by Pei Wanyue, he also nced at the package.


    The package was quiterge, and it looked like it contained hard objects.


    As there were so many people watching, she was hesitant to let people open the package, so she just softly said, ¡°See what kind of weird stuff she got. This girl grew up in the countryside, has a strange temper and uses strange things.¡±


    It was the first time she ever saw people offering worms as gifts.


    When she looked at that sack of dried insects, she knew it must be food for the huge rooster.


    Pei Wanyue sighed. When she entered the house with Ms. Lu, she felt a little ufortable and asked, ¡°Mum, Uncle Xie must be sending her gifts frequently, right?¡±


    ¡°Sending gifts?¡± Ms. Lu was stunned, ¡°No, her father never cares about her. When I first got married to him, I asked him if he wanted to give Xie Qiao some gifts. He said it was unnecessary. But perhaps she was destined not to live a long life, so your Uncle Xie started to worry and care about her. It would be painful for him to see one¡¯s child die earlier than oneself.¡±


    Speaking of this, Ms. Lu sighed, ¡°I wonder why I am mad at her today. Her weak body would not be a threat to you or me.¡±


    ¡®Not only has she not received a good education, but she does not have a healthy body.


    ¡®What could a daughter like her do after returning to the imperial city?¡¯


    ¡°I only wish that she is well-behaved and sensible now. This is to make sure she does not tarnish our reputation as a Xie family¡¯s daughter. In the future, you could also marry into a good family by relying on the name of Xie¡¯s family,¡± Ms. Lu added.


    Pei Wanyue thought so too.


    But for some reason, after meeting Xie Qiao, especially after seeing her beautiful face, she felt a twinge of envy.


    ¡°Mum, do you know the young man who came in just now? He looked like a high-born with his exquisite features.¡± Pei Wanyue said again.


    ¡°He should be a businessman? There are many merchants in Floating Pavilion Town.¡± Ms. Lu thought for a while, and then quickly reminded her, ¡°Daughter, no matter how good-looking this man is, it¡¯s useless! A businessman might be rich, but hecks power. In the eyes of the powerful, the rich are like fat sheep waiting to be ughtered! Your Uncle Xie was also rich when he was young. But his family ran out of money just to help him to be an official! This was for the sake of future generations having a decent background and belonging in the upper ss! The reason why I¡¯m bringing you to the imperial city is not to betroth you to a mere merchant¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡®Her daughter excelled in so many areas. Even if she did not marry a nobleman, she should marry a small official, right?¡¯


    ¡°Mom!¡± Pei Wanyue said awkwardly.


    Although she was amazed by the handsome young sir she just saw, she thought of the discriminations she had gone through over the years, and that twinge of amazement disappeared into thin air.


    Pei Wanyue was more interested in the package than the good-looking young sir.


    After a while, the package was delivered to Xie Qiao¡¯s house.


    Xie Qiao sent the grandma and granddaughter out.


    The ghoul stood in front of Xie Qiao in a well-behaved manner, looking very nervous.


    ¡°What kind of auspiciousnd do you want to be buried in? The afterlife is somewhat rted to the life you led before. You were a ve and a servant when you were alive, so the burial ce after your death shouldn¡¯t be too good. Too much good luck would be harmful to your children and grandchildren.¡± Xie Qiao opened the geomantic omen map of the surrounding environment and took a closer look.


    ¡°I just wonder whether my children could be ordinary good citizens¡­¡±

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: Rotten Bones</h4>


    The ghoul rubbed his hands.


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything in this case. This auspicious location would bring luck to your descendants, but if you don¡¯t grasp your own fortune, then it would all be for nought.¡± Xie Qiao said lightly.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I understand!¡± The ghoul immediately nodded. ¡°It all depends on ourselves!¡±


    Without a single hint of luck, no matter how strong someone was, they would still amount to nothing. You could not make bricks without straw, after all.


    ¡°As it goes, the mountains and waterways in the region would care for its people. There is nock of hills or mountains in this area, the state of this region is rather well off too. As long as you do not break any taboos, then there wouldn¡¯t be any major problems within your family. So the key aspect here is the waterways.¡± Xie Qiao looked up slightly. ¡°What do you think of this ce?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s slender finger pointed to an area.


    The ghoul lifted his head up to see. After staring at it for some time, he still did not understand.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Not to your liking?¡± Xie Qiao frowned lightly.


    ¡°No, no! It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good.¡± The ghoul was getting nervous.


    ¡°You are looking for your own resting ce. It has to be somewhere you like.¡± Xie Qiao mumbled softly. ¡°There¡¯s a small spring, close by here. The spring water flows out from there and creates a small curvy stream near thend here.¡±


    ¡°There might not be much water here, but it¡¯s enough. Thisnd forms a wavy pattern with the stream. The good fortune generated would be enough for your descendants to have somend. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems for them to prosper for a decade or two. They can also use their name after that too.¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°Only a decade or two?¡± The ghoul was stunned.


    ¡°You are rather greedy too. If someone tends to your grave, then they could prosper for three or five decades. But you do not have any rtives or friends here. This is the best you could get. Your children and grandchildren will get what they can, but the rest is up to them. If they know what they should do, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to prosper for generations toe. You are just a set of rotten bones. How long more do you n to care for them?¡±


    The ghoulughed in embarrassment.


    When he thought about it, the Grand Immortal was right.


    He was lucky enough to meet a Grand Immortal. Otherwise, he would still be rotting away in that barren wilderness.


    Now that he paid attention to this ce, he was loving this ce more and more by the second.


    He only hoped that his sons and grandchildren could grab on to this bit of good fortune!


    Now that the ghoul was content, Xie Qiao felt that her side was not as cold as before.


    Then Xie Qiao proceeded to ask more about his time of birth and time of death. These would be his Yin and Yang fates.


    She was in a hurry back to the imperial city, so of course she could not wait for the perfect date to bury him. So she could check if that day or the next had any inauspicious times that would sh with his fates.


    After some calction, Xie Qiao set the time for the next morning.


    When the timees, the sun would be shining brightly but the Yang energy would not be as strong, so it would not harm his soul. It would be morepatible with his Yin and Yang elements.


    They could do it that night too, but there was not enough time.


    Even though everything was minimal, there was still plenty to do.


    By tomorrow morning they had to dig his grave and also prepare his funeral offerings.


    After Xie Qiao rested for about two hours, she was ready to move. When she opened the door, she unexpectedly saw that imperial bodyguard whom she had sentenced.


    ¡°What a coincidence. Now that you are here too, how abouting along with me to dig a grave?¡± Xie Qiao opened her mouth to ask.


    Qin Zhi was stunned. His face soon stiffened. ¡°Ms. Xie, our master still had important matters to tend to. I¡¯m afraid we couldn¡¯t roam about with you.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    ¡°In that case, I shall not keep you then.¡± Xie Qiao did not mind either.


    There were few who she could trust with things like this.


    In these ranks, some of them were bursting with luck and Yang energy; they would not be affected as much. But some of them did not have enough Yang energy. Especially this imperial bodyguard before her. He was even tainted with wrath. If this dark energy was not cleared, his condition would only get worse.


    The only thing was there was no way she was going to spend her time to nag him.


    Xie Qiao only smiled as she left to prepare.


    ¡°Mother, she went out again. Doesn¡¯t look like she took the package with her. What do you think she is doing outside?¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s face was filled with curiosity.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: Something Illegal</h4>


    Ms. Lu was not surprised at all and said, ¡°When you get to the imperial city, I will have Uncle Xie discipline her. I am just her stepmother, so I can¡¯t say much.¡±


    ¡°Mum, Xie Qiao wouldn¡¯t dare bully you.¡± Pei Wanyueughed and snuggled next to Ms. Lu. ¡°Although Uncle Xie had married two wives previously, the first one was an ugly bandit woman, and the second wife was a woman from a mountain stronghold. Both wives did not have good family backgrounds. How could they beparable to you? You are ady from a good family, and you raised a child for Uncle Xie. The children of the Xie family should be thankful to you.¡±


    Ms. Lu sighed.


    These words brought herfort.


    ¡®Although she did not give birth to a son or daughter for the Xie family, she had indeed brought up children of his previous wives? !¡¯


    ¡°Now that I am away from home, and the townspeople are all mistreating me. Everything would be alright again when I return to the imperial city.¡± Ms. Lu thought for a while and said.


    ¡°Mum, the younger siblings¡­ Are they close to you?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    Ms. Lu smiled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for your elder brother. His temper is weird and he doesn¡¯t speak more than pleasantries to me. But, he usually treats me with respect.¡± Ms. Lu thought for a while and said, ¡°I have two other children and I¡¯ve cared for them for five years. It is natural that they would treat me like their biological mother.¡±


    With that said, Pei Wanyue breathed a sigh of relief.


    Her mum did not have a biological child. If the children were not close to her, her life could get difficult.


    Fortunately, there were two young ones to manipte.


    ¡°Mom, I¡­ want to see what¡¯s in my sister¡¯s package.¡± Pei Wanyue muttered.


    Ms. Lu looked at her in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a jumble of her trinkets. Why are you looking so deeply into it?¡± Ms. Lu said.


    ¡°I just think her behavior is a little weird. This package is even heavier than the bamboo box. I don¡¯t know what it is hiding. I think it¡¯s something illegal.¡± Pei Wanyue said seriously.


    The local town was a jade-producing area, and the grade control of jade here was rtively strict.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s words were undoubtedly telling Ms. Lu that Xie Qiao¡¯s package might contain that jade material that could not be circted among ordinary citizens!


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heartbeat was racing.


    ¡°She¡¯s not that bold, right?¡± Ms. Lu said in shock.


    ¡°But elder sister kept hiding it. Obviously, she just doesn¡¯t want others to see it? If it¡¯s not something illegal, why would she behave in such a way?¡± Pei Wanyue said puzzlingly, ¡°What if you wait for your sister toe back and ask her?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s something illegal, how could she admit it?¡± Lu Shi was startled and stood frozen for a while.


    After a while, she held Pei Wanyue¡¯s hand: ¡°You and I will go and take a look. If it is something illegal, we will deal with it in private. If it is not something illegal, we will pretend that nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°Will my elder sister be angry?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    ¡°If it is something illegal, even if she¡¯s angry, she still has to be scolded until she returns to her senses. Her father was a bandit for so many years and finally got on the right path. If she drags him down, this wouldn¡¯t be good to everyone in the family.¡± Ms. Lu said firmly.


    After finishing her words, she took Pei Wanyue to the next room.


    The Wans and Chun Er had been sent to buy things by Xie Qiao, and they were not there at the moment.


    Ms. Lu directly ordered the waiter to open the door.


    Although the waiter knew Xie Qiao, Ms. Lu was Xie Qiao¡¯s mother. If she wanted to enter her room, the waiter had no reason to stop her.


    Fortunately, he knew that Xie Qiao had gone shopping, so he quickly found someone to send a message to her.


    Ms. Xie hated people touching her things without her permission.


    Pei Wanyue was startled as soon as she entered the room.


    The furnishings in Xieqiao¡¯s room were better than the room they lived in. It was not that big, but the tents and quilts here looked brand new, and there were fresh pastries on the table!


    ¡°Mum, it¡¯s over there.¡± Pei Wanyue pointed to the package at the corner.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Unnamed Corpse</h4>


    Ms. Lu quickly grabbed her daughter and walked over.


    ¡°Then¡­ shall we open it and take a look?¡± Ms. Lu¡¯s heart was pounding in her chest.


    Just as she said this, a chill ran throughout her body. She could not help but shudder.


    It was the same with Pei Wanyue. She even asked, ¡°Xie Qiao, could there be ice stored in this house? It¡¯s a lot colder than our house. What¡¯s wrong with these waiting staff? We paid for the room all the same but how could he give us such unfair treatment.¡±


    ¡°If you feel that it¡¯s hot, then call the waiting staff back to put some ice in our ce too.¡± Ms. Lu was very generous.


    ¡°You spoil me, Mother.¡± Pei Wanyue smiled cheekily.


    The ghoul was bursting with rage.


    Dark dull eyes stared straight at these two persons as cold air oozed from his form.


    His head had stretched all the way into Pei Wanyue¡¯s neck. How he wanted to chomp that neck into half.


    It was too bad, Pei Wanyue noticed nothing.


    She squatted down and then she slowly opened the package, bit by bit.


    A corner of the cloth was flipped open.


    And another corner followed¡­


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    A voice rang out, almost shattering her ears.


    Pei Wanyue fell backward as she stumbled back. In an instant, a sheen of cold sweat dripped off her in showers. Her trembling hand pointed towards the bare white bone. She could not stop shaking. ¡°B¡­b¡­bones.¡±


    It was aplete set of human bones. From the skull to the toes, each inch and every piece was perfectly intact.


    It was creepy and chilling, especially the two eye cavities in the skull. They still had some soil in them. For some reason, it seemed scarier than usual.


    Pei Wanyue was close to passing out, her whole body was as cold as ice.


    The ghoul had two hands clenched around her neck.


    She only felt her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She was so scared that she could barely breathe.


    Ms. Lu was also frozen in ce from fear.


    ¡°D¡­ Dead¡­ Someone is dead!¡± Pei Wanyue broke down shouting even before her earlier screams died out.


    Ms. Lu heard and immediately ran up to cover her daughter¡¯s mouth. But it was toote.


    With a skeleton like that, how could it have died recently?


    But as she thought so, Ms. Lu suddenly had an idea. Unless¡­


    This was Xie Qiao¡¯s murder victim from the past, and now she wants to bring it back to the imperial city?


    But that did not make sense¡­


    The audacity to keep a dead man¡¯s skeleton in the house. What kind of properdy would do a thing like this!?


    It was already toote, Ms. Lu could only help console her daughter.


    The people in the inn rushed up.


    When Imperial Bodyguard Zhou received the order, he too brought a few men to surround the area. Then he came in asking, ¡°Who shouted here? What happened?¡±


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s bean-size tears could not stop rolling down, sshing on the floor. She said sobbing, ¡°M¡­ M¡­ My sister¡¯s package has a body in it¡­¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou looked toward it.


    Erm¡­


    He was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Your sister is Ms. Xie, right?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was very calm. After all, it was not the first time he ever saw a skeleton.


    The ghoul¡¯s eyes were shing blood-red from fury.


    Bouts of cold air blew through the area.


    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s Xie Qiao¡­ She¡­ Did she kill somebody¡­ It¡¯s scary. It¡¯s really scary!¡± Pei Wanyue stammered as she buried her head into Ms. Lu¡¯s embrace.


    Imperial bodyguard Zhou rubbed his head. ¡°This¡­ She didn¡¯t kill him. It was just an unnamed body by the roadside. Ms. Xie brought it back so that she could find a suitable ce to bury it properly.¡±


    They had seen Xie Qiao dig up the body with their own eyes yesterday.


    ¡°Un¡­ unnamed body?¡± Pei Wanyue was stunned, tears still staining her face.


    She was a rather pitiful sight.


    But Imperial Bodyguard Zhou felt that this frail look was nothingpared to Half-immortal Xie.


    That Half-immortal Xie did not shed a single tear, neither did she grumble. But when she dipped her head slightly, producing that weary, poignant look could make anyone¡¯s heart melt.


    The key thing was, even if Half-immortal Xie looked weak, she still gave off an air of intimidation.

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: A Hidden Corpse</h4>


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was trying to be polite to Half-immortal Xie¡¯s family members.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Young Lady. Your sister is umting good karma. It won¡¯t be long before she gets the corpse buried.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhouforted her.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s chin was trembling, ¡°Get it buried? But my elder sister didn¡¯t even know him?¡±


    ¡°This is precisely the case. Because they don¡¯t know each other, she couldn¡¯t bear to see his corpse buried in the wilderness. Ms. Xie seems to know some feng shui techniques and wants to move it to a better ce.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said again.


    Pei Wanyue could not help but hold her breath.


    ¡®She carried a corpse of a person she doesn¡¯t know by her side?!


    ¡®It was such a dirty and terrible thing¡­¡¯


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she was so angry that she could not speak for a while.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou smiled and began to evacuate the crowd. At this time, Pei Wanyue suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate for my sister to do this.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou looked back at her.


    ¡°Since it is a corpse in the wilderness, it should be handed over to the administrative office.¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s face went pale. ¡°This person also has rtives. You should let the administrative office check his identity, find his family, and take his corpse back.¡±


    Imperial Guard Zhou was a little surprised.


    ¡®Yes indeed, this is the normal standard procedure.¡¯


    ¡®It is just that if he follows the standard procedure, it will be impossible to find the family members for this corpse in a short period of time. If this wild corpse has no other characteristics, it will most probably end up in a crematorium.¡¯


    ¡®Although the crematorium charity will take in the corpse, it cannot be left there for too long. After a long time, no one will im it. In the end, it will be buried harshly or¡­


    ¡®Be thrown into the mass grave.


    ¡®It would be good if Half-immortal Xie wants to help bury this corpse.¡¯


    ¡®But if this girl wants to help find rtives for the corpse, it would be even a better idea.


    With his Young Master identity, it would not be good for him to ignore this matter.


    ¡°This person has been dead for at least half a year. The possibility of finding a rtive is very slim. Your elder sister found his corpse. Why don¡¯t you wait for her toe back? Even if you want to report about it to the official, your elder sister has toe forward and provide some important clues.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said with a smile.


    Pei Wanyue nodded, and she then pursed her lips in a somewhat embarrassed manner.


    After a while, she said in a tangled voice, ¡°But¡­I¡¯m afraid that my elder sister is not willing to hand over the corpse.¡±


    ¡°I know. This is a human corpse, and it¡¯s not some kind of treasure. Logically, there must be a reason why your elder sister would hide and deal with it in a different way, but¡­ Your elder sister should have thought of reporting to the official, but she did not. She must have her own reasons, so¡­ ¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was captivated hearing that.


    ¡®Does that mean that there was a secret between Half-immortal Xie and the corpse, so she chose not to report it to the official?¡¯


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou suddenly had a headache.


    ¡®This person¡­ Is she really Half-immortal Xie¡¯s biological sister? Does she really hate her?¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until your elder sisteres back.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou insisted.


    ¡°This young sir is not an official, and it¡¯s not up to you to decide right?¡± Pei Wanyue said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not good to let the administrative office think that we deliberately hid a corpse, so¡­¡±


    Pei Wanyue finished speaking, looked at the crowd, and said, ¡°Are there any strong men who are willing to help run the errands and inform an official toe?¡±


    ¡®It is impossible that everyone in the inn are Xie Qiao¡¯s acquaintances?¡¯


    Pei Wanyue also had alluring features but she was frightened just now. At this moment, she tried hard to be awe-inspiring, which made many people on the spot admire her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± Someone volunteered himself.


    Pei Wanyue thanked the person and he immediately ran out of the inn.


    Imperial Guard Zhou and his other men were left dazed and confused.


    Suddenly they realized that they were being looked down upon!


    ¡®This youngdy must have thought they were ordinary guests because they had not revealed their identity!¡¯

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: Stop Fooling Around</h4>


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou and the rest looked at each other, but it was not a good idea to drop their Young Master¡¯s name.


    Floating Pavilion Town was not too far from the county town. If that person were to rush on a whipped horse, two hours would suffice for a round trip.


    And Ms. Xie was found this time.


    When she entered the door, she was greeted with the sight of busy officials and¡­ bones on the floor. Xie Qiao¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    Pursing her lips while staring at the bones, it looked like strangers were not wee there.


    The few nearby who knew Xie Qiao did not even dare to breathe out loud.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, why are you hiding a human skeleton? It¡¯s really scary!¡± Pei Wanyue rushed over like she was going to pounce into her arms.


    Xie Qiao dodged, leaving Pei Wanyue falling into an empty embrace.


    ¡°We are not close.¡± Xie Qiao mumbled. ¡°You touched my things?¡±


    ¡°Xie Qiao¡­ Mother and I don¡¯t do it on purpose. We just thought that the things in there could be illegal. So we wanted to see, just to be sure. But we didn¡¯t expect that¡­ Xie Qiao, I know you picked this skeleton corpse by the roadside. All you have to do is to exin to the officials. No matter what you say, we will still believe in you!¡± Pei Wanyue quickly said.


    Xie Qiao let out a coldugh.


    ¡°You dare to touch anything. I¡¯ve got to say that I¡¯m almost impressed by your courage.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised.


    ¡°This thing¡­ Really scared me¡­¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s eyes were still red.


    She was truly terrified.


    ¡°Were you hiding this? Follow us for the administrative office!¡± The officer was direct.


    ¡°I am afraid not.¡± Xie Qiao walked straight into the house. Then she sat down.


    ¡°Xie Qiao!? It¡¯s not like they want you to confess your crime. All they want is for you to tell them the origins of these bones.¡± Pei Wanyue hastily said.


    Ms. Lu frowned. She felt that something was amiss somewhere.


    Her daughter was being too reckless today.


    They were going to be a family from then onwards. Now that things were spiraling out of control, her reputation will affect the entire family. It would not look good for anyone at this rate.


    The only saving grace was that Xie Qiao has been raised away from the family this whole time.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, listen to me. Go to the administrative office, tell them everything, then you can leave.¡± Ms. Lu said too.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to say?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was as hard as steel. ¡°Don¡¯t they just want to know the corpse¡¯s identity and cause for death? I know that very well, so why do I need to go to the administrative office?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ The man from just now said that this was a nameless corpse.¡± Pei Wanyue said.


    ¡°He was unnamed yesterday, but I suddenly remembered today. Wouldn¡¯t that do?¡± Xie Qiao said coolly.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, quit fooling around!¡± Ms. Lu was angry.


    Xie Qiao did not want to argue with the officials, and said directly, ¡°This body¡¯s surname was Lu, his full name was Lu Quanlin. Age¡­ 38. Half a year ago, he traveled with his master. Along the way, they were robbed and murdered. He left behind three sons, his wife, and his father. His rtives are all in the imperial city.¡±


    ¡°A robbery case from half a year ago?¡± The official frowned when he heard this.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There were quite a few victims who died back then. You would know if you check. There¡¯s also a servant who is still missing until now.¡± Xie Qiao added.


    The official nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, there was a case like this. The victim was patrol officer Master Lu.¡± The official quickly said.


    This case had shocked the nation back then. Master Lu¡¯s murderer was never found.


    In the end, the investigator caught wind of some information and led to the arrest of the county magistrate.


    Rumors had it that the county magistrate hired bandits to do it. Then only did this casee to a close.


    However, they were government officials, of course, they knew that someone was missing from Sir Lu¡¯s escort.


    Sir Lu was out in disguise at the time. ording to passerby ounts, there were three other people by his side. They should be two bodyguards and a girl as a coverup.


    At the crime scene, they found only Sir Lu and two others.


    There was still one left. The body still could not be found after searching for so long.

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Great Disciple</h4>


    ¡®How could they expect to find his body here?!¡¯


    ¡®How do you know of his identity? And why didn¡¯t you report it sooner?!¡± The officer asked in a serious tone.


    Xie Qiao calmly said, ¡°More than half a year ago, I ran into them when I went down to the mountain. I was not in good health. Thanks to their help, I did not faint in the wilderness. Later, I heard that Master Lu was dead. It was said that the body of that one person had not been found, and some even said that he had be a fugitive ve. I didn¡¯t believe it, so I searched it myself.¡±


    ¡°As I went down the mountain this time, I passed by the spot, and found that the soil was soft and the weeds were growing more luxuriantly than the other areas. I wanted to find out why, but I didn¡¯t expect to excavate his body.¡± Xie Qiao said in an unhurried manner.


    ¡°This person had be like this. How do you know that it is the body of that servant?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    Many people followed her and nodded.


    ¡®It is just a set of bones left, and I can¡¯t see what he actually looks like as a person. How could you know this is him?


    ¡°This was because he had a token on his body. He had saved me once before. I thanked him and gave him this little bronze mirror, hoping to help him to avoid misfortunes. But I didn¡¯t expect the power of this bronze mirror to be so insignificant and unable to prevent this misfortune from befalling him.¡± Xie Qiao opened her mouth and gave some excuses.


    With that said, she also took out a bronze mirror.


    The bronze mirror was just the size of a palm, and it was dark and dirty. It looked like it had been in the soil for a long time.


    Xie Qiao had many mirrors like this.


    Usually, they were given as gifts to others.


    ¡°How could it be dug so coincidentally¡­¡± Pei Wanyue sensed that something was wrong.


    ¡®Although these words sound reasonable, how could there be such a coincidence in the world?¡¯


    Xie Qiao looked at her with a smile.


    ¡°I¡­ What did I say wrong?¡± Pei Wanyue looked cautious.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence. If Ms. Pei finds this to be dubious, you could go down to the spirit realm and ask him directly. Why was he buried under my feet and discovered by me?¡± Xie Qiao said sarcastically.


    Pei Wanyue showed an expression as if she had been wronged.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she poured herself a ss of water and drank slowly.


    Suddenly she chuckled again, ¡°You officers must be tired making this trip. After returning, just tell the county magistrate and said that it was just a matter of the Water Moon Temple and he will understand.¡±


    ¡°Water Moon Temple?¡± The officer was startled when he heard her words.


    Then he looked at Xie Qiao with a surprise on his face, ¡°Are you the great disciple of Mo Lingzi from Water Moon Temple, that Half-immortal Xie?!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly.


    ¡°Since this is Half-immortal Xie, then it won¡¯t be any problem at all. I was speaking so crudely to you, and offended you. I don¡¯t know¡­whether I¡¯vemitted any taboo?¡± The attitude of this official changed very quickly.


    When these words came out, Pei Wanyue was stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The biggest taboo has already been triggered by someone else, and your problem is not big.¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    As soon as he said this, the official sighed.


    They have heard of the Water Moon Temple a long time ago!


    In the temple, the real Master, Mo Lingzi had been urate in all his fortune-reading all the while. The real Master had only one apprentice and she was addressed as Half-immortal Xie after demonstrating some potent gifts.


    Now the county magistrate had only been in office for a few months. When he first took office, he did not know what kind of misfortune he had gotten himself into. His old mother was seriously ill and bed-ridden. Her illness did not get better until she was carried to the Water Moon Temple in person. Her condition had improved ever since. Now the olddy was healthy and could possibly live for another twenty years!


    It was not the first instance of this great disciple of Water Moon Temple exhuming corpses.


    Before that, she did fortune-reading to help search for missing people for the authorities several times. These attempts had all been very urate.


    It was a pity that this master and disciple pair seldome down from the mountain. Every time the county magistrate had to go to Water Moon Temple to meet them in person. So they had only heard of their name but never seen them in person before.


    ¡®Looking at the great disciple¡¯s sagely-like and otherworldly features, this was exactly as described by the county magistrate!¡¯

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28: No Can Do</h4>


    The official¡¯s eyes held respect, whereas Pei Wanyue¡¯s head was in a muddle.


    Xie Qiao, was she really¡­ that well-loved?


    It was fine if it was only the townspeople who were like that, but why were the officials on it too?¡­


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Pei Wanyue spoke wistfully.


    Then only did the officer regain hisposure, then he smiled at Pei Wanyue and said, ¡°Miss, now that the body¡¯s clearly identified and the case had been solved earlier, so of course the skeletal corpse shall be buried properly.¡±


    ¡°Clearly identified?¡± Pei Wanyue was dumbfounded.


    All because Xie Qiao said so?


    ¡°Rest assured, the officials will never act on baseless usations. Ms. Xie has already provided the victim¡¯s identity, so we would proceed to contact his family. When the time arrives, someone wille to see to the bones. But these are just bones¡­ there¡¯s no guarantee that they would recognize him¡­ It¡¯s a good thing the Water Moon Temple has an excellent reputation outside of the region. We could give the victim¡¯s family an exnation now.¡±


    The reason why they trusted the Water Moon Temple was not because they were disciples of deities.


    But it was because they often helped the authorities.


    The reason why Half-immortal Xie could find the bones were probably not because she coincidentally passed by, but because she had calcted it beforehand. Simr things had happened in the past.


    Besides¡­


    A skeleton like this did not have a single sign or mark on it. If Ms. Xie said nothing, then no matter how much the police investigated, they would never find out who it was. The worst thing that could happen was that there would be one more lost ghoul wandering around in the world.


    The officials seemed like they had absolute faith in Xie Qiao.


    Pei Wanyue did not even know what to say.


    She could only force a smile. ¡°Then that¡¯s great. I was originally worried about Xie Qiao¡­ Now I can finally rest easy! Where do you n to bury this person, Xie Qiao?¡±


    Xie Qiao was perplexed. Neither did she give a direct answer to Pei Wanyue¡¯s question.


    Instead, she looked at the bones on the floor and asked, ¡°Mother, who opened my package?¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s expression stiffened. It was rather awkward. ¡°Is this important?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s important. Whoever opened it should pack it back up.¡± Xie Qiao said matter-of-factly.


    Just as she said this, Pei Wanyue¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    Those were human bones!


    No way she was going to touch them!


    ¡°Since you dug them out, why can¡¯t you pack them back again? Wanyue is still so young, she had never seen anything like this. How would she handle this?¡± Ms. Lu quickly said. ¡°You brat, just treat it like a favor for your sister. I will be thankful to you too!¡±


    Xie Qiao lightly smiled when she heard this.


    ¡°Which part of Ms. Pei is my sister? Is it through our familiar blood ties or is it through our ancestral heritage? If it¡¯s neither, then we¡¯ll need to be clear. She has to do what she must do. If you can¡¯t bear to let her handle it, then you could take over instead, Mother. I¡¯m not picky.¡± Xie Qiao said lightly.


    Take over?


    Ms. Lu did not even dare nce at that body.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, you are capable. I can¡¯t do it. Please help me out, alright?¡± Pei Wanyue spoke adorably. She immediately faltered as she watched Xie Qiao wistfully.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly. ¡°No can do, Ms. Pei.¡±


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s awkward smile was stered on her face.


    At that moment, she did not know what to do. Her eyes were red, sobs interrupted every word from her mouth. She was a pitiful sight.


    ¡°The items are yours and you are the older sister. It doesn¡¯t even cost you to tidy it a bit¡­¡± In the crowd, the man who ran to summon the officials called out.


    The moment he said this, a few dozen people actually nodded in agreement.


    Xie Qiao had brought over the body and she had left it in her house. It was obvious that she was not afraid of these things. However, it was a different matter for a regr young maiden. How would she handle this kind of shock?

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29: Pitiful</h4>


    In fact, many people who knew Xie Qiao felt that she should just go along the flow instead of embarrassing her immature sister.


    Xie Qiao was not angry either.


    She just sat there, looked down, and said softly, ¡°This person died in the wilderness and I took several hours to dig their bones before packing them up. Yesterday I was exposed to the wind, and I still feel dizzy today. When I went out to buy medicine, this person was¡­ offended by Ms. Pei¡­ I thought that if I was the dead one and suffered such an aggrievance, I would definitely want the person who wronged me to apologize to me.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Pei, you are such a kind-hearted girl. You only need to express your mistakes by sincerely cleaning up the bones for him. I believe he will not be petty with you. Also, you wish to do good things, right? You may not be able to do other things, but packing the bones is¡­ a simple task. You can definitely do it, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Xie Qiao spoke in a gentle manner.


    She sat there and looked so demure. Her sound was refreshing, just like the sound of pearls and jade.


    ¡°That¡¯s also true. Ms. Pei, you opened the package. If you really broke a taboo, it¡¯s time to fix it now.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Xie¡¯s master is a highly-aplished sage from Water Moon Temple. There must be a reason for her asking her sister to do this. She won¡¯t mean her sister harm, right?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Pei, the bones aren¡¯t that difficult to rearrange. Your older sister can dig it out by herself. You can certainly do what she did, even if it¡¯s not perfect.¡±


    Almost all who spoke out this time were followers of Water Moon Temple.


    When they opened their mouths, Pei Wanyue fell so gloomy that she almost fainted.


    ¡®Did I do all this to do something that can only barely match up to Xie Qiao?¡¯


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face only made Pei Wanyue even angrier.


    ¡®She looks so fragile and pitiful. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m the one bullying her!¡¯


    Xie Qiao looked prettier than her and had a more impoverished background than her. No matter what, Xie Qiao was better than her!


    ¡®How would outsiders know Xie Qiao had such little substance? She may be illiterate, but she gained so much poprity just because of her attractive face!¡¯


    Pei Wanyue felt horrible. ¡®Why would an ugly woman like Ms. Peng give birth to such a beautiful daughter?!¡¯


    When she thought about being suppressed further by Xie Qiao upon their return to the imperial city, she felt miserable.


    ¡®But there is an elephant in the room to be addressed right now.


    ¡®How do I say no¡­?¡¯


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s emotions bubbled in her. When she saw that tears did not work, she decided to act as if she was about to faint¡ª


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Xie Qiao suddenly clutched her chest and coughed rapidly, as if she was about to no longer be able to keep standing. She grabbed Pei Wanyue¡¯s wrist. ¡°M-Ms. Pei, hurry up, I¡¯m not in good health. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to faint soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Pei Wanyue felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart.


    She turned her head and stared at Xie Qiao carefully.


    She suspected that she was doing this deliberately.


    ¡®How could this be so coincidental? When I¡¯m about to faint, she grabbed my wrist and said something like this?!¡¯


    But right now, Xie Qiao¡¯s face had turned pale, and she was leaning weakly against the desk. She looked a little too convincing.


    Pei Wanyue was caught in a dilemma.


    Everyone was staring at her.


    Even Ms. Lu was taken aback by Xie Qiao¡¯s appearance. ¡°Hurry up and pack it up. Your sister looks really sick. If something goes wrong¡­¡±


    ¡®If Xie Qiao loses her reputation, it is not my fault. However, if her body gets hurt or she loses her life on the road, how do I exin myself when I return home? !¡¯


    When Pei Wanyue heard what her mother said, she was angry and sad.


    But she could not do anything about it at all.


    Everyone was staring at her as if she had justmitted a major crime!


    Xie Qiao who apparently did not seem well seemed as if she could not close her eyes without watching her pack the bones. She made everyone gaze at her as if they were urging her to hurry up!

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30: The More You Know, The Sooner You Are A Goner</h4>


    Pei Wanyue could only put on a brave front and walk up.


    She closed her eyes and squatted down as if this was a gargantuan task.


    Her hands were trembling. She looked like an olddy who had lost all her teeth.


    Some people could not stand this. But Xie Qiao clutched her chest as she said, ¡°Ms. Pei, you must¡¯ve taken a good look when you opened it. You just have to do it with the courage you had when you opened it. I have faith in you, Ms. Pei! I believe that you are the kindest. How could you not aplish something as trivial as this? Cough!¡±


    Pei Wanyue was fuming with rage.


    She dawdled and took her sweet time before she finally put the package back into ce after much trouble.


    The onlookers outside were almost gone.


    After Pei Wanyue finished, she went back to her room and cried in rage.


    In Xie Qiao¡¯s house, only Imperial Bodyguard Zhou and his group were left.


    Xie Qiao let out a small sigh and stood up. ¡°Is there anything your group wants to ask?¡±


    ¡°These bones¡­ Do they really belong to Master Lu¡¯s servant?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou asked her directly.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips lightly and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was surprised and shocked. ¡°I thought you used it as an excuse to get rid of trouble. I never would¡¯ve thought it was true¡­ Ms. Xie, may I request for you to meet our young master?¡±


    Some words were not suitable to be asked in situations like these. Neither were they for the ears of the public. That included the imperial bodyguards by the young master¡¯s side.


    That young master did not seem to be amoner. He had to be of royal descent.


    Even if he was not, he should be rted to royalty.


    There was nothing in Floating Pavilion Town that was worth the royal family¡¯s attention. If any, it would be the jades here.


    There was also that huge incident from more than half a year ago.


    That huge incident was rted to jades too, so¡­


    It did not take much guessing to know this young master was here to investigate something that had been left out half a year ago.


    So in the beginning, Xie Qiao did not say anything about the dead body¡¯s identity because she was afraid of attracting trouble. She had not expected Pei Wanyue to behave this way, leaving her with no choice but to escte it.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was ted. He quickly invited her over.


    This honorable guest was in the best rooms of the inn at that very moment.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not expect to be seeing this Ms. Xie so many times within such a short time frame.


    ¡°Have a seat, Ms. Xie.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was also worried that Ms. Xie¡¯s body would wane again.


    ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Xie Qiao was very straightforward. She looked as confident as ever.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, your calctions have been spot on to the point of finding Lu Quanlin¡¯s body. I wonder if I could ask you for a favor?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    He seemed to be rather knowledgeable of how things worked in the field. As a matter of fact, he was exceptionally generous. This time, he took out silver pieces worth 20 taels each. There were 10 pieces in total.


    ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Indeed. You are excellent, Miss.¡± Zhao Xuanjing went against his heart and gave her some empty praises.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so easily done.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°You mean¡­ this thing¡­ cannot be found?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to find, it¡¯s just that this thing¡­ is ferocious. Nothing goodes from seeking it. If you get tangled in a great deal of trouble because of this, would you regret it?¡± Xie Qiao spoke slowly.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not fully trust her at first. It had even passed his mind that the matter from earlier was just a coincidence.


    But now that he heard her, his heart was absolutely astounded.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, to tell you the truth. The thing that I¡¯m searching for¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly spoke. She did not know if she should cry orugh. ¡°I do not want to know what sort of things are connected to it. The more you know, the more troublesome it gets.¡±

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31: Counting Hexagrams To Locate It</h4>


    ¡®It¡¯s better to remain blissfully unaware of certain things than get ourselves knee-deep in them.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that the case for Master Lu and his servants who are long-dead now?¡¯


    Floating Pavilion Town was surrounded by jade mountains of this generation. ¡®Those are not just ordinary stones, but stones that can be sold for silver. How could people not target all this silver?¡¯


    The previous county magistrate was the true murderer of Master Lu.


    ¡®But she could not believe a county magistrate had such courage and the patrol officers to execute it.


    ¡®With regards to that, she could not tell how many people were involved!


    ¡®All those involved would be capable of doing just about anything to save their own hides.¡¯


    Zhao Xuanjing was still a little unustomed to being rejected. He shook his head slightly.


    Soon he calmed down, and he put a smile on his handsome face, ¡°Thank you Your Lady for your guidance, but this item is very important to me. I hope Young Lady could help clear my doubts.¡±


    Xie Qiao rubbed her brow.


    ¡®Are you being childish and immature?¡¯


    ¡®That noble appearance is wasted on him. He does not know how to cherish it but insists to have this evil item. This may cause him to die young.¡¯


    ¡°All right then.¡± Xie Qiao stuffed the silver money, one by one, into her pockets.


    Dying young was none of her business.


    After stuffing all the silver money into her pocket, Xie Qiao began working.


    She asked Zhao Xuanjing to find a piece of paper.


    ¡°Kindly write something.¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Detect?¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought this was interesting. ¡°Could writing ¡®Detect¡¯ show us the location of things?¡±


    However, he obliged and picked up the calligraphy brush. After hesitating for a while, he slightly moved his calligraphy brush on the paper. His head was empty. After two more breaths, he wrote the word ¡°Jade¡±.


    ¡°Writing in hesitation and a disturbed manner is a clear sign that this would provoke disputes. Young Master, I noticed that you had a smooth start?¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    After she finished speaking, she looked at the sky outside the window, and then calcted the hexagram.


    ¡°A little dot means that earth lingers in the air and would soon turn to dust. The three straight lines are connected to the name of water. The single vertical line means cold wood, while the short horizontal line in the middle means there¡¯s gold in the bag. The stroke beside the dot means me.¡± Xie Qiao murmured, ¡°The five elements have been identified, and your query is solvable.¡±


    Later, she took out the tortoiseshell and copper coins and fiddled with them.


    ¡°When the fire element is hidden in the wood element, this is a sign of energy. When these two elements are in harmony with the gold element, you will soon find this item.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing could not understand what Xie Qiao said.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou could not understand either.


    Two of them were confused.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, could you make it clearer?¡±


    ¡°This fire element represents the item you wish to find. The wood element leads to the position of the item. If we can make a connection between these two elements, it proves that this item can be found. When you write the word ¡°Detect¡±, the five elements were all present and it was considered a good fit. This item is hidden at a position of the gold element. It points to the west and slightly to the south.¡±


    ¡°Southwest?¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned, ¡°This is all too vague. It won¡¯t be easy to find the item.¡±


    ¡°The word written by the young master can be calcted on a hexagram, based on the provided time, event, font and the proportion of the five elements. Finally, the hexagram revealed that wealth is being exchanged. This item must be hidden in the ruins of a rubble wall.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not wish to write down all her calction steps one by one.


    The ¡®Detect¡¯ word might look simple, but its horizontal and vertical strokes were not the sole reason that was taken into consideration.


    For example, the time when ¡®Detect¡¯ word was written, the attributes and directions represented by each stroke, and elements that were contradictory orplementary to each other.


    If it was just a simple ¡®Detect¡¯ word. She could calcte some hexagrams, but all of the results might be very general.


    ¡°In the ruins of a rubble wall in the southwest direction?¡± Zhou Shiwei concluded.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the signs all point.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while, and said, ¡°I remember there being a deserted old vige in the southwest. This vige is rtively close to the mines, so the people there have moved away. The vige had been left deserted for a long time. Maybe¡­you can go there to find it.¡±


    After taking the silver, Xie Qiao could utter whatever she thought of.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32: Can¡¯t Handle It</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    If they were to use that ce to hide, no one would ever think of searching there.


    ¡°You have my thanks, Miss.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was frank. ¡°I remember you telling me earlier that I should pay my respects to the corpse by throwing a cup of soil on his grave. Then I shall wait till the ceremony for the corpse is over. After that, we shall begin our search.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Then you should buy some funeral offerings. He¡¯ll like that. ¡±


    Who does not like money? The living loves fortune, so do the dead!


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°He?¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡­ can sense ghouls?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly felt a chill run up his back.


    ¡°Why are you trying to freak people out¡­ I am¡­ afraid¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ cough, cough.¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    The men around Zhao Xuanjing let out a sigh in relief.


    That meant she could see nothing.


    But precisely at that moment, Xie Qiao tilted her head and shot a nce to a corner with no one in it. That gaze did not seem vacant.


    The group froze up. Cold air whooshed up around them.


    ¡°Remind me when we are leaving.¡± Xie Qiao called out. Then, she stood up and took her leave.


    Zhao Xuanjing face was muddled with concern. But his face was calm as he stood tall and dignified as ever.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou could not bear it any longer. His eyelid was twitching in warning. ¡°Young Master.¡±


    ¡°A good anvil does not fear the hammer.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear if you have done no wrong.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was calm as he left with those two phrases.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou promptly nodded. ¡°You are right, master. I have overstepped my bounds.¡±


    The young master really was worthy of his title. Intangible things do not matter to him. Even if there were really ghosts, the young master would still stand his ground. He would always be there. He would most definitely never stoop down to these brats¡¯ level and fidget around.


    Before the sun rose up the next day, Xie Qiao headed out.


    When they reached that auspicious location, Xie Qiao prepared the offerings. Then she started to mumble.


    The burial ceremony did not need to be tooplicated. Xie Qiao needed to pray in five directions and request for the deities to clear the path for them as to not offend the higher powers. She prayed that he was bathed in glory after death and that his family prospered and that evil remained far from them and fortune found them. After the prayers and the digging of the ground, they let the coffin down into the ground with no problems or other dangers.


    Actually, there were many rules regarding burials.


    Xie Qiao had removed many steps from the ritual.


    After praying in five directions, she simply set the direction on thepass. Then she dug up soil, covered up the coffin, nailed it shut, and set it down


    Each step had an apanying rhyme of its own. Xie Qiao was in charge of chanting them out.


    Zhao Xuanjing and the rest only felt that Xie Qiao was mumbling nonsense.


    However, what they did not see was the ghoul next to them seemingly enjoying this. The air around his form had also cleared up a bit unlike the dark gloom from before.


    ¡°Young Master, Ms. Xie¡¯s health seems to be in good health? Take a look at her face, it¡¯s fair and rosy.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou could not help but grumble.


    Zhao Xuanjing cocked his eyebrow.


    She looked good, but she could copse at any given moment.


    ¡°Except you, everyone has to shovel some soil on the burial.¡± Xie Qiao squinted at Zhao Xuanjing.


    ¡°Why am I exempted?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°Your status is not suitable.¡± Xie Qiao said, ¡°He can¡¯t handle it if you did. ¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately stopped talking.


    Now he was wondering if the girl had figured out his identity.


    But if she did know, her attitude was a bit too rxed. Though she was respectful, it carried no sincerity. It did not seem like she treated him any differently.


    With little hassle, they finished the ceremony.


    Finally, Zhao Xuanjing and hispany were ready to leave. They seemed to leave with some reluctance.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, do you have anything to say?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    If only this maiden could follow him on his journey.


    ¡°Nothing. There really is nothing else left. No lies this time.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33: Noble and Proud</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing raised his eyebrows and looked at her with a gaze filled in confusion.


    Upon meeting this youngdy, he had spent a total of two hundred and sixty silvers, including the prior meetings. In exchange, she had only given him a few general pieces of advice.


    Some words were too mysterious to be understood, but the few he couldprehend, hemitted to memory.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, your advice is really expensive.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled, despite looking a little stiff.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this amount of silver. Young Master is not willing to part with it?¡± Xie Qiao was as calm as ever, having nothing to lose. ¡°The silver I received from you isn¡¯t much. Those who could afford it wouldn¡¯t feel a thing. Plus, you offered me this amount of your own choosing without me asking.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing agreed.


    He had offered that amount of money willingly.


    ¡®This was the first time I did this.


    ¡®So I can¡¯t say she is greedy for my money.¡¯


    ¡°Thanks, Young Lady. I hope to see you again in the future.¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt that it waste now and he did not wish to chat further.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll definitely see you again.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked askance at her, and deliberately pretended to be stupid, ¡°You are about to leave for the imperial city soon. You¡¯re a businesswoman, but you haven¡¯t been to the imperial city before?¡±


    Xie Qiaoughed.


    ¡°The way Young Master speaks is as if he were addressing a First Young Lady standing among a group of men. Everyone is proiming her to be their true love, yet you know it¡¯s just a lie.¡± Xie Qiao rubbed her toes on the ground twice and spoke gently, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Young Master, even if I meet you in the Imperial City, I would pretend not to know you.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words were too straightforward, and it cracked at Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s cool indifference.


    He was a bit sensitive in his identity. If this case was solved, it would be difficult to tell others that he had relied on fortune-telling.


    It was not that the fortune-telling was bad, nor was he guilty about it.


    Someone would use this to use him of not doing his job properly. That would only invite him more trouble.


    ¡°Then, I thank you, Young Lady,¡± Zhao Xuanjing responded earnestly.


    This Young Lady was so intelligent that it had thrown him off.


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you. After all, I am an unmarrieddy from a respectable family!¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was rxed, a little prideful, even.


    ¡®As an unmarried Young Lady, how could I perform fortune-telling everywhere, and even get acquainted with a man?


    ¡®So pretending not to know each other is the best!¡¯


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched, but he saw that Xiao Qiao was really serious about this.


    After a while, Xie Qiao packed up her stuff and got into a waiting carriage.


    Xie Qiao walked away euphorically without turning her head back. She did not spare the group of people apanying her a single nce. The huge rooster at her side had her full attention. She gave it more care than anyone else, including the Young Master.


    Zhao Xuanjing could not see anything amiss, but something felt odd.


    ¡°Young Master, is Ms. Xie really a noble and proud person?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou could not help but sigh.


    ¡°How would you know? She seemed to be money-minded.¡±


    No matter how stubborn she appeared to be, she immediately changed her behavior when she saw silver.


    Her facial expression changed faster than the flipping of a page.


    ¡°With so many people apanying you, everyone could tell that you came from an unusual background. However, this girl wouldn¡¯t look at you any differently. She could quite possibly be a noble and proud person.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou spoke solemnly.


    Zhao Xuanjing raised her brows, ¡°Perhaps she thinks that there are too many ugly people around her, so she could not stand to look at them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡®In the past few days, I feel that Young Master has be much gentler, and it is just an illusion!¡¯


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao was sitting in a carriage offered to her as a gift by the people of Floating Pavilion Town. The coachmen were all her own people, so she felt morefortable riding the carriage.


    After handling so many things by herself, her stepmother and stepsister were just about to depart from town. They caught up with one another after a while. The two teams slowly merged into one.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s eyes were now swollen like walnuts.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34: Path Paved Out</h4>


    After she was forced to pick up the corpse, she cried non-stop when she went home. When she was tired from crying, she fell asleep. However, she did not sleep well through the night.


    After a nightmare-riddled nightmare, herplexion seemed to darken the very next. She looked like cinder had been sprinkled all over her. She looked exceptionally awful.


    ¡°Mother, Xie Qiao is too much. Now that she is already bullying me, in the future when¡­ when we reach the Xie household, how am I supposed to survive? Why don¡¯t I head back to the Pei household?!¡± The moment she heard that Xie Qiao had caught up, Pei Wanyue lost herposure.


    Her mind was upied with that skeleton from yesterday.


    And alsost night¡¯s nightmare!


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? The Pei Family is ruthless. How could I let you go back there?!¡± Ms. Lu pressed her fingers against her temples. ¡°Just look at yourself. You haven¡¯t even reached the Xie household and you¡¯re already giving up?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I am really scared. Sincest night, my body has been ice-cold.¡± Pei Wanyue wailed.


    ¡°Aye. That brat is certainly nefarious. Goodness knows what she had been learning from that Taoist Temple!¡± Ms. Lu sighed. ¡°You are at fault too. You were too rash yesterday! I know you think she is pretty, and it will be a point ofparison between the two of you. But¡­ she will not live long, anyway! ¡±


    Pei Wanyue was silent for a moment.


    Not living long¡­ Living till 20 was not a long life, neither was 40.


    There was no way Xie Qiao would be gone in these couple of years, right?


    ¡°Wanyue. Just think about it. No matter how good she is, no one would ever bring her to mind if her body doesn¡¯tst. On the contrary, the more outstanding she is, the better it is for the Xie Family¡¯s reputation. That would in turn go back to you. So if she is excellent, would that not pave a path for you too?¡± Ms. Lu added.


    No one had paid this daughter of hers much attention in the Pei household, so she was sheltered and had shallow views.


    Pei Wanyue pursed her lips.


    However, everyone wanted to be the best and not the second choice.


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t feel well. I¡¯m cold and a little dizzy.¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯splexion was draining by the second.


    Ms. Lu was shocked when she heard that.


    Then she cautiously felt her daughter¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re burning up?¡± Ms. Lu frowned. ¡°Perhaps it was from yesterday¡¯s shock. Luckily, we have a physician with us. I¡¯ll ask the physician to see you.¡±


    Ms. Lu promptly let the physician look her over.


    It was just a normal cold and fever. There was not much of a problem.


    However, Pei Wanyue¡¯s symptoms were rather frightening. She was feeling unwell one day, then she copsed the very next day.


    The physician was skilled in his own right. Pei Wanyue¡¯s fever was not that high. She only felt difort from the dizziness and had chills, so she stayed in the carriage andid down to rest.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face was dark.


    ¡°We will stop once we reach the imperial city. We will continue only when you recover.¡± Ms. Lu¡¯s expression was motherly.


    Pei Wanyue was feverishly delirious at that point, but she still shook her head. ¡°Mother, that won¡¯t be good. We should continue and press onward. I wish to reach the imperial city sooner.¡±


    Her voice was weak and frail. At that point, she looked even frailer than Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Press onwards? Would your body take it? You shouldn¡¯t let it get so bad that it¡¯ll leave side effects.¡± Ms. Lu was getting frantic.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mother. I want to go to your home sooner.¡± Pei Wanyue was adamant.


    She had thought it through.


    She could not show up at the Xie household like a lost refugee.


    Now that she had fallen ill, the whole Xie Family would know that it was from the shock Xie Qiao had put her through. She could gain their pity that way.


    Ms. Lu did not know what was going through her daughter¡¯s head. She had only thought that her daughter did not have any support throughout all these years. That was why she was so adamant about this.


    Her heart ached for her as these sad thoughts went through her mind.


    Of course, Ms. Lu was ming Xie Qiao in her heart. However, it was not appropriate to voice them out.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35: Not His Biological Dad</h4>


    The carriage Xie Qiao was riding on had not been arranged by her stepmother. She even had to fork out her own money for food and clothing.


    This just showed how mean her stepmother was.


    Now, many people around her felt that she had treated Xie Qiao harshly. If her daughter got sick and tried to stir up trouble with Xie Qiao again, she would not be able to reason for herself once she reached the Imperial City.


    So she decided to endure.


    ¡®If Xiao Qiao displeases me, I better avert my gaze.


    ¡®Xiao Qiao will feel more at ease this way.¡¯


    At that time, Zhao Xuanjing had already led people to find the deste and ruined vige in the southwest. The vige was quite big, and it was not easy to scour it for a single item.


    But it was also much better than blindly searching like what he did before.


    He had everyone search the vige thoroughly.


    The whole vige was covered with weeds that grew wildly. Only some ces covered by stones made for traversable terrain.


    Zhao Xuanjing gazed at the vigendscape and drew upon his memories of Master Lu¡¯s personality. He put himself in Master Lu¡¯s shoes. Finally, his intuition brought him to the only private house in the vige.


    But before he was ready to look for it, several men in ck outfits suddenly appeared around him.


    ¡°Protect the Young Master!¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou and others were shocked.


    In an instant, there was a fight.


    Weeds were flying all over the ce, and blood was sttered everywhere. The dim sky was covered by wool of the weeds, creating a gloomy fog.


    ¡°Swish¡­¡±


    Several arrows were released, piercing through the fog towards their direction.


    Zhao Xuanjing took a sword in his left hand and kicked a man in a ck outfit. But the next moment, an arrow was shot straight into his chest. Everyone froze in shock.


    The next moment it became apparent that the arrow had not pierced his skin. Everyone seemed to faint at the sight.


    ¡°Dang!¡± The arrow tore his clothes but immediately fell to the ground.


    Zhao Xuanjing was taken aback. Xie Qiao¡¯s words crossed his mind.


    ¡®Remember to watch out for weapons and sparks from fires?


    ¡®Is it¡­ could the blessed mirror have saved his life?¡¯


    Zhao Xuanjing was unhurt. The guards around him rallied and quickly counterattacked. The group of people in ck outfits had an advantage for their sudden attack. But now that they had missed the opportunity, they seemed far more helpless.


    Sand and stones flew.


    Their swords were rattled and nked against each other.


    Qin Zhi confronted the three men in ck in front of him. It was a difficult situation and he was forced to retreat. He did not realize that there was a dry well behind him. He did not think much about it. He just wanted to quickly get rid of the few badasses in front of him. A fierce fight ensued.


    His ability was extraordinary. Although he faced three difficult enemies, he quickly gained the upper hand.


    But for some reason, all of a sudden, his vision went blurry. His hands turned heavy and his arms felt weak. He felt as if someone had mped his arms to his side.


    He felt as if someone was pulling him by the back of his head, and his body suddenly reeled back¡­


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou dashed over and shouted out loud.


    Qin Zhi¡¯s vision went ck, and he was about to fall into the well at any moment.


    At the most critical moment, he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest.


    The burning sensation brought him back to consciousness just as he was about to fall. His hand sessfully grabbed a stone that protruded from the wall of the well!


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou and the others rushed over to help him immediately.


    After defeating the three men in ck outfits, they hurriedly pulled him out of the well. When they took a look at him again, the man was able to stand on his feet, but his waist had somehow been cut. His clothes were already soaked with blood. It was a very scary sight.


    After a while, some of the men in ck outfitsy dead, and others escaped.


    Qin Zhi was confused.


    He was not alone. Everyone else looked on, just as confused.


    The wound on his waist was bleeding profusely, but it did not reach his important organs. He was not seriously injured because he could still talk to everyone with a pale look on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou¡­tell me, is it toote for me to kneel in front of that half-immortal Xie now?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯s felt a tightness in his throat, fearing that his life might being to an end.


    He even took out the safety talisman Mr. Zhou had forced upon him.


    ¡®It had turned into ash?¡¯


    ¡°¡­¡± Qin Zhi had never experienced such fear, even if he had escaped this day with his life.


    ¡°My dear mom, Qin Zhi, the one at my home is really not my biological parent¡­¡±

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36: Reached</h4>


    One of the brothers in arms could not help but mumble.


    When Qin Zhi heard that, his face turned dark. ¡°Bastard, if a Half-immortal could predict everything so urately, why call her a Half-immortal? We should just call her a god. Half-immortal Xie had predicted that harm woulde my way, but she did not predict the issues that would befall my family. Did she now? ¡°¡±


    ¡°You are still stubborn. See here, she just saved your life.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou shook his head.


    Then he headed over to check out the well, pointing to the bottom. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Qin Zhi craned his neck over.


    With a nce, his temple throbbed.


    Oh gosh.


    This was a dried-out well. It was not too deep. The bottom was covered in mush and weeds. Atop the dirt, there was an abandoned animal trap!


    Even though the trap was already broken, the pair of razor-sharp des reached up towards the sky. If he were to fall down into the well and his headnded on that¡­


    Blood would definitely spray everywhere. It would be instant death.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you have fast reflexes, brother.¡± Someone patted his shoulder. ¡°You just scraped through death.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ was burned by the talisman. It shocked me back to my senses¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯s mouth was dry. ¡°Right. You know my capabilities well too. I¡¯m more than qualified to take care of those three. But for some reason, ever since just now, I¡¯ve been feeling off. Like someone strangling me¡­¡±


    When he said this, his brothers in arms around him scooted backward.


    They were avoiding him as much as they could.


    ¡°You guys are too much. I almost died!¡± Qin Zhi said wistfully.


    ¡°No, your words sound creepy. You better not have anything impure on you.¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself that it¡¯s evil. How could you me us for thinking this way? We are giving you an enormous benefit of doubt here. ¡±


    ¡°Qin Zhi.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s face turned stern. ¡°The grand immortal said that there are some big problems with you. We need to clear the problem from its root. Otherwise¡­ trouble will eventuallye knocking.¡±


    When he said this, everyone took another step back.


    There was a major problem. Would that mean that he was a goner?


    ¡°Zhou¡­ Zhou, don¡¯t frighten me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯s face was green.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou huffed. ¡°The half deity has set off for the imperial city. Later on¡­ when we are done, let¡¯s make a trip to Water Moon Temple. The Grand Immortal¡¯s master can solve your problems for sure!¡±


    Qin Zhi¡¯s eyes shone when he heard this.


    He was saved!


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s search around first. It¡¯ll be hard to search when it gets darkter on.¡±


    With Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯sment, everyone continued back to work.


    Zhao Xuanjing entered his private chambers. After a thorough search, there really was a stone tile. Underneath it, he found a square box.


    His face looked troubled.


    Now that he found it, Zhao Xuanjing gathered his men and promptly left.


    Xie Qiao did not know that her gift had already saved someone. Even if she did, she would not think much of it.


    Service in exchange for payment, goods were delivered, and the transaction was closed. Whatever happened next was not her concern.


    The closer she was to the imperial city, the calmer Xie Qiao became.


    She only spoke to Da Xiong every day, not even caring about the whereabouts of the Lu mother-daughter duo.


    Ms. Lu¡¯spany was rushing, and they did not seem to stop. Xie Qiao followed suit too. Secretly, she sneaked some extra silver to her coachman for their hard work.


    The usual way to the imperial city would usually be at least one and half months¡¯ journey. However, they had crammed it down one month.


    When they reached the city gates, they sent a messenger to the Xie family in advance.


    That way, by the time they reached home, the household would be ready for their arrival.


    On the rare asion when Xie Qiao mustered some energy, she no longer looked sickly.


    She had left home for so many years. It was not nice to worry the family the second she walked home.


    Xie Niushan was only a lowly fourth-grade general. He bought the house himself. It was also surrounded by other low-ranking generals¡¯ homes.


    ¡°Miss, they have stopped up ahead. We should have arrived.¡±

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37: The Eldestdy</h4>


    Xie Qiao unveiled the curtain and looked outside.


    The wall that surrounded the Xie family home was right in front of her eyes. There were many people at the front entrance but she could not see what they looked like.


    The housekeeper of the Xie family home was waiting at the door.


    With a respectful look, he personally stepped forward and waited for Ms. Lu to get out of the carriage.


    ¡°Where is the Master?¡± Ms. Lu got out of the carriage and only caught sight of the servant. When she did not see her husband and her stepchildren, she frowned slightly.


    ¡°The Master and the Eldest Young Master are still in the military camp at the moment. I thought you would only be back in half a month¡¯s time. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon. I have sent someone out to inform the heads. The Second Young Master and the Young Lady are in the academy now,¡± the housekeeper quickly replied.


    ¡°Academy?¡± After Pei Wanyue got out of the carriage, she was puzzled and spoke up in a weak and slightly hoarse voice.


    ¡°Oh, it was opened by the royal family. Uncle Xie¡­Your dad, spent a lot of money dredging in order for the two young ones to be admitted into the Academy,¡± Ms. Lu replied.


    Pei Wanyue pursed her mouth, ¡°I never expected girls to be able to go to school too. There is no such thing in Liao Zhou¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Liao Zhou is a small ce and is rtively remote. It is not surprising thatdies are kept at home under tight watch and not allowed to study at the academies. There are three well-knownrge academies in the imperial city, all of which eptdies. The situation in other nearby cities is simr. This is all due to Empress Dowager Jiang¡¯s credits.¡± Ms. Lu exined.


    This Empress Dowager Jiang had a deep affection for thete Emperor, and she had been his childhood sweetheart since they were young.


    Empress Dowager Jiang was born into a general¡¯s family. She had a hearty and generous personality. From the day she became Queen, she had been encouraging girls to enroll in academies.


    Although this was met with great resistance, some progress was made.


    Mostdies that came fromrge families had to study and learn philosophy.


    Many people wished to marry a highly-educated wife from these academies. After all, if the wife had an education, she could better educate her children in the future.


    Pei Wanyue showed a look of yearning.


    ¡°Mom, when I was at my home in Liao Zhou, I used to¡­ read books.¡± Pei Wanyue spoke in a very faint voice.


    Ms. Lu was stunned, and then she understood what was meant by her daughter. She calmly replied, ¡°When your dades back, I¡¯ll tell him about this. The Royal Academy is not easy for one to gain admission, but going to the other two academies is still possible.¡±


    Pei Wanyue could not help but clench her fist.


    ¡®If I wish to join an academy, I would certainly join the Royal Academy!¡¯


    ¡®Who did not want to gain good education or be the top scorer in the government entrance examination?¡¯


    Pei Wanyue was reluctant to say this directly. She only nodded her head gently.


    Immediately after, the housekeeper began to ask his men to unload things. Just as they prepared to go to work, Xie Qiao got out of the carriage.


    The housekeeper was taken aback.


    ¡°Are you¡­ the Eldest Lady?¡± The housekeeper took in her presence all at once.


    ¡®I feel strange. There is only onedy beside Ms. Lu, and I am reluctant to ask vocally whether thedy is Ms. Xie or Ms. Pei. If I address her wrongly, Ms. Lu might get angry with me.¡¯


    Ms. Lu had really forgotten about Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s presence was just that unimportant to Ms. Lu all along the way!


    When the housekeeper said that, Ms. Lu¡¯s facial expression changedpletely, ¡°Qiao Er, this is the housekeeper, Yuan Rong. He is the old man who followed the Master earlier. If you want a favor, just ask him.¡±


    ¡°It is Yuan Rong¡¯s pleasure to meet the Eldest Lady.¡± The housekeeper nced at Xie Qiao and was a little surprised. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a lighthearted tone, ¡°The Eldest Lady¡¯s courtyard is ready. I shall lead you there.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded her head slightly.


    Everyone was very curious about the Eldest Lady, and they could not help but take a few more nces at her at that moment.


    They were deeply shocked in their hearts.


    They heard that the Eldest Lady who had been raised elsewhere wasing back home. The maids and even the servants of the family were curious about her for a while.


    They all knew that the Eldest Lady and the Eldest Young Master were monoamniotic twins. So they all felt that the Eldest Lady¡¯s physical appearance could not amount to much.


    They had never expected her to grow into a finedy like this!

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38: Fill The Well</h4>


    This was absolutely unlike the Master!


    They were ineloquent, and neither were their attempts to tter decent. They only knew that this youngdy was elegant. She was prettier than all thedies in imperial city, any time of the day. She seemed to radiate light. No one could take their eyes off her.


    The Wans carried Xie Qiao bamboo basket, whereas Chun Er carried the huge rooster.


    The remaining belongings were not important, so she let the Xie family help her carry them.


    They had discussed with the coachman earlier concerning the Floating Pavilion Town. Now that they have sent her here, they would turn to take the same road back.


    ¡°The master chose this courtyard himself. It might be a little far, but he says that the ce is quiet. There are many pear trees in the yard. Soon, they will be ready to pick and eat. You would love this.¡± The housekeeper said calmly.


    Compared to his solicitous manners toward Ms. Lu, his manners toward Xie Qiao were a lot more straightforward and casual.


    Xie Qiao only hummed in response without saying much.


    The courtyard was indeed rather far.


    It reached into the farthest northeast corner of the Xie household.


    The courtyard was already cleaned. It was very spacious. There were a fewrge open tanks with beautiful water lilies in them. The interior of the house was simple but adequately furnished. It was well equipped with green tents, new dressing tables, and an empty cab.


    All in all, it was rather satisfactory.


    It also saved them the effort of renovating and decorating the whole ce.


    Even though they did not need to tear down the whole ce, there were still parts that needed some improvement.


    ¡°Is there anything not satisfactory to your tastes?¡± The housekeeper saw her ncing around and asked.


    ¡°Are there no wells in my yard?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°There is. There¡¯s a small kitchen at the side. You may use it at night if you are hungry. There is a well outside the small kitchen,¡± the housekeeper said.


    Xie Qiao went over to study it. She could not help but frown. ¡°Fill this well with sand. Dig up a new well on the ce where I was standing on just now.¡±


    Wells and stove should not be ced opposite each other. Also, this ce was in the Oxen Position. Digging a well in this position would not bring goodwill to the harmony between the siblings. This ce was rather remote, but since the family rarely came here, it did not matter anyway. However, now that she was going to move in for good, what had to be changed would be changed.


    ¡°Fill the well?!¡± The housekeeper was stunned.


    The others following behind the housekeeper were also stunned.


    They thought they were supposed to fill in the ce with some flowering shrubs or greenery, but they had not expected this youngdy to have the well filled up only to rebuild another.


    ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t filling up a well too much trouble? Also, how does this well inconvenience you so?¡± The housekeeper frowned.


    ¡°How many silver pieces would it take?¡± Xie Qiao stared back at him.


    The housekeeper was struck dumb. ¡°Not much¡­¡±


    It was just the building of a well. Even if the Xie Household was considered poor among the government officials, they were still government officials. How could they not afford to pay for minor expenses like these?


    ¡°Since it doesn¡¯t cost too much, then do as I say.¡± Xie Qiao kept her words clipped.


    Actually, she wanted to cut those two pear trees down too.


    Theoretically, nting pear trees in the yards did not bode well. But in this case, the trees were in an adequate position, but not without a few caveats. Also, it was an act of kindness from her eldest brother. It was better to leave them as they were.


    The housekeeper¡¯s heart clenched. It was not his ce to speak anymore, so he merely nodded.


    ¡°You were by my father¡¯s side from before? Then, have you seen my mother?¡± Xie Qiao spoke gently.


    ¡°When I came under the master employ, the First Lady had already passed. The Second Lady was still around back then.¡± The housekeeper opened up.


    The Seconddy?


    Even though Xie Qiao had not been home for the past few years, she was still aware of the Xie household¡¯s internal affairs.


    The seconddy, Ms. Lin was her sibling¡¯s biological mother. She was pressed to enter the mountains and marry her father after her own mother died. After the father made a huge fuss over her, she disappeared after giving her father twins.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39: Not In Good Health?</h4>


    Xie Qiao waved her hand and gestured Yuan Rong to back-off.


    ¡®My dad is not a very good judge of character, especially when ites to this housekeeper¡­¡¯


    The housekeeper got big eyes, which meant that he had a bad temper. His thick hair and sideburns implied that he did not have good vision. With his vigorous energy, he must have an evil heart. Moreover, his rtively narrow facial features and sharp-pointed teeth showed that he was a greedy man.


    Xie Qiao sighed lightly.


    Yuan Rong did not expect to be dismissed just like that.


    He recalled the time when Ms. Lu was married into the family. He was given a small gift and she had been very polite to him.


    ¡®How dare this eldest youngdy not taking me seriously.¡¯


    ¡®If she is favored, that is absolutely fine. But this eldestdy had been raised outside. When she returned, the Master and the Eldest Young Master had specially chosen a remote and deste small courtyard for her to settle in. Where does she stand in their hearts?¡¯


    ¡®If she does not know her ce soon, she would definitely lose out!¡¯


    ¡°Young Lady, is this ce too remote for you?¡± Chun Er looked worried, and she felt like the Young Lady was losing out.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Xie Qiao told the truth, ¡°If a courtyard bustling with noise has been arranged for me, I¡¯ll have to change it.¡±


    Chun Er breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she did not have an unhappy expression on her face.


    ¡°I think Da Xiong is a little tired. I will put him in the courtyard to rest.¡± Chun Er said again.


    ¡°Give him a pot of dried insects.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice became clear whenever her huge rooster was mentioned.


    Chun Er could not help but keepughing.


    ¡°The way you treat this huge rooster is better than you treat yourself!¡±


    Chun Er felt that this was a weird phenomena. Butter she discovered that this huge rooster could even recognize his own Master. It madeplete sense to her why Xie Qiao treated him so well.


    ¡®Dogs that recognize their Master might be a lot, but a rooster that could recognize his Master¡­


    ¡­might be just one of a kind?


    ¡®She would naturally want to keep this huge rooster which was so rare.¡¯


    Xie Qiao smiled bitterly.


    The reason why she was good to Da Xiong was because she had raised this huge rooster all by herself. On the other hand, her huge rooster drove away evil spirits, and Da Xiong had been fed by her with various potent insects and runes since childhood. His Yang energy was greater than ever. By having him by her side, this would at least guarantee that she could have a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s body was actually overwhelmed with fatigue after the long journey.


    Shey down on the bed and fell asleep after a while.


    When she woke up, Chun Er came to report that Xie Niushan, her elder brother and younger siblings had just returned home.


    She was invited toe over for dinner.


    Xie Qiao changed into a lotus-colored dress. She looked a bit more energetic in this attire.


    At that moment, Xie Niushan was together with Ms. Lu and her daughter.


    ¡°The two of you are back early. Have you seen your eldest sister?¡± Xie Niushan asked Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi.


    His voice sounded very fierce, and Xie Ping shrank his head.


    ¡°No, I just sent someone over and she said that the eldest sister was sleeping, so I didn¡¯t want to bother her. I yed with this sister first.¡± Xie Pinghuai said quickly.


    Xie Niushan turned his gaze on Pei Wanyue.


    Pei Wanyue hurriedly came out and prostrated to Xie Niushan, ¡°Wanyue greets Daddy here.¡±


    Xie Niushan was taken aback, ¡°What are you addressing me here?¡±


    Pei Wanyue blushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°I asked her to address you that way. She is my daughter. Now that she is following me, she naturally wants to address you as her daddy.¡± Ms. Lu said quickly.


    Xie Niushan was very happy when he heard this, ¡°That¡¯s good. She is really good-looking and sweet.¡±


    As he said that, he took out a small dagger from his arms, ¡°Hold this and y with it!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s hands dropped as she grabbed hold of the dagger. The dagger was actually iid with gems, which looked nice. It would be even better for her if the dagger was reced with jewelry.


    ¡°Thank you, daddy.¡± Pei Wanyue was very obedient. As soon as she finished speaking, she let out a cough.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re not well?¡± Xie Niushan frowned so deeply that a fly could be trapped inside his furrowed brow.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40: Poor</h4>


    Pei Wanyue quickly shook her head. She seemed rather terrified. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just had a shock along the way. It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t need to worry, father.¡±


    ¡°Shock? What did you face along the way?¡±


    Xie Niushan did not mean to ask any further. He was worried that his daughter who had appeared so suddenly would feel left out. So he tried to humor her.


    Pei Wanyue stammered like she was struggling to say something.


    Her behavior made Xie Niushan even more curious.


    ¡°What actually happened?¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s voice sounded dark, like he was ready to pummel someone.


    Ms. Lu saw that her daughter was at a loss so she said, ¡°When we picked up that brat Xie Qiao, she brought along a strange package. We were afraid that it might be checked for being suspicious, so we opened and peeked in. We did not expect it to be human bones. Then, Xie Qiao forced her to pack the skeleton back in. She is cowardly and hasn¡¯t experienced the harsh realities of the world yet, so she got a shock.¡±


    Just because of this?


    Xie Niushan¡¯s brows furrowed.


    It was just a set of human bones¡­


    ¡°Just practice a bit more. Your eldest brother has kept some medicine specifically formted to process these bones so that they¡¯ll be clean and neat. They are just hanging in his study. You may head in and have a look now and then. After a few more peeps, you won¡¯t be shocked anymore,¡± Xie Niushan said matter-of-factly.


    The moment he said this, Pei Wanyue¡¯s face immediately nched.


    Ms. Lu was stunned too.


    She had always known that Xie Pinggang was peculiar, but she had never expected him to keep human skeletons in his home!


    These siblings!


    Just then, Xie Pinggang sat at the side.


    He was one head taller than Xie Niushan. His burly form was asrge as a bear. Pei Wanyue did not even dare to look at him. Now that she knew he had such a fetish, she was even more afraid of lifting her eyes to him.


    Xie Pinggang was rather considerate. ¡°Why would a girl want to see such things? You¡¯ll just make yourself sick from shock for no reason.¡±


    Pei Wanyue did not feel any better.


    This feeling was like a bear standing in front of her, telling her not to be scared.


    Mother said that Xie Pinggang was burly and looked fierce. Before she arrived, she had tried her best to imagine him. But now that she has seen him in person, she felt like her imagination had fallen short.


    ¡°Father, have you prepared the gift for Xie Qiao?¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly spoke up and asked.


    ¡°Not yet? I was thinking of checking it out after a couple more days. Who knew that they would be home so soon,¡± Xie Niushan said, more to himself than anyone.


    Xie Pinggang lifted his head lightly. ¡°Neither did I. I¡¯ve finished my allowance for this month. Lend me some, Father.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t lend you any! Shoo! I don¡¯t have much silver left either!¡± Xie Niushan rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling that his hands were empty. He felt himself struggling a bit.


    He was poor.


    Being an official costs too much money!


    Just this rotten house and rotten title had already cleared his whole treasury. The remaining bits were to feed this group of leeches. He did not even have enough for two sips of better wine. Every month he had to work his hardest to earn money, and he did not dare spend any!


    Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang¡¯s sight fell on Xie Xi at the same time.


    Xie Xi and Xie Pinghuai were both only 12 years old this year.


    Xie Xi immediately dipped his head. ¡°No money, poor¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any either!¡± Xie Pinghuai echoed.


    ¡°Pinghuai has it.¡± Xie Xi¡¯s head hung, mumbling.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai promptly jumped backward. ¡°You are not to take my silver away. My mom just gave me these! They haven¡¯t even been with me long enough to warm up!¡±


    ¡°Heheh. Even if you were to hold the stones or silver in your hands for 10 days or half a month, they wouldn¡¯t warm up much either. As a younger brother, you should respect your elder siblings.¡± Xie Pinggang stood up.


    Like carrying a chicken, he picked up Xie Pinghuai and poked around his clothes. After flipping through, he picked out two silver notes worth 50 silver pieces each.


    ¡°Just enough, Father. A piece each from us. If we don¡¯t have any presents then let¡¯s give her money directly. Neither of us will outdo the other.¡± Xie Pinggang directly tossed half the share of money over.


    ¡°What about me¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes were zed over.

 Chapter 41 - Welcome Gift

    <h4>Chapter 41: Wee Gift</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai was angry, but he dared not vent his anger. He seemed angry, but he was rather cowardly.


    His mother had only given him the silver when she got home!


    He had only had it for less than two hours, and it was gone now!


    Xie Pinggang was very satisfied, while Pei Wanyue looked rather lost in her eyes.


    Were they really her blood-rted father and siblings? She was there too, so howe they were unwilling to give her a wee gift?


    50 taels of silver were better than a cold dagger, right?


    However, Ms. Lu was over the moon.


    It was not just a small dagger to her. Her husband hardly had any other hobbies other than violent activities. Xie Niushan had obtained the dagger when he was a bandit. The precious stone on it was valuable, whereby it could be sold at 1,000 taels of silver at least!


    However, what were they giving Xie Qiao?


    Silver notes?


    Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes were smiling. She looked loving as she patted Xie Pinghuai¡¯s head and said, ¡°Mother will give you more when we¡¯re home.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai smirked when he heard that. ¡°Great!¡±


    Xie Pinggang snorted at Xie Pinghuai. Thetter hid his head from the scare, and just when he was going to speak, Xie Qiao walked in from the outside.


    Everyone turned their heads to look.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes opened wide and lit up. He lifted his feet immediately and approached her. ¡°Elder daughter? You¡¯re my daughter?!¡±


    Xie Qian¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Xie Niushan was already pressing on her shoulders, and his eyes were as wide as a bull¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Only I could give birth to such a prettydy! A brat said that my daughter would definitely be as big as a bear yesterday. He even said that I¡¯d need to pay more dowry to be able to marry off my daughter! Look at you, who canpare to you!?¡±


    Xie Niushan had pride written all over his face.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes silently.


    Xie Pinggang stood up and walked to her at the moment.


    There seemed to be two walls standing next to Xie Qiao now!


    Her eldest brother was at least 2.1 meters tall¡­ Forget that he was tall; he was muscr too. The muscles on his body looked very scary, while his skin was tanned. One could not stare at him for too long.


    Now, look at her father¡­


    She had lived for many years. Apart from sending letters home every year, Xie Qiao had only seen her father once when she was born.


    As her mother had passed away that time, her father¡¯s face was gloomy, leaving her a deep shadow.


    She had just transmigrated into a fetus back then, so Xie Niushan had left too deep of an impression on her. Now that she looked at him, she thought this man looked about 40 now. He was no longer an eyesore like before.


    ¡°Father, did that old Taoist geezer, Mo Lingzi, kidnap her? She doesn¡¯t look like one of us.¡± Xie Pinggang was rather pertinent. He knew what his family members looked like.


    Xie Niushan was stunned at first, while he was pissed subsequently. ¡°Nonsense! Look at her nose and eyes. Don¡¯t they look exactly like mine!?¡±


    He could tell that this was his child just by looking at her!


    ¡°Father, can you stop humiliating your daughter?¡± Xie Qiao said helplessly.


    Xie Niushan was stunned for a little, which made Xie Pinggang happy. ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re my sister. That¡¯s right!¡±


    Xie Niushan harrumphed.


    ¡°Eldest brother,¡± Xie Qiao called out.


    ¡°Great, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re home.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s attitude became much calmer after the joy.


    Xie Niushan seemed to have recalled something, and his smile was no longer as bright before.


    ¡°These are your brother and sister. They¡¯re both good-for-nothing,¡± Xie Niushan said.


    Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi were secretly observing Xie Qiao.


    The reason being they had only heard about her, but they had never seen her. Thus, Xie Qiao was a stranger to them.


    They called out obediently, ¡°Eldest sister.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded and brought two things out of her embrace. ¡°It¡¯s our first time meeting, these are for you.¡±

 Chapter 42 - Robbing

    <h4>Chapter 42: Robbing</h4>


    Those were two pouches of the same size.


    After Xie Qiao gave them gifts, Pei Wanyue recalled that she hade empty-handed. She panicked a little at that moment. She thought about it and removed two things from her body immediately.


    She was a girl after all, so she could only give essories.


    It made sense to give Xie Qi those, but it would be a little weird to give them to Xie Pinghuai.


    She was not sure what to do at the moment, so she stood there awkwardly.


    ¡°Huai¡¯er is a boy, so he wouldn¡¯t care about all these. Your second sister will give you a gift next time, alright?¡± Ms. Lu spoke on behalf of her daughter.


    Xie Pinghuai nodded straightforwardly and looked at the gift that Xie Qiao had given him.


    He could not understand it as he checked it and looked confused.


    ¡°What is this that sister gave?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    Xie Pinghuai brought it out directly when he heard that and showed it to everyone on his palm.


    Xie Pinggang snatched it when he saw it. ¡°It¡¯s a small jade ship? The carving skill is amazing¡­ Wait¡­¡±


    He looked closer as if he was going to put it on his head. Subsequently, his facial expression changed, and he shoved the thing into his embrace directly.


    ¡°Eldest brother?¡± Xie Pinghuai looked stunned.


    What was this? Was this not just a piece of jade? He wanted to rob him of this too!?


    ¡°It¡¯ll be too much of a waste for you to have this,¡± Xie Pinggang said in all seriousness. ¡°You¡¯re just a reckless brat. What if you break it when you carry it around? Let me keep it for you. I¡¯ll give it back when you¡¯re all grown up and marrying a wife.¡±


    Xie Niushan felt his terrible eldest son¡¯s rather off attitude and observed him.


    ¡°Eldest daughter, what did you give them?¡± Xie Niushan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing rare. It¡¯s just a jade sculpture with sentences from Tao Te Ching[1] carved on it.¡± Xie Qiao looked calm, so calm that she made Xie Niushan think this thing indeed had no value.


    Xie Pinggang heaved a sigh of relief.


    Jade sculpture?


    It was an authentic jade, but it was not the best quality.


    However, the sculpting skill was amazing. Not only that, but he also discovered there were two words, ¡®Yun Wei¡¯, carved at the bottom. Therefore, a master had carved this thing. If it was sold, he could totally sell it for 700¨C800 taels of silver.


    It was wasted. If it was a high-quality jade, it could be sold a few folds higher.


    In order to change the subject, Xie Pinggang shoved the 50 silver notes to Xie Qiao immediately. ¡°You¡¯ve just arrived in the Imperial City, don¡¯t just stay home. You¡¯ll be so bored. Bring Pei¡­ I mean second sister out shopping when you¡¯re free. Go get yourself some knick-knacks.¡±


    He was flushing a little.


    The 50 silver notes seemed to be too little¡­


    There was nothing that he could do. He could only spend less next month and give her more.


    Xie Niushan thought it was too little as well, so he gave his portion of silver notes as well.


    Xie Qiao epted the silver notes calmly.


    Xie Pinggang raised his head and suddenly asked, ¡°What¡¯s that in little sister¡¯s hand?¡±


    Xie Xi¡¯s little face that was blushing became tense now. She shoved the thing into her embrace directly and said in all seriousness while looking at Xie Pinggang, ¡°Rock, tiny rock.¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Well, he got it when she said it was a piece of rock.


    He knew what his sister Xi¡¯er liked. The thing that was in the pouch must be taels of silver.


    Judging by the weight, it would be great if there were 20 taels of silver. Forget it, it was a meager amount of money. He did not care for it.


    Xie Qiao had fondness shing in her eyes when she looked at Xie Xi.


    This little girl was pretty and likeable.


    Unfortunately, she had been stuck in Ms. Lin¡¯s belly for too long when she wasing into the world, so she was not exactly smart. However, she was not considered dumb either. She was just slower than regr people.


    Xie Qiao found out about all those things from Xie Niushan, who had gotten someone to write her a letter every year.


    Therefore, she had an idea of what was happening here.


    [1] The Tao Te Ching is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism. It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese philosophy and religion, including Legalism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which wasrgely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts when it was originally introduced to China.

 Chapter 43 - The Legitimate Bandit

    <h4>Chapter 43: The Legitimate Bandit</h4>


    The gift that Xie Qiao gave Xie Xi was a solid gold piece.


    Xie Pinggang missed the opportunity to rob while he was caressing the jade sculpture in his embrace like a fool.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat while we chat.¡± Xie Niushan was very happy as he watched.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to visit grandmother?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly asked.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s facial expression became stiff when he heard that.


    Although the Xie family had gained their wealth from being bandits, they had many offsprings.


    When Xie Niushan had be a bandit back then, he cut ties with the Xie family to avoid dragging in his mother and brothers. After bing an officialter on, he had been feeling guilty about mistreating his mother, who had brought him up for years. Thus, he had gotten people to bring her back to him.


    Since he was taking care of the olddy, it was only natural that he had to take care of her other sons and grandchildren.


    From what Xie Qiao knew, the olddy did not live here. Xie Niushan¡¯s limited silvers had been given to the Xie family¡¯s two wives to buy a house each.


    She knew nothing much about the rest.


    Since she was here, it would be rude not to meet the seniors.


    She had to be nice to just ask, which was the least she could do.


    Xie Niushan looked somewhat awkward. Xie Pinggang was more straightforward as he said directly, ¡°The olddy doesn¡¯t like us, so don¡¯t look for her unless there¡¯s something urgent. You won¡¯t get anything good out of it.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Xie Niushan forced a cackle.


    Upon noticing that her husband looked terrible, Ms. Lu said caringly, ¡°Qiao¡¯er, don¡¯t me your grandmother. The thing is, the olddy is strict when ites to rules. She was unhappy that your father became a bandit back then, so¡­ she isn¡¯t fond of you and Gang¡¯er as well.¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her brows slightly.


    Although they did not say much, she got it anyway.


    She and her eldest brother¡¯s biological mother, Ms. Peng, was an even more legitimate bandit than his father.


    Her biological grandfather was the bandit group¡¯s previous leader. One could say that her grandfather had persuaded Xie Niushan to be his son-inw to inherit the mountain stronghold.


    To the olddy, she and Xie Pinggang had the blood of a bandit.


    Regarding Xie Pingguai and Xie Xi¡­ Ms. Lin had given birth to them. She was a good person.


    Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°What rules? She¡¯s just old and dumb. Without my mother, could she be the matriarch at home now? Does she think the other dumb wives of the Xie family enabled her to do this?¡±


    ¡°What am I to you?! How dare you criticize my mother right in front of me!?¡± Xie Niushan was upset when he heard that and kicked Xie Pinggang¡¯s thigh.


    Unexpectedly, Xie Niushan was thrown back by his own kick.


    He was pissed.


    Xie Pinggang turned his head to re at him.


    Xie Niushan lifted his head and snarled, ¡°I¡¯m your father, can¡¯t I kick you?!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t forget how you got your general position. I¡¯m a man, so I won¡¯t make a fuss about that old b*tch. Get her to behave herself, or my fist won¡¯t have eyes when I punch!¡± Xie Pinggang scoffed.


    Xie Niushan felt rather helpless.


    That was his mother!


    D*mn it!


    Pei Wanyue was dumbstruck as she watched.


    She had never seen such an¡­ unfilial grandson!


    What Xie Pinggang said were actually empty words. He looked fierce, but he would not really fight with his own father. He even sat down in aposed manner.


    After learning the situation, Xie Qiao naturally would not ask to see the olddy now. She was not a masochist.


    Xie Niushan proceeded to talk at the dining table.


    He boasted how invincible he was in the military camp. If not for his lowly background, he would have been promoted now. He would not be stuck at being a lowly fourth-grade general now.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to say all these. Get some silvers from the treasury and buy your way into letting my eldest sister visit the Academy. She¡¯ll only find someone eligible there.¡± Xie Pinggang threw him a cold nket at the critical moment.

 Chapter 44 - Taking a Shortcut

    <h4>Chapter 44: Taking a Shortcut</h4>


    However, what Xie Pinggang said reminded Xie Niushan, and his old face frowned immediately. ¡°That¡¯s going to be hard. The Royal Academy has already epted two good-for-nothings from our family. I don¡¯t know how much silver I¡¯ll need to pay the dean if I send one more.¡±


    ¡°Yue¡¯er is slightly younger than Qiao¡¯er. The sisters should be together. You¡¯ll have to send the both of them, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ms. Lu added.


    Xie Niushan suddenly came to a realization that he needed to raise someone else¡¯s daughter as well.


    He looked crestfallen.


    ¡®Had I ever needed to worry about money when I was a bandit back then? Great, I don¡¯t even have gold and silver ever since I became an official. I¡¯ve been living a sh*tty life!¡¯ Xie Niushan was enraged as he thought about it.


    The imperial court was an evil b*stard.


    ¡°Hmm? Did father regret being an official? You can quit your job and return to the mountain,¡± Xie Qiao said casually.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°How can I do that¡­¡±


    Back then, chaos had broken out at the borders. The imperial court could not handle it, so Xie Qiao had written to him, asking him to protect the people. He had thus been given an opportunity to be a good citizen.


    He had discussed with the military adviser about the chaos. Given that he despised those barbarians at the borders, he fought them.


    He had identally gone overboard and chopped the barbarians¡¯ heads. As such, he thought he would just enlist himself to the imperial court willingly.


    To convince the imperial court, he had broken up the entire mountain stronghold. He had given the gold and silver that he had made, as well as the things he had robbed at the borders, to the imperial court.


    As he had been sincere, he was given the position of a fourth-grade general.


    However, he had lost a lot of money that year, so he had been living with his belt tight these years. It was torturing!


    Naturally, being an official was much better than being a bandit.


    At least, these good-for-nothings at home would not be embarrassed to go out. They did not have to hide in the mountain stronghold all the time.


    ¡°Which academy would you like to go to, Qiao¡¯er? The Royal Academy is too expensive, and that dean treats money as important as his life. If you want to get in by bribery, a person would need to pay at least 5,000 taels of silvers. I¡¯m tight with money,¡± said Xie Niushan, feeling wronged.


    It was not that he did not have the money.


    It was mainly because these good-for-nothings were still single.


    He had to make money so that he would have enough money to pay for their weddings.


    That was especially so for the eldest son, who was big in size. Alldies would be scared when they saw him. Who would dare to marry him? He was past 20, and he could not find a wife until now. How could Xie Niushan not prepare more silvers for him?


    ¡°Can I not go to an academy?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Not that you can¡¯t¡­¡± Xie Niushan hesitated.


    ¡°You must.¡± Xie Pinggang was straightforward. ¡°Unless you want to stay a spinster forever. Your father is an official, after all. He can¡¯t let you marry amoner. There¡¯s a rule in the Imperial City now. All family members of officials must marry wives who have studied in an academy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s the rule.¡± Xie Niushan nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to study too much. Just pass your time when you¡¯re in there.¡±


    He did not expect this daughter of his to advance in her studies.


    This girl was raised in the Taoist temple, so what would she know!?


    Pei Wanyue mustered her courage and said, ¡°Sister has been neglected for so long. If she studies at the Royal Academy, it would be better for her title. It should be better than the other two academies, right?¡±


    The dining table went silent as soon as that was said.


    Xie Pinggang said nothing.


    Xie Niushan hesitated for a moment. ¡°That makes sense. Let me think about it.¡±


    Xie Qiao spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me worry about the money.¡±


    ¡°You? Do you have silvers? They might not ept you even if you have 5,000 taels of silvers. We can take a shortcut because I know the dean,¡± Xie Niushan said.

 Chapter 45 - Qualification

    <h4>Chapter 45: Qualification</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not consider having much silver with her.


    The Water Moon Temple was running all year. The loss was pretty heavy.


    She would not take just any job. Although the Water Moon Temple was famous in Yunjin, not many people were burning incense there.


    There were few people at the temple. Their hands were full, causing the silvers they made to drop significantly.


    She had brought 6,000¨C7,000 taels of silver for her trip this time. It seemed a lot, but in reality, there were many things to spend on.


    Her body wascking in health, so she was weak. Although the various souls caused it, she had to replenish her body.


    Forget it that she had been eating ginseng like nothing since young; the old man had even prescribed her with Yang energy medicine. The ingredients were very expensive¡ªone to two stalks of ambergris would cost 40 taels of silver!


    Apart from her own medical expenses, food for Da Xiong cost quite a bit.


    A portion of the worms that Da Xiong ate was dried insects from the mountain.


    Meanwhile, a portion of them were the worms that she caught herself and fed with cinnabar.


    Cinnabar could replenish one¡¯s spirit, calm one¡¯s soul, and go well with fire. As it was retrieved from veins with the essence of sun and moon, it came with Yang energy.


    The cinnabar she used had to be high quality as well.


    Although Da Xiong did not eat many worms, she needed it to practice talisman inscription on the daily. The expenses were significant when added together.


    Overall, she was poor as well.


    It was their first time meeting, so she did not want to spend Xie Niushan¡¯s silver.


    Although he was her biological father, this father was indeed poor, saving every little bit he could.


    ¡°What kind of people does the Royal Academy take in? Or do we need silvers and an official in the family?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    Pei Wanyue looked at Xie Niushan curiously too.


    Xie Niushan thought about it for a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that. I only know that your brother and sister didn¡¯t even sit for the examination back then. We only paid.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai lifted his head carefully and said happily, ¡°I know!¡±


    ¡°Please enlighten us, brother,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s cheeks blushed.


    ¡°For the children of third-grade and above officials, the direct sons and daughters can study in the academy directly after eight without having to sit for the examination. The unofficial sons and daughters can only sit for the examination after ten. However, the content is very simple. As long as one isn¡¯t dumb and not entirely without skill, most can get in.


    ¡°For the children of below third-grade officials, apart from paying silver to buy the qualifications, they¡¯d have to sit for the examination after ten. However, the examination is slightly more difficult. It¡¯s simr to the imperial examination.


    ¡°Not only will the unofficial sons and daughters need to sit for the examination, but the fee is also one time more expensive.


    ¡°Commoners can apply too, but the requirement is even higher. They¡¯ll either have to pay a huge sum, smart enough, or they¡¯d need to be rmended by third-grade and above officials.


    ¡°The difference between male and female would be¡­ They¡¯d only ept male students once a year, whose age is between ten to 25. For females after ten, there¡¯ll be a certain day each month for the examination. They can¡¯t enroll if they¡¯re married.¡± Xie Pinghuai was very detailed in his exnation.


    Xie Qiao got it now.


    Not many wanted to really study at the Royal Academy. Most of them were there for fame and money.


    There must be many imperial princes and imperial grandchildren. Those non-official families that were wealthy would naturally send their children in no matter the price they had to pay. It would be great to even butter up those people.


    ¡°One can only get in with the rmendation of third-grade and above officials? I-If not, how much silver does one have to pay?¡± Pei Wanyue suddenly asked. Her voice was rather impatient.


    ¡®Uncle Xie is just a fourth-grade official!¡¯


    Not only that, she was not his daughter by blood. She could only be listed as amoner!

 Chapter 46 - So Much Silver

    <h4>Chapter 46: So Much Silver</h4>


    Xie Niushan had not thought too much about it earlier. After he snapped back to his senses, he just realized that he would need to pay 5,000 taels of silver for the shortcut to get his daughter in for fame.


    However, if that girl from the Pei family wanted to get in too¡­


    How much would he need to pay!?


    Xie Niushan red at Xie Pinghuai. ¡°How much silver would it be?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ At least 50,000 taels of silver¡­ The academy is divided into a couple of sses. One will get into the lowest ss¡ªss D if one pays 50,000 taels,¡± Xie Pinghuai said softly.


    ¡°ss D!? And it¡¯s the lowest ss?!¡± Xie Niushan almost broke his vocal cords from yelling.


    He scared Pei Wanyue so much that her eyes turned red immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough that themoners can get into the Royal Academy. 50,000 taels aren¡¯t considered a lot. You¡¯ll need to pay more to get into better sses! There are ss Qian, Kun, Sun, Moon, A, B, C, and D. As long as one has silver, you can be in the same ss with the imperial princes.¡± Xie Pinghuai smirked.


    Pei Wanyue looked terrible now.


    ¡°How much silver does one need to¡­ be in the same ss as a prince?¡± Pei Wanyue dared not imagine that.


    Xie Pinghuai pouted and mumbled, ¡°You sure are daring to ask.¡±


    Pei Wanyue looked panicked, ¡°I-I¡¯m just curious!¡±


    ¡°You brat!¡± Xie Niushan hit Xie Pinghuai¡¯s head, ¡°How much? Tell me and see if it would scare me!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only onemoner in ss Qian. He came from a big n in the south. Although his family did not contribute to anything, they¡¯re wealthy. The n is big. I heard they spend 1,000,000 taels of silver. However, everyone in ss Qian is the cream of the crop. It wouldn¡¯t be that scary if he was in ss A, B, C, or D,¡± said Xie Pinghuai.


    That shocked everyone present.


    1,000,000 taels of silver just to pass one¡¯s time in an academy?


    ¡°You can buy the title of an official with that amount of silver.¡± Xie Pinggang always stunned people with his words.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spend so much just to be official back then, did I?¡± Xie Niushan said.


    He had been pretty wealthy back in his bandit days. That was especially so after fighting the barbarians and obtaining their loot. He had some 700,000¨C800,000 taels of silver added together!


    He had given the money to the imperial court while he was left with less than 30% of his fortune.


    After buying houses and connections with the 30% of his fortune, he had been left with nothing.


    ¡°How¡¯s your title of an official the same? Instead of saying you bought it with silvers, you should say that you obtained it in exchange for the barbarians¡¯ heads,¡± Xie Qiao said in a neutral manner.


    Xie Niushan nodded.


    What she said made sense. He had be an official depending on his courage. Those people out there who said that he paid to be an official were fools.


    ¡°Are you saying Yue¡¯er can¡¯t get into the Royal Academy, then?¡± Ms. Lu was rather upset.


    Pei Wanyue rubbed both hands while squeezing her handkerchief.


    If Xie Qiao wanted to get into the academy without the examination, she would only need to pay 5,000 taels of silver. With her as a fourth-grade official¡¯s first wife¡¯s eldest daughter, even if she could not get into ss Qian, Kun, Sun, or Moon, she could definitely get into ss A, right?


    What about Pei Wanyue?


    She would need to pay 50,000 taels of silver just to get into thest ss.


    If she wanted to go into a better ss¡­


    She would need at least 100,000¨C200,000 taels of silver to do that. It was impossible that she would get the same treatment as Xie Qiao would.


    ¡®Mother says I¡¯ll be the Xie family¡¯s daughter by blood from now on. But¡­ is this how one treats their daughter?¡¯


    Pei Wanyue lowered her head slightly.


    Ms. Lu suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the problem be solved if we change Yue¡¯er¡¯s family name and put her name into the genealogy book?¡±


    Xie Niushan was stunned.


    Xie Pinggang looked at her with confusion as well.


    ¡°Mr. Xie, this girl will follow us from now on. When we bring her out to connect, it wouldn¡¯t be nice that people keep calling her Young Lady Pei¡­ She doesn¡¯t look like us, and people might be talking¡­¡± Ms. Lu looked nervous. ¡°I thought about it on the way here¡­¡±

 Chapter 47 - Dont Embarrass Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 47: Don¡¯t Embarrass Yourself</h4>


    Ms. Lu¡¯s tone sounded sincere, and her eyes solicitous.


    Xie Niushan liked Ms. Lu.


    He had married three wives before. The first one¡­


    That was the one that he had been in love with but was gone too soon. However, she was like a man who was crude and fierce. He had been like a foolish brother in the presence of Ms. Peng.


    The second one was Ms. Lin¡­ Although she had been gentle and adorable, she was not sincere to be marrying him. She hardly smiled as well. She would ignore him even if he was to grab the stars and moon for her. She had left after giving birth to their children.


    He became an officialter on, so it was ridiculous not to have a mistress in charge at home.


    In reality, it was easy for a fourth-grade general to marry an official¡¯s daughter. All he had to do was to look for a lower-level official, and he might be able to marry a wife from a reputable family!


    However, he had just be an official from a bandit. Who would get on board with that?


    Nobody thought he could do it for a long time!


    Given that he was famous for killing barbarians and a few children with a bad reputation, nobody was willing to be with him.


    None of the few blind dates that he had attended worked out.


    He was pissed, so he went fordies who were not from families of officials. He had his eyes on the Lu family. Ms. Lu had a daughter from her previous marriage. She had not managed to give birth to a son, so the family separated from the dispute.


    The Lu family was a family of merchants, meaning they were notcking in money. They could still afford to raise a daughter. Ms. Lu had been good the few years she returned home.


    Xie Niushan had the opportunity to meet her.


    Ms. Lu was not even 30 back then. She was considered soft-spoken and sounded gentle when she spoke. It was love at first sight for him!


    He did not care whether she could give birth to a son or not since he already had two sons, who were good for nothing.


    Since Ms. Lu had decided to be with him, it was only natural that he had to treat her well.


    Well¡­


    She never had any requests that were over the line these years.


    Xie Niushan said, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem to add a daughter into the genealogy book¡ª¡±


    Before he was done speaking, Xie Pinggang took the piece of meat that Xie Niushan had taken earlier, put it in Xie Qiao¡¯s bowl, and scoffed, ¡°Did you even look at the meat before shoving it into your mouth?¡±


    Xie Niushan was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it deer meat?! What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I eat that?!¡±


    ¡°There are only a few pieces. Eldest sister had been staying at the temple. She must not have been eating so well. Shouldn¡¯t you be feeding her?!¡± If not for the fact that Xie Niushan was his father, he would have beaten him up.


    It was not that he could not put Pei Wanyue¡¯s name into the genealogy book.


    However, he had to think about it.


    If the Xie family did not have any daughters, it would not be an issue to directly put it into the genealogy book. However, there were two daughters.


    If this outsider¡¯s behavior was terrible, she would be the ck sheep!


    Xie Niushan did not think too much about it. He watched Xie Qiao shoving the piece of deer meat into her mouth and munching it.


    Xie Qiao was eating, not bothering about anything else.


    She did not care about her father¡¯s desire to ept another daughter into the family for his wife¡¯s love. She did not have the right to care.


    Although she had been listening to the Xie family¡¯s matters all these years, the only matter that had something to do with the family¡¯s future that she was involved in was getting Xie Niushan to fight the barbarians and obtaining the title of an official back then.


    Ms. Lu was rather uneasy seeing Xie Pinggang speak, but she was unwilling to give up. She said in a testing manner, ¡°It¡¯s better to decide this soon. Yue¡¯er is a grown-up now. She should go to the academy to learn more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to get into the Royal Academy. The other two academies wouldn¡¯t require that much money. Sister Pei is considered our family member. Given that rtionship, 5,000 taels of silver should be enough,¡± said Xie Pinggang.


    Pei Wanyue looked pitiful. She could no longer eat.


    Xie Qiao was going to the Royal Academy, but she had to go to a regr one?


    How big of a difference would that be?!


    However, she should not be saying too much since she was depending on someone else now.


    She secretly felt wronged.


    ¡°Eldest sister, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t study much back at the temple. Skip the examination, don¡¯t embarrass yourself. Get father to look for the dean these days and get him to pay directly. Just go,¡± said Xie Pinggang.

 Chapter 48 - Hiding Money

    <h4>Chapter 48: Hiding Money</h4>


    ¡®Embarrass myself?¡¯


    Xie Qiao raised her brows.


    It was her first time hearing such ament since she was born.


    She lifted her head to look at Xie Pinggang. This dummy thought he was being caring and revealed a big brother¡¯s warm smile. It was almost hurting Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Eldest brother, don¡¯t smile at me.¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°I¡¯m eating. I don¡¯t want to throw up.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was rendered speechless, and his eyelids twitched. He lifted his arm and almost hit Xie Qiao.


    This girl was as skinny as a bamboo stick. She was not as solid as Xie Pinghuai, so he could not bring himself to hit her, ¡°Did you eat at the temple? You¡¯re only left with skin on your cheeks. If this was the year of famine, nobody would bother to eat people like you if you ended up with the rebels. It¡¯d be a waste of their effort to do that!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. That chuckle was rather creepy.


    Xie Qiao changed the subject and asked, ¡°Oh yeah, apart from many wealthy people, what else is special about the Royal Academy?¡±


    If there was nothing special, she would go for something else.


    ¡°There are many things.¡± Xie Pinghuai took the initiative to speak. ¡°Although the other two academies have many talented people, they can¡¯tpare with the great support the Royal Academy receives. They collect many books, while the students from the other two academies always end up borrowing books from them. However, one must put some effort in order to get those books.¡±


    Of course, it was not that the other two academies werecking in books. It was just that the Royal Academy had more books than a bull¡¯s hair.


    When they had founded the academy, it was said that they had moved all of the books from the imperial storeroom.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. She said while smiling, ¡°Which sses are the both of you in? How are you guys doing?¡±


    The both of them froze when they heard. Subsequently, one of them lowered his head while the other was in a daze.


    ¡°Them? What do you expect from the two knuckleheads?¡± Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°Pinghuai broke someone¡¯s legst month. It was me who went over topensate them with silver.¡±


    Instead ofpensation, it was more of a threat.


    ¡°And this little thing,¡± he then pointed at Xie Xi, ¡°She¡¯s slow. Forget that she can¡¯t remember the things that the teachers taught since it¡¯s not exactly useful. She identally put the silver pieces in the teacher¡¯s purse. She came home and cried the entire day. It was me who asked them back for her.¡±


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless, and her eyelids twitched.


    No, they could not be her young brother and sister.


    ¡°Why did you put them in someone else¡¯s purse?¡± Xie Qiao stared at her.


    Xie Xi¡¯s rather slow eyes looked pissed when that was mentioned, ¡°Nobody dared to touch the teacher¡¯s purse. I ced them in the purse temporarily, but someone else took them.¡±


    ¡°Temporarily? Hah!¡± Xie Pinggang snickered from the anger.


    ¡°Sister, if you¡¯ve nothing better to do, get a small shovel and dig around the house. You might find a silver blotch,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    Xie Qiao wanted tough. She thought this girl was cute.


    So she liked hiding money?!


    That was a good habit!


    However, it was a little silly to have forgotten the ce she had hidden the money.


    Xie Xi held her head low. She looked panicky.


    ¡°Hide it in my courtyard next time. I dare to guarantee that I¡¯ll definitely find it for you as long as it¡¯s in my courtyard,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    Apart from calction, she had great observation skills mainly. Nothing¡ªbe it flowers, grass, or trees¡ªcould escape her eyes even when the change was the slightest.


    Xie Xi¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why don¡¯t you try hiding it next time? I won¡¯t take your silver away,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Xie Xi looked excited.


    If a stare could kill, Pei Wanyue¡¯s jealous eyes would have long killed the dish before her.

 Chapter 49 - Nothing Left

    <h4>Chapter 49: Nothing Left</h4>


    Pei Wanyue could not understand. Xie Qiao had never met them, right?


    Why did she seem so close to them after chatting for a little bit?


    Pei Wanyue thought about it and seized the opportunity to speak. ¡°I lost my silver pieces when we were picking up Sister Qiao. Sister Xi¡¯er, I prepared quite a sum of silver pieces for you. It¡¯s unfortunate that I can¡¯t give them to you now¡­¡±


    Xie Xi lifted her head to look at her. Her eyes were pure.


    ¡°You lost money? How much did you lose?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned.


    Ms. Lu had been away during that period. It was impossible to depend on his father to check the ledger, so he had been doing that.


    He had a rough idea of how much money the family had.


    When Ms. Lu had gone out, she had taken 5,000 taels of silver with her.


    His father and his sry were ratherplicated. As officials that did not partake in bribery, after spending on food and misceneous things, the duo¡¯s annual ie would onlye up to hundreds of taels of silver.


    Naturally, that excluded the ie from the fields they had been given, rewards, and the viges and stores they owned. They depended on those properties¡¯ ie every year.


    The family had three viges and some ten stores. They did not run them themselves, so they were all rented.


    Those fortunes could not bepared with other people.


    His father refused to meet anyone, so he had never been given any gifts. He had started all of the stores with the little money that he was left with back then.


    Apart from those family properties and the items in the storeroom, the avable silver at home was less than 20,000 taels in total.


    It seemed a lot, but Ms. Lu had taken 5,000 taels.


    After spending 5,000 taels for his eldest sister to get into the academy, they would only be left with 10,000 taels.


    10,000 taels were quite a lot, but it depended on how one utilized them.


    There would be money and gifts involved between officials. His father would spend 150 taels of silver while he would spend 100 taels every month they went socializing.


    He had a brother and sister below. Each of them got 20 tales of silver as allowance each month, excluding the expenses of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.


    As the mistress, Ms. Lu would control the money at home. She had no monthly allowance in the past. However, when Xie Pinggang had checked the ledger, he had found out that Ms. Lu spent approximately 300 taels of silver each month. Among them, quite a sum was to subsidize his brother, and some were to buy clothes and essories.


    Apart from that, they would have to pay for the food at home, the monthly sry for the servants, money to keep the horses, the house¡¯s expenses, clothes of four seasons, as well as feeding the Xie family¡¯s olddy, the other wives, and the other family members¡­


    They would have to spend over 1,000 taels of silver in total per month. And that was the amount from being thrifty.


    They would usually only receive the money from the viges and stores once a year. Therefore, the 10,000 taels would have tost for a year.


    It seemed insufficient now.


    If something major happened in between¡­


    For instance, having to keep Pei Wanyue and pay for her pass into the academy¡­


    Xie Pinggang frowned hard as he thought.


    ¡°She only lost 200 taels of silver. It was a crowded ce with all sorts of people. She had never thought her purse would be gone as she walked.¡± Ms. Lu smiled, looking calm.


    Xie Pinggang nodded upon hearing that.


    Indeed, 200 taels were not considered much.


    ¡°Oh yeah, does Mother have any money left from your trip this time?¡± asked Xie Pinggang.


    Ms. Lu was stunned and then looked away. ¡°The mountains were high, and the journey was long. I needed to spend quite a lot along the way. It was hard to have anything left.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was rendered speechless once again, and his eyelids twitched.


    Hard to have anything left!?


    It was 5,000 taels, not 500 or 50 taels!


    She had only brought over 20 people with her during the trip. Even if everyone luxuriously ate meat and vegetables every day, one to two silver pieces should be enough.


    It was only a little over 100 days, so would 2,000 taels not be enough?


    He thought Ms. Lu should be able to save half of the money she had brought for the trip even if she was being a spendthrift!


    Pei Wanyue said immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t me Mother, eldest brother. When we were in Liaozhou, Mother got me some good stuff seeing that I was dressing and eating poorly¡­¡±


    That was right¡ªeverything she was wearing was brand new, from head to toe!

 Chapter 50 - Lethal Destiny

    <h4>Chapter 50: Lethal Destiny</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang was not a petty person. Upon figuring that this sister from the Pei family had lost her biological father and that life had been hard, it made sense for her mother to want to shower her with love. He said nothing more.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already spent it, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Xie Pinggang. ¡°However, about studying, I hope Sister Pei can understand our family¡¯s situation. We really can¡¯t pay 50,000 taels of silver at once.¡±


    Pei Wanyue nodded sincerely, her voice as soft as a mosquito. ¡°I know.¡±


    Xie Niushan felt rather pitiful seeing her like that. It seemed like his family was bullying a youngdy.


    She hade all the way here, after all. If they were unwilling to spend some money on her, would it not be humiliating if the news went out?


    Xie Niushan extended his head and asked, ¡°Should I borrow from someone?¡±


    Ms. Lu looked grateful.


    Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°Father can borrow from someone else. I¡¯m just worried that you can¡¯t pay it off. If you¡¯re in debt, you won¡¯t be able to provide for the olddy and uncles.¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s impulse was put off at the moment.


    ¡°Then¡­ there¡¯s nothing that I can do. Indeed, I only have this much money that¡¯s only enough to send my daughter to the Royal Academy. Young Lady Pei will have to go to another academy. I¡¯ll talk to the dean. Maybe he can settle it at 2,000¨C3,000 taels of silver,¡± Xie Niushan said directly.


    Pei Wanyue almost tore the handkerchief that she had been twisting.


    She had lost her appetite to eat.


    However, she knew she could not change the current situation.


    In reality, Xie Qiao did not really mind which academy she was going to.


    However, now that she knew that there were countless books in the Royal Academy, she was secretly excited. She had no interest in imperial princes and imperial grandchildren. However, those books were priceless. She would be d to read more.


    The matter was settled during the meal.


    Xie Qiao said she did not want them to spend money, but they insisted.


    She did not bother to exin. She was going to find out more about the Royal Academy when she had the time.


    The Xie family¡¯s men were busy, so were the two young ones¡ªthey did not have time to talk more.


    Moreover, she had a lethal destiny.


    The evil energy was still in her body, while dark energy lingered. It would not affect outsiders, but she should not be too close with people of her own blood, or they would be harmed. Even though she carried many amulets with her that could almost avoid that, Xie Qiao would stay away from them to prevent anything bad from happening.


    Ms. Lu, Pei Wanyue, and even the servants had no idea of what happened.


    However, Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang knew about it.


    ¡°Your application won¡¯t be approved so soon. Stay in the courtyard when you have nothing to do. Don¡¯t keep going to the front yard.¡± As soon as Xie Niushan was done speaking, he said to the two young ones, ¡°Same to you guys. You can go to your eldest sister¡¯s courtyard to y asionally, but not every day. Don¡¯t disturb her too much, or wait for my canning.


    ¡°Elder daughter, go to your Mother if you encounter any problems.¡± He waved and got rid of Xie Qiao as soon as he was done speaking.


    Ms. Lu could not understand Xie Niushan¡¯s attitude.


    She peeped at Xiao Pinghuai and saw him nodding in agreement.


    She was even more confused now.


    He did not seem like he loved Xie Qiao based on his behavior earlier.


    Did Xie Niushan like this daughter or not?


    Ms. Lu could not figure it out. To the servants, the father and brother did not like Xie Qiao at all.


    Not only was she arranged to live in the courtyard at the corner, but she was also asked to have little interaction with the young master and young mistress at home. They must despise her!

 Chapter 51 - 5,000 Taels of Value

    <h4>Chapter 51: 5,000 Taels of Value</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao responded in a neutral manner. She was not happy, nor was she sad.


    She returned to her courtyard calmly.


    However, Xie Niushan¡¯s attitude was soon spread to all of the servants within a blink of an eye.


    By then, almost everyone knew that the Xie family¡¯s First Young Lady was less loved than Young Lady Pei, who was an outsider!


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s courtyard was just next to the youngestdy¡¯s, and she had the madam protecting her. Clearly, she was being taken seriously!


    Xie Qiao rested for three days in her courtyard.


    She wrote two letters and sent them out during that period.


    She had a rough idea of the Royal Academy¡¯s situation now.


    As expected, there was a difference between females¡¯ and males¡¯ enrolment. It was something that was worthy of being proud of for males who were epted. Meanwhile, if ady got in with their good result in the examination, it would be too attention-seeking. That was why most chose to pay to get in.


    As the direct eldest daughter of a fourth-grade official who had been staying outside, she should better keep a low profile. After all, she only wanted to get in to read. There was no need for her to work so hard.


    The Royal Academy¡¯s dean was talented.


    The man was knowledgeable, and he was a retired Imperial Preceptor.


    One could not pay money to the academy directly to avoid making the ce cheap. Therefore, everyone would give things that worth 5,000 taels of silver.


    It looked good on the surface.


    Of course, her father would give real silver taels. Not only that, but he would also put them right in front of the dean shamelessly.


    Nobody dared to chase him out because he looked ugly, stubborn, and not one to be offended.


    She had been in quite a rush when she came here, so she had not brought anything valuable.


    She could only make something herself.


    After thinking for a while, Xie Qiao headed out to buy some materials, ink, and paper.


    Pei Wanyue had been watching Xie Qiao¡¯s movements.


    ¡°Why is she buying ink, brush, inkstone, and paper? Doesn¡¯t she already have those in her courtyard?¡± Ms. Lu was stunned.


    ¡°The paper that Sister Qiao bought is much more expensive than the regr paper,¡± Pei Wanyue said, feeling gloomy.


    ¡°Spendthrift,¡± Ms. Lu said casually. She suddenly thought of something as soon as she was done speaking. ¡°That girl had never mentioned allowance since she returned¡­¡±


    Would that mean that Xie Qiao had been spending her own money to buy food and shop the past few days?


    There was only one granny and a maid at Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard.


    There was also a small kitchen in the courtyard. Xie Qiao would get Granny Fang to buy anything she needed.


    Ms. Lu was a little stunned at that moment. She was considering whether to get someone to send Xie Qiao stuff. If that girlined to her husband, she might be punished.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see what Uncle Xie would say about this, Mother? Let¡¯s just watch. If Uncle Xie minds, he¡¯ll get someone to send her things right away,¡± Pei Wanyue said.


    Ms. Lu said while frowning, ¡°What if he gets angry?¡±


    Pei Wanyue chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would? It¡¯s a lot of work for you to control Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi¡¯s food intake daily. Can¡¯t you just say that Xie Qiao goes to the storeroom to fetch things herself if she needs them?¡±


    Although Ms. Lu thought there was the risk of being scolded, Xie Nishan had always loved her. He would not argue with her for such a matter.


    She happened to be able to see how much the father and son valued this girl exactly.


    Xie Qiao had no idea Ms. Lu was thinking so much.


    She felt rather in a pickle as she stared at the paper before her.


    What should she paint? She had to paint something that would be worth 5,000 taels of silver¡­


    Andscape painting? It was nothing interesting. Moreover, she was weak. Painting andscape would drain too much energy, so she would not paint one as she was worried about exhausting herself.


    Xie Qiao scanned around and saw Da Xiong pping its wings. It seemed like it wanted to fly.


    Her eyes lip up.


    Horses aside, themoners kept five animals¡ªcows that represented sweetness, dogs for sourness, pigs for saltiness,mbs for bitterness, and chicken for spiciness. Those gathered the taste of living.


    Xie Qiao thought of painting the joy of living.


    Aftering up with the idea, Xie Qiao painted with brush and ink as if a deity was holding her hand.

 Chapter 52 - Illiterate

    <h4>Chapter 52: Illiterate</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao focused all of her attention on her painting. Her face was paler now, while sweat was seeping out of her forehead.


    When she was done with the painting, she looked much weaker. She sighed softly and rummaged through the bamboo basket, eventually retrieving a small jade stamp.


    She stamped it on the ink pad. After exhaling, she stamped it on the painting as hard as she could.


    Xie Qiao was rather satisfied with it.


    Back when she had been at the Water Moon Temple, she would hardly paint. Apart from painting as practice, those that were presentable were usually small paintings.


    She had put in quite an effort in order to get into the Royal Academy now.


    In reality, it was not that she could not ept the Xie family¡¯s silver.


    She still had silver with her. Moreover¡­ To be honest, if not for her lethal destiny and the dark energy in her body, Ms. Peng might not have died when she was born. Therefore, she felt rather guilty toward Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang.


    If not for that, she would not avoid Ms. Lu as much as she could.


    As long as Ms. Lu did not cross her bottom line, she would definitely be nice to Ms. Lu.


    After the painting dried, Xie Qiao framed it herself.


    Three dayster, Xie Niushan came over to bring her to the Royal Academy to be a student.


    Bing a student was just the first round.


    Naturally, the amount of silver and one¡¯s identity were not the only qualifications the Royal Academy required to take in students. Firstly, they had to see if the person really wanted to learn. If they were paying with silver, they had to write a little bit at the academy to prove that they were notpletely illiterate.


    That was especially for the enrolment for third-grade and below officials¡¯ daughters. The youngest one would be 10 years old.


    For females, although there were not many who would only enroll when they were 16 or 17, there were people like that.


    However, if they were still illiterate at such an age, it would be toote for the academy to teach even if they were willing.


    Hence, the people who came in would need to be able to read and write at least.


    Xie Niushan brought Xie Qiao there himself.


    When they departed, Pei Wanyue revealed her sadness on her face, making Xie Niushan feel pitiful.


    If not for the fact that the family had no money, he would have brought thisdy along with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Yue¡¯er told me that she likes her sister along the way here. She wants to stay with Qiao¡¯er. Now that Qiao¡¯er is about to join the Royal Academy, but Yue¡¯er is going somewhere else, the sisters won¡¯t be together¡­¡± Ms. Lu was upset.


    Xie Qiao frowned lightly.


    ¡°She had never said that.¡± Xie Qiao looked serious.


    Ms. Lu was stunned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She has never said she wants to be with me. I¡¯m unwilling to be her friend, so there¡¯s nothing that we can talk about. If Mother really wants to send Pei Wanyue to the Royal Academy, you can ask for Father¡¯s help all you want. I won¡¯t stop you, but don¡¯t drag me into this. I¡¯ve already said this to you before,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Ms. Lu felt ufortable upon hearing that. ¡°S-So you¡¯re looking down on Yue¡¯er? S-She¡¯s your half-sister after all¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking down on her. It¡¯s her who is looking down on herself.¡± Xie Qiao smiled lightly, ¡°She¡¯sparing with me in everything. Why torture herself like that?¡±


    Xie Qiao put down the carriage¡¯s curtain as she spoke.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s facial expression looked gloomy as she was blocked outside.


    It was not that Xie Qiao had no idea about what was happening. From the first time Pei Wanyue hadid her eyes on Xie Qiao, it was as if her eyes were dyed with poison.


    She had done that because she imagined Xie Qiao to be ugly.


    Xie Niushan was shocked by his daughter¡¯s straightforward words. He frowned lightly.


    Ms. Lu noticed that and panicked. She said immediately, ¡°I-I sincerely want the sisters to bond. Who would¡¯ve thought that this girl would be so cold? Yue¡¯er wanted to spend time with her a few times, but she ignorantly rejected her. What can I do about that?¡±

 Chapter 53 - Shameless

    <h4>Chapter 53: Shameless</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Lu felt very wronged as she spoke. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Yue¡¯er. After all, she¡¯s not your child¡­ But I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯m willing to change her family name so that she¡¯ll be the Xie family¡¯s daughter fully. However, you didn¡¯t say anything about it. Is my daughter terrible? She¡¯s well-versed in the four arts as well. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s not as pretty as Qiao¡¯er. Nheless, she¡¯s outstandingpared to the people in the Imperial City!¡±


    Ms. Lu felt wronged.


    Her eyes were red.


    Xie Niushan liked her because she was secretly a coquettish woman.


    Now that she was sobbing, Xie Niushan panicked. ¡°Why are you crying? When did I say that girl isn¡¯t good? Aren¡¯t I treating her well at home? There are many talents in the Gn Academy. I guarantee that it can make her a talented girl in the future!¡±


    ¡°Who cares if she bes a talented girl or not? What I care about is whether you ept her as a part of the family!¡± Ms. Lu stomped her foot and turned around to leave.


    She seemed sad and angry.


    That was Xie Niushan¡¯s weakness. If not for the fact that he had an errand to run, he would have rushed to her side by now.


    Xie Qiao, who was in the carriage, said, ¡°The coachman knows the way to the Royal Academy. I can go on my own.¡±


    ¡°It was hard to marry a good wife. I spent quite an effort to marry her. Now that she¡¯s angry, won¡¯t I be at a loss?¡± mumbled Xie Niushan.


    However, he got onto the carriage the next moment. He wouldfort his wife when he got home after dealing with business.


    Indeed, Ms. Lu wanted Xie Niushan tofort her. She had thrown tantrums privately before, and Xie Niushan would always go her way.


    She knew that men should not be spoiled. Throwing an appropriate tantrum was beneficial for a husband and wife.


    Now that Xie Niushan left, she was upset.


    ¡°Apart from sending me to the academy, is there anything else that Father has to do today?¡± Xie Qiao asked in the carriage.


    ¡°It¡¯s my day off today. I¡¯ll only show my face at the academy. You¡¯ll have to rely on your own for the rest. After that, I¡¯ll go to the gambling den to drink.¡± Xie Niushan suddenly asked as soon as he was done speaking, ¡°Oh yeah! I haven¡¯t asked if you can read the primer?¡±


    Before Xie Qiao could reply, Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°I saw you using fancy words in the letters you wrote me in the past. They were obviously not written by a child, but I didn¡¯t check with you! Don¡¯t tell me the old Taoist master didn¡¯t teach you to read at all? At the academy, even if you can¡¯t memorize a book, you would need to be able to read!¡±


    Otherwise, they would not take her in no matter how much money they could pay!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I can get by,¡± Xie Qiao said causally.


    Xie Niushan felt rather guilty upon hearing her say that she could get by.


    ¡°Please behave yourself. The three fools at home are well known in the Imperial City. If you do something embarrassing, I¡¯ll lose my veryst shred of dignity,¡± Xie Niushan mumbled.


    Although he said that, in reality, he did not have high hopes for Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Well known?¡± Xie Qiao was rather surprised, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Xie Niushan said, feeling embarrassed, ¡°Your Eldest Brother already looks like that, yet he fell in love with a talenteddy. He even stalked her, scaring thatdy. He already couldn¡¯t find a wife, and it¡¯spletely impossible now.¡±


    Xie Qiao was shocked.


    ¡®How can it be?¡¯


    ¡°Your brother and sister¡­¡± Xie Niushan scratched his head in concern. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about them!¡±


    ¡°Please tell me slowly,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    Xie Niushan sighed. ¡°Your brother. Pinghuai¡­ He¡¯s shameless. He¡¯s so young, but he went to a brothel and got thrown out. They said he¡¯s still so young, his set of teeth has yet to grow fully, yet he wanted to have sex withdies. They asked him to leave and that he should drink from a milk bottle!¡±

 Chapter 54 - He’s Here Again

    <h4>Chapter 54: He¡¯s Here Again</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan was a bandit, so he would say things as it was.


    The coachman could not help but sympathize with Xie Qiao, who was in the carriage when he heard that.


    Xie Qiao had never thought Xie Pinghuai was such a terrible kid. He seemed rather sensible when they had met earlier, no?


    Regarding Xie Xi¡­


    Xie Qiao could guess it without having Xie Niushan telling her what the girl had done.


    Xie Xi was slow, so she had definitely caused quite some trouble.


    ¡°Daughter, let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Even if you¡¯re a dimwit, as long as you don¡¯t show it, your face will be our family¡¯s reputation!¡± Xie Niushan said in pride.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Could she not carry such a burden?


    Xie Qiao sighed. It was not an easy task to be an official¡¯s daughter. It was definitely not as free as being a Taoist master.


    ¡°Father, after you¡¯re done with your errand today, speak as little as you can no matter where you go,¡± Xie Qiao reminded out of nowhere.


    ¡°What?¡± Xie Niushan thought he had misheard.


    ¡°Your cheekbones are flushing today, Father. They¡¯re bright, and you look like you¡¯re going to make a fortune. You¡¯re an official, so you shouldn¡¯t go to the gambling den. The fortune shouldn¡¯t be there, but somewhere else that you¡¯re going today. However, it¡¯s easy to have the fortune taken away. So talk less and observe more today, then fortune wille,¡± Xie Qiao exined slowly.


    Xie Niushan wanted to curse.


    ¡®That d*mn old Taoist master! He turned my daughter into a swindler!?


    ¡®Listen to what she¡¯s saying! Does she sound like ady at all?¡¯


    His poor daughter. If not for the fact that she had a lethal destiny, would she have been raised by that old Taoist master? If Xie Niushan was to raise her himself¡­


    He was stunned and too embarrassed to continue thinking.


    He knew that he did not know how to raise a child. If he had to raise Xie Qiao, he might have raised a demon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that when you¡¯re at the academy,¡± said Xie Niushan.


    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Xie Qiao. ¡°I wonder what you ate today, Father. Your mouth stinks. I could smell it when you were a meter away from me.¡±


    Xie Niushan immediately exhaled to check his breath upon hearing that. He could not stop sniffing.


    However, he did not smell anything after doing that for a while. ¡°It¡¯s not stinky?¡±


    ¡°Your breath may not stink, but it doesn¡¯t mean your body doesn¡¯t,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly.


    Although Xie Niushan was not well educated, he got what she meant.


    He kept quiet all of a sudden.


    Indeed, it had been days since hest took a bath.


    Soon, they arrived at the Royal Academy.


    As soon as Xie Qiao got off the carriage, she was shocked by the academy before her.


    It was indeed fortunate that the academy had great support. It was shockingly huge. There were a few side gates at the academy, while the main gate would only be opened for major events.


    The tall walls seemed to have blocked the outside world, creating another world within. The side gates seemed pretty majestic too, and people were guarding the gates.


    As it was the day of the monthly registration, a couple of other families were at the side door.


    They got off the carriages when they arrived at the gate.


    Those who got off were mostly 10-year-old children. They came as soon as they hit the eligible age.


    Among the many of them, Xie Qiao was the onlydy who was 15 or 16.


    She was attention-seeking.


    People started queuing to get in.


    As a parent, Xie Niushan could enter the academy, but he could only send her to the gate. He could not join the examination Xie Qiao had to sit for at the academy.


    ¡°Why are you here again, Master Xie?¡± A teacher saw Xie Niushan when they went in. His eyelids twitched.


    He could never forget the scene where Xie Niushan carried 10,000 taels of silver to send his two children to the academy!


    People sent items as the custom to be a student. Even if one were to give silver, they would give silver notes!


    It was a different case for Xie Niushan. He had brought taels of silver directly. He had even made a fuss that he was buying the qualification to send his children in!


    If thisdy that he brought qualified, would that not mean¡­


    The teacher¡¯s facial expression suddenly changed.


    Would he relive the scene of Xie Niushan bringing taels of silver!?

 Chapter 55 - Judging A Book By Its Cover

    <h4>Chapter 55: Judging A Book By Its Cover</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The teacher was responsible for recruiting students. He looked terrible when he saw Xie Niushan. The rest could not help but look at Xie Niushan.


    Someone could not help but mumble softly, ¡°So that¡¯s Master Bandit?¡±


    ¡°It was him who carried the silver taels to the dean¡¯s house¡­¡± Some students who passed by even teased him.


    ¡°I heard that his daughter and son could not really read. They weren¡¯t qualified to get in, and they were almost chased out. Never had they thought this Master Xie would make noise and look for the dean directly. He said the dean looked down on him. The dean is a man of reason. However, what could he say when he met such a bandit? He could only ept his children,¡± someone told the whole story in detail.


    Xie Qiao heard that too.


    She turned her head and peeped at Xie Niushan in confusion.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s cheeks flushed, ¡°What nonsense! I¡¯m a fourth-grade official. My two good-for-nothin¡ª Children aren¡¯t illiterate. They just can¡¯t read very well. I¡¯ve already paid, why couldn¡¯t he ept them? It was that old man who was unreasonable!¡±


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    It was good enough that her brother and sister behaved how they were behaving when they had such a father.


    At present, the teacher was ring at them.


    ¡°Master Xie, the academy is and of peace. We¡¯ll have to ask you to leave if you keep cursing here,¡± the teacher said.


    ¡°Did I curse? I didn¡¯t! I¡¯ve always been talking like this. The dean knows it,¡± Xie Niushan denied.


    Fortunately, Xie Qiao was thick-skinned.


    If it was some otherdies, they would have buried themselves in a hole.


    ¡°Master Xie, are you here to send thisdy to the academy?¡± The teacher did not want to argue with a crude man like him.


    He knew he could not argue with such a man.


    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no one else standing next to me apart from her. Are you blind¡ª¡± Xie Niushan wanted to curse by instinct. However, he held back.


    He despised long-winded, educated people. It was irritating that they judged a book by its cover!


    ¡°Master Xie, ording to the rules, we don¡¯t take in adopted daughters and n members.¡±


    Only third-grade officials could rmend children who were not rted!


    ¡°This is my eldest daughter!¡± Xie Niushan snorted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of her¡­ Is she an official daughter? If that¡¯s the case, the value of the gift would be a fold higher,¡± the teacher said.


    They would not talk money with others directly, but they were facing Xie Niushan. It would be more straightforward to be talking money with him.


    ¡°Unofficial daughter? She¡¯s my direct eldest daughter! She was ill back then, so she was raised outside. I¡¯ve only got her back recently!¡± Xie Niushan was pissed, seemingly ming the teacher for being blind.


    The teacher was shocked to hear that.


    His daughter by blood, and she was his direct eldest daughter at that?


    They looked¡­ very different!


    However, nobody could fake such a thing indeed. The Royal Academy had great support. If Xie Niushan dared to get someone to disguise as his direct eldest daughter, he would definitely be demoted. It was not worth it.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright since she¡¯s your eldest daughter. Please queue here, Young Lady Xie. Please stay outside, Master Xie,¡± the teacher said.


    Xie Niushan looked at Xie Qiao with slight concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just skip those that you can¡¯t read. Your sister got in by doing that,¡± Xie Niushan reminded before leaving.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xie Qiao said shamelessly.


    One could not be too smart when they talked to Xie Niushan.


    He might think that she was insane if she was to tell him not to worry and that she was confident.


    It made sense. Her father had a clear estimation of himself. Naturally, he would not believe that he gave birth to a smart daughter.

 Chapter 56 - Knew A Little Bit

    <h4>Chapter 56: Knew A Little Bit</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The crowd could not help but feel disdain when they saw the father and daughter.


    The teacher especially felt burning anger overtaking him.


    The family came to the Royal Academy for its fame that could benefit them. They were not here to study!


    Such people would smudge the academy¡¯s reputation if they were epted!


    The teacher looked serious and rather pissed.


    The entry examination was not difficult at all. Anyone could pass as long as they were not dumb. The teacher was grim when he looked at Xie Niushan at the moment.


    As soon as Xie Niushan left, Xie Qiao felt the coldness the teacher was exuding.


    ¡°The Royal Academy isn¡¯t like any other academy. Anyone whoes here, even the imperial princes and imperial grandchildren, will have to follow the rules. One will have to take studying as their responsibility. Those who are insincere, attempting to use the Royal Academy¡¯s fame to get themselves a marriage should scram right now!¡± the teacher said coldly.


    Although he did not look in Xie Qiao¡¯s direction when he spoke, almost anyone who heard that stared at Xie Qiao intentionally.


    Xie Qiao felt rather troubled.


    She was being despised before she was even epted into the academy?


    Her biological father¡­


    They must have been enemies in their past life, right? It must be the reason why he did that to her.


    Xie Qiao had survived living with Mo Lingzi, the unreliable Taoist master. She had seen it all. Thus, she did not panic at the moment.


    She pretended not to see those stares, held her head down, and waited slowly. She seemed like she was not paying attention.


    However, in the teacher¡¯s eyes, he thought thisdy was stubborn. She was a person who would not listen to anything that was good for her.


    He was even more pissed now.


    ¡°Apart from identity and wealth, in order to enter the Royal Academy, all of you will need to have sufficient capabilities. Alright, everyone will sit for a simple examination now,¡± the teacher said loudly.


    All of the people who applied went into a ssroom.


    The ssroom was spacious with big windows in four directions. All of them were opened. It was breezy when they went in, which was different from the warm courtyard.


    Each of them got themselves a seat at the tables.


    There were only a total of eight people who applied this time.


    Xie Qiao was the oldest, while the rest were little girls of only 10 years old.


    Some were shy, while some were very active.


    Soon, a schoolboy gave everyone a few pieces of paper.


    ¡°All of youe from notable families, so it¡¯s much easier for you to enter the academy. However, you should know the basics. You¡¯ll be given two hours now to memorize the article before you. When the time is up, you¡¯ll have to dictate it,¡± the teacher said.


    Since he was responsible for recruitment, he was naturally not amoner but someone who had contributed to the country.


    Even if he was to change the rulest minute, nobody would say anything.


    As soon as he was done speaking, the girls began grumbling.


    Many students were leaning on the windows outside to peep.


    ¡°That Ms. Xie must be the one who dragged everyone down? It¡¯s not difficult to memorize an article within two hours. However, it¡¯s rather difficult to get them to dictate the article,¡± someone out there gloated.


    The article was three papers long.


    Xie Qiao had three pieces of paper in her hands too, but¡­


    It was written in Sanskrit.


    Taoism and Buddhism conflicted each other. Naturally, she had to know about the other religion as well. Moreover, her body had been weak since young. She would read when she had nothing to do. Therefore, about Sanskrit¡­


    She knew a little bit.


    Although she knew a little bit, the teacher was clearly targeting her.


    Xie Qiao lifted her eyes and asked softly, ¡°You want me to dictate Sanskrit, sir? Is this the rule to get into the academy?¡±


    The teacher looked rather uneasy, but he still said, ¡°Sanskrit is mostly used in scriptures. Copying the scriptures, as well as paying respects to your seniors, can calm one down. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the examination.¡±

 Chapter 57 - Please Forgive Me

    <h4>Chapter 57: Please Forgive Me</h4>


    Xie Qiao frowned lightly.


    ¡°I can ept the test question that you gave, sir. However, I¡¯d like to ask if someone else had been tested with this question in the past, or is it only targeting me now?¡± Xie Qiao proceeded, ¡°I hate conspiracies. You¡¯re a well-educated man, sir. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re ethical. So, regarding this test question that¡¯s beyond measure, are you representing the academy or yourself?¡±


    She could do the test question, but she could not be bullied.


    The teacher said straightforwardly, ¡°What¡¯s the difference if it came from the academy or me?! If you don¡¯t want to do it, then please leave!¡±


    Xie Qiao merely smiled lightly.


    Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m a fourth-grade official¡¯s eldest daughter. I¡¯m not adopted, nor am I in disguise. There¡¯s an unspoken rule about the academy that the entry exemption would only be reading and writing. Howe it has changed when ites to me? Is the academy¡­ judgmental?¡±


    The teacher was flushing with anger.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only person that I gave this test question to. Ms. Xie is 15 or 16, right? It¡¯s ratherte to be enrolling in the academy thiste. You¡¯ll have less time to study in the academy. Therefore, the enrollment requirement is higher, or it¡¯ll be hard for you to pick up the pace!¡± said the teacher.


    ¡°So it seems thedies in the academy who are of the same age as me are familiar with this Sanskrit article, then?¡± Xie Qiao asked while smiling.


    The teacher was taken aback.


    Naturally, the answer was no.


    It was him who had written the Sanskrit article. He thought he wanted to copy the scriptures to give them to the elderly at home.


    Since he had encountered this bandit father and daughter, he used it intentionally to trouble this girl!


    Never had he thought this girl was quite difficult to deal with!


    ¡°You¡¯re talking so much, are you doing the test question or not!?¡± snarled the teacher.


    ¡°I only want you to admit that you¡¯re being unfair and troubling me intentionally. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll look for the dean,¡± Xie Qiao said directly.


    The teacher¡¯s cheeks were flushing from the anger.


    ¡°Your father said that you lived outside since you were young. I noticed that you¡¯re rude, so I gave you this bit of trouble. Why can¡¯t I do that?¡± The teacher was straightforward as well.


    He came from a big n. He had no interest in being an official, so he became a teacher at the Royal Academy after passing the imperial examination.


    It had been his shift when Xie Niushan had brought his children for enrollment thest time.


    It was his shift this time as well.


    Why did he have such bad luck?!


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s great that you admit it, sir. I can do this test question. Don¡¯t forget to apologize to me for being biased, or you¡¯re a cowardly, lecherous man,¡± Xie Qiao held her head down and read the papers in her hands.


    Lecherous!?


    Xu Mian¡¯s heartbeat stopped for a second upon hearing that.


    He was 37 this year.


    He was charismatic with an elegant demeanor. Although he was married and had children, numerousdies wanted to be his concubines. Manyplimented on the poems and paintings he created out there. However, Ms. Xie was calling him¡­ lecherous?


    He was annoyed, but this Ms. Xie was reading the test question obediently at the moment.


    He should not be stirring trouble with her!


    Many students out there wereughing at the show until Xu Mian harrumphed. ¡°Go back to ss! Or I¡¯ll lower your grade!¡±


    The students out there buried their heads, but they remained standing out there.


    Xu Mian nced at Xie Qiao, guilt shing inside of him.


    ¡®Can it be that this girl¡­ is well-versed in Sanskrit?¡¯


    ¡®That cannot be, right?¡¯


    This Sanskrit article was difficult. Even he had to study for a long time to understand everything written.


    That was right. The beginning was not too difficult. This girl had only read a little bit. Perhaps she thought it was a passage that she had read before, that was why she looked so confident!


    She would admit her mistake obediently when she flipped to the next page and ask for his forgiveness!

 Chapter 58 - Killing the Chickens to Scare the Monkeys

    <h4>Chapter 58: Killing the Chickens to Scare the Monkeys</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Sanskrit article was not exhausting to memorize for Xie Qiao. She was feeling fine after memorizing for a while.


    Moreover, there was a great benefit at this academy.


    There were manydies in here, so the Yang energy was ample. She did not feel as ufortable as she was out there.


    Mr. Xu sat in front while waiting patiently. He was waiting for Xie Qiao to look troubled and tell him that she could not do it.


    However, an hour had passed as he waited and stared. The youngdy had yet to get up, so he was rather confused.


    ¡®Can it be that this girl is going to wing it?¡¯


    Xie Qiao stood up as he was thinking to himself.


    Mr. Xu was secretly d and lifted his head lightly, ¡°Why? You can¡¯t memorize it? It¡¯s time you learn that you should be humble and gentle since you¡¯re the daughter of an official. You can¡¯t be barbaric like bandits!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him in a surprised manner. ¡°Sir, to be saying all this¡­ Aren¡¯t you even more unreasonable than bandits?¡±


    Mr. Xu was stunned.


    ¡®Does she want to pass the examination or not!?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m done memorizing, and I don¡¯t want to waste any more time. I¡¯m passing up the question paper so that I can dictate it, right?¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    ¡°You¡¯re done memorizing!?¡± Mr. Xu was shocked, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Xie Qiao put down the papers directly, walked back to her seat, and ignored him.


    It would be tiring to talk more to him.


    It was so much better at the temple; it was quiet. If she did not feel like talking, nobody would force her to talk. Her master would even chase out everyone who disturbed her peace!


    It was a day to miss her life back at the temple.


    Xie Qiao sighed while writing.


    Her movement was at a neutral pace, pleasing to watch.


    There were men anddies among the students who were watching out there.


    Most sses separated men anddies in the academy. Apart from certain sses, they would have to keep their distance at other times.


    Naturally, even when they gathered, there would definitely be someone around watching.


    Most of them who came to the academy were sensible. They dared not mess with the rule of having a rtionship.


    It was said that a talented, educated man liked a youngdy, and they dated secretly in the academy. When they were caught, the dean was furious. The emperor ruled to put that youngdy and the educated man together. They were fed poisoned wine, and they died together!


    Killing the chickens to scare the monkeys. Nothing like this would ever happen again.


    Even if one fell in love in the academy, they definitely would not dare to do something so shameless.


    Therefore, even though they were gathered andughing together now, the teachers would not really care as long as they maintained their distance.


    Xu Mian thought it was odd as he watched Xie Qiao writing from one stroke to another.


    He thought about it and walked over.


    He looked at what she wrote when he arrived at her seat¡­


    Her handwriting was not nice, nor was it too bad. One could tell that she had practiced before, and it was considered to be passable.


    However, Xie Qiao was sighing.


    It was rather tiring to be writing strokes for her. It would be better if she could write cursive instead.


    However, the cursive script was too over the top and attention-seeking. She would only practice it privately.


    One must be low profile.


    The handwriting aside, Xu Mian began to check the content.


    The more he read¡­


    The more shocked he was.


    ¡®Nothing! She didn¡¯t miss a single word!?¡¯


    ¡°H-Have you read this Sanskrit article before?!¡± Mr. Xu asked instinctively.


    What else could it be? How could a 15-year-old youngdy be familiar with Sanskrit? That did not make sense!


    Xie Qiao smiled and responded casually, ¡°Yes, I used to memorize some.¡±


    ¡°Why did a youngdy memorize such a thing?¡± Mr. Xu was confused at the moment.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself, sir? Sanskrit is mostly used in scriptures. Copying the scriptures as well as paying respects to your seniors, can calm one down,¡± Xie Qiao replied with what he had told her earlier, with a facial expression not sure if she was smiling.


    Mr. Xu¡¯s cheeks flushed.


    This youngdy¡­ was mean with her words. She used his own words against him!

 Chapter 59 - Education is For Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 59: Education is For Everyone</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Mr. Xu felt rather awkward.


    The words spoken were like water that was sshed. He had been intentionally troubling her. Now that this Young Lady Xie could dictate the Sanskrit article, he could only let her pass following the rule.


    Even if this youngdy happened to be able to dictate this Sanskrit article, it was because of her capability.


    Mr. Xu was struggling inside.


    A momentter, he said with a stiff facial expression, ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re slightly better than your brother and sister.¡±


    Xie Qiao held her head down quietly upon hearing that.


    Soon, he heard her speaking slowly like flowing water, ¡°You¡¯re the teacher. Is there anything that I can say if you¡¯re biased against my family? Since I¡¯m the one who¡¯s enrolling, I can only hold back and swallow my dignity of being wronged by you, sir. However, just tell me if you¡¯re upset with me. Don¡¯t bully my brother and sister. They¡¯re still young¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao held her head down while speaking. She was ying with the brush in her hand and seemed to be pitiful.


    Given her identity, she should not be fighting with the teacher.


    The teacher held a higher position than she did, so she could not fight him.


    Since this teacher was bullying the weak, she showed her weakness for him to bully her so that he could knock himself out.


    Xu Mian was stunned by what Xie Qiao said.


    Before he could react, someone was speaking outside the window.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, you¡¯re too much. Even we aren¡¯t familiar with Sanskrit. You used that to test her, so aren¡¯t you obstructing her from getting in intentionally?!¡±


    ¡°This Young Lady Xie is Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi¡¯s sister. There¡¯s a reason why Mr. Xu did this!¡± Naturally, some people did not like Xie Qiao as well.


    ¡°Xie Pinghuai is Xie Pinghuai. What does he have to do with his sister? Also, Xie Pinghuai didn¡¯t do anything bad, right?!¡± A student fought back.


    ¡°Their identity alone is a mistake! They¡¯re born bandits. How good can they be?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Xie was a bandit, but the imperial court has recruited him now, and he¡¯s beenw-abiding these years. Moreover, it was Master Xie who fought the barbarians with the army back then. Where do you think this peace we¡¯re enjoyinges from!?¡±


    ¡°Bandits are bandits. They fought the barbarians for their own benefits! They did that so that they could be officials!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly because Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xick talent and morality. They embarrass our Royal Academy!¡±


    ¡°What does their embarrassment have anything to do with the Xie family¡¯s eldestdy? Didn¡¯t you guys hear? She had been living outside! She¡¯s onlying to the academy when she¡¯s already so old. Isn¡¯t she innocent?¡±


    ¡­


    At that moment, the people outside started fighting.


    There were approximately 20 students who were currently watching. They were separated into two different camps now!


    Xie Qiao did not hear anything else, where ¡®she¡¯s already so old¡¯ had been echoing in her head...


    If she remembered correctly, her birthday was in mid-July. She had even made herself a bowl of longevity noodles along the way to the capital. She had just turned 16 now.


    Xie Qiao sighed softly.


    Life was better at the temple. Her master would say that she was too young in order to drink more wine himself.


    Xu Mian¡¯s facial expression changed drastically. ¡°Stop fighting. What nonsense is this!?¡±


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯re fighting for you! This Master Xie has been bullying our academy over and over again. You did the right thing!¡± snarled a student.


    ¡°Bully? Our academy epts gifts, it¡¯s a known fact. How did Master Xie bully us? Didn¡¯t you guys¡¯ gift¡¯ valuable items to get in here as well?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re humiliating the academy!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just saying as it is!¡±


    Xu Mian instantly realized what he did wrong as he watched these people fighting furiously.


    When the Xie family had sent their son and daughter to the academy two years ago, Xu Mian had been pissed that they carried the silvers to the dean. Back then, the dean had merely said four words while smiling; ¡°Education is for everyone.¡±

 Chapter 60 - Sheer Luck

    <h4>Chapter 60: Sheer Luck</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The dean¡¯s meaning was that the Xie family members could be enrolled if their identity fit their requirements. No matter how the Xie family¡¯s children were, they would receive a good and fair education as long as they could get in.


    Xu Mian had totally forgotten about that!


    He looked at Xie Qiao again¡­


    Her headid low; nobody knew what she was thinking about.


    If one was to look at her as her own person instead of Xie Niushan¡¯s daughter, she was an extraordinarily outstanding youngdy.


    She was beautiful, and her manner was considered presentable and proper. If he was to think about it carefully, he had indeed been blinded by what happened in the past.


    Upon seeing that the students outside were fighting because of his behavior, Xu Mian was secretly guilty.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, you¡¯ve passed the examination. It was my fault.¡± Xu Mian was straightforward to bow and apologize to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was thinking about something else. She was surprised by this apology that came out of nowhere.


    The teachers here¡­ Sure were fast to change.


    Xie Qiao got up immediately and bowed as well. ¡°This is too much, sir.¡±


    She could not help but feel wobbly when she stood up to bow all of a sudden.


    Fortunately, she managed to stand still, or she would have embarrassed herself.


    Mr. Xu could not help but frown when he saw that, ¡°Young Lady Xie, your body seems to be weak?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, sir. I¡¯m just a little weak. It¡¯s nothing major,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    She would take care of her insignificant life herself.


    It would be inappropriate for Mr. Xu to say anything more.


    He thought the students out there would calm down a little since he had already apologized to Xie Qiao.


    However, when he turned his head, they were still fighting?


    His facial expression turned strange immediately.


    He nced at Xie Qiao, hoping this youngdy could stop them. After all, they were fighting because of this Young Lady Xie.


    However, Xie Qiao smiled lightly at him and then said, ¡°Since the entry examination has ended, I cane here tomorrow, right?¡±


    Everything would be smooth sailing when she brought the fee as she enrolled herself tomorrow.


    Xu Mian was stunned. ¡°T-the students out there¡­¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡± Xie Qiao got up, smiled lightly, and subsequently left.


    It would be inappropriate for Xu Mian to ask her to stay.


    Xie Qiao brought nothing for her trip this time.


    Her father had left, but the maid and the coachman were waiting out there.


    Xie Qiao left directly, so she had no idea that she became popr in the academy.


    ¡°Xie Pinghuai, what has your sister, Xie Qiao, been reading?¡± Xie Pinghuai had a note pasted on his face while he stared at a cricket container on the table. Two crickets were fighting inside.


    Xie Pinghuai did not even lift his head when he heard that. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about your sister! She dictated a Sanskrit article Mr. Xu gave. Everyone is guessing whether she¡¯s literate or not!¡± said that student.


    Nobody thought Xie Qiao was really familiar with Sanskrit. They thought she had just happened to memorize that article before.


    However, it was Sanskrit. Nobody would know if she read such serious books before.


    Therefore, since Xie Qiao had left, someone said it was merely sheer luck for her. If it was not for Mr. Xu, who had tested her on Sanskrit, she might not even have passed the entry examination.


    Of course, some thought that she was familiar with Sanskrit. Even if she was not talented, she was definitely not as terrible as the rest said.


    If Xie Qiao had grown up in the Imperial City, they could ask around about her.


    However, this youngdy had onlye from somewhere else a few days ago. Nobody knew how she was before!


    Xie Pinghuai turned his head doubtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not your sister by blood?¡± The crowd was rather surprised.


    ¡°She is? Eldest sister from a direct family member.¡± Xie Pinghuai had little reaction. ¡°Why are you guys being so dramatic?¡±


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t look alike at all. We heard that your sister is pretty, even prettier than Young Lady Chu. We¡¯re just wondering how she is academically!¡±

 Chapter 61 - A Pretty Face

    <h4>Chapter 61: A Pretty Face</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Everyone stared at Xie Pinghuai after they were done talking.


    Xie Pinghuai looked confused. ¡°It¡¯s useless no matter how much you stare at me. I don¡¯t know anything about my sister! She was raised at a Taoist temple from a young age.¡±


    ¡°Taoist temple? All the time in the past?¡± Everyone was surprised to hear that.


    That was not right. Howe a person from a Taoist temple knew about Buddhism?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Father said that his fate is terrible. My sister is weak, so he would harm her if she was raised at home. Someone took her away as soon as she was born. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s educated or not. However, the Taoist temple that my sister stayed in was quite remote. I suppose she only knows a few words,¡± Xie Pinghuai said casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s such a pity¡­ It¡¯s wasted that she¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    The crowd could not help but feel stunned.


    She must be a pretty face, then.


    ¡°Oh yeah, is your father¡­ going to send silvers tomorrow?¡± asked someone.


    ¡°Yes, I think so? Why?¡± Xie Pinghuai asked in confusion.


    Everyone stared at him in a strange way.


    They said nothing more.


    Xie Pinghuai scoffed and ignored them.


    ¡®Something is wrong with these people. They usually ignore me. Not sure what happened to them today that they came to talk to me, interrupting my fun.¡¯


    The crowd had no idea what toment about this Xie family.


    They were dumb.


    Could they not tell that many teachers were upset about them giving silvers? They were stubborn to change!


    Xie Pinghuai held a green foxtail in his hand and proceeded to y with the crickets. Soon, one of the crickets was defeated. He pasted a note on his left cheek and mumbled, ¡°Again, again.¡±


    Xie Qiao returned home on the carriage herself.


    Xie Niushan came home in the evening and called her over.


    He looked happy.


    When he saw Xie Qiao, he said, ¡°I heard you passed the entry examination? So we¡¯re qualified to send the gift now?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched before she nodded lightly.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. You¡¯re my child, alright!¡± Xie Niushan was over the moon and took out a 50-tael silver note. ¡°I was lucky today to be rewarded by an official! Take this money, spend it however you want!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the gambling den today, Master?¡± Ms. Lu asked immediately when she heard that.


    ¡°I went to the gambling den, but I was just watching and drinking with some colleagues. They werementing on the imperial meeting the few schrs were arguing about. I was stinky today, so I didn¡¯t dare to speak. Never had we thought an official had sneaked out of the imperial pce today and heard everything they said. He rewarded me, saying that I¡¯m stable and mature. He heard that my family¡¯s condition is pretty poor, so he rewarded me with the fortune.¡± Xie Niushan was high on cloud nine.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Stable and mature?


    Why was he proud about something that he was not?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t share the fortune with your colleagues?¡± Xie Qiao asked casually.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Xie Niushan was stunned.


    ¡°You guys were together, and everyone was speaking the truth. You were the only one who was being odd and said nothing. What if they think you already knew that someone woulde? If I were you, I would give the gift away. It¡¯d be best you exin yourself, or people might not want to hang out with you again,¡± Xie Qiao said in a neutral manner.


    The reward from the official should be quite a sum. There was no need for him to give away the entire reward.


    A small portion would do.


    Moreover, those close with him would naturally celebrate with a gift if they knew he was rewarded. That would be another ie for him.


    Xie Niushan reacted immediately upon hearing what Xie Qiao said, ¡°It¡­ makes sense.¡±


    Xie Niushan turned his head and saw Ms. Lu frowning. He said to her immediately, ¡°Madam, what are you doing? Aren¡¯t you preparing the gifts for me?¡±


    It was Ms. Lu who was in charge of the money now, so who else would he look for if not her?

 Chapter 62 - Forgery

    <h4>Chapter 62: Forgery</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Lu felt rather unwilling to be called out of nowhere.


    Ms. Lu said, ¡°I don¡¯t support this, Master. If you exin with a gift, aren¡¯t you telling them that you didn¡¯t participate not because you¡¯re mature and stable¡­¡±


    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± Xie Niushan nodded.


    Both of them made sense.


    However, if he did not give the gift, nobody would be willing to hang out with him in the future, right?


    Xie Niushan frowned. The frown between his brows could kill a fly.


    ¡°You left the darkness and went into the light back then, Father. The officials are already aware of your character and your etiquette. That official might not be sincere topliment you for being stable today. Instead, he might be using you to tell the rest that an official of the imperial pce should not be too frivolous. Give the gift sincerely and tell them the truth. It¡¯s impossible that the officials would me you. They might think that you¡¯re an honest man instead,¡± Xie Qiao reminded him again.


    She sighed after she was done speaking. She was exhausted.


    If that was not her father, she might not have bothered to say anything.


    Was it easy to be an official who used to be a bandit?


    He was the one and only in the world, so how could his superiors not understand his situation?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the officials know very well of my temperament. I should give the gift, or nobody will want to talk to me any longer!¡±


    Compared to the superiors, his colleagues were more important.


    He was a general, and those were the military officers that he had been hanging out with today. They were close. If he was being boycotted, it would be inconvenient for him to train the soldiers in the future.


    ¡°Madam, prepare the gifts. I¡¯ll send them out tomorrow. Also, prepare the silvers for the eldest daughter to pay the academy tomorrow!¡± said Xie Niushan.


    Ms. Lu looked troubled. ¡°The household¡¯s financial situation is tight¡ª¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t torture our children no matter how poor we are. Our eldest daughter had been staying at the temple. If people find out, they will look down on her. I¡¯ll bring the silvers there tomorrow myself to show that our Xie family is well-off!¡± Xie Niushan said majestically.


    To him, sending the silvers himself was the highest respect to the academy!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯ve already prepared a gift. So forget about the silvers, Father.¡±


    ¡°What kind of gift would you even have?¡± Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the kind of jade sculpture that you gave Pinghuai earlier? Who would want a piece of rock?¡±


    Xie Qiao thought it was fortunate that she had a lethal destiny and subsequently could not spend extensive time with her family members.


    Otherwise, she would be so angry at her father that she would die sooner orter.


    ¡°I happened to obtain a painting earlier. It happens to be a proper gift for the Royal Academy,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Painting? Show me,¡± Xie Niushan said immediately.


    He said that despite the fact that he could not admire art.


    Xie Qiao exhaled and got Chun Er to bring the painting from her courtyard.


    Ms. Lu and Pei Wanyue had gathered since the beginning. They extended their heads to look.


    ¡°Whose painting is this? It¡¯s just some livestock and people. Why would the academy want this?¡± Xie Niushan could not understand that.


    ¡°Mother, that¡¯s Master Yun Wei¡¯s stamp!¡± Pei Wanyue raised her brows. ¡°Can it be¡­ forgery?¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes lit up and asked while looking at Pei Wanyue, ¡°Master Yun Wei? If this painting is authentic, how much silver would it cost?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know art, but if I¡¯m judging by the master¡¯s title and the size of the painting¡­ It should be able to be sold for about 5,000 taels of silvers,¡± said Pei Wanyue.


    However, how did such an expensive painting end up with Xie Qiao?


    Master Yun Wei had limited paintings, while most of the paintings sold on the market were small.


    Xie Qiao did not allow them to look further as she put away the painting casually. Xie Niushan was too clumsy. If he damaged her painting by ident, she would have to spend a great effort to paint it all over again.


    ¡°What are you trying to do? Give a forged painting? That old man might find out! That¡¯s too risky. I think we should just give the silvers directly.¡± Although Xie Niushan wanted to save money, this matter involved his eldest daughter. He should not be cheap about it.

 Chapter 63 - She Was Being Truthful

    <h4>Chapter 63: She Was Being Truthful</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan looked fierce as if he wanted to beat someone up.


    ¡°This is authentic,¡± Xie Qiao dered immediately.


    ¡°Authentic? Where did you get it from?¡± Xie Niushan did not believe that at all.


    He had heard of Master Yun Wei¡¯s name, but he did not know him. Thus, he had little understanding of this master.


    It had been so long since he hade to the Imperial City. He had learned a lot. The items that came from those who were called ¡®master¡¯ and ¡®nobility¡¯ would usually cost a lot of silver!


    Moreover, silver was not the most important thing. One might not obtain a master¡¯s creation with silver!


    It was not that Xie Niushan did not believe in his own daughter, but he did not believe in himself. Based on his behavior, his children would not do anything great in life.


    Xie Qiao exhaled. She was not going to say that it was her who had painted it.


    Otherwise, the paintings might not sell in the future. After all, to the rest, Yun Wei was an old man who was dying. The old man was near the end of his life, so the price of his masterpieces would be much higher now. However, if people knew that it was a youngdy who painted the paintings¡­


    The price would definitely drop significantly.


    ¡°I bought it from a bookstore in Yunjin.¡± Xie Qiao gave an excuse casually.


    ¡°You bought it? How much did you buy it for?¡± Xie Niushan asked immediately.


    ¡°Not much.¡±


    She did not have to spend anything on it.


    Ms. Lu could not help but secretly snicker.


    The master¡¯s creation was not a rock in a jade mine. One could not just pick up something casually and find something valuable.


    ¡®How dumb is this girl?¡¯


    However, Pei Wanyue secretly pulled Ms. Lu¡¯s sleeve.


    Ms. Lu looked at her in confusion, and Pei Wanyue said, ¡°This painting that Sister Qiao got might be authentic! Father, you might not know this, but Sister Qiao is loved in Yunjin. I heard that many people would give her things whenever she returned. It¡¯s impossible that people would sell Sister Qiao something fake. Moreover, I heard that Master Yun Wei is from¡­ Yunjin? There may be more authentic paintings over there.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xie Niushan was stunned.


    He had no idea where Master Yun Wei was from.


    Ms. Lu understood now.


    Whether it was authentic or not, this thing was definitely good, even if she did not have to pay!


    ¡°Since Qiao¡¯er is giving this away, it¡¯s definitely authentic,¡± Ms. Lu said.


    Xie Niushan hesitated for a moment. ¡°Eldest daughter, are you sure this thing is authentic? The people at the Royal Academy are picky. If this is fake, they¡¯ll say something hurtful. Your skin is thin, so I¡¯m worried that you can¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. It¡¯s authentic,¡± Xie Qiao was serious.


    In reality, Xie Niushan was still not convinced. However, since Xie Qiao spoke so seriously, he gave it a good thought.


    He could not help but recall what she had said to her out there today.


    She had said that there was fortuneing his way today.


    It was proven that his eldest daughter was right.


    This girl was not a person who would spew nonsense. Since she had said that this thing was authentic with such confidence, perhaps¡­ she was being truthful?


    ¡°Although we don¡¯t have much silverpared to other families, we can¡¯t be stingy with the silver that we¡¯re giving the academy to send you in. You don¡¯t have to be cheap for me, alright?¡± Xie Niushan said again.


    Even Xie Niushan could not help but feel touched when he said that. Although he did not raise this child himself, she loved her father!


    See, she was unwilling to use his money!


    Xie Niushan looked over with grateful eyes, which gave Xie Qiao goosebumps all over her body.


    He turned his head to look at Ms. Lu¡¯s unwilling face. She could not help but frown again.


    ¡°How can I not want your silver, Father? I have nothing with me. I¡¯ll use these 5,000 taels of silvers for something else,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Before Xie Niushan was done feeling touched, he heard that from his daughter...

 Chapter 64 - Darling

    <h4>Chapter 64: Darling</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan was a crude hunk. He did not think too much about it.


    He was going to give Xie Qiao those taels of silvers anyway. Moreover, she was his direct eldest daughter. She was 16 now, so it did not make sense not to have any silvers with her.


    Although 5,000 taels of silver were quite a lot, she had just arrived in the Imperial City. There would not be much left after buying some clothes and essories.


    ¡°Sure, take it!¡± Xie Niushan spoke proudly as if he was wealthy.


    Ms. Lu felt like a piece of her flesh was being taken away!


    Xie Niushan had been drinking earlier, so he felt a little tired after chatting a little bit, ¡°You girls talk, I¡¯ll rest.¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s unwillingness was getting more obvious as soon as Xie Niushan left.


    ¡°Qiao¡¯er, you¡¯re taking so many taels of silver when you don¡¯t have to pay for the gift¡­ What are you going to use them for?¡± asked Ms. Lu.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was calm as she smilingly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to care, Mother,¡±


    Ms. Lu said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I care. It¡¯s just that this amount is considerable. Look, our family isn¡¯t doing well. Your sister is going to the academy as well. We should save whatever we can, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao was not angry upon hearing that.


    She had spent years at the Taoist temple and experienced the warmth of humans¡¯ kindness, as well as how selfish one could be.


    Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m calling you Mother to be nice and out of respect. However, please remember this. I¡¯m the Xie family¡¯s eldestdy. I can refuse the money, but nobody can plot against me and take it away from me. Do you understand?¡±


    Her voice was not exactly cold, but it gave out a sense of heartlessness.


    ¡°Who is taking your money from you!?¡± Ms. Lu was angry.


    ¡°It¡¯s hurtful to say some things too clearly. Your dignity is precious, Mother. Please savor it,¡± Xie Qiao revealed a seemingly smiling expression. She turned around to leave with her painting as soon as she was done speaking.


    She was so straightforward that Ms. Lu failed to react.


    Ever since Ms. Lu had met Xie Qiao, thetter had been¡­ pretty nice to her. She would call her ¡®Mother¡¯ whenever they met, and she would bow when she had to. She had not evenined to Xie Niushan that Ms. Lu had lost her jade.


    However, her straightforwardness that came out of nowhere shocked Ms. Lu!


    If she was speaking from her heart, she would definitely not treat Xie Qiao like this if she did not bring her daughter along at the same time¡­


    Ms. Lu had aplicated feeling. She turned her head to nce at Pei Wanyue and felt a little sorry for her.


    Her daughter had been living a poor life before. She was by her side now, but she had to watch someone else calling her ¡®Mother¡¯. It made sense that Pei Wanyue felt hurt inside.


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re not even sure if she¡¯s Master¡¯s biological daughter.¡± Ms. Lu sighed and held Pei Wanyue¡¯s hands. ¡°But you, you¡¯re my darling!¡±


    Pei Wanyue was stunned. She then held her head slightly low.


    When Xie Qiao returned to her courtyard, she found out that it remained the same as before. Nothing had changed.


    ¡°Nobody came to dig the well today?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Granny Wan sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. I waited all day here. I realized that nobody wasing in the afternoon, so I urged them again. The management said that the person who is capable of digging the well happened to take a work leave today, so we need to wait.¡±


    ¡°How many times have you spoken to them?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Three times, I think?¡± replied Granny Wan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around and see when my eldest brother ising home. I¡¯ll get him over to dig it for me,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Granny Wan was not surprised when she heard that, so she nodded immediately.


    The courtyard was too remote, causing the maids not to take thedy seriously.


    Fortunately, thedy cooked her own food in the courtyard, or she would not have anything to eat.


    It was not Xie Pinggang¡¯s rest day today, so he only returned two hourster. He saw Granny Wan as soon as he stepped in.


    Xie Pinggang had a faint impression of Granny Wan. He knew that she was the granny serving Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinggang was straightforward and asked directly, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±

 Chapter 65 - Destiny of Love

    <h4>Chapter 65: Destiny of Love</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Xie Pinggang arrived home, it was only natural that the steward and servants would wee him to check whether he needed anything.


    When they saw Granny Wan talking to him, even the steward had a change of expression. He got up immediately to ask, ¡°Is this about Eldest Lady asking for someone to dig the well? I¡¯ve already gotten someone to do it. It¡¯ll be done tomorrow. Ask Eldest Lady not to be worried. It will be alright if it¡¯s postponed for one or two days.¡±


    Yuan Rong chuckled.


    ¡°Well? What well?¡± Xie Pinggang was confused.


    ¡°There used to be a well in Eldest Lady¡¯s courtyard. Not sure why, but Eldest Lady doesn¡¯t like the well¡¯s position. She wanted to fill it and dig another one somewhere else. We¡¯ve been helping with Ms. Pei¡¯s matters these days, so our tes have been full. The well isn¡¯t urgent, so it¡¯s been dragged for a few days. This humble one has exined this to Eldest Lady,¡± Yuan Rong said immediately.


    Xie Pinggang managed to capture a few terms from the long-winded speech.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t like it¡¯, ¡®Ms. Pei¡¯, and ¡®dragged for a few days¡¯¡­


    ¡°What are you useful for when you can¡¯t even prioritize things?¡± Xie Pinggang scoffed and said to Granny Wan, ¡°Tell her that it¡¯ll be done tomorrow morning.¡±


    Yuan Rong¡¯s facial expression turned stiff.


    Granny Wan did not look too happy either. ¡°No, Eldest Lady is asking you to go to her. She¡¯s asking you to dig the well,¡± she said calmly.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡°Eldest Young Master has just gotten home. How can you make him do something so exhausting?¡± Yuan Rong said immediately, trying to butter up to Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Eldest Lady has prepared the tools. They¡¯re over there,¡± said Granny Wan.


    ¡®Is she for real!?¡¯


    In reality, Xie Pinggang was a little hungry. However, he thought about it carefully. This sister of his must have felt wronged and wanted him to show people her standing.


    He said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll dig it.¡±


    ¡°Eldest Young Master!?¡± The steward was dumbstruck.


    ¡°Get more people over. It¡¯s not toote to start digging now. We¡¯ll do it overnight.¡± Xie Pinggang red at Yuan Rong, looking upset.


    That was the steward that his dumb father had picked. He must be blind to have picked him.


    Yuan Rong had contributed something major back in the mountain stronghold. He was then promoted to an official, but hecked in capabilities to reach a higher rank. Given that he was considered loyal to his father, he worked for their family at home.


    Xie Pinggang rolled up his sleeves and went to Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard.


    She was currently sitting in the courtyard.


    She held a chicken feather fan in one hand while holding a book in the other. The sky had yet to turn dark, but she had lit up themp aside. Her chicken was by her foot as well, and she seemed rather rxed.


    She did not look like she was pissed.


    Xie Pinggang did not disturb her when he got in. He got the steward over and began to dig the well right after asking where he should start.


    Xie Qiao lifted her head and looked.


    ¡®Dark and big eyes, a tough and decisive man. He has a lucky face, but it¡¯s unfortunate that¡­ he does not have destiny in love?¡¯


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Xie Qiao could not help but make that sound to express her pity.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s hearing was good. He heard that and turned around to stare at her.


    Xie Qiao put down her book. She supported her chin with one hand and fanned herself with the other as she asked in a rxed manner, ¡°Eldest Brother, when are you getting yourself a wife?¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face turned stiff.


    Why did she ask him when he was getting married? That was heartbreaking for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, so you should start a family soon. Our mother in heaven would be happy to see that,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face looked even more terrible now. She made it sound like he did not want to get married!


    ¡°If I can¡¯t find a suitable wife two yearster, I¡¯ll buy eight or ten maidservants from the human traffickers and marry all of them!¡± Xie Pinggang scoffed.


    ¡®All I want is for them to bear children for me. It¡¯s simple.¡¯


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched¡ªthat was indeed what Xie Pinggang was capable of doing!

 Chapter 66 - Lonely Destiny

    <h4>Chapter 66: Lonely Destiny</h4>


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s earlobes were a little red. He seemed a little pissed too.


    He was in his 20s and should be at his peak. How was it possible that he did not want a wife!?


    However, he could not just marry anyone. He was not in the mountain stronghold now. In order to really get rid of the name of being a family of bandits, the Xie family had to follow the rules.


    They had to follow the rules even more than others!


    His and Pinghuai¡¯s generation was hopeless. After all, their fame had been etched. There was no way for them to change it.


    Nheless, the next generation must be obedient and sensible!


    The thing was that he did not even have a wife to bear a sensible child for him. He was thinking of marrying an official¡¯s daughter, who was knowledgeable and smart. The appearance was not important while having good behavior was the most important thing.


    Ady like this¡­ Even a low-ranking official¡¯s daughter would have many men waiting to marry her.


    Moreover, the outsiders thought that he was a demon who would beat up his wife. They were worried that he would kill their daughter with a p, so nobody would consider marrying him.


    He felt helpless about that!


    If he was still single a few yearster, he would be left with no choice. He would have to marry anyone just to pass the bloodline.


    Forget that he was considering doing that¡ªXie Qiao thought he had an unlucky face.


    The other aspects of his life were fine, but when it came to marriage¡­ The chance was slim.


    As Xie Qiao thought about it, she suddenly came to a realization. She held her head low and began to tell Xie Pinggang¡¯s fortune by analyzing his birth information.


    He was her biological brother after all, so she knew about his birth information.


    She was stunned as she analyzed.


    He was born between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Solitary and lonely, so Xie Pinggang had a lonely destiny?


    The Loneliness Star was the Star of Solitude, and there was the Star of Widow as well. His fate even intersected with the Tianxu Star and the Tianku Star. It made the terrible destiny worse.


    Men were worried about loneliness, while being widows was taboo for women. If one had such destiny, the former would be iprehensible, while thetter would be unromantic!


    People with lonely destiny were independent, strong, but a little stubborn. They were lone wolves, so all possible romance would stay far away from them!


    Moreover¡­


    Now it seemed their mother, Ms. Peng, was pretty unfortunate.


    Forget that her daughter had a lethal destiny, now her son, Xie Pinggang, had a lonely destiny. As soon the Loneliness Star entered one¡¯s Self Pce, they would definitely harm one of their six family members in life!


    It also meant that apart from Xie Qiao, the other reason her mother had a difficult delivery might be caused by¡­


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s destiny.


    ¡°What are you mumbling?¡± Xie Pinggang was starving.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, would you consider bing a Taoist master or a monk? If you do either, you¡¯ll definitely be sessful tens of yearster,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    It was futile to rush.


    There was a way to break everything. Her eldest brother¡¯s issue could be considered difficult, but it could be considered simple too.


    Every misfortune was rted to the five elements. One could solve their bad luck by using the five elements and the benefit of Yin and Yang.


    However, nothing could be changed immediately. One would have to cultivate their destiny.


    Did he want to get married? He would have to wait!


    However, everything had its cause and effect. There was a big possibility that their ancestors had caused the Xie family¡¯s grandchildren to have terrible destinies.


    Perhaps, the Xie family¡¯s ancestral grave had been ced somewhere unsuitable, or their ancestors had done something evil back then. It made sense that the karma was passed down to the bloodline.


    Xie Pinggang tossed the tools in his hands. He was pissed.


    He walked over in big steps, sat on the stone bench, and downed a cup of tea quickly. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Me being a monk? Aren¡¯t you worried that the temple would be destroyed!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Eldest Brother, you¡¯re destined to be lonely. It¡¯s rather difficult for you to marry a wife,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xie Pinggang was furious upon hearing that, but he suddenly came to a realization. ¡°Did that bloody old Taoist master teach you that!?¡±

 Chapter 67 - Go Away, Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 67: Go Away, Ghoul</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang actually looked rather surprised when he mentioned the old Taoist master.


    Since Mo Lingz¦É had raised Xie Qiao, Xie Pinggang naturally knew that Mo Lingzi was not a fake, scamming half-immortal. He had a certain level of mastery in the aspects of thaumaturgy.


    ¡°It was Master who taught me that. If you¡¯re not going to be a monk or Taoist master for your lonely destiny¡­ then, we¡¯ll have to do something else. I¡¯ll inscribe a Yin Yang Five Element Talisman for youter. You¡¯ll have to bring it everywhere with you or ce it above your bed. It can adjust your Yin, Yang, and five elements aura. It¡¯ll work as time goes by.¡±


    Naturally, he would need more than a talisman.


    She would need to set up a Purple Seven Star Formation in Xie Pinggang¡¯s courtyard.


    One would need some items to set up a formation. The Yin Yang Five Element Talisman was considered a safety talisman that worked for all. Xie Pinggang would use that first.


    It seemed like Xie Pinggang was not in a rush to marry, so she would have time to prepare the items.


    Xie Pinggang red at her and suddenly said, ¡°Did you learn Mo Lingzi¡¯s skills?¡±


    ¡°Just a little bit, not much.¡± Xie Qiao spoke softly.


    ¡°A little bit is enough! He doesn¡¯t have any other skills, but he¡¯s very powerful in physiognomy. You don¡¯t have to master 70% or 80% of his skill. As long as you inherited 10% or 20% of it, men won¡¯t fool you in the future.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was rather excited. He then asked as he watched the people that were digging the well, ¡°Why must you dig a well here?¡±


    He thought this girl wanted a well here for convenience.


    However, he thought differently now.


    Perhaps she wanted to shift the feng shui for fortune toe¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s not too much of a benefit to digging a well here.¡± Xie Qiao was being honest.


    Xie Pinggang frowned and watched Xie Qiao take a sip of her tea. ¡°The well¡¯s position was bad, bad for the rtionship between brothers. You guys woulde to my courtyard asionally, so it¡¯d be terrible if your rtionship was affected,¡± she said slowly.


    Xie Pinggang wore a respectful expression as soon as that was said. Whether Xie Qiao was urate about that or not, he could not pretend not to hear her since she had mentioned it.


    Moreover, it was rted to the rtionship between brothers. It was a major matter, and she would not just mess with that.


    ¡°You¡¯re panting from talking, it¡¯s so annoying. And you talk so slow like a snail, who can stand that?¡± Xie Pinggang vented, ¡°You¡¯re a sly person as well. Do you think you¡¯re the master here? Just scold Yuan Rong if he disobeys you, or just look for Father. To think you got me here to work. That wouldn¡¯t punish Yuan Rong!¡±


    Xie Qiao could not help but snicker out loud. ¡°You sure are direct with your words, Eldest Brother. It¡¯s unfortunate that you won¡¯t marry a wife.¡±


    Scold Yuan Rong? It would be a great effort for her!


    After Xie Pinggang left her courtyard, he would naturally scold Yuan Rong himself. Why would she have to do it?


    ¡°You¡¯re still talking? I¡¯ll toss you out if you continue!¡± Xie Pinggang threatened.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched before she smirked.


    It was no wonder that he had a lonely destiny!


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Xie Qiao scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to dig the well even if you don¡¯t want to! There¡¯s no benefit to digging a well here, but you have the most powerful Yang energy in the family. It¡¯ll be different if you dig it yourself. It¡¯s good for my health.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xie Pinggang was rather shocked.


    What Xie Qiao wanted to say was that her eldest brother was already mature, but he was still a virgin. Naturally, he had the most powerful Yang energy. Any ghouls would stay far away and dare not get close to her!


    If she did not get him to dig the well, who should she look for? Her father?


    Xie Qiao lifted her head lightly and seemed to be throwing a tantrum. ¡°So? Are you digging or not?¡±


    A thud echoed as Xie Pinggang flicked her head. ¡°I can, but you should get me something to eat!¡±


    After flicking her head, Xie Pinggang got up agilely.


    Xie Qiao felt a ringing in her head from the flick.


    Xie Pinggang was as big as a bear, so one could imagine how strong he was.


    Although he had intentionally reserved his strength, it was rather painful for Xie Qiao!


    Soon, there was a red dot on her head.


    Xie Qiao was pissed and chuckled in an eerie manner. ¡°Eldest Brother, did you see a dead body today? There¡¯s a death odor on your body.¡±

 Chapter 68 - Wish

    <h4>Chapter 68: Wish</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    If it was not that someone else was around at the moment, Xie Qiao would definitely not be beating around the bush.


    She was not talking about the death odor on Xie Pinggang¡¯s body.


    What she wanted to say was that a rotten ghoul had been following Xie Pinggang and had entered her courtyard. However, it dared note closer, squatting at the corner of the door. It was disgusting.


    However, Xie Pinggang was still shocked.


    Xie Pinggang asked immediately, ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    He was different from his father. His father was a fourth-grade general, while he did not have any capabilities.


    He had taken the military officer examination before, and his grade had been pretty good. Initially, he would have been an eighth-grade official at the military base in the Imperial City. However, something had happened, making people think he had misbehaved. As such, his career as a military official hade to an abrupt end.


    He had been demoted, and he was now working as an executioner at the Criminal Division.


    As an executioner, he was responsible for interrogation or beating up the suspects. He would follow his superiors when he was required to investigate outside.


    He was a low-ranking official, but he was doing well at the Criminal Division due to his fierce looks.


    Whether the case was major or minor, the interrogation would end faster with him.


    Today, he had indeed seen a dead body when he was out for investigation¡­


    Xie Pinggang stared right at Xie Qiao as if she had something to do with the case.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you that I can smell that?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was soft, and she smiled lightly. ¡°Eldest Brother, the stench is heavy. Can it be that something filthy followed you home? I heard people who died a sudden death are scary. Do you think he would step on you when you sleep in the middle of the night, attempting to strangle you to death?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°Why would I be afraid of him? He died so recklessly, and his body was smashed into a pile of flesh. Even if he became something that could fly, he would still be a good-for-nothing!¡±


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless, and her eyelids twitched. She said in a pitiful manner, ¡°It¡¯s my fault to have underestimated your¡­ bad temper.¡±


    She tried to scare Xie Pinggang¡­


    She must be dumb to have tried doing that!


    She looked at the door again and noticed that the rotten ghoul was burying its head from the scare.


    Xie Qiao was surprised and envious. How amazing would it be if she had such powerful Yang energy like her eldest brother did one day!?


    He had scared the ghoul out of its wits just by speaking. That was¡­ amazing¡­


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes flickered for a little bit before she turned her head.


    The digging of the well stopped two hourster.


    She calcted the time and asked Xie Pinggang toe again tomorrow at the same time.


    However, after Xie Pinggang left, the ghoul that he had brought along stayed behind.


    That was not for the first ghoul that Xie Qiao had seen. She was not afraid, but the ghoul was rather rotten and ugly. She felt like her stomach was twisting when she looked at it.


    Theoretically, a spirit¡¯s appearance was modeled after the moment they died. However, this one¡­


    The ghoul arrived at the door of Xie Qiao¡¯s house. ¡°You can see me¡­¡±


    There was something powerful in the house, so this ghoul dared not go in.


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Stay away from my house, you disgusting thing.¡±


    The ghoul¡¯s cloudy eyes were wide opened now. ¡°I have an unfulfilled wish. I won¡¯t eat you if you fulfill it for me!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xie Qiao smiled lightly and retrieved a golden dragon¡¯s head whip with a wooden handle from her sleeve. It looked more like a rope. She suddenly swung the whip, and a bang resounded.


    The ghoul¡¯s body immediately emitted sizzling smoke. It was shaking from the pain.


    ¡°Those whoe for the first time usually don¡¯t behave themselves. They¡¯ll only learn after some pain,¡± Xie Qiaoined softly. It was tiring for her to teach the ghoul a lesson. Could those ghouls not have better manners!?


    The ghoul was quick to react. After being whipped, it squatted while wrapping its arms around its head immediately and screamed, ¡°S-spare me, Grand Immortal! I have silver! I¡¯ll give all of them to you!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded and asked slowly, ¡°What¡¯s your wish? Tell me, as long as it¡¯s not something illegal and hical.¡±

 Chapter 69 - Skull Observation

    <h4>Chapter 69: Skull Observation</h4>


    Xie Qiao put away the whip and sat on the chair. She was ready to listen.


    The ghoul was terribly ugly. It did not dare to get up at that moment.


    ¡°My wish¡­¡± The ghoul¡¯s voice was soft. It paused after opening its mouth.


    What was his wish?


    In reality, he had no idea. He was already dead. Since it was a miracle that he had bumped into someone who could see him, it was only natural that he wanted to fulfill his regrets!


    However, he had too many!


    He was dead at such a young age, and he had died in a horrible manner. He had not gotten married and was childless. He had spent his life making money and had not eaten anything delicious. He seemed to have lived an empty life the past 20 years!


    The ghoul cried as it thought about it.


    Xie Qiao did not rush into it. ¡°Give it a good thought. Burying you will cost five taels of silver. It¡¯ll be more expensive if you want to be buried in an auspicious location, 20 taels of silver at least. Give more money if you want to set up a formation with talismans. The ¡®item¡¯ would cost 50 taels of silver at least. It won¡¯t be sealed, and you can choose the design.¡±


    The ghoul lifted its head and looked stunned upon hearing that.


    ¡°So expensive!? W-what¡¯s the item?¡±


    ¡°The item¡­¡± Xie Qiao rummaged through her basket and took out a wooden doll that was the size of a palm. ¡°This one. You can carve it into anything you like. I can carve a house and even a human. However, it¡¯s expensive since it¡¯s custom-made.¡±


    The ghoul stared at the wooden doll in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    It was carved into the form of a fairy-likedy. She was elegant, graceful, and beautiful!


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re burning it for me?¡± asked the ghoul, feeling surprised.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Xie Qiao smiled silently. ¡°Sure, it depends whether you can afford it.¡±


    ¡°H-how much silver does it cost?¡± asked the ghoul.


    ¡°I only sell this to a lonely soul like you. This one that I have with me¡­ would be 1,000 taels of silver. That¡¯s myst offer,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    ¡°Why is it so expensive?!¡± The ghoul inhaled sharply!


    She was talking about a couple to tens of taels earlier. Howe it became 1,000 taels now? The wood quality was ordinary!


    ¡°Judging by your color, you definitely did many bad things when you were alive, right? My prices depend on the person. I¡¯ll charge you more if I don¡¯t like the sight of you. If you¡¯re not happy about it, just leave. This is a proper business. Nobody will force you to buy, and nobody will force me to sell. Naturally, there¡¯s a cheaper one that costs 50 taels of silver. It¡¯s too ugly, so I don¡¯t currently have it in stock,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    The soul that she had buried earlier had a lucky face and a nice color. Although it had been a servant, it was not evil.


    However, this one was different. Its body was rotten, and she sensed the ominous aura on its body. It must have done many bad things when it was still alive.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The ghoul stared at her in horror. It looked as if its secret was being seen through.


    ¡°What? Am I wrong?¡± Xie Qiao said while smirking.


    There were physiognomy and palmistry for humans, as well as phrenology and aura reading. In order to observe someone, one must observe their skull first. The flesh on the skull was not as important as what was inside.


    Judging by his head alone, his forehead was not considered plump. His life must have been ordinary.


    There were 18 auspicious signs on the ipital bone. However, this person had a t and ordinary skull. He had none of the 8 auspicious signs, meaning hecked luck in his life.


    His parietal bone was rather pointy¡ªhis behavior was hical.


    His sphenoid bone was low¡ªhe was lonely and cunning.


    Ordinary brow bone, the sign of wither¡ªeven if he obtained wealth, it would notst.


    However, he had pretty great high cheekbones¡ªa sign of power.


    Plump mandible bone¡ªhe must have lived a life without worries.


    However, the two advantages were dragged when allbined. Therefore, even if this person possessed power and fortune, he would only stay in a smallmunity. He couldn¡¯t be a king or an official to conquer the world.


    It would be just a dream.


    Xie Qiao was behaving coldly and seemed more and more mysterious now.

 Chapter 70 - Studying at the Academy

    <h4>Chapter 70: Studying at the Academy</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ghoul had many doubts and was more fearful of Xie Qiao now.


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t be purchasing the item now. Please do something for me¡­¡± The ghoul hesitated. ¡°I-I¡¯m looking for ady¡­ Although I¡¯ve only met her once, there¡¯s something that I¡¯m confused about.¡±


    Xie Qiao asked carefully, ¡°Whatdy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I saw ady before I was dead. It was blurry, but I knew that she¡¯s pretty charismatic¡­ I felt she resented me, the kind of resentment that would make one kill,¡± said the ghoul.


    He could not remember how he had died exactly. It was all a blur.


    However, he knew that his death had something to do with thatdy.


    Xie Qiao made up her mind to ask her eldest brother about it tomorrow.


    The Criminal Division was responsible for reviewing all of the cases. Apart from reviewing cases, they were also responsible for investigating suspicious and major cases.


    Her eldest brother would definitely know what exactly had happened to that ghoul.


    Moreover, it was very strange.


    The ghoul¡¯s form was rotten. It seemed to have only turned into a spirit after a long time of being rotten. It was clearly unusual.


    Xie Qiao took out a brush and paper to get the description from the ghoul and painted the features of thedy¡¯s appearance.


    After she was done, she got a container and captured the ghoul inside.


    Some ghouls would wander longer out there if they had powerful Yang energy. If they died with resentment, they would exist in the world for an even longer period. Although this ghoul had no idea how it had died, it clearly did not care much about its death. It was just doubtful.


    It would be wandering as a soul now, but it might vanish after a period. Thus, it would be better for Xie Qiao to capture it before it paid her silver.


    On the next day...


    It was the day Xie Qiao would start studying at the academy.


    She went to the ountant early in the morning.


    Ms. Lu was there too and frowned slightly when she saw Xie Qiao.


    ¡°What did you say to your eldest brother yesterday? He punished Steward Yuan by beating him with a heavy stick. We don¡¯t know how long he will be resting in bed. There are so many things at home that are waiting for him to do!¡±


    ¡°Mother, you should ask what Yuan Rong did. If it¡¯s really unforgivable, you should chase him out of the house. That should be what a mother should say. Do you need me to teach you that?¡± Xie Qiao was a little talkative as she looked at the silver notes in her hand.


    Ms. Lu was stunned.


    That seemed to be what she should do¡­


    Ms. Lu sorted her voice. ¡°Yuan Rong has been following your father for a long time. He deserves a little credit no matter what¡ª¡±


    ¡°He only deserves a little credit after following Father for so long. Seems like this man is useless,¡± Xie Qiao said softly. She then stamped her thumbprint on the ount book.


    Although the money was a lot, she would not spend it recklessly.


    She wanted to live a long life. It was not enough to earn good karma by changing the fates of the ghouls she asionally bumped into. Therefore, she was going to open a store.


    As the Xie family¡¯s daughter, it was impossible for her to expose herself in the streets.


    However, it would be much easier if she had a store as her cover.


    Ms. Lu opened her mouth wide. It would be bad for her to say something terrible because of a steward. She could only tolerate it while looking cold.


    She watched Xie Qiao leave the house happily with the silver.


    Those were 5,000 taels of silver!


    The family¡¯s financial situation was tight, yet she was still spending money!


    However, Pei Wanyue was smiling.


    She hoped that Xie Qiao would get into the Royal Academy sessfully. After she got in and the news of her giving a forged painting spread, her morality would be questioned. Would she definitely not be chased out by then?


    As Xie Qiao took the 5,000 taels of silver, Ms. Lu got some money and brought Pei Wanyue to the Gn Academy.


    The Gn Academy was also a well-known academy. It was just thatpared to the Royal Academy, the Gn Academy educated men mainly. They were less strict with the girls.

 Chapter 71 - The Library

    <h4>Chapter 71: The Library</h4>


    In reality, the Imperial City¡¯s renowned academies had extraordinary backgrounds.


    However, Pei Wanyue was unwilling. Therefore, she failed to squeeze a smile on her face and looked cold.


    Xie Qiao was different.


    She had her head filled with all the good things in the Royal Academy, as well as the Yang energy that was beneficial to her.


    ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t bring a maid with you to the academy. Will you be able to cope, given your health?¡± Chun Er was rather concerned.


    It would be hectic at the academy, whereby she would have to stay for six to eight hours per day!


    ¡°I can.¡± Xie Qiao looked as proud as the sun. There was even warmth in her tone now.


    It was good to go to school. She finally felt high-spirited now!


    In reality, her health had improved significantly since she turned 15. However, in the past¡­


    It was a long story.


    Her body had been weak not long after she was born. It was hard for her to breathe, and she would be scared by ghouls every now and then. Ever since she had started walking, she would always pass out.


    It wasmon for her body to feel cold in the middle of the night, as if she was in an ice cave.


    She would have nightmares every day from the influence of Yin energy.


    Thus, she disliked sleeping. She would stay under the sun and read whenever she had time. She would even exercise a little bit to prevent getting weaker.


    Learning more and working hard would make her forget the feeling of dying.


    However, it was different when she was at the academy.


    There were fewer men and moredies here. There was more Yang energy than the sun¡¯s energy at noon. She had not seen any ghouls at the academy yesterday, so she was over the moon!


    If she knew that the feng shui was great here, she would havee to the Imperial City from the very beginning.


    Although she had heavy evil energy in her back then, which would harm her family, she could have lived in the side courtyard¡­


    It was a pity!


    Xie Qiao was smiling for a while and sighing for a while.


    At the moment, many carriages stopped outside the academy.


    The academy prepared rooms for the students. However, there were more male students, as most female students would go home every day.


    There were five rest days each month, and it was less strict for thedies. They could apply for rest days if their bodies were weak and feeling ill. However, they would have to catch up with their homework as much as they could.


    Everyone would have to walk after stepping into the academy¡¯s gate. Not only that, all of them were pampered young mistresses, and maids were prohibited.


    Xie Qiao dropped by the ce she took the examination yesterday.


    Ms. Xu had been anxious the whole day. He was ready to be blinded by a pile of silver taels.


    Not only that but there were also many people watching out there. They were here to watch Xie Niushan sending actual money.


    Unfortunately, Xie Niushan did note.


    Ms. Xu thought it was odd that he was not here.


    ¡°Sir, this is a gift from me.¡± Xie Qiao handed the painting.


    Xu Mian was stunned. ¡°A painting?¡±


    He thought she would give silver notes even if she was not giving silver taels! In reality, silver notes were great too. They were not as shiny!


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Her skinny and fragile body looked rather high-spirited now. Her eyes were bright, and her soft voice was like a stream flowing, slow but powerful.


    Xu Mian felt more relieved now. He thought the gift would be appropriate as long as its quality was passable.


    He did not expect its value to be worth 5,000 taels of silver. It would work even if it was only worth 2,000 to 3,000 taels of silver!


    However, he was dumbstruck when he rolled out the painting.


    The painting style and the wild handwriting¡­


    At that moment, his spirit was lifted, and he rolled the painting immediately. ¡°Amazing! Great, this can be stored in the library!¡±


    For the items that the academy collected, silver taels or notes would be put away in the storeroom, porcin wares and precious stones in the treasury, while books and paintings in the library. The library had a few doors too. The further the door was, the more precious the items in there.


    Many people were watching the library to guarantee that things would not be stolen or to prevent fire idents.

 Chapter 72 - The Orchid Courtyard

    <h4>Chapter 72: The Orchid Courtyard</h4>


    Xu Mian was very emotional, which made the people curious.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, what¡¯s that exactly? Show it to us!¡±ined someone.


    They hade all the way here to watch, but Mr. Xu did not even show it to them?!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys? The bell is ringing. Go to your sses now! If you¡¯rete, aren¡¯t you afraid that your teacher will punish you?!¡± Xu Mian mored and sped the painting in his hand even tighter now.


    It was Master Yun Wei¡¯s masterpiece!


    Master Yun Wei was an expert out there. He did not have many paintings on the market, but each of them was precious. At the moment, the academy had only collected a painting of a drunk Taoist master. It was a small painting, but it had an extraordinary artistic conception.


    The Taoist master in the painting seemed nothing different than a regr man. He was even a drunkard. However, when one looked at it carefully, they would notice the mncholy of the Taoist master seeing through everything in the world.


    The Taoist master¡¯s chic and carefreeness were brilliantly showcased in the painting.


    Master Yun Wei¡¯s handwriting was like a wandering dragon and flying phoenix. At the same time, it was like a violent wind and magnificent thunder. It contained an intense wildness!


    How could he do that if he had not been painting for tens of years?


    Such a master must be dying now. Anyone would collect however many paintings they could as they would be something valuable for years toe!


    ¡°Sir, which ss do I go to?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    Xu Mian was so happy that he almost forgot. He said immediately after Xie Qiao¡¯s reminder, ¡°You¡¯re in ss Sun in the Snowball Bush Courtyard. I heard that you grew up in a Taoist temple from a young age. I¡¯m worried that your foundation iscking, so this ss suits you better.¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her brows slightly. Since she had no idea how this Snowball Bush Courtyard was, she could only nod to respond.


    Subsequently, Mr. Xu brought the new students to their sses.


    Xie Qiao was stunned as soon as she arrived at the ss.


    The entire ss¡­


    What should she say? They were all¡­ ten-year-olddies. None of them were 15.


    Although she was not nning on making friends, she was surrounded by children. Would she not be an attention seeker?


    ¡°Sir, can I be in the same ss of people my age?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°You can. It¡¯s just that most people your age have been studying in this academy for a few years. They have a good foundation. Moreover, our requirement is high. This ss is different. The requirement is lower,¡± Xu Mian was extraordinarily patient since he had obtained something valuable. His voice was gentle too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll send you there. If you can¡¯t catch up, you can alwayse back.¡± Xu Mian was very easy to talk to now.


    Xie Qiao would be sent to the Orchid Courtyard after speaking to him.


    She had been listening to the otherdies chatting along the way, so she understood the ss system now.


    ss Qian, Kun, Sun, Moon, A, B, C, D. The arrangement had something to do with their identity.


    For instance, she was a fourth-grade official¡¯s direct eldest daughter, so she was put into ss Sun.


    There were five small rankings after that.


    They were ranked by flowers.


    The first one was the Peony Courtyard, second Orchid Courtyard, third Chrysanthemum Courtyard, fourth Snowball Bush Courtyard, and fifth would be the Begonia Courtyard.


    Although Xu Mian agreed to send her into the higher ranking ss, she was only sent to the Orchid Courtyard. The reason being those who wanted to get into the Peony Courtyard would need to sit for an examination. The students in the ss were skilled, talenteddies. The number of students was low as well.


    Nobody could get in through shortcuts.


    The Snowball Bush Courtyard only had a snowball tree in the courtyard. There was nothing special about it.


    However, it was different at the Orchid Courtyard.


    There were varieties of orchids nted all over the courtyard. The fragrance lingered, so it made it extraordinary.


    Xie Qiao only walked in after looking around for a little bit. She found somewhere inconspicuous to sit.


    Although she sat somewhere inconspicuous, she attracted some attention anyway.


    It was the Orchid Courtyard, meaning almost no new students would be sent here.

 Chapter 73 - Gossip

    <h4>Chapter 73: Gossip</h4>


    The people were very curious about Xie Qiao. They would turn their heads to look every now and then.


    Not many knew about her identity. However, they found out as the words spread!


    Within a blink of an eye, the seats around Xie Qiao¡­ became empty.


    ¡°So this is thedy from that bandit family? Howe Mr. Xu sent her to our Orchid Courtyard?¡± mumbled someone.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t her sister at the Begonia Courtyard? She¡¯s born into a bandit family. Can she catch up to us?¡±


    ¡°I peeped at her earlier. Will she get her brother to fight me?¡±


    Everyone panicked when they heard that.


    Xie Qiao did not hear all those things. She was reading the book that she had brought.


    It was the Orchid Courtyard, after all. The things they learned here were different from the Snowball Bush Courtyard. The Snowball Bush Courtyard was still reading the primer, and here¡­ They were already talking about The Doctrine of the Mean.


    It was mandatory to learn about the Four Books and Five ssics, discussions of all sorts, Collection of Wisdom, important people of the world, and history.


    There would be a teacher arranged for each ss, and there would be at least four hours of ss per day.


    For instance, the first ss that Xie Qiao attended would be talking about ¡°Ms. Yuan¡¯s Precepts for Social Life¡±. It mainly talked about one¡¯s behavior when dealing with people and how to run a family. The ss was clearly meant fordies.


    It was the mandatory ss for literature. There was also a mandatory martial ss, which was horseback archery and pitch-pot.


    The rest were elective courses, such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, the four arts, music theory, mathematics, needlework, and even cooking. The more intense ones would be whack-ball[1] and ball games, which were tiring activities.


    Mr. Xu told her about all that along the way. He also gave her a booklet.


    The time of each ss and the teachers¡¯ names were written on the booklet.


    Xie Qiao was overwhelmed as she looked at the things that she would be learning.


    Soon, the bell rang, and the teacher came in.


    The mandatory ss¡¯ teacher had the family name of Lu. He came from a big family and had taught many students. He was considered the person in charge of the students in the Orchid Courtyard.


    He wore a white robe and looked approximately 60. He had a long beard, which made him look like an immortal who was rather majestic.


    Master Lu looked around the ss as soon as he came in and said calmly, ¡°Why are you guys squeezing together? Return to your seats.¡±


    That made all students quiet. They buried their heads and dared not say a word.


    A momentter, ady stood up and said politely, ¡°Sir¡­ Master Xie used to be a bandit, so¡­¡±


    ¡®So we¡¯d rather squeeze together instead of sitting too close to her!¡¯


    Master Lu sat there and suddenly asked, ¡°The four characteristics of a gentleman¡ªReverence in doing, respectful in duty. Kindness in cultivating, righteous in serving. What does that mean?¡±


    Thedy was stunned, and she stammered, ¡°A revered behavior, respectful to his Master, kind to the people, and serving the people with righteousness. A man with these four characteristics is a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Master Xie was wrong in the past, but he¡¯s a changed man now. He stood up when the country was in crisis, he¡¯s a righteous man. He¡¯s now an official who works diligently. He doesn¡¯t misbehave, and he did everything that the emperor delegated wonderfully. He doesn¡¯t bully the people, so that proves that he¡¯s a good official who is no different from a gentleman. So what if he was a bandit before?¡±


    Master Lu added, ¡°Sit alone quietly with your thoughts, don¡¯t gossip about people. Return to your seats!¡±


    As soon as he said that, those who had changed seats returned to their seats carefully.


    Xie Qiao was rather surprised to find that this teacher was so forgiving.


    It had been five to six years since her father had be an official. It seemed he still met with obstacles in his career since many still judged him.


    It was her first time hearing apliment about her father!


    [1] Chuiwan, or Chinese golf.

 Chapter 74 - Troublemaker

    <h4>Chapter 74: Troublemaker</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao liked Master Lu a lot more now out of nowhere, so she was paying attention in ss.


    She had been reading misceneous books back at the Taoist temple and had never read such a book before.


    Although Master Lu was a little arrogant, Xie Qiao was focused in ss.


    It was just that Xie Qiao had no idea that Master Lu was secretly observing her too.


    ¡®What a troublemaker¡­¡¯


    Before ss, he had already had a feeling that this would happen. After all, Xie Niushan¡¯s identity was¡­ too sensitive.


    In the academy, the other two children from the Xie family were boycotted. Now he had one in his ss too. If she was a rough one, arguments would be hard to be avoided.


    He was old now and was worried that the scary Xie Niushan¡¯s daughter would be hard to teach. What if she rebelled against him?


    However, after observing her during the ss, Master Lu was over the moon!


    Even if she was illiterate, judging by how focused she was, she was definitely a good child!


    Master Lu¡¯s sssted the entire morning.


    Almost all of thedies in the ss were sleepy.


    This made Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes extra bright.


    ¡°Do you think she understands? She¡¯s definitely buttering up Master Lu,¡± whispered the twodies next to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I heard she has the same mother as Xie Pinggang. Sigh... This is annoying. I¡¯m dying to criticize the people from the Xie family whenever I think about Sister Dong!¡± said the otherdy.


    Xie Qiao raised her brows slightly.


    Sister Dong?


    Could she be¡­


    The one that her brother had confessed to and stalked?


    That should not be? Her eldest brother was an unromantic man. He had yet to mature in that aspect, and he was still single. How was it possible that he could court ady?


    Thedy changed the topic. ¡°I heard that His Highness, the Prince Consort, hade to the Imperial City. If he¡¯s here, the Fourth Imperial Highness will definitely fall into hardship.¡±


    ¡°His Highness is great in everything, but he¡¯s just too stubborn. An emperor can¡¯t be a cripple. If I were him, I would¡¯ve resigned since the beginning. He¡¯s wasting the love the officials are giving him.¡±


    ¡°Shh, softer, please,¡± the other person reminded her immediately.


    Who would be willing to resign from such a position?


    Since the beginning of time, which crippled Prince Consort would have a good ending?


    Xie Qiao was forced to listen to a round of gossip again.


    Prince Consort? Crippled?


    She had juste to the Imperial City, so she did not know much about the officials. However¡­ Something seemed to be wrong with the hand of the Young Master that she had bumped into earlier?


    Could he be¡­


    Xie Qiao thought about a lot of things, which made her stay awake.


    She already knew about a lot of things that Master Lu was talking about. In reality, the morning ss was rather harsh to her.


    After the mandatory ss ended, Xie Qiao was ready to leave early.


    Although the horseback archery course was mandatory, it only happened a few times a month instead of daily. Therefore, she could leave.


    It was not that she missed home. She just wanted to look for a store to arrange the business to secure her life.


    ¡°She has just attended half a day of ss, and she is already leaving. As expected, she¡¯s just here to pass the time. She¡¯s worse than her brother and sister!¡±


    Xie Qiao had just left when someone said their piece behind her back, looking irritated.


    ¡°Alright, are you done? What if you trigger her and Xie Pingganges looking for you?¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m scared of him?! He¡¯s just a low-ranking official, and he dared to dream about wooing Sister Dong! If he dares to bother her again, I¡¯ll get something to capture him!¡±


    Although she said that, Xie Niushan was an official after all.


    Also¡­


    There was another reason why the Xie family had been living a peaceful life until now¡­

 Chapter 75 - What Are You Guys Doing?

    <h4>Chapter 75: What Are You Guys Doing?</h4>


    Back then, a powerful strategy advisor had been living with the Xie family on the mountain stronghold.


    Ever since the strategy advisor had been recruited, he had been promoted.


    The emperor made him a Grand Preceptor. He was also made a Golden Purple Guanglu Doctor, a second-grade official. On the one hand, he mainly took care of the feng shui matters. On the other hand, he was an official close to the emperor. Since the emperor was fond of him, even other officials in the imperial court had to respect him.


    Meanwhile, this Grand Preceptor¡­ had a close rtionship with Xie Pinggang!


    How would Xie Qiao know what others were thinking about?


    She was wondering whether the 5,000 silver notes that the Xie family had given were sufficient to buy a store at a good location.


    At the same time, some people in the Imperial City were looking for her.


    ¡°Brother Qin, don¡¯t rush it. No matter what, even if I have to beg on my knees, I¡¯ll definitely beg Half-Immortal Xie to save you!¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou looked terrible as he watched his good friend.


    Qin Zhi was lying on the bed at the moment.


    He was weak and looked horrible.


    He looked like he was drowning in water. He had a hard time breathing and felt terrible.


    Qin Zhi secretly felt pity for himself.


    He was so unfortunate!


    He thought his bad luck would be gotten rid of after he found Half-Immortal Xie¡¯s master. However, when he had met Mo Lingzi, thetter had asked him to wait for death after taking a nce at him!


    Mo Lingzi had even said that his case was severe, and there was nothing that he could do about it!


    Mo Lingzi was helpless about something that his disciple could handle!


    He had paid quite some valuables in return for some amulets and Dharma instruments to be able to live until now!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that Half-Immortal Xie i-is the daughter of an official? How is it possible that she would h-help me? Also, the way I treated her¡­¡± Qin Zhi shed tears of regret as he spoke to this point.


    If he knew this would happen to him, he definitely would not have bullied Half-Immortal Xie back then!


    ¡°Young Master said we should prepare some silver notes. It might work. However, we¡¯re out of luck today. I heard Ms. Xie has gone to the academy. I thought I would look for her there, but she left early.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou sighed.


    The light in Qin Zhi¡¯s eyes dimmed even more now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got people to watch. Young Lady Xie still isn¡¯t home. As soon as she gets home, I¡¯ll go to the Xie Residence right away,¡± said Imperial Bodyguard Zhou.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Half-Immortal Xie will be pissed if you show up out of the blue,¡± Qin Zhi said pitifully.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was helpless!


    Qin Zhi was finally sensible now. Why was he not like this before!?


    They had visited a few Taoist masters along the way to the Imperial City, but It had been futile.


    They could not even tell what was wrong with him.


    Half-Immortal Xie was the most urate when it came to fortune-telling!


    It would be fine if Xie Qiao was just a female Taoist master. Most of the imperial bodyguards were from powerful families. Only a minority of them, like Qin Zhi, were selected from the military camp. No matter what, he was an official after all. Moreover, his future was bright. People would usually respect him.


    However, Xie Qiao was a regrdy.


    Nobody should spread the word that thisdy was urate in fortune-telling to ruin her reputation, nor could Qin Zhi go to her house to get her to save him. He would offend her for nothing.


    Especially His Highness had found a lot of evidence of criminal conducttely. It would be a mess at the imperial court. Many despised His Highness, and as the subordinate, he should not stir more troubles for him!


    Xie Qiao took a stroll and memorized the rough conditions of the few streets.


    She then returned home.


    Qin Zhi¡¯s subordinates were secretly guarding outside the Xie Residence¡¯s door. When they saw Xie Qiao home, they almost threw themselves at her as if they had seen their mother.


    Although they did not throw themselves at her, they were walking fast.


    However, they were stopped.


    Xie Pinggang had appeared out of nowhere. He stood before the few of them.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?! I suppose you guys have been hiding outside my house for a while!?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s bear-like body was majestic as he looked at the few of them condescendingly.

 Chapter 76 - Suspicious Case

    <h4>Chapter 76: Suspicious Case</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The few imperial guards were shocked¡ªone of them even ran straight into Xie Pinggang¡¯s chest and was sent flying!


    When they snapped back to their senses, they immediately ran away!


    It was not a good timing for them today!


    Xie Pinggang had a bad reputation for being unreasonable!


    Since they had bumped into him, not only would he not get Half-Immortal Xie to see them, but he might even make this an even bigger deal than it was. By then, everyone would be watching His Highness!


    The few imperial guards thought they would speak to Xie Qiao quickly. However, it did not seem like it would happen now.


    They ran swiftly and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Xie Pinggang was speechless and stood there, feeling dumbfounded.


    ¡®Who were those people? What the hell!?¡¯


    ¡°Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t Mr. Zhou who came here. Our faces are new, so that big gori shouldn¡¯t have recognized us.¡± The imperial guards who ran away felt very lucky.


    One of them suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ work with the maids and get them to pass the letter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! We were thinking of looking for her, so we forgot to find a more convenient way! However, I¡¯m worried that Half-Immortal Xie might ignore us after reading the letter. That dimwit Qin Zhi will offend her by then!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it. Didn¡¯t Young Master say to give more silver¡­¡±


    Silver was indeed great. They should not be stingy now.


    Qin Zhi still had his parents and wife to look after. What would happen to the family if something was to really happen to him?


    The few of them mumbled. They dared not dy the matter for even a day.


    Approximately an hourter, two of them turned around and arrived close to the Xie Residence¡¯s side door. They secretly waited for the people inside toe out. Meanwhile, the others returned to gather silver.


    Xie Pinggang was confused. However, he did not forget that he had to dig the well.


    As soon as he returned, he headed to Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard.


    Xie Pinggang asked in concern, ¡°Did you see a few shady fellows when you came in?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    ¡°Bring a few people with you when you go out. I noticed those people looked ferocious. I wonder where those hooligans came from to be behaving atrociously in the alley where officials live.¡± Xie Pinggang was calm.


    After all, he had been a bandit before. He was much scarier than those hooligans in the past.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Her life was important. Since Xie Pinggang was willing to get more people to protect her, she was naturally happy about that.


    She said when she recalled the ghoul yesterday, ¡°Eldest Brother, the body that you found yesterday¡­ What kind of case was that?¡±


    ¡°The one yesterday?¡± Xie Pinggang thought about it. He was rather surprised to notice that Xie Qiao was interested in such a thing.


    It was rare that the siblings had something to talk about, so Xie Pinggang was nice enough to chat with her. ¡°The case seems rather normal on the surface. The man was harmed.¡±


    ¡°On the surface?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°That man was called Mei Ziwu. He was a gangster. He had about 20 subordinates with him, and they were in the loan business. Most people who are in this business are filthy, so he was killed. Since he had offended many, it makes sense that he¡¯s killed.¡±


    Xie Pinggang added, ¡°The strange thing is the way he died,¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head and looked at him with interest.


    ¡°How did he die?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Xie Pinggang thought he had underestimated his sister from the same mother.


    Xie Qiao was helpless. She was scared in the beginning, but it was useless that she was since she had witnessed many strange things. She could only learn to ept.


    ¡°Just tell me, Eldest Brother. I might be able to solve the case for you,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    Xie Pinggang did not take what she said seriously.


    If it was that easy to solve a case, then the case would not have been categorized as a suspicious case.

 Chapter 77 - Gathering Good Karma

    <h4>Chapter 77: Gathering Good Karma</h4>


    However, since Xie Qiao had already said that, Xie Pinggang did not want to embarrass her. She was ady, after all.


    He exined, ¡°He was buried in the suburbs. A woodcutter found him, and he was already rotten when he was dug out. There were nails mounted on a couple of spots on his body. It looked terrifying. The nails were removed on the spot. Twenty years ago, there was a big case in Qingzhou. An official had brought his family out, and the entire family had been killed. They were buried the same way as well, and the culprit hasn¡¯t been found until now.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned when she heard that.


    ¡°He had nails on his body? How many?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Eleven, I think,¡± Xie Pinggang thought about it, while his expression changed slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t ask where the nails were mounted. I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±


    Some of the spots were rather obscene. Ady should not hear about that.


    ¡°Why not? Were they on his head, between his brows, throat, heart, belly button, abdomen, lower body, arms, and legs?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinggang looked at her with a serious face when he heard that.


    Xie Pinggang asked directly, ¡°Can it be that you know the culprit?¡±


    Xie Qiao forced a smile. ¡°Brother, the 11 spots are rather special. There are books like that back at the Water Moon Temple. I read about it.


    ¡°Humans have three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls. Among the three ethereal souls, the Heavenly Ethereal Soul and Earthly Ethereal Soul wander around. The one that remains in the body is the Life-Destiny Ethereal Soul. The seven corporeal souls correspond to the Yin and Yang. They¡¯re hidden in the body and form seven chakras.


    ¡°The Sahasrara is in the head, Agya between the eyebrows, Vishuddha in the throat, Manipura in the navel, Svadhishthana in the abdomen, Mdhara in the perineum, while Anahata in the heart and the four limbs. When the 11 spots are nailed, the Life-Destiny Ethereal Soul can¡¯t leave, nor can it reincarnate. It should be a gravely evil curse.¡±


    ¡°Is there such a thing?¡± Xie Pinggang was in deep thought.


    If that was the case, the culprit must have a huge grudge against Mei Ziwu and the official¡¯s family members from 20 years ago?


    Xie Qiao asked again, ¡°What¡¯s the direction you¡¯re going about the case, Brother? Do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°The case 20 years ago was difficult, but Mei Ziwu¡¯s one has just shown up. There¡¯ll still be some clues. This person bullied the weak and was scared of the powerful. However, he knew a little bit of martial arts. He was known to be a coward. Therefore, we suspect it¡¯s done by someone he knew. Meanwhile, we still don¡¯t know how many people killed him. We¡¯re still investigating.¡±


    In reality, he had a feeling that this case would most probably be a cold case.


    This Mei Ziwu did not have a family, nor did he have many true friends. Nobody looked for him when he died.


    He had done many terrible things. If it was not rted to the case many years back, nobody would investigate his case even if he was dead.


    Xie Qiao had a slight hesitation.


    She had no idea how to say it.


    The culprit had killed so many people. If the culprit was captured, she could definitely gather much good karma.


    However, how could she tell her eldest brother that she could see ghouls out of nowhere?


    ¡°It could be a woman.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was like a bell as she spoke casually. ¡°Since this Mei Ziwu was a coward, I suppose only weak and harmless women could get close to him. Why don¡¯t you investigate women who are in their 40s or 50s? Charismatic ones would be best. Moreover, those who are capable of doing such a thing must¡¯ve read some special books. They¡¯re different from ordinary people when they speak and do.


    ¡°Oh yeah, she can¡¯t be poor. She must have some money.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any women in their 40s or 50s, but there¡¯s one who is 20. Mei Ziwu went to see a nicedy when he left his house the other day,¡± said Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°This person was very cautious. It¡¯s impossible that he was killed by someone who was following him. Since that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll have to investigate people who showed up close to that woman¡¯s house. Maybe someone happened to see him and killed him since he matched a certain characteristic,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The 20-year-olddy had been detained and interrogated many times today.


    She was pale from the scare. She was obviously not a person who had the ability to kill.


    However, what Xie Qiao said made sense.

 Chapter 78 - Lying Without Blinking

    <h4>Chapter 78: Lying Without Blinking</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was worried that Xie Pinggang would not be detailed enough in his investigation.


    She thought about it and began to make things up. ¡°Eldest Brother, as you know that I¡¯ve learned some things from my Master. I know physiognomy.


    ¡°Your worry is written on your face today. The rtive solution is on a woman. So please, find the dirt on a woman without holding back. Also¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao extended her hand, seemingly telling fortune.


    She said after a moment, ¡°Also¡­ The woman should smell nice.¡±


    ¡°Smell nice? You can predict that too!? Who are you trying to deceive!?¡± Xie Pinggang snickered out loud.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s cheeks flushed a little bit. ¡°Just investigate! Everything I predicted is urate!¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, what else besides her smelling nice?¡± Xie Pinggang was eager to hit her. If it was Xie Pinghuai who dared to spew such nonsense, he would hit him directly. How would he say so much to her?


    ¡°She has a mole under her eye,¡± Xie Qiao said seamlessly.


    Xie Pinggang was rendered speechless, and his eyelids twitched. ¡°You sure are daring to speak!¡±


    Xie Qiao felt helpless.


    She could predict it if she wanted to. However, one would have to provide a certain ¡°data¡± for fortune-telling. It was like doing mathematics. If everything was unknown, naturally, the answer would be unknown too.


    To put it simply, fortune-telling was an ability in probability and logic. There was no preliminary condition. She could not be making things up out of nothing, right?


    ¡°Brother, try investigating from the pointers I gave. I¡¯m your sister. I won¡¯t harm you, will I?¡± Xie Qiao released two sighs as she spoke. ¡°Look, I¡¯m exhausted from speaking. Why would I put in so much effort if it¡¯s not to help your future?¡±


    She began to cough hard after she was done speaking.


    Half of what she did was real, and half was fake.


    She had been sick for many years, so she had a deep understanding of how weak a patient could be. As such, she made herself look gravely pitiful.


    As expected, Xie Pinggang felt as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest because of her vigorous coughing.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that tomorrow.¡± Xie Pinggang frowned. ¡°You¡¯re so weak, and your lethal¡ª¡±


    Xie Pinggang shut his mouth as he spoke to this point. It was bad for ady to have a reputation of a lethal destiny.


    Therefore, ever since Xie Qiao was born, they would only say that her body was weak. They had even turned the truth around and said that their father had a lethal destiny that he might harm her.


    He and his father were the only ones who knew about the real situation. They did not even dare to tell Ms. Lu.


    Xie Pinggang sighed and proceeded to dig the well.


    Soon, he saw there was a shady fellow outside Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard again.


    He captured the person immediately. ¡°Why are you staring at Young Lady¡¯s courtyard!? Tell me, or I¡¯ll sell you!¡±


    Some people had been waiting for Xie Qiao earlier. They must be careful.


    Now he even suspected that his sister was too beautiful, so she was being targeted by bad fellows!


    Otherwise, why would an olddy be dropping by suspiciously? Before earlier, he had said that everyone in the Xie family was prohibited froming to Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard unless she ordered them!


    The olddy was carried in directly.


    The note that she was holding dropped right away.


    Xie Pinggang picked it up and read.


    It was written: ¡®Half-Immortal Xie, save a life, and we¡¯ll pay 100 taels of gold! Please speak to us outside!¡¯


    ¡°100 taels of gold? Who is it?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°Who is this Half-Immortal Xie? Is it you? Where did you get this horrible name? What¡¯ll happen if this spreads? Do you still want to marry a husband?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡°Your family name is Xie too, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said stubbornly.


    Xie Pinggang felt helpless about this sister of his. She was clearly lying without blinking.


    Figuring that she was weak, he did not dare to yell at her.


    He could only say in a cowardly manner, ¡°It¡¯s not that the reputation is bad. It¡¯s just that I mentioned to you before that we brought you back to the Imperial City to find a husband who matches your destiny. The people in the Imperial City think differently than we do. They¡¯re very strict towarddies¡­ No matter what, you have to present nothing different from ordinarydies. By then, we can get someone to have a child with you.¡±


    The man was not important, but if her destiny killed him¡­ there was nothing that they could do.


    He only wanted Xie Qiao to bear a child sessfully. By then, the Xie family would take care of the child for her.


    If she lost the man in the future, she would live a good life for tens of years if she decided to live in some Taoist temple and have the child to pay for her expenses.

 Chapter 79 - I Hit Someone

    <h4>Chapter 79: I Hit Someone</h4>


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at Xie Pinggang subtly.


    He thought everyone was unromantic like him?


    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s happening exactly? You¡¯ve juste to the Imperial City. Howe someone sent you a letter?¡± Xie Pinggang thought he was being very gentle.


    ¡°No idea, I don¡¯t know who it is.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head, pretending to be a good girl.


    She had no idea who that was!


    Giving 100 taels of gold to save a life? That person sounded rich.


    Xie Qiao looked sincere and did not look like she was lying. Xie Pinggang frowned and said a momentter, ¡°I¡¯ll be apanying you to the academy for the next few days. I suspect it¡¯s from those hooligans out there. I¡¯m worried that they¡¯re trying to lure you with money, seeing that you¡¯re young and just came from the countryside. They must¡¯ve thought that you¡¯re a poor girl who has never seen the world.¡±


    They could only me the Xie family for being poor. Every official family in the Imperial City knew that they were poor.


    It was no wonder that these people thought that Xie Qiao, the Eldest Lady, was poor without silver.


    Xie Qiao felt rather troubled.


    If Xie Pinggang was protecting her, then she could not manage the matters at the store herself.


    The store she was opening was unique. Her main business was dealing with the dead.


    Meanwhile, Xie Pinggang¡­


    He was hot-headed. If he found out, he might be angry.


    However¡­ Her health was unsuitable for her to manage some misceneous matters. She had to get someone to help no matter what.


    She knew quite many people back at the Water Moon Temple during those years she had been living there. It would not be difficult for her to get someone to manage the store.


    Xie Qiao said honestly after giving it some thought, ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Eldest Brother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Xie Pinggang shook his head.


    ¡°Howe you didn¡¯t go to the academy back then, Eldest Brother?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly asked, ¡°No matter being a liberal arts schr or martial arts schr, if you studied at an academy for a few years, wouldn¡¯t you have more connections?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was 20 years old this year. The Xie family came to the Imperial City five or six years ago. Back then, Xie Pinggang could have gone to the academy. However, he had taken the imperial martial arts examination instead. He had been given the title of a martial arts schr.


    However, being a martial arts schr was not as good as being a liberal arts schr. The future of a martial arts schr was dull as well.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s cheeks flushed.


    Nobody knew what he was thinking about.


    Xie Qiao guessed and asked, ¡°Can it be that Eldest Brother actually sat for the exam? Did they reject you?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was rendered speechless. He figured it was not a good thing that his sister was too smart. He could not keep any secrets.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t pass the basic entry examination?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    It could not be?


    She may not have been home these years, but she knew many things that had happened at home. Xie Pinggang had actually gone to school.


    Xie Pinggang looked away and said casually, ¡°I hit someone when we came to the Imperial City. I have a bad reputation now, so the academy rejected me.¡±


    The incident had happened a long time ago, and perhaps many had already forgotten about it.


    Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise. ¡°Who did you hit?¡±


    ¡°A teacher at the Royal Academy. That man was mean with his words. He said that the people of our Xie family aren¡¯t worthy of being officials. I didn¡¯t know that he was a teacher back then. If I knew¡­¡± Xie Pinggang hesitated for a moment. ¡°I would¡¯ve hit him harder.¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at Xie Pinggang with sympathy. She knew very well of the Xie family¡¯s situation back then.


    Being bandits was wrong indeed. However, if they had a choice, why would they choose to be bandits?


    Moreover, when her father had killed the barbarians back then, nobody had said that bandits could not fight. The battle was over, so howe the Xie family had not received any rewards?


    ¡°Great job.¡± Xie Qiao supported him.


    Xie Pinggang was pretty happy to hear that.


    He identally tore the note from the joy.


    At the moment, people were waiting outside. However, they did not see Xie Qiao until the sky turned dark.


    Not only that, on the next morning, Xie Pinggang sent Xie Qiao to the Royal Academy himself!

 Chapter 80 - What’s Her Name?

    <h4>Chapter 80: What¡¯s Her Name?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Royal Academy had a strict rule that outsiders were prohibited from entering. Without the Prince Consort¡¯s letter, even the imperial guards from the East Pce could not enter as they wished.


    Naturally, there were ways to meet the students studying there. They just had to tell the teacher why they were there and obtain the teacher¡¯s permission.


    However, in a ss full ofdies, it would be difficult if the guests were men.


    The few imperial bodyguards looked at each other.


    They hesitated and left.


    ¡°It seems that Xie Pinggang will be guarding Half-Immortal Xie for a long time. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t approach her these few days¡­¡±


    One of them said, feeling troubled, ¡°Maybe¡­ We should inform His Highness¡­¡±


    If His Highness came himself, he could meet her at the academy.


    However, as His Highness¡¯s close imperial bodyguards, it was a taboo to need His Highness¡¯ protection.


    No matter how merciful His Highness was, it was impossible that Qin Zhi could stay by His Highness¡¯ side, or the rest who wanted his position would feel unfair.


    Compared to his life, that was nothing¡­


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou nced at Qin Zhi, who was dying in bed. He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    They had only told His Highness that Qin Zhi was ill instead of telling his real situation.


    His Highness had many imperial bodyguards around. All they had to do was not to assign him to work for a few days.


    It would be horrible to tell His Highness that Qin Zhi was insensible to be doubtful of His Highness¡¯ judgment and had not believed in Half-Immortal Xie¡¯s ability. That was why he had ignored what Half-Immortal Xie said when she was around!?


    However, now that this had happened¡­


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou arrived before Zhao Xuanjing obediently. He knelt on the ground and recounted everything that had happened.


    ¡°This humble one is to me to not have watched him back then. Now, his illness¡­ It¡¯s quite severe. He went to doctors, but none of the medicine worked. We even took him to a few Taoist masters secretly along the way. All of them said that something filthy is on him. He drank water with a burned talisman, but it didn¡¯t work,¡± said Imperial Bodyguard Zhou.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at him.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying he¡¯s been surviving on the things he got from the Water Moon Temple?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked while frowning.


    ¡°Yes. Half-Immortal Xie¡¯s Master gave over 10 talismans. He would carry them close with him every now and then. Every time the talisman was taken out, the thing would be burnt.¡± Zhou Weizong nodded immediately.


    He took out the talisman that was burnt earlier and showed it to Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s ¡°weak¡± face appeared in his head.


    He frowned. He wanted tough as he thought about it.


    ¡°I happen to be visiting the Royal Academy today. I¡¯ll ask her. However, I can¡¯t guarantee whether she will say yes,¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s low and slow voice was heard.


    Zhou Weizong was stunned.


    ¡®He sure is easy to talk to¡­


    ¡®Something seems off, though.¡¯


    No matter what, Qin Zhi¡¯s life would be safe for now as His Highness had agreed to do it.


    He changed into a light-green robe in the room. There were silver bamboo leaves embroiled at the edges of the sleeves. He had a jade belt tied around his waist and looked more gentle and charismatic now.


    However, his dark eyes were dimmer now.


    Back in the academy, many people surrounded Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Our Orchid Courtyard won¡¯t serve useless people. If you¡¯re just here to pass the time, go to the Begonia Courtyard. It¡¯s quiet over there!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to leave after attending half-day of ss again? Are you going to drag our Orchid Courtyard down in the examination!?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Xie, we knew that it¡¯d be troublesome for you to learn at such an age. But you can¡¯t be troubling us, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless and rather dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do we mean? How dare you ask that?!¡± One of thedies was loud.


    Xie Qiao remembered her. She had been gossiping about her aside yesterday. It was just that she had no idea what her name was.

 Chapter 81 - Make It Up

    <h4>Chapter 81: Make It Up</h4>


    These people looked anxious. Xie Qiao had juste to the academy and did not know the rules yet.


    Therefore, she was not angry. Instead, she asked in detail, ¡°Didn¡¯t the academy say that we can choose our own sses?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Fang Muxue stood out and exined after exhaling, ¡°Our academy will have all sorts ofpetitions every now and then. Everyone will spar so that we can find out what we¡¯recking¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    ¡°Sister Muxue, it¡¯s useless that you exin to her. Isn¡¯t she already slowing us down?¡± Xia Yayun scoffed. ¡°Everyone from the Orchid Courtyard wants to go to the Peony Courtyard. With her here, I¡¯m afraid others will think that we¡¯re idiots!¡±


    ¡°Yayun, did you forget what the teacher said yesterday?¡± Fang Muxue asked immediately.


    She was biased against Xie Qiao yesterday as well.


    However, it was more of a fear to her. After all, the Xie family¡¯s young masters and young mistresses were rather infamous.


    Now that she thought about it, the teacher was right. Master Xie was an official now, not a bandit. Meanwhile, this Young Lady Xie¡­ looked normal.


    Since they did not know each other, there was no reason to be mean to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. We can¡¯t let her affect everyone, am I right?¡± Xia Yayun was stubborn.


    Xie Qiao thought about what she said.


    She said a momentter, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Xia!¡± Xia Yayun secretly jolted.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you want to get into the Peony Courtyard?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who wouldn¡¯t?!¡± said Xia Yayun.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we judged by our own ability to get into the Peony Courtyard? What does that have to do with me? Or none of you can¡¯t get into the Peony Courtyard just because I¡¯m here?¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Thatdy named Muxue was pretty gentle with her words. There would be exchanges between students, but it did not seem to be mandatory. If everyone else went and she did not, it would be inappropriate indeed.


    She knew that as well.


    However, what Xia Yayun said was rather irritating.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie¡­¡± Fang Muxue nced at the both of them, feeling troubled, and said, ¡°Actually¡­ This is what happens. There will be grading for the sparring between the courtyards.


    ¡°The courtyard with the higher grade will be rewarded every month,¡± she added.


    Xie Qiao was stunned upon hearing that. ¡°Rewards? The booklet doesn¡¯t say¡­¡±


    ¡®That Mr. Xu sure is mischievous, isn¡¯t he?¡¯


    Fang Muxue could not help but smile upon seeing her stunned face. ¡°It isn¡¯t in the booklet. The rewards are handsome.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Young Lady Xie knew that the gift to pay to get into the academy is pretty expensive. Everything requires silver as well. Also, the academy has a request whereby students from every courtyard will have to do good deeds out there every two months. We¡¯llpete to see who gives out more silver through the good deeds. Meanwhile, we make the silver from thepetitions that we do every now and then.¡±


    There were many rules at the academy.


    For instance, even the imperial prince and imperial princess could not bully others with their identity here.


    If anyone dared to boast they were the young mistress from some family, they would definitely be expelled.


    Also, the amount would be recorded if they did not make enough money to do good deeds at the academy. They would then have to bring money from home to make it up.


    Their families did notck in the insignificant amount of silver taels.


    The thing was, everyone practiced the culture of showing off in the Imperial City!


    If any of the family had to give money to make up for the amount spent on good deeds, then the child¡­ would definitely be less likable!


    There was nothing else that they could do other thanpleting the requirements as much as they could.


    Now that Xie Qiao was here¡­


    Indeed, that might increase the difficulty ofpleting their mission.

 Chapter 82 - Silver Bean

    <h4>Chapter 82: Silver Bean</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>virtual group, EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was rather surprised.


    She did not expect the Royal Academy to have so many tricks under their sleeves.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about all these. Youngdy, can you tell me more about it?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was soft as she looked at Fang Muxue.


    ¡°You¡¯ve no idea at all?¡± Fang Muxue was surprised.


    Everyone in the Imperial City knew the Royal Academy¡¯s rules, no!?


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been in the Imperial City for a short period.¡± Xie Qiao seemed calm.


    ¡°Impossible. I bet you¡¯re pretending! Since you¡¯re already here, how can you not know the academy¡¯s rules?¡± Xia Yayun did not believe her at all.


    There were three academies in the Imperial City. Not all who came all the way to the Royal Academy were here just to study!


    Especiallydies, they mainly came for the Royal Academy¡¯s strictness and good reputation!


    Beforeing to the academy, she had learned every single rule there were. She had been worried that she would go against any rules at all!


    Xie Qiao felt very helpless.


    ¡°I just heard that the academy¡¯s library has many extant copies. So I thought I¡¯d read them.¡± Xie Qiao kept it short and sweet.


    Everyone looked at Xie Qiao in a rather strange manner upon hearing that.


    ¡°I think¡­ you¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± Fang Muxue shook her head. ¡°One cannot simply read the books in our academies.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Qiao raised her brows slightly.


    ¡°If everybody could read the extant copies and rare books, they might have been torn by now.¡± Fang Muxue sighed.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°The regr students can only go to a few small study rooms. Only a few people will be allowed to go to the real library each month. If you want to get in, you¡¯ll need enough gold nuggets or silver nuggets.¡±


    Fang Muxue took out a purse as she spoke and poured out the nuggets inside.


    Xie Qiao looked at them.


    They were silver, gold, and round. There were some simple patterns on them as well.


    ¡°Here they are. Ten silver beans would add up to a tael. Although you can bring your own brush, ink, and inkstone, you¡¯ll have to use the stamped paper every time you pass up your homework to the teachers, or they¡¯ll be invalid. You¡¯ll need to buy the paper with silver beans. We need silver beans for our daily snack as well. Meanwhile, these gold beans are mainly used at the library.¡±


    Fang Muxue was rather patient.


    However, Xie Qiao was annoyed.


    Her body was¡­ weak. She did not want to waste her effort.


    All she wanted was to take care of her body and drop by the library to read asionally. However, it seemed like¡­ she could not do that now?


    She frowned.


    Fang Muxue thought this Young Lady Xie was pretty pitiful.


    She definitely could not catch up to the sybus since she had onlye at such an age. If she wanted to read like she said¡­


    Nobody would take her seriously.


    Xie Qiao could not help but mumble, ¡°Oh, well¡­ Did that rule start when the academy was built?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It has always been like that,¡± Fang Muxue nodded.


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, we¡¯re actually doing this for your own good. Peony Courtyard and Orchid Courtyard have extraordinarily high requirements. The fee is high as well. However, it¡¯s different at the Begonia Courtyard. Thedies over there are young, and the requirements for good deeds are low too. As long as you¡¯re smart about it, it¡¯s easy to make money,¡± Fang Muxue added.


    Xie Qiao raised her brows slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re too nice, Sister Muxue! Xie Qiao, we don¡¯t like you! Isn¡¯t your sister at the Begonia Courtyard? Go be with her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    ¡°What did you say!? Do you not understand humannguage!?¡± snarled Xia Yayun.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not going. Young Lady Xie doesn¡¯t understand humannguage, yet you¡¯re ming my listening skills for being bad?¡± Xie Qiao suppressed her tone. She did not seem like she was stressed.


    She was unhealthy, so she should not get angry easily.


    Nheless, she was irritated by this Xia Yayun.

 Chapter 83 - Pent-Up Emotions

    <h4>Chapter 83: Pent-Up Emotions</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was firm, and it was evenced with a hint of mockery.


    Xie Qiao paused for a moment and said slowly after calming down a little, ¡°I¡¯m sure all of us will be assigned to collect the donation ourselves unless I can¡¯t do it on my own. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible that I get you guys to carry the burden for me, right?¡±


    ¡°It is, but¡­¡± Fang Muxue felt rather awkward, ¡°It¡¯s just that the donation is quite a lot, and we¡¯re only left with a month to submit the next donation. Each of us from the Orchid Courtyard will have to prepare 500 silver beans.¡±


    500?


    That was quite a lot indeed.


    These people said that one could use silver to buy the silver beans. However, since the academy had such a rule, if the familiespensated, the amount of silver that might be used would be much higher than the value of the silver beans.


    Naturally, it was mainly because it would ruin one¡¯s reputation.


    If one did not give the silver beans, nor did they get their family topensate, the amount would be assigned to the other students. Otherwise, the Orchid Courtyard¡¯s overall grade would be affected.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Lady Fang, for the reminder. I¡¯ll think of a way myself,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re saying as if it¡¯s easy. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get your family to help in the end, right? If there¡¯s anyone from our Orchid Courtyard who¡¯s donating depending on her family, we¡¯ll be humiliated!¡± Xia Yayun said intentionally.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d think of a way, so I¡¯ll definitely do it. There¡¯s no need for Young Lady Xia to be pointing fingers and sticking your nose in my business,¡± Xie Qiao said coldly.


    ¡°What if you can¡¯t!?¡± However, Xia Yayun was not ready to let go of Xie Qiao just yet.


    Before Xie Qiao could speak, Xia Yayun added, ¡°If you fail to gather the silver beans, you¡¯ll get out of our Orchid Courtyard. How is that? Whether you¡¯re going to the Snowball Bush Courtyard or Begonia Courtyard, our Orchid Courtyard isn¡¯t for you!¡±


    Xie Qiao held her head low slightly while rubbing the tiny bell on her wrist.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea about the talent of the students from the Orchid Courtyard. However, judging by Young Lady Xia¡¯s behavior, I¡¯m sure that you guys who agree with her have low virtue as well.¡± Xie Qiao said and smiled in a sarcastic manner, ¡°If I can¡¯t hit the Orchid Courtyard¡¯s requirement, without the pressureing from all of you, I¡¯ll go to the ce that suits me. However¡­


    ¡°Young Lady Xia, I think your behavior has lowered the entire Orchid Courtyard¡¯s standard. If I manage to gather the donation, please get out. How is that?¡± Xie Qiao smiled lightly.


    Her tone was too peaceful as if she was talking about something very normal.


    In reality, some of these people were anticipating to see Xie Qiao being pissed today.


    After all, the Xie family was born bandits. In their eyes, they were rude and crude.


    Meanwhile, the rest were people of noble blood who looked at the lowly people of a different kind in a condescending manner.


    However, what they did not expect was that Xie Qiao was presenting overly calmly.


    She was fearless, not angry, not surprised, and not afraid.


    She looked like she was chatting about something simple. Her slow voice was even like a soft wind. She made people feel intense guilt and shame.


    Ady who came from a bandit family was as clean as a piece of white cloth. It was so ironic that it made one fail to hold their head up.


    Xia Yayun¡¯s cheeks flushed from the anger.


    She knew that what she did was aggressive, but she hated the people from the Xie family.


    Especially Xie Pinggang¡¯s sister from the same mother!


    Who had asked Xie Pinggang to bully her Sister Dong!?


    Xie Qiao could not help but smile upon seeing that nobody spoke.


    ¡°So you guys are bullying me? Or maybe I should speak to the teacher. I need someone to be on my side, or else¡­ I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll have pent-up emotions. My life would be painful.¡± Xie Qiao smiled and got up.


    ¡°Sure!¡± snarled Xia Yayun as soon as Xie Qiao moved. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ll be able to gather the donation!¡±


    Apart from donations, she would need money for food and necessities as well!


    Since the age of ten, they had been in the academy, so they would definitely have some savings. Xie Qiao was a newbie. Could she do it!?

 Chapter 84 - Hungry

    <h4>Chapter 84: Hungry</h4>


    Xie Qiao smiled lightly when Xia Yayun spoke.


    That was great.


    They went to ss a momentter.


    In reality, the atmosphere in the ss was rather strange. It was impossible that Master Lu did not notice that, but he pretended not to see.


    He said nothing, nor did he ask anything.


    Xie Qiao thought to herself, ¡®This Royal Academy¡¯s way of teaching must be free-range style, but in a suppressive manner.¡¯


    One could tell that judging by the fact that they were not allowed to bring a maid along and the gold and silver beans system.


    ¡°If you want to earn beans, you¡¯ll have to go for other sses,¡± As soon as Master Lu¡¯s ss ended, someone suddenly shook Xie Qiao softly from behind. A soft sound came.


    Xie Qiao turned around and looked. She was rather surprised.


    Thatdy held her head down. ¡°It¡¯s hard to make 500 beans within a month. You might lose.¡±


    ¡°You already said that I ¡®might¡¯ only,¡± Xie Qiao was calm. She patted her chest to adjust her breathing.


    ¡°If you want to earn beans, you can copy books, do embroidery, or do ounting for the teachers¡­ It¡¯s just that the teachers have high requirements. You won¡¯t be paid any beans if you don¡¯t reach their standard. You¡¯ll have to pay if you break the teachers¡¯ belongings,¡± the youngdy added.


    The youngdy looked 15 or 16, simr to her.


    However, she was shorter. She seemed petite and cute.


    ¡°Thanks. You are¡­?¡±


    ¡°My name is Qin Liu.¡± The youngdy¡¯s cheeks blushed. She turned around and ran right after saying that.


    Xie Qiao was rather stunned.


    Why did she run?


    Xie Qiao did not leave early today. She was going to eat at the academy. She was just thinking that it would be boring to eat alone¡­


    She sighed softly.


    Studying was hard. It was another day she missed the Taoist temple.


    There were eight kitchens in the academy. They were separated into Kitchen Qian, Kun, Sun, Moon, A, B, C, and D as well.


    It was simr to the canteen in her past life. It was just that they were taking care of a bunch of young masters and young mistresses, so everything looked delicious and full of variety.


    Two zones were separated in each kitchen. Men and women would upy each zone.


    Xie Qiao had a rough idea of the system. As expected, when she checked out the kitchen, she realized all of the dishes had to be paid with gold and silver beans!


    The dishes that could only be purchased with gold beans¡­ were imperial cuisine!?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    As the student of the Orchid Courtyard, she had a sachet with the image of an orchid hung on her waist.


    She thought the students from Begonia Courtyard must be given special treatment since they were new. It would be ridiculous to starve them.


    The problem was that Xie Qiao did not even have a silver bean.


    She was weak from hunger.


    She felt the silver notes in her embrace. She had never thought that there would be a day when she had money, but she had nowhere to spend it.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Just when Xie Qiao was going to leave, a shy voice came.


    She turned her head and looked. Her eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Xi¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Xie Xi frowned and pointed at the food. She then looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s tummy.


    Xie Qiao smiled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just looking. It¡¯s the same to eat at home.¡±


    Xie Xi stood there and spaced out for a while. She held Xie Qiao¡¯s hand without letting go. Nobody knew what she was thinking about.


    After thinking to herself for a little bit, she opened her hand that was tightly gripped. There were five silver beans in there. ¡°For you.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at her in surprise.


    She knew from the letters in the past that Xie Xi was a little slow. She did not speak much, and she loved keeping silver.


    However, now she¡­ did not seem like that?


    If she was slow, how could she tell that Xie Qiao was hungry?


    Xie Qiao would hardly do a physiognomy to a kid without being asked. The reason being a kid¡¯s bones were still growing, whereby their faces would change, and their character had yet to be set. It would not be urate, and their fate could be changed in the future.


    Xie Xi was only 12, and her face was still rather chubby now. Xie Qiao did not want to predict her life.


    At that moment, she felt a tinge of warmth inside of her.


    So this was her sister?

 Chapter 85 - Rare Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 85: Rare Treasure</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were gentle as she smiled at Xie Xi.


    Unexpectedly, Xie Xi buried her head and said softly, ¡°You¡¯ll need to return me¡­ 10 silver beans.¡±


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless, her eyelids twitching. She almost thought she had misheard.


    ¡°You can also return me¡­ silver,¡± added Xie Xi.


    Xie Qiao immediately felt cold inside. She had been under the impression her sister was a warm and sweet thing. Never had she thought she was a little mischievous.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll definitely return them to you.¡± Xie Qiao felt helpless, ¡°I heard it¡¯s hard to earn silver beans. You sure are easy-going with them, ain¡¯t ya?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard, is it?¡± Xie Xi lifted her head and looked at her. Xie Xi¡¯s eyes betrayed her confusion.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. The people at Orchid Courtyard had said different things. She immediately asked, ¡°How do you earn these silver beans?¡±


    Xie Xi blinked her pure eyes as she pondered. ¡°I run errands, buy things, grind ink, dust tables and chairs. That¡¯s how I earn them.¡±


    Xie Xi¡¯s answer enlightened Xie Qiao.


    The students would usually earn silver beans through sses at the academy. Take needlework, for example¡ªthe handkerchiefs they made should be sold by the academy and converted into silver beans to reward the students. Another example would be the calligraphy and painting ss. If they performed well, their artwork would be naturally good. They would get the bookstores out there to sell, and many people out there would purchase them.


    One could say that the academy paid a portion of the rewards. Nevertheless, the students earned most of the silver beans through their hard work.


    However, Xie Xi¡­ Her way of making silver beans was rather wrong.


    Clearly, what she did¡­ Did not really match her identity.


    There were no maids in the academy. Therefore, there were definitely many youngdies who had just enrolled and could not get used to it. They would earn silver beans from other sses, and they would use those silver beans to hire Xie Xi to work¡­


    Xie Xi was an official¡¯s daughter and might be teased for her way of making money. There must be many people secretly making fun of the Xie family failing to educate their children.


    It was just that¡­


    Xie Qiao noticed that her eyes were pure, so she could not bring herself to scold her.


    Moreover, Xie Xi indeed made those silver beans fair and square. There was nothing embarrassing in that aspect.


    Xie Qiao said while smiling as she thought about it, ¡°You¡¯re so clever, Xie¡¯er. Lend me these silver beans for a day, and I¡¯ll think of a way to return them to you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Xie Xi was over the moon after making sure that Xie Qiao would return the money.


    In reality, one could buy quite many things with five silver beans, as long as they were not picky¡ªa snack, a bowl of pork soup, and fruits. She would have two silver beans left.


    ¡°Your Highness, is that Half-Immortal Xie?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou thought he had gotten the wrong person. ¡°Seems like she¡¯s not doing well¡­¡±


    He recalled that thisdy had been digging bones in the middle of the night and made over 200 taels of silver from His Highness. Yet, she was so poor now that she could not even bring herself to spend a few silver beans?


    He thought Half-Immortal Xie would definitely be a boss who would make a lot of money when she came to the academy!


    Zhao Xuanjing watched from afar. After all, it was thedies¡¯ kitchen, and there was a gauze curtain in the middle. They should not go near.


    They saw Xie Qiao put away two silver beans carefully. She looked very serious.


    People who had no idea would think that she was putting away some rare treasure into her embrace.


    ¡°This is the academy. Please watch the appetion,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said and smiled. ¡°Check out what ss she¡¯s taking in the afternoon.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou carried out the order right away. It was quite easy to aplish that.


    ¡°She has swordsmanship and horsemanship ss today,¡± said Imperial Bodyguard Zhou.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned upon hearing that. His eyes were dark.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Weizong could not help but feel doubtful!


    Swordsmanship?


    Half-Immortal Xie?


    He could not imagine Xie Qiao dancing with a longsword!

 Chapter 86 - Competition

    <h4>Chapter 86: Competition</h4>


    Zhou Weizong had witnessed how weak Xie Qiao was, whereby she would faint easily. He could even imagine thisdy¡¯s pitiful face from passing out directly when she saw the shiny sword.


    Zhou Weizong could not help but feel heartbroken.


    He lifted his eyes slightly to look at his master. He saw him looking calm as if everything was fine. His eptance level was stunning.


    ¡°Who is the doctor on duty at the academy today? Get him ready¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing paused to think to himself. ¡°Go to the imperial pce to get some good medicine. Get those that nourish the heart and qi, as well as those that treat external injuries¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao only learned about the afternoon sses she had an hourter.


    She frowned and looked serious.


    Swordsmanship¡­


    Could she not do it!?


    However¡­ It should be simr to the Taoist swordsmanship she used to evict monsters and demons, right?


    She had a Taoist sword that she carried with her as well. However, the sword her master had given her was rather heavy. She had left it at the Water Moon Temple instead of bringing it along. She only had a few peach wood swords of various sizes in her bamboo box.


    The meaning of the sword was rather unique. Therefore, the Taoist robe that she used to wear had two sword-shaped ribbons on it. It was called the Sword of Wisdom and was meant to cut off troubles, lust, and greed.


    When it came to theprehension of sword practice, Xie Qiao thought she was pretty good at it. It was better than horseback archery. She really could not do that.


    If she really got onto a horse with her weak body, her soul might leave her body.


    Unfortunately, she had to attend both sses, and each of themsted for an hour.


    Xie Qiao felt rather troubled and sighed softly.


    A couple of students in Orchid Courtyard noticed she looked troubled and gloated.


    ¡®A mountain bandit who knows nothing. Even if she had learned martial arts, she must be using a kitchen knife, right?¡¯ Someone secretlyughed.


    There was an exclusive training field in the academy. It was massive, and there were many men over there as it was shared. However, they stayed away from each other, and they had zeromunication.


    Xie Qiao followed the rest to the training field. She was nervous before, but she immediately felt relieved when she saw the swords on the weapon rack. The edge was blunt, and there were even tassels on it. One could tell that it was a practice sword, not the kind used to fight and kill.


    Each of them picked a sword. Xie Qiao also held one in her hand. She took a good look at it and discovered that not only was the edge not sharpened but there was even ayer of wax on it. Clearly, they were worried that the youngdies might hurt themselves.


    The swordsmanship master was ady.


    Physical contact was inevitable during martial arts practice, so it would be much more troublesome if the master was a man.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have apetition today.¡± The teacher said something shocking as soon as she appeared. ¡°We¡¯llpete on the Moon Dance that I taught you guys a few days back. Stand out if you want to participate, sit down to watch if you don¡¯t. The reward for the first prize is handsome. All the best, everyone.¡±


    She got someone to bring out the reward.


    Xie Qiao looked over.


    The reward was a small bowl of silver beans and a set of hair essories.


    Xie Qiao had no interest in hair essories. However, she had a burning desire in her eyes when she saw the silver beans. There should be at least 50 silver beans in that small bowl if there were not 80?


    Unfortunately, she waspletely clueless about Moon Dance.


    She stood still where she was.


    ¡°Teacher, you¡¯ve been teaching us the Moon Dance for a few days. We haven¡¯t mastered it yet¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You should test us on the Zixia Dance we learnedst month. We¡¯re much more familiar with that. We guarantee that we¡¯ll make no mistake!¡±


    The youngdies were panicking a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you guys a few days of time. If you still don¡¯t know it, it proves you didn¡¯t practice it at home. We¡¯llpete on this today. Oh, I heard that His Highness might patrol the training fieldter. Lift your spirit, all of you. If you guys perform horribly, you¡¯ll humiliate the academy,¡± added the teacher.


    The youngdies¡¯ eyes lit up when they heard that.

 Chapter 87 - Troublesome Or A Blessing?

    <h4>Chapter 87: Troublesome Or A Blessing?</h4>


    Burning desire filled their eyes when they looked at the teacher.


    ¡°Teacher, which His Highness¡­ are you talking about? Can it be the Fourth Imperial Highness?¡± asked someone.


    The teacher frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s His Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±


    Xie Qiao heard those youngdies sigh softly as soon as the teacher spoke. Were they disappointed?


    The Crown Prince was less likable than that Fourth Imperial Highness?


    Xie Qiao thought it was interesting. However, she despised gossip like this, so she asked nothing.


    A youngdy who was straightforward among the crowd spoke. ¡°Oh, so His Highness the Crown Prince ising. So what if we perform a perfect sword dance? Do we expect His Highness, the Crown Prince, to admire us? If His Highness really likes us, it¡¯ll be troublesome, not a blessing. What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡±


    ¡°Shh! That¡¯s the Crown Prince. Aren¡¯t you worried about your head if this spreads? If the Crown Prince really heard this, your entire family would be doomed!¡± Someone next to her reminded her softly.


    That youngdy lowered her head upon hearing that. She rubbed her feet against each other and harrumphed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like His Highness, but there are people who like him! Also, he¡¯s not really here to see us.¡±


    There was more than one person who mumbled.


    Some of them despised the Crown Prince, but they still looked happy.


    ¡°I heard the Crown Prince solved a big case. My father has been upset because of thattely. Many people hate him. When the items His Highness submitted have been investigated, I¡¯m afraid the execution ground will be drowned with blood.¡±


    ¡°Such a big case?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it involves many people. No matter what, His Highness has made a great contribution and offended many at the same time.¡±


    They were all daughters of officials, so they knew a little something about what was going on.


    They were excited during the discussion.


    However, they were just talking about it privately. They dared not discuss it loudly.


    Xie Qiao was standing close to them. She heard some terms on and off and then connected the dots herself.


    The swordsmanship teacher nced at the students and said, ¡°Alright, those who want to participate will stand on the right side.¡±


    For some strange reason, Xie Qiao had a feeling that the teacher seemed to have peeped at her.


    She wondered what that meant.


    She remained standing where she was obediently. She was not going to try.


    Although her strength was pretty good now, she would take a while to catch her breath every time she yed with a sword. Her body would feel terrible!


    ¡°Xie Qiao, aren¡¯t you going to earn the silver beans for the donation yourself? There are so many silver beans over there. Aren¡¯t you going topete for them?¡± Xia Yayun appeared again.


    Xie Qiao was not shy, so she admitted openly, ¡°I¡¯ve never learned the Moon Dance.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve never learned anything?¡± Xia Yayun snickered. ¡°Xie Qiao, I¡¯m saying this for your own good. Our Orchid Courtyard has many sses, and there are more apart from swordsmanship. You¡¯ve never learned anything. If you stand among us, won¡¯t you be a piece of rotten wood within gold?¡±


    Xia Yayun and the few youngdies around her could not help butugh as soon as she said that.


    ¡°Yayun, you can¡¯t say that to Youngdy Xie.¡± Fang Muxue frowned. ¡°There aren¡¯t manydies who learn swordsmanship anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. I¡¯m not in the wrong. If she doesn¡¯t deserve the spot, she should give it to someone else!¡± Xia Yayun said stubbornly.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao suddenly realized why the old man had been insisting that she had to get off the mountain.


    During those years on the mountain, she had learned not to be upset or happy. She was like an old person who was in meditation.


    Meanwhile, beneath the mountain, there were people like Xia Yayun¡ªa pain in the *ss.


    She had been trying to trigger her enlightened mind nonstop and would never stop.


    It was a test!

 Chapter 88 - Registration

    <h4>Chapter 88: Registration</h4>


    Xie Qiao sighed softly. She had decided to tolerate it. If she managed to tolerate this, she would be an expert who was utterly generous and epted everyone in the world!


    She held her head low slightly.


    ¡°What? You have nothing to say? I¡¯ve seen too many people like you. You¡¯re just like those insensible maids at home. They have the destiny of a servant, but they want to be a boss. So what if they managed to do that? No one can alter a lowly destiny!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched. She was worried that she was going to ruin her enlightened mind.


    The reason being¡­ She could no longer tolerate this!


    ¡°I wonder what strange wind blew this stench over.¡± Xie Qiao lifted her head and said slowly, ¡°What¡¯s lowly? To me, it¡¯s lowly for one to gossip, have evil thoughts, nder, while it¡¯s horribly lowly when one is greedy and cunning. I¡¯d think that I¡¯m none of those. Young Lady Xia, I wonder how lowly do you think you are?¡±


    Xie Qiao added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to admit whether you¡¯re lowly or not. I can see with my eyes.¡±


    She lifted her feet and walked to the right side after she was done speaking.


    She stood where the bunch of people were registering and said to the teacher while looking at her, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve never seen the Moon Dance before. However, since we¡¯repeting, it¡¯ll be better if there are more participants. Please teach me, teacher, so that I can showcase what I¡¯ve learned right away.¡±


    The teacher was stunned. ¡°You want to participate?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want some lowly people ndering me. They think it¡¯s harmless, but they¡¯re always giving me trouble. It irritates me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be pissed when I¡¯m irritated.


    ¡°When I¡¯m pissed, I¡¯ll have trouble breathing and feel like fainting. My body has been weak since I was young. If I really faint here, it¡¯ll be Young Lady Xia¡¯s fault.¡±


    Everyone present was rather shocked.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eloquence was really¡­ mean¡ªso mean that she gave people goosebumps.


    She did not say much, but it was beating around the bush and courteous. It was so good that they had no idea what to say!


    If they criticized her, they would fall to a disadvantage.


    Xia Yayun felt uneasy as she swallowed her fury. Her eyes were furious and red as if there was fireing out of them.


    Meanwhile, the skinny Xie Qiao stood where she was. She had a bold elegance and did not mind making fun of herself. Yet, she was not cold and heartless. She was like a bright moon that was shining on people.


    She was calm like the sun rising on the east.


    She was Half-Immortal Xie.


    Xie Qiao knew how a half-immortal should be. Since she could teach her master to pretend to be one, she was naturally confident in her self-image.


    The teacher snapped back to her senses after being stunned for a while and coughed. ¡°S-since you¡¯re participating, I¡¯ll show you once after everyone is ready. I¡¯ll only do it once. You¡¯ll have to watch what you¡¯recking. I¡¯ll be fair and square during thepetition.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Xia Yayun clenched her fists and stood to the right. She was pissed.


    ¡®Do you think you¡¯re a genius? Able to learn from watching it once? What kind of nonsense is that!?¡¯ Xia Yayun gnashed her teeth.


    The rest said nothing and behaved at the moment. After all, Xie Qiao was mean with her words. It would be humiliating if Xie Qiao scolded them like how she had scolded Xia Yayun.


    Xia Yayun was more irritated upon seeing that nobody joined her. She was waiting for Xie Qiao to embarrass herself.


    Soon, the teacher showcased the Moon Dance once.


    The sword dance consisted of longswords and short swords. The Orchid Courtyard was mainly using longswords. With the long tassels, it would be much nicer when they swung the swords.


    The Moon Dance had flying movements, and the longsword reflected cold and captivating light.


    Xie Qiao watched carefully, memorizing each of the teacher¡¯s movements in her head.


    The hand swung the sword like it was retrieving a talisman. The body turned in circles with the sword nted, as if one was inscribing a talisman in the air. The tip of the sword pointed into the sky like breathing. Meanwhile, retracting the sword looked like burning a talisman¡­

 Chapter 89 - Luck

    <h4>Chapter 89: Luck</h4>


    When Xie Qiao saw the intense part of the sword dance, she thought it looked like the times when she suppressed ghouls.


    It looked simr¡­


    In Taoism, people would obey God, be true to themselves, and show their power with the Taoist sword. If she could not even handle the sword in her hand, the ghouls would have devoured her.


    Xie Qiao was weak in martial arts. Mo Lingzi had taught her the swordsmanship of the 13 Sword Techniques, representing the Bagua and five elements.


    The five-elemental Bagua could transform into many things. Therefore, at the moment, each of the teacher¡¯s movements was like a big, round te. There was an extraordinary rhythm when she moved.


    Xie Qiao had practiced the Living Sword in the past, the kind that contained no killing techniques, nor was it intense.


    Fortunately, this Moon Dance was not exactlyplicated.


    ¡°Alright, practice for a while, you guys. Thepetition will start 15 minutester.¡± The teacher took a nce at Xie Qiao and left temporarily.


    Most of them gathered to study the movements they were not familiar with.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao was simting the teacher¡¯s dance performance in her heart.


    She did not have much strength and did not want to waste any of it. She would stand still if she was not required to move.


    ¡®Look at her. She¡¯s standing there like a piece of log. She must be dumbstruck now!¡¯ Xia Yayun was over the moon.


    ¡®Look at her stupid face. She wants to dance the Moon Dance? Oh, she wishes!¡¯


    Many people came 15 minutester.


    Apart from the Orchid Courtyard¡¯s swordsmanship teacher, there seemed to be other teachers as well. Also¡­


    Xie Qiao nced through at that man¡¯s face and looked calm.


    ¡°Since Your Highness is passing by, why don¡¯t you watch these girls¡¯ sword practice? If you think they¡¯re good, that will mean they didn¡¯t practice this sword dance in vain,¡± the teacher said in a teasing manner.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Those who stood out are the participants?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied the teacher.


    Zhao Xuanjing was slightly stunned. Subsequently, nobody knew why he grabbed a piece of white jade with his left hand from his embrace. He tossed it onto the table, where the silver beans and hair essories were, and said simply, ¡°For luck.¡±


    The people gasped.


    The piece of jade¡­


    ¡°Is this piece of jade from Your Highness one of the few that the dean gave?¡± The teacher was stunned too.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Xuanjing gave a short response.


    The teacher fell into silence for a moment and looked at the students. She seemed to worry that some of them did not know the importance of the jade, so she added, ¡°There are only ten pieces of jade like this. The dean gave three of them to His Highness. As long as one has this piece of jade, you can take anyone as your master in this academy or pick one item from the library.¡±


    This exnation enlightened Xie Qiao. The teacher meant they could be a master¡¯s true disciple.


    There were many capable people in the Royal Academy. As long as one became a disciple of any of them, it would be simr to having an additional father.


    The connections, knowledge, and even the master¡¯s reputation could benefit the disciple.


    Moreover, there were some precious extant copies and rare books in the library that money could not buy.


    If she could take one with her¡­


    Xie Qiao was pretty moved. She could make quite some money when she sold the book after reading it.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin. Step up when I draw your name,¡± the teacher said.


    She began to draw names as soon as she was done speaking.


    ¡°First one, Hua Lirong.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The few teachers and the Crown Prince were assigned seats. They were people holding umbres around them, worried that they would be burned by the sun. Even snacks were delivered a momentter.


    Xie Qiao did not eat much in the afternoon, so she started drooling upon seeing the snacks.


    Moreover¡­ she was standing. Her legs would go weak from standing too much.


    The more she thought about it, the paler her face turned. In reality, in her mind, she was being very strong at the moment. She had only used a little bit of strength, but those who saw Xie Qiao¡­ were worried that she would pass out.

 Chapter 90 - Good Mood

    <h4>Chapter 90: Good Mood</h4>


    Xie Qiao was really not pretending to be weak. She was born like this, and it was hard for her to hide that.


    Her pale face looked even weaker under the scorching sun in the afternoon.


    If she was under the sun while sitting, she should feel better at the moment.


    The Yang energy in the afternoon was pretty strong.


    ¡°Get the rest to sit,¡± said Zhao Xuanjing. He peeped at the snacks before him and added, ¡°Serve them the snacks too.¡±


    As soon as that was said, the teachers around felt¡­ rather confused.


    ¡°Why is Your Highness so¡­¡±


    Generous today?


    ¡°Do you still think I wasn¡¯t warm enough in the past? Or do you think I used to bully the students?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked coldly.


    Xie Qiao heard that and felt this man seemed to have changed. When he had been near Floating Pavilion Town, his attitude did not seem to be this cold. He had been quite warm.


    ¡°No.¡± The eyelids of the teacher who was next to him twitched. ¡°Your Highness has always been caring toward the students in the academy. Everyone knows that.¡±


    The few teachers scoffed when they heard that.


    Caring?


    Yes, he did treat the Royal Academy students differently!


    The Crown Prince was wise from a young age. He was talented and smart, and the emperor loved him. However, the Crown Prince had a terrible fate. He would always get into idents. As he would have fewer idents at the academy, he hardly lived at the East Pce. The academy was almost his other abode!


    He had lived peacefully like that until he was 12.


    Before turning 12, the Crown Prince had been a gentle and humble man.


    However, a ferocious tiger hade out of nowhere when the imperial family had gone hunting one day. The Crown Prince may be young back then, but he had reacted fast. The tendons on his right arm had been destroyed, and he had been awarded the title of an Imperial Protector.


    His right arm looked ordinary on the daily, but he could no longer carry heavy things.


    Not only that, he would tremble when he held a brush.


    He was indeed a cripple.


    Since then, the Crown Prince¡¯s emotions had been rather unstable. Those teachers that he used to be close with were given the cold shoulder when they visited.


    The Crown Prince had also beaten many people in the academy.


    He had watched many student performances before, but he had never cared about those students standing down there.


    Not only that, there were very few of them who would pass his assessment. Most of hisments were terms like¡ªfoolish, stupid, lowly, eptable, and passable¡­


    Although that was the truth, it was hurtful and humiliating.


    Due to his identity, the students dared not hold grudges.


    All of the teachers were thinking to themselves.


    Could it be that there was a youngdy from the Orchid Courtyard that the Crown Prince was fond of?


    They shook their heads and rejected that thought as soon as it was formed. When the Crown Prince turned 13, the emperor had taken charge to pick a concubine for him. However, he had rejected all of them.


    The emperor loved this son of his. He would listen to him on minor things such as this one.


    A Crown Prince whose arm was crippled should have been dethroned. However, those who proposed to dethrone the Crown Prince before had long died.


    The teachers thought about it.


    The Crown Prince had recently solved a big case. Perhaps he was in a good mood.


    That was right.


    The few teachers heaved a sigh of relief.


    There was a tform exclusively installed on the training field, and a few youngdies were done performing.


    Xie Qiao could remember those dance forms perfectly after watching all of the performances.


    ¡°Next, Xia Yayun,¡± the teacher said indifferently and orderly.


    Xia Yayun lifted her chin slightly and walked as if she was stepping on clouds and stars. She even rolled her eyes at Xie Qiao before going up.


    When she got onto the tform, she held a longsword and began swinging it. Her movements were pretty smooth, even though she was stuck at a few movements in between. Compared to the few before her, her performance was above average.

 Chapter 91 - Sword Is Meant For Gentlemen

    <h4>Chapter 91: Sword Is Meant For Gentlemen</h4>


    The Orchid Courtyard¡¯s youngdies had been taught the Moon Dance for a long time. Therefore, even Xia Yayun was not perfect while performing it. However, she would score high. Even the teachers nodded in satisfaction.


    The few teachers graded after she performed.


    The grading system was divided into three grades and nine levels.


    There were Excellent, Intermediate, and Low grades and each grade would divide into three levels. Therefore, the nine grades and levels were Excellent/Excellent, Excellent/Intermediate, Excellent/Low, Intermediate/Excellent, Intermediate/Intermediate, Intermediate/Low, Low/Excellent, Low/Intermediate, and Low/Low.


    The result usually would not differ too much when the few teachers graded together.


    The teacher had informed everyone how long they had just learned the Moon Dance. Therefore, they should be much looser with the grading this time.


    Xie Qiao thought to herself, ¡®Even if Xia Yayun cannot get an excellent grade for her performance, she will definitely get Intermediate/Excellent.¡¯


    ¡°Xiao Qiao, you¡¯d get a low grade at most!¡± Xia Yayun whispered to Xie Qiao as soon as she got off the tform.


    Before Xie Qiao could speak, they heard a question from where the teachers were sitting. ¡°Why did you whisper?¡±


    Xia Yayun stumbled when she heard the voice.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were burning. ¡°The teachers are here. What did you whisper?¡±


    The few teachers¡¯ eyelids twitched when they heard what the Crown Prince said.


    The Crown Prince was still the old him.


    It was inevitable that the youngdies would cheer for each other when they were together. It should not matter whether they chatted, right?


    ¡°She said I¡¯d get a low grade,¡± replied Xie Qiao, looking honest.


    Xia Yayun¡¯s expression changed immediately, and she said in a panic, ¡°I-I was just telling her that she can¡¯t master this dance just by learning it for a day. She merely looked at it for a while today. She¡¯ll definitely perform poorly in the test. She might only get a low grade¡ª¡±


    ¡°I saw that you said merely a few words. You looked fierce, not kind.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes looked grim when he said that. It was uncertain whether he was smiling.


    Xia Yayun shivered.


    Many youngdies looked at her with sympathy.


    If it was the Fourth Imperial Highness, even if he realized something was wrong with what she said, he would not question it directly.


    However, this was the Crown Prince¡­


    Xia Yayun was having bad luck today.


    ¡°Your Highness, thisdy is young. She said something wrong. Please forgive her,¡± the teacher said immediately.


    Nobody kneeled in the academy. The teacher only bowed and cupped her fists, looking sincere.


    ¡°The thing that she said wasn¡¯t targeted at me. It has nothing to do with me whether I forgive her or not. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like her lying. What grade did she get?¡±


    ¡°Excellent/Low,¡± the teacher said after checking the other teachers¡¯ grading.


    Xie Qiaor raised her brows slightly. She did not expect the teachers to be so loose with the grading.


    ¡®Her mediocre performance got an excellent grade?¡¯


    ¡°The sword is meant for gentlemen. Your behavior and character are questionable, so we should amend the grade,¡± added Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xie Qiao nodded slowly. He was right.


    The sword was the king of weapons¡ªit was elegant. However, Xia Yayun¡­ did not measure up in this aspect.


    At that moment, Xia Yuyan¡¯s eyes were red.


    She dared not argue with what the Crown Prince said. The emperor doted on him, and the Crown Prince was always a bully. Whatever the Crown Prince said, even if it did not make perfect sense, the result would remain the same.


    The few teachers sighed. One of them asked while looking at Xie Qiao, ¡°Youngdy, do you think we should lower Young Lady Xia¡¯s grade?¡±


    It would not matter if the grade was the only thing that was lowered.


    However, each grade would be recorded. They would definitely write down Xia Yayun¡¯s personal provocation as well.


    Moreover, her reputation might be ruined for a while for being pointed out by the Crown Prince in public.

 Chapter 92 - The Nine Syllables

    <h4>Chapter 92: The Nine Sybles</h4>


    Xie Qiao was not scared to be stared at.


    ¡°Grading isn¡¯t my responsibility. I¡¯m just a student, so I shouldn¡¯t bementing on whether her grade should be lowered or not. Make your decision, teachers,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    They wanted to push the me on her?


    Impossible!


    If she nodded and agreed to lower Xia Yayun¡¯s grade, the people out there would think that she bullied Xia Yayun by relying on someone else whenever they talked about it.


    If she shook her head and disagreed with lowering her grade, she would be throwing the Crown Prince a cold nket.


    Xie Qiao was not stupid, so she would not take the me.


    Xie Qiao calmed herself down after she was done speaking. She then took small sips of tea. She looked like she was scared and had to calm herself down.


    Teacher Zhu, who taught Xie Qiao swordsmanship, asked, ¡°Your Highness, what grade do you think she should get?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing looked rxed as he casually said, ¡°Choose the lowest grade among the few teachers and deduct one level from it.¡±


    Teacher Zhu checked the teachers¡¯ grades again.


    The highest grade was Excellent/Intermediate, while the lowest was Intermediate/Intermediate. The difference was pretty big.


    The teacher who had graded her with Intermediate/Intermediate was known to be strict. Perhaps he had never considered the duration those youngdies had taken to learn the Moon Dance. He graded them based on their performance.


    It would be Intermediate/Low if the grade was lowered by one level.


    The result was rather poor.


    However, it was this girl who had been insensible. She had been whispering while the Crown Prince was around, embarrassing herself. It made sense that she should be punished.


    Teacher Zhu amended the grade.


    She then proceeded to draw the next person who wouldpete.


    With the previous example, the youngdies were even more quiet and nervous now. They would try their best to achieve perfection in their expressions, smiles, and movements.


    Suddenly, their performance was elevated.


    ¡°Next, Xie Qiao,¡± said Teacher Zhu. She was seemingly worried that the few teachers would be biased due to the outstanding students who had performed earlier, so she added, ¡°Young Lady Xie has just enrolled in the academy. She has only watched the Moon Dance a few times today.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing said nothing. He looked like he did not know Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao got up slowly and adjusted her clothing. She then walked up slowly.


    Although she was not so weak that the wind would blow her away, she was clearly a person with a rather unhealthy body. The teachers could not help but frown.


    ¡®Look at her skinny wrists. Can she really swing a spark from the sword?¡¯


    They were worried that she would hurt herself.


    Xie Qiao picked up the sword.


    She began¡­


    The ribbon on her waist had intersecting lights shing on the clothing she wore to the academy.


    At that moment, she looked like she was holding a pentagram in her hand and walking on clouds.


    The sword was flying and swinging like a wandering dragon in her hand. A light fragrance blew with the wind from her body. She was elegant and charismatic. All of a sudden, it was as if one saw a clear wind and bright moon. She looked out of this world.


    Never had they thought Xie Qiao was secretly chanting¡­


    ¡°May the presiders over warriors be my vanguard¡­¡±


    It was The Nine Sybles.


    At the very end¡­


    ¡°Retrieve!¡±


    She almost yelled that out.


    Xie Qiao looked serious. She closed her performance while many watched with shocked expressions.


    Xie Qiao sighed. It was exhausting to her.


    She bowed at the teachers while feeling dizzy, and she walked down feeling numb. She sat at her seat immediately.


    It was quiet around her.


    Xia Yayun looked at her in disbelief.


    ¡®Impossible! How is this possible!? The few teachers choreographed this Moon Dance for almost three months. The Peony Courtyard learned it first when the choreography waspleted, and they were showing off during thest spar.


    ¡®The Moon Dance became famous in the academy after their performance. Even if one was to learn it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to master it within a few days!?


    ¡®However, her performance was¡­¡¯


    Even Xia Yayun had to admit that Xie Qiao had done better than her. She had been extraordinarily majestic when she held the sword. Although she had performed a few parts differently from the original version, it was not awkward at all. Her entire movement was as smooth as flowing water.


    She had actually danced as well as the teachers!

 Chapter 93 - So Happy That She Passed Out

    <h4>Chapter 93: So Happy That She Passed Out</h4>


    Xie Qiao had no idea whether her dance moves were beautiful¡ªall she knew was if there were some resentful spirits around, she would have collected all of them.


    Unfortunately, she did not do anything productive after dancing for so long.


    Moreover, she used the gaps between dancing to collect the spirits. They seemed pretty good, but in reality, most of the dance moves were just pretty. They did not help with the spirit collection.


    The simpler the dance moves were, the better for her body.


    Xie Qiao was not breathing properly, so she took a while to calm down. However, there was still ringing in her head.


    The few teachers were done with grading.


    Teacher Zhu seemed to have the intention to get her to watch more so that she could learn more. She drew her nameter than the rest, so there were only a few students left after her.


    Since her performance, the few students¡¯ performances were ratherckluster.


    After everyone had performed, Teacher Zhu announced the results.


    Everyone¡¯s grades were being read out loud.


    ¡°Hua Lirong, Intermediate/Intermediate.


    ¡°Xu Ying, Intermediate/Excellent.


    ¡°Qin Liu, Excellent/Low.


    ¡°Fang Muxue, Excellent/Low.


    ¡°Xia Yayun¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Xie Qiao¡­¡±


    When Xie Qiao¡¯s name was read, everyone could not help but lift their heads in nervousness. They had all watched her performance, so they naturally knew that she had not performed as they had imagined. Her grading might be the highest one¡­


    ¡°¡­Excellent/Excellent.¡±


    Teacher Zhu said, ¡°She¡¯s the winner of thepetition this time.¡±


    Many sighed as soon as she said that.


    Some were unwilling but helpless. The reason being they knew that their performance was indeed iparable to Xie Qiao¡¯s.


    Xie Qiao was a little dumbstruck. She drank a mouthful of tea.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, this is your reward. Come and ept it.¡± Teacher Zhu¡¯s voice was very gentle.


    ¡®She¡¯s a good seed, but she¡¯s a little too skinny and weak. I wonder if she can train to be stronger.¡¯


    The pale-faced Xie Qiao stood up upon hearing that. A small bowl of silver beans weed her.


    She walked forward.


    Thump!


    She felt dizzy as she walked a few steps more and then fell directly and passed out.


    Zhao Xuanjing got up immediately and wanted to go to her by instinct. He suddenly thought it was inappropriate, so he said, ¡°Teacher Zhu, why aren¡¯t you getting someone to bring the doctor here?¡±


    Teacher Zhu was a little stunned.


    ¡®H-how did she pass out when she was doing all fine earlier!?¡¯


    Teacher Zhu got someone to get the doctor immediately.


    ¡°Can it be that Xie Qiao passed out from¡­ joy?¡± said someone, their timing bad.


    ¡°Maybe. I heard Xie Qiao didn¡¯t have silver beans to buy lunch in the afternoon. She took her sister¡¯s silver beans. I¡¯m sure you know her sister? That little girl who loves silver beans. Her name¡¯s Xie Xi, and she¡¯s a Pixiu.¡±


    ¡°She took her sister¡¯s silver beans? She must be starving then?¡±


    ¡°The sword dance she performed was amazing. It was nothing lesser than the performance from the Peony Courtyard. Do you think we crossed the line earlier?¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­¡±


    ¡°Her sister is such a poor thing. That girl is retarded. She might be crying somewhere since her sister took her silver beans¡­¡± Someone was slow to react to that. She was shaking her head and sighing.


    The rest turned their heads to look at her.


    That girl Xie Xi¡­


    She was from the Begonia Courtyard. Everyone knew her¡ªshe was a hardworking girl.


    Although her reputation wascking, she was dumb and cute. The senior sisters, like them, pitied her.


    ¡°I heard¡­ The Xie family is very poor. My mother has said a few times that I¡¯ll need to pay my own dowry if I have an ill destiny to be marrying into a family like the Xie family. I didn¡¯t believe that before, but now¡­That seems to be the case. Xie Qiao grew up outside in the past, and my house is quite close to hers. I heard that her parents don¡¯t like her, maybe¡­ She didn¡¯t eat and sleep well at home. That¡¯s why she was so happy that she passed out when she saw so many silver beans.¡±

 Chapter 94 - Beggar

    <h4>Chapter 94: Beggar</h4>


    Many youngdies knew that the Xie family used to be bandits. However, they knew nothing much about their other private matters.


    Now that they heard the family was poor, their curiosity was piqued.


    ¡°Look at that girl, Xie Xi. She¡¯s a fourth-grade official¡¯s family¡¯s young mistress, but she does things that a maid does. It must be that the family is too poor, right?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. That Master Xie is a general, after all. I heard he obtained many rewards when he fought the barbarians back then. Even without those, his sry would be quite high as a fourth-grade official, right?¡± The rest could not believe that.


    The youngdy asked, ¡°Do your families only depend on your father and brothers to support the family?¡±


    The rest naturally shook their heads when they heard that.


    They had many servants at home. It would be insufficient to depend on their father and brothers¡¯ sries.


    Only with the farms their fathers and brothers run at home, as well as the properties and rewards umted for years, could they have steady support for the people at home.


    As they thought about it, they understood why the Xie family was poor.


    It had only been a short time since they had be officials. They spent more money than they made.


    ¡°I heard that General Xie spent his silver to buy his official position. I¡¯m sure you guys know about Eldest Young Master Xie. He had the eligibility to enter the academy when he came to the Imperial City during earlier years, but he didn¡¯t. Why was that? Naturally, it was because they didn¡¯t have money nor treasures! The Xie family had to tighten its belt to send the two young ones here¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. General Xie used silvers to send Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi here back then. He was so unwilling he was staring at the silvers as if he had never seen them before!¡±


    ¡°The family¡¯s mistress did note from a reputable family as well. I heard that the family does business, which means they have silver. I wonder how much they paid for the dowry.¡±


    ¡°That Lu family shouldn¡¯t have given much of a dowry. She married a second time, after all. The granny who works at my home heard that from their servant when they met each other on the street.¡±


    ¡°Now it seems¡­ Xie Qiao is quite pitiful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She wasn¡¯t born in a loving family, nor was she raised by General Xie. Now that the stepmother is managing the house, what¡¯s left for her?¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s so happy by getting that little amount of silver beans, I wonder what she is like at home. Please don¡¯t tell me that she isn¡¯t given a monthly allowance!?¡±


    The people revealed looks of sympathy when they heard that.


    However, Xia Yayun could not help but snicker.


    ¡®Beggar!¡¯


    At that moment, someone carried Xie Qiao into a room.


    Zhao Xuanjing was a man, and given his unique identity, it would be inappropriate if he followed. He had his eyes on the white jade for luck and said, ¡°Since thatdy is the brightest of all, get her to bring the white jade to me when she wakes up.¡±


    The people did not think too much into it. There were only a few pieces of such a jade. Xie Qiao was very fortunate. It made sense that the Crown Prince wanted to ask her who she was going to take as her master.


    Two imperial doctors entered the room.


    Master Lu, Teacher Zhu, and the other grannies responsible for taking care of the youngdies in the academy were waiting there.


    ¡°How did she pass out suddenly?¡± Master Lu asked while looking at Xie Qiao¡¯s pale face.


    Teacher Zhu felt rather awkward. ¡°She merely danced with a sword¡­¡±


    ¡°Merely danced with a sword?¡± The imperial doctor turned his head to look at Teacher Zhu, ¡°What are you talking about!? It isn¡¯t an exaggeration to call this youngdy a walking dead. Her insides are weak. It¡¯s unbelievable that she¡¯s been alive to this day!¡±


    Master Lu and Teacher Zhu were stunned when they heard that.


    ¡°Is it that bad!?¡± Teacher Zhu was really shocked.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much vitality in her body, and her Yang energy is weak. She needs more rest daily and shouldn¡¯t exhaust herself,¡± the imperial doctor added.

 Chapter 95 - Poor Soul With A Short Life

    <h4>Chapter 95: Poor Soul With A Short Life</h4>


    Teacher Zhu found it inconceivable when she heard that. That girl had been majestic when she was dancing with the sword earlier. Nothing seemed wrong with her?!


    However, she had suddenly seemed to have changed after stopping, as if her body had been emptied.


    Master Lu was sighing.


    The youngdy was¡­ hardworking. She was serious in the sses in the past few days. Master Lu had passed by her twice and noticed that this youngdy had memorized what he had said. She was sensible and serious. If she was a man, she would score with flying colors even if she took the imperial examination!


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that her body is so weak.¡¯


    Two youngdies from the Orchid Courtyard came over too.


    They had heard everything the doctor said and were shocked.


    Too pitiful!


    Never mind that she was not loved and being raised outside despite being General Xie¡¯s daughter, but now she was unhealthy and had a short life!?


    They suddenly felt extremely guilty upon recalling they had been criticizing and wronging this Young Lady Xie!


    Did they do something extraordinarily vicious?


    When Xie Qiao opened her eyes, she noticed many people looking at her. They had strange expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie¡­¡± Fang Muxue looked guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    She was dumbfounded.


    She seemed to have fallen earlier due to her weak body, right? It was not someone who hit her, was it?


    Then why was this person apologizing to her?


    Xie Qiao looked over in confusion, but she was not paying attention.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she responded faintly.


    Fang Muxue felt very guilty. ¡°Young Lady Xie, we deserve it if you¡¯re ming us. W-we didn¡¯t know that your body was so weak. If we knew, we wouldn¡¯t have¡­ said those things about you.¡±


    Xie Qiao understood now¡ªthese youngdies pitied her due to her weak body.


    As the saying went, ¡°The weak wins.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded and said in an indifferent tone, ¡°What was said is in the past. It¡¯s futile for you to say these now.¡±


    Fang Muxue and the other youngdy were stunned.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, your body is extremely weak, so you might not be able to attend swordsmanship ss from now on. Not only swordsmanship, but you¡¯ll have to quit all of the other martial arts sses as well!¡± said Master Lu.


    ¡°Teacher, can I just watch when I get to ss next time?¡± asked Xie Qiao


    Perhaps her body in this life was just too terrible. Therefore, she would think that she was lucky to be able to live one more day.


    Back in the Taoist temple, she had not stayed idle for even a day, no matter how terrible she was feeling.


    She would practice Taoism¡¯s method of collecting souls when she could move. She would practice it for a little bit until she saw some improvement and read when she could not move.


    If she felt ufortable using her brain, she would do something with her hands.


    Just like that, she had been getting herself busy for days and years to make herself feel alive.


    She did not want to wait for death in bed.


    Moreover, her illness was different from others.


    In the academy, her strength was pretty good, and she even excelled in swordsmanship. In reality, she was eager to learn, but her body did not allow rigorous practice. However, she could memorize with her head. She would y with the sword for a little bit when her health was better.


    However, what Xie Qiao said became different when Fang Muxue and the rest heard it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to earn silver beans in a rush. It¡¯s bad for your health. We¡¯ll help with the donation¡­¡± Fang Muxue said out of kindness.


    Xie Qiao looked at her in an odd manner. ¡°Young Lady Fang, and everyone else, is your dignity and kindness that cheap?¡±


    Fang Muxue trembled.


    Xie Qiao was not mad. On the contrary, she thought it was funny.


    They said everything bad and good. So what was Xie Qiao to them? Amb that was waiting to be ughtered or a fish that was on the chopping board?

 Chapter 96 - Big Profit

    <h4>Chapter 96: Big Profit</h4>


    Xie Qiao knew that she was talking to a youngdy whose thoughts were simpler. She purely expressed her emotions and did not think too much into it.


    They were not like her, an old Taoist master who was at peace. She was rather coldpared to them.


    However, she indeed did not bother to squeeze a gentle smile and said, ¡°It is okay¡±, while smiling at everyone¡­


    It would hurt her teeth.


    Fang Muxue and the rest felt rather embarrassed.


    They looked awkward.


    Xie Qiao did notfort them. She was toozy.


    Master Lu was happy to see her expression that looked like she was hungry for knowledge. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll talk to the teacherster to prioritize your health in ss. Just do your best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Her head was much clearer now that she passed out for a little bit. She was not as exhausted as before.


    ¡°Right, you won thepetition. You should thank His Highness for rewarding you with the jade. Don¡¯t forget that after resting for a while,¡± added Teacher Zhu.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Xie Qiao was confused.


    ¡°His Highness has a courtyard in the academy. It¡¯s the one in the far east. You¡¯ll get there after passing a bamboo forest,¡± replied Teacher Zhu.


    ¡®Bamboo forest?¡¯


    Xie Qiao raised her brows lightly.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s physique was unique. Most people from the imperial family would have dragon energy on their bodies. Since he was the Crown Prince, he should have pretty powerful dragon energy. However, he had been attracting ghouls his whole life. Nobody knew why.


    If one was to think about it, if not for the dragon energy¡¯s protection, he would have been affected by spirits and died.


    It was bad for such a body type to be living close to bamboo.


    Trees lived by absorbing water, and most of them had Yin attributes. Meanwhile, bamboo¡­ were hollowed, and they despised the sun. Therefore, just like the Schr Tree, they had extreme Yin attributes and should not be suitable for the Crown Prince.


    Xie Qiao had never seen the bamboo forest, so she should notment on anything.


    The imperial doctor checked her pulse again. Upon realizing that her pulse was much better than before, he asked if he should get her medicine prescription.


    She definitely had been consuming medicine to be able to live until now with such a weak body. That imperial doctor knew that very well, so he did not dare to prescribe her a new one to prevent her from eating something that would sh with her current medicine.


    One had to pay for the medicine with silver beans at the academy.


    They could pay at ater time.


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    She then recalled her reward, ¡°Where are my silver beans?¡±


    Teacher Zhu brought the items feeling helpless.


    They were gold-ted jade pieces consisting of threebs, a pair of hairpins, two dangling ornaments, and two forehead essories. They looked pretty expensive.


    However, sophisticated essories were prohibited in the academy. They even had to wear standard ones.


    Xie Qiao could sell those items, so she put them away happily.


    She held the bowl of silver beans and counted slowly. There were 60 pieces!


    It was a big profit.


    Xie Qiao was satisfied and put the silver beans into her small purse. Since that was the case, she would not have to worry about not being able to pay the loan she got from her sister.


    Then it was that piece of white jade.


    There was warmth when she held it. The quality was good, and it would be beneficial for one¡¯s health if they were to wear it all the time.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s imagination was running wild as she stared at the piece of jade.


    ¡®Get myself a master? No way!¡¯


    There were many sses at the academy that she already did not have enough time to attend. There was no need to get a master to teach her a certain subject. A master would usually be unhappy if their disciples studied something different. If they found out that she had a wide range of interests, she would definitely be punished.


    Exchange it for an expensive treasure?


    She could do that or sell it to someone else¡­ Now that she thought about it, there should be many people who were willing to purchase the identity of a master¡¯s disciple?


    Many thoughts had shed in Xie Qiao¡¯s head within a short period.


    She rested in the room for a little while.


    The teachers and the imperial doctors had left. The two grannies were the only ones left to serve her tea.


    After resting for an hour, Xie Qiao was ready to look for the Crown Prince.

 Chapter 97 - He Did Not Con You

    <h4>Chapter 97: He Did Not Con You</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not walk fast and would rest for a bit after walking a few steps. She walked slowly from the room to the Crown Prince¡¯s East Courtyard.


    It was not considered too far, but it took her over two hours to get there.


    Zhao Xuanjing had been waiting for a long time over there.


    ¡°Has Young Lady Xie really woken up?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked while frowning.


    ¡°Yes, she has since earlier¡­¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was rather confused too. The Crown Prince¡¯s message should have been sent over long ago. Howe she was not there yet?


    The Crown Prince looked cold. He thought about it and lifted his feet to walk outside.


    Xie Qiao was in the bamboo forest.


    It was a huge eerie forest. There would be loud rustling noises whenever the tiniest wind blew.


    Suddenly, a shadow flew by Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes.


    She closed her eyes and sighed. The academy was huge. She spected that there were only ghouls in this bamboo forest.


    It was¡­ annoying.


    She should not havee.


    It was just too annoying.


    She did not have any strength to subdue ghouls today, so she pped a talisman on her body directly. It was a veryplicated talisman. She initially wanted to save it for the future, as it was difficult to inscribe a talisman after all.


    Xie Qiao could still see the ghouls after pasting the talisman. However, they dared not stay close to her. She could finally walk peacefully.


    The rustling bamboo leaves were like the ghouls pping.


    I pped, you pped. Countless children were ying.


    Xie Qiao walked, looking numb.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie.¡± A man¡¯s voice sounded after a while.


    It was a familiar voice. Without even lifting her head to look, Xie Qiao knew it was the Crown Prince. She bowed like how people did in the academy calmly and said, ¡°Xie Qiao is here to thank Your Highness.¡±


    One would not really emphasize appetion in the academy.


    If the Crown Prince was studying at the academy, it would not be taboo for Xie Qiao to call his name directly.


    Seeing that sheid her head low, Zhao Xuanjing asked, ¡°How¡¯s your health, Young Lady Xie?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± Xie Qiao said coldly.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eyelids twitched. This youngdy did not have much to say?


    It felt cold to be chatting with her!


    ¡°I invited Young Lady Xie here for something else.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was straightforward too. ¡°Young Lady Xie had told my subordinate¡¯s fortune before. There seems to be something filthy lingering around him. I wonder if you can check on him?¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head in surprise upon hearing that. ¡°That man is still alive?¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Zhao Xuanjing was dumbfounded for a moment.


    The people of the world would show their kind side no matter how unkind they were.


    However, this Xie Qiao directly told him that she knew that Qin Zhi would definitely die back then, and she had not bothered about that fact?


    ¡°He was in luck to have obtained some great talismans from Young Lady Xie¡¯s master to be still alive. However, he¡¯s very ill now. If there¡¯s still no cure, he¡¯s going to see King Yama soon,¡± exined Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°So it was my master, no wonder. I suppose he spent a lot of money on that?¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    This youngdy really dared to say anything.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said helplessly, ¡°Young Lady Xie, back then¡­ We indeed spent a lot of money¡­¡±


    He had been the one that had paid!


    That Mo Lingzi¡¯s fee was much higher than this disciple of his! Some ten talismans cost over 100 taels of silvers. Back then, Half-Immortal Xie had only charged a couple of copper coins for one talisman!


    ¡°Talismans are rare. I¡¯m sure you guys bought many to be able to protect him until now. The more you bought, the less my master would have in store. It takes effort to inscribe talismans. In reality¡­ he didn¡¯t con you for charging you at a high price,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    She tried her best not to sound guilty.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to think that,¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said immediately. ¡°Young Lady Xie and your master saved Qin Zhi. I¡¯m grateful.¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head and asked while looking at Imperial Bodyguard Zhou with her bright eyes, ¡°Was it you guys who left the note for me earlier? I remember it was written¡­ 100 taels of gold to save a life?¡±

 Chapter 98 - Are You Provoking Me?

    <h4>Chapter 98: Are You Provoking Me?</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought about it. There were not many people who would need her to save their life. Since Qin Zhi was still alive, it was probably him.


    As expected, Imperial Bodyguard Zhou nodded.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie has a strict family, so we didn¡¯t dare to disturb you. We thought we would send you a letter, but we didn¡¯t manage to see you,¡± said Imperial Bodyguard Zhou.


    Zhao Xuanjing red at Zhou Weizong. He could not believe that there was something that he was unaware of.


    Xie Qiao smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s great that it was you guys. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll take it. I wonder when will you pay the deposit?¡±


    She was definitely gentle enough when serving her clients.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ll take it!?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou jolted. ¡°Thank you, Young Lady Xie! H-how much is the deposit?¡±


    ¡°The usual deposit would be half of the fee. You guys will pay for other fees if there¡¯s any in-between. When the deal ispleted, you¡¯ll pay for the remaining half,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    100 taels of gold¡ªit was a big client.


    She could buy better tonics with that amount of money.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s small face blushed a little as she thought about it.


    Zhou Weizong frowned slightly when he heard that.


    Xie Qiao looked at him in confusion upon noticing that he looked troubled. ¡°Was it a lie that you guys promised to pay 100 taels of gold to save a life?


    ¡°If it¡¯s just a regr ghoul, I¡¯d collect them even if there¡¯s no money involved. However, it¡¯s different for that friend of yours. It was him who offended the ghoul. He owed it something, so he deserves it that the ghoul is trying to kill him.¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Are you forcing me to capture the soul, Your Highness?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing gave off an intimidating aura.


    In reality, His Highness looked pretty handsome. His skin color was not pale but a healthy wheat color. He had a slender body with a high spirit. In her eyes, he had a sparkly, lucky face.


    He had an inexorable fate back at Floating Pavilion Town. Therefore, his luck was rather dull. However, it was much brighter now.


    His charisma was brilliant, like an ancient jade¡ªone would remember him forever after seeing him.


    Putting anthroposcopy aside, the Crown Prince¡¯s looks could charm people¡¯s money. If Xie Qiao could, it would be ideal for her to own him.


    Naturally, she dared not think of nonsense.


    He was the Crown Prince, so she could not get him to have children with her.


    She sighed softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who needs saving, so I¡¯m not the one who will be paying. If they can¡¯t afford it, Young Lady Xie will decide what to do.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was faint. He was like a green pine tree all year round, and even time could not wither him.


    Xie Qiao had heard that the Crown Prince was loved. If she was the emperor, she would dote on this son as well. There was no other reason for that than the fact that he was handsome.


    ¡°W-we have gold, but we need time to gather them. I wonder if Young Lady Xie can treat him first, and we¡¯ll payter? We guarantee we only need three days at most to gather the gold,¡± Zhou Weizong said immediately.


    ¡°I suppose youe from a noble family to be able to be the Crown Prince¡¯s close bodyguard?¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    Zhou Weizong smiled helplessly. ¡°Yes, but I shouldn¡¯t ask for money from home at such an age.¡±


    That made sense.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Xie Qiao showed three fingers. ¡°If His Highness can be the guarantor, then I¡¯ll give you three days.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing raised his brows and said condescendingly, ¡°Will you not save him if I¡¯m not the guarantor? Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda, Young Lady Xie.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I think¡­¡± Xie Qiao was very serious, ¡°You should read more.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Buddhism in the presence of a Taoism exponent. Are you provoking my¡­ master?¡± Xie Qiao lifted her eyes to look at him. ¡°What you said came from the Chinese Buddhist Canon.¡±

 Chapter 99 - Depends On You

    <h4>Chapter 99: Depends On You</h4>


    In reality, Xie Qiao knew a little bit of everything. Buddhism aside, she even knew some of the passages from White Lotus that were popr among the folk.


    ¡°I heard you wrote Sanskrit for your entry examination,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said steadily while looking calm.


    ¡°That was me mastering the opposition¡¯snguage while you¡¯re doing it intentionally. The meaning is different,¡± Xie Qiao said in an upset manner. She added slowly, ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to be the guarantor, I definitely won¡¯t save this person. Do you guys think it¡¯s easy to summon spirits? It¡¯s actually exhausting. I might harm my own life if I¡¯m reckless.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were a little cold. ¡°You¡¯re doing so much when you¡¯re weak. I think you¡¯re seeking death.¡±


    Xie Qiao scoffed.


    When he had ¡°begged¡± her back then, his attitude had beenpletely different. He would call her Young Lady Xie all the time, and his face had almost been buried into the ground!


    Xie Qiaoid her head low and said softly, ¡°You¡¯re better at seeking death than I do, Your Highness.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s body tensed up.


    ¡®No! Can you guys stop fighting!? There¡¯s someone that needs saving at home. If you guys fall out now, we¡¯re losing a life!¡¯


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was cold.


    Xie Qiao did not hide it and pointed at the bamboo forest. ¡°This, it¡¯s unsuitable for you. It¡¯s bad for your health to be living here for a long time.¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her eyes and smiled after she was done speaking.


    That smile was warm and a little provoking. She seemed to be showing how kind she was. ¡°If Your Highness will be the guarantor, you¡¯ll have to pay if he doesn¡¯t. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll draw a chart that¡¯s beneficial for your health. By then, get people to nt flowers ording to the chart. I guarantee Your Highness to be as energetic as a dragon and tiger¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao stopped as she spoke to this point.


    She was usually slow when she spoke. She hardly spoke so smoothly like that and identally said something wrong.


    However¡­ that made sense.


    Xie Qiao peeped at Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s body discreetly. He was secretly hurt and suddenly a little furious now. What did she mean by guaranteeing him to be as energetic as a dragon and tiger? She was saying as if he was weak now!


    ¡°Young Lady Xie sure is daring to speak what she has in mind,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said, not sure if she was smiling.


    ¡°Stop teasing me, Your Highness. I¡¯m inexperienced since I came from a Taoist temple¡­¡± Xie Qiao smiled awkwardly.


    There were barely any men at the Water Moon Temple.


    Her master was a rude drunkard. He would not talk about anything else apart from daily teachings. Moreover, she had sharp eyes. She would hold down her head as much as possible. When the Water Moon Temple was opening, all she saw was skirts.


    It had been 16 years!


    It was as if she had really be a monk, and she never had any thoughts on the worldly matter. She would think that she had done everything she could to honor her master. Now she was wronged to be peeping at a handsome man.


    She was being humble, but Zhao Xuanjing kept thinking that there was underlying meaning in what she said.


    He turned his head to look at the eerie bamboo forest. ¡°Is there a fee for Young Lady Xie to fix the bamboo forest for me?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ depends on you. There¡¯s no obligation.¡± Xie Qiao looked serious. ¡°However, it¡¯s only fair to pay for fortune-telling, or you¡¯ll attract disasters for owing too many favors. So I suggest you to¡­ pay some.¡±


    ¡®Pay some, is it?¡¯


    Zhao Xuanjing grinned. ¡°Deal.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded in satisfaction.


    Naturally, it was great to develop her business. It was not that she really wanted the Crown Prince¡¯s money. She mainly wanted him to be the guarantor.


    Initially, Xie Qiao had horseback archery ss in the afternoon. However, since she had passed out, it was natural that she would skip the ss. She was ready to get into the carriage to go to the address Imperial Bodyguard Zhou gave.


    It was two streets away from the Xie residence, a mediocre-sized courtyard.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou had arrived before she did. He waited at the door with a fewrades. They were smiling in a manner to butter her up, giving her goosebumps immediately.

 Chapter 100 - I Don’t Want To Touch Him

    <h4>Chapter 100: I Don¡¯t Want To Touch Him</h4>


    Most people were natural when they smiled. However, most of these bodyguards had cold and masculine faces. They looked uglier than they were crying when they smiled. Their faces were distorted.


    To Xie Qiao, they looked like the database she had created had been attacked by a virus, and it had copsed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t smile.¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    Zhou Weizong and the rest stopped smiling immediately. ¡°Did you see something, Half-Immortal? Can it be that the ghoul has a strange fetish?¡±


    When they thought about it, Qin Zhi was considered the person who smiled the most among the group¡­


    ¡°No, you guys are too ugly when you smile. It doesn¡¯t match with your bones. You¡¯ll grow wrinkles if you do that for a long time. If you have wrinkles, your fate will change.¡± Xie Qiao sighed in all seriousness.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    If he had not invited her here himself, he would suspect that he had encountered a swindler. She sure was full of nonsense.


    ¡°Half-Immortal Xie, is there really something on Qin Zhi?¡± asked Zhou Weizong.


    The rest looked at her curiously.


    Back at the Water Moon Temple, they could not see it when Mo Lingzi had said there was something on Qin Zhi. Therefore, they had been a little doubtful about it.


    However, it had been so long. They had visited many doctors, but they could not treat him. They were more confident in what Mo Lingzi said now.


    Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a water ghoul.¡±


    ¡°But Qin Zhi is a good man. How did he attract such a thing? Moreover, Young Lady Xie said that he deserves it. I wouldn¡¯t dare to agree with that, as Qin Zhi had never done anything bad,¡± Zhou Weizong said immediately.


    Xie Qiao lifted her head slightly. ¡°How would you know if he has never done anything bad? Are you a worm in his tummy?¡±


    Zhou Weizong was rendered speechless while the corner of his lips twitched.


    She was talking about his brother?


    They arrived in the bedroom as they spoke.


    Before Xie Qiao came, she had dropped by the Xie residence for a while. She had her bamboo box and Da Xiong with her now.


    The chicken¡¯s feathers stood up when they entered the house. Everyone felt a chill on their back witnessing that.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie¡­¡± Zhou Weizong¡¯s tone was a little stiff now.


    He was a man, so he should not be afraid. However, ghouls and monsters were not like bad people. It was scary because they could not see it!


    Xie Qiao had her eyes above the bed curtain.


    There was a powerful thing over there. It was absorbing human energy above. Subsequently, it flew down quickly and passed by the rest¡¯s ears. There seemed to be an eerie wind that blew.


    Flutter¡­


    Da Xiong suddenly pped its wings twice, and the water ghoul was pped away when it passed by Xie Qiao.


    The people gulped by instinct upon seeing the bed curtain sway twice.


    Xie Qiao squatted down to look for something in the bamboo box.


    After rummaging for a while, she obtained a stack of talismans. She looked through the talismans and picked one eventually. She passed it to Zhou Weizong. ¡°Paste it on Qin Zhi¡¯s chest.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go yourself, Half-Immortal?¡± Zhou Weizong asked instinctively.


    ¡°Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡­ I suppose you don¡¯t have a wife yet?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him with aplicated expression. ¡°Qin Zhi is a man, I don¡¯t want to touch him.¡±


    It was just an excuse.


    The ghoul was riding on Qin Zhi¡¯s neck. The Yin energy was too strong, so she wanted to stay far away from it.


    Zhou Weizong had strong Yang energy. It was nothing for him to lose a little Yang energy from doing that. He could replenish it after eating something with strong Yang Fire or soaking himself in the sun.


    Zhou Weizong said immediately with guilt, ¡°I forgot Half-Immortal¡¯s identity¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He walked forward immediately in big steps after saying that.


    It was strange. The talisman had no glue, but it was pasted on Qin Zhi¡¯s body.


    ¡°I¡¯m stabilizing his Life-Destiny Ethereal Soul to prevent it from being scared away. If that happens, everything will be futile by then.¡±

 Chapter 101 - Something That He Shouldn’t Have Taken

    <h4>Chapter 101: Something That He Shouldn¡¯t Have Taken</h4>


    Initially, Xie Qiao did not bother to exin. However, she was worried that they would drag her down, thinking this bunch of fools knew nothing.


    She wasted some effort to tell them.


    Those men nodded in a daze.


    ¡°So many of you are here. What about His Highness?¡± Xie Qiao still had the mood to chat casually.


    ¡°There are people on duty on His Highness¡¯ side,¡± exined Imperial Bodyguard Zhou.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s great that he has many people with him. The Yang energy is strong. If there¡¯s a charm ghoul close, it might not look for him, seeing that there are so many young, attractive gentlemen like you guys around him. She must be exhausted from having to wait in a queue to get to His Highness.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s expression changed after hearing that. He was speechless.


    ¡®What did she say?¡¯


    He immediately said, ¡°Half-Immortal Xie¡ª¡±


    Xie Qiao spoke as soon as he did, ¡°I¡¯m just saying, don¡¯t take it too seriously. His Highness is pretty handsome. It makes sense that everyone likes him, no matter dead or alive.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was even more dumbstruck now.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao took out a small incense burner. She prayed with nine incense sticks in all seriousness and kowtowed nine times.


    The men were unfamiliar with this, and they were worried that they would offend anyone. They followed behind Xie Qiao and knelt in a row to kowtow together.


    Xie Qiao got a talisman, tossed it into the air, and pointed at it with her sword. Suddenly, the talisman burned in midair after a bang!


    It looked like they were watching a show!


    ¡°The fire and clouds in the sky shook heaven and earth. Killing the demons above and ying the evil below¡­ The lightning dazzles, unstoppable even with the wind. Transform yourself now ande to the king. Hear mymand¡ª¡±


    Xie Qiao suddenly yelled.


    Her fingertip brushed by the coin-sword. The people felt as if lightning shed by the sword!


    She held the coin-sword and suddenly swung it around.


    They could not understand her movements. It seemed the same as the other Taoist masters¡¯ exorcisms, but it was a little different.


    It was because Xie Qiao was pretty.


    She looked like she was dancing when she performed exorcism. She looked extraordinarily cool and otherworldly. Nobody dared to get close to her.


    They could not see at all that Xie Qiao was fighting the water ghoul now.


    She had a suppression item in her hand, so the water ghoul dared not approach her at all. However, it was raging. It had been dodging and fighting with all its might.


    Its ck energy was thick, and the cold wind was rumbling.


    Xie Qiao performed the Lightning Incantation with the coin-sword in her hand and struck the ghoul a few times. Though effective, it was insignificant.


    Xie Qiao suddenly stopped.


    ¡°How is it, Half-Immortal Xie? Did you chase it away?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou asked immediately.


    ¡°Imperial Bodyguard Zhou, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll marry a wife within these two years.¡± Xie Qiao looked serious.


    What was he talking about? If exorcism was so easy, would she ask for so much money?


    Was she greedy for money?


    It was because this job was worth the price she asked for!


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou looked confused. Xie Qiao asked again, ¡°Did he take something that he shouldn¡¯t have? Think carefully, guys. If we can¡¯t find that item, I can¡¯t expel this ghoul.¡±


    ¡°Item? I-I don¡¯t think so?¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou thought about it. He really could not think of anything.


    ¡°Give it a good thought. Since it¡¯s a water ghoul, this item must be found in water. The timeline should be two to three months ago,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    Everyone looked at each other.


    Someone suddenly screamed, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Spill!¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said immediately.


    ¡°We went out with His Highness earlier, and they washed in a river in the wild. At that time, Qin Zhi was swimming underwater for a long time. When he got up, he seemed to be holding a piece of jade or stone. It was quite smooth¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s that item?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°It¡­¡± That man¡¯s expression changed, ¡°Qin Zhi said that thing was pretty smooth like a wolf¡¯s fang. He polished it and wore it on his neck.¡±

 Chapter 102 - Is It Done?

    <h4>Chapter 102: Is It Done?</h4>


    The others¡¯ expressions changed after that man was done speaking. They turned their eyes to Qin Zhi, who was on the bed. They found it hard to swallow their saliva as if they had eaten dead flies.


    Something that was like jade or stone?


    If Qin Zhi was doing well, they might think that this guy had found something precious at Floating Pavilion Town. After all, that ce produced jade!


    However, now Qin Zhi was ill because of that thing!


    It was impossible that it was a piece of jade!?


    Could it be¡­ a bone!?


    ¡°One of you will find it for me in his clothing. Show it to me,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    The few gentlemen thought it was creepy, but they were embarrassed to show that before a youngdy. They bit the bullet and rummaged through Qin Zhi¡¯s clothing. Eventually, they really found something on his chest.


    The thing was tied around with a red thread. It was much bigger than a wolf¡¯s fang.


    Xie Qiao grabbed and looked at it.


    ¡°This is a rotten human bone. Look, it¡¯s hollowed inside. The marrow is long gone. It¡¯s just that time has taken a toll. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so smooth.¡± Xie Qiao was rather speechless.


    It indeed looked simr to jade. The item remained intact in the water not because of how sturdy it was but there was dark energy wrapped around it.


    Qin Zhi was foolish to be daring to wear something that he had picked from the water. Fortunately, it was a water ghoul. It could not adapt onnd. If it was a charm ghoul, he would have died long ago.


    However, it was much easier now that the item was found.


    At that moment, the ghoul changed immediately when it noticed the item was in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    It charged at her without thinking of anything else like a maniac.


    Xie Qiao covered her chest, looking scared. In reality, she was proceeding to retrieve a talisman slowly. The coin-sword in her hand was swung once again.


    The coin-sword in her hand struck the ghoul. This process was repeated a few times.


    Da Xiong was pping its wings aside. It was majestic and extremely fierce.


    After a few times, the ghoul got weaker, just as Xie Qiao expected. She put away the sword and performed hand seals with both hands.


    There were many types of incantations and hand seals. The one that she used was the most regr and the simplest hand seal.


    The people saw Xie Qiao¡¯s movements. Her hands suddenly formed a strange shape while she was mumbling.


    ¡°Retrieve!¡± she suddenly yelled.


    The half a section of bone seemed to have moved, and then it dimmed a little.


    Xie Qiao wiped the non-existent sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Is there food?¡± Xie Qiao turned her head.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°I-it¡¯s done?¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly. ¡°No, I¡¯m bringing it home. I need to carry out a ceremony to release the soul. Although this filthy thing is wrong, your brother was insensible to be taking its bone. It was staying at the bottom of the river, and he forced it to get on the shore. It couldn¡¯t go home since it was far away from home. It couldn¡¯t adapt to living somewhere else¡­¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll teach Qin Zhi a lesson when he wakes up!¡± Zhou Weizong was upset.


    In order to treat his brother¡¯s illness, he had spent almost everything he had.


    Forget it that he had bought 100 taels of silver worth of talisman back at the Water Moon Temple. He had been conned by other Taoist masters tens of taels along the way before they came here.


    They had visited many doctors and bought many medicines.


    His tens of taels of silvers had been long gone.


    Moreover, he would have to spend a hundred taels of gold here with Xie Qiao¡­ That was gold, not silver!


    Although he was born into a big family, he was only given tens of taels of silver each month. He could not afford that!


    He must teach Qin Zhi a lesson!


    ¡°So he¡¯s been cured?¡± Zhou Weizong did not forget to ask that while getting someone to prepare food.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s eyelids twitched. He felt his heart sink as he opened his eyes wide. ¡°I-it isn¡¯t done yet?¡±

 Chapter 103 - Filthy

    <h4>Chapter 103: Filthy</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked serious as she walked forward to check on Qin Zhi. She pretended to check his pulse.


    She moved her head around and said as if she was reciting a poem, ¡°An illness is like a mountain that copsed, and it feels like removing a thread when the illness is gone. I did the ceremony to expel the bad luck. He still needs to eat medicine for his illness. Get a doctor here, Imperial Bodyguard Zhou. Get the doctor to prescribe him some medicines. Eat them properly and continuously. He¡¯ll be cured by then.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was a little confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sir, one needs to get a doctor when they are ill. We¡¯re doing our own jobs.¡± Xie Qiao seemed extraordinarily professional.


    What she said was the truth. How could the illness be cured just by her dancing around with a sword?


    It was just superstition.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said instinctively, ¡°The gold¡­¡± He was guilty after saying that.


    As expected, Xie Qiao¡¯s small face sank. ¡°There¡¯s money that you shouldn¡¯t owe. The gods will be upset, get it?¡±


    ¡°I-I get it.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou¡¯s eyelids twitched as he gulped.


    ¡°Great.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. She then walked out of the dimmed room.


    The sky was rather dark out there at the moment.


    Fortunately, the snacks arrived soon. Xie Qiao rummaged through her bamboo basket and retrieved a few oil papers. She wrapped the snacks, put them into the basket, and left with Da Xiong.


    She had not taken the Xie family¡¯s carriage when she came here. Now she could only spend her own copper coins to rent a sedan to go home.


    After Xie Qiao left, the bunch of men gathered. They were in a daze.


    ¡°Do you guys think¡­ Are there any changes in Qin Zhi¡¯s color?¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­ It was a little greenish-ck before. It¡¯s much better now.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why do I still feel like he¡¯s dying? Commander, are you being conned?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Why would Half-Immortal Xie con me?¡± Zhou Weizong was in absolute disbelief. He had spent so much money¡ªhe did not spend it in vain!


    He had been hiring doctors to treat Qin Zhi¡¯s illness, and now he got one over immediately.


    The doctor checked his pulse carefully. He was frowning and a little confused.


    ¡°His pulse is slightly stronger than before. Alright, I¡¯ll prescribe him something to try. If he can drink it, recovering is only a matter of time.¡±


    The doctor was surprised. When he had visited in the morning, this man had been dying. Never had he thought this man was breathing better now.


    Zhou Weizong and the rest were over the moon when they heard that.


    Half-Immortal Xie was useful indeed!


    Qin Zhi felt as if he was dying. He felt like he was swimming underwater endlessly. He would choke and drown, and he could not see the shore.


    He had lost his strength and wanted to give up now. Suddenly, a light came from the surface of the ¡°water¡±. His body was no longer heavy like before. He struggled as he rushed toward the light.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± The people were surprised.


    ¡°Cmander¡­ I¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯s voice was hoarse. It was hard for him to speak.


    ¡°What!? If you dare to mess around again, we can only collect your dead body!¡± Zhou Weizong was relieved. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re alive. Recover well. The doctor said you¡¯ll be able to get off the bed after resting for ten days to half a month. When you¡¯ve recoveredpletely, guard the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion!¡±


    Qin Zhi was speechless and failed to react in time.


    Why did he ask him to guard the mansion? Also, was he not dying?


    The rest exined in sympathy, ¡°Qin Zhi, you got lucky this time. Fortunately, His Highness got Half-Immortal Xie to help, or you would have died!¡±


    ¡°Do you know why you were sick? It was that piece of bone that you picked up under the river! That thing is filthy!¡±

 Chapter 104 - Still Poor

    <h4>Chapter 104: Still Poor</h4>


    Qin Zhi wanted to say that the piece of bone he had picked up was smooth and pretty. It was not filthy at all!


    Moreover, he had been polishing it for a long time!


    However, he dared not say anything upon looking at their ming eyes.


    He would guard the mansion then and forget that he was being scolded. Since the Half-Immortal had been here, it proved that he was in a big debt now. How could he fight with his debt collectors¡­


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou stayed with Qin Zhi for a day. After making sure that he was better now, he returned to the academy.


    ¡°How¡¯s Qin Zhi? Is he better now?¡± asked Zhao Xuanjing.


    ¡°Half-Immortal Xie is pretty amazing. He could drink the medicinest night, and he¡¯s breathing much better today. Before I came here, he could sit on the bed and chat with us,¡± Zhou Weizong said happily.


    Zhao Xuanjing was a little surprised, but he thought that would happen.


    ¡°Remember to pay up,¡± added Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s body turned stiff. ¡°This humble one was just going to talk about this¡­ Your Highness, can I borrow money from you¡­ My budget is tight. I¡¯ll pawn my personal collection when I get home and return the money to you.¡±


    ¡°No. Maybe you should just not pay.¡± Zhao Xuanjing raised his brows.


    He was eager to find out how pissed that Half-Immortal Xie would be if Zhou Weizong refused to pay.


    Zhou Weizong faked augh.


    He had grown up with His Highness. Could he not be so cruel!?


    That Half-Immortal Xie was not someone ordinary. She had stacks of talismans in her basket. Nobody knew what those were for. If he offended her, what if she used the talismans on him!?


    ¡°I¡¯ll borrow from my father then¡­¡± Zhou Weizong looked a little resentful.


    Zhao Xuanjing said after hearing that, ¡°Hmm, take the money from the ountant.¡±


    Zhou Weizong was stunned for a moment before understanding what His Highness said. He was over the moon, but he thought something was not right after being happy for a moment¡­


    ¡®He refused to lend me money earlier, and now when I said I wanted to ask my father¡­¡¯


    Zhou Weizong had aplicated expression on his face.


    He suspected that he was taken advantage of.


    Did His Highness treat himself as his father?


    He dared not ask that. Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanjing looked absent-minded as he casually asked, ¡°Get someone to ask what she did with that useless piece of jade for luck. Also, spread the news that I¡­ am taking in a disciple.¡±


    ¡°You are? What are you teaching?¡± Zhou Weizong was rather confused.


    ¡°Archery and the four arts,¡± said Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhou Weizong said nothing. His eyelids twitched as he nced toward the Crown Prince¡¯s right arm.


    Ever since His Highness¡¯ arm had been crippled, he had never shown those things before people. That was especially so for archery. How could he teach it when his arm could not work?


    However, there were things that he dared not ask. The reason being His Highness was especially sensitive when it came to this. Even if it was him, His Highness would be angry if he said something wrong.


    ¡°This humble one got it. I¡¯ll definitely inform Half-Immortal Xie about that.¡± Zhou Weizong understood Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s underlying meaning.


    Zhao Xuanjing red at him but said nothing. He was considered to have admitted that.


    Xie Qiao had experienced what peace was today.


    Finally, nobody was mumbling around her.


    Even if Xia Yayun wanted to provoke her, she would be dragged away as soon as she spoke.


    There were benefits to being weak. She did not bother to exin. This was pretty great.


    In the afternoon, Xie Qiao remembered to return the silver beans to Xie Xi. When she saw how happy Xie Xi was, she even treated her lunch out of kindness.


    That little girl was over the moon. She spent Xie Qiao¡¯s ten silver beans over lunch¡­


    Ten silver beans were equivalent to one tael of silver!


    One tael of silver could purchase quite a lot of food. Xie Qiao could not help but suspect that Xie Xi had inherited Xie Niushan¡¯s big appetite!


    She had only made 60 beans from her hard work¡­


    Yet, she spent 20 to pay her debt and for lunch. She had a simple lunch and bought some papers and tools¡­


    She had spent half of the silver beans on the first day of having them!

 Chapter 105 - Sell It To You Guys

    <h4>Chapter 105: Sell It To You Guys</h4>


    This matter was serious. How could she make 500 beans if this went on?


    ¡°Are you going to the library to copy books?¡± Just when Xie Qiao was worrying, Qin Liu, who had spoken to her the other day, came.


    ¡°How much can I make from copying books?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°You can make a lot since you know Sanskrit,¡± reminded Qin Liu. ¡°There are very few of us in the academy who are familiar with Sanskrit, but there are quite many Sanskrit scriptures. Many of them need to be tranted or copied, so we¡¯recking talented people like you¡­ You will make 10 beans from copying a passage, and more if you can trante them.¡±


    Naturally, she added thest part casually.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up. She could do that!


    ¡°Thank you, but why did you tell me that?¡± Xie Qiao was pretty curious.


    Qin Liu said to her with aplicated expression, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard about me at all?¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Qin Liu felt helpless. ¡°Father was a general at the border back then. When the army had fallen five years back, he and Second Brother vowed to guard the border to their death. They were killed. When the city gate was breached, your father came to save my Eldest Brother and Mother.¡±


    Her father died a horrible death, and it was Xie Niushan who avenged him. Naturally, she was grateful to the Xie family and was fond of them.


    Her father¡¯s position was not too high. After his death, her eldest brother had gone on the battlefield with General Xie.


    Her eldest brother was a seventh-grade lieutenant. He had made meritorious contributions, so he was promoted to a fifth-grade general. The academy knew that her father had died a horrible death, so she received better treatment.


    Her brother and Xie Niushan were colleagues¡­


    Xie Qiao was very surprised to hear that.


    Qin Liu had held her head down when she spoke to her the other day. She had run away after she was done speaking, so Xie Qiao had not managed to see her face properly.


    Now that she looked at her face, she found out that her parents had a devastating fate.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Xie Qiao was not good at socializing. She thought about it and changed the subject, ¡°I won¡¯t be going to the pitch-pot ss in the afternoon. I¡¯ll copy books instead. Would you like to go together?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Qin Liu was quite happy.


    It was Xie Qiao¡¯s first timeing to the library. There was a big courtyard with many two-story lofts. There was a pool across the courtyard, and tall trees were nted within. It was cool and shady.


    Judging by the entire setting, the possibility of a fire ident was low.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie,¡± Just when Xie Qiao was going in, Imperial Bodyguard Zhou came.


    After calling out to her, he peeped at Qin Liu in a dodgy manner. Qin Liu was smart, so she took a few backward steps immediately.


    ¡°Are you here to give me the gold? It¡¯s inconvenient for me to ept them now. Can you send them to my family carriage?¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Zhou Weizong felt troubled and wanted to cry. ¡°No, I-I would like to thank you¡­ Also, I knew that you have a white jade with you. So I thought I¡¯d ask you what you are going to do about it.¡±


    ¡°Right, the jade¡­¡± Xie Qiao felt the item in her embrace. ¡°I¡¯m checking out the library now to see if there¡¯s anything¡­ that I like.¡±


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡®It must be something precious?¡¯


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s better to use the jade to get yourself a master¡­ Oh yeah, His Highness is epting disciples now. Would you like to learn horseback archery? His Highness was the best practitioner in the imperial city back then!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not learning that. Are you trying to take revenge on me?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s small face looked bitter. She looked rather wronged.


    He was asking her to learn horseback archery regardless of her health? She was suspecting that Imperial Bodyguard Zhou wanted to kill her.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou felt helpless and speechless, ¡°How about the four arts? His Highness is familiar with those too¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao was determined. ¡°Did His Highness give out all of the white jades he had, and now he wants mine back? If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Xie Qiao looked kind and understanding. ¡°I can sell it to you guys at¡­ 5,000 taels of silvers.¡±


    It was an acquaintance¡¯s price.


    She would sell it to a powerful master at a higher price. There might be people who were willing to buy it for 8,000 taels of silvers. Those big wealthy families should have umted quite a fortune.

 Chapter 106 - A Plan

    <h4>Chapter 106: A n</h4>


    Zhou Weizong was in a daze as he listened to Xie Qiao. He thought that his underlying meaning was obvious. He was asking Young Lady Xie to get the Crown Prince to be her master, no?


    Although he had no idea why the Crown Prince had such a sudden idea, he had irrefutable talent. He could definitely be a teacher.


    His talent aside¡­


    His Highness¡¯ identity¡­ was a great reliance, no?


    Naturally, Zhou Weizong felt rather guilty.


    Ever since His Highness¡¯ arm had been crippled, he had been in the teeth of the storm. Since the beginning of time, no cripple could take the ce of the emperor¡­


    Even he had to admit that His Highness¡­ might be an abandoned Crown Prince in the future.


    However, His Highness was still shining bright now. Especially because he had solved such a big case, nobody could surpass the Crown Prince¡¯s reputation, no?


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, you shouldn¡¯t trade this jade with silver.¡± It was inappropriate for Zhou Weizong to insist, or it would make His Highness seem less valuable. He advised, ¡°There are only a few of such pieces of jade in the world. Now that you have it, you should keep it if you really don¡¯t want to get a master. With this, everyone in the imperial city will know that Young Lady Xie possesses this. When you marry one day, it¡¯ll be nice to include it in your dowry.¡±


    The unique meaning of the jade aside, its value was high!


    ¡°Think about it. The dean isn¡¯t a fool. How would he trade a one-in-a-million treasure for this jade? Those that can be traded are actually the gifts the students gave the academy,¡± Zhou Weizong exined.


    Naturally, those gifts were expensive and unique. However,pared to the jade, they werecking.


    Xie Qiao was dumbstruck.


    ¡°How can the dean not stick to his promise?¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°He said we could pick anything we want.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou could not help but smile. ¡°You can pick whatever you want. There are a few treasuries in the academy.¡±


    Xie Qiao was inwardly raging.


    ¡®So it¡¯s just a piece of useless jade!¡¯


    ¡°Can I give this to someone else?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Why not? Oh yeah, you can give this jade to people outside the academy. If you have any rtives who are interested in being enrolled in the academy, this jade will make that happen,¡± Zhou Weizong said immediately.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head immediately.


    She was only willing to give her things to people that she wanted to give.


    Not rtives, only family members.


    She had a pair of younger siblings.


    Now that she thought about it, it seemed to be great to get her brother and sister a reliable master.


    She was weak, so she could not learn. However, her siblings could, right?


    They would definitely be happy to learn more!


    Xie Qiao put away the jade. ¡°Please tell His Highness that he can¡¯t take back the thing that he gave me. I already have a n.¡±


    ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± The side of Zhou Weizong¡¯s lips twitched.


    Xie Qiao ignored him and turned around to enter the library with Qin Liu.


    The library had clear divisions. Each room had a book attendant who was responsible for taking care of the books and a teacher in charge.


    ¡°Most of the librarians in the academy are talented people. Theye here for the love of books, so we have to be respectful when we talk to them. If we anger them, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to get them to look for books for us,¡± reminded Qin Liu.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    There were rules everywhere.


    The Taoist temple was wayxer.


    Qin Liu took Xie Qiao to the ce to copy books.


    The space was ample, and there were seats in the room with great light. Some teachers were attending to the ink aside. There were girls and boys copying books at the moment. The division was not as strict.


    Naturally, people had to keep their silence here. Since it was a public ce, they did not have to worry even if girls and boys sat together.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯d like to copy books.¡± Qin Liu dragged Xie Qiao and sat at the front seat.

 Chapter 107 - Copying Books

    <h4>Chapter 107: Copying Books</h4>


    Qin Liu looked very sensible and honest, like a bunny.


    Xie Qiao copied her. She held her head slightly low and looked respectful.


    ¡°The final examination ising, so many students are copying books. There are only these genres to be copied now.¡± The teacher took out a piece of paper with the genres.


    Qin Liu looked troubled. ¡°Bad news, Sister Xie. Look at these. They¡¯re not easy¡­¡±


    ¡°What are these?¡± Xie Qiao was rather surprised.


    ¡°Foreign text, no? Look at this one. It should be from Zhoi. This is from Chouyou, this is from Dongye, and this is the Nanman people¡¯s text. They¡¯re difficult!¡±


    Difficult?


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    ¡°How many silver beans¡­ to trante this?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    The teacher stopped reading after hearing that, lifted his head, and looked at her. It was uncertain whether he was smiling. ¡°Five silver beans per page.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that tranting these is lucrative?¡±


    Qin Liu was rendered speechless. She pointed at a pamphlet aside. ¡°Look at that. Books like this only have a couple of words on a page¡­ If you¡¯re really familiar, you can trante it very fast.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    She had no idea which to choose.


    Xie Qiao looked at the teacher and asked, ¡°Can I pick the Zhoi one?¡±


    Zhoi was far away from Qianyuan. Although there was an ocean between them, the two countries traded frequently, and they had a close rtionship. It should be normal that one was familiar with thenguage.


    ¡°Of course you can, but there¡¯s a stipted time. Also, we¡¯ll need 10 silver beans as a deposit. If you fail toplete your task, the deposit will be confiscated. If the book is ruined, you¡¯ll need to pay 1,000 silver beans aspensation.¡±


    Xie Qiao felt ufortable in her chest. These silver beans seemed like they could be spent easily¡­


    She had her head filled with those expensive silver beans.


    Qin Liu was a little dumbstruck. ¡°You¡¯re familiar with this as well? The text is very difficult. Very few people in the academy know thisnguage¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t there many people who came from Zhoi?¡± Xie Qiao was confused.


    ¡°There are many. However, the people from Zhoi are stingy. They¡¯re very business-minded, and they basically won¡¯t share their personal skills. They¡¯re familiar with our country¡¯snguage and text, and they blend with us when theye here. However, we know very little about them,¡± exined Qin Liu.


    The books they had purchased from them hade at a high price. There were things from Zhoi that were worth learning.


    Therefore, they would spread the knowledge when they found out something useful from the trantion and copying.


    Xie Qiao found out that the era she was in was very different from her past life¡¯s ancient times.


    At least, the aspect of learning about foreign cultures was much more outstanding.


    The teacher asked again, ¡°So are you copying or not?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Xie Qiao nodded. She wanted to make silver beans.


    As soon as she was done speaking, the teacher took out a book immediately and ced it in her hands. ¡°This book has a total of 40 pages. You¡¯ll be given 200 silver beans after tranting it. The dateline is within seven days. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°How do you guys make sure that my trantion is urate or not?¡±


    ¡°Someone will check through a few pages when you¡¯re done. Your deposit will be confiscated if there¡¯s a mistake. The tranted book will have your name written on it. It¡¯ll be circted around in the future. If there are mistakes¡­¡± The teacher smiled.


    Xie Qiao was enlightened. If there were mistakes, she would be embarrassed.


    She would not allow herself to be humiliated like that. She had no other talent these years. However, she dared to call herself No. 1 when it came to copying books in peace.


    Therefore, she epted the task directly.


    Qin Liu picked one that was suitable to her immediately. Xie Qiao nced at her. Qin Liu had chosen to copy a medical ssic. Such a book was rather obscure and hard to understand.


    However, there was nothing else that she could pick from.

 Chapter 108 - What’s His Name?

    <h4>Chapter 108: What¡¯s His Name?</h4>


    They could trante the books at the academy, as well as bring them home.


    Xie Qiao sat in the library and browsed through the content roughly.


    It was gettingte, so she could only bring it home to trante.


    When she got home, she was not in a rush toplete her task. Instead, she went to the main courtyard and grabbed her pair of siblings when Xie Pinggang got home.


    She took out the jade and ced it before them.


    ¡°Which one of you wants this?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I want it. Why did you give it to them?!¡± Xie Pinggang grabbed it.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched before she rolled her eyes at Xie Pinggang, ¡°Eldest Brother, do you want to get yourself a master at the academy?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Pinggang was confused.


    Such a great piece of jade could be sold for many taels of silver. Why would she give it to the two young ones? It would be a waste.


    ¡°I won this piece of jade in swordsmanship ss. It¡¯s said that we can get any teacher to be our master with it. So I brought it back to let Pinghuai and Xi¡¯er choose. If there¡¯s a teacher that they like, they can make their dreame true,¡± exined Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinggang looked calm now that she exined the issue.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± He snickered. ¡°You won this from ying with a sword? That¡¯s too easy.¡±


    He could y with a sword too!


    Xie Qiao felt uneasy upon hearing that.


    ¡®y with a sword¡­¡¯


    She should not talk about artistic conception with a crude man. It was good enough that her eldest brother could express himself.


    Xie Pinghuai took a step back immediately as soon as he heard that the jade was to get himself a master. ¡°No, no. Why would I get someone to control me for nothing¡ª¡±


    m!


    A pnded on Xie Pinghuai¡¯s head.


    It was Xie Pinggang who did it.


    Xie Pinghuai buried his head like a quail. He dared not move at all.


    ¡°Give it to Pinghuai. Get him a good master to study more. It¡¯s useless for Xi¡¯er to have a master.¡± Xie Pinggang was straightforward, but he was just telling the truth.


    Xie Pinghuai was insensible, but he was smart. If there was someone who could teach him, he would definitely be more motivated.


    However, it was a different story for Xie Xi. She was just¡­ dumb.


    If she were to really trade the piece of jade with a master, they were worried that her stupidity would piss the master. She would offend someone for nothing.


    ¡°No! Eldest Brother, give it to Second Sister! She wants to go to the Royal Academy. Wouldn¡¯t she be able to do that with this thing?! I don¡¯t even want the silver!¡± Xie Pinghuai yelled immediately.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned. He was eager to lift his foot and kick Xie Pinghuai¡¯s head!


    This fool!


    ¡°What Second Sister? Why are you calling her that when her name isn¡¯t in the genealogy book?¡± Xie Pinggang gnashed his teeth. ¡°Pei Wanyue can study properly at Gn Academy without this thing. She should do alright, given her character. If you don¡¯t have this thing, you¡¯ll be a good-for-nothing that everyone ignores forever at the academy!¡±


    How were they the same?


    He was not stingy. He had not stopped Pei Wanyue from spending money to go to the academy.


    However, she was not his sister of the same mother, nor was she a sister he had been taking care of since he was young. It was definitely impossible for him to pour his heart out for that girl.


    Never in her dreams!


    ¡°I¡¯m doing pretty great now!¡± Xie Pinghuai was reluctant.


    ¡°Do you want it? Hmm?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice deepened suddenly.


    He stood up, and his tall body resembled a wall, blocking Xie Pinghuai. He stared right at him as if he would eat Xie Pinghuai alive anytime.


    Xie Pinghuai was shaking from the scare aside, and even Xie Qiao jolted.


    He was too muscr.


    He was terrifying.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes became red. He stretched his arm immediately. He did not dare to say no again.


    ¡°Great. I remember there¡¯s a master well-versed in both liberal and martial arts at your academy. What¡¯s his name¡­¡± Xie Pinggang thought about it. ¡°Xiao Yurong, that¡¯s him. Bring this jade to make him your master tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 109 - I’ll Go On Your Behalf

    <h4>Chapter 109: I¡¯ll Go On Your Behalf</h4>


    Xie Qiao was stunned upon hearing the name Xiao Yurong. She scratched her nose.


    Meanwhile, Xie Pinghuai looked bitter.


    How could he be so unfortunate!?


    Xiao Yurong was the most intimidating teacher at the Royal Academy!


    He was the one who could scold an imperial prince and imperial grandchild, making them feel like cowards!


    His ambition was not being an official. He even boasted that he was willing to be an educator for the rest of his life. Therefore, this man would most probably be the next Royal Academy¡¯s dean many yearster¡­


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you did great. I¡¯m sure this thing is worth many taels of silver. Let¡¯s assume it¡¯s 10,000 taels of silver. Get this boy to pay you. He¡¯ll pay you at least 50 taels of silver per month. Give him a deadline for the payment. If he doesn¡¯t pay you, I¡¯ll break his legs,¡± Xie Pinggang added fiercely.


    Xie Qiao calcted inwardly.


    50 taels of silver per month would mean Xie Pinghuai would have to pay her for 16 years¡­ How big of a grudge would he hold by then!?


    ¡°Alright,¡± Xie Qiao responded happily. ¡°Brother, can you write an IOU? Just in case you forget.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai nced at Xie Qiao in shock.


    Was she not her gentle and weak eldest sister?


    As expected, it was just a lie!


    Xie Xi ran over as Xie Pinghuai was thinking to himself. She got him ink and paper.


    Xie Pinghuai felt as if an arrow shot him on his chest. After he was done writing, he still had to pay Xie Xi two copper coins for running an errand for him¡­


    The reason being that was the rule he had set up when tricking his sister back then in order to get her to run errands for him, so¡­


    Had he known this would have happened, he would have been nicer¡­


    Xie Qiao epted the IOU happily.


    Although it was in installments, she was considered to have made a profit. It was all in good favor, and the benefit was within the family instead of benefiting someone out there.


    It was a great profit for her.


    Xie Qiao returned to her courtyard to rest in great satisfaction.


    Xie Pinggang said nothing much. He was already exhausted as he had been investigating cases the past few days.


    As soon as the brother and sister left, Xie Pinghuai looked terrible as he ran to Ms. Lu¡¯s courtyard to be consoled.


    He vented everything.


    ¡°That Teacher Xiao is very capable. It¡¯ll be great if you can learn from him. However, it¡¯s wrong for your eldest sister to be asking for money from you. I¡¯ll talk to your father when he gets home.¡± Ms. Lu frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already written the IOU. A gentleman keeps his words. If youin to Father, wouldn¡¯t Eldest Brother kill me? Don¡¯t do that.¡± Xie Pinghuai shook his head. He just wanted his mother tofort him. ¡°Mother, Eldest Brother hit my head again today. If this goes on, I might get retarded from his thrashing!¡±


    As expected, Ms. Lu smiled helplessly and patted his head.


    She had been raising him for five years. She knew very well of this child¡¯s behavior.


    It was unfortunate that she was not his birth mother.


    Pei Wanyue was pissed when she saw the loving mother and son.


    ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t want to go? I¡¯ll go on your behalf,¡± Pei Wanyue said directly.


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned. He lifted his head to look at her, and his eyes flickered.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t want to go? I would really love to check out the Royal Academy, but I¡¯m not an official¡¯s daughter, nor do I have much silver. Without this jade, my life would be hopeless. Didn¡¯t you say that I was your birth sister yesterday? Are you willing to help me?¡± Pei Wanyue said immediately.


    Ms. Lu panicked a little. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. It belongs to Xie Qiao, and Pinggang said it¡¯s for Pinghuai.¡±


    If that devil found out, would he not make a big fuss?


    She dared not offend Xie Pinggang.


    How scary was that child? He was as big as a bear.


    ¡°Mother, I really want to go. Are you really willing to see me living in someone¡¯s shadow forever? You said you brought me to the Imperial City for a good life, what about now? This home isn¡¯t my home, and I don¡¯t even have a piece of jade. They always leave me out when they talk about business¡­¡± Pei Wanyue was really crying from feeling wronged.

 Chapter 110 - Let’s Just Accept Our Fate!

    <h4>Chapter 110: Let¡¯s Just ept Our Fate!</h4>


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart softened when she saw Pei Wanyue cry. She then nced at Xie Pinghuai, looking troubled.


    Xie Pinghuai frowned and said in a casual manner, ¡°Second Sister, do you want me to be beaten?¡±


    Pei Wanyue was stunned. ¡°All I want is to study at the Royal Academy.¡±


    ¡°Then think of a way to earn yourself a piece of jade. I wouldn¡¯t dare give it to you.¡±


    Although he was eager to get rid of the jade, he would not dare to do that, right? If his eldest brother found out that he had given that thing to someone else, he might as well sign his death sentence. He might be bedridden for a year!


    Pei Wanyue shivered and said in disbelief, ¡°But you said you don¡¯t want to go¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but Eldest Brother wants me to! How about you speak to him? If he approves, I¡¯ll give it to you right away. Not only that, but you¡¯ll be my sister by blood from then on! I¡¯ll thank you forever!¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s words were not trustworthy.


    Pei Wanyue fell into silence.


    Xie Pinggang¡­ seemed to really hate her. Ever since she had entered the Xie family, he had not spoken much to her.


    ¡°You know Eldest Brother hates me¡­¡± Pei Wanyue felt utterly wronged.


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t know this, Second Sister. Eldest Brother hates me the most. I can¡¯t give it to anyone else since I have it now. Moreover, it was Eldest Sister who gave it to me. If I really give it to you, Eldest Brother will kill me if Eldest Sister is upset. Let¡¯s just ept our fate!¡± Xie Pinghuai thought he was rather cowardly after saying that.


    What should he do?


    This troubling white jade!


    ¡°Yue¡¯er, your Eldest Brother¡¯s temper¡­ is indeed terrifying.¡± Ms. Lu dared not challenge her.


    That fellow had beaten up a teacher at the Royal Academy in the past. He was now infamous because of that fight!


    Pei Wanyue clenched her fists as she felt the handkerchief tight in her hand.


    It was just an excuse.


    They said she would be the Xie family¡¯s daughter by blood from now on, but there were differences between siblings.


    She would understand if they had no money. However, now there was a perfect opportunity before them, but they refused to give it to her.


    Xie Pinghuai scratched his head. ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re my sister by blood. So stop being angry with me. If I get something that you want in the future, I¡¯ll definitely give it to you!¡±


    He changed the subject as soon as he was done speaking. ¡°Oh, Mother, I¡¯m running out of money again.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just give you five taels of silver yesterday!?¡± Ms. Lu frowned.


    ¡°I spent them all on buying a few crickets.¡± Xie Pinghuai smirked.


    Ms. Lu was helpless, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give you the money from the ountantter. But not too much. Otherwise, your Eldest Brother will say something if he sees the ounts.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just take some!¡± Xie Pinghuai was so happy that he jumped almost a meter high.


    He ran out happily.


    Get himself a master? Hmph! He did not want that!


    Even if he wanted that, there must be a master who was willing to take him in, right?


    ¡°Mother, so this is the son whom you said loves you?¡± Pei Wanyue scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s a smartypants and sly. He¡¯s sweet with his words, but he does all that just to get silver from you, no?¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ My life isn¡¯t all good either. If I could give birth to a son, why would I feel so wronged? There are only two young masters at home. You¡¯ve witnessed how hot-tempered that Pinggang is. What else can I do? I can only butter up the younger one!¡± Ms. Lu rubbed between her brows.


    ¡°Fortunately, although Pinghuai is mischievous, he still respects me. He¡¯s better than that Xie Qiao, right?¡± Ms. Luforted herself.


    Pei Wanyue looked at Ms. Lu and thought her mother was lousy.


    How would someone else¡¯s child love her with all their might?


    At that moment, Xie Qiao returned to her courtyard.


    Chun Er was speaking next to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Second Young Master wants a master. Will he hate you since you gave him the piece of jade?¡± asked Chun Er.

 Chapter 111 - Where Did My Jade Go?

    <h4>Chapter 111: Where Did My Jade Go?</h4>


    Xie Qiao could not help but smile upon hearing that.


    Of course Xie Pinghuai would hate her. He was a wealthy, reckless young master.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet at home, so this ought to make it more lively.¡± Xie Qiao winked. ¡°Look how wealthy he is. He can pay 50 taels of silver per month just like that. Seems like Mother gives him sufficient money each month. It¡¯s obvious from Eldest Brother¡¯s attitude that this young brother must be controlled. He¡¯s 12 now, so there¡¯s still time. It¡¯ll be toote if we do thister.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so kind to both young masters.¡± Chun Er could not help but feel unappreciated on Xie Qiao¡¯s behalf.


    The courtyard was very secluded, and apart from the Eldest Young Master, the other members of the Xie family hardly visited.


    Meanwhile, Eldest Young Master had onlye to dig the well.


    Xie Qiao did not mind what she said.


    To her, the white jade that she had given was just something small. It was just for convenience, nothing too marvelous.


    Before her father had married Ms. Lu, her siblings had been being ignored. Theoretically, the eldest sister should carry out the responsibility of a mother. It was just that she was weak, so she did not ask much.


    Although she had been living and learning at the Taoist temple, she was not really unbothered.


    Especially the first time she hadid her eyes on her siblings, she could feel an innate closeness.


    Xie Qiao looked outside the window and said coldly, ¡°Pinghuai definitely won¡¯t be able to get himself a master tomorrow.¡±


    Chun Er was stunned upon hearing that.


    Although Xie Qiao had not really performed physiognomy on him, she could feel something when she nced through him. Xie Pinghuai¡¯s fate had not changed much, and it was even a little dimmed. Therefore, he would definitely fail to get himself a master.


    ¡°Then why did you give him the thing?¡± Chun Er was confused.


    ¡°To watch him getting beaten?¡± Xie Qiao smirked and chuckled like a bell.


    Chun Er was stunned to hear that.


    The next morning, the sun was shining bright.


    Xie Qiao did not rush to the academy. Instead, she had breakfast in the main courtyard.


    ¡°Remember to be nice when you see the teacher. Just be as nice as you can whenever you¡¯re with the teacher until he epts you as his disciple, understand?¡± Xie Pinggang, who was at the dining table, was terrifyingly fierce.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I got it!¡± Xie Pinghuai was impatient.


    ¡°Oh yeah, where¡¯s the second one?¡± Under Ms. Lu¡¯s influence, Xie Niushan addressed Pei Wanyue differently now.


    Ms. Lu smiled. ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t understand her homework, so she went to the academy early in the morning to speak to the teacher.¡±


    Xie Niushan nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send Brother to see Mr. Xiaoter.¡± Xie Qiao looked at Xie Pinghuai, her face filled with kindness. ¡°When ites to being humble and respectful, I¡¯m pretty qualified. Learn from me along the way.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was irritated. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for that?¡±


    He had already thought it through. When he went to see the teacher today, he would present to be unteachable or a little retarded. The teacher was old-fashioned. When he saw Xie Pinghuai behaving like that, he would definitely chase him out immediately!


    However, what had he done now that his eldest sister wanted to go with him?


    Xie Qiao did not even look at him. She asked calmly while eating, ¡°Can it be that Brother has a reason that you can¡¯t tell me?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai trembled and immediately shook his head. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll send you there. We¡¯re siblings. We should talk more,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Xie Pinggang was worried. He thought there was definitely something wrong with this guy as he was being unusually quiet. He thought about it. ¡°Show me the jade.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai felt helpless. He stretched his hand into his clothes and rummaged through them.


    However, he was stunned as he did that.


    He looked panicked now.


    ¡°W-where did my jade go!? Ahh! Where did my jade go!?¡±

 Chapter 112 - Doomed!

    <h4>Chapter 112: Doomed!</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai jumped up and took off all of his clothes before everyone. He then hopped into the pile of clothes and rummaged through them.


    His face was pale as if his parents were dead.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, my jade has been stolen. I-it¡¯s the truth¡­ It¡¯s been stolen, you have to believe me¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai was scared out of his wits.


    ¡®Oh, no. Oh, no!¡¯


    Xie Pinggang stood up gloomily while rage filled his face. He walked to Xie Pinghuai and held him up directly. ¡°Are you messing around with me!?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was speechless.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t! It was really stolen.¡¯


    ¡°Wait! Maybe I put it in my room and forgot to bring it¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai gulped. Could it be that he had ced it on the table when he had taken a showerst night?


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll search the room with you. If we can¡¯t find the jade today¡­ Ha, then I will no longer have a brother.¡± Xie Pinggang smirked. He was so scary that all family members, including Xie Qiao, dared not make a sound.


    ¡®Is this bear¡­ I mean, Eldest Brother going to eat someone?¡¯


    However, Xie Qiao was rather surprised. She had never expected Xie Pinghuai to be so gutsy to have lost the thing directly. She thought he would pretend to be a disciple and irritate the teacher so that people would know that it was the teacher who had rejected him!


    That was a great idea!


    After all, the Xie family had a rather terrible reputation. It made sense that the teacher would be unwilling.


    Xie Pinggang dragged Xie Pinghuai back to his courtyard directly.


    Xie Niushan and Ms. Lu came as well. Xie Pinghuai was ordered to search for the jade as soon as he entered the room.


    Xie Pinghuai plunged himself into the room and looked through the bed and table. However, he did not find the jade after searching for a long time!


    He was getting paler and paler and looked like he was going to pass out from fright.


    Xie Pinggang blocked the door like a pir.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it¡¯s really been stolen!¡± Xie Pinghuai began toin.


    ¡°It was me who gave you that thing myself. I ced it in your hand. Forget it whether you lost it on purpose or it¡¯s been stolen. You¡¯re in trouble since you didn¡¯t treasure it properly.¡± Xie Pinggang smirked. ¡°Someone tie him up!¡±


    ¡°No! Eldest Brother, I¡¯m innocent!¡± Xie Pinghuai screamed immediately, ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯m going to die!¡±


    Xie Niushan looked at Xie Pinggang like a coward. ¡°Err¡­ Gang¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°Since you can¡¯t teach your own child, your son will do it for you. Do you have any opinion on that, Father?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice was as loud as a bell.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s old face twitched. ¡°Yes, this kid needs to be taught a good lesson! That piece of jade is expensive! Why did he lose it? It would be worth a lot of money if he were to sell it!?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He was doomed.


    Ms. Lu had been scared into a daze from the beginning. She did not dare to speak.


    Xie Pinghuai looked at Xie Qiao like he was begging. ¡°Eldest Sister! My sister by blood, please save me!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded, then she walked around the room and got out.


    She held seven cricket cages in her embrace.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, my Da Xiong loves eating these¡­ Can I bring them with me¡­?¡± She was shy, but her eyes were beautiful. Xie Niushan¡¯s heart melted when he saw that.


    She was his daughter by blood!


    ¡°Take them. I¡¯ll catch a couple more in the bushester, okay? They¡¯re quite fun,¡± said Xie Niushan.


    What did ¡®fish begins to stink at the head¡¯ mean? This would be the definition of the saying.


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°Sure, Father. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very good at catching crickets. Catch more for me. However, I don¡¯t have anything valuable to give you, Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, your trinkets don¡¯t interest me. It¡¯s just catching crickets. How hard could it be ?¡± Xie Niushan thought it was not worth mentioning.


    There had been crickets everywhere when they had been living on the mountain. It had been so noisy at night that they could not sleep!


    How hard could it be to catch them?


    Xie Pinggang did not stop Xie Qiao from taking those.


    Xie Pinghuai, on the other hand, was dumbstruck.

 Chapter 113 - So Angry

    <h4>Chapter 113: So Angry</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not plead for him!?


    Why was his Eldest Sister like that?!


    Before Xie Pinghuai could cry, he was taken outside.


    Xie Pinggang was really angry. There was a small training field at the Xie Residence¡¯s front courtyard. The father and son would usually spar there. There was a sturdy tree on which Xie Pinggang hung Xie Pinghuai directly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the academy for now. I¡¯ll get the servant to apply for leave for you. Not long, a month will do!¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice was like an interrogation from hell.


    Xie Pinghuai cried, ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me who lost it!¡±


    ¡®Where did that piece of jade go!?¡¯


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be hung here for eight hours per day. Your food will be made separately like how it was when you were punished back then. I¡¯ll kill whoever allows you to ck and eat,¡± Xie Pinggang said while ncing through everyone in the courtyard.


    What the hell? How would he dare to lose the piece of jade? How dare he pull such a trick before him!?


    Xie Pinggang would make him regret his life!


    Ms. Lu was terrified. Nobody knew what she was thinking now. Her face was pale, and her body trembled twice. She was wobbly now.


    She hoped the truth was not what she imagined!


    Xie Pinghuai was swinging on the tree.


    After Xie Pinggang and Xie Niushan left the house, the rest dared not disobey Xie Pinggang¡¯s order.


    Xie Qiao and Xie Xi stood under the tree. They lifted their heads and watched Xie Pinghuai, who was midair, together. Nobody knew what Xie Qiao was thinking about, while Xie Xi looked serious. ¡°Brother, you lost many taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who lost it!¡± Xie Pinghuai was so pissed that he was gnashing his teeth. He spat a mouthful of saliva. ¡°Which greedy b*stard was it? If I catch them, I¡¯ll definitely kill them!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled when she heard that.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I didn¡¯t use the jade. Return me the IOU!¡± Xie Pinghuaiined.


    He was just being hung now. What was that even?


    When Xie Pinggang returned tonight, he would definitely be whipped. He would feel better if he got the IOU back.


    ¡°No can do, my dear brother,¡± Xie Qiao said gently.


    Xie Pinghuai suddenly felt his eldest sister¡¯s smile was cold and trembled. ¡°Eldest Sister, were you the one who took it?¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Xie Qiao red at him softly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing good. Why would I want it for?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai sighed. It made sense. His eldest sister did not look like a person who would harm him.


    Could it be¡­ his second sister?


    Xie Pinghuai frowned, but he dared not say it. He did not have anyone in his courtyard. It was indeed easy for someone to steal something from him.


    However, his second sister had a different identity. He could not reveal that even if it was really her. He was 12 now, so he was quite knowledgeable. If the news of his sister stealing the jade in the middle of the night spread, they would be humiliated.


    Xie Pinghuai looked torn. He was very annoyed and angry.


    No matter what, they would find out whether it was her when she returned home in the evening, right?


    After all, the piece of jade was meant for one to be a disciple¡­ It was useless for one to keep it!


    Xie Qiao thought of Pei Wanyue when she saw Xie Pinghuai behaving like that. However, she would need proof of that. Before obtaining the proof, she was unwilling to suspect someone simply. After all, the crime was pretty big.


    Xie Qiao went to the academy peacefully and asked around intentionally. She did not hear anyone getting themselves a master with a piece of white jade.


    The white jade had a special meaning. If someone was to really hand out one, everyone in the entire academy would know.


    Just like what was happening now, many people in the Orchid Courtyard thought Xie Qiao still had the piece of white jade. They were very interested in whom Xie Qiao would take as her master.

 Chapter 114 - The Wimp Attacks

    <h4>Chapter 114: The Wimp Attacks</h4>


    A couple of people surrounded Xie Qiao at the moment.


    ¡°You lost the jade? How did you lose it!?¡± Xie Qiao did not hide it when someone asked. However, she did not say that it was stolen.


    It would be embarrassing if the news of the jade being stolen from Xie Pinghuai¡¯s courtyard spread.


    The outsiders would only make fun of them. They would not help to look for the jade.


    ¡°My younger brother was rather reckless. He ced it somewhere casually and lost it,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s too reckless. You can even make the dean your master with that piece of jade¡­¡± Those outsiders could not help but feel pain. They looked at Xie Qiao with sympathy.


    Xie Qiao had put in a great effort to win that thing. She had even fainted for it. Now that she had lost it, she must be feeling terrible.


    Since finding out that Xie Qiao was weak, their hostility had decreased significantly.


    At that moment, someone could not help butfort, ¡°Forget it since you¡¯ve already lost it. It¡¯s just a piece of jade. Your brother isn¡¯t exactly smart. Even if he got himself a master, I suppose there¡¯s nothing that will change. Don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    She felt humiliated.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If Second Young Master Xie got himself a master, he might be even more spoiled in the future. I think it¡¯s pretty great now. There¡¯s no need to worry that he would show off the piece of jade whenever he goes,¡± someone else said.


    ¡°That makes sense. Think about it. There are so many talented people in the academy. Many talented ones can¡¯t even get themselves a master even if they want to. If Xie Pinghuai, that good-for-nothing, got himself a master, I wonder how many people would be annoyed by that¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    These people did not seem to realize how inappropriate their words were. It proved how bad Xie Pinghuai¡¯s reputation was.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I¡¯m upset,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly. There was a faint glint of coldness in her eyes.


    The few of them were stunned.


    ¡®You must be upset, right? Isn¡¯t it a no-brainer?¡¯


    ¡°You guys asked about the white jade, so I exined. I¡¯ve never said how important it was to lose it. My family isn¡¯t that poor. It wasn¡¯t some rare treasure. Do you want me to cry over it? Also, I¡¯ve received all of your kindness, but I don¡¯t like what you guys said. Xie Pinghuai is my brother. I can say that he¡¯s terrible, but others can¡¯t.¡± Xie Qiao added, ¡°Please move. You are blocking the sunlight.¡±


    What she said rendered everyone speechless.


    When they had been speaking, they had never considered Xie Qiao and Xie Pinghuai¡¯s rtionship as siblings.


    They only thought that that kid was too mischievous. That was why they had said all that.


    Never had they thought Xie Qiao would be angry now.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking our kindness for granted!¡± Xia Yayun scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s what your brother is, and you¡¯re worried about what people say about him? You said he lost the thing, but maybe he secretly pawned it! Who doesn¡¯t know that your brother is yful and addicted to gambling?¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head, revealing her cold eyes.


    Xia Yayun red at her, unwilling to be outdone. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? You wimp!¡±


    A ssh was heard. Xie Qiao picked up the ink that she had just ground and sshed it at her. ¡°Your mouth is filthy. You should clean it.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Xia Yayun screamed.


    A blotch of ck was added to her clean, white clothing. Her face was dripping with ink as well.


    Xie Qiao smirked slightly and looked at her with extra warmth. ¡°See, you¡¯re prettier now. Do you know why?


    ¡°Because ck can cover the disgusting and filthy person that you are. You¡¯re annoying and don¡¯t know when to quit. You¡¯re irritating.¡±


    Everyone was looking at her.


    So this was¡­


    The weak body with few years to live that the imperial doctor had told them about? It did not look like it¡­ Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun were standing rather far away from each other, but she had sshed the ink on Xia Yayun¡¯s face, wasting not a single drop of ink!?

 Chapter 115 - She’s A Ruthless Person

    <h4>Chapter 115: She¡¯s A Ruthless Person</h4>


    Xia Yayun had ink on her lips too, as she had swallowed some of it from screaming earlier. She was spitting it out at the moment.


    ¡°The teacher is here!¡± yelled someone.


    In a blink of an eye, everyone returned to their seats.


    Xia Yayun covered her face and cried.


    Xie Qiao frowned when she saw that. She thought to herself and shut her eyes. She had tears falling too. She covered her chest and was so upset that she could not speak.


    Xia Yayun was even more pissed now upon seeing her like that. She pointed at her and scolded, ¡°She¡¯s just pretending! Sir, please do me justice! It was her who bullied me. Look at my face and clothes, sir!¡±


    Master Lu heard devastating wailing as soon as he stepped into the door and was almost scared out of his wits.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was pale, and she was pouring tears. She pointed at Xia Yayun, and her hand trembled. She looked like she was wronged and could not speak.


    Everyone was dumbstruck upon seeing Xie Qiao like that.


    ¡®What¡¯s that?


    ¡®She was fierce earlier, and now she¡¯s crying so¡­ convincingly?


    ¡®Her acting skill is amazing!¡¯


    One must say that everyone thought Xie Qiao¡¯s cry was too convincing. She had tears on her face, while her eyes looked determined and tough. If they had not seen what had happened earlier, they would really think that she was the one who was being bullied!


    At that moment, everyone felt a chill coursing down their spines.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Master Lu felt very helpless.


    ¡°It was her! She sshed all of the ink on the inkstone on me! Sir, Xie Qiao has crossed the line. How could she do that!?¡± Xia Yayun was emotional.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips as she held her head low. ¡°Sir¡­ Just punish me, for it was me who did it.¡±


    Master Lu sighed. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady Xia humiliated my brother. Although he¡¯s terrible, he has never done whatever she said. How can I allow him to be used? I¡¯m not as eloquent as Young Lady Xia, I wasn¡¯t sure how to fight back, so I did that out of panic,¡± Xie Qiao said like a goody-goody.


    ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± Master Lu did not believe in Xie Qiao¡¯s one-sided story, so he asked the rest.


    The students were in a daze.


    The reason being, it was indeed Xia Yayun who had stirred the trouble.


    Moreover, it was them who had been unreasonable. Xie Qiao had already been upset when Xia Yayun triggered her, and she did what she did¡­


    However, Xie Qiao had not been as wronged and pitiful earlier¡­ They had to be honest about her reaction.


    Thus, they told the truth. Naturally, it included Xie Qiao calling Xia Yayun disgusting.


    Master Lu nced at Xie Qiao in shock.


    Xie Qiao held her head high while her eyes looked away.


    ¡°A gentleman uses his tongue, not his fists. Don¡¯t you dare think that you can be rude just because you guys aredies!¡± Master Lu scolded fiercely, ¡°Even if you were to criticize, have mercy. One spewed nonsense, and one was rude. Both of you should be punished! The punishment will be cleaning the stable in the afternoon!¡±


    ¡®Why!?¡¯


    Xia Yayun looked unwilling as she stared with her widened eyes.


    It was a different story for Xie Qiao. She looked obedient as she nodded. ¡°Thank you, Master Lu, for the lesson. I admit my fault.¡±


    The students could not help but jolt.


    Xie Qiao could really hold back¡­ It was rather scary¡­


    Xia Yayun almost cried through the entire morning ss. Xie Qiao, on the other hand, remained unchanged. She was as calm as a mountain. She even took the initiative to answer the teacher¡¯s question twice. It seemed like nothing had happened to her.


    The more she behaved like that, the more the students were panicking.


    They suddenly felt as if they had offended a ruthless person!

 Chapter 116 - Being Punished

    <h4>Chapter 116: Being Punished</h4>


    Xie Qiao knew her weakness¡ªshe was too weak.


    Although a person who was weak could attract people¡¯s protection, at the same time, they would lose their original personality. No matter what such a person said, nobody would care.


    It would be different if she inflicted some pain on herself.


    Perhaps Xia Yayun would not mess with her for a while after this. At least, she would not dare to challenge her in public.


    However, it was rather irritating that they had to clean the stable.


    It sounded like a stinky job.


    The teachers at the academy would have many strange ways of punishing the students. However, they were usually more lenient when it came todies. Even if they made mistakes, they would only be punished to do things like copying books. They hardly had to do anything that required a lot of strength.


    Therefore, many people in the academy were shocked to hear that twodies from the Orchid Courtyard had been asked to clean the stable.


    Meanwhile, it was fortunate that a couple of male students were being punished at the stable at the moment.


    They curiously watched the both of them walking over slowly as if they saw delicious meat.


    ¡°What kind of big mistake do you think they made to be asked toe here?¡±


    ¡°I heard the teachers who taught ss Sun in Orchid Courtyard are the kindest. This is the first time youngdies are being punished here. Can it be that they secretly burned the teacher¡¯s stuff?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re curious? Go ask them.¡± The man in the middle of the crowd smiled.


    He chewed a straw. He was 16 or 17, had prominent eyebrows, and looked confident as he walked over directly.


    He nced at Xia Yayun, and her cheeks blushed immediately. He then looked at Xie Qiao.


    This youngdy looked prettier, but prettydies were usually sly. Especially a weak and sweetdy like this one, she was definitely a troublemaker.


    Therefore, he ignored Xie Qiao and chose to ask Xia Yayun, ¡°What bad things did you do to be punished here?¡±


    Xia Yayun¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°I merely said something terrible out of impulse, and she hit me. In the end, she cried before the teacher, so the teacher sent me here as well.¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes.


    She walked to the stable and looked around.


    The Royal Academy had approximately 400 horses. There was a vige that raised horses, specially outside the city. If the academy needed, the vige would send the horses anytime.


    Meanwhile, these 400 horses were used for sses on a daily basis. There were not many horseback archery sses. They were spread out every time, so there were enough horses.


    Meng Jifang looked at Xia Yayun and asked, ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Err, she¡¯s Xie Qiao?¡±


    ¡®Someone has no idea who Xie Qiao is?¡¯


    ¡°Who is Xie Qiao?¡± Meng Jifang turned his head in doubt. How was it possible that there was someone famous in the academy that he had no idea of?


    ¡°Brother Meng, Xie Qiao joined the academy not long ago. She¡¯s Xie Niushan¡¯s eldest daughter. I heard she has a short life. The imperial doctor said she wouldn¡¯t be able to live long.¡±


    That was no longer a secret.


    Meng Jifang was rather shocked. ¡°Xie Niushan gave birth to a daughter who looks like that? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not his daughter by blood, right?!¡±


    The overseer of the stable walked over as soon as he was done speaking. He looked very serious.


    ¡°You guys are here to be punished, not to fool around!¡± The overseer said immediately, ¡°Your task is simple today. Each of you will clean a row of stalls, clean the horses, and prepare food for them. Choose your row now. The time you finish will be the time you leave.¡±


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡®A row? Are you insane? There are 20 horses in a row!


    ¡®How can we clean so many in an afternoon?!


    ¡®Moreover, there are definitely untamed horses in there. How would they let us get close to them!?¡¯

 Chapter 117 - Faking Death Just to Mess Around

    <h4>Chapter 117: Faking Death Just to Mess Around</h4>


    The overseer was not surprised to see Meng Jifang. This fellow was frequently punished. He had been punished to clean the stables before. However, he would just sit there and do nothing, getting others to do it for him!


    Therefore, the load was increased this time!


    Let¡¯s see who would help him now!


    ¡°It was the dean who set the rule that no one can leave, nor will they be given dinner if they don¡¯tplete their duty. If anyone has anything to say about that, then leave the academy. You will no longer be our academy¡¯s students. Naturally, there¡¯s no need for you to listen to us.¡± The overseer did not show any kindness.


    Xie Qiao suspected that the young master behind her was a troublemaker. She was being dragged into a troublesome situation now.


    Meng Jifang pointed at Xie Qiao and said, ¡°There¡¯s a wimp over there. What if something happens to her?¡±


    The overseer nced at Xie Qiao while frowning. Master Lu had indeed reminded him that this Xie Qiao had a weak body. He would get these two youngdies to do simple chores.


    The overseer thought about it and said, ¡°They¡¯redies, so cleaning one row together will do.¡±


    Xie Qiao was unwilling to hear that.


    Working together with Xia Yayun? Her ears would never be at peace, no?


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean one row myself. My body can take it,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    The overseer was stunned. However, he did not decline her request. ¡°Since Young Lady Xie is fine with it, we¡¯ll do as the requirement I said earlier. Each of you will clean a row, no cking!¡±


    The overseer left after he was done speaking.


    There was a well, brushes to clean the horses, and cleaning tools nearby.


    ¡°Are you dumb? You¡¯re unwilling to do half of the job?¡± Meng Jifang frowned. He thought he was being challenged. He thought about it and said, ¡°Hmm, aren¡¯t you weak? Why not fake your death? I, Meng Jifang, can guarantee that you won¡¯t be at a loss if you do that.¡±


    She had no idea who Meng Jifang was.


    However, she was very much alive, and her mood was pretty good at the moment. She did not want to fake her death.


    Xie Qiao left to fetch water after that.


    She was worried that it would be too tiring for her, so she did not fetch much. After leading a horse out, she cleaned the stall first and found a wooden bench nearby. Subsequently, Xie Qiao patted the horse¡¯s head and scratched its hair. The horse thenid on the ground immediately.


    She sat on the wooden bench and brushed it. It looked pretty easy.


    The Water Moon Temple was on the mountain. Mo Lingzi hardly controlled her, as long as she was alive. She had raised many pets at the Taoist temple.


    Most of these small animals would be gentle when they saw her. She suspected it had something to do with the fact that she was calm and a little otherworldly since she had grown up at the Taoist temple.


    Naturally, it was just her spection.


    No matter what, they were just a couple of horses. She was not worried that they would kick her.


    She did the job in a rxed manner, which stunned Meng Jifang and the rest.


    ¡°What¡­ Is cleaning a horse so easy? Why did I have to keep lifting my arms when I did itst time? My arms would be so sore that I couldn¡¯t lift them after that!¡± Someone could not help but pinch his own face.


    Was that an illusion!?


    Meng Jifang frowned and copied her. He dragged a horse out too.


    However, as if the horse had a grudge against him, it huffed and stomped its legs as if it was going berserk.


    ¡°Lie down!¡± Meng Jifang patted the horse¡¯s head.


    Neigh!


    The horse lifted two legs in resistance. It seemed to want to struggle out of the reins.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched. He patted it again, and the next second, a bang resounded. The horse¡¯s rear hoof had kicked onto his body directly.


    At that moment, he inhaled sharply.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao nced with the side of her eye and smirked faintly.


    ¡®You deserved it.¡¯

 Chapter 118 - We Can Collaborate

    <h4>Chapter 118: We Can Coborate</h4>


    Xie Qiao kept doing her own thing. She scrubbed the horse¡¯s tummy and then patted it. The horse rolled on the ground to turn over. She then proceeded to scrub it.


    It was like autumn wind blowing and a warm moon shining on her side. It was so rxing that the students were envious.


    On the other side¡­


    Xia Yayun had taken horseback archery sses, so she was not a stranger to horses. However, it was her first time cleaning horses.


    She led the horse out carefully and scrubbed it back and forth with a brush in a stiff manner. It was unknown whether she was too soft or the horse was feeling ufortable¡ªit was moving around and not behaving at all!


    Meanwhile, Meng Jifang was suddenly kicked by the horse. Xia Yayun was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare to mess with the horse.


    In reality, she had not attended many horseback archery sses. She had ridden on a pony and had run for a few rounds at most. She was not an expert in that skill.


    At that moment, Meng Jifang was very annoyed. ¡°The horses in this courtyard are still wild!?¡±


    He had ridden horses before, so how would a tamed horse be so fierce!?


    He got up while covering his ribs and red at Xie Qiao.


    He realized that her movements were extraordinarily smooth. Meanwhile, the horse next to her even neighed twice in enjoyment. It looked like a dog!


    He knew that as long as he followed the rules and made the horsesfortable, it was only natural that he would not be kicked. However, now that there was someone next to him doing the job in such a rxed manner, he looked very foolish to be putting a great effort.


    Meng Jifang frowned and asked, ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    Xie Qiao did not even lift her head. She proceeded to scrub the horse¡¯s hair and back.


    Meng Jifang was getting irritated now. However, he should not throw tantrums at a gentle youngdy like her. He thought about it and spoke much gentler now. ¡°Young Lady Xie, howe the horse listens to you?¡±


    Xie Qiao remained silent.


    ¡°Xie Qiao?¡± Meng Jifang raised his brows.


    Xie Qiao got up and helped the horse up. She fetched another pail of water and rinsed it simply. Just like that, she was done cleaning a horse.


    She did not spend too much time overall.


    ¡°I ran into your brother yesterday afternoon! I even treated him wine.¡± Meng Jifang shamelessly tried to chat with Xie Qiao.


    That was not a lie, but neither was that the truth.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eldest son, Xie Pinggang, was known to be the most courageous man in the Imperial City. He had killed barbarians when he was some ten years old. It was said that the barbarians looked like they had seen a ghost when they saw him. They would run away from the scare.


    Any ambitious men in the Imperial City, including Meng Jifang, wanted to meet such a person.


    He had met Xie Pinggang not long ago. Apart from being taller, he was nothing much. Therefore, he had gotten the waiter to send Xie Pinggang a jar of the cheapest wine sarcastically when he saw him at the restaurant with his colleagues investigating a case yesterday afternoon.


    He had just been messing with him, so he had not expected Xie Pinggang to really finish the wine. Xie Pinggang had even thanked him calmly after drinking and given him a te of¡­ premium snacks!


    It made Meng Jifang look petty.


    However, Xie Qiao reacted when she heard that. ¡°I look kind and pretty. That¡¯s why the horses are warmer to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t look too bad either, right?¡± Meng Jifang frowned and nced at Xie Qiao.


    He felt rather guilty.


    This youngdy was rather beautiful, had great charisma, and gave off a gentle vibe. When he had approached her earlier, he could even smell a light fragrance on her. It was nice.


    ¡°Maybe you can teach me?¡± said Meng Jifang.


    ¡°I can¡¯t teach you, but we can coborate,¡± Xie Qiao stopped what she was doing.

 Chapter 119 - A Grudge That’s Absolutely Irreconcilable

    <h4>Chapter 119: A Grudge That¡¯s Absolutely Irreconcble</h4>


    Meng Jifang was quite curious. ¡°How do we coborate?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was calm. She did not look like she was excited as she said in no hurry, ¡°I¡¯ll be conducting. You guys will be responsible for cleaning the horses and stable and fetching the water.¡±


    ¡°Conducting!? Ha, you sure are smart to pick your chore. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t you just be standing there doing nothing!?¡± Meng Jifang scoffed.


    ¡°Forget it if you disagree. After all, it wouldn¡¯t take me too much effort to do all these on my own.¡± Xie Qiao looked away.


    It was impossible that it waspletely effortless.


    Cleaning the horses was eptable, as she could sit down and move her hands around. However, it was strenuous to fetch water. Even if she was stingy with the usage, it was tiring to fetch water back and forth tens of times.


    Also, bending to clean¡­ She would easily get dizzy from that.


    However, Xie Qiao did not show any urgency at all. She went to the well to fetch water slowly. The horse stood where it was obediently, enjoying the sun. It did not move around as it wished¡ªit was so good.


    In reality, the wild horses were tough ones.


    There were many of them. If the students were to do it following their pace, they might not be able toplete the task by the time the sky turned dark.


    However, if they did it as Xie Qiao said¡­


    As long as the horses were cooperative, it would really be easy.


    ¡°Sure! But you must guarantee that all horses will be as good as the one you cleaned earlier. I won¡¯t forgive you if they act up,¡± Meng Jifang said fiercely.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    ¡®You narcissistic young man, who gave you the guts to say something so dumb? You won¡¯t forgive me? Come try me.¡¯


    ¡°Come here, all of you!¡± Meng Jifang waved at the people around.


    Xia Yayun nced at Xie Qiao and walked over as she gnashed her teeth.


    Meng Jifang did not think too much, so he began to delegate the chores. ¡°I¡¯ll be leading the horses. Old Ding will be brushing. San¡¯er will be fetching the water. Ah Hong and¡­¡±


    He pointed at Xia Yayun¡­ He suddenly forgot what her name was.


    ¡°Not her, I won¡¯t conduct for her,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Xia Yayun¡¯s face paled. ¡°You¡¯re too much, Xie Qiao! What do you mean by excluding me? Young Master Meng is the leader. What makes you think you have the right to name your request!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to exclude a youngdy like her, right?¡± Meng Jifang was pretty considerate.


    However, Xie Qiao was like a cold stone, and she persisted. ¡°You guys can include her, but I won¡¯t bother with her horses. You guys will have to deal with her yourself.¡±


    ¡°How big is this grudge?¡± Meng Jifang was very curious.


    ¡°Humiliating my family¡ªa grudge that¡¯s absolutely irreconcble,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s small face looked serious as she held her head high.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he almost choked. There was such a great crime in this academy!?


    These two youngdies were pretty dramatic. People who had no idea would think that they had their fathers killed or wives stolen!


    ¡°Forget it. You¡¯ll deal with it yourself.¡± Meng Jifang rejected Xia Yayun.


    Xia Yayun¡¯s face turned pale. She felt humiliated. ¡°You¡¯re the most pretentious person I know, Xie Qiao. Conducting horses? Do you think they¡¯re dogs that you keep at home?! Don¡¯t me anyone if they kick you to death!¡±


    Xia Yayun scoffed as soon as she was done speaking and went back to the stable she was cleaning.


    ¡°So stubborn.¡± Meng Jifang chuckled.


    Subsequently, everyone began to work.


    Xie Qiao had her burden lifted right away. Meng Jifang led the horses over while she would either be brushing their hair or mumbling something into their ears. Meng Jifang had no idea what she was mumbling about, but he thought she was mysterious.


    In reality, Xie Qiao chanted two scriptures simply¡ªthe Taoist or Buddhism scriptures. She even recited the articles Master Lu had taught a few times.


    These animals could sense humans¡¯ kindness and ill intentions. She spoke with a calm tone, so the horses naturally knew that she came in peace.

 Chapter 120 - One Cannot Carve On Decayed Wood

    <h4>Chapter 120: One Cannot Carve On Decayed Wood</h4>


    Naturally, Xie Qiao thought the biggest possibility of taming animals came from the after-effects of transmigrating into a fetus.


    She had a lethal fate to her parents since young, and she had a lethal destiny. It was just too pitiful. Therefore, she would speak to animals in return for constion.


    Meng Jifang and the rest were dumbstruck.


    They thought it was just a coincidence that one horse listened to Xie Qiao. However, every horse brought out wouldpletely change as soon as Xie Qiao handled them, even if they were rather unwilling initially. They would turn into clingy pets from wild and hard to tame animals!


    Convinced!


    They were convinced!


    Given Xie Qiao¡¯s skill, their effort was reduced to half!


    Not only that, they would not be kicked by horses, nor would they look clumsy. That was the most important thing.


    Xie Qiao, on the other hand, was rxed. However, Xia Yayun had continuous unforeseen incidents on her side. Naturally, the horses there were notpletely untamed. Most of the horses in the two rows that Xia Yayun and Xie Qiao had been assigned to were ponies. The overseer knew that no matter how shameless Meng Jifang was, he would not fight withdies. Therefore, he had secretly reduced Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun¡¯s workload.


    However, not all horses were obedient.


    Xia Yayun was unfamiliar with it. She identally hurt the horse with the brush when she was brushing it, and the horse was suddenly stirred.


    It shrieked twice while galloping around the stilt. Suddenly, it was stirred and mmed into Xia Yayun. Although it was not really painful, she was mmed onto the ground. Her face paled from the scare, and she dared not get any closer!


    Especially when she saw Xie Qiao standing there and smiling beautifully over there, while she¡­


    At that moment, she felt like she was a clumsy servant!


    ¡°Xie Qiao, can you not smile so gently? Look at that angry one over there. You guys aredies. Why do you challenge her like that?¡± Meng Jifang teased.


    Xia Yayun looked like she was going to kill someone. Even a fool could see that.


    If that happened to him, he would be angry too!


    ¡°You¡¯ve no idea. This is the demeanor of an expert,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°Demeanour of an expert?¡± Meng Jifang could not help but choke. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re even more braggy than I am. The teacher has punished you to clean the stable, so how are you an expert?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡± Xie Qiao was stubborn.


    The first thing that she had taught her master was that one must remain rxed at all times.


    As a Half-Immortal, if she was always clumsy, nobody would trust her no matter how talented and capable she was.


    Meng Jifang was actually a little angry upon hearing what Xie Qiao said. This youngdy was a little irritating. She was like a senior who insisted on looking unfathomable.


    However, the thing was that she was quite mysterious indeed¡ªespecially her skill in taming horses. She would conquer the Imperial City with that!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me to tame horses? I¡¯ll take care of you from now on. I guarantee nobody in the academy will dare to stir trouble with you!¡± Meng Jifang said immediately.


    Xie Qiao nced at him and said casually, ¡°No. One cannot carve on decayed wood.¡±


    He wanted to tame horses when he was so fierce? He deserved being kicked by the horse!


    Meng Jifang thought about it and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve no idea who I am?¡±


    He signaled his brothers after saying that. The brother next to him understood right away, ¡°Our young master is¡ª¡±


    However, before he was done speaking, the few of them looked away from Meng Jifang.


    A figure was walking over. They bowed while cupping their hands immediately.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Xie Qiao turned her head.


    ¡®Why is the Crown Prince here? Can it be that he¡¯s being punished as well? Who is so brave to punish him?


    ¡®That can¡¯t be? I heard that the Crown Prince has graduated. Apart from the academy¡¯s dean, I suppose nobody dares to teach him a lesson¡­¡¯


    ¡°I heard there are a few wild horses, so I thought I¡¯d check them out.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nced over. ¡°It seems these batches of wild horses aren¡¯t the ones that I heard about?¡±


    ¡®How are these wild horses!?


    ¡®Ha, the one next to Xie Qiao. That¡¯s one wild horse!


    ¡®It looks majestic, but why is it showing its tummy?¡¯

 Chapter 121 - One-Sided Feeling

    <h4>Chapter 121: One-Sided Feeling</h4>


    The more Zhao Xuanjing looked at the horse, the stranger he thought it was.


    Meng Jifang nced at the Crown Prince, held his head down, and cupped hands unwillingly. He bowed and said, ¡°These animals listen to Xie Qiao. I¡¯m sure Your Highness has never seen anything like this before, am I right?¡±


    He said rather proudly, ¡°Young Lady Xie is a friend that I¡¯ve just made. Compared to Your Highness, who has always been alone, it makes sense that you¡¯ve never seen someone with such amazing skills.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned and looked at him in all seriousness. ¡°We don¡¯t really know each other.¡±


    Meng Jifang was speechless. He felt like he got a p on his face.


    Zhao Xuanjing smirked. ¡°Seems like the feeling is one-sided.¡±


    It was a statement.


    Meng Jifang scoffed and covered his chest slightly. ¡°Young Lady Xie, we¡¯ve been working here together for half a day, and you¡¯re saying we don¡¯t really know each other? I know that people might misunderstand and stir troubles with you as I¡¯m talented and charismatic. However, there¡¯s no need to disassociate our rtionship like this.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes betrayed mixed feelings when she looked at Meng Jifang.


    ¡®Something must be wrong with this person. He¡¯s a little impetuous indeed. Someone should send him to a Taoist or Buddhist temple to chant for a few days.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary coboration. We¡¯re forced to know each other. Moreover, knowing each other is one thing. Being close and whether we¡¯re friends or not is another,¡± Xiao Qiao looked like she was chanting. ¡°We¡¯re being punished together, and we met by chance. There¡¯s no need to introduce each other intentionally.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He did not really like Meng Jifang from the beginning, and what Xie Qiao said amused him.


    She really did not want to know this Young Master Meng. He had the fate of a homewrecker, not auspicious at all.


    Not only that, but he was also very talkative, which disrupted her peace.


    It was the first time someone had rejected Meng Jifang so terribly. Moreover, he was just saying that they were friends. Was that really uneptable!?


    He looked horrible now and was behaving a little rudely.


    Zhao Xuanjing pointed at the horse next to Xie Qiao and said to Meng Jifang, ¡°Bring over this horse for me to inspect.¡±


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He knew that the Crown Prince had purposelye here today to stir trouble with him!


    However, he had to obey his order. He could only trouble himself and bring the horse over unwillingly. The horse was extraordinarily obedient as Xie Qiao had been petting it. It was still obedient when Meng Jifang pulled the reins.


    ¡°Are you sure Your Highness can ride on this horse? Its limbs are strong, tough, and sturdy. It has a big head and wide forehead, deep and long chest. It¡¯s very ferocious. I suppose it¡¯s kind of a waste that Your Highness picked it.¡± Meng Jifang was daring indeed.


    What he said shocked the people behind him so much that they fell into silence.


    His Highness¡¯s right arm was crippled. He usually rode on a sedan chair more than on a horse.


    ¡°You¡¯re still so daring to speak, just like before. How great would it be if your father was as straightforward as you are.¡± Zhao Xuanjing remained calm as he sneered. ¡°Your fatherplimented me at the imperial court this morning. I was a little shy from hispliments.¡±


    Meng Jifang said instinctively, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Go home and ask your father, little boy.¡± Zhao Xuanjing patted Meng Jifang¡¯s shoulder proudly.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched. He looked angry.


    The Fourth Imperial Highness was his cousin. Naturally, the Meng family was on the Fourth Imperial Highness¡¯s side. The emperor did not have many children. Although the Crown Prince was the legitimate heir, how could a cripple take over the throne!?


    Since his father was under the Fourth Imperial Highness, it was impossible that he wouldpliment the Crown Prince!


    ¡°Lead the horse for me. It¡¯s been a long time since Ist rode one. I¡¯m quite eager to do that. Lead this one and walk around the training field for 100 rounds.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled coldly. ¡°If I fall from the horse, I¡¯m afraid the Meng family¡¯s future will be dim.¡±

 Chapter 122 - Poor Thing

    <h4>Chapter 122: Poor Thing</h4>


    No matter how unwilling Meng Jifang was, he could only obey the Crown Prince¡¯s order.


    Xie Qiao passively watched the show. It was pretty interesting to her. She thought Meng Jifang deserved to be treated like that.


    Although the Crown Prince was crippled, he still held his position all these years. He would be anyone¡¯s master with his noble identity. No matter what Meng Jifang did, he would not get the upper hand.


    Moreover, he was just a boy. He did not look like a man like the Crown Prince did.


    Meng Jifang making noise before the Crown Prince would be like¡­ a milk-drinking baby asking for money from an adult. It felt rather childish.


    Meng Jifang could not clean the horses now.


    Fortunately, he was almost done with the punishment since a long time had passed. Moreover, the others were still there, and they were willing to work with Xie Qiao. Thus, shepleted the chore not longter.


    The overseer checked on them once much earlier.


    When Xie Qiao handed the mission, the overseer had an extremelyplicated expression in his eyes when he looked at her.


    He had been under the impression that Meng Jifang would bully the two youngdies. Never had he thought¡­


    From the beginning until the end, Meng Jifang had be Xie Qiao¡¯s errand boy! Such a thing had never happened before.


    He then looked at the other youngdy. It was a mess. She had fallen many times and did not dare to approach the horses now.


    ¡°Would you like to work at the stable? Come over in the afternoon. All you¡¯ll have to do is to walk a few horses for one round. You¡¯ll be paid 10 silver beans per day.¡± The overseer could not help but try to get Xie Qiao to stay before she turned around.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°Walk the horses?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are a few hot-tempered horses, whereby they need to be walked every day. If you can do it, I¡¯ll hand it to you,¡± the overseer added immediately.


    10 silver beans per day¡­ that would be 300 per month.


    The donation requirement was 500 per month. Would she not achieve her target after copying some books!?


    It was a fortune that fell from the sky!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    The overseer was relieved. Although it was hard to take care of these horses, they were of the better breed. When someone walked them, idents would usually ur. If Xie Qiao could handle it, it would be perfect.


    While Xie Qiao was overjoyed, many people surrounded the training field. They were watching Meng Jifang walk the horse for the Crown Prince.


    He walked slowly and fast alternately. He would walk and run sometimes. He was sweating from exhaustion. The training field was massive. He would be¡­ dead from exhaustion by the time he was done with the 100 rounds.


    The Crown Prince seemed rxed as he sat on the horseback. His cold face scared many secretly.


    Who was this Meng Jifang¡­


    He was the Fourth Imperial Highness¡¯s cousin from the secondary family. Nobody would dare to offend him at the academy, but the Crown Prince was torturing him at the moment¡­


    Poor thing!


    Xie Qiao left after she was done with her chore. She did not notice the situation in the academy.


    She had to return home to copy the book. Her time was precious.


    Xia Yayun was the only one left at the stable.


    The sky was turning dark after Xie Qiao left. Xia Yayun copsed and squatted on the ground directly. She started crying.


    She had been cleaning the horse, so she fell next to it.


    The horse suddenly stomped from the irritation. It then moved its butt, and¡­ a pile of fresh manure dropped,nding directly on Xia Yayun¡¯s head. The warmth drove her insane!


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    The maniacal scream spread throughout the entire stable, and Xia Yayun rushed out directly.


    The overseer could not stop her¡­


    Unfortunately, Xie Qiao did not see that. If she did¡­ she would have held onto her tummy andughed for an hour!


    ¡­


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was copying the book in all seriousness. The atmosphere was rather heavy in the Xie Residence.


    She did not go to the main courtyard, but many had gathered over there.


    Pei Wanyue had returned from the academy, and she was called over. She stood under the tree where Xie Pinghuai was hung.


    Xie Pinggang nced through everyone, including his father. He said with a stiff and cold face, ¡°Xie Pinghuai, I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Where did it put the piece of jade!?¡±

 Chapter 123 - Deterrent

    <h4>Chapter 123: Deterrent</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai felt helpless.


    He had been hanging on the tree for a day. His body was so stiff, it was ufortable.


    At that moment, his eldest brother held a whip in his hand. He looked like he would whip him anytime. It was just too upsetting!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s voice was a little husky as he said while biting the bullet, ¡°Eldest Brother, I¡¯ve told you many times that I didn¡¯t lose it! Someone stole it!¡±


    Pei Wanyue buried her neck in fear. ¡°Eldest Brother, it¡¯s just a piece of jade¡­ How can you do this to our brother¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did Sister Pei see the jade Eldest Sister gave Pinghuai?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice was scary.


    Ms. Lu felt weak in her knees.


    She was terrified, especially when she saw Xie Pinggang holding the whip. She recalled that a servant had betrayed Xie Pinggang a few years ago, and he had beaten him to death. At that time, Xie Pinggang had been at the age of 17 when he had killed that person.


    ¡°N-No,¡± Pei Wanyue shook her head immediately.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart was beating fast, and the corners of her lips were dried up. She held Pei Wanyue¡¯s hand and said, ¡°H-How would she see it? Pinghuai is a boy. It¡¯s impossible that Yue¡¯er went to his house¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang nced at Ms. Lu with a grim expression.


    Xie Niushan knew that his eldest son was angry, so he dared not interfere. He stood aside like a coward.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that she didn¡¯t.¡± Xie Pinggang remained cold as he lifted the whip. ¡°Since nobody has seen it, then it¡¯s Xie Pinghuai who was reckless in taking care of it. I¡¯ve already asked everything that I should, but there¡¯s still no clue. However, there must be someone who will take responsibility for this. Since Father and Mother won¡¯t, then he¡¯ll have to do it himself.¡±


    The moment Xie Pinggang was done speaking, an ear-piercing sound echoed. He really whipped Xie Pinghuai¡¯s legs!


    At that moment, Xie Pingguai was groaning and screaming from the pain.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me, Eldest Brother? I¡¯m really innocent!¡± Xie Pinghuai felt terrible. The pain stemming from his legs was the only thing he could feel now.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyelids twitched. He did not want to bear the responsibility. If they were to fight, he would lose to his son, right? His youngest son¡­ He should bear the pain. He would not be a man if he could not bear the pain, no?


    The family members watched as Xie Pinggang whipped Xie Pinghuai ten more times like a maniac.


    After he was done, he got someone to release Xie Pinghuai. The entire courtyard was so quiet that one could even hear the sound of a chicken feather.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be hung here tomorrow as well to repent.¡± Xie Pinggang showed no mercy at all. He taught Xie Pinghuai a lesson as if he was facing his mortal enemy, giving people goosebumps.


    Someone brought Xie Pinghuai back to the house for treatment.


    Everyone left then.


    Ms. Lu dragged Pei Wanyue back to the house and closed the door as soon as they entered. The maidservant was guarding attentively outside.


    Pei Wanyue had chills all over her body. ¡°H-How could Eldest Brother really beat him up? What if he hurt him¡ª¡±


    ¡°What to do? That¡¯s the punishment that he¡¯ll have to bear! That fellow has no control. Pinghuai aside, even if it¡¯s his father, he might dare to beat him up as well if he made a terrible mistake.¡± Ms. Lu¡¯s face paled. ¡°Also, do you think he¡¯s merely hitting Pinghuai? It¡¯s just a deterrent!¡±


    Pei Wanyue lifted her head in shock upon hearing that. ¡°What do you mean by that, Mother?!¡±


    ¡°What do I mean? He¡¯s definitely suspecting you! He got you to watch Pinghuai being punished. Whether it was you who did it or not, you wouldn¡¯t dare to repeat the same mistake in the future!¡± Ms. Lu said immediately.


    Pei Wanyue clenched her fists immediately while shaking.


    ¡°Yue¡¯er, tell me. Was it you¡­ who did it?¡± asked Ms. Lu.


    Pei Wanyue trembled. She felt rather troubled. ¡°Mother, did you bring me to the Imperial City to use me of being a thief? How can you do this to me!?¡±

 Chapter 124 - I Don’t Care!

    <h4>Chapter 124: I Don¡¯t Care!</h4>


    Ms. Lu felt guilty that she made Pei Wanyue sad.


    ¡°I¡¯m not suspecting you. I just want you to know that I can protect you no matter who you offend in this house, but not Xie Pinggang. Even I am terrified of him. Although he looks crude and reckless, in reality, he¡¯s much wiser than your Uncle Xie. He works at the Criminal Division and has investigated many cases. If you really made a mistake, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t deceive him!¡± Ms. Lu exined immediately.


    Pei Wanyue held her head slightly low.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Pei Wanyue was persistent. ¡°Who needs that piece of jade and their donation to get into the Royal Academy? I got my own way. There¡¯s no need to s-steal¡ª¡±


    ¡°What did you say!?¡± Ms. Lu was stunned.


    ¡°I said I got my own way,¡± repeated Pei Wanyue.


    Although she said that, Ms. Lu was even more suspicious now.


    How long had it been since her daughter had gotten here? What kind of solutions would she have?


    ¡°Mother, I got to know some people at the Gn Academy. One of the girls¡¯ uncles is a third-grade official. She told me that if I really want to get into the Royal Academy, she can get her uncle to write a rmendation letter for me. Mother, I don¡¯t have to pay! Even though I¡¯m not from the Xie family, I can get in as well.¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s eyes betrayed her nervousness, as well as her anticipation.


    However, Ms. Lu fell in a daze upon hearing that.


    A third-grade official was someone that was even higher in the hierarchy than her husband.


    ¡°Since that official can rmend someone, why didn¡¯t he rmend his rtive, like that youngdy that you mentioned?¡± Ms. Lu caught the point.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s face paled. ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t want to go to the Royal Academy, so she thought she would give me the letter¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­ use the jade as the trading chip!?¡± Ms. Lu suddenly thought of another possibility, ¡°Pinggang said that the jade could be used to make anyone from the Royal Academy a master. Countless people want it. Tell me, did you trade the jade for her to be a disciple while you earned a ce in the academy!?¡±


    Pei Wanyue gnashed her teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Ms. Lu lifted her hand suddenly, attempting to hit her. However, she could not do it when she saw her daughter¡¯s stubborn face. She was so angry that she wanted to break things.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re so reckless!¡± Ms. Lu felt terrible. ¡°I know you want to go to the Royal Academy, but the Gn Academy is one of the top three academies in the world. Why did you do that!? Do you think your n is seamless? What if that girl identally has a slip of the tongue!? The Xie family will try their best to save your dignity, but do you think you¡¯ll be included in the Xie family¡¯s genealogy book if they find out!?¡±


    Ms. Lu had wasted her efforts. She had already persuaded Xie Niushan, and he was getting more lenient.


    Xie Pinggang was a careful person. He did not want to put her daughter¡¯s name into the genealogy book. However, as long as the family lived harmoniously for some time and after bing more familiar with each other, it would be a piece of cake for Pei Wanyue to be included in the genealogy book!


    Unexpectedly, her daughter had now done something like this¡­


    Even if there was no solid proof, would Xie Pinggang be willing to let her daughter into the family if there was the slightest suspicion?


    ¡°Then let it be! I don¡¯t care!¡± Pei Wanyue snarled.


    ¡°Reckless!¡± Ms. Lu pointed at Pei Wanyue. ¡°You¡¯re killing me! The Xie family isn¡¯t well-loved among the officials, but they¡¯re more powerful than business families! As long as Xie Niushan is willing to treat you like family, you¡¯ll be the family¡¯s direct daughter with the fame of an official. When that happens, you¡¯ll be able to marry a man from an official¡¯s family!¡±


    It was difficult to match-make the Xie family members mainly because people were scared of Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang, who had killed barbarians before. Some people were willing to marry the rest of the family¡¯s children as long as they had a lower standard!


    Even if they did not marry an official, they should marry a talented graduate with a bright future, right?


    That was not the case for ady from a business family. In order to be married to an official, she could only be the concubine or marry a widower. How many of them could be the first wife directly?

 Chapter 125 - Culprit

    <h4>Chapter 125: Culprit</h4>


    Pei Wanyue hated it that her mother looked down on her.


    She was very outstanding. The teachers had beenplimenting her, saying that she was sensible and smart the past few days at the Gn Academy. If her mother thought of ways to get her into the Royal Academy, would she have to trouble herself to do it on her own!?


    ¡°Let it go, Mother. No matter what¡­ It won¡¯t be me who will take the jade to the academy. That¡¯s all you need to know!¡± Pei Wanyue walked out directly with a cold face as soon as she was done speaking.


    Ms. Lu copsed due to her fury, but she didn¡¯t dare to make a fuss.


    The piece of jade was not one and only. Nobody could say the person who used the Xie family¡¯s jade had obtained it in an hical way.


    However, even if outsiders had no idea, would it be the same for their family members?


    If that girl really went to the Royal Academy, she would really be kicked out of the Xie family!


    Ms. Lu was not confident in that. She felt horrible upon seeing that her daughter could not understand the extent of her efforts.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao was doing her ¡°homework¡± in all seriousness.


    The texts from Zhoi were difficult to trante. She had learned thenguage as there were many businessmen from various countries at Floating Pavilion Town. She was rather popr in that area, so it was easy for her to find a teacher.


    The book mainly talked about the skill of raising horses in Zhoi. It was prettyprehensive.


    As she was tranting, a pigeonnded in the courtyard.


    Chun Er brought it over while Xie Qiao opened the note that was tied on its foot.


    She could not help but smile in satisfaction.


    Her shop was ready.


    The location was great too. It was on East Main Street, an area where it was difficult to buynd.


    The officials were prohibited from running businesses, but they would not be penalized for it. It kept happening, so the policies were loosened.


    For instance, Xie Niushan was an official, but he had married a woman from a business family. Under normal circumstances, dowry was inevitable. The store that was part of the dowry had to be operated.


    In that case, registration was required. The government would be even stricter in ount checking.


    Salt and iron businesses were prohibited.


    Gold, silver, jade wares, pawnshops, and restaurant businesses were more sensitive. If one was to operate them, the store¡¯s ¡°history¡± must be investigated thoroughly. To put it simply, the source of the store had to be clean, while the model had to be restricted.


    Meanwhile, the shop Xie Qiao operated was not rted to people¡¯s livelihood, so the sensitivity level was zero.


    It was proper business to open a shop. She had to depend on her skill in order to treat her sickly body.


    Xie Qiao suddenly thought of the ugly and rotten ghoul that she had sealed the other day. It was currently sealed in her Dharma instrument.


    Her eldest brother had been investigating that case for a few days, so she wondered whether there were any developments. She had provided all of the clues she had. Thus, she could only exorcise the ghoul, Mei Ziwu, if it could not be solved. Although the karma she collected would be less, it would be better than nothing!


    Unexpectedly, Xie Pinggang came to the academy, looking for her the next afternoon. It was rted to the case. The way he looked at her was odd.


    ¡°Did you really know the culprit?¡± Xie Pinggang said as soon as he saw Xie Qiao.


    Her eyes lit up. ¡°Did you capture the culprit, Eldest Brother?¡±


    ¡°Almost¡­¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s feelings wereplicated. ¡°Did you really predict those characteristics that you told me? Howe I don¡¯t believe it?¡±


    What had Xie Qiao said back then?


    She had asked him to look for a charismatic woman in her 40s or 50s, with a mole under her eye that smelled nice!


    He had been clueless while investigating the case, so he had decided to follow his sister¡¯s instructions.


    Never had he thought that he would really find such a person!


    Mei Ziwu had been rather promiscuous. He had had a rendezvous with ady, and he had walked by a woman that was nearby.


    That woman¡¯s identity was unique due to her charisma, so everyone on that street remembered her!

 Chapter 126 - Pennies from Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 126: Pennies from Heaven</h4>


    Back then, a brothel¡¯s procuress had happened to bring herdies to shop for essories. The procuress was 42. Although she was not young, she lived like she was in her 30s. She was quite popr in the Imperial City.


    Not only that, but thatdy was just like what Xie Qiao had described her. She smelled extraordinarily nice.


    Compared to other procuresses, she may be old but was coquettish. There was a mole under her eye. At her age, she still had many customers who asked for her!


    Most importantly, this person came from Qingzhou.


    Back then, an official from Qingzhou had brought his wife and daughters to travel, and they had been killed. The culprit was still atrge!


    Nobody dared to capture her directly without any evidence.


    After some careful investigation, they found out that the procuress¡¯s name was Qi Xiang. Her life was miserable.


    A drought had struck her hometown when she was young, so her family had sold her. Fortunately, a wandering old Taoist master had taken her in. The man may look like an expert, but he had actually been a traveling swindler. He would always use her to make money, causing her to lose her virginity when she was only 13.


    Later on, the old Taoist master had been beaten to death, and someone then sold her to a brothel.


    She had many returning customers because of her pretty looks. There was even an educated man who was in love with her.


    The both of them loved each other. Unfortunately, Qi Xiang had been valuable back then. The man had had no money to release her from the brothel. As such, he had helped someone cheat in the provincial examination in order to make money. Unfortunately, the official had found out about it.


    It was serious for one to cheat in examinations.


    That schr had lost his dignity, his future ruined. He had not had enough silver to release Qi Xiang. He had been in despair as he didn¡¯t know what to do, so he hadmitted suicide in prison.


    Qi Xiang had been devastated back then.


    ording to someone, she had been pregnant with that schr¡¯s child, and she had lost the child due to unknown reasons. As such, she had left the town and arrived in the Imperial City.


    Naturally, Qi Xiang had only moved when the official¡¯s family died.


    She had been a major suspect.


    Moreover, she had been living with a Taoist master from a young age, so she should be familiar with the skill of sealing one¡¯s soul that Xie Qiao had mentioned.


    Some of these details matched with the cold case, which made Xie Pinggang more certain that something was wrong with her. Therefore, he reported the exact situation directly!


    The superior took the case seriously, so they had captured Qi Xiang for interrogation.


    Naturally, the people around her had been captured as well. Two of them looked panicky when they were captured. They knew there was nowhere for them to run.


    He had found the suspect out of nowhere, and the people from the Criminal Division wanted to worship him.


    Only he knew that it was pennies from heaven!


    Xie Pinggang recounted everything about the case to Xie Qiao.


    She was rather confused. ¡°What does the man who recently died have anything to do with the case from 20 years ago?¡±


    ¡°That Mei Ziwu was the official¡¯s posthumous child. It was the concubine¡¯s child. After that family died, the concubine married someone else. Mei Ziwu¡¯s identity was inadvertently forgotten. However, I looked at the official¡¯s portrait from years back and noticed that he and Mei Ziwu looked simr. Perhaps Qi Xiang happened to see him and killed him from the grudge.¡±


    The resentment still remained after she killed him, whereby she had to pin him with nails.


    However, didn¡¯t it mean that official had suffered a wrongful death? As a superior, was it not his duty to prevent schrs from cheating in examinations?


    Xie Qiao should notment on it.


    This Mei Ziwu was not a good man. Her responsibility was to solve his confusion and find out how he had died so that he could reincarnate properly. That was all she had to do.


    Xie Qiao sighed and said with a smile, ¡°After solving this case, will Eldest Brother be promoted?¡±


    Xie Pinggang chuckled. ¡°They should promote me. Forget other cases, this case is rted to that official from 20 years ago. Since such a mysterious cold case has been solved, they should reward me. However, even if they promote me, I¡¯ll be a ninth-grade official at most.¡±

 Chapter 127 - Death Shop

    <h4>Chapter 127: Death Shop</h4>


    Although Xie Pinggang would be a ninth-grade official, it was better than nothing.


    He was over the moon that he solved the case, but he was worried about Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, be honest with me. Did you happen to run into thedy and find out that she¡¯s the culprit when you overheard what she said?¡± Xie Pinggang asked in a testing manner.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s secrets must not be revealed.¡± Xie Qiao talked like an expert. ¡°No matter what, keep working hard, Eldest Brother. If you have any doubts, you can ask me. I¡¯ll answer your questions.¡±


    She was panting as she spoke.


    Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at her. ¡°This is thest time. Don¡¯t stick your nose in nonsense like this in the future.¡±


    No man would want to marry her if she stuck her nose in such businesses.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Qiao was quick to promise that. She said ¡®heaven¡¯s secrets must not be revealed¡¯ just a moment ago, and now she said, ¡°Actually¡­ someone else told me about it.¡±


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Xie Pinggang was surprised.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried a few days back? I got a fortune teller to tell your fortune. Master knows that person. She¡¯s more skillful than I am. That¡¯s how she managed to divinate such precise details. If you¡¯ve doubts in the future, go check out the Fortune Pavilion shop on East Main Street. Thedy boss sells many things. You can definitely find something that you need,¡± Xie Qiao spoke in a rather quick manner.


    Xie Pinggang looked at her while frowning.


    ¡°You seem happy, Eldest Sister?¡±


    She would usually talk slowly and lived like a snail. Why did she seem like she was in a hurry now?


    Xie Qiao smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Eldest Brother will be promoted soon. I¡¯m happy about that.¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not believe that.


    However, he must check out that Fortune Pavilion and its owner. She better not be a swindler.


    Xie Qiao realized she was short of time.


    Fortunately, thedies¡¯ sses were considered to bex. It was easy to squeeze ten rest days per month.


    After sending Xie Pinggang off, Xie Qiao skipped the calligraphy ss in the afternoon and went to her new shop.


    She wore a veiled hat to prevent people from recognizing her. She was very careful and sneakily entered the Fortune Pavilion from the back door. There was a small alley at the back, which was inconspicuous.


    The Fortune Pavilion had two floors. There was a room on the second floor for her to rest, and she could see the view of the street from up there.


    On the other hand, there were many talisman papers, cinnabars, and other necessities ready in there.


    From the surface, it seemed to be a peculiar shop that sold protective talismans.


    In reality¡­


    Xie Qiao took out a small wooden te. It was in the shape of a soul-summoning banner but slightly different. There was an amulet painted on it, with a bell hung at the bottom.


    At present, the shop was still closed. Thus, there was not even an attendant.


    Xie Qiao brought herself a bench and hung the stuff under the signboard at the door.


    Ding¡­


    The bell rang not long after she hung it.


    The ringing went on as if there was a strong wind blowing out there.


    Xie Qiao looked. In reality, there were many¡­ ghouls standing outside her door. They were looking at her signboard.


    ¡°Am I seeing this right? Why do I see two faint ¡°Death Shop¡± words written on the signboard?¡±


    ¡°You see it too? It¡¯s true. Its smell is the same as ours. Can it be that this business has been opened specially for us?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be? It¡¯s a human who opened the shop.¡±


    ¡°Should we check it out?¡±


    ¡°Do you have money?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A group of dark beings stood at the door and did not step in. The overwhelming dark energy was going to drown Xie Qiao.


    Fortunately, she carried many Yang energy talismans on her!


    She could tolerate it!


    However, she must bring Da Xiong along next time to prevent anything bad!


    ¡°We¡¯re closed today. If you have any unfulfilled wishes,e back three dayster.¡± Xie Qiao shook the Taoist bell in her hand as her calm voice spread. Each and every ghoul out there heard her crystal clear.

 Chapter 128 - Eldest Senior Sister

    <h4>Chapter 128: Eldest Senior Sister</h4>


    The group of ghouls could not stop chatting emotionally.


    ¡°Was that really targeted at us!? My god, this shop¡¯s boss must be an expert! I guess I can get my wife to marry someone else now?¡±


    ¡°How will your wife getting remarried benefit you? Are you dumb!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve no idea. My wife loves torturing people. It¡¯s horrible for her to be my widow,¡± that man said sadly.


    The rest were looking into the shop withplicated expressions.


    Xie Qiao was inscribing talismans.


    Since she was opening for business, she had to sell some stuff. She had to prepare a variety of things. With sufficient materials, she would not have to go back and forth.


    A protective talisman was the basic one. The talismans rted to wealth, such as the Money-Ma Talisman, would belong to the fast sellers. She would have to prepare more of those. She would also need Love Talismans, Career Sess Talismans, Academic Excellence Talismans, and Pregnancy Talismans.


    Those were for the living.


    The dead required even more.


    She still had a stock of the tiny wooden dolls that she had carved. She should be able to clear them after opening the business.


    However, she still had to go to the academy. If not, she would have enough time, and the shop¡¯s items would not be out of stock.


    Xie Qiao sighed. She had to work so hard with her sickly health. It was a pain to live.


    Her hand was sore after inscribing talismans for two hours. However, she heaved a sigh of relief, looking at the thick stack of talismans before her.


    There was only a guard at the shop when she came. She was a mute. Xie Qiao only let her in after reading her rmendation letter.


    She needed a shopkeeper.


    Her Junior Brother had said that he would send someone he selected before her shop opened. She hoped that the person he picked was¡­ brave.


    Just as Xie Qiao was thinking, someone appeared at the door.


    After stepping in, he was shocked to see someone in the shop. He asked in a testing manner, ¡°Are you the boss?¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head to look at him. ¡°Are you the shopkeeper Junior Brother Xiao sent?¡±


    The person was surprised upon hearing that, to which he said immediately, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. This humble one, Chang Tong, greets the boss!¡±


    That man was straightforward and knelt immediately.


    Xie Qiao could not get used to such courtesy, ¡°Please get up. My business is rather unique, so I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re up for it.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. Master Xiao has informed this humble one, saying that the things you sell at your shop are simr to coffin shops. I don¡¯t mind all that. I¡¯m happy to be here,¡± Chang Tong said immediately to show that he was capable.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    In reality, Chang Tong was surprised that Master Xiao had picked him out of other candidates. He had said the shop was a gift to his Senior Sister. He had asked Chang Tong to serve her.


    He had been under the impression that Master Xiao¡¯s Senior Sister must be a woman in her 30s or 50s. Never had he expected her voice to be so young. She seemed to be an otherworldly expert who had mastered the skill of retaining her youth!


    Xie Qiao even wore a veiled hat on her head.


    Chang Tong went up to give her a box. There was the title deed of property. Her name was written on it.


    However¡­


    She had never seen that Junior Brother.


    An old master hade to the Taoist temple when she was three or four. He was knowledgeable and felt pity for her upon seeing that she was hard-working despite having a sickly body since young.


    He had been worried for her, so he had stayed at the Taoist temple for two years. He had even taught her everything he knew over those two years. Since then, he hardly stayed at the temple anymore, but he would still rest at the temple for a few days every one or two years.


    That master had taken in a couple of disciples since then.


    However, she was the Eldest Senior Sister¡­


    In reality, Xie Qiao wanted to be a Junior Sister.


    It was the master who insisted that the disciple whom he took in first would be the eldest. Even if he had more disciples who were older, they would be her juniors. If there was anyone who was upset about that, they would be expelled¡­

 Chapter 129 - Are You Brave?

    <h4>Chapter 129: Are You Brave?</h4>


    Xie Qiao was obligated to have five Junior Brothers just like that¡­


    However, she had decisively chosen to hide her name to prevent her Junior Brothers from stirring trouble with her for her status.


    Her Junior Brothers knew their Senior Sister had the family name of Mo. She was an unfathomable expert who loved to travel through mountains and rivers. She had never shown herself. Her name was Mo Chusheng!


    Her name had the same sound of ¡°being silent¡±. She dared not reveal that she was only 16 this year, worried that those Junior Brothers would force her to leave the sect.


    Xie Qiao had said that she cared nothing about worldly materials and did not want any property under her. Thus, she had bought a shop in the name of Young Lady Xie¡­


    Why Young Lady Xie?


    It was because Young Lady Xie was Mo Chusheng¡¯s junior niece.


    It was tooplicated¡ªshe was her own junior niece¡­


    She was very helpless. Why was she so young and made the people unyielding?


    Xie Qiao said after putting the thing away, ¡°You¡¯ll have to be careful with your mouth when you work for me here. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you might have filthy things lingering around you, which is bad for your health. Got it?¡±


    Chang Tong looked around 50 years old and seemed mature. However, he looked a little confused when he heard what Xie Qiao said.


    However, he thought about it. Master Xiao had said that the owner was an otherworldly expert. Her way of doing was different from ordinary people, so he should not speak and ask more. He then nodded obediently.


    ¡°These are the things that my shop will sell,¡± Xie Qiao said after cing the talismans on the table.


    Chang Tong nced at them and fell into a daze. ¡°Talismans?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, talismans.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°You have to memorize them. Each has different patterns. These are for protection, 20 silver notes each. These talismans for wealth would be 50 silver notes each, Love Talisman would be 100 silver notes each, same for those that banish ghouls¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao introduced them one by one.


    Chang Tong gulped. Although he hade prepared, he was still shocked to see so manyplicated talismans before him.


    Nheless, it was better than selling coffins.


    It made sense. He had never heard of any experts selling coffins.


    ¡°What else?¡± Although Chang Tong realized these things were hard to sell, he did not believe it would be this hard.


    Xie Qiao thought about it. Indeed, there were more. ¡°There are also some Dharmic instruments that have been consecrated. There aren¡¯t many of them, but I¡¯ll make and send more when I have the time in the future. Also, we ept people who send their items to be consecrated. The ceremony costs 10 taels of silvers each.¡±


    Chang Tong¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He had heard that the owner was called Mo Chuseng. She did not even have a Dharma name.


    Master Xiao had said that the owner was powerful, and she was otherworldly. However¡­ the Imperial City had never heard of such a master!?


    The items might not be able to sell since they were from a master who was not famous.


    However, the location of the shop was amazing. Perhaps there would be some curious people checking it out, and they might have sheer luck. It could barely maintain the expenses¡­


    The shopkeeper sighed. He thought he had a great burden on him. Since the owner was an expert, she might not know a lot about foreign businesses.


    Although that was the case, he could not waste the trust he had in his master and the ¡°expert boss¡±.


    He would work hard!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. Your items definitely won¡¯t be covered in dust. This humble one will do my best!¡± the shopkeeper said immediately.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Also¡­ The first floor is for serving customers, and the second floor will be vacant. Don¡¯t let anyone in, especially after hearing the bell rings.¡±


    Chang Tong was confused.


    ¡°Oh yeah, are¡­¡± Xie Qiao found it hard to say this. ¡°Are you brave?¡±


    Chang Tong was dumbstruck.

 Chapter 130 - A Good Child Keeps His Words

    <h4>Chapter 130: A Good Child Keeps His Words</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not want to scare anyone. Since Chang Tong was the shopkeeper, it was inevitable for him to sense something.


    Prepping him would be better than having him scared out of his wits.


    ¡°Also, who else is in your family? If¡­ idents happen, how much silver do you think thepensation will be appropriate for?¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    Chang Tong¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Was he not here just to be a shopkeeper?


    Xie Qiao could not help bute up with a number. She then took out one of the talismans that she carried around with her and handed it over. ¡°Carry this with you everywhere you go. The effect is different from those that we sell here. It¡¯s better.¡±


    Chang Tong¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    She was an expert indeed¡ªeven her wee gift was different.


    Mortals loved giving silver.


    Fortunately, he was not a greedy person. He epted it happily at that moment.


    ¡°Our shop will open in three days. I¡¯lle when it¡¯s opened. I left some taels of silver on the ount. You¡¯ll take care of that in the shop. Oh, our shop does soul-capturing business as well. If someone sees something filthy, please send me a pigeon.¡±


    Chang Tong was dumbstruck as soon as he heard that.


    ¡®The expert catches¡­ filthy things too!? Isn¡¯t that just a scam¡­?¡¯


    However, Chang Tong dared not say that. He merely nodded in response.


    Xie Qiao was very satisfied with this shopkeeper. She sold many peculiar things, and this shopkeeper was still calm. It seemed like he was an open-minded man. Although he was in his 50s now, he seemed healthy. He had sufficient Yang energy in him and a lucky face too. He seemed to be fine, so he should not be scared easily.


    After delegating the tasks and leaving her things behind, she returned to the Xie Residence.


    The well in her courtyard had beenpletely dug yesterday. However, that steward seemed to be still resting in his bed.


    Chun Er and Granny Wan were familiar with the Xie family members. They knew that Ms. Lu had been sending things to Steward Yuan. It made Xie Qiao seem like a bad person.


    ¡°Is my brother still hanging on the tree?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    Chun Er nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll still be beaten if he doesn¡¯t admit his fault today.¡±


    ¡°Eldest Brother sure is an animal,¡± Xie Qiao mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on my brother.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai seemed weak. Fortunately, Xie Pinggang was rational not to let him hang upside down. If not, he would be crippled, or even worse, die.


    However, he was not feeling well.


    Although he was hung under the tree, it was rather warm during the day. He barely ate and drank anything. Nobody talked to him, and he was dizzy. It was very pitiful.


    Noticing that Xie Qiao was here, Xie Pinghuai began to wail. ¡°Save me, Eldest Sister¡­ I¡¯m your only younger brother! How could you bear to see Eldest Brother torture me like this¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have epted that jade. I have such bad luck!¡±


    Xie Qiao sat under the tree.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you admit fault to Eldest Brother?¡± Xie Qiao asked gently.


    ¡°Why would I do that?!! I didn¡¯t lose the jade on purpose! I won¡¯t, I definitely won¡¯t admit fault!¡± He was quite stubborn.


    Xie Qiao raised her brows. ¡°You owe me 10,000 taels of silver. I suppose you¡¯ll pay me?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai felt pain in his chest. ¡°Eldest Sister¡­ Why would you trigger me at such a time¡­¡±


    ¡°I just want to see if you¡¯re a good child of his words,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    Xie Pinghuai had never heard of such a description before.


    Good child?


    He was already 12¡ªhe was no longer a child!


    ¡°I¡¯ve no money now. I¡¯ll ask Mother when I get off the tree,¡± said Xie Pinghuai.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. A portion of the Xie family¡¯s money belongs to me too. If you spend more, my dowry will becking in the future. Do you think it makes sense?¡± Xie Qiao lifted her head slowly.


    Xie Pinghuai did not think too much about it. ¡°Just get Father to make more money then¡­¡±

 Chapter 131 - Much Better Than A Jade!

    <h4>Chapter 131: Much Better Than A Jade!</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai was considered handsome, even though he was not as tall as Xie Pinggang.


    He looked rather pitiful as he was currently hanging.


    Xie Qiao thought about it and said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll beg Eldest Brother to let you down, but you¡¯ll have to promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°My sister by blood, as long as you save me, one thing aside, I can even promise you ten things!¡±


    ¡°Since my brother is so generous, I¡¯ll ask for ten things then.¡± Xie Qiao was over the moon. ¡°I¡¯ll write up the contract, and you¡¯ll sign and stamp. I¡¯ll save you right away. But if you take your words back¡­ I¡¯ll tell Eldest Brother that you took back your words, used violence against me, didn¡¯t repent¡ª¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was a little dumbstruck in the beginning. However, he reacted immediately as he listened to her. ¡°Alright, alright! Stop it¡­ I won¡¯t take back my words!¡±


    How could he live if he carried so many crimes with him?!


    Xie Qiao smiled. She brought out ink and paper.


    After she was done writing, she stepped onto the stool. She got Xie Pinghuai to stamp his thumbprint.


    She got him down directly as soon as the stamping of the thumbprint waspleted.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, are you sure I can get down? What if Eldest Brother gets mad when hees?¡± Xie Pinghuai bent his back while rubbing his arms and neck.


    Xie Qiao thought about it and said, ¡°Tell him that you¡¯d rather do this than die and that you insisted on doing this. I couldn¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s facial expression changed in the next second. He turned around and climbed the tree again.


    ¡°I was just kidding.¡± Xie Qiao could not help butugh.


    ¡®Why is this kid so foolish?¡¯


    Xie Pinghuai nced at her with aplicated expression.


    His father had told him that he had an eldest sister. He had said that her body was weak, and she was gentle and wise. She doted on them, so she would get people to send them local treats.


    In reality¡­


    It was true that her body was weak, but he could not see how she was gentle.


    Moreover, he would find it off whenever his sister smiled. He thought it was rather scary, but he had no idea why he felt that way.


    Also, it was said that she doted on him¡­ Did she, though?


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat something while we wait for Eldest Brother toe home.¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    Xie Pinghuai nodded heavily.


    He hoped that he could escape from being beaten up today. His eldest brother might be worried that Xie Pinghuai would fight for the family¡¯s fortune with him, so he wanted to kill him!


    When Xie Pinggang got home, he saw Xie Pinghuai eating snacks with Xie Qiao. He was eating a snack in each bite, fearless of being choked.


    ¡°Ehem!¡± He coughed.


    Xie Pinghuai stood up immediately from the scare. The snack in his hand dropped onto the ground while his legs trembled involuntarily.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, look at this.¡± Xie Qiao walked over while smiling and showing the thing she had in her hand to Xie Pinggang. ¡°He signed this himself. With this, won¡¯t we be confiscating all of his monthly allowance?¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°H-How did you get this idiot to agree to sign this!?¡±


    He pointed at Xie Pinghuai and scolded him. ¡°Are you dumb? How would you sell yourself just like that? You¡¯re so dumb! Don¡¯t tell people that your family name is Xie when you¡¯re out there! You embarrass me!¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s facial expression changed immediately as soon as he scolded him. He smiled at Xie Qiao as he said, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. If he doesn¡¯t pay up, hehehe. I¡¯m given permission to hit him. He can¡¯t fight me anyway.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai felt as if he had done something wrong.


    He had been too upset when he was hung. As such, he agreed to the ten conditions right away.


    He had been under the impression his own eldest sister would not bully him too much. Be it that there were ten conditions, he had signed without hesitation.


    How could her eldest sister be so shameless!?


    ¡°Eldest Brother, that jade isn¡¯t really useful anyway. It¡¯s just to get yourself a master. It isn¡¯t some irreceable jade.¡± Xie Qiao grinned. ¡°Forget about it. We have this now. It¡¯s much better than a jade.¡±

 Chapter 132 - You Have Bad Luck

    <h4>Chapter 132: You Have Bad Luck</h4>


    In reality, Xie Pinggang did not think that the contract Xie Pinghuai had signed was anything great.


    The jade was better. It could be sold, and it could be used to get one a master. It was irritating that it was gone now.


    He was pissed whenever he thought about it.


    ¡°He¡¯s a useless good-for-nothing. What can this indenture contract do? Can this be used to make that Mr. Xiao his master?¡± Xie Pinggang threw a cold nket.


    This thing could only be used to make this foolish child a ve.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, since the jade is gone, it¡¯s futile to dwell on it. If you want to get Brother a master, there are other ways too,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°What way? Don¡¯t tell me he can do it with this piece of paper?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned.


    Xie Qiao said, ¡°Getting a master with a jade is the regr way. Now that we lost the jade, we¡¯ll have to use sincerity if we still want a master. Brother will have to beg the person he wants to be his master. Perhaps¡­ the master will be in a good mood that day and ept him?¡±


    ¡°Who would want him?¡± Xie Pinggang shook his head.


    Any teachers who enjoyed peace would not take in disciples like Xie Pinghuai. It was not that he wanted to criticize his own brother, but¡­ it wasplicated.


    Although this child was mischievous, he was considered sensible. Back at the mountain, he had been under control no matter how much trouble he stirred. However, he had slowly started changing when they got to Imperial City.


    Silver was like stones to him. He would lose them just like that. He had even dared to visit a brothel when he was only ten.


    Even Xie Pinggang had never been to one, and that brat had.


    Forget it that he had been merely curious, but that brat was really interested in women, so he had gone. Fortunately, the procuress had recognized that he was the Xie family¡¯s Young Master. She had been worried that he would spend too much silver and stir troubles. That was why she had chased him out!


    After being chased out of the brothel, Ms. Lu had said that she would get him two maidservants.


    Xie Pinggang had been so pissed that he almost killed him with a knife. Only then did Xie Pinghuai get so scared that he dared not do it again.


    As the stepmother, Ms. Lu should educate the children and take care of the house. Xie Pinggang should not interfere too much.


    Moreover, his father had never married a wife who was so sweet to his father. It was nothing surprising for a father to sell a son for his wife. He was eager to sell Xie Pinghuai away¡­


    Xie Pinggang was pissed as he thought to this point.


    ¡°If it¡¯s possible, it¡¯ll be best to get him a teacher. The strictest and most powerful one, so he won¡¯t dare to stir trouble.¡± Xie Pinggang was extraordinarily cruel.


    ¡°This Mr. Xiao that you mentioned earlier is pretty good. This man stresses education the most. Get Brother to look for him. Let him kneel and kowtow to him, cling onto him for three to five months. I¡¯m sure the teacher will ept him,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    The teacher might ept Xie Pinghuai for her sake.


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned when he heard that. ¡°Eldest Sister¡­ Maybe¡­ I¡¯ll just go on and hang myself on the tree¡­¡±


    So he would still have to get himself a master?!


    Although he had lost the jade, he thought he had redeemed himself by being hit. Never had he thought he still had to be tortured at the academy!


    ¡°Do you not want to?¡± Xie Qiao asked in a caring manner.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Eldest Sister. I¡¯m not the studying type! I¡¯m more like Father!¡± Xie Pinghuai said immediately.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re different from Father.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head and said slowly, ¡°Although Father is barely educated, he has good luck. He has me and Eldest Brother, his son and daughter who are wise and sensible, who befriended a Grand Preceptor. That¡¯s how he¡¯s so lucky to be an official. If Father had bad luck, he might have been killed by the authorities, or he¡¯d still be living a hard life on the mountain.¡±


    ¡°I have good luck too!¡± Xie Pinghuai said immediately.


    Was it not good that he was not born a bandit? He was a young master now!


    Xie Qiao smirked. ¡°No, Brother. You have bad luck because you have your Elder Brother and me above you.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.

 Chapter 133 - Joke

    <h4>Chapter 133: Joke</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at her brother. There was a smile in her eyes as she put away that contract in her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go to Xiao Yurong from today onward. Whether you cling onto him or force him, as long as he¡¯s willing to take you as his disciple, this contract will be offset. It¡¯s alright if you fail to do that. At most¡­ Eldest Brother and I will have one brother less. It¡¯s nothing,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°You guys are bullying me!¡± Xie Pinghuai was furious.


    Was that how an Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister should be? They were killing him!


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re bullying you, sorry.¡± Xie Qiao nodded lightly and looked at Xie Pinghuai with guilt.


    Xie Pinghuai trembled. He was pissed.


    ¡°H-How could Eldest Sister be worse than Eldest Brother?¡± Xie Pinghuai was in disbelief. ¡°I used to really like you!¡±


    ¡°So you mean¡­ You don¡¯t like me now?!¡± Xie Qiao looked at him with disbelief. Subsequently, she covered her chest and took a step back. Her face paled, and she looked as if she was triggered. It looked terrifying.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ great that you think that.¡± There was joy on Xie Qiao¡¯s pale face. ¡°It¡¯s great to do as you promised. There¡¯s no need to be nice to you.¡±


    She hated to show her feelings. It was too much.


    Xie Pinghuai red with his eyes wide open.


    ¡°Remember what I said. At the academy tomorrow, go to Mr. Xiao¡¯s house, even if you have to crawl there,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Xie Pinghuai could not help but think Xie Qiao was cruel to be saying that calmly and shamelessly.


    Great¡­


    Xie Pinghuai felt like he was going insane.


    However, he could not say anything evil, especially to his Eldest Sister!


    When his Eldest Brother bullied him, he secretly hoped that his Eldest Brother would have his neck snapped one day. However, he could not bring himself to hate his Eldest Sister when she did that!


    Indeed, his Eldest Sister was just too scary.


    She had said something that was terrifying with the gentlest voice. He could not bring himself to hate her!


    Xie Pinghuai cried from feeling wronged.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao left in satisfaction.


    Xie Pinggang was over the moon. ¡°Get silver from Mother when you¡¯ve spent all of it. Eldest Sister and I won¡¯t give you any.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai felt as if the sky had copsed.


    He could no longer live a good life!


    On the second day, a shocking piece of news spread through the Royal Academy.


    The mischievous and out-of-control Second Young Master Xie had brought a box of snacks and stood at Teacher Xiao¡¯s door while smiling. He was kneeling to take him as his master!


    When the news spread, many thought Xie Pinghuai had gone insane.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, your brother sure is daring. He dares to mess with Teacher Xiao¡­¡± Even Qin Liu, who had always been fond of the Xie family, could not help but tease Xie Pinghuai.


    ¡°No, my brother is sincere about taking Mr. Xiao as his master.¡± Xie Qiao looked serious.


    Qin Liu was stunned. ¡°Are you joking? Everyone out there said that Xie Pinghuai lost a bet, and that¡¯s why he did that¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao expected that to happen. Xie Pinghuai had a bad reputation, so nobody would believe that he was sincere about bing a disciple.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think Xie Pinghuai is as bad as people say. I remembered he was quite sensible at the time when he had just enrolled. He would bring fun things to y with others. However, he was being rejected. It was quite a big fuss. Since the academy prohibits fighting, they fought outside.¡±


    Fighting should not be publicized in this academy, or they would be at a loss. They would have to hold things back at the academy.


    ¡°So I¡¯m sure there are many who are making fun of him for wanting to be a disciple? Do you think there will be a bet in a few days?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.

 Chapter 134 - Raised By the Concubine

    <h4>Chapter 134: Raised By the Concubine</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s question stunned Qin Liu. ¡°Even if there is, nobody will bet that he will seed. This bet won¡¯t happen. Also, you don¡¯t understand since you¡¯ve juste to Imperial City. Teacher Xia is rather stubborn. Until now, he has never taken any student under his wing. Even though the students have astounding talents, Teacher Xiao has never been satisfied.¡±


    As soon as one took a disciple, it would mean that they had a half-son. The disciple would be treated differentlypared to the students at the academy. Naturally, one would have to be careful in that.


    If he took a disciple who was a troublemaker as the master, his lifelong reputation would be ruined.


    Therefore, unless Xie Pinghuai had dirt on Teacher Xiao, he would never ept Xie Pinghuai as his disciple.


    However, Xie Qiao was rather excited.


    She was too poor. If someone was willing to bet, she would win a big sum a few monthster.


    It would be inappropriate for Qin Liu to talk more about Xie Pinghuai. After all, she could not find anything topliment him, so she changed the subject instead.


    ¡°About epting disciples, I heard the Crown Prince wanted to take one the past few days. However, we found out that it¡¯s not happening when it was spread. Someone asked today, and Imperial Bodyguard Zhou said it was just fake news. I wonder what happened,¡± Qin Liu said.


    Xie Qiao recalled what Imperial Bodyguard Zhou had said when he looked for her.


    She had a faint feeling that the Crown Prince wanted to take her as his disciple.


    Xie Qiao thought to herself narcissistically. She was just too outstanding.


    However, an otherworldly expert like her did notck a master.


    There were not many who were curious about the Crown Prince wanting to take in a disciple. The reason being he had always been unpredictable. Therefore, nobody knew what to make of it exactly.


    Xie Pinghuai, on the other hand, attracted a lot of attention.


    Xie Pinghuai went to Teacher Xiao¡¯s courtyard again after he was done with one ss. He knelt there and did not get up.


    The passersby were talking about him.


    Fortunately, Xie Pinghuai had thick skin. He did not think that he was embarrassed. He was mainly worried about being hit.


    Xie Qiao went over to take a look. She thought her brother was honest, at least.


    ¡°Ha, I think there¡¯s something wrong with Xie Pinghuai¡¯s head. Now he¡¯s done something that¡¯s even more foolish than what his younger sister did! Who is Teacher Xiao? I suppose he will throw up when he sees Xie Pinghuai!?¡± someone said whileughing among the crowd.


    It would not be embarrassing if Xie Pinghuai begged for a master with the white jade.


    Given his sister¡¯s connection, she could definitely write Xiao Yurong a letter and get him to ept Xie Pinghuai. However, that would be inappropriate.


    It would not be a good thing for Xie Pinghuai if he became a disciple of such a capable master so easily.


    ¡°Lower your voice. Didn¡¯t you see Xie Pinghuai¡¯s sister, Xie Qiao, standing over there? Watch out. She might stir trouble with you!¡± Another person teased.


    That personughed out loud. ¡°Come at me! She doesn¡¯t look too bad. I can marry her and make her my concubine!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked over.


    That person had sharp and yellowish teeth. His hair was thin, while his eyes were hollowed. He was rather dispirited. As for his physique, he had a small head and a big body. Short upper body and long lower body. Hecked in form. People like that had a short life, and he would not live long.


    He spoke boastfully, and his bones were eminent. He must be a spoiled young master at home. That remedied hisck of luck, but he would not live over 40.


    ¡°Poor face, filthy mouth, evil heart, ugly man¡­¡± Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°I suppose your father¡¯s concubine raised you, young master? It doesn¡¯t matter. There are many outstanding bastards in the world. However, young master, you are different. You look like you¡¯re ready to love. You¡¯re interested in many women out there. Perhaps you want those at home who don¡¯t belong to you as well. You¡¯re a disgrace to your family.¡±


    Everyone fell silent as soon as Xie Qiao spoke.


    Meng Jifang had joined the show too, and he was shocked when he heard that.


    ¡°How did you know that his mother is a concubine!? Many have no idea about this!¡± Meng Jifang said by instinct.


    The person Xie Qiao was criticizing was named Yuan Bin. He was the only son at home. The concubine had given birth to him, while his birth was registered under the father¡¯s wife¡¯s name. They told the public that the wife raised him, but the concubine was the one who raised him. The family had the culture of doting on the concubine and silencing the wife!


    Yuan Bin¡¯s cheeks flushed. He was furious and red at Xie Qiao as if there was poison in his eyes.

 Chapter 135 - Exhausted

    <h4>Chapter 135: Exhausted</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked over calmly. She was not worried that Yuan Bin would be angry.


    This person¡¯s parents had negative facial features. The right side of their foreheads was rather nted, and there was a mole. Their foreheads were narrow too.


    From her reading, he was either the son of a concubine, or his father or mother had given birth to him with a cuckold or mistress.


    Thetter was quite impossible. His parents¡¯ facial features were better than his. However, as both of their fates shed with each other¡¯s, Yuan Bian must have been given birth by the concubine but registered under the wife. However, he was not raised by the wife.


    Meng Jifang loved watching the world burn. At that moment, he thought that what Xie Qiao said, in the end, was rather interesting.


    ¡°Ms. Xie, I heard that you grew up at a Taoist temple? Can it be that you can perform physiognomy? What do you mean when you say Yuan Bin looks like he¡¯s ready to love?¡± Meng Jifang paused. ¡°Also, you said that he¡¯s a disgrace to the family¡­ I¡¯m confused about that.¡±


    Yuan Bin was pissed. ¡°Young Lady Xie, I don¡¯t mind hitting women!¡±


    Xie Qiao scoffed and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t have such a reaction when Young Master Yuan made fun of my family.¡±


    What had he said about her?


    He would make her his concubine?


    Although she had a short life, she was picky when it came to men. Yuan Bin had already failed her test based on his face alone.


    The face that she liked had to have a deep and wide Sidu acupuncture point, as well as prominent facial bones. To put it simply, the man must have straight eyes, ears, lips, and nose, as well as a solid forehead, cheekbones, nose tip, and chin. That was the first step of being qualified as a handsome man.


    After that, she would look at the man¡¯s vitality, form, color, and bone structure.


    Yuan Bin had merely spoken, and he had ruined the image that she desired. He wanted to make her his concubine? Oh, he wished.


    Yuan Bin was even more pissed seeing that Xie Qiao was rxed. It was his first time having the impulse to hit a woman. ¡°Xie Qiao, they¡¯re scared of your eldest brother, but I¡¯m not! Do you believe I¡¯ll get someone to propose marriage to your family!? Oh, I heard you¡¯re less loved at home? Do you think your father and brother will agree to it if I pay your family more silver to make you my concubine?¡±


    ¡°Yuan Bin, she only said that you¡¯re a disgrace to your family. I¡¯m still waiting for Young Lady Xie¡¯s exnation. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Meng Jifang said in a rxed manner.


    Xie Qiao had been smiling calmly.


    ¡°Physiognomy is an outstanding skill. How would I know that?¡± Xie Qiao smirked. ¡°I just think that Young Master Yuan¡¯s color is off.


    ¡°Everyone, look at Young Master Yuan. It¡¯s green beneath his eyes. He must be very flirtatious. His eyes are faintly red. The many women around him must have caused it. He walks weakly, meaning he¡¯scking Yang energy. He¡¯s skinny like a stick, so his body is injured.¡± Xie Qiao said like she was reciting a poem, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Young Master Yuan before. However, judging by his exhaustion, if he doesn¡¯t have 11 or 12 concubines at home, there must be at least six of them?¡±


    Xie Qiao seemed naive when she spoke as if she was saying all that just by guessing.


    It was hard on her. As ady, there were things that she could not say.


    For instance, she could not say that Yuan Bin was having sexual intercourse day and night, as well as with every woman he saw. People had to guess to be able to understand what she said.


    The people smiled. They did not take her seriously.


    They thought this Young Lady Xie was just venting her anger.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty urate. Yuan Bin, I remember you have some ten concubines at home, right? You even bought one at the brothelst month.¡± Meng Jifang snickered.


    Yuan Bin seemed rather panicked. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    He could not reveal what he did at home. Moreover, he had yet to marry a wife.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done it, yet you¡¯re worried about people finding out? You sound like you¡¯re worried about embarrassing your family. Can it be that¡­ you did something else too?¡± Meng Jifang chuckled.

 Chapter 136 - Winning A Concubine For Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 136: Winning A Concubine For Nothing</h4>


    Xie Qiao was rather surprised. She did not expect Meng Jifang to be so serious.


    ¡°You believe her nonsense?¡± Yuan Bin snickered. ¡°Everyone here, who else is more humiliating than people from the Xie family? They¡¯re born bandits. How are they any good? If a person who is unskilled and always ying with crickets bes Teacher Xiao¡¯s disciple, I¡¯ll chop off my head!¡±


    ¡°Sure. Since Young Master Yuan is so boastful, I can¡¯t lose my family¡¯s dignity either.¡± Xie Qiao scoffed. ¡°Young Master Yuan is so frivolous. I bet that you¡¯ll be ruined by a woman within three days, having your reputation destroyed! People will hate you! You¡¯ll be hiding by then. Naturally, you won¡¯t see the day my brother bes a disciple!¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡ª¡± Yuan Bin was entertained.


    It was so foolish to fight with a girl.


    ¡°Do you really think you can read one¡¯s fate and all that nonsense you said? I¡¯ll be ruined by a woman? People will hate me!? Three days, you said? Sure. If I¡¯m all good three dayster, you¡¯ll be my concubine. How about that?¡± Yuan Bin smiled sarcastically.


    Was it not normal that he had a couple of concubines at home?


    Which men did not have a couple of women around to have fun with? She dared to mock him for exhausting his body!


    This Xie Qiao was a beauty!


    If she was a b*stard, she might marry him if he was to propose marriage to make her his concubine.


    It did not matter. It was the same if he managed to persuade her to marry him out of impulse in the presence of so many people!


    Yuan Bin¡¯s eyes betrayed a glint of lust as he thought to himself.


    ¡°How is it, Young Lady Xie? If my reputation isn¡¯t destroyed in three days, it¡¯ll prove that you used and ndered me. It makes sense that you shouldpensate me, right?¡±


    Meng Jifang frowned.


    The rest thought Yuan Bian was being a bully too.


    The youngdy was just venting as her brother was being bullied. How could he be so calctive?


    Also¡­


    In reality, what Xie Qiao said seemed to be the truth. Yuan Bin was weak when he walked. He seemed like he had ¡°overused¡± his body.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness. ¡°If your reputation remains the same in the next three days, I¡¯ll be your concubine. However, what if Young Master Yuan bes the person that everyone hates? Will you apologize to my brother and me? My request isn¡¯t too much. Just kowtow ten times to the both of us.¡±


    As soon as Xie Qiao said that, the rest looked at her as if they were looking at a fool.


    Could it be that this Young Lady Xie was dumb like her younger sister?


    It was possible since the sisters¡­ were Xie Niushan¡¯s children?


    Yuan Bin was over the moon. He would win a concubine for nothing!


    Not only that, but she was also a fourth-grade official¡¯s direct daughter, a coquettish beauty. Although he did not like her temper, she was pretty. Look at her waist. Tsk, tsk. He wondered how it would feel when he had his hands on her.


    ¡°Everyone heard that. She said that herself! I¡¯ll get a sedan chair to pick her up three dayster. Don¡¯t say that I bullied her by then!¡± Yuan Bin yelled.


    Meng Jifang nced at Xie Qiao, feeling it was a pity. He wanted to get this youngdy to teach him how to tame horses!


    Those people were standing outside of Teacher Xiao¡¯s courtyard. Xie Pinghuai could not hear what they were saying at all. He merely heard noisy chatter out there and was upset.


    These people must be making fun of him!


    Xie Pinghuai knelt for a little bit, and he returned to ss since it did not work. He was dumbstruck as soon as he got out of the courtyard.


    The reason being¡­ many people told him that his eldest sister would be Yuan Bin¡¯s concubine!


    Who was Yuan Bin!?


    He was a shameless good-for-nothing! After enrolling in the academy, Yuan Bin had started bullying Xie Pinghuai. He even beat Xie Pinghuai just because he was a few years older than him!

 Chapter 137 - Laughingstock

    <h4>Chapter 137: Laughingstock</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai felt terrible now.


    ¡°Eldest Sister! How could you agree to such an unreasonable condition? Are you dumb?!¡± Xie Pinghuai almost rushed to Orchid Courtyard and dragged Xie Qiao out to yell at her.


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Speak properly.¡±


    Where was his demeanor? He was like a grasshopper jumping around.


    ¡°Eldest Sister!¡± Xie Pinghuai was pissed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Yuan Bin is shameless? He¡¯ll do as he said. He¡¯ll really pick you up on a sedan chair by then. If you don¡¯t go with him, he¡¯ll let everyone in the Imperial City know that you go back on your words after losing a bet. Will anyone still want to marry you by then?!¡±


    ¡°My dear brother, it¡¯s just a bet. It doesn¡¯t matter if I lose. However, we can¡¯t lose our dignity. He said that you wouldn¡¯t be a disciple. That¡¯s just too much.¡± Xie Qiao looked angry.


    ¡°But I really can¡¯t make it, can I?! Teacher Xiao didn¡¯t see me today, nor did he speak to me!¡± Xie Pinghuai was aware of his own abilities. ¡°Eldest Sister, there¡¯s no need to challenge him like this?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was really worried.


    After all, his eldest sister had even given him a wee gift, though it had been taken away¡­


    Also, although she would bully her, she was pretty. All of his family members werecking in wisdom. It was rare that there was a youngdy whose beauty suppressed everyone in the family. How pitiful would it be if they lost her¡­


    After all, his eldest sister really looked weak and innocent while he was a man. If he dragged her into his trouble, he would actually feel upset.


    Xie Pinghuai looked panicked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I think it¡¯s quite interesting.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Moreover, why don¡¯t you believe that bad things would happen to him?¡±


    ¡°How are you so calm when such a thing has happened!?¡±


    He panicked!


    His eldest sister¡¯s temper¡­


    Ah¡­ Xie Pinghuai was panicking, but Xie Qiao was still¡­ so rxed as if the bet had nothing to do with her!


    Xie Pinghuai felt horrible.


    Xie Qiao was not listening to him. It made him feel like he was punching a bag of cotton. He fell into a daze from the confusion and panic.


    It was his first time having such an emotion since he was born!


    There was nothing that he could do about Xie Qiao. He could not hit her, nor did he dare to scold her. He still had to butter up Teacher Xiao.


    A day had passed, but he did not even see the teacher.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s bet became aughingstock for the people at the academy. She wasbeled as naive and foolish now. Everyone would smile at the same time every time the Xie family was brought up. It was sarcastic.


    Xie Qiao did not panic at all.


    A big part of the bamboo forest at the East Courtyard had been chopped. Xie Qiao was too busy, so she handed the blueprint to an imperial guard outside the courtyard and left.


    The forest was huge. After the bamboo forest was chopped, the venttion was much better now. The nts¡¯ fragrance lingered in the air now.


    The Crown Prince took over the blueprint and nced at it. He would have to dig a drain and build a few tiny bridges. The trees in the courtyard would have to be reced with mahogany trees, peach trees, and cypress trees. There were only a few willow trees drawn next to the drain.


    To put it simply, the blueprint did not look good. Fortunately, a few parterres were vacant. He should be able to nt some flowers over there.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not reject the blueprint after looking at it. ¡°Just do as Young Lady Xie drew. Nobody is allowed to change it. Where¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°She has left.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was direct.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked down, and his voice was deep. ¡°I heard amotion when I went out today. Talking about a concubine or something¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, it was Young Lady Xie who stood up for her brother and argued with Young Master Yuan. They somehow made a bet. If Young Lady Xie loses, a sedan chair will be sent to bring her to the Yuan family to be a concubine.¡±

 Chapter 138 - Adding Insult to Injury

    <h4>Chapter 138: Adding Insult to Injury</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing held a jade cup in his hand. It was green. His slender fingers brushed over the cup faintly.


    There was no expression on his face as he slowly asked, ¡°Which Young Master Yuan?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, he¡¯s the first grandson of Zhangtai Pce Grand Secretariat¡¯s first son. His father¡¯s position, on the other hand, isn¡¯t exactly high,¡± Zhou Weizong said immediately.


    ¡°Oh, that Young Master Yuan who called me a cripple years back¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing chuckled with coldness in his voice.


    Zhou Weizong was stunned.


    Had Young Master Yuan said that? Howe he had no idea about that?


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was currently in a blur. However, since he had grown up with the Crown Prince, he immediately knew what he meant. He did not like that Young Master Yuan!


    ¡°Should I get his parents to teach him a lesson?¡± asked Zhou Weizong.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Young Lady Xie make a bet with him? I heard she said he would have his reputation ruined.¡± Zhao Xuanjing chuckled. His voice carried hints of coldness and tranquility.


    Zhou Weizong was secretly cracking his head.


    What did His Highness mean exactly?


    ¡°So should I¡­ help Half-Immortal Xie¡­ win?¡± Zhou Weizong asked in a testing manner.


    ¡°No. If Young Lady Xie finds out, she will think that I don¡¯t believe in her fortune-telling skill,¡± replied Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhou Weizong was rendered speechless. Then what did the Crown Prince want him to do?!


    Zhao Xuanjing put down the cup and looked at the tea on the side. ¡°The tea is cold. Get someone to add fire to boil it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Weizong nodded immediately and got someone to take the tea. He came to a realization as soon as the tea reached the door!


    ¡®Add fire!? So he wants me to add fire to the situation!


    ¡®Since Half-Immortal Xie dared to make a bet, she must be confident. Does His Highness mean to add fuel to the situation and beat Yuan Bin, adding insult to injury?¡¯


    ¡°Your Highness, do you¡­¡±


    ¡®Like Young Lady Xie?¡¯


    He even wanted Xie Qiao to be his disciple earlier.


    ¡°That b*stard from the Yuan family criticized me secretly. Should I punish him?¡± Zhao Yuanjing leaned on the grandmaster chair and looked at his right hand a little angrily. His gentle voice came again. ¡°Did Young Lady Xie look at my arm thest time she came?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Zhou Weizong could not recall.


    Zhao Xuanjing revealed a smile.


    That was right. She had not looked.


    Since she hade to the Imperial City, how could she not know that he was a cripple?


    Everyone in the world would look at his right arm by instinct, no matter if they were daring or not, whenever they saw him. She was the only one who would look at his face asionally.


    Perhaps she nced at his arm, but she did not stare.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you said Young Lady Xie¡¯s brother wants to take someone as his master. What¡¯s with that?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly thought. ¡°Who is it? Xiao Yurong?¡±


    ¡°Teacher Xiao ignores himpletely. The brother was kneeling for four hours out there yesterday, and he didn¡¯t even manage to speak to him. You already know about the Xie family¡¯s background. When ites to educating children, that Xie Niushan has indeed failed. If not for the Grand Preceptor taking care of them these years, someone would¡¯ve found dirt on the Xie family. They would¡¯ve long been chased out of the Imperial City.¡± Imperial Bodyguard Zhou became gossipy immediately.


    Zhao Xuanjing lifted his brows and nced at Zhou Weizong. ¡°I heard Xie Pinggang solved a big case.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was stunned. ¡°He¡¯s from the Criminal Division. Isn¡¯t it normal for him to solve cases?¡±


    ¡°He should be promoted by now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing pursed his lips. ¡°Young Lady Xie is pretty wise. She¡¯s mature, as well as charismatic. Since they have the same mother, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not too bad. Keep an eye on him secretly, and don¡¯t let others take his credit.¡±

 Chapter 139 - One Cannot Become Useful Without Being Educated

    <h4>Chapter 139: One Cannot Be Useful Without Being Educated</h4>


    Now that Zhao Xuanjing had returned to the Imperial City, it would not make sense for him to do nothing. He had to do something.


    He had been to the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, and Ministry of Justice, but he had never been to the Criminal Division.


    The matters handled by the Criminal Division and Ministry of Justice were simr, but the Criminal Division handled a wider range of matters. Although they did inspections too, they did investigations mainly.


    Zhao Xuanjing was rather absentminded. It was the first time Imperial Bodyguard Zhou felt he could not catch up to His Highness¡¯ footsteps.


    His Highness had a lot in mind, and those thoughts were changing quickly.


    Within a blink of an eye, Zhao Xuanjing was out. He headed straight to Teacher Xiao¡¯s courtyard.


    As expected, he saw the boy who was kneeling out there. He nced and said nothing before entering the house.


    Xiao Yurong was ying chess with himself.


    ¡°So the kid outside your door will be your first disciple?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said right away. ¡°Not bad. I came specially to celebrate that, as well as to drink your wine.¡±


    Xiao Yurong lifted his eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t epted any. Can it be that you want him? If you do, just take him. I really don¡¯t want him.¡±


    ¡®That one out there¡­ is worrying.¡¯


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    Xiao Yurong stopped moving. He then stored the chess pieces in the box. ¡°Are you joking with me, Your Highness? Won¡¯t I get into trouble if you take him? I got people to investigate. That kid is always ying with animals, a spoiled brat. If not for Senior Sister Mo¡­¡±


    He felt terrible as he thought about it.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just holding back for now, and you¡¯ll take him in sooner orter, right?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s tone was calm, but there was a hint of satisfaction in it.


    Xiao Yurong thought it was ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ept him. But one cannot be useful without being educated. If I don¡¯t teach him a lesson now, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll stir trouble in the future. Senior Sister said she owed the Xie family a favor. Thus, she asked me to teach Xie Pinghuai. This stubborn one is really a problem for me.¡±


    However, it had been many years, and it was the first time his Eldest Senior Sister had asked a favor from him. It would be rude not to do it.


    Zhao Xuanjing said nothing. He sat with his legs crossed and stared at the chess.


    Xiao Yurong wore a white robe, and he looked charismatic and sophisticated. He was 29 this year, but he was still single. He looked more otherworldly now.


    However, every time he thought he looked otherworldly, he would hold back whenever he saw Zhao Xuanjing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll naturally see Master again when he has time. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said in a neutral manner. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He put down a white chess piece and took away a ck chess piece with a smile on his face.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s eyelids witched.


    Zhao Xuanjing had taken advantage of him while he was talking?


    This b*stard!


    ¡°However, I heard that Senior Sister Mo is weak, while Master is still strong. He¡¯s still traveling. It¡¯s nothing too difficult for him to live 20 more years. If Senior Sister leaves first, then we¡¯re destined to not meet,¡± added Xiao Yurong.


    Zhao Xuanjing lifted his head and looked at him with aplicated expression. ¡°Can it be that you¡¯re still thinking about her because of the simple wee gift back then? That¡¯s why you¡¯re still single!?¡±


    Xiao Yurong blushed.


    What did this guy know?


    Xiao Yurong had been born poor, and he had achieved nothing when he was young. At the age of 20, he had joined the sect with the Crown Prince, who had only been 11. Three monthster, the legendary Eldest Senior Sister had sent two wee gifts.


    The thing Senior Sister Mo had given was extraordinarily simple.


    He was the disciple of a famous Master, so everyone gave expensive gifts. He had secretly been over the moon¡ªit made sense that he was proud. At the critical moment, he had received the peach wood sword his Eldest Senior Sister had sent, which gave him humility.


    A gentleman used a sword, while a humble man used one that was made out of peach wood.


    It was to teach the both of them to always remember their roots.


    They had heard from their Master that Mo Chusheng, Senior Sister Mo was¡­ very humble, hardworking, gentle, and¡­ cute.

 Chapter 140 - Chase You Out of the Sect

    <h4>Chapter 140: Chase You Out of the Sect</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing could not get used to Xiao Yurong admitting to what he had said in silence.


    ¡°Master said Senior Sister Mo is different from ordinary people. She¡¯s been weak since young, but she¡¯s tough. She has never bowed to anyone. She didn¡¯te from a wealthy family, but she¡¯s living a rxed life. She has outstanding talent and learns fast no matter what it is. I¡¯ve never met such a genius until now. I thought it¡¯s a shame.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡°I think you should get yourself a wife soon.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at him with an underlying meaning. He had pity on his face.


    ¡°What do you mean? Can it be that Senior Sister is dying? Didn¡¯t Master say that she¡¯s still thriving?¡± Xiao Yurong panicked immediately.


    He held Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s wrist in a panic.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned and nced at his wrist. He then moved his hand aside in annoyance. ¡°If you¡¯re suitable for her, Master would¡¯ve matched the both of you in the beginning. Why would there be no news after so many years? Since Master said nothing and even stopped us from meeting each other, you should just give up.¡±


    Their Master doted on Mo Chusheng.


    In the early years that he had been teaching them, he would mention Mo Chusheng with every chance he got.


    However, whenever Xiao Yurong suggested meeting Eldest Senior Sister in the Imperial City, their Master¡¯s expression would change.


    Clearly, Xiao Yurong was not the suitable man for Mo Chusheng in their Master¡¯s mind.


    And that peach wood sword¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing recalled the surprise he felt when he had received the gift. He had thought it was unbelievable.


    The craftsmanship was mediocre, and it was even prickly sometimes. The words engraved on it did not flow. It was like a toy that a kid had made.


    He had been suspecting that it was a mistake that they had received that gift.


    Perhaps Senior Sister Mo had married, and her children made the peach wood swords, so she gave them as gifts to share the joy?


    How would Xiao Yurong give up so easily?


    ¡°I want to hear Senior Sister Mo say that herself.¡± Xiao Yurong was still stubborn. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve always wanted to be like Master¡ªto teach and travel. Don¡¯t worry. If Senior Sister Mo doesn¡¯t like me, I won¡¯t insist.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and smiled. He had never worried about it.


    Xiao Yurong frowned and began to nag. ¡°On the other hand, you, the Crown Prince, should get yourself a Princess Consort soon. You¡¯ve been putting that off for years, and the Emperor allows that. If you want to maintain your position, shouldn¡¯t you work harder on passing the legacy?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing leaned back, his face betraying a nonchnt expression.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry,¡± said Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xiao Yurong nced at the Crown Prince¡¯s arm by instinct.


    Zhao Xuanjing was especially sensitive to such judgemental stares.


    Nheless, he did not bother to argue about it. At that moment, he knew that Xiao Yurong had no ill intentions. However, he had lost interest significantly. He put the chess pieces back to the box, and his slender body stood up.


    At that moment, the atmosphere became rather suppressive.


    Xiao Yurong was rmed.


    If the Crown Prince¡¯s arm was not crippled, would there be one more Emperor that would be remembered for an eternity in this world?


    He recalled the time when the Crown Prince had joined the sect at the age of 11. He was talented, and nobody couldpare with him. His words were wise, and he was well-versed in everything, including horseback archery. Even their Master had said that apart from Mo Chusheng, he liked the Crown Prince the most in the world.


    Unfortunately, the heavens were jealous of geniuses.


    As Xiao Yurong thought to himself, he sensed that His Highness seemed to have nced at him.


    He felt a chill all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about my Senior Sister Mo¡­¡±


    He gave himself away by concealing the truth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that she¡¯s my Senior Sister too. You should stop thinking about her, Senior Brother Xiao. Otherwise, Master will have to write a letter from far away to get me to help him to chase you out of the sect.¡±

 Chapter 141 - Make Her Yield

    <h4>Chapter 141: Make Her Yield</h4>


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He saw Zhao Xuanjing get up to leave. He stopped when he arrived at the door, like a rock blocking there. Zhao Xuanjing turned his head to red at him with contempt and said, ¡°A rabbit doesn¡¯t foul its own hole. The old saying is on point. We¡¯re from the same sect. How would Senior Brother have such a thought? You¡¯re really an animal. I heard the academy has recently acquired Master Yuan Wei¡¯s The Joy of Living painting. The animals were painted wonderfully. I checked it out two days ago, and I thought all of them looked like you. You should copy it, Senior Brother.¡±


    He walked out directly after he was done speaking.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s eyelids twitched. He looked at the table not far away slowly.


    The Joy of Living painting¡­


    He had just gotten someone to send it here today. He thought he would copy it¡­


    Suddenly, he could no longer bring himself to do it.


    When Zhao Xuanjing left, he walked past Xie Pinghuai.


    How was he kneeling? He was almost lying on the ground with his head tilted. He was sleeping while kneeling and even drooled all over the ground.


    ¡°What a kid. It¡¯s perfect for him to take that blockhead Xiao Yurong as his Master.¡± Zhao Xuanjing lifted his brows and chuckled.


    The two sons from the Xie family, Xie Pinggang and Xie Pinghuai, were like fire. They were hot-headed, direct, and decisive. They would not daydream of nonsense.


    Xiao Yurong imed to be as peaceful as water. He should let this fire into his peaceful water and let some bubbles boil in it.


    People heard what Zhao Xuanjing said casually.


    At that moment, many were confused about what the Crown Prince meant.


    Could it be that¡­


    Teacher Xiao had agreed to ept Xie Pinghuai; thus, the Crown Prince said that?


    However, if he agreed, why would he let Xie Pinghuai continue kneeling?


    Yuan Bin cared nothing about that. He merely snickered in sarcasm when he heard what the Crown Prince said, ¡°His Highness is a genius, while Teacher Xiao is famous. Perhaps His Highness hasn¡¯t liked Teacher Xiao since the beginning, so he said that. If the Xie family took it seriously, they¡¯d be real fools!¡±


    The person next to him asked, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about His Highness. Let¡¯s talk about you¡­ Meng Jifang seemed to be siding with Xie Qiao yesterday. Would that be alright?¡±


    ¡°Who is this Meng Jifang to be able to stick his nose into my business of marrying a concubine? Moreover, it was Xie Qiao who agreed to it herself. Meng Jifang is a nobody. What right does he have to do anything?¡± Yuan Bin was daring.


    The people around him nodded.


    His good friend said immediately in concern, ¡°Should you be more careful within these three days? I think we better not drink today?¡±


    Yuan Bin was entertained upon hearing that.


    ¡°When did you be a coward? I¡¯m not scared, why are you scared? Do you really take what Xie Qiao said seriously?¡± Yuan Bin shook his head. ¡°Not only will I drink, but I¡¯ll also do it in a high profile! I¡¯ll make her yield!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go to Feihua Pavilion today. I heard there¡¯s an auction of courtesans today.¡±


    The school was over now, so Yuan Bin led a group of people to the streets.


    His journey to Feihua Pavilion was smooth.


    The auction of courtesans had begun.


    Yuan Bin was the Yuan family¡¯s first son¡¯s only son. He was loaded with money and generous to have paid for a night at the brothel with 200 taels of silver.


    A bunch of people led him to the courtesan¡¯s room.


    The courtesan was very beautiful. He had never seen her before, so that ignited Yuan Bin¡¯s burning desire. He removed his outer garment as soon as the door was closed. His cheeks blushed from the wine, and he looked lecherous.


    The courtesan held his arm while holding red silk on the other hand. They took one step after another until she led him to the window.


    Yuan Bin walked over with messy steps and threw himself at her¡­


    ¡°Ahh¡ª¡±

 Chapter 142 - Strange, Indeed

    <h4>Chapter 142: Strange, Indeed</h4>


    The courtesan suddenly turned to Yuan Bin¡¯s back and wrapped the red silk around his neck. Nobody knew where she got the strength, but she pushed him to the window!


    The red silk dragged onto Yuan Bin¡¯s body while strangling his neck. At that moment, his face flushed from being strangled.


    The loud noise caught the attention of the people outside Feihua Pavilion.


    They lifted their heads to look and were shocked.


    Suddenly, amotion was created.


    At present, Yuan Bin was only wearing underwear. His protruding rib cage could be seen on his fair, skinny body. He stood straight, while he could not stop pulling the red silk with his hands. He could barely breathe.


    ¡°H-Help me¡­¡±


    His voice was panicky, and he felt as if he was going to die.


    He would not die if he fell from the second floor. However, if nobody saved him, the red silk would strangle him to death!


    Moreover, behind him¡­ was a crazydy.


    The courtesan seemed to be shocked that she managed to do that so easily. She climbed onto the window after tying both ends of the red silk on the room¡¯s pirs. She then drew a dagger.


    ¡°Young Master Yuan, I can¡¯t believe you came after I¡¯ve juste to Feihua Pavilion for a few days. You live up to your fame of being promiscuous!¡± The courtesan seemed a little insane.


    Yuan Bin had goosebumps. ¡°W-Who are you!? I don¡¯t know you¡­¡±


    The courtesan suddenly yelled, ¡°Of course you don¡¯t know me! But you know my sister. She was your father¡¯s concubine!¡±


    Someone had called the guards out there.


    However, that did not stop everyone from watching the show.


    They were surprised to hear what the courtesan said. They did not expect Feihua Pavilion¡¯s courtesan to have family affairs with this wealthy young master!


    Yuan Bin felt even more troubled now.


    Which concubine was she talking about¡­?


    Although his father was not fond of beauty as much as he was, he had at least five to six concubines.


    ¡°My sister is Ye Xinghua! She only entered the Yuan Residence two years ago and became your father¡¯s concubine! However, she died three months ago!¡± The courtesan yelled again and said to the people out there, ¡°The people the Yuan family sent told me that my sister died of an infection!


    ¡°Is that the truth? I knew it wasn¡¯t! My sister came home before she died. She told me that this animal molested his stepmother! You guys bullied my sister. She didn¡¯t want to yield, so you guys hit, forced, and threatened her! I waited outside the Yuan Residence for two months and bribed a servant. That was how I found out that my sister hung herself. It was you!¡±


    The courtesan was shrieking. She looked very pitiful.


    Yuan Bin thought he was even more pitiful. He was dying as he could not stop pulling the red silk.


    However, as soon as he let go, the red silk would strangle his neck. He would die soon if that happened!


    The people who came with Yuan Bin were scared out of their wits. They were trying to save him.


    However, that courtesan looked scary and was very close to Yuan Bin. They were worried that she would break down and stab Yuan Bin¡¯s head directly.


    ¡°The people from the Yuan family are unreasonable. My sister was a good concubine, but you guys tortured her! I looked for Master Yuan, but he said I was stirring troubles, that all I want is money!¡± The courtesan broke down as she recounted this.


    She then red at Yuan Bin viciously and suddenly grinned. ¡°My sister entered your family two years ago. She was young, healthy, and blooming. However, she couldn¡¯t bear any children. The Yuan family¡¯s first son only has you, the only son¡­ Strange, that¡¯s strange, indeed!


    ¡°My sister wanted to bear a child. She went to see a doctor, and the doctor said she was fine. Can it be that something is wrong with Master Yuan!? It must be, look at him! A concubine gave birth to him, but he¡¯s registered under the wife!


    ¡°Oh, speaking of concubines¡­ My sister told me that your mother used to be a mistress. She was only brought back to the residence after you were born. You were born out of wedlock. Whose son are you exactly!?¡±

 Chapter 143 - Almost Died

    <h4>Chapter 143: Almost Died</h4>


    The courtesan was not done yet.


    She said while smiling in a maniacal manner, ¡°Master Yuan can¡¯t bear a child, and he¡¯s treating a b*stard as his darling. This b*stard spends his money and even wanted to have sex with his concubine! Hahaha¡­¡±


    Yuan Bin had chills all over his body.


    Nonsense!


    This woman was spewing nonsense.


    The courtesan touched Yuan Bin¡¯s face and looked down. The guards had arrived.


    ¡°Nobody has been taking care of me since my sister died. My brother wanted to marry me off at a high price, so I thought I¡¯d sell my body!¡± Tears had filled the courtesan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Look, everyone is watching you.


    ¡°You b*stard.¡± The courtesan chuckled after whispering that into his ear.


    She then lifted the dagger and slit her own throat!


    She would not kill Yuan Bin. If she did, people would say that she and her sister were the troublemakers. One had seduced Young Master Yuan, while the other killed him.


    However, it would be a different story if she died. With him alive, people would be questioning his birth forever. They would question if he had the blood of adultery inside of him. Even Master Yuan would question it if he heard rumors like that.


    Her sister was dead, and she had no more family. She had lost her virginity from working at the brothel, so she would rather die.


    The spraying of fresh blood shocked everyone.


    Even the guards holding bows and arrows beneath could not help but take a step back.


    After a few breaths of time, they rushed to the second floor and pulled Yuan Bin down.


    He finally managed to breathe. He kicked the dead body that was still twitching cruelly and shouted at the window, ¡°This b*tch was spewing nonsense! I can get whatever woman I want. Why would I flirt with my stepmother!?¡±


    The crowd was whispering to themselves beneath.


    Naturally, they dared not say it openly.


    Yuan Bin felt his head buzzing. ¡°I want to go home. Send me home!¡±


    The guards sent him home immediately and handled the courtesan¡¯s body. It was a mess at the Feihua Pavilion. The crowded ce was now horrifying.


    The news spread out there within a short period¡ªwhen Yuan Bin was sent from the brothel to the Yuan Residence.


    Something was wrong with Master Yuan¡¯s body¡ªhe could not bear a child. It sounded like the truth the more one thought about it. Some people even wanted the proof.


    The Yuan family¡¯s first wife¡¯s son was already 40 this year. He had five to six wives and concubines at home. Excluding the maidservants, he only had one child, Yuan Bin, after so many years!


    Master Yuan had even registered Yuan Bin under his wife!


    Moreover, the courtesan was right.


    Young Master Yuan¡¯s mother used to live outside indeed.


    It was said that Master Yuan had been keeping a mistress out there since all the women at home could not bear a child. After Yuan Bin¡¯s birth, Master Yuan had made the mistress his concubine!


    Could anyone trust a mistress?


    Perhaps there was another man involved!


    Master Yuan came home four hours after Yuan Bin¡¯s return. He pped Yuan Bin as soon as he entered.


    ¡°Xinghua killed herself because of you!?¡± Master Yuan was furious. He felt heartbroken whenever he thought of his concubine.


    ¡°Father! I almost died today. Why did you listen to that nonsense out there!? I¡¯m your son. My mother has always loved you. She had always been obedient when she was out there. She had never done anything bad behind your back!¡± Yuan Bin did not care about anything now. At present, his birth was the most important thing!


    He was sure that he was the Yuan family¡¯s child!


    He and his father shared many of the same interests!


    To be honest, Master Yuan¡¯s faith was shaken at the moment.


    If this had happened years back, he definitely would not have doubted it. However, it had been too long since he had a mistress out there. He had forgotten how the mistress was like when she was living out there back then.


    Could it be that he was really a cuckold!?

 Chapter 144 - Unlucky Face

    <h4>Chapter 144: Unlucky Face</h4>


    Yuan Bin knew that his father had made a mistake judging by his expression.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m at fault. I shouldn¡¯t have done that to Xinghua, but it was her who seduced me! Was I wrong? The sisters were terrible! She even ndered me before she died! Don¡¯t you know yourself that I¡¯m your son? Look how simr we look! We look exactly the same!¡±


    Only now did Master Yuan calm down.


    That was right. He was the son that he had been raising for years. His eyes were simr to his when he was younger.


    Moreover, if he really suspected where his son came from due to the rumors that were spread out there, he would really be aughingstock. Not only would he be called a cuckold, but he would be known as the man who was infertile!


    Master Yuan frowned and said, ¡°Alright. Look at you, kneeling like a coward! It¡¯s chaotic out there. Stay home. Don¡¯t go to the academy for now.¡±.


    Gossip could be really scary.


    So what if he believed his son? Others might not think the same!


    And the d*mn matter about the stepmother¡­


    Ms. Ye was not the Yuan family¡¯s concubine but a good citizen who had signed the concubinage document. People in the imperial court might report her regarding this.


    Everyone on the street knew about Yuan Bin¡¯s matter. Naturally, it spread to the academy as well.


    Many recalled what Xie Qiao had said and felt a sudden chill!


    It must be a coincidence, right?


    Xie Qiao had bet that Yuan Bin¡¯s reputation would be ruined within three days¡­ It was only the second day yesterday!


    Yuan Bin¡¯s reputation¡­ was definitely ruined now!


    He had made his stepmother kill herself! It was a big burden that he had to bear. Also¡­ he might be a child of adultery¡­


    Xie Qiao had performed physiognomy on Yuan Bin before. She had not said that his father was someone else, so he should be the Yuan family¡¯s child.


    However, the Yuan family could not prove themselves no matter what. As such, they felt even more wronged because of that.


    It was no wonder that the courtesan had killed herself directly. If she was still alive, people would make up more rumors about her. Now that she was dead, there was no witness or proof. She would rather die in order to reveal Yuan Bin¡¯s evildoings. What she had said made the people doubt the Yuan family even more.


    One could say that Yuan Bin¡¯s future was definitely ruined now!


    ¡°Eldest Sister!¡± Xie Pinghuai almost ran all the way to Xie Qiao.


    He was flushing. ¡°Yuan Bin is finished! Hahaha, you¡¯re amazing, Eldest Sister. How did you know that bad things would happen to him within three days? Everyone is talking about him out there, saying that he¡¯s not the Yuan family¡¯s child!


    ¡°They were convincing! Some even said that they saw Yuan Bin¡¯s mother over ten years ago. They said his mother was intimate with a fishmonger!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was loud, so everyone looked at him.


    He was not the only one who was curious.


    Everyone had been thinking since yesterday morning that Xie Qiao would be someone¡¯s concubine. How long had it been, and Yuan Bin had stirred such big trouble now!?


    Nobody saw Yuan Bin today!


    Xie Qiao looked unfathomable, ¡°Heaven¡¯s secrets should not be revealed.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Tell me, Eldest Sister. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I was just guessing, okay? We can¡¯t lose our dignity, so I just cursed him casually.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, looking harmless.


    She was ady, so how could she perform fortune-telling?


    ¡°You¡¯re in luck, Eldest Sister. You almost lost yourself to a bet,¡± Xie Pinghuai mumbled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t just guess simply. That Yuan Bin looks like a bad guy. I¡¯m an official¡¯s daughter, and he dared to flirt with me. Judging by that, he must¡¯ve done many bad things. No one can avoid his shoes being wet if they¡¯re always walking along the riverside. Also, he had an unlucky face. I had a feeling that he would fall into an unfortunate eventtely,¡± Xiao Qiao analyzed.

 Chapter 145 - Integrity

    <h4>Chapter 145: Integrity</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai kept nodding.


    Before today, he thought he would definitely die.


    If his eldest sister lost the bet with Yuan Bin because of him, he would be at a loss as well! His father would definitely chase him out of the house!


    Fortunately, he was safe now.


    The rest who listened attentively thought it was unbelievable.


    Yuan Bin must have lost everything this time, right? Meanwhile, Xie Qiao had merely been guessing!?


    ¡°Oh yeah, doesn¡¯t Yuan Bin owe us ten kowtows?¡± Xie Qiao asked in all seriousness.


    Xie Pinghuai pped. ¡°That¡¯s right! Should I talk to him? Wouldn¡¯t it be terrible? He¡¯s hiding at home and dares note out now¡­¡±


    Although Xie Pinghuai said that, his eyes were filled with excitement.


    How could he not get Yuan Bin to do that? It was he who had lost the bet!


    Since his eldest sister was pretty, she perhaps may be soft-hearted as well. Thus, he thought he would ask.


    ¡°Sure, it was a bet. Someone wins, and someone loses. Since we won, we can¡¯t let him get away with it just because he¡¯s pitiful. However, I¡¯ve some errands to run in the afternoon. Go to the Yuan Residence to remind him. I¡¯ll wait for him at the academy tomorrow. I must receive the ten kowtows.¡± Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness.


    Everyone was astounded upon hearing that.


    They suddenly had a certain perception of this Young Lady Xie now.


    Weak?


    That did not exist.


    Look at Yuan Bin¡¯s current predicament! Everyone hated him. They had even heard that some people had thrown vegetables outside the Yuan Residence!


    If this happened to someone else, they would not care about the insignificant bet. However, she was persistent!


    After obtaining Xie Qiao¡¯s approval, Xie Pinghuai was like a big swan that had won a battle. He walked away after ncing at everyone in the ss with his head and chest up.


    ¡®That jerk Yuan Bin will have to kowtow to me!¡¯


    It was quiet at the Orchid Courtyard. Even Xia Yayun, who had always been chattery, held back and kept quiet now.


    Xie Qiao turned her head to look at them and smiled lightly. She was liberal as she spoke. ¡°Sorry that you guys had to see that. I¡¯m teaching my Brother about integrity.¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at Xia Yayun with aplicated expression. It was uncertain whether she was smiling after she was done speaking.


    Xia Yayun felt uneasy. She red back viciously before looking away.


    She and Xie Qiao had made a bet too¡ªthe 500 silver beans donation.


    If Xie Qiao failed to collect it, she would have to leave Orchid Courtyard. If she managed to do that, Xia Yayun would have to leave.


    Xia Yayun suddenly felt uneasy.


    ¡®How many silver beans does Xie Qiao have now?


    ¡®She won around 60 at the swordsmanshippetition, right? I think she¡¯s been copying bookstely. I wonder what kind of books she¡¯s copying and how many silver beans she¡¯s getting.


    ¡®Oh, she¡¯s always away at noon¡­ Perhaps she¡¯s off to do some assignments.¡¯


    Xia Yayun suddenly felt uneasy, so she secretly stalked Xie Qiao in the afternoon. She saw Xie Qiao walking to the stable and bringing a few horses out a momentter. She watched the horses running around the field in a rxed manner. Those horses¡­


    Xia Yayun was dumbfounded.


    She recognized that the few horses had different saddles on them. They were the fiercest ones in the academy. They had kicked many people, and they were considered ownerless horses.


    Xie Qiao was responsible for taking care of them!?


    She wondered how many silver beans Xie Qiao was making from that per day.


    She thought Xie Qiao looked like a good-for-nothing, that she definitely could not find any assignments that she could handle. However, now it seemed¡­ different from what she had imagined.


    Xia Yayun felt rather guilty, and her heart sank when she thought about the bet she had made with Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was serious. If she managed to gather the donation, perhaps she would be even more proud by then.


    It was quite an easy task to take care of the horses. She did not think it was embarrassing. After all, the academy prohibited the presence of maidservants. There were even more embarrassing chores that the students were willing to do.


    Moreover, when she took care of the horses, all she had to do was to watch. Sometimes she would ride on the horse and get it to walk slower. She could even read a few books while at it.


    It was very rxing.

 Chapter 146 - Adding Insult to Injury

    <h4>Chapter 146: Adding Insult to Injury</h4>


    The stable overseer hade in secret to check on Xie Qiao twice.


    He did not like it at first. However, after the two rounds of observation, he noticed that the horses were much happier now.


    Every time Xie Qiao came, the horses would clearly eat more than they used to. They would look more active and excited as well.


    They would not resist at all when Xie Qiao rode on them. Not only that, but the horse that Xie Qiao was riding would be the focus, while the other horses would surround it automatically. It was like¡­ having admirers around it!


    Even he was envious when he saw that.


    What more could he ask for? As long as the horses were happy!


    ¡­


    Xie Pinghuai left after meeting Xie Qiao and led people to the Yuan Residence.


    He was a Sun ss student from Begonia Courtyard. He did not have many friends at the Begonia Courtyard, but he had a few Young Master-level friends who had the same interests out there.


    Most of them were the children of militarymanders. The position was not high, and one of them came from the mountain. He was Xie Pinghuai¡¯s sidekick.


    The few of them headed to the Yuan Residence excitedly.


    In order to make themselves look more aggressive, they even brought along their stewards from home.


    When they arrived at the residence¡¯s entrance, Xie Pinghuai got the steward to bring a chair over for him to stand on.


    ¡°Get out, Yuan Bin! I¡¯m here to collect the debt!¡±


    He would definitely fly if he had a pair of wings.


    The Yuan family¡¯s stewards came out immediately and gathered. They seemed like they were ready to fight.


    However, many people were currently watching the show out there.


    The Yuan family was famous today, so everyone was interested in their family matters. Naturally, the restaurants around the Yuan Residence were more crowded than usual.


    ¡°Oh, my! So Jerk Yuan is backing out, is it!?¡± Xie Pinghuai cursed like a bandit. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has no idea what has happened! Storytime! Yuan Bin was humiliating me earlier, and my sister scolded him. She made a bet with him that he¡¯d lose his reputation and that his bad reputation would spread faraway within three days. If that really happened, Yuan Bin would have to kowtow ten times to me, Xie Pinghuai, and my sister, Xie Qiao!


    ¡°His reputation is rotten now, am I right? I¡¯m here to fulfill the promise, to prevent people from using me of backing out on my words!¡±


    When it came to stirring trouble, Xie Pinghuai was especially talented.


    He recounted the entire matter in a clear and simple manner.


    Soon, the onlookers whispered to each other.


    ¡°So this is what happened! We thought another youngdy was being bullied, and they¡¯re asking for an exnation!¡±


    Nheless, this was pretty interesting as well. Kowtowing ten times? Would Yuan Bin be willing to do that!?


    At that moment, Yuan Bin, who was inside, heard themotion out there.


    ng!


    He was pissed and broke quite a few things.


    ¡°How dare that bandit Xie Pinghuai add insult to my injury!? As expected, the Xie family is terrible!¡± Yuan Bin was furious.


    When it rained, it poured.


    More guests came to the Yuan Residence soon after Xie Pinghuai¡¯s arrival.


    It was their rtives by marriage!


    The family members of Master Yuan¡¯s wife hade. All of them looked cold as if there was ayer of frost covering their faces.


    Master Yuan got out immediately and bowed to his father-inw and brother-inw right away. The father-inw and brother-inw were straightforward, and they said in the presence of the public, ¡°Yuan Muting! I only married my daughter off to you since you looked like a gentleman back then. She¡¯s been married to you for 20 years. What did she do wrong!?¡±


    Master Yuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ talk inside the house¡­¡±


    ¡°No need! I came today to bring my daughter back to the Shi family. Since my daughter can¡¯t pass down the legacy for you, I¡¯ll leave the wife¡¯s position vacant for you. No matter if the child is from your family or a b*stard, it longer has anything to do with my daughter!¡±

 Chapter 147 - Can You Sell These?

    <h4>Chapter 147: Can You Sell These?</h4>


    The Shi family¡¯s side was straightforward.


    Master Yuan was dumbstruck.


    ¡®Does Father-in-Law mean divorce?


    ¡®We¡¯ve been living harmoniously for years, and he¡¯s asking for a divorce just because of this?


    ¡®It¡¯s just a rumor. How could he add insult to injury now!?¡¯


    The Shi family had been meaning to do that, but the Yuan family did not have a secondary family. Yuan Muting¡¯s father had some connections in the imperial court. Thus, if they were to divorce, both families would be enemies. It would not be a pleasant situation.


    Moreover, they had known nothing much about the Yuan family back then.


    However, they had been under the impression their daughter was close with Yuan Muting¡¯s only child since she had raised him despite failing to bear a child. They had decided to forget about it.


    Now that this had happened to the Yuan family, the Shi family only found out about the truth from His Highness¡¯s letter. It was just a lie that his daughter had raised the son. All these years, the concubine had been bullying the Shi family¡¯s daughter!


    That daughter of his was foolish not to tell her family from being wronged like that. It was no wonder that she looked troubled whenever they mentioned Yuan Bin!


    It was futile no matter how upset the Yuan family was for them to be divorced now.


    Although he had no idea why His Highness was involved in this, the Emperor doted on him. Since they had His Highness¡¯ backing, the Shi family¡¯s reputation would be sturdy!


    Xie Pinghuai was shocked as he was not the only one here to stir trouble!


    ¡°Uncle, that¡¯s a wise decision! Yuan Bin is terrible. Anyone who makes him their son-inw will have bad luck. He lost a bet to me, yet he¡¯s hiding like a coward and dares not show until now!¡±


    Master Yuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Who are you to be spewing nonsense like that?!¡±


    He seemed like he wanted to hit someone.


    Xie Pinghuai raised his chest. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you!? B*stard Yuan, your son must admit defeat for losing the bet! My sister and I will be waiting for his kowtows at the academy tomorrow. If we don¡¯t see him there, I¡¯ll be here every day!¡±


    B-B*stard Yuan!?


    Master Yuan felt horrible now. His blood was boiling with fury all over his body.


    The people from the Shi family could not help but nce at Xie Pinghuai. They wondered whose child was this to be so daring.


    ¡°H-How dare you stir an uproar at an official¡¯s residence? Are you seeking death!?¡± barked Master Yuan.


    ¡°My father is Xie Niushan, isn¡¯t he an official as well?¡± Xie Pinghuai scoffed.


    Xie Niushan?


    Master Yuan and the Shi family¡¯s father and son were stunned.


    Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang were a scary pair. They had only heard that the father and son were terrifying, but never had they thought the young one was overbearing as well!


    He looked only 11 or 12, yet he was speaking as if he was an adult now.


    Upon hearing Xie Niushan¡¯s name, Yuan Muting was dumbstruck. He was shaking from the fury.


    The Shi family¡¯s father and son had brought someone from the authorities. The divorce paper had been written; all that wascking was the two families¡¯ stamps and signatures.


    They were persistent in this.


    It was more important to settle the divorce. Xie Pinghuai was wise, and he knew it was his time to leave after he was done stirring up chaos. As such, he let the Shi family settle their matter.


    He passed by East Main Street on the way home. He used to have plenty of money, so he had been to all of the shops along the street. However, he saw a brand new signboard now.


    ¡®Fortune Pavilion¡¯ was written on the signboard.


    He and his friends were stunned.


    They had no idea what this shop was selling. Although they did not have silver, that did not stop them from going in to check it out.


    However, they were surprised when they went in.


    ¡°Talismans!?¡± Xie Pinghuai was shocked. ¡°Can you sell these? I¡¯m sure this property is expensive. Does the boss have so much money that he¡¯s throwing his money away!?¡±


    It was such a great location, and one should prosper by selling just anything, no?


    Why did the boss decide to sell talismans?


    A figure walked over as soon as he was done speaking.


    ¡°Is it terrible to sell talismans?¡± The voice was cold. It sounded upsetting.


    Xiao Yurong nced at his future disciple in disgust. He inwardly sighed before ncing at the shop. His eyes lit up at that moment. This was the location that he had picked for his Senior Sister. The stuff she sold was extraordinary, and she did not sound materialistic at all¡­

 Chapter 148 - The Unremarkable Eldest Senior Sister

    <h4>Chapter 148: The Unremarkable Eldest Senior Sister</h4>


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s usually calm face revealed a mysterious smile. He looked at the things around with satisfaction.


    Xie Pinghuai got goosebumps all over his body when he saw that.


    ¡°Something must be wrong to be selling talismans? People are selling food and entertainment along the long street. There are even two brothels. Which shop sells such peculiar things? This street aside, even in the entire Imperial City, I¡¯ve only seen fortune tellers setting up a stand on the street. I¡¯ve never seen anyone who dares to open a shop for this.¡± Xie Pinghuai had no idea about respecting the teachers.


    He was throwing Xiao Yurong a cold nket now.


    Not only that, but he was also suspicious that there was something wrong with Teacher Xiao¡¯s head.


    Although he wanted to take him as his Master, in reality, he had only seen Teacher Xiao a few times from far. He only heard from people that Teacher Xiao was especially strict when he taught, and¡­


    He had no idea about anything else regarding Teacher Xiao!


    Now that he saw Teacher Xiao smiling at those talismans like a fool, he thought this man seemed to be bewitched.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s face turned grim.


    ¡°You fool. Do you know how rare these talismans are!? Look at the patterns on them. They¡¯re as smooth as clouds and flowing water, inscribed with a single stroke of the brush. It would be ruined as soon as one was distracted. How dare you say foolish things when you know nothing about it? Copy ¡®Family Mottos of Famous Families¡¯ ten times. Let me see it tomorrow evening before school ends!¡± Teacher Xiao was very mad.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Did he really want such a person to be his Master?


    He was unreasonable!


    ¡°Teacher Xiao¡­ Can it be that this shop belongs to your rtive?¡± Xie Pinghuai suddenly thought of such a possibility; ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to stick my nose in it, but I¡¯m suggesting that your rtive should change the business model. These talismans are useless. This business won¡¯t prosper!¡±


    Teacher Xiao was thrown another cold nket.


    How could this idiot be so foolish!?


    Did his Senior Sister hear that? If she had the same thoughts as this idiot, would that not mean¡­


    Teacher Xiao turned around immediately and decided to ignore Xie Pinghuai.


    ¡°Teacher Xiao, when will you ept me as your disciple? My reputation is bad, but I¡¯m quite smart. If there are any errands that you need to run in the future, just order me! I dare to guarantee that there¡¯s no ce that I don¡¯t know in this city!¡± It was rare for Xie Pinghuai to find such an opportunity, so how could he not seize it?


    Teacher Xiao frowned.


    ¡®Go away, you foolish child.¡¯


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao wore a Taoist robe. Her face¡­ looked different.


    It was a joyous asion as she would open for business today. She had to show her face. If the boss was too mysterious, it might attract trouble. She thought she would put on makeup and show herself to the public.


    From now on, she could oftene as the Young Lady Xie. Others would just think that she was interested in such things since she had grown up at the Taoist temple.


    It was easy for her to put on makeup. One should not underestimate the ck markets. Purchasing cosmetics aside, human-skin masks were avable as well.


    Xie Qiao had bought some items that were easy to apply and had drawn on her face casually. She looked very different from her usual face.


    She had made herself look like 30, with normal skin condition¡­


    She had even made herself a little ugly with a full face of dark spots. She did not look too good as a whole. She looked unremarkable.


    Xie Qiao was on the second floor now.


    It was too noisy as a few ghouls wereining to her. They refused to queue, which was kind of irritating.


    Xie Qiao thought she would calm herself downstairs. She saw Xie Pinghuai immediately, as well as Teacher Xiao.


    Xiao Yurong did not want to look at Xie Pinghuai, so he would look around every now and then, hoping to see Senior Sister Mo he wanted to meet.


    As he looked around, he saw ady walking down from upstairs.


    She wore a green Taoist robe and walked slowly. As Xiao Yurong looked at her face¡­ he was stunned.

 Chapter 149 - The Clean Reputation of His Life

    <h4>Chapter 149: The Clean Reputation of His Life</h4>


    Xiao Yurong did not think that his Eldest Senior Sister was ugly. He just thought she looked somewhat different from what he imagined her to be. After all, their Master said that the Eldest Senior Sister was charismatic with big eyes and arched eyebrows. He had also said that she was elegant and sophisticated like an angel.


    Therefore, the Eldest Senior Sister that he imagined was a beauty.


    However, thedy before him¡­


    Xiao Yurong was disappointed for a moment. However, he thought it was ridiculous as soon as he felt that. How would ady¡¯s appearance be more important than her inner beauty!?


    So what if his Eldest Senior Sister looked unremarkable?


    She was talented and generous. She was a raredy who was one in a million! How could he judge a book by its cover!?


    Xiao Yurong walked over immediately. ¡°Are you¡­ Senior Sister Mo?¡±


    His voice was emotional, and it was shaking a little.


    Xie Pinghuai frowned and thought Teacher Xiao must be an imposter.


    Could it be that Teacher Xiao had a twin brother? Just like him, who had a twin sister?


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao?¡± Xie Qiao called out shamelessly while smiling.


    Xiao Yurong was just like her Master had said¡ªcalm and proper. He looked like an educated man who could be intimidating.


    ¡°Just call me Ah Rong, Senior Sister,¡± Xiao Yurong said gently.


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless and felt a little disgusted out of nowhere.


    She was¡­ 16 this year, while Junior Brother Xiao was 29.


    If her Master did not dote on her, she could only be a Junior Sister at her age. It was already difficult for her to call him Junior Brother Xiao, and now he wanted her to call him Ah Rong?


    Hehehe¡­


    She figured Xiao Yurong would be terribly embarrassed if he found out the truth one day. He would either kill himself or kill her.


    Xie Qiao smiled awkwardly. ¡°Junior Brother Xiao isn¡¯t young. It¡¯ll be immature if I call you that.¡±


    Xiao Yurong smiled in disappointment andplimented immediately. ¡°Your shop is amazing, Senior Sister. I saw the patterns on the talismans are as smooth as clouds and flowing water. If Senior Sister paints, you¡¯ll definitely be the artist of the generation!¡±


    Xie Qiao proceeded to nod awkwardly.


    Had she known that Xiao Yurong was downstairs, she would rather listen to those ghoulsining upstairs.


    ¡°Teacher Xiao, aren¡¯t you guilty of saying that? These things won¡¯t sell! Just tell the truth. Did someone deceive your Senior Sister?¡± Xie Pinghuai thought he had the responsibility to regain Teacher Xiao¡¯s proper and strict character.


    Teacher Xiao lost his smile as soon as he heard that.


    ¡°Nonsense, they will sell! I¡¯ll buy them!¡± Teacher Xiao took out silver notes immediately, ¡°Senior Sister, I want this stack of talismans!¡±


    Teacher Xiao¡¯s decisiveness surprised Xie Qiao.


    At that moment, Shopkeeper Chang walked over when he saw Xiao Yurong. He said in confusion, ¡°Teacher Xiao, are you sure you want these? Boss says that these are Pregnancy Talismans¡­¡±


    Pregnancy Talismans were expensive; one cost 200 silver taels.


    There were approximately 20 talismans in the stack. Why would he want them?


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s hand shook, and the talismans fell onto the ground. He was shocked. He grabbed and picked them up from the ground in a panic. He looked extremely clumsy. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Senior Sister. I-I¡¯m not buying talismans. I-I mean, these aren¡¯t the ones that I want. I-I¡­¡±


    Xiao Yurong was sweating. He had no idea what those talismans were¡­


    He was worried that he would misspeak again, naming strange and inappropriate talismans¡­


    He was a man, and he wanted to buy Pregnancy Talismans¡­


    Xiao Yurong thought his clean reputation of the first half of his life was doomed. Not only that, but he also embarrassed himself before Senior Sister Mo. Would Senior Sister Mo think that he was weird and a bad person?


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s face flushed like an ant on a hot pan.

 Chapter 150 - Taken Advantage Of

    <h4>Chapter 150: Taken Advantage Of</h4>


    Xie Pinghuaiughed out loud while holding his tummy when he snapped back to his senses.


    So, Teacher Xiao had punished him by asking him to copy a book? Karma sure came quickly! He would tell the people at the academy that Teacher Xiao was buying Pregnancy Talismans!


    Teacher Xiao turned his head slowly. His eyes looked scary.


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo, this brat from the Xie family is quite mischievous¡­¡± Teacher Xiao¡¯s voice sounded like he felt wronged.


    Xie Qiao could not stand it when Xiao Yurong behaved like that. He was old enough to be her uncle. Age aside, his appearance¡­ Gentle, soft, and scarily fair. He was not the type that she liked!


    Now that he was being soft with her, she had goosebumps all over her body.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Junior Brother. They¡¯re children, and they need to be taught. Hit them when they disobey you. Here, I have a ferule. It¡¯ll definitely work!¡± Xie Qiao suddenly rummaged beneath the counter and eventually took out a Dharmic instrument.


    It had been consecrated, but it was a ferule indeed.


    However, the ferule was slightly different. It was a bramble that was three fingers thick. One end was polished, perfect for holding. There was a pattern of a deity carved on top, while the rest of the stick was filled with thorns!


    Teacher Xiao was stunned and looked at the ferule in a daze.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, yet why are you treating me like your enemy!?¡±


    Would he not be seriously injured if the thorny ferule hit him? She was even crueler than his eldest brother!


    ¡°I know your eldest sister. This is your sister¡¯s intention.¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched again. ¡°My Eldest Sister¡­ She dotes on me¡­ She has never hit me before. So¡­ Senior, please keep the ferule to yourself¡­ Ain¡¯t Teacher Xiao your Junior Brother? He isn¡¯t satisfied with your shop. Why not you use it on him? Teach him a good lesson¡­¡±


    He ran away as soon as he was done speaking.


    Why would he stay? To be hit?


    His friends ran as well. They were so fast that Xie Qiao was secretly surprised.


    Her brother must have a talent for martial arts. Judging by his lightning speed, he must be a good seed.


    Teacher Xiao took over the ferule in a daze. He looked at the bramble and noticed that it did not look like it had just been twisted. He wondered how long it had been set aside to look so shiny. There was even fragranceing out of it.


    No matter what, it was a gift from his Senior Sister.


    Teacher Xiao held it carefully.


    The thing was too sharp, and there was nothing wrapped around it. He should not ce it anywhere close to his body, so he thought he would hold it.


    Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°Two taels of silver¡­ please.¡±


    Teacher Xiao was stunned. ¡°Two taels of silvers for a thorny stick?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been consecrated,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    Did he think it was expensive?


    However, it had indeed taken great effort to consecrate it.


    Back at the Taoist temple, most of the items that needed to be consecrated were pictures of deities. However, the cost was high to draw pictures of deities. She had started brainstorming what she could use to rece that. After some time, she began to polish some bracelets or small items she purchased on the street. She would carve a pattern of a deity on them, or she would inscribe a few simple strokes to rece that.


    However, she was not stingy with the consecration ceremony. She did everything¡ªcleansing the evil, burning incense, and chanting all sorts of incantations. There were more than ten steps in total!


    It was functional.


    Although such a Dharmic instrument could notpare with a deity¡¯s picture, it was not too shabby.


    Two taels of silver¡­ It was really not expensive.


    The moment Xie Qiao frowned, Teacher Xiao offered to pay immediately. ¡°Not expensive, not expensive at all!¡±


    It was so expensive¡­


    Shopkeeper Chang epted the money immediately and nced at Teacher Xiao with sympathy. Never had he thought that Teacher Xiao would be taken advantage of.


    The shop had just been opened. Many people hade to check it out in the morning, and most of them were surprised that the shop was selling talismans.


    Unexpectedly, many Safety Talismans, Pregnancy Talismans, and Money-Ma Talismans had been sold.

 Chapter 151: - I’ll Retrieve Your Soul Since You Flirted with the Half-Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 151: I¡¯ll Retrieve Your Soul Since You Flirted with the Half-Immortal</h4>


    The citizens who shopped on this street were not poor, and they felt rather bad to leave empty-handed after entering the shop. After all, the items sold here were magical. Thus, they bought something for peace.


    However, Teacher Xiao was the first one who had purchased a Dharmic instrument.


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Brother Xiao, for visiting. In reality, I¡¯ve given you a discount on this. After all, you¡¯re the reason I obtained this shop,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    Teacher Xiao could not stop nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯ve some business upstairs. Can Junior Brother shop on your own? If there¡¯s anything that you like, tell Chang Tong. He¡¯ll give you a special price.¡± Xie Qiao waved at Xiao Yurong after she was done speaking and went upstairs.


    Chang Tong nced upstairs with aplicated expression.


    Xiao Yurong asked in concern, ¡°What is it? Is there a VIP upstairs?¡±


    Chang Tong shook his head.


    Not VIP, there were no¡­ customers.


    However, today was strange.


    After the shop was opened for business, the bell under the signboard outside had been ringing. The bell was small, but the sound was extraordinarily loud. It would always move even when there was no wind. The movements were very irregr!


    Sometimes, the bell would move softly. However, sometimes it would ring as if a spoiled kid was shaking it hard. The strength was rather strange.


    It would be inappropriate for Chang Tong to tell Teacher Xiao that.


    After all, it was Teacher Xiao who had rmended him here. Now that he was working for the boss, he should not spew nonsense to outsiders.


    Teacher Xiao did not stay. He left after buying some safety talismans and Academic Excellence Talismans out of courtesy.


    Meanwhile, there was a table ced before Xie Qiao upstairs. Ample space was vacated, with screens surrounded in all directions. Da Xiong was sitting next to her. She had strings of talismans hanging on her, and she held a bell in her hand.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Xie Qiao yawned.


    There was a male spirit before her. He was rather lecherous. He said as he squatted next to the table across Xie Qiao, ¡°C-Can I touch you? I never touched a woman when I was alive. I¡¯ve been itching to do that¡­ I have silver!¡±


    Although this person had turned into a spirit, he had a lot of hidden money.


    Especially men, they loved hiding silver in rat holes or some other holes when they were alive. Otherwise, they would have grave goods.


    When they were dead, they could not touch any living things. They would have to sniff to rece eating. Naturally, they could not touch those silver taels and notes.


    Nevertheless, there were many ways to pay. Some people umte good karma. Their soul would still be good after they turned into a ghoul. When Xie Qiao helped them, karma would be created. Naturally, she would obtain good karma.


    However, some souls were poor, so they would have to use humans¡¯ currency.


    When they wanted to pay, they would have to provide the silver¡¯s location or get some animals to move the silver to a specific location. She would then collect the silver herself.


    Many animals couldmunicate with spirits.


    Apart from those, some could speak to their families in their dreams. Their families would pay Xie Qiao money or buy something at a high price.


    Nevertheless, even if they paid silver, she would benefit since she helped a soul. However, the good karma gathered would be low if they paid silver.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao took out a copper hammer directly when she heard those lecherous words.


    Bang!


    She hit the spirit¡¯s head.


    ¡°Flirting with a Half-Immortal? You¡¯re seeking death.¡± Xie Qiao scoffed before taking out a talisman and pasting it on the spirit¡¯s head. ¡°Retrieve!¡±


    Suddenly, the spirit was gone.


    She rang the Taoist bell twice before settling down.


    She would release all of the souls she collected for reincarnation during the Qingming Festival, Ghost Festival, and Winter Clothes Day.


    It was so magical that she could not exin it herself. In conclusion, she would see more spirits during the three special days than usual. So many that she could not count.

 Chapter 152 - Hit Someone for Me

    <h4>Chapter 152: Hit Someone for Me</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression remained the same, but the spirits across her were shaking from the scare.


    The spirit was gone within a blink of an eye!? What had happened?!


    They stared at Xie Qiao nervously. In the next second, a cold gust of wind blew. At that moment, some of the spirits jumped from the window, while some left from the stairs. In a blink of an eye, there were no more customers upstairs.


    Xie Qiao frowned in astonishment.


    The spirits in the Imperial City were rather timid?


    It could be said that she had chased her customers away. However, that did not matter. People in her line of business had to stand up for themselves. If she allowed the spirits to do whatever they wanted to her, they would really touch her when they had mustered their courage one day.


    Xie Qiao put away her things and was ready to ¡®get off work¡¯.


    However, she noticed there was a spirit squatting behind a screen.


    It was shaking with its head lifted while hugging its legs. The spirit looked rather normal. Since it was not bleeding, it was no different than a normal human being if not for the fact that it was a little ethereal.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I-I have ast wish¡­¡± The female spirit spoke humbly.


    Xie Qiao raised her brows slightly. ¡°Sit here and tell me. You¡¯ll need to learn about my rules first.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill your wishes, there are things that I don¡¯t do. It¡¯s impossible for me to kill and steal. Your wish must be something that I¡¯m capable of doing,¡± Xie Qiao said in a warm tone.


    The woman nodded immediately.


    The female said immediately, ¡°I-I would like you to hit someone for me¡­ Not much, just hit him once so that my resentment will be gone. Then I¡¯ll reincarnate peacefully!¡±


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Look how skinny and weak I am. Do you think I¡¯m capable of hitting someone?¡± Xie Qiao lifted her weak arms and rubbed between her brows.


    She could do that if she really wanted to. After all, she could hire someone to do it as long as she had money. She would not have to do it herself.


    However, she could not agree to such a task that would offend people that easily. Moreover, she would have to judge by karma. In order to help someone with such a request, she had to be sure that the person who would be hit was at fault. Otherwise, it would be bad for her.


    That female spirit nced at Xie Qiao feeling troubled.


    ¡°Tell me, who would you like me to hit?¡± Xie Qiao brought paper and ink, ready to write things down.


    The female spirit immediately spoke. ¡°It¡¯s my husband. We knew each other since we were young, and we were close. I married him when I was 17. We were in love, and we lived happily ever after¡­¡±


    There was a sparkle in her eyes when she said that.


    ¡°However¡­¡± The female spirit became fierce as her tone changed. ¡°He deceived me! There was another woman that he was close with! It¡¯s just that her status doesn¡¯t match his, so she became his concubine! I died from the shock and fury!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to die, but I just couldn¡¯t hold back¡­ My heart was racing when I heard about it, and I couldn¡¯t really breathe. I was dead before I managed to get him to exin. I died unwillingly!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a long time since I died. I regretted it a little. Why did I die in such a cowardly manner? Why didn¡¯t I beat him up? Or why didn¡¯t I just divorce him!? My parents are still alive. Why was my body so weak? I¡¯m a burden to my parents. They¡¯re devastated by my passing¡­¡±


    The female spirit shed tears as she spoke.


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    Some people stirred up chaos when they were alive, so they would want peace after they died.


    Meanwhile, some people were too nice when they were alive. After they died, only then did they realize they did not live the life they wanted.


    Xie Qiao could rte to that.

 Chapter 153 - Unable to Distinguish Right From Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 153: Unable to Distinguish Right From Wrong</h4>


    Xie Qiao should not be too emotional since her body was weak. Therefore, she had to control her emotions at all times.


    If she died a sudden death one day, she would be unwilling too. She would think that she had yet to redeem herself before dying.


    Xie Qiao said while writing, ¡°So your wish is to hit that man. How far do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ give him a hard p¡­¡± The female spirit felt rather embarrassed. ¡°Actually¡­ I also want my parents to be less upset, as well as spending less time with him¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao suddenly asked, ¡°Your parents have no idea of the reason for your death?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± The female spirit nodded in humiliation.


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    That was pretty terrible. She was dead because of her husband, and her parents were still taking care of the husband like their half-son.


    This was way beyond feeling wronged, was it not?


    Although spirits could appear in people¡¯s dreams, not all of them could do it.


    Those who could usually do it were those who had umted good karma or spirits with big resentment and persistence. Otherwise, dead people could not do anything to living humans at all.


    Xie Qiao asked for the female spirit¡¯s husband¡¯s address and identity. After shepleted the registration, she was considered to have epted the job officially.


    There were no more spirits upstairs.


    Xie Qiao did not stay. She left after inscribing some talismans.


    At present, the situation at the Yuan Residence had worsened.


    The crime of Yuan Bin molesting his stepmother had been brought to the Imperial Court. His grandfather was old, and he should be able to retire gloriously a few yearster. Yet, the investigating censor was scolding him for being a bad family master.


    He fainted from the anger, and he was brought home.


    He did not die from that. When he woke up, he called his eldest son and grandson.


    When he realized that his grandson was really at fault after questioning him, he almost spat a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Grandpa, s-someone must¡¯ve plotted against me¡­ Oh, I made a bet with the Xie siblings. That Xie Qiao said I would have bad luck within three days. It must be her! She doesn¡¯t want to be my concubine, so she got someone to wrong me!¡± Yuan Bin directed the me at Xie Qiao immediately.


    ¡°You made a bet with someone!?¡± Old Master Yuan felt terrible when he heard that.


    This spoiled brat had ruined his clean te.


    Yuan Bin suddenly yelled, ¡°Nobody knew about this, and that woman appeared out of nowhere to ruin my reputation¡­ It must be a scheme!¡±


    ¡°Why are you yelling!? You¡¯re shameless, unable to distinguish right from wrong! Now everyone in the Imperial City knows that you molested your stepmother! The Shi family hase to ask for a divorce. You¡¯re still not repenting. Must you drag the entire family down with you!?¡± Old Master Yuan was well aware of the situation.


    He had a bad impression of the people who made a bet with his grandson.


    However, he waspletely disappointed in his grandson.


    Yuan Bin was the one who had offended those people, attracting trouble to himself.


    No matter if it was a scheme or not, it was he who had acted in such an immoral way. Nobody had wronged him. Even if the truth was not out today, someone would find out one day.


    He had a few more children.


    However, his eldest son only had one son, Yuan Bin. He was spoiled rotten.


    Now that Old Master Yuan thought about it, he realized he was wrong. If he knew this would happen, he would have raised Yuan Bin himself.


    Regarding whether Yuan Bin was the Yuan family¡¯s child or not¡­ That was not important at all now. The reason being even if he was not, they could not admit that.


    Old Master Yuan asked, ¡°What did you bet with those Xie siblings?¡±


    Yuan Bin struggled, but he chose to tell the truth, ¡°I-If I won, she¡¯d be my concubine. If she won, I¡¯d kowtow to the both of them¡­¡±


    Old Master Yuan looked at Yuan Bin as if he was looking at an idiot when he heard that.

 Chapter 154 - Gift Giving

    <h4>Chapter 154: Gift Giving</h4>


    Now Old Master Yuan did not think that his grandson was being used.


    ¡°How shameless are you? No matter how unlovable Xie Niushan is in the imperial court, how could you ask his direct eldest daughter to be your concubine!? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of her!?¡± barked Old Master Yuan.


    Yuan Bin was no longer young. He should be marrying a wife, yet he was still fooling around!


    Great, asking someone else¡¯s direct eldest daughter to be his concubine aside, it was difficult for him to find a wife who could match his status!


    Yuan Bin and his father prostrated on the ground. They felt terribly wronged.


    ¡°Do as you promised. Muting, prepare an expensive gift, and go to the Xie Residence to apologize tomorrow. Bin¡¯er, you¡¯ll go to the academy to kowtow,¡± Old Master Yuan said after making up his mind.


    There was nothing else that they could do.


    His grandson¡¯s reputation had hit rock bottom.


    They could only give up by apologizing and presenting a gift¡ªthat could turn their family¡¯s reputation around a little bit.


    ¡°This is a chaotic situation, and the Emperor will punish you for failing to teach your son. I suppose you¡¯ll be fired. Just stay home from now on. Meanwhile, Bin¡¯er will be forbidden to step out of the house for three years. Study hard at home. All of your concubines will be asked to leave!¡±


    Yuan Bin thought his life was over.


    Three years? Studying at home? Not only that but all of his darlings would be chased away!?


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Yuan Bin yelled immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want that. We¡¯ll divide the family property. With that, you guys will live outside. I¡¯ll pretend that I have a son and grandson less,¡± added Old Master Yuan.


    They were dumbstruck upon hearing that.


    What would they get if they were to divide the family property now?


    Many people were watching, so the old man definitely would not give them much. He would even be stricter with them.


    The matter was decided within a blink of an eye.


    On the next morning, just when Xie Qiao had left for the academy, the steward sent the gift to her home.


    Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang had just left too, leaving Ms. Lu at home.


    Old Master Yuan had been an official for tens of years. He was wealthy, so the gift he sent was naturally presentable.


    Ms. Lu was rather stunned when she saw the expensive gift. She was staring in a daze.


    ¡°Our Old Master said that Young Master misbehaved and antagonized Young Lady Xie and Second Young Master. He apologizes and hopes the two of them can forgive him. Don¡¯t take what our Young Master said to their hearts.¡±


    Ms. Lu had no idea what had happened at all.


    Nevertheless, the gift had been sent. It would be ridiculous if she rejected it. She said immediately while smiling and nodding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s normal that kids fight. It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    The Yuan Residence¡¯s steward nced at Ms. Lu and said nothing more.


    He knew that Xie Niushan had a bad reputation. No woman had wanted to marry him back then, so he had married a businessman¡¯s daughter who had been married before.


    ¡°I heard that Young Lady Xie is beautiful. I thought mostdies love bright colors, so I brought the moon-patterned brocade. It came for the south storeroom this year. Young Lady Xie can use it to make clothes.¡± The steward smiled.


    His Young Master had made a bet with Young Lady Xie, so the gift was mainly focused on Xie Qiao.


    Ms. Lu nced at the moon-patterned brocade. She thought it was shining as bright as the moon, and a faint glow was sparkling under the sun. The entire brocade was not white, making it seem more colorful. It was beautiful.


    Youngdies aside, even a woman like her loved it too.


    ¡°Say thanks to your master and mistress,¡± Ms. Lu said while smiling.


    The steward left after sending the gift. Ms. Lu got someone to bring the items to her house.


    There were a couple of brocades, two decorative items, and a set of Four Treasures of the Study.


    Ms. Lu looked at the gift and said to someone out there, ¡°How¡¯s Steward Yuan? Is he feeling better now?¡±

 Chapter 155 - Kowtow

    <h4>Chapter 155: Kowtow</h4>


    Yuan Rong had yet to recoverpletely. However, he came over immediately upon learning that Ms. Lu was looking for him.


    Ms. Lu was satisfied to see him panicking. She asked, ¡°These are such good brocades. I¡¯m worried that the seamstresses at home won¡¯t do a great job. Bring these to two outstanding seamstresses out there to make clothes.¡±


    Yuan Rong asked immediately, ¡°Are they for Second Young Lady?¡±


    He was asking the obvious. He was a steward as well, so he knew who the gift should belong to.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Ms. Lu looked like she was struggling. ¡°They¡¯re for First Young Lady.¡±


    It would be terrible if the news of her giving the gift meant for someone else to her daughter spread, right?


    She knew that it was a difficult task to be the wife of an official. Many people were watching.


    ¡°For First Young Lady?¡± Yuan Rong pretended to look surprised. ¡°How about Second Young Lady? If First Young Lady is the only one getting the clothes, I¡¯m worried that Second Young Lady might be upset thinking that you¡¯re taking sides? Also, I heard that there are many talented men at Gn Academy. Second Young Lady is beautiful. If she wears these moon-patterned clothes, she will definitely be in the limelight¡­¡±


    What Yuan Rong said went straight into Ms. Lu¡¯s heart.


    That was right. Her daughter was healthy, and such bright colors suited her.


    ¡°Then¡­ Make clothes ording to their sizes. Make the same ones.¡±


    Nobody would overstep anyone. That would work, right?


    Yuan Rong responded immediately and brought the brocades out.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao was at the academy. Yuan Bin was there under the watch of the Yuan family¡¯s subordinate.


    As soon as he appeared, the people at the academy revealed looks of disdain. It was embarrassing that the Royal Academy had such a shameless person!


    Xie Pinghuai had been waiting. He had even brought a grandmaster chair for Xie Qiao.


    As soon as Yuan Bin arrived, Xie Pinghuai brought her over immediately. Xie Qiao did not hold back and sat on the chair.


    Yuan Bin felt like his cheeks were burning.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, there are people here. Are you adding insult to the injury?¡± Xia Yayun just despised Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao nced faintly at her. ¡°You think an hical person is pitiful? Young Lady Xia, I admire your courage.¡±


    Xia Yayun was stunned. She then sensed the onlookers¡¯ looks of contempt. Her facial expression changed, and she said immediately, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! I wouldn¡¯t pity such a person even if he were to die here!¡±


    Xia Qiao scoffed.


    The rest thought Xia Yayun was being unreasonable.


    Since she thought Yuan Bin deserved it, why had she criticized Xie Qiao?


    However, Xia Yayun was not the star at the moment. Yuan Bin was.


    He did not want to kneel, especially when he saw Xie Pinghuai¡¯s smug face. He felt troubled. However, his grandfather¡¯s subordinate was here with him. He had to kneel no matter what.


    He bent his knees, feeling humiliated and kowtowed.


    One¡­


    Two¡­


    ¡­


    Five¡­


    Six¡­


    Seven¡­


    ¡­


    Ten¡­


    He did it very fast, so he was soon done with the kowtows.


    He got up immediately as if there was a furnace on the ground. Meanwhile, the bystanders could not help but help to count. After they were done counting, they felt rather disappointed.


    It was over so soon.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s anger was gone. She was happy now.


    Xie Pinghuai had initially thought it would be quite interesting. However, looking at Yuan Bin swallowing his anger, his excitement was calmed down.


    Yuan Bin was considered to be ruined. The academy would definitely expel him while his father¡¯s official position was at risk. When Old Master Yuan died, the Yuan family would definitely be divided. Yuan Bin would definitely not be able to marry a wife.


    In reality, Xie Pinghuai wanted to say something sarcastic.


    However, he saw his eldest sister sitting around, looking majestic. He thought he should not ruin his eldest sister¡¯s moment. Otherwise, he would look like Yuan Bin, an annoying jerk.

 Chapter 156 - Peculiar Shop

    <h4>Chapter 156: Peculiar Shop</h4>


    Yuan Bin ran away clumsily. He was too embarrassed to see anyone. Sensing the surprised eyes around, Xie Pinghuai could not help but nce at Xie Qiao twice.


    It had been two years since he hade to the Royal Academy. He had not improved throughout the two years, so he was still at the Begonia Courtyard. Many people made fun of him and his sister, and he had heard too many horrible things.


    It was the first time that people were looking at him and criticizing someone else!


    The feeling was just too strange!


    Yuan Bin was too pitiful to have be Xie Pinghuai¡¯s recement when it came to scolding!


    Also, his eldest sister was too capable. She had won such a confusing bet!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes lit up as if there were stars in his eyes.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you¡¯re so lucky!¡± Xie Pinghuaiplimented sincerely after the people left.


    ¡°This is my ability.¡± Xie Qiao lifted her head in all seriousness. She looked gravely serious.


    Xie Pinghuai was even more excited upon seeing her like that. ¡°Eldest Sister, you look very intimidating like that. As long as you don¡¯t tell your name, people will definitely think that you¡¯re ady from a respectable family!¡¯


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him faintly. She was ady from a respectable family from the beginning, alright?


    ¡°Oh, Eldest Sister, guess who I ran into yesterday? On East Main Street¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai said mysteriously.


    Xie Qiao turned her head.


    She knew.


    ¡°You definitely won¡¯t guess it! I saw Teacher Xiao! Teacher Xiao¡­ ispletely different outsidepared to when he¡¯s at the academy! Eldest Sister, I suspect there¡¯s something wrong with Teacher Xiao¡¯s head! He shopped at a peculiar shop yesterday. The shop sells safety talismans and wooden dolls. It looks eerie. However, Teacher Xiao said the shop¡¯s merchandise is amazing! Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with him?¡± Xie Pinghuai mumbled immediately.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡®It¡¯s eerie? I don¡¯t think so!¡¯


    Her shop had many big windows. She had looked at the feng shui herself. The customer should feelfortable when they stepped in. How was it possible that they would find it eerie?


    Xie Qiao frowned hard. ¡°Is the shop really eerie? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, not a shop that ordinary people would run. I suspect a swindler is running it. I wonder how Teacher Xiao is involved. He even brought a bramble back to the academy yesterday. It was scary.¡± Xie Pinghuai thought it was terrifying just by thinking about it.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, must I make that person my Master? He looked lecherous yesterday, like a dog seeing a bone. He was high-spirited. I bet even nine bulls could not pull him away. He seemed like a different man!¡± added Xie Pinghuai.


    He was terrified when he recalled yesterday¡¯s event.


    Oh yes, Teacher Xiao had even asked him to copy a book!


    He had yet to make him his Master, and he was already punished. If he became his Master, would that not mean that his hands¡­ would be busy?


    Xie Pinghuai thought about it and felt terrible.


    Xie Qiao suddenly said fiercely, ¡°Teacher Xiao¡­ isn¡¯t too shabby. Many people have tried to make him their Master. You¡¯re considered to have the opportunity now, learn to respect your teacher. Or I¡¯ll tell Eldest Brother and get him to beat you up.¡±


    He wasining that Teacher Xiao was terrible? He should not do that!


    She had begged for the opportunity with her dignity!


    Xie Pinghuai felt troubled.


    Everything was great about his eldest sister. She was pretty, too. However, she was just too strict.


    If she looked like their eldest brother, he could cruelly ignore her. The thing was, his eldest sister looked weak. He would feel guilty if he were to yell at her.


    Xie Pinghuai was like a coward. He did not fight back.


    It was another day of annoying Teacher Xiao today.

 Chapter 157 - Hard Life

    <h4>Chapter 157: Hard Life</h4>


    To Xie Pinghuai¡¯s surprise, there was someone there when he arrived at Teacher Xiao¡¯s courtyard.


    A young man had brought along his stewards. A steward held an expensive gift in his hands. One of them held a wooden tray, and a piece of white jade was ced on it!


    Xie Pinghuai had lost a white jade too, so he could not help but nce at it again.


    ¡°Discipleship token?¡± Xie Pinghuai said by instinct.


    That young man stood there looking serious. His head was lifted high, as well as his chest. He looked extraordinarily charismatic. He turned his head and nced at Xie Pinghuai upon hearing that. ¡°I heard Second Young Master Xie has been wanting to make Teacher Xiao your Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Pinghuai did not deny that.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s rather difficult, if you manage to do that, you¡¯ll be my Junior Brother.¡± The young man smiled lightly. ¡°A senior at home obtained this piece of white jade for me. I¡¯m here to make Teacher Xiao my Master today.¡±


    Although Xie Pinghuai was reckless, he did not ask from where he had obtained the jade. After all, there were ten pieces of jade like this.


    It would be ridiculous if the jade was the one that he had lost.


    This person would definitely be a disciple sessfully since he had the jade.


    As expected, Teacher Xiao showed up soon. He called the young man to go in.


    Xie Pinghuai felt rather upset. If he had not lost the jade, he would not have to kneel here, which was painful. He could even be like that person, being called in by Teacher Xiao as soon as he showed¡­


    The jade¡­


    Xie Pinghuai was still mad about it. He wondered which thief had dared to steal his stuff, torturing him and embarrassing him!


    As he thought to himself, Teacher Xiao¡¯s young servant came out again. ¡°Second Young Master Xie, my teacher asked you to go in as well.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. ¡°He¡¯s taking me in as his disciple!?¡±


    The young servant nced at him with aplicated expression.


    Xie Pinghuai got up quickly and rushed in directly. He was panting. Compared to the young man who hade with a gift, their difference was like heaven and earth.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Family Mottos of Famous Families that I asked you to copy ten times yesterday?¡± Teacher Xiao asked as soon as Xie Pinghuai went in.


    Xie Pinghuai took a step back, wondering if he could leave now.


    What Family Mottos of Famous Families? He had not bothered to copy it!


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do it?¡± Teacher Xiao nced at him lightly. Subsequently, he picked up the thorny ferule next to him and looked at it gently. However, his eyes were terrifyingly cold when he looked at Xie Pinghuai.


    Xie Pinghuai gulped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll copy it now¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s voice was shaking.


    ¡°20 times.¡± Teacher Xiao did not lift the thing in his hand. However, to Xie Pinghuai, it wasing at him. It was dangerous.


    ¡°A-Alright¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai thought it was just his luck.


    His eldest brother bullied him, his eldest sister, who was pretty, bullied him too. Now, there was an unreasonable teacher¡­


    Why was his life so hard!?


    Chu Jiang nced at Xie Pinghuai in confusion.


    He thought¡­ Xie Pinghuai was a joke. It was impossible that he would get himself a Master. However, now it seemed Teacher Xiao really had the intention to teach?


    If he was not, why would he spend any effort checking Xie Pinghuai¡¯s homework?


    Chu Jian said after Xie Pinghuai left, ¡°So has Teacher epted Second Young Master Xie?¡±


    Teacher Xiao¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°He¡¯s a brat. Ignore him.¡±


    He picked up the white jade as he spoke. After observing it carefully for a while, he showed confusion on his face. ¡°Where did you get this jade from?¡±


    Chu Jian said immediately, ¡°Someone gifted it to my Father¡­¡±


    Teacher Xiao asked, ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve no idea. There are ten pieces of identical white jades like this in the world. It¡¯s not a lot, nor is it little. I guess someone owed silver, so they pawned this. This humble one is lucky to have obtained it. I immediately thought I¡¯d make you my Master.¡±

 Chapter 158 - Where Is It From

    <h4>Chapter 158: Where Is It From</h4>


    Teacher Xiao looked calm as he spoke. ¡°Since you brought this to me, I¡¯ll obey the academy¡¯s rule and take you as my disciple. However, there¡¯s something that you might need to know. Although there are ten discipleship tokens like this, there are three pieces that are slightly different.¡±


    Chu Jian felt a jolt and said immediately, ¡°Do borate, Teacher.¡±


    ¡°Three pieces belong to the Crown Prince. Although they¡¯re dug from the same rock, there are some faint yellow patterns on them. The color is pale, like a gush of yellow smoke. Therefore, these ten jades were separated. Many didn¡¯t know about this,¡± added Teacher Xiao.


    Chu Jian¡¯s expression changed after hearing that.


    The ten pieces of jade were carved with the Royal Academy¡¯s insignia. He thought that was the only difference.


    ¡°The Crown Prince has two pieces now as he gave one piece as a reward a few days ago. Young Lady Xie won it, and that brat who just left lost it a few days back,¡± Teacher Xiao said calmly.


    In other words, if the jade was not lost, the discipleship would belong to Xie Pinghuai.


    Chu Jian looked rather troubled. ¡°That¡¯s very observant of you, Teacher. Someone gave me this piece of jade. I didn¡¯t find it anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rather popr in the academy. Naturally, I believe that you¡¯re not a reckless person. However, the Crown Prince has strict rules. Nobody dares to mess with his things. You¡¯ll need to exin to him how you obtained this item and made me your Master,¡± said Teacher Xiao.


    Chu Jian felt something bitter in his throat. If he knew this would happen, he would not have used this piece of jade. It was just too attention-seeking.


    Although other jades were rare, he could by spending more effort or silver if he wanted it.


    However, he did not expect the Crown Prince¡¯s jades would be different from others. If that was the case¡­


    It would be a problem since he had it!


    He was currently in a pickle. He was already here, so if he said he wanted to give up on the discipleship, would Teacher Xiao not think he was treating him as a fool?


    Moreover, many people had seen him on the way here¡­


    If he regretted it at the moment, the embarrassing failure aside, others would really think that he had picked the jade from somewhere!


    Sweat was dripping on Chu Jian¡¯s forehead. ¡°My father obtained this piece of jade in a clean way¡­ A youngdy from the Gn Academy gifted it. My cousin said that a youngdy thought the jade was too attention-seeking. Her talent is only mediocre, and she dares not apply for discipleship. She¡¯s only willing to use this piece of jade in exchange for the rmendation letter into our Royal Academy¡­¡±


    ¡°So, it should be that youngdy who found the jade?¡± Teacher Xiao said while smiling.


    Chu Jian pursed his lips, feeling helpless. He could only say, ¡°I heard that youngdy is Master Xie¡¯s stepdaughter¡­¡±


    In reality, he knew that the Xie family had lost the piece of jade.


    Therefore, he had guessed that Young Lady Pei had stolen the jade to trade a discipleship quota for herself. However, he pretended not to know. After all, there were many pieces of jade. Nobody could say that the one he had was from the Xie family!


    Never had he expected the Crown Prince¡¯s jades were marked!


    Teacher Xiao nodded. ¡°I see. I suppose that youngdy found the jade and didn¡¯t tell Xie Pinghuai.


    ¡°I understand now. I¡¯ll speak to His Highness for you.¡±


    Chu Jian felt helpless.


    Teacher Xiao returned the piece of jade to Zhao Xuanjing.


    Theoretically, the academy should carve the student¡¯s name before giving it out.


    However, this piece was different. He had to speak to the Crown Prince first. If the Crown Prince did not mind, they could carve it before giving it back to Chu Jian.


    Naturally, ording to his understanding of the Crown Prince¡­


    The Crown Prince would definitely suspect that Chu Jian knew what had happened. Therefore, even if the discipleship happened, Chu Jian might no longer own the jade.

 Chapter 159 - He Wants to Kill Someone

    <h4>Chapter 159: He Wants to Kill Someone</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing did not expect to see the piece of jade again so soon.


    After Teacher Xiao was done informing about the situation, he got someone to call Xie Qiao and Xie Pinghuai over.


    It was alright for Xie Qiao as the Crown Prince was not considered a stranger to her. However, it was a different story for Xie Pinghuai. He had never spoken a word to the Crown Prince. He was behaving well like a good boy now that he had been called out of nowhere.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, did they find out that I stirred trouble at the Yuan Residence with my friends?¡± Xie Pinghuai became a coward suddenly.


    It was the Crown Prince. The country would belong to him in the future. Xie Pinghuai was just a little bandit, whereby the Crown Prince could execute him anytime he wanted!


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is a human too. He won¡¯t eat you.¡±


    Was he scarier than spirits?


    Xie Pinghuai sighed.


    Soon, they arrived before the Crown Prince.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at the siblings. No matter how he looked at them, they did not look like they shared the same father.


    Xie Qiao was generous with beautiful eyes and brows. Although Xie Pinghuai looked not too shabby, his charisma¡­ felt like a gangster¡¯s. Even when he behaved, he gave off a bad vibe. One would think that he was a bad person at first nce.


    It was said it was inurate to perform physiognomy on one¡¯s family members.


    Therefore, Xie Qiao did not notice how irritating her brother looked.


    ¡°Someone sent this piece of jade over. It¡¯s the one that you won the other day.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was straightforward.


    He had been looking at Xie Qiao.


    She did not look as pale as before today. Her cheeks were rosy, and she was pretty. He had heard someone hade over to kowtow to her this morning. Could it be that she was happy that justice had been served?


    Zhao Xuanjing smirked without him noticing.


    ¡°Jade!?¡± Xie Pinghuai yelled by instinct. Subsequently, he suppressed his emotions immediately after reading the room. ¡°Eldest Sister, that¡¯s my jade. Who found it?!¡±


    Could they return it to him?


    If that happened, he would not have to kneel to his future Master any longer!


    ¡°Did someone use the jade already?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded. Xie Qiao was smart, unlike that fool next to her, whose eyes lit up when he saw the jade. He had never thought where the jade came from.


    Xie Pinghuai was pissed as soon as Zhao Xuanjing admitted that. ¡°Someone stole my jade! Which b*stard was it? Oh, is it that Chu Jian?! I saw him there when I came from Teacher Xiao¡¯s ce earlier. He¡¯s the only one who has the jade for discipleship!¡±


    The news was spread in the academy as soon as he had left Teacher Xiao¡¯s ce.


    Chu Jian had be Teacher Xiao¡¯s first disciple.


    Some had even seized the opportunity to criticize him that he definitely would not obtain the discipleship.


    Xie Pinghuai was irritated by that.


    ¡°Someone stole it?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Qiao. It was uncertain if he was smiling. ¡°Young Lady Xie said it was lost by ident.¡±


    ¡°This foolish kid doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying.¡± Xie Qiao was calm.


    Being stolen and losing it were two entirely different concepts.


    The former indicated that the Xie family had failed to guard the house. There was a thief at home. Moreover, it was most probablymitted by a family member. The Xie family would be utterly embarrassed if the news went out.


    Thetter could be forgiven. It was something personal that they could solve on their own.


    Xie Pinghuai felt extremely wronged.


    It had been stolen indeed!


    ¡°Where did that Chu Jian get it from¡­?¡± Xie Pinghuai finally asked something that made sense.


    Zhao Xuanjing was consideredx. He spoke more to be nice to Xie Qiao, recounting what Teacher Xiao had told him without missing anything.


    Xie Qiao was not surprised.


    She had suspected Pei Wanyue before. However, she had merely suspected her. She did not have any evidence and did not want to use anyone of theft, even though that person was irritating.


    Xie Pinghuai, on the other hand, was dumbstruck.


    ¡°It was Second Sister!?¡± Xie Pinghuai spoke in shock. He was so pissed that it was driving him crazy. ¡°Is Pei Wanyue out of her mind? She didn¡¯t even tell me that she stole¡­ found my jade. Not only that, but she even gave it to an outsider!¡±


    He wanted to go home¡­ to kill someone!

 Chapter 160 - Unreasonable

    <h4>Chapter 160: Unreasonable</h4>


    Fire was burning in Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes. He was livid!


    He knew that a family member had definitely stolen his jade. However, no matter how he pondered over it, he could only think of those suspicious servants!


    He had never really thought that it was Pei Wanyue!


    The person that he called Second Sister had shamelessly stolen her brother¡¯s thing!? She had said nothing and watched him being beaten!?


    Xie Pinghuai was not only furious. He felt disappointed!


    Now that he was furious, even a fool could tell that the jade that the Xie family had lost was extraordinary. Xie Qiao held her head down slightly while scratching her nose. She pretended not to see her foolish brother who was next to her.


    Seeing that Xie Pinghuai was angry, Zhao Xuanjing figured that chaos would soon ensue at the Xie Residence.


    Unfortunately, he would not be able to watch. He felt rather disappointed.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought he should not get Xie Pinghuai to stay upon seeing how furious he was. He said while smiling, ¡°You¡¯re young and mad. It¡¯d be bad if you hurt yourself from your fury. There¡¯s nothing more from my side. Please return, Second Young Master Xie.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai nodded immediately.


    That was right. He did not want to stay. He wanted to go home¡­


    He wanted to get the steward to get someone from the Gn Academy!


    Xie Qiao doubtfully nced at Zhao Xuanjing. She suspected that the Crown Prince had said that as he had heard about Xie Pinghuai visiting the brothel. However, Xie Pinghuai failed to understand the underlying meaning!


    That fool!


    Xie Pinghuai was direct, whereby he turned around and took two steps out. He turned his head and walked over, immediately realizing that Xie Qiao was still standing there. He dragged her sleeve and walked away.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips twitched.


    He wanted to talk to Half-Immortal Xie about his courtyard¡­


    It did not take Xie Pinghuai long to drag Xie Qiao out of the academy.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you must fight for me! I¡¯ve been wronged big time. Being beaten up by Eldest Brother aside, I embarrassed myself by kneeling at Teacher Xiao¡¯s courtyard. He even punished me to a copy a book!¡±


    ¡°I advise you not to put the me on someone else entirely,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    ¡°But it¡¯s Pei Wanyue¡¯s fault, is it not!?¡± Xie Pinghuai was furious.


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth, but I¡¯d advise you to behave before Eldest Brother, or you¡¯ll be hit again.¡± Xie Qiao thought this kid was too foolish, to which she added, ¡°You lost it in your courtyard, right? You¡¯re a man, and she¡¯s ady. The jade was still around before we went to sleep, and it was gone in the morning. Firstly, you shouldn¡¯t tell that to outsiders. Secondly, you¡¯re already mature, but you can¡¯t even guard your own courtyard. You lowered your guard when you slept, allowing a helpless youngdy to steal your thing¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai felt a chill when he listened until this point.


    That was right¡­


    Why had he not thought of that!?


    His eldest brother was unreasonable. Even if he thought Pei Wanyue was at fault, he would me Xie Pinghuai as well. After all¡­ his eldest brother was especially fierce when it came to him!


    Xie Pinghuai suddenly thought his eldest sister knew too much. He looked at Xie Qiao immediately as if he was begging for help. ¡°Eldest Sister, what do I do? Eldest Brother won¡¯t hit me if I admit my fault, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a worm in Eldest Brother¡¯s tummy. You¡¯ll have to think about how to apologize to him. I¡¯ve brought you the dishes. Do you want me to feed you as well?¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t know how to use his brain? Then why would he need it?¡¯


    Xie Pinghuai made a grunting noise.


    That was how he had been living his life. He had never used his brain¡­


    Xie Pinghuai got home immediately and yelled to get Yuan Rong over as soon as he arrived. ¡°Go to Gn Academy and get Pei Wanyue home for me!¡±

 Chapter 161 - How Could She Do That?

    <h4>Chapter 161: How Could She Do That?</h4>


    Yuan Rong did not do as Xie Pinghuai said immediately. He went to report this matter to Ms. Lu first.


    Ms. Lu thought it was strange.


    When Xie Pinghuai had left in the morning, he had been calling Pei Wanyue Second Sister. Why was he calling her by her full name now?


    At that moment, she felt sorry for her daughter. Although she had joined this family, she still had a different family name. The children from the family would snap at her whenever they were upset.


    It was no wonder that Yue¡¯er was upset.


    Ms. Lu thought about it and said, ¡°School will be over in a few hours. Let¡¯s wait for Yue¡¯er toe home. Hmm, get someone to buy a pair of crickets at the market. That¡¯s his favorite thing to y with. If he¡¯s unhappy, he can y with them to kill time.¡±


    She wondered what had happened to Xie Pinghuai to want to vent on Yue¡¯er.


    Ms. Lu was upset and rubbed her belly. If she could bear a child, no matter if it was a son or daughter, would she be able to have a say in the family¡­


    Xie Pinghuai thought the steward had gone to get Pei Wanyue home. However, someone sent a pair of crickets to his courtyard after a long time.


    His eyes lit up when he saw the crickets.


    His eldest sister had taken every fun thing he had away from him.


    Surprisingly, Xie Pinghuai figured something was wrong in the next second. ¡°Who asked you to buy crickets? Where¡¯s Pei Wanyue? Is she home yet!?¡±


    ¡°Steward Yuan said Second Young Lady would be home two hourster,¡± the servant said honestly.


    ¡°Two hours!?¡± Xie Pinghuai was stomping his feet. ¡°School will be over anyway two hourster, right? What¡¯s Yuan Rong trying to do? He let me wait here like a fool while he didn¡¯t get anyone to get her home!?¡±


    ¡°It was Madam¡¯s order,¡± the servant said immediately.


    Xie Pinghuai turned into a shy quail as soon as he heard that.


    He was pissed, but he had no idea what to say.


    Anger was boiling inside of him. It was very irritating.


    He thought he would just tolerate it since it would just be two hours. He was getting more and more pissed as time passed by.


    He thought about it carefully. Pei Wanyue had mentioned the white jade before, asking him to give it to her. He had already reminded Pei Wanyue that his eldest brother would definitely kill him if he did that.


    Never had he thought Pei Wanyue would not take him seriously when he had already made himself clear!


    She had been saying he was her brother by blood. So this was what she did to her brother by blood?


    It would be bearable if she hit him a few times and scolded him. At least, that would be done in public!


    However, she had done something like that secretly¡­


    Xie Pinghuai was furious.


    Finally, Pei Wanyue returned as Xie Pinghuai waited. He rushed out directly.


    Xie Pinghuai stopped Pei Wanyue before she even entered the house. He walked over quickly and said, ¡°How shameless are you to give my jade to someone else!?¡±


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s face turned pale immediately.


    Coincidentally, Xie Niushan happened toe home as well.


    He understood upon hearing that and got the servants to leave right away.


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t want this sister! What kind of sister is she? I told her that I couldn¡¯t give her the jade. I can¡¯t believe she stole it. She sneaked into my room in the middle of the night. How could she do that!?¡± roared Xie Pinghuai.


    Pei Wanyue felt nauseous, her tears pouring immediately. ¡°Father¡­ I¡¯ve no idea what Brother is talking about¡­¡±


    Xie Niushan frowned while looking at Xie Pinghuai, ¡°Don¡¯t spew nonsense. Do you have proof?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? Someone took the jade to apply discipleship today! Eldest Sister and I saw that jade with our own eyes!¡± Xie Pinghuai rolled up his sleeves and charged suddenly. He lifted his foot to kick Pei Wanyue.


    He was a hooligan, so his stomp was pretty hard.


    Xie Niushan was quick to react, stopping him immediately. ¡°You punk! Who taught you to hit women!?¡±

 Chapter 162 - Forgivable

    <h4>Chapter 162: Forgivable</h4>


    Pei Wanyue was dumbstruck from the shock. Ever since she had stepped into the Xie Residence, if she must say who showed her the slightest kindness¡­ Apart from Uncle Xie, it would be Xie Pinghuai.


    However, he wanted to hit her because of that!?


    ¡°How is it my fault that someone used the jade to apply for discipleship? Can it be that Brother heard something from Eldest Sister? Al-Although I didn¡¯te from a respectable family, I learned courtesy at the Pei Residence. Now, Brother is using me of stealing. I can no longer live in this house!¡± Pei Wanyue cried immediately.


    The thing that Xie Niushan was most afraid of was women crying.


    His head exploded upon hearing the sobbing.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of crying? If he hits you, shouldn¡¯t you just hit him back? This is a small matter. You should learn from Qiao¡¯er. When she taught this brat a lesson, she was merciless.¡± Xie Niushan scratched his head. ¡°Stop crying. See, he doesn¡¯t have proof. I didn¡¯t say that it was you who took it.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai got up after being tossed three steps away.


    He was irritated watching Pei Wanyue cry.


    His eldest sister was weak too, but she hardly cried. Even if she looked like she was crying, she would look more likable than Pei Wanyue!


    Moreover, although he found his eldest sister annoying, at least she did not do anything sneakily.


    But look at Pei Wanyue!


    Xie Qiao bumped into her eldest brother when she was on her way home.


    They both entered the house together and saw the tense scene.


    Xie Qiao knew what was happening, so she sighed. Xie Pinggang frowned in confusion. He walked over, ncing at Xie Pinghuai and Pei Wanyue. He did not scold immediately. He was just watching from the side.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re here. Tell Father, did you see my jade today!?¡± Xie Pinghuai was furious. He was unclear in his description.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Father. The jade that the Crown Prince gave is slightly different from the rest. It was indeed the piece of jade that I won.¡±


    Xie Niushan was surprised. ¡°What does this have anything to do with Pei Wanyue?¡±


    ¡°That person who applied for discipleship was worried that people would suspect that he obtained the jade in a filthy way after learning how unique it was. He told the truth, saying that a Young Lady Pei from Gn Academy gifted the jade. Her goal was to exchange a rmendation at the Royal Academy.¡± Xie Qiao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about it. It was Teacher Xiao who found out. Teacher Xiao only told the Crown Prince, worried that he would be upset.¡±


    Xie Niushan was dumbstruck. He turned his head and looked at Pei Wanyue in disbelief.


    Xie Pinggang frowned hard, looking upset.


    Xie Pinghuai nodded. ¡°He asked me to give it to her before, but I didn¡¯t. I can¡¯t believe she stole it!


    ¡°Eldest Brother, it¡¯s my fault. From now on, I¡¯ll carry important items with me at all times. I won¡¯t lose anything now¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s tone suddenly changed as he said that out of nowhere. He said that very carefully and humbly.


    Xie Pinggang got goosebumps as soon as he heard that.


    That was not his brother.


    How was it possible that he admitted his fault out of nowhere? Something was wrong¡­


    Xie Pinggang nced at Xie Qiao. Seeing that her expression was tense, he figured it must be her who had taught Xie Pinghuai that. However, that fool was not sincere enough in his apology. He thought that was enough for him to forgive him?


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s face was pale at the moment.


    Ms. Lu came after hearing themotion, and Pei Wanyue threw herself at her directly. ¡°Mother!¡±


    Ms. Lu trembled. ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    ¡°Wanyue stole the jade,¡± said Xie Niushan.


    Ms. Lu staggered. She did not expect it to be exposed so soon. She panicked as she said immediately, ¡°Yue¡¯er is still young. Sh-She¡¯s just too envious of the first one. They¡¯re both youngdies at home, and they¡¯re about the same age. One goes to the Royal Academy, while the other can only go to Gn Academy. It¡¯s forgivable that she¡¯s upset¡­¡±

 Chapter 163 - That Wretched Thief

    <h4>Chapter 163: That Wretched Thief</h4>


    Ms. Lu looked panicked as she got Pei Wanyue to kneel directly.


    ¡°Master, this will be thest time. Yue¡¯er has never seen what the Royal Academy is like. She¡¯s eager to go. I know she did wrong. Just punish her appropriately. But that should be all¡­¡± Ms. Lu begged immediately.


    Xie Niushan thought it was a small matter.


    It was just a piece of jade, and it would be the same no matter who used it. Although Pei Wanyue was in the wrong, she was a youngdy. Not only that, but she was also not his child. It would be inappropriate for him to scold or hit her.


    Xie Qiao suddenly spoke. ¡°Do you not like me, Mother? Do you think I shouldn¡¯t go to the Royal Academy?¡±


    Ms. Lu was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, first one. It¡¯s just that you guys are ming Yue¡¯er now, and I¡¯m upset because I¡¯m her mother¡­¡±


    ¡°One should admit their fault when they¡¯re wrong. They brought the trouble upon themselves.¡± Xie Qiao was calm as she spoke slowly. ¡°My jade didn¡¯t fall from the sky. It almost cost me my life to win it. I fainted to get this jade. Now everyone at the academy calls me a poor soul with a short life. I used my own thing to take care of my brother, and she just stole it. The advantage justes too easily for her, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Qiao¡¯er! Yue¡¯er is your sister, isn¡¯t she? Why aren¡¯t you treating us as your family?¡± Ms. Lu said immediately.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re family, please return to me the thing that Father gave me, Mother,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said.


    Ms. Lu was stunned.


    She thought to herself what that thing was by instinct¡­


    She immediately looked terrible when she understood.


    She had forgotten that she had lost Xie Qiao¡¯s¡­jade pendant back at Floating Pavilion Town.


    It was a gift from Xie Niushan. He had reminded her many times to give it to Xie Qiao¡­


    Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°What is it? The pendant that repels evil?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Father mentioned the pendant in the letter. However, I didn¡¯t see it when I met Mother. Later on, Mother said she lost the item,¡± Xie Qiao said. ¡°Since we¡¯re family, why does Pei Wanyue have the gift from Father on her neck while my neck is empty?¡±


    ¡°Did you keep the thing to yourself and not give it to the first one on purpose? What did I tell you!?¡± Even Xie Niushan was upset now.


    If that thing was just an ordinary item, it would not matter if it was lost.


    He could just buy another one.


    However, the pendant was different. He and Pinggang had spent money to buy a high-grade jade with spirituality. They had even gotten it carved into the shape that could repel evil, as well as getting a master to consecrate it before sending it to her!


    To put it simply, that item could bring safety to his daughter.


    He knew that his daughter was weak and that her body was filled with Yin energy. She would easily attract spirits to herself. He had spent a great effort to ask a favor from the Grand Preceptor in order to get a master to consecrate it!


    She had lost it!?


    Xie Niushan¡¯s face turned grim.


    ¡°There was a thief in that town. It was that wretched thief who stole it. I didn¡¯t lose it on purpose. Do you hear what you¡¯re saying, Qiao¡¯er? You disappointed me!¡± Ms. Lu said immediately.


    Xie Qiao looked at her, and her eyes were as calm as water. ¡°It was that wretched thief who stole the thing from your bag, but it¡¯s forgivable for her to steal the thing from my brother¡¯s room?¡±


    Ms. Lu was stunned.


    ¡®This girl¡­ sure is sly to be beating around the bush¡­¡¯


    ¡°Father, this is your wife, and that¡¯s your half-daughter. I won¡¯t be calling the shots of what to do with them, but she can¡¯t use my jade to enroll in the academy. If you let her in anyway¡ª¡±


    Before Xie Qiao was done speaking, Xie Pinggang spoke. ¡°What enroll in the academy? She¡¯d embarrass our Xie family even more if she went to the Royal Academy! If she dares to go, don¡¯t even think of entering the Xie Residence¡¯s door. Scram far away. Since she¡¯s the Pei family¡¯s daughter, let the Pei family handle her!¡±

 Chapter 164 - Grow and Prosper

    <h4>Chapter 164: Grow and Prosper</h4>


    Ms. Lu felt weak upon hearing what Xie Pinggang said.


    Xie Qiao nced at her eldest brother with her side eye. She thought to herself and said nothing.


    Her intention was that Pei Wanyue should not be sent to the academy. She would not intervene with the punishment, as her father would call the shot. However, her eldest brother only gave Pei Wanyue an option.


    If she chose the Royal Academy, she would have to give up being a part of the Xie family.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s biological father had passed away, and she had onlye to the Xie Residence as her life at the Pei Residence was not ideal. If she left the Xie Residence, she would either return to Liaozhou or rent a courtyard out there to live on her own.


    However, how would a youngdy who had no family live a good life alone?


    Also, in reality, the Royal Academy was not considered an ideal ce.


    It was the poor families¡¯ ughterhouse and the wealthy families¡¯ yground. It imed to treat everyone the same no matter their status on the surface, but the young masters and mistresses would definitely be treated better. If Pei Wanyue did not have the Xie family¡¯s backing, she would live a hard life even if she entered the Royal Academy.


    She did everything she could to enter the Royal Academy, probably to look for an ideal man.


    She was too naive.


    Without a respectable family background, even if she found an ideal man, she would only have the destiny of bing a concubine.


    ¡°S-she¡¯s not going to the academy!¡± Ms. Lu said immediately, ¡°Yue¡¯er is doing pretty well at Gn Academy. It¡¯s her fault this time. Just punish her to kneel in the courtyard for a night! She admits her fault. She definitely won¡¯t repeat it again. Pinggang, for my sake, forgive her.¡±


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s determined expression changed after hearing what Ms. Lu said.


    ¡°Mother, I want to go to the Royal Academy. What¡¯s wrong with that¡­¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s voice was soft, but it was determined.


    Ms. Lu felt a lump in her heart. She was pissed. ¡°Weren¡¯t you doing well in Liaozhou without having to go to school? Stop your nonsense!¡±


    ¡°No, I want to go to the Royal Academy. They said they¡¯d rmend me. There¡¯s an opportunity. Why can¡¯t I have it?¡± Pei Wanyue said stubbornly.


    There was nothing good for her to stay in the Xie Residence.


    They had a bad reputation. She dared not say that she was from the Xie family when she was at Gn Academy!


    Whenever she told others that her mother was the Xie family¡¯s mistress, they would look at her in disdain!


    She was not the Xie family¡¯s daughter, but others treated her like Xie Pinggang and even Xie Pinghuai, thinking that she was rude and unreasonable!


    Ms. Lu was dumbstruck. No matter how terrible the Xie family¡¯s reputation was, they were still a family of officials!


    ¡°Listen to your mother, Yue¡¯er!¡± Ms. Lu panicked and pped Pei Wanyue¡¯s back.


    Pei Wanyue was hurt from the p, and she stood up immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯m going to the academy! Mother! You promised me when you brought me to the Imperial City. I¡¯m the Xie family¡¯s daughter. Why am I treated differently when ites to education?! And Eldest Sister, Younger Brother wasn¡¯t willing to use that jade anyway, but they refused to give it to me when I really wanted it. You guys are targeting me, looking down on me! Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll move out. I knew there¡¯s amodation at the academy!¡±


    There was amodation at the Royal Academy indeed.


    After all, there were students who came from all ces. However, there were not many female students who lived in the academy.


    Even if there were, most of them came from wealthy business families. They sent their daughters there for experience.


    What Pei Wanyue said surprised Xie Niushan.


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you filling your head with!?¡± Xie Niushan frowned hard.


    This girl was not even 16. What had she been thinking all day? How dare she think that the Xie family tortured her!?


    ¡°Since Young Lady Pei thinks that our Xie family is terrible, please leave tomorrow morning to prevent trouble for both sides. You¡¯ve benefited from the jade, and the Xie family can¡¯t take it back. We hope that Young Lady Pei will grow and prosper. However, don¡¯t address yourself as the Xie family¡¯s daughter when you live on your own from now on,¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly said elegantly. He looked like he was making sense.

 Chapter 165 - Pay Money to Avoid Misfortune

    <h4>Chapter 165: Pay Money to Avoid Misfortune</h4>


    Xie Qiao understood what Xie Pinggang meant roughly¡ªpay money to avoid misfortune.


    Given Pei Wanyue¡¯s temper, she might create even bigger troubles in the future if she was not taught properly. He would rather send her away now so that they could live a peaceful life in the future.


    Naturally, Ms. Lu would still be living with them. It would be impossible for them to cut ties entirely. However, Pei Wanyue would just be a normal rtive. She could visit asionally, but it would be impossible for her toe to the Xie Residence often.


    ¡°Mother, you witnessed this yourself. Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister are not treating me like family at all. What¡¯s the point of me staying? Instead of tipping toes around in this house, I¡¯d rather leave!¡± Pei Wanyue felt wronged.


    ¡°What Young Lady Pei said is rather upsetting. Maybe¡­ Eldest Brother, we should tell the people out there that there¡¯s a thief in the house. Although it¡¯s quite embarrassing, our family¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t that great anyway,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling at Pei Wanyue.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Pinggang nodded.


    Having a thief at home might make them aughingstock for a while. If the news spread, not only could Pei Wanyue no longer stay at the Xie Residence, but she would also be unable to enter the academy!


    The Chu family had dared to use the jade for discipleship because the Xie family had said that they had lost the jade by ident. However, if it was stolen, how would it be possible for Chu Jian to take responsibility for such trouble since he was educated?


    No matter how unwilling he was, he would return the jade. He would even exin to the people how he had obtained the jade. Who would be in trouble by then?


    Pei Wanyue would be.


    However, Pei Wanyue was living at the Xie Residence. If someone was to really ask more, her act of invading Xie Pinghuai¡¯s courtyard might no longer be a secret.


    Therefore, Xie Qiao was scaring her now.


    As expected, Pei Wanyue became sensible now.


    Xie Niushan was irritated. ¡°Since you¡¯re so eager to go, just go. I no longer care.¡±


    Xie Niushan was in a bad mood now. He did not even look at Ms. Lu and returned to his courtyard directly.


    Ms. Lu panicked. She was eager to hit her daughter, but she could not do it seeing Pei Wanyue¡¯s face. She could not stop sighing.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, the jade was yours. Now that it benefited someone else instead, you must¡¯ve felt wronged. Just let it out on me,¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡°Eldest Brother¡¯s solution is pretty great. A piece of jade could make her leave the Xie Residence. I guess we¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve benefited.¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    ¡°I think so too. If she stays, Ms. Lu might sell everything the Xie family has for her dowry if she gets married in the future.¡± Xie Pinggang mocked.


    He despised Ms. Lu¡¯s pettiness.


    How long had she been here? She had bought many things for Pei Wanyue.


    However, Xie Qiao did not have anything new in her house.


    If not for the fact that nobody was allowed to enter Xie Qiao¡¯s house, she might have lost some things!


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s wronged¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai interrupted immediately while he added right away, ¡°But it¡¯s my fault!¡±


    ¡°I heard you bought another pair of crickets today.¡± Xie Pinggang scoffed.


    Nothing that happened at home could hide from Xie Pinggang.


    Someone had told him that as soon as he got home.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s face turned pale when he heard that. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. It was Mother who got someone to buy them for me!¡±


    ¡°Ha, using Mother as an excuse again. Which of your stuff isn¡¯t provided by Mother?¡± Xie Pinggang red at Xie Pinghuai with a stern face.


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me!¡± Xie Pinghuai was shrieking now.


    Xie Qiao nced at her young brother with pity.


    Since her eldest brother knew that Xie Pinghuai had bought something, he definitely knew the story behind it.


    He must have thought he did something wrong, so he was teaching him a lesson now.


    It made sense. This brat had gotten home from school early and had been seeking trouble himself. Forget it that he had been waiting at home for half a day. He was ying with the crickets¡­


    Although he did not initiate that himself, the behavior was rather infuriating.

 Chapter 166 - Can’t Compare to Her

    <h4>Chapter 166: Can¡¯t Compare to Her</h4>


    Xie Pinggang went to Xie Pinghuai¡¯s courtyard. Not only did he take the crickets away, but he also punished Xie Pinghuai to kneel for the entire night.


    Xie Pinghuai felt extremely wronged.


    ¡°Do you understand why Mother gave you that?¡± Xie Qiao asked, seeing that he did not realize something.


    Xie Pinghuai nodded. ¡°I know. I suppose she bought them for me to make me calm down upon seeing that I was mad. However, I¡¯m still mad. I was just seeking justice from Pei Wanyue. Why am I being punished?!¡±


    He was hopeless¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s because the thing that Mother gave this time can¡¯t put out your fire. But what if she gave you something that you can¡¯t resist? Can you put aside the matter of Pei Wanyue stealing the jade?¡± Xie Qiao felt helpless as she exined, ¡°You¡¯ve been living with her for four to five years, so you¡¯re right to treat her as your mother by blood. However, you must know the difference between right and wrong. She knew about this, yet she was fooling you, trying to shut you up. That¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was confused when he heard that.


    In reality, to him, Pei Wanyue was Pei Wanyue, and Mother was Mother.


    Now that Xie Qiao spoke about it, he only recalled that his mother was not surprised about Pei Wanyue stealing the jade at all. She even knelt immediately to beg on behalf of her¡­


    So she knew who did it but hid it from him?


    Meanwhile, he had been ying with the thing that his mother sent him like a fool¡­


    Xie Qiao felt tired, and her face was quite pale.


    ¡°Even if you want to be filial, you must have rity. Otherwise, you¡¯re no different than a puppet. Give it a good thought.¡± Xie Qiao coughed lightly after she was done speaking. She dared not stay.


    The dark energy on her was heavy. She should not frequent Xie Pinghuai¡¯s courtyard.


    After returning to her own courtyard, Xie Qiao clearly felt better.


    The reason? She had changed the courtyard¡¯s feng shui. The eight sides of the courtyard would gather Yang energy. She had also buried Five Element Talismans in a couple of ces to adjust the energy in her body. She would not feel too chilly or ufortable.


    Xie Pinghuai knelt for a night.


    Pei Wanyue was stubborn not to apologize to Ms. Lu the entire night.


    Realizing that there was no turning back, Ms. Lu could only bite the bullet and pack for her daughter.


    Ms. Lu had dowry too, but it was little. Now that her daughter was going to live outside, she dared not use the Xie family¡¯s things. She was worried that Xie Pinggang would be even angrier if he found out. She could only bring out her little dowry and buy a small house near the Royal Academy.


    The house was really small, with only two doorways. She would have to hire a few servants for her.


    Ms. Lu was heartbroken. She did not have a lot of hidden money, and now she used everything she had. The houses in the Imperial City were expensive.


    However, Pei Wanyue thought Ms. Lu was petty.


    She did not have much of an expression on her face, which disappointed Ms. Lu even more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight with Xie Qiao when you go to the academy. Something¡¯s wrong with that girl. Although Uncle Xie doesn¡¯t really pay attention to her, Xie Pinggang dotes on her. Now even Pinghuai is siding with her. What good would you gain from fighting with her?¡± Ms. Lu sighed.


    ¡°Understand, Mother.¡±


    ¡®You just think that I can¡¯tpare to Xie Qiao, right?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to meet an olddy one day. She¡¯s nice to me. If you¡¯re good enough, she¡¯ll dote on you too. By then, with her support, I¡¯ll persuade Uncle Xie again to let you marry as a Xie family member,¡± Ms. Lu added.


    Pei Wanyue responded in a perfunctory manner.


    In the past, she had been under the impression her mother was lucky to marry into an official family.


    Now, it seemed it was bad luck. The Xie family was a family of bandits. Their reputation was terrible!


    What was the advantage of being close to the Xie family?


    Ms. Lu kept reminding Pei Wanyue of everything, but she had been cold. After she settled on a house, she brought out the rmendation letter. She was going to register herself on a prosperous day.

 Chapter 167 - Swindler

    <h4>Chapter 167: Swindler</h4>


    Without Pei Wanyue in the Xie Residence, Xie Qiao was in a great mood. However, she still remembered that she had epted a mission.


    The female spirit¡¯s husband¡¯s family was not from some ordinary family. He was a wax businessman¡¯s son. Many Buddhist and Taoist temples in the Imperial City had business with them.


    Meanwhile, the spirit¡¯s family, the Wei family, was in the incense business.


    In the early years, the Wei family was in good business selling candles and incense. As their shop was next to the Zheng family, they were close. As time passed, their children had fallen in love with each other and had set up a marriage agreement when they were young. To show their sincerity, the Wei family shared their wax-making skills with the Zheng family, while they focused on incense-making from then on.


    Candles and incense always went together. Therefore, both families coborated often.


    The shops were next to each other.


    Throughout the years, both shops helped each other and grew together. Both shops could be ranked top five among the same industry in the Imperial City.


    It made sense that the female spirit was unwilling.


    That jerk was called Zheng Lusheng. It had been a year since he had lost his wife, and he had yet to remarry.


    Xie Qiao disguised herself as Mo Chusheng, strolled around the Zheng Residence casually, and found out that Zheng Lusheng had a great reputation.


    Everyone knew that Zheng Lusheng was loyal, and he was still in love with histe wife. If not for the fact that his parents were still alive, he might have killed himself to be with her!


    Most people respected loyal people. Therefore, his business had blossomed significantlypared to a year ago.


    Even the Wei family¡¯s inws had good words about Zheng Lusheng. They had been nagging him to remarry.


    Xie Qiao could not help but be angry when she heard about all those things.


    This Zheng Lusheng sure had great acting skills!


    ¡°Do you really just want to give him a p?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    The female spirit hovered next to her. ¡°His cover has been too good. Now that he¡¯s taking care of my parents on behalf of me, in order to destroy his reputation¡­ It¡¯s too difficult.¡±


    She wanted that, but it would be hard. She was worried about enraging the only person who could help her.


    Xie Qiao sat at the tea stall and stared at the shop across.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at the shop across, Priest¡­ Is there something wrong?¡± Someone at the tea stall could not help but ask as Xie Qiao had been sitting for a long time.


    Xie Qiao nced at the side mysteriously.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that money creates evil, adultery causes worries, excessive flirtation brings troubles. A person who looks ordinary can be evil inside.¡± Xie Qiao recited a few sentences pretending to be deep and then sighed. ¡°Pity, what a pity.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite a poor thing. Young Master Zheng is such a nice man, but his wife died so young. Sigh¡­¡± That man could not help but sigh in sympathy as well.


    Xie Qiao turned her head and nced at the person. She then shook her head slowly.


    ¡°Is that not what you mean, Priest?¡± The customer could not help but ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that thedy was pitiful. She met someone terrible when she was young. She left with resentment, a troubled soul.¡± Xie Qiao sounded sorry.


    The person next to her could not help but look at her again upon hearing what she said.


    He revealed a helpless smile.


    Naturally, he treated her as a swindler.


    ¡°Karma will alwayse. Resentment fills this ce, and the debt will soon be due. It has to be paid, but there¡¯s no hurry.¡± Xie Qiao flung her Taoist robe¡¯s sleeves and left in an unfathomable manner.


    The bell ringing from her confused the people who heard it.


    When they snapped back to their senses, Xie Qiao had left far away.


    ¡°What did she mean? Why does it sound like Zheng Lusheng will receive karma soon?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it. Did Ms. Wei die of a conspiracy?¡±


    ¡°What conspiracy? Ms. Wei¡¯s parents are here. I wonder where that priestes from, so full of nonsense.¡±


    Some people mumbled and could not help but shake their heads.

 Chapter 168 - Setting Up A Curse

    <h4>Chapter 168: Setting Up A Curse</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not go too far.


    After taking a stroll for so long, she had a clear idea of how the Zheng Residence¡¯s situation was.


    She also nced at Zheng Lusheng from far away. The man¡¯s eyes betrayed how lecherous he was. He did not seem as simple as he was on the surface. He was a cunning one.


    Xie Qiao returned to the Fortune Pavilion to prepare cinnabars, talismans, and some utensils. At night, she sneaked out of the side door after informing Chun Er.


    Her courtyard was remote, so it was easy for her to move around.


    She would have to locate the prime vertical spots in the Zheng Residence and set up tiger-shaped Dharmic instruments in each spot. The curse would be executed by then.


    When the curse took effect, it would be hard for one to prosper, and cmities would fall upon them.


    However, it depended on individuals when it came to evil energy. Everyone had different energy. If they had Yang energy, the evil energy could not take effect. If they had dark energy, they would bring troubles to themselves.


    Xie Qiao did not care about conscience when she was paid to work. What she cared about was the female spirit¡¯s satisfaction.


    After doing all that, the dark energy became heavier at the Zheng Residence.


    The female spirit looked at her own body. She suddenly felt that she was much more powerful now. She said to Xie Qiao immediately, ¡°Priest, can I take revenge now?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°You have grievances, and they will intensify at the Zheng and Wei Residence. Therefore, you¡¯re only more powerful when you¡¯re at the two ces. If you want, you should try to speak to your parents in their dreams. Although you can¡¯t create a realistic dreand, it¡¯d be good to visit them. Also¡­ You should indeed stay by Zheng Lusheng¡¯s side more often.¡±


    A spirit was a spirit. Unless they were filled with resentment and ferociousness, it would be difficult for them to kill someone.


    However, when a living person had more dark energy, their Yang energy would drop. The little spirits could pull some tricks on them.


    The female spirit was very satisfied to be able to do that.


    She hovered over the Wei Residence.


    Evil energy needed time to gather. There was no rush.


    When Xie Qiao set up the evil energy, the female spirit was not the only one around her. Some lonely spirits were peeping from far away. They seemed to want to see if she would fulfill the female spirit¡¯s wish.


    Therefore, Xie Qiao took the case very seriously. Otherwise, she could have just done what the female spirit said and would have hired someone to beat up the husband. Why should she spend so much effort?


    It was difficult to set up evil energy, okay?


    Xie Qiao only dared to do that because Zheng Lusheng carried a lot of bad karma with him. Otherwise, she would die even faster if she was to do that on a regr person.


    It would take a few days for it to take effect.


    After removing her makeup, Xie Qiao was a lovabledy again. She went to school obediently.


    Within two days, as expected, Pei Wanyue enrolled in the academy with the rmendation letter.


    She did not have a powerful identity nor status, so nobody paid attention to her enrollment.


    Firstly, she was not an official¡¯s daughter. Secondly, she did note from a wealthy business family. Although the Chu family gave her the rmendation letter, there was a difference between letters. Therefore, she was sent to ss D of Chrysanthemum Courtyard.


    As soon as Pei Wanyue entered, she asked about Xie Qiao.


    She felt horrible when she found out that Xie Qiao was in ss Sun.


    The sses, Qian, Kun, Sun, Moon, A, B, C, and D, were ranked ording to one¡¯s identity and status. It was futile even if she was unwilling.


    However, she lost to Xie Qiao even when it came to the five rankings!


    Xie Qiao was in the Orchid Courtyard that ranked second, while she was in the Chrysanthemum Courtyard, which ranked third. One¡¯s talent determined it!


    Why?


    Could it be that Xie Qiao was more talented than she was?


    Pei Wanyue was upset that day. On that day, she did not speak much. She could not remember who was in her courtyard. Her heart was in turmoil.


    She did not have silver beans, so she did not have lunch.


    In the evening, she thought she would stay at the academy. However, she only found out from the teacher that she needed to pay in silver or silver beans to be able to stay at the academy.


    She had neither!


    Life was hard for people who only entered the academy at such an age!


    However, Xie Qiao had been living a good life!

 Chapter 169 - It’s Her, Xie Qiao

    <h4>Chapter 169: It¡¯s Her, Xie Qiao</h4>


    Feeling helpless, Pei Wanyue could only return to the small courtyard that Ms. Lu had bought her. The courtyard was empty, and the servants were new. They looked nervous.


    There was nobody she knew there.


    It was a night of tossing and turning.


    Pei Wanyue looked terrible when she woke up in the morning. She headed to the Royal Academy exhausted. She tried her best to adjust herself, and she finally got in touch with others in the courtyard.


    However, as she got in touch with them¡­


    She was dumbstruck.


    In ss D, almost all of them were daughters of wealthy businessmen. They either talked about the trendiest clothes and essories or made fun of official families¡¯ daughters.


    Thedies at Gn Academy were much more elegant.


    When she got the attention, someone asked curiously immediately, ¡°Young Lady Pei, what does your father do? To be able to obtain a rmendation letter from a third-grade official!¡±


    Pei Wanyue looked troubled.


    She thought about it and said, ¡°Father¡­ is a fourth-grade official. However, the rmendation letter is a gift from a friend from Gn Academy¡­¡±


    ¡°Fourth-grade official?¡± Many people looked at her as soon as they heard that. ¡°That can¡¯t be? Fourth-grade officials¡¯ daughters should be in ss Sun or ss Moon. It¡¯s impossible even for a stepdaughter to be in thest ss like us.¡±


    Pei Wanyue pursed her lips, ¡°M-my mother remarried¡­¡±


    ¡°Remarried?¡± Everyone was stunned, but they were not surprised.


    Women were encouraged to remarry during the era. There were quite many who divorced and remarried as well.


    However, not many official families did that as they were proud.


    Someone else asked, ¡°Did you say that the rmendation letter is a gift from a friend? Your¡­ father didn¡¯t help you?¡±


    Pei Wanyue shook her head and even revealed a troubled expression. ¡°They didn¡¯t want me toe to the Royal Academy. I¡¯ve no idea why. I didn¡¯t want to waste the rmendation letter my friend gave me, so I came stubbornly. They chased me out of the house.¡±


    That was big news.


    Everyone stared at her passionately.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your father too mean!?¡± eximed someone.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re worried that it¡¯d look bad for my sister if I came.¡± Pei Wanyue sighed.


    The people got their interest piqued.


    Which family was so mean to the stepdaughter, prohibiting her from using the rmendation letter and chasing her out of the house? That was pure evil!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Lady Pei. You have us. We won¡¯t make you feel wronged. Is your sister in this academy too? Who is it? If she provokes you in the future, you have our back!¡±


    Pei Wanyue said in fear, ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no need to trouble you guys. She¡¯s not someone that you should mess with. She¡¯s Father¡¯s direct daughter. She¡¯s clearly different from me. I¡¯d have to avoid her at all costs. Also, you guys have heard of her. She¡¯s Xie Qiao¡­¡±


    ¡°Xie Qiao!?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    She was not the Xie Qiao that they imagined, right!?


    Xie Niushan¡¯s direct first daughter, the poor soul with a short life in ss Sun, Orchid Courtyard. The youngdy who had won the bet against Yuan Bin?


    They did not expect Pei Wanyue and Xie Qiao to be rtives.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for others, but we indeed dare not offend Xie Qiao. Her body is exceptionally weak. We¡¯d be in trouble if something happened to her. Also, Xie Pinggang¡­ He¡¯s a devil. And Xie Pinghuai too, he¡¯s mischievous. He¡¯s quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°I know, Eldest Sister enrolled in the academy just by bringing a painting casually. The academy is aware of Eldest Brother¡¯s temper. That¡¯s why they epted her. Now that I¡¯ve been chased out, although it¡¯s tough, I feel happy to be independent,¡± Pei Wanyue said immediately.

 Chapter 170 - Unprecedented

    <h4>Chapter 170: Unprecedented</h4>


    Pei Wanyue sounded sarcastic.


    Those youngdies were not fools. They instantly felt that she was talking badly about Xie Qiao intentionally.


    They could not help but be vignt against Pei Wanyue.


    Nheless, the badmouthing was rather interesting.


    Someone asked in confusion, ¡°What do you mean by bringing a painting casually?¡±


    Xie Qiao had attracted quite a lot of attention when she enrolled in the academy. Back then, many had been guessing whether her father would carry silver over. Never had they imagined there would be no silver. Xie Qiao had gifted a painting instead. Paintings were something elegant, and they did not match the Xie family¡¯s styles at all.


    Now that Pei Wanyue had said that, could it be that something was wrong with the painting?


    Pei Wanyue was hesitating. ¡°Actually, Eldest Sister grew up in a Taoist temple in Yunjing. When Mother brought her home, she had not much experience. When she arrived in the Imperial City, our family wanted to send her into the academy with silver. However, she brought out Master Yun Wei¡¯s masterpiece. He has few masterpieces in the world. The one that sister had¡­ must be from someone who forged it with the Master¡¯s name.¡±


    Everyone was surprised when they heard that. That was something serious.


    ¡°Young Lady Pei, we understand that you despise Xie Qiao, but you can¡¯t just say things like that,¡± someone said while frowning.


    Indeed, there were many who hated Xie Qiao. Who asked her to have such a stunning appearance?


    Nevertheless, nobody would suspect that Xie Qiao had forged a painting.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Although Master Yun Wei has few masterpieces, one can still buy them. What proof do you have to say that your sister¡¯s painting is forged?¡±


    Pei Wanyue realized that she had spoken too rashly. It was hard for her to enroll in the Royal Academy. She should seize the opportunity to make connections.


    However, in ss D, although some of them were not from wealthy business families, they were daughters of low-level officials. What was the point of her being friends with them?


    If she were to do that, she would rather stay with the Xie family. Her sacrifice would be wasted.


    Now she could only get people¡¯s attention for her to stand out.


    Moreover, Xie Qiao¡¯s painting had to be fake, right?


    When she had brought out the painting, even Xie Niushan suspected it to be fake!


    ¡°Eldest Sister¡¯s painting has chickens and bulls in them. It looked ordinary. Also, she showed it off to Father and Mother at home before. They asked her not to use that as a gift, but she insisted,¡± Pei Wanyue added.


    Some of them felt disturbed. Some of them had their guards up, while others were irritated by Pei Wanyue now.


    Pei Wanyue kept calling Xie Qiao sister. However, from what she said, how did she sound like a sister?


    She was eager to stomp Xie Qiao into the mud.


    However, what Pei Wanyue said took effect.


    On that day, the news spread.


    It was difficult to enroll into the Royal Academy. Everyone gave gifts, so what right did Xie Qiao have to be able to bypass that?


    Also, what everyone cared about was not the gift alone. It was mainly because the painting was forged!


    The academy was a sacred ce, and she had brought something forged here. It was unprecedented. She must be punished heavily!


    At that moment, many judgemental voices could be heard around Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Someone is so shameless to stay at the academy?¡±


    ¡°I heard she came from a Taoist temple in a poor, secluded area. She doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good and figured a forged item is precious.¡±


    ¡°It was Mr. Xu who was in charge, right? Why couldn¡¯t he tell that it was forged? Can it be that there was a misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°What misunderstanding? Master Yun Wei has only gained fame during recent years. There are only a couple of masterpieces avable in the Imperial City. The Xie family are hillbillies. How would they spend so much money to buy a painting?¡±

 Chapter 171 - Forced to Do So

    <h4>Chapter 171: Forced to Do So</h4>


    Everyone knew too well about the Xie family.


    Xie Pinggang had beaten up a Royal Academy teacher as soon as he had arrived at the Imperial City. Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi were still at the Begonia Courtyard after enrolling in the academy for two years. They had not improved at all.


    Although Xie Qiao was considered good, apart from her stunning performance in swordsmanship ss, she hardly showed in other sses ever since she had enrolled in the academy.


    None of them were serious about education.


    Such a family was a fan of Master Yun Wei?


    The doubtful voices were getting louder.


    Xie Qiao could not help but be surprised when she heard those things.


    ¡°Who spread this rumor?¡± Xie Qiao asked Qin Liu.


    Qin Liu was more concerned about her. ¡°That¡­ sister of yours? Young Lady Pei from ss D, Chrysanthemum Courtyard. She said she identally spilled it, and she looked very troubled when many asked her about it now. I observed her. Judging by her attitude, everyone thinks that the rumor is the truth.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    As she thought about it carefully, she did not seem to have done anything over the line to Pei Wanyue, right?


    Why did Pei Wanyue insist on stirring trouble?


    ¡°Xie Qiao was that painting¡ª¡± Qin Liu was hesitating. She pped her own head when she was in the middle of her sentence. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot. You¡¯re not a fool. Why would you destroy your future?¡±


    It was not the first day she knew Xie Qiao. Xie Qiao did not have to do that at all. She was very different from what she was rumored to be. She was smart and understood everything that Master Lu said!


    Xie Qiaol even taught Qin Liu a couple of times!


    She was sensible. It was impossible that her family did not have 5,000 taels of silver for her. There was no need for her to forge the painting at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s destroying my future.¡± Xie Qiao looked cold now. ¡°If this rumor goes on, even if I don¡¯t ask for it, I¡¯m sure Mr. Xu will stand up for me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Some said that your eldest brother threatened Mr. Xu¡­¡± Even Qin Lu found it difficult to tell her that. ¡°Mr. Xu was still criticizing you the day before you enrolled, but he sent you to the Orchid Courtyard the next day. Everyone thinks that he was forced to do so.¡±


    Xie Qiao could not help it as her interest was piqued.


    ¡®He was forced to do so? Some people have wild imaginations.¡¯


    Her eldest brother was not a ferocious beast!


    As the duo was chatting, an uproar was suddenly stirred outside.


    A bunch of people entered the Orchid Courtyard. They looked scary and unfriendly. They started making noise as soon as they arrived at the Orchid Courtyard.


    ¡°Which one of you is Young Lady Xie, Xie Qiao?¡± As the person spoke, many eyes in the Orchid Courtyard looked at Xie Qiao by instinct.


    There were men anddies among the crowd. All of them were students of the academy. They were young and impulsive.


    When they noticed Xie Qiao, they approached her in an intimidating manner.


    Qin Liu¡¯s expression changed, and she shook Xie Qiao nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s run from the back door¡­¡±


    What if they started to hit her? Xie Qiao was so weak she might die after being pushed a few times!


    ¡°I can¡¯t run,¡± Xie Qiao told the truth.


    Qin Liu¡¯s face paled. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s health was just too pitiful.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Qin Liu said immediately, ¡°Sister Xie is weak. You guys will scare her from doing this!¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her eyes to nce at Qin Liu. She was never too helpless in the presence of Qin Liu, right?


    ¡°Go home to rest if you¡¯re weak, Young Lady Xie. Our academy isn¡¯t for you,¡± said one of the people who came.


    Xie Qiao took a nce at them.


    There were quite many people in the crowd. At first nce, there were at least 100 of them. Naturally, many of them were just here to watch. The leading ones were the few before her. They dressed rather differently, and most of them had dark peony patterns on their clothes.

 Chapter 172 - Imperious to Her Family

    <h4>Chapter 172: Imperious to Her Family</h4>


    Almost all of the people who were leading were from the Peony Courtyard.


    It made sense that they came in such an overbearing manner.


    Some people from the Orchid Courtyard were scared, but most of them showed angry expressions in their eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Peony Courtyard crossing the line to be stirring troubles at our Orchid Courtyard?¡±


    Fang Muxue and the rest stood up. They had a ratherplicated attitude toward Xie Qiao. Although they despised the Xie family¡¯s reputation, Xie Qiao was really sensible at the academy. Master Lu doted on her. Indeed, she was the most focused in ss¡­


    Although nobody knew whether she understood the teachings or not, they could feel her respect for the teachers.


    Regarding the gift¡­


    Naturally, they were rather upset.


    However, that did not mean that they would tolerate people from the Peony Courtyarding to bully her in their courtyard.


    ¡°Young Lady Fang, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want a person without integrity staying in the academy?¡± said someone. It was uncertain whether he was smiling.


    Xie Qiao knew none of them.


    ¡°If Xie Qiao forged the painting, the teacher would definitely punish her. What does that have to do with you guys?¡± asked Fang Muxue.


    ¡°Who knows how her eldest brother threatened the teacher?¡± A man stood out. ¡°He bullied Young Lady Dong earlier. How¡¯s the sister of such a person anything good?¡±


    When the man said that, Xie Qiao saw a strange hint of shame and anger on the youngdy¡¯s face who spoke earlier.


    Can it be that¡­


    She was Young Lady Dong who had rejected her eldest brother?


    However, it was not the time for her to satisfy her curiosity.


    ¡°Guys¡­¡± Xie Qiao said, ¡°There has got to be proof to use me of forgery, right?¡±


    ¡°It was your sister who said it herself,¡± a youngdy said immediately.


    Xie Qiao could not help but smile. ¡°I only have one sister, her name¡¯s Xie Xi. Did she tell you that?¡±


    ¡°No, it was Young Lady Pei¡­¡± That youngdy responded immediately. The crowd pushed Pei Wanyue out as soon as she was done speaking. ¡°This is your sister, right? She saw it herself that you showed off the forged painting. You were arrogant!¡±


    Arrogant?


    Xie Qiao thought she had always been reserved.


    ¡°You guys say it yourself that her family name is Pei, so how is she my sister? Did you make a mistake?¡± Xie Qiao sounded casual, and there was even a faint smile on her face. She exuded a slow and rxed vibe as she nced at Pei Wanyue. ¡°She¡¯s a youngdy from the Pei family, and she has nothing to do with my Xie family. No matter what she does, it¡¯s terrible to smear her filthy doings onto my family.¡±


    The onlookers could not help but smirk when they heard that.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, it was you who did something shameless, is it not? You even bullied Young Lady Pei to the point that she was chased out of the house. Are you proud of that?¡± said someone as if seeking justice.


    Pei Wanyue held her head low. She looked very humble.


    ¡°Our Xie family can¡¯t afford to raise a person whose character is wed and imperious to her family,¡± Xie Qiao said in sarcasm. ¡°You guys have crossed the line. I want the teacher to im my innocence.¡±


    She would be a fool to fight 100 people on her own. It was useless to say so much. It would be better to get the teacher to im her innocence.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I think you should leave the academy yourself. Why are you doing this? Everyone will be even angrier if you do this,¡± Pei Wanyue said immediately.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve been struck by lightning to be saying something so foolish.¡± Xie Qiao nced at her with disgust.


    Pei Wanyue was stunned. She felt embarrassed and furious a momentter. ¡°Eldest Sister, I know I shouldn¡¯t have spilled this. But it¡¯d be exposed sooner orter! You¡¯re at fault. How about this? I¡¯ll get Father to send some silver¡­ We¡¯ll make it right!¡±


    Xie Qiao was irritated upon hearing that.


    She was eager to burn this youngdy together with incense.

 Chapter 173 - Begone

    <h4>Chapter 173: Begone</h4>


    Xie Qiao had been trained for years to have a good temper. Although she was angry, she would not show it on her face.


    Soon, Master Lu came and was shocked by the scene. Subsequently, he walked over with a grim expression. ¡°What are you guys doing?!¡±


    ¡°Master, Xie Qiao forged the painting that she gifted to the academy. She used Master Yun Wei¡¯s name fraudulently. We¡¯re in disdain to be her peers!¡± The person sounded righteous.


    Xie Qiao suddenly asked, ¡°Master, should intentional usation and humiliation be punished?¡±


    Master Lu looked at those people from the Peony Courtyard. He was irritated. When he heard what Xie Qiao said, he answered instinctively, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded in satisfaction upon hearing that.


    ¡°They think that Imitted forgery. It¡¯s futile for me to exin. I¡¯d like Master to get the dean and bring my gift along. Be my witness. If it¡¯s proven that my gift isn¡¯t forged¡­¡± Xie Qiao paused and continued slowly. ¡°Please im my innocence, Master.¡±


    Xie Qiao caught her breath after she was done speaking.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Master Lu responded immediately.


    He had heard the rumor too and thought it was outrageous.


    What did those students think teachers like him were? How could they agree to let Xie Qiao into the academy with a forged painting because of Xie Pinggang?


    Moreover, regarding the incident about Xie Pinggang beating up the teacher¡­


    The academy had fired him. Back then, they had exined to the public that the teacher had been rude and offended Master Xie, which triggered Xie Pinggang to hit him. Unfortunately, everyone was shocked by Xie Niushan¡¯s bandit identity. Therefore, they did not pay attention to the truth.


    Master Lu invited the dean over himself.


    Xie Qiao remained sitting there. Those who came to stir troubles surrounded her as if worried that she would run away.


    The air was stuffy, so Xie Qiao pulled a feather fan out of her clothed bag and fanned herself slowly. The Dharmic bell on her wrist was ringing. It had the effect of rejuvenating one¡¯s spirit.


    It was nice, and she felt much better now.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s rxed attitude confused the people around her.


    Could it be that¡­ they had really misunderstood her?


    Xie Qiao looked at them and said, ¡°Since you guys are here, it¡¯s toote for you to leave now. I¡¯ve got a pretty good memory. I¡¯ve engraved everyone¡¯s faces in my head now. I¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    Someone could not help but snicker. ¡°Are you trying to scare us?¡±.


    There were so many people. How could she remember everyone?


    How could that be possible?


    Xie Qiao possessed a skill, allowing her to remember people¡¯s faces. Those who were good-looking were attractive. She could not forget them even if she wanted to, including those who were ugly. Meanwhile, those who looked mediocre¡­


    Some had lips like a bow, some had big, skinny noses, while others had dark spots on their faces. Nheless, she could always see the uniqueness of each person.


    Naturally, she remembered them.


    Pei Wanyue was initially very confident. However, she fell into a daze as time went by.


    Was Xie Qiao really not worried?


    She had never seen the slightest hint of panic on Xie Qiao¡¯s face before.


    ¡®Could it be that she really thinks no one will find out that the painting is forged?


    ¡®Or maybe, it isn¡¯t forged?


    ¡®Impossible! If that¡¯s true, how is it possible that Xie Qiao didn¡¯t argue that it was authentic back then? Master Yun Wei¡¯s masterpiece is something precious. If it¡¯s authentic, she should want everyone in the world to know!


    ¡®What did Xie Qiao do? She snatched it back and put it away as soon as it was shown. She was unwilling to show it to people.¡¯


    Pei Wanyue was confident again as she thought about it.


    Due to this incident, she had made many friends. Therefore, her life would improve as soon as Xie Qiao left the academy.


    It would be best if¡­ the other two children from the Xie family were expelled as well.


    By then, she could shake off the reputation of being a bandit family¡¯s rtive¡ªthat would no longer affect her.

 Chapter 174 - Impossible

    <h4>Chapter 174: Impossible</h4>


    Master Lu returned a whileter.


    However, the dean did note.


    The crowd was shocked when they turned their heads. The reason being, over ten teachers, hade, including Xu Mian, who had epted Xie Qiao¡¯s gift back then, as well as¡­ the Crown Prince.


    Lately¡­ the Crown Prince seemed to have a rubberneck.


    There were too many people in the ss. Therefore, they went to the courtyard and stood orderly.


    Xie Qiao, Pei Wanyue, and the few initiators from the Peony Courtyard stood at the front.


    ¡°You guys stirred so much more trouble than I did back then,¡± said Zhao Xuanjing. It was uncertain if he was smiling. He scoffed lightly as he looked at the people from the Peony Courtyard. ¡°Is the homework at the Peony Courtyard too easy? You guys have so much time toe to the Orchid Courtyard to be busybodies?¡±


    The Peony Courtyard students could not help but feel troubled.


    Not sure why, but they had a feeling that¡­ His Highness seemed to be targeting them today?


    ¡°Your Highness, should we not chase someone out of the academy if shemits forgery? So that the academy would remain a sacred ce? If the other two academies find out, they will think that our academy is a mess!¡± A courageous young man stood out.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying Xie Qiaomitted forgery?¡± Zhao Xuanjing scoffed. ¡°I hear what you¡¯re saying beneath all these. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush before me. If you be an official in the future, I don¡¯t want to look at your report. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be filled with nonsense!¡±


    That young man¡¯s face paled.


    The Crown Prince was too straightforward.


    He even dered that¡­ he would be the Emperor in the near future¡­


    However, the Emperor doted on him. If the Emperor heard his direct words, he mightpliment him for having an innocent heart and being true to himself.


    That young man took a step back, feeling wronged. He was pitiful.


    ¡°Please be our witness, Your Highness. Xie Qiao forged Master Yun Wei¡¯s masterpiece. It¡¯s detestable!¡± The student who was leading stood out. He looked charismatic.


    Xie Qiao nced at him twice.


    He was quite good-looking with a lucky face. However, he had bad luck in romance. It would be troublesome whenever he got close to women.


    ¡°Cough!¡± Xie Qiao failed to hold back. She coughed once and took a deep breath in.


    These people were fighting for air with her.


    ¡°Get Young Lady Xie a seat,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said seemingly casually. He then nced at the man who spoke earlier. A bright gleam shed through his eyes when he asked, ¡°Which family are you from?¡±


    ¡°This humble one is Qi Huai. My father is a Bureau Chief,¡± Qi Huai said immediately.


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded. ¡°I remember your father despises Master Xie. He failed to impeach him thest few times. You¡¯re just like your father.¡±


    The senior had impeached Xie Niushan at the imperial court while the junior was stirring trouble with Xie Qiao at the academy.


    They had nothing better to do.


    Xie Qiao did not find that surprising. There should be many officials who wanted to impeach her father. That was just one of them.


    If not for the fact that her father had notmitted any major offenses, he might have been executed by now.


    Qi Huai looked fearful and confused. Was the Crown Princeplimenting him or¡­ criticizing him?


    ¡°What do you think, Xu Mian?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was calm.


    Xu Mian held the painting in his hands.


    ¡°Your Highness, the rumor said that Xie Pinggang humiliated and forced me. That didn¡¯t happen at all¡­¡± Xu Miang smiled, feeling helpless. ¡°It was my decision to put Young Lady Xie in the Orchid Courtyard. After all, it¡¯s inappropriate to ce her in other courtyards due to her age. Moreover, Young Lady Xie wrote perfect Sanskrit during the entry examination. There¡¯spletely no problem that she¡¯s ced in the Orchid Courtyard.¡±


    It was no problem judging by the examination alone.


    ¡°This painting¡­¡± Xu Mian looked serious. ¡°It¡¯s really Master Yun Wei¡¯s work!¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Pei Wanyue screamed immediately.

 Chapter 175 - Bloodbath

    <h4>Chapter 175: Bloodbath</h4>


    Pei Wanyue spoke instinctively and was shocked after saying that. As such, she immediately knelt before Zhao Xuanjing.


    The crowd could not help but frown. There was no such a rule in the academy.


    Even if the Crown Prince came, everyone would just bow while cupping their hands. Barely anyone knelt unless theymitted a major offense.


    However, Pei Wanyue knelt as soon as she spoke. She knew too little of the Royal Academy¡¯s rules. She was a coward.


    Qi Huai and the rest were rather confused too. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Young Lady Pei. Just tell how Xie Qiao usually bullies you and how she forged the painting.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing smirked sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be punished if you misspeak.¡± His voice came slowly while his eyes were filled with chilliness. There was a sliver of mockery too, making one not daring to look at him.


    Pei Wanyue panicked.


    ¡°A-at the Xie Residence¡­¡± Pei Wanyue panicked. Her heart sank when she recalled the Crown Prince knew about the jade.


    ¡°Sister really didn¡¯t bully me. It was my fault. I was impulsive. It was my fault that I was chased out of the house.¡±


    Pei Wanyue really did not expect the Crown Prince toe.


    Why did the Crown Prince happen to be here!?


    She could only bite the bullet now. ¡°The painting¡­ Actually, I¡¯ve no idea of its authenticity. Sister only showed it back then. I can¡¯t tell as I¡¯ve little knowledge of it.¡±


    Qi Huai and the rest felt as if a sword stabbed their chests.


    What did she mean?


    She had been spreading the rumor as if it was a fact with solid proof, had she not!?


    Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and walked over to roll open the painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Joy of Living painting. Master Yun Wei painted the five livestock that the people raise. This is a good painting. I looked at it a few times a couple of days ago. Looking at this painting is like seeing the scene of the people living a joyful life. I felt happy. I was going to give it to Father to make him happy. You guys are telling me that it¡¯s forged?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was really admiring the painting.


    Although he was siding with Xie Qiao, he wasplimenting the painting sincerely.


    There was no mountain nor river in the painting, but it was surprisingly beautiful.


    There were up to 100 people in the painting. One could see the emotions in almost every person¡¯s expressions. It was like heaven on earth.


    Such a simple scene, yet one could not take their eyes off it. Perhaps the genius Master Yun Wei was the only one who could paint such a thing.


    The writing as well¡ªit was majestic and arrogant, like a p of thunder and violent wind.


    Master Yun Wei might have been an extraordinarily generous person instead of azy man.


    ¡°Your Highness is right. When we received this painting, a couple of teachers from the academy appraised it. No matter the handwriting or the writing style, it belongs to Master Yun Wei, and Master Yun Wei only. It¡¯s definitely authentic,¡± another teacher said immediately.


    Since so many people were testifying, how could they still suspect that the painting was forged?


    Qi Huai¡¯s face paled directly.


    The crowd¡¯s reaction was considered to be fast. They cupped their hands and bowed immediately to say, ¡°We were foolish and impulsive. We hope Your Highness will forgive us!¡±


    Xie Qiao smirked slightly. ¡°You guys are quite foolish.¡±


    The crowd was stunned.


    ¡°Do you guys think I¡¯m an idiot? To be giving a forged item as a gift?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You guys must think that my Xie family doesn¡¯t deserve it? You guys can¡¯t take it that the daughter from my Xie family is in the same ss as you guys, so you all jumped to a conclusion based on the rumors. Before His Highness was here, I was almost crushed by all of you. I was so scared¡­¡± Xie Qiao pressed onto her chest. ¡°My head¡¯s spinning. I don¡¯t know how I will face the world from now on¡­¡±


    The crowd¡¯s eyelids twitched. They had a bad feeling.


    As expected, Xie Qiao coughed intensely for a while in the next second. ¡°Your Highness, the humiliation is colossal. If my justice isn¡¯t imed today, there¡¯ll be a bloodbath!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a bloodbath?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was stunned. He was confused when he looked at her.


    That sentence was off. She should reconsider and say it again.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll sacrifice myself to shed the blood of those who humiliated me. This is detestable to me.¡± Xie Qiao looked serious. Her small face was tense.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips twitched twice. He almostughed out loud.

 Chapter 176 - Paying Silver Beans as Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 176: Paying Silver Beans as Punishment</h4>


    Xie Qiao was so tiny¡­ Could she cause a bloodbath?


    Perhaps she would be held down by those wolves, tigers, and leopards before she even showed her ws?


    Zhao Xuanjing sat there looking serious. He pretended to take it seriously and looked at the crowd sternly. ¡°I feel how tough and angry Young Lady Xie is. For the sake of everyone¡¯s lives, as well as the academy¡¯s reputation, I¡¯ll be the judge of this matter.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s bodies became stiff as soon as they heard that.


    However, they dared not say a word.


    ¡°All of you are students of the Royal Academy, yet you can¡¯t recognize Master Yun Wei¡¯s painting. Well¡­ The punishment will be copying the Painting ssics 100 times, 100 silver beans, and apologizing to Young Lady Xie. The Peony Courtyard students will have to pay 200 silver beans.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. In that case, should she bepensated for mental damage as well?


    ¡°Also, Young Lady Pei¡­ You have a lowly character for instigating the students to stir trouble. Your punishment will be 500 silver beans. If you can¡¯t pay that within a day, you¡¯ll have to leave the academy.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked cold as he nced at Pei Wanyue.


    Many people showed sympathetic expressions toward Pei Wanyue as soon as the Crown Prince said that.


    Naturally, they were only sympathetic that she did not have 500 silver beans. Everyone knew that she had only enrolled in the academy two days ago. 500 silver beans aside, she would not even have 50, right!?


    Although 500 silver beans only valued at 50 taels of silver, it was just too difficult to earn the academy¡¯s silver beans!


    Everyone needed silver beans. Who would be willing to sell the silver beans that they spent a great effort to make?


    Therefore¡­


    Pei Wanyue could not afford that.


    As expected, Pei Wanyue¡¯s face paled when she heard the punishment was paying silver beans.


    500¡­


    Pei Wanyue said immediately, ¡°Your Highness, I-I don¡¯t have so many silver beans¡­ Can I copy the book instead?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly when he heard that. ¡°Do you guys think that my punishment is too much?¡±


    The crowd shook their heads immediately. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    It really was not too much¡­


    It was just silver beans. One could make them by copying books after studying at the academy for a while. The academy would collect donations every now and then. The Peony Courtyard and Orchid Courtyard would have to donate at least 500 silver beans.


    One could even say that the punishment was very light.


    However, it was a different story for Pei Wanyue.


    Since she was studying in the academy, she would be treated the same. If she could not afford to make mistakes, she should be obedient. Not only had she embarrassed herself, but she had also dragged them into her trouble¡ªbeing chased out of the academy aside, Qi Huai and the rest were eager to eat her alive now.


    The Peony Courtyard students took their dignity very seriously. Now they had lost itpletely.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s not, then let¡¯s do that,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said coldly.


    Pei Wanyue panicked. She had juste to the academy!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eldest Sister. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯ve no idea how such a misunderstanding was spread. Also, I-I¡¯ve never seen Master Yun Wei¡¯s masterpiece, so¡­ Eldest Sister, can you forgive me?¡± Pei Wanyue said to Xie Qiao.


    She was really regretful now.


    She thought she would be popr at the academy given her appearance and talent¡­


    Never had she thought she would be sent to thest ss, ss D. That was why she had been upset.


    She had made a mistake by bringing up the painting.


    Xie Qiao leaned her body slightly to dodge Pei Wanyue¡¯s hand that wasing to hold her.


    ¡°I only have one sister. She¡¯s sweet and cute. You have the family name of Pei. Are you a traitor to your family?¡± Xie Qiao said casually and pushed Pei Wanyue away with her words directly.

 Chapter 177 - Not Even One

    <h4>Chapter 177: Not Even One</h4>


    Pei Wanyue was unwilling, but the Crown Prince was the judge. He was the person who held her destiny. If she offended him, she would lose all hope.


    At that moment, she could only hold her head down, giving in to her fate.


    Since Pei Wanyue had admitted fault, naturally, the rest did the same.


    Qi Huai took the lead and said while looking at Xie Qiao, ¡°Young Lady Xie, I was rash about this. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You guys have limited worldly experiences, and you are childish. Indeed, I shouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against you all.¡± Xie Qiao looked mysterious as she said in all seriousness, ¡°A fault confessed is half redressed. Don¡¯t forget to send me the Painting ssics copies when you guys are done.¡±


    Qi Huai¡¯s eyelids twitch. ¡°We¡¯re giving them to you?!¡±


    ¡°Are you not going to?¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m the most humiliated party. If they don¡¯t give me the copies, how would I know if they¡¯re sincere about their apology?¡±


    She was considered to be the Crown Prince¡¯s savior. It would be impossible that the Crown Prince would not give in to her regarding this, right?


    ¡°Young Lady Xie is right.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was excited. ¡°You guys should have the right attitude of apology. If Young Lady Xie thinks that your copies are poor, you¡¯ll have to do it all over again. You¡¯ll have toplete copying the Painting ssics within two months. Those who fail to do so¡­ I¡¯ll take it as they¡¯re upset with my punishment. They¡¯ll be chased out of the academy as well.¡±


    Two months of time sounded like a long time.


    The ssics the Crown Prince was talking about had approximately 50 pages.


    If they copied one per day¡­ they might need to rewrite it sometimes. Even though they were given two months, they would have to burn the midnight oil toplete the task¡­


    In reality, Xie Qiao wanted silver beans more.


    However, she had been to the academy for a while now. She had never heard of any victims beingpensated with silver beans. On the other hand, the academy would take many silver beans from the students when they were punished.


    Therefore, she thought she would just keep quiet about that.


    The Orchid Courtyard students were over the moon at the moment.


    They had been under the impression the Orchid Courtyard would be humiliated again. Never had they thought Xie Qiao would turn the table around!


    That aside, she had even gotten the Peony Courtyard students to suffer such losses!


    Most Orchid Courtyard students were gloating as they watched Qi Huai and the rest being punished. They felt afortable breeze blowing at them!


    At that moment, Xie Qio was serious about getting all of those who were punished to register their names and the courtyard they belonged to one after another.


    She frowned after the registration waspleted.


    ¡°There are three people missing among those who bullied me,¡± she suddenly said.


    Qi Huai and the rest were annoyed.


    It had been so long since this had taken ce. Forget it that she had yet to let them go¡ªshe had found another opportunity to humiliate them again. There was no end to this!


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, there are so many of us here. It doesn¡¯t matter if one or two are missing!¡± Qi Huai was rather irritated now.


    Young Lady Dong looked at Xie Qiao weakly. ¡°It makes sense that you missed a few. I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s missing here.¡±


    Xie Qiao ignored them.


    She sat there looking serious. She ttened a piece of paper and did a simple sketch.


    Within 15 minutes, she sketched three head shots. Each person¡¯s characteristics were very clear!


    Someone stretched his neck to look and mumbled, ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ Fan Yunping?¡±


    The people fell into silence as soon as the person spoke.


    ¡°I must find these three people,¡± Xie Qiao said simply and straightforwardly. ¡°Nobody who owes me can be excused, not even one.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were burning with desire.


    She looked cuter nowpared to the time back at Floating Pavilion Town.


    ¡°We must.¡± Zhao Xuanjing became extraordinarily patient. He was driving the rest crazy.


    Xie Qiao was very serious about doing the sketch. There were people among the crowd who knew the three people. Therefore, the three people were soon dragged there.


    The Crown Prince was calm, and even a yful smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. His wilful voice was rather rxed. ¡°You guys sure are good at running. Maybe you shouldpete with the horses at the field?¡±

 Chapter 178 - Unable to Take It

    <h4>Chapter 178: Unable to Take It</h4>


    Someone would suffer whenever the Crown Prince smirked.


    The three people were punished to run with the horses.


    After registering everyone who had bullied Xie Qiao, she let them go. Qi Huai and the rest had been waiting for that moment for a long time.


    Almost immediately, the courtyard was empty. As if they grew wings, they ¡°flew¡± away without leaving a trace behind.


    Even the Orchid Courtyard students went into the ssroom. None of them dared to stay out there. They could not bear to show themselves in the presence of the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, who¡­ did you learn painting from?¡± Zhao Xuanjing picked up the three head shots Xie Qiao had sketched. He checked them out in an observational manner.


    Her strokes were smooth, so she must have been doing this for years now.


    The sketches were too simple. He could not see any uniqueness from them. However, not having uniqueness was the biggest uniqueness.


    She sure was great at hiding.


    ¡°At the Taoist temple. Master taught me to inscribe talismans,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    It was difficult to inscribe talismans, and many required to be finished in a single stroke. Talismans with crooked strokes were definitely useless. Naturally, she needed to practice often.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at her face. ¡°Young Lady Xie is so good at painting. Perhaps¡­ you could copy a Joy of Living painting for me as a gift?¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Xie Qiao covered her mouth and coughed twice. ¡°I can¡­ It¡¯s just that I¡¯m weak. I¡¯m not sure when I can do that for Your Highness¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was just guessing initially. He figured Xie Qiao must have known Master Yun Wei since she had obtained his masterpiece. Not only that, it was a big painting.


    It was even possible that she was Master Yun Wei¡¯s disciple.


    Looking at her being pretentious now, he almost confirmed his spection.


    ¡°The Master¡¯s painting is ratherplicated. You¡¯re weak, so I shall not trouble you. However, there¡¯s a position that I¡¯d like to invite Young Lady Xie to try,¡± said Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless. All she wanted to do was to run away.


    They had agreed to start with a clean te in the Imperial City¡ªthey would not know each other. Why was he talking so much to her?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Lady Xie. You won¡¯t have to expose yourself, nor will it be exhausting. I just need you to go to the Criminal Division asionally to sketch the wanted criminals. You¡¯ll be paid ten taels of silver for each sketch, and your monthly sry will be 50 taels of silver,¡± he said.


    There were many silvers, so many.


    Xie Qiao would not be able to spend them all.


    She was moved.


    However, she was scared when she heard the term ¡®Criminal Division¡¯.


    There were many ghouls there, so she was worried.


    She shook her head.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched. Could it be that the silver he offered was not enough?


    He wanted to pay more, but the position was made up. If he paid more, it would not be in Xie Qiao¡¯s favor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be supervising the Criminal Division in a few days,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Initially¡­ she could still consider the offer. There were many ghouls over there. She could make it if she used talismans and avoided the ghouls as much as she could.


    However, if the Crown Prince was going as well, she really could not go.


    It was already a scary ce. If she went with the Crown Prince, who had ghouls surrounding him, would she not die?


    ¡°I¡¯m weak. I won¡¯t be able to take it. It won¡¯t work.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tiny face was pale.


    She took a step back.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned and said, ¡°Your eldest brother will be there too. With him there, nobody would bully you. Although no women are allowed in the imperial court, we need women for some positions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your favor, Your Highness, but my body¡­¡± Xie Qiao rubbed between her brows as she spoke.


    Subsequently, she fell into a daze. She held her breath in and smiled at the Crown Prince weakly. Eventually, her head hit the table before her.


    She fainted.


    Zhao Xuanjing was shocked and yelled immediately, ¡°Imperial doctor!¡±


    He stepped forward instinctively as soon as he yelled to grab Xie Qiao¡¯s wrist.


    Her wrist was pathetically thin and scarily pale.


    He wondered how she had managed to live until now.

 Chapter 179 - Are You Trying to Choke Her to Death?

    <h4>Chapter 179: Are You Trying to Choke Her to Death?</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing retracted his hand immediately. His face was cold and calm. He did not present to be nervous.


    The imperial doctor was running over since the Crown Prince had called him. Thus, he arrived soon.


    ¡°She must¡¯ve felt upset from being angry and failed to catch her breath. Nothing, it¡¯s nothing. She¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡± The imperial doctor shoved a big pill into her mouth as he spoke.


    Zhao Xuanjing could not help but say, ¡°It¡¯s such a big pill. Are you trying to choke her to death?¡±


    The imperial doctor¡¯s eyelids twitched. The pill was meant to be dissolved in her mouth¡­ to wake her up.


    Zhao Xuanjing was upset and suddenly thought the punishment he had given earlier was too light.


    Look at Xie Qiao, she looked like she was dying¡­


    In reality, she was only pretending to faint. However, she did not manage to catch her breath after holding it. She then lost consciousness.


    It was those people who were fighting for air with her.


    There were too many people at the academy. Unlike the Taoist temple, apart from the asional crowd visiting, there were not many people who would appear around her during other times.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s episode made Qi Huai and the rest even guiltier now. They would be criticized wherever they went.


    They had been embarrassedpletely.


    Xie Qiao did not remain unconscious for too long this time.


    The imperial doctor¡¯s pill was effective. Realizing that Zhao Xuanjing was still there when she opened her eyes, she almost failed to catch her breath again. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    The ghouls at the Criminal Division were different from those at her shop!


    She had set up the feng shui at her shop, so the ghouls¡¯ fury had been suppressed significantly. Most of the ghouls thate to her shop had no ill intentions. However, was it the same at the Criminal Division?


    She had heard that the ghouls there had met devastating deaths.


    Not only that, but they were especially ugly as well. They had blood all over their bodies.


    Apart from that, there were many vengeful ghouls too.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t force you.¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned helplessly. ¡°Can it be that you fainted because you heard it¡¯s the Criminal Division?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xie Qiao nodded while looking down.


    That was not it. She did not want to see those ghouls around the Crown Prince.


    She would definitely agree to go without even thinking about it if she could not see ghouls when the Crown Prince invited her sincerely. After all, there were not many men who had such a lucky face. She kind of liked it. Naturally, she was willing to admire his face.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression wasplicated. There was helplessness in his calm eyes.


    He said with his cold voice, ¡°Rest well. If there¡¯s anything that I¡­ need, I¡¯lle to you myself.¡±


    This meant that she no longer had to go to the Criminal Division.


    Xie Qiao nced at him feeling troubled, but she eventually said shamelessly, ¡°It¡¯s perfect to meet at the academy. If you want to meet outside¡­ forget it,¡±


    The Yang energy at the academy was strong.


    Xie Qiao thought she was pretty courageous to be naming her condition when talking to the Crown Prince.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt doubtful, but he did not show it in his eyes. He merely nodded calmly.


    The Crown Prince left after Xie Qiao had fully recovered. It would be inappropriate for him to stay even if he did not want to leave.


    Xie Qiao returned to the ssroom with a pale face.


    Whoosh!


    Tens of eyes were staring at her.


    ¡°Xie Qiao! You¡¯re really¡­ amazing!¡± Fang Muxue was the first to speak. There seemed to be a fire in her eyes when she looked at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m pretty amazing¡­¡±


    So what?


    ¡°In reality, our Orchid Courtyard despises the Peony Courtyard. Now we¡¯ve finally gained some dignity for ourselves!¡± Fang Muxue added.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips. ¡°You despise them? I remember you guys were eager to go there¡­¡±


    She was speaking the truth.


    Fang Muxue was rendered speechless and suddenly thought it was hard to strike a conversation with Xie Qiao.


    ¡®This youngdy is fierce. Whatever she says sounds sarcastic. She¡¯s provocative!¡¯


    Naturally, that was what Fang Muxue used to think. However, now she could not help but think Xie Qiao was rather¡­ cute.

 Chapter 180 - Scram

    <h4>Chapter 180: Scram</h4>


    Fang Muxue did not feel troubled when she spoke to Xie Qiao now.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only been to the Imperial City for a short time, so you¡¯ve no idea that the seniors like the students from the Peony Courtyard. Naturally, we hope that we¡¯re outstanding too. However, some of the people from the Peony Courtyard look down on our Orchid Courtyard. Both courtyards willpare the number of donations each time. So¡­ we have aplicated attitude toward the Peony Courtyard¡­¡±


    They despised the Peony Courtyard, but they were eager to go as well.


    Xie Qiao did not want to be close to anyone at the academy before. Ever since she had enrolled in the academy, she had only made one friend, Qin Liu.


    Although Fang Muxue and the rest were only happy for their victory today, they were considered being nice to her.


    It was good enough that they did not suspect Xie Qiao for the forgery.


    However, Xie Qiao was not going to thank them for showing kindness to her. She was nice enough not to be sarcastic to them.


    Xie Qiao was calm and remained unchanged as she spoke softly. ¡°Since we¡¯re from the Orchid Courtyard, it makes sense that we want dignity for ourselves. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything that will humiliate the Orchid Courtyard in the future.¡±


    What Xie Qiao said showed her stance, as well as that she came at peace.


    Fang Muxue smiled. ¡°In reality, we knew that we were at fault earlier. We shouldn¡¯t have judged you.¡±


    In the beginning, they had been mean to her for her identity as the Xie family¡¯s daughter. Later on, they pitied her as she was a poor soul with a short life.


    Although thetter came from kindness, if one was to think about it, such kindness¡­


    She would rather not have it.


    However, at the very moment, they really respected Xie Qiao.


    In reality, the painting was not important. The important thing was Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude.


    Many Peony Courtyard students hade in a threatening manner, but she had remained calm. She was really amazing to be so generous.


    At that moment, most people at the Orchid Courtyard liked Xie Qiao more now.


    Naturally, Xia Yayun was excluded. She felt disdain seeing that Xie Qiao was so popr now.


    ¡®What did she even do?


    ¡®Apart from paying attention to Master Lu¡¯s ss, she hardly attends any other sses!?


    ¡®Not only that, but she also missed all monthly examinations. When her grade is out, will she not drag us down as well?¡¯


    However, Xia Yayun was not a fool. It would be futile for her to say all that since everyone was indulging in the excitement.


    ¡®We¡¯ll see!¡¯


    While Xie Qiao was having a harmonious time, Pei Wanyue was in trouble. She had yet to leave the academy as she wanted to try her luck. She returned to ss D, Chrysanthemum Courtyard, and went to the people that she had gotten to know in the past few days shamelessly.


    ¡°Can you guys¡­ lend me some silver beans¡­?¡± Her voice was shaking, and there were tears in her eyes. She looked very pitiful.


    However, the people at the Chrysanthemum Courtyard were disgusted by her now.


    The people before her pushed her away. ¡°Why are you pretending? Aren¡¯t you the one who brought trouble upon yourself? Clueless people will think that we bullied you!¡±


    ¡°Pei Wanyue, I¡¯m very curious about what kind of grudge you have with Xie Qiao to be so eager to chase her away!¡±


    ¡°Oh look, now Xie Qiao gets to stay while you¡¯re chased out. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re shocked by that. The painting is authentic¡­ Ha!¡±


    One must say that nobody suspected the rumor as Pei Wanyue herself had spread it!


    It made sense as Pei Wanyue, and Xie Qiao were rtives, right?!


    A few of them from the Chrysanthemum Courtyard went to watch the show, so they were punished as well. They med Pei Wanyue now.


    ¡°Scram if you can¡¯t pay any silver beans! Go back to your Gn Academy!¡±


    Someone snickered. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. Gn Academy won¡¯t ept people who have been chased out of the Royal Academy simply.¡±

 Chapter 181 - Resentment

    <h4>Chapter 181: Resentment</h4>


    The Gn Academy was ranked among the top three academies in the Imperial City. How was it possible that they would ept just anyone?


    In order to enroll in the academy, Pei Wanyue had to give a gift. Now that she had left the Gn Academy herself, she wanted to go back after making a mistake?


    They definitely would not want her.


    Pei Wanyue bit her lips, her heart bleeding.


    How could this happen?


    She could not understand it. How was it possible that Xie Qiao had managed to purchase Master Yun Wei¡¯s authentic painting?


    Unfortunately, it was toote now. She had to leave as she did not have silver beans!


    Now that she had asked shamelessly, not only was nobody willing to help her, but even everyone was looking at her with disdain. Their judgemental eyes were like a knife stabbing her. Her self-esteem was crushed, and she ran out soon.


    She returned to her house while crying.


    Pei Wanyue was panicking as she looked at the small house.


    She had nothing. She could not return to the Xie Residence, and now even the academy did not want her¡­


    It was all caused by Xie Qiao!


    After crying for a couple of hours, Pei Wanyue finally failed to hold back and sent someone to get Ms. Lu here. She only had one family member in the Imperial City, her mother. Now that something so big happened, her mother must solve it for her.


    Ms. Lu was a little stunned when her daughter called for her. However, it was nowhere near the shock she felt when she learned her daughter had been chased out of the academy,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you not to stir troubles with Xie Qiao? Why didn¡¯t you listen!?¡±


    Ms. Lu was really panicking now!


    It was something major!


    Pei Wanyue couldn¡¯t study anywhere else now that the Royal Academy had chased her out. It would also be difficult for her to marry into a respectable family in the future!


    ¡°Mother, it was Xie Qiao who did this to me! How would I know that the painting was authentic? You saw it too when she showed it the first time. She was careful¡­ Something was clearly wrong¡­ M-Maybe the people at the Royal Academy were siding with her¡­¡± Pei Wanyue said stubbornly.


    Ms. Lu was eager to p her.


    Nheless, she could not bring herself to do it since she was her daughter.


    ¡°Why would the Royal Academy side with her!? Y-You made a mistake! You insisted on enrolling in the Royal Academy. You finally made it in, so why couldn¡¯t you just study obediently!? You¡¯ve only been there for two days, and you¡¯re being chased out now. Who would want you to be their wife now!?¡±


    Ms. Lu was regretful. If she knew this would happen, she should not have allowed Pei Wanyue to stir trouble like this!


    See, such a thing happened now¡­


    Pei Wanyue was sobbing loudly. ¡°Mother, what do I do now?¡±


    ¡°What do you do¡­¡± muttered Ms. Lu. ¡°What else can you do? Your reputation is in the mud now. Don¡¯t even dream of studying from now on. Stay in this courtyard from now on. I¡¯ll introduce you to people when there¡¯s an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Pei Wanyue stuttered.


    Ms. Lu knew what she wanted to say, to which she replied, ¡°Oh, you. Don¡¯t expect to marry into a wealthy family. I¡¯ve been living in the Imperial City for many years. I can tell that the people in the Imperial City are picky. Who would be willing to marry ady whose reputation ispletely destroyed? Moreover, your family name is Pei.¡±


    Her daughter looked down on the Xie family, but she had never thought that the Pei family was worse than the Xie family!


    Pei Wanyue gnashed her teeth.


    Ms. Lu sighed.


    In reality, Xie Pinggang was a good candidate. Unfortunately, the mere notion of the stepmother¡¯s daughter marrying the stepfather¡¯s son was frowned upon. ssy people would not do such a thing.


    Ms. Lu thought about it and said, ¡°Uncle Xie has a few friends who are close to him. I¡¯ll ask him for you.¡±


    Pei Wanyue initially had the intention to marry into a respectable family. Never had she thought she would have to pick an insignificant official family now.


    She even lost the eligibility to choose!


    She was infuriated.


    Pei Wanyue said in a hoarse voice that was filled with resentment, ¡°Uncle Xie is mad at me. How would he sincerely look for a husband for me?¡±

 Chapter 182 - He Took All the Credit

    <h4>Chapter 182: He Took All the Credit</h4>


    Ms. Lu was angry now.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re resenting your Uncle Xie!? He was nice to you. The dagger that he gave you was worth up to 1,000 taels of silver. What did he give Xie Qiao? Didn¡¯t he chase you out because you made a mistake?¡± Ms. Lu stared at her daughter. ¡°Be filial to Uncle Xie, and be sensible from now on. I¡¯ll bring you to an olddy one day. If the olddy speaks on behalf of you, Uncle Xie will definitely find you a good husband.¡±


    Pei Wanyue nodded, feeling annoyed.


    Apart from nodding, there was nothing that she could do.


    The matter spread to the Xie Residence.


    Xie Pinggang merely gave a short response after hearing that. He did not ask too much into it.


    This person was no longer his sister, so why would he ask so much about it?


    What did her life or death have anything to do with him?


    ¡°Rumor has it that His Highness ising to the Criminal Division. Everyone at the office is tense about it. My superior was worried that there¡¯d be no credit to show when His Highnesses, so he promoted me. I thought it¡¯d be ninth-grade. Never had I thought it¡¯d be a grade higher. I¡¯m an eighth-grade Law Supervisor now. Although it¡¯s not a major official, it¡¯s quite high-ranking in the Criminal Division,¡± Xie Pinggang said simply.


    Xie Niushan nodded andplimented him, ¡°Amazing. You did good, kid. I thought apart from me, nobody in our family would be an official!¡±


    One would not be considered an official if the ranking was low.


    ¡°Eat more, Eldest Sister.¡± Xie Pinggang fetched a big, fat chicken drumstick for Xie Qiao.


    Her eyelids twitched.


    The servant in the kitchen had terrible cooking skills. Granny Wan and Chun Er were better at it.


    She was worried that she would grow pimples from eating that oily drumstick.


    Ms. Lu looked awkward after ncing at Xie Qiao, ¡°Qiao¡¯er, Yue¡¯er¡­ She¡¯s still young. Don¡¯t take what she did to heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. She¡¯s just an outsider, I won¡¯t take that to heart.¡± Xie Qiao pretended not to care and lifted her head to smile.


    Ms. Lu felt a clutch in her heart.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about her, you can visit her sometimes, Mother. It¡¯s not that I look down on the Pei family. It¡¯s just that I heard it was the Crown Prince who judged that person from the Pei family. Don¡¯t hold grudges, Mother. If this spreads, nobody in the family can protect you,¡± said Xie Pinggang.


    Ms. Lu said immediately, ¡°How would I hold a grudge? I¡¯m just saying this at home¡ª¡±


    Xie Pinggang looked at her with a stern face before she could finish. ¡°We can¡¯t talk nonsense at home. There are many people around. If it spreads, an innocentment might backfire. I heard the year when the Crown Prince was hurt, a woman was gossiping at home. She was poisoned, and she¡¯s now mute.¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s body jerked.


    Xie Qiao was surprised too. ¡°Did the Crown Prince do that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of our business whether it was him who did it. No matter what, there are things that we can¡¯t discuss even at home.¡± Xie Pinggang warned Ms. Lu, seemingly unintentionally.


    The wife his father had married was terrible.


    He had to scare her to the point that she would keep quiet.


    Xie Niushan knew his son. He dared to say anything.


    Xie Pinggang knew that without the clues Xie Qiao had provided back then, it would be difficult for him to solve the case.


    However, he thought the clues she had provided were strange as if she had obtained them out of thin air. Therefore, he could not give her credit in public. He could onlypliment her at home to show his stance.


    In reality, Xie Qiao even heard that Xie Pinggang had been awarded silver.


    She had been under the impression he had called her over for dinner to give her a gift. Never had she thought there was no gift to be seen now that dinner was over.


    When she was returning to her courtyard, she noticed that Xie Pinggang was wiping a spear in her courtyard.


    It was new.


    It was definitely new.


    Xie Qiao secretly rolled her eyes at Xie Pinggang.


    He had bought his sister a weapon instead of getting her something delicious and fun!?


    He was a fool!

 Chapter 183 - Bring Her Home

    <h4>Chapter 183: Bring Her Home</h4>


    Xie Qiao scoffed. Fortunately, she could make her own money. If she depended on her brother and father to feed her, she wouldck food and daily necessities!


    Now that she thought about it, Xie Xi¡­ Why did she like money so much?


    Xie Qiao suddenly had a deep realization.


    If her sister did not hide and earn silver, she would not have money to buy delicious snacks for herself. Ms. Lu was only taking care of Xie Pinghuai and ignored her.


    Ugh!


    ¡­


    It was a rest day at the academy three dayster.


    Xie Qiao, who disguised into Mo Chusheng, went to the tea stall situated between the Wei and Zheng Residence.


    The evil energy had been set, and it was flourishing. She supposed the Zheng family¡¯s business must be slow the past few days. Something bad would definitely happen.


    The stall owner said after Xie Qiao sat for a while, ¡°Priest? Are you the priest who came here the other day!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Xie Qiao.


    ¡°The Wei family¡¯sdy boss passed by the other day, so I brought up what you said to her casually. She got me to take note. She asked me to inform her if you came. Please wait here.¡± The stall owner got a servant to call out to someone across the street right away.


    Soon, Master Wei and Madam Wei came. They seemed to be rushing.


    The husband and wife rushed to Xie Qiao as soon as they saw her.


    ¡°Sage!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded lightly.


    The couple looked around and said, ¡°I wonder if I can hire Sage to release my daughter¡¯s soul?¡±


    Xie Qiao proceeded to nod.


    There were things that the couple dared not say in public.


    Xie Qiao followed them to the Wei Residence¡¯s backyard.


    Without anyone around, Madam Wei suddenly knelt to Xie Qiao, ¡°Did you say that my daughter was killed by someone, Sage!? Did you see something? I¡¯ve been dreaming these days that my daughter couldn¡¯t stop crying to me. My heart broke from that!¡±


    She was absent-minded the first day she had the dream.


    She had visited the tea stall across,


    She was familiar with the stall owner, and never had she expected that he would tell her that a priest had said something unfathomable. Although he could not really understand, the rough meaning was that her daughter had died of injustice.


    She would feel uneasy when she recalled the dream.


    Since then, she had been dreaming of the same dream for the next few days.


    ¡°Get up.¡± Xie Qiao stretched her arms to help her up. ¡°I saw that some dark energy was shrouding the Zheng Residence the other day, so I knew that there¡¯s a lingering grieving soul. I performed simple divination and found out about your daughter¡¯s misfortune. I said that at the tea stall as I pitied her.¡±


    ¡°B-But my daughter died because of her weak body¡­¡± Madam Wei was stunned. ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, her body was weak. However, I noticed that your son-inw has a lecherous face. I¡¯m afraid it has something to do with him,¡± replied Xie Qiao.


    Master Wei said by instinct, ¡°Impossible. My son-inw is very filial to us¡­ We watched him grow since young¡­¡±


    It was not an exaggeration to call him his half-son!


    The female spirit was standing next to her parents. She was upset upon seeing that her parents were confused.


    ¡°Please tell Father that¡­ Bao¡¯er is regretful. Ask him to bring Bao¡¯er home. I don¡¯t want to stay at the Zheng Residence even though I¡¯m dead,¡± the female spirit said.


    Xie Qiao came to a realization. She brought out a talisman and pretended to inscribe it. She mumbled what the female spirit said a momentter.


    ¡°She wants me to bring her home!?¡± Master Wei¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    The family had been both happy and sad the day before the daughter was married.


    His daughter had told him that if she felt wronged, she would go home to seek justice. She would get her father to solve her problem and bring her home¡­


    ¡°C-Can Sage ask my daughter how did she¡­ die? Was it because he has a¡­ mistress? Who was it?¡± Master Wei¡¯s face waspletely grim now.

 Chapter 184 - Jerk

    <h4>Chapter 184: Jerk</h4>


    Xie Qiao felt sympathy for the Wei parents when she saw their expressions and inwardly sighed.


    It was the saddest thing in the world when a child died before their parents. It was even worse now that they found out their child had not diedpletely of sickness.


    Since Xie Qiao was a priest, the Wei parents did not think it was bizarre tomunicate with the dead.


    They had heard that there were hidden sages in the world who couldmunicate with the dead.


    Xie Qiao stretched her hand and performed divination. ¡°Young Lady Wei died of¡­ anger. If you guys would like to know who thatdy is¡­ Head west at noon. Turn left at the third alley when you get to West Sparrow Street. Walk 200 steps, and your doubt might be solved by then.¡±


    Ms. Wei was not very smart. She had only found out that her husband had a mistress.


    Although she knew who the person was, she indeed had no idea when and where they would meet.


    She had just been hovering around in a blur after death. She had only snapped back to her senses when she heard the bell ringing beneath Xie Qiao¡¯s signboard. Only then she knew what she should do.


    The couple looked at each other¡ªthey had heavy looks on their faces.


    When it was close to noon, they departed per Xie Qiao¡¯s instructions. They walked to West Sparrow Street, found an alley, and stopped in front of a courtyard. Just when they entered the courtyard, they happened to hear giggles inside.


    Those voices¡­ were very familiar.


    Madam Wei was more impulsive and rushed in immediately.


    As expected, a man and ady were hugging in the courtyard.


    The man was none other than the son-inw that she took good care of.


    Meanwhile, thedy¡­ was someone they were familiar with too!


    Thatdy and her mother didundry for the Wei family all year round. They did a great job, so Madam Wei would pay them more. She was generous to the mother and daughter. Although it was not a big favor, it was¡­ pretty good!?


    Although she did not expect them to pay her back, she had never expected her to do something like that!


    The funny thing was she had just met He Xiu yesterday. She was so kind that she had said she would introduce her to a nice man!


    Madam Wei felt heartbroken now that she thought about how much her daughter had gone through.


    She rushed forward and barked, ¡°You shameless b*stards! I thought you guys were nice people! I can¡¯t believe you guys have been together all this time! Zheng Lusheng, you jerk! My daughter married you, and you tortured her like this!? Her body was weak. You could just say that you didn¡¯t want her. Nobody forced you to marry her! Now you¡¯ve killed her, you killed her by infuriating her! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    Madam Wei carried the broom aside as soon as she was done speaking. She charged with her arms lifted.


    Zheng Lusheng was scared.


    Just when he was going to exin, the broom came.


    Out of nowhere, he was hit a couple of times.


    The neighbors in the alley came after hearing the majormotion.


    Madam Wei began to wail while sitting on the ground after hitting him a couple of times. ¡°My poor daughter! Oh, you died of such injustice! It was my fault for having picked someone like this for you. I thought it¡¯s better to arrange the marriage with your childhood sweetheart when you guys were young. I can¡¯t believe he has a mistress outside! Zheng Lusheng, you shameless pig. Didn¡¯t my Wei family treat you well? Back then, your family was just a mediocre family. We helped your parents with the wax business. Now that you¡¯re wealthy, you did this to my daughter!?¡±


    Madam Wei looked pitiful when she was crying.


    Zheng Lusheng panicked. ¡°Mother-inw, this is a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t do anything bad. She only came after Bao¡¯er died¡ª¡±


    ¡°After Bao¡¯er died!? Sure! Now that the neighbors are here, I¡¯ll ask them how long you guys have been living here!¡± Madam Wei was not a fool.


    Zheng Lusheng¡¯s expression changed as soon as he heard that.

 Chapter 185 - Ingrate

    <h4>Chapter 185: Ingrate</h4>


    There were onlookers out there, ignoring how big of amotion it was.


    They spected what they were talking about as they listened to the context of the fight. They could not help but be ashamed of Zheng Lusheng and He Xiu.


    ¡°I think the youngdy bought this house three years ago? We¡¯d see this maning asionally. We¡¯ve been seeing him moretely,¡± a neighbor outside said honestly.


    Madam Wei started panting when she heard that. She suddenly smirked and gnashed her teeth. ¡°Three years! Your mother was sick, and you borrowed silver from me three years ago! And you! My daughter married you three years ago!¡±


    Although He Xiu was panicking, she was more surprised. She thought it was good that they had been busted. They could finally be together in the open now.


    All this time, Zheng Lusheng had been saying that his family had to depend on the Wei family. It would be terrible to remarry at the moment, so she had been hiding.


    She did not care at all about what Madam Wei said.


    Three years ago, her mother had been sick. It had not been severe, but she could not even afford the medicine. Not only that, she had to work for the Wei family on behalf of her mother.


    She had been washing the Wei family¡¯s mother and daughter¡¯s clothes in the courtyard. What about them?


    They had been chatting andughing while eating snacks.


    That Young Lady Wei could not stop boasting how good Zheng Lusheng was in her presence¡­


    Of course she knew Zheng Lusheng was great. The reason being they had grown up together, while she knew Zheng Lusheng since she was young as well!


    If not for the fact that she was poor, while the Wei family was wealthy, why would Zheng Lusheng marry the Wei family¡¯s daughter?


    From that moment on, she knew that she would rather be a bad person than living a lowly life forever.


    ¡°Madam Wei, don¡¯t say that Lusheng killed your daughter. The coroner performed an autopsy on her. Her body was weak, and she lost her breath.¡± He Xiu stood out. ¡°There was nothing between Lusheng and me. It¡¯s just that he pities me, so he bought me a house to live in temporarily. Now that your daughter has been dead for a year, it makes sense if Lusheng wants to remarry, no? Do you want Lusheng to stay a widower for your daughter forever?¡±


    Madam Wei was infuriated when she heard that.


    ¡°You can ask around. When did my Wei family stop him from remarrying!?¡± Master Wei¡¯s voice was cold and deep. ¡°Zheng Lusheng, my daughter will no longer be buried at your family¡¯s grave! Move her grave as soon as you return, or you¡¯ll have to close down your family business!¡±


    He helped his wife up after he was done speaking. It was a filthy ce. They would hurt their eyes even looking at it for a second!


    Zheng Lusheng looked terrible after the couple left.


    He had been having bad luck the past few days.


    He would choke when he drank water or trip when he walked. Those were nothing¡ªa temple outside the city had rejected his family¡¯s candles yesterday. They would be buying from someone else instead.


    His father had scolded him for that. That was why he wanted to rx today.


    Never had he thought his parents-inw woulde.


    Bad luck, it was pure bad luck.


    Zheng Lusheng looked terribly grim. He ignored He Xiu and left directly. After all, the Zheng family¡¯s background was lower than the Wei family¡¯s. Moreover, the Zheng family was only familiar with wax-making, but the Wei family was familiar with both incense and wax-making. If his parents-inw were mad at him, then his family business would fall indeed!


    The Wei parents had returned.


    Xie Qiao had been waiting at their house while drinking tea.


    The duo bowed to thank her as soon as they saw her. However, they did not look too great. They looked beaten.


    ¡°Karma always bites back, and it won¡¯t take long,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly.


    She had not set up evil energy for nothing.


    Master Wei sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to console us, Sage. The Zheng family has flourished. Even though we¡¯ve shown our stance, and their business will drop, they¡¯ve learned the skill after all. Will they not be able to feed themselves for the rest of their lives?¡±


    That was the thing that he felt most terrible about. He had raised an ingrate with his very own hands.

 Chapter 186 - Evil Omen

    <h4>Chapter 186: Evil Omen</h4>


    The Wei couple had yet to lose their mind. All they wanted to do now was to fulfill their daughter¡¯s dying wish, which was to be moved out of the Zheng family¡¯s grave.


    That should not be difficult by threatening Zheng Lusheng with the family business and the pressureing from the rumors the neighbors spread.


    However, they could not bear the grievance.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°No. Zheng Lusheng has the face of a criminal. Just wait patiently. The heavens would never take care of an hical person.¡±


    Although the couple was rather doubtful, they felt anticipation when they heard that.


    Zheng Lusheng asked to see his parents-inw as soon as he returned. He admitted his fault in public, saying that he should not have kept a secret rtionship. However, he guaranteed that nothing had happened between him and He Xiu in the past.


    He even brought up Young Lady Wei, who had passed away. He said that it was him and Young Lady Wei who had bought the house for He Xiu.


    As Zheng Lusheng¡¯s reputation was pretty good, many neighbors believed in him.


    However, the Wei parents thought their son-inw was scared to be lying.


    Xie Qiao spoke, noticing that the Wei parents looked terrible from the anger. ¡°Young Master Zheng, the spirits are watching whatever you do. Do you feel chilly these few days, to the point you won¡¯t feel warm no matter how many clothes you put on you?¡±


    Zheng Lusheng¡¯s eyelids twitched, and his body tensed. ¡°Where did this swindlere from!? What nonsense did you tell my parents-inw?¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled lightly.


    ¡°Young Master Zheng, your be is dark. A catastrophe ising. If you don¡¯t believe me¡­Try standing up?¡±


    Zheng Lusheng thought it was ridiculous.


    She was asking him to stand up!?


    What could she do? Could it be that Ms. Wei¡¯s grieving soul woulde to ask for her life back!?


    Zheng Lusheng was currently kneeling before the Wei parents. He wanted to stand up upon hearing what Xie Qiao said.


    However, he suddenly felt his body getting heavier.


    It felt like there was a rock that weighed 1,000 catty on his body. He could not move his legs!


    He was covered in a cold sweat.


    At that moment, the neighbors were shocked to see that.


    Xie Qiao lifted her head to look at the weather around. It was chilly. There was a faint evil omen over the Zheng Residence in the far south.


    She looked at the Phoenix¡¯s position, which was in the south. It had the fire element, a sign of disaster.


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly. She was rather confused.


    The evil energy at the Zheng Residence was scarier than she expected. What had Zheng Lusheng done in secret!?


    Someone in the crowd mumbled while looking at the south, ¡°Is there fire in the south?¡±


    Everyone looked over upon hearing that.


    As expected, smoke was rumbling, dying the sun red.


    There were fire stations in the Imperial City, and they should be on the move now. The second the fire broke out, Xie Qiao saw the fate of defeat on Zheng Lusheng¡¯s face.


    He had lost his luck, and his face was upied with evil energy. It was ferocious.


    The fire in the south must be rted to the Zheng family. Otherwise, it would not happen out of nowhere.


    Someone eximed after sniffing a strange smell, ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that the Zheng family¡¯s wax shop!?¡±


    The Zheng family¡¯s wax shop was not too far from here.


    Zheng Lusheng turned his head to look, and his face turned pale immediately after estimating where the fire came from. He tried his best to get up, but his body seemed to be pressed down with a rock. He just could not move!


    ¡®What¡¯s happening!?¡±


    ¡®Oh no! There can¡¯t be a fire. If everything is burned, my life will be doomed!¡¯


    Xie Qiao saw Ms. Lu¡¯s ghoul was pressing on Zheng Lusheng¡¯s body with all of her might, stopping him from moving.


    The evil energy was heavy, so her strength was elevated. That was how she managed to do that. However, an ordinary spirit was not that powerful. She would notst too long doing that.


    As expected, Zheng Lusheng suddenly fell backward after struggling for a moment. He could move now.


    The female spirit¡¯s face was pale, and she looked rather weak.


    Xie Qiao brought a talisman over and temporarily stored the female spirit there. She needed to rest. After settling this matter, Xie Qiao would reincarnate her when the time was right.

 Chapter 187 - Light the Candle

    <h4>Chapter 187: Light the Candle</h4>


    Zheng Lusheng rushed to the wax shop as soon as he regained his mobility. Many of the neighbors followed as well.


    The fire was burning fiercely at the shop.


    Many people were trying to put out the fire, but it was too slow. After all, it was wax oil!


    There were many wax and wicks in the shop¡¯s courtyard as well. Moreover, there was a giant candle approximately two meters tall. The spot closer to the shop¡¯s interior was covered in mes now. The giant candle was melting slowly.


    Zheng Lusheng ran over clumsily and shouted to the staff at the shop, ¡°Why are you guys standing there!? Move the good luck candle over!¡±


    The good luck candle was pretty. It was fiery red with beautiful patterns carved on the outside.


    However, one could no longer see its beauty now that it was melted from the raging fire.


    The clumsy staff rushed forward to move the giant candle as soon as they heard him.


    The fire in the courtyard was minor, so most of it had been put out.


    However, the good luck candle was close to a burning spot, so nobody dared to get close to it.


    Now that Zheng Lusheng had requested them to move it, they had to do it for the sake of their job.


    They could not help but take a step back from the heat that was blowing onto their faces.


    Subsequently, everyone¡¯s expressions changed.


    As the candle melted slowly and the wax oil flowed, a face was revealed within the candle. It was getting clearer.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    It now made sense that the evil energy was so powerful!


    Zheng Lusheng had done too many bad things; that was why the karma was severe!


    His expression changed, his body shaking.


    The weather around the wax shop seemed to have turned gloomy. The people could seeyers of dark clouds when they lifted their heads.


    Although the billowing ck smoke and the raging fire should make the atmosphere hot, they were feeling chilly. Each of their pores would tremble by instinct.


    Something was wrong!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched again.


    There was really an¡­ evil spirit there!


    She had not brought the Chinese calendar out today, nor had she brought Da Xiong along!


    ¡°Something is wrong¡­ What is it? Why can¡¯t we put out the fire? Not only that, it¡¯s getting bigger!?¡±


    The patrolman who was putting out the fire suddenly felt something wrong. Moreover, he was not sure if he was feeling hot or cold.


    His cheeks were flushing from the burning me, and he was sweating.


    However, he would asionally shiver from a chill.


    ¡°The grieving spirit ising.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was soft as she looked above the good luck candle.


    The spirit had been sealed, so it was weak. Now that the dead body had seen the light, its grievance filled the ce. The spirit¡­ must be taking its revenge now.


    Xie Qiao had sweat dripping on her face. She could not breathe too well.


    The fire was fighting for air with her.


    ¡°Grieving spirit!?¡± The Wei parents¡¯ expressions changed drastically. Those who were close to her heard what she said, and they all gulped by instinct.


    The atmosphere was too strange.


    Some wanted to run.


    However, the weird thing was that the ce was surrounded by ck smoke all of a sudden. They could not find the way out!


    Xie Qiao took some talismans out of her pocket.


    It was the Purification Talisman. There were not many, so she had only brought five pieces. She gave one each to the Wei couple while she held onto the rest. The couple was considered her clients, so they should not die.


    Meanwhile, she could not take care of the rest now.


    After all, if the ck smoke killed her, the rest would die too.


    The ck smoke must be heavy now. People from the outside could not get in, while the people in there could not get out.


    Perhaps the news headline tomorrow would be¡ªA wax shop in the southern alley in Imperial City caught fire. Tens of people were stuck. There were no survivors!


    She would not allow that to happen.


    The ck smoke was not as unbearable now that Xie Qiao had used the Purification Talismans. She then brought the Taoist bell out of her bag immediately.


    She shook it.


    It rang.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    A strange scream echoed. In the next second, a grieving spirit that looked like a wax man appeared in the dense smoke. His eyes were fiery red, while the rest of his body reflected red wax oil. It was creepy and scary!

 Chapter 188 - Unable to Go In

    <h4>Chapter 188: Unable to Go In</h4>


    The spirit was clean. There was not even a drop of blood on its body, but it looked rather strange and disgusting.


    The wax oil seemed to have covered its entire body, making the spirit look heavier like it was a mannequin with a thinyer of film on him.


    Even its eyes were like red ss spheres. There was no light in them.


    This person must have been killed by being soaked in wax oil.


    However, such a grieving spirit had lost its rationality.


    At the moment, its eerie eyes were sharp as if there was a fire burning in them. It charged at Xie Qiao as soon as it sensed the threat from her.


    A heatwave and ck smoke pounced at her.


    Xie Qiao shook the Taoist bell in her hand. The ck smoke spread backward as if it had encountered powerful energy.


    She took out a peach wood sword immediately and nced at it helplessly¡ªit was too small.


    She had never expected to bump into such a powerful spirit today, so she had not brought any Dharmic instruments along with her.


    The people seemed to see something lighting up somewhere in the smothering environment.


    The priest stood there with bright eyes.


    She held a small sword in her hand and tossed a yellow talisman as she shouted, ¡°Purple energy and red clouds in the sky, devouring the wind, demons, and souls! The warriors of heaven, suppress the evil in the south! 300,000 soldiers, hear mymand!¡±


    The peach wood sword was buzzing as soon as she spoke!


    They were not sure if they were hallucinating, but the sword was hovering before the priest.


    Not only that but there also seemed to be countless shadows charging at the ball of red fog.


    The red fog was strange, too. There was nothing over there, but it gave out a ferocious feeling as if it had consciousness!


    The people felt it was rather hard to breathe. They were covering their mouths and noses, trying their best toy on the ground.


    They could see the dead body that was revealed in the melted good luck candle.


    It was terrifying.


    Xie Qiao had sweat dripping on her forehead while she was in the stance of casting a spell. She mumbled the incantation repeatedly.


    She could see the spiritual energy and evil energy colliding. It was the fight between good and evil.


    The grieving spirit barked in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll eat you horrible people. I¡¯ll eat you all!¡±


    Xie Qiao gnashed her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t afford to eat me!¡±


    She took out another talisman as she spoke!


    ¡°The heroic gods, the kings with swords. Kill the evil, now!¡±


    A violent gust of wind blew in the surrounding area as soon as she spoke. The yellow talisman in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand seemed to have turned into a golden gleam. It shot out and fought the grieving spirit!


    The Wei parents were scared out of their wits.


    They could not fathom everything that had happened out of nowhere today. It was chilly, and such a violent wind was blowing¡­ The talisman in the priest¡¯s hand was flying¡­ It looked very strange.


    However, when they thought the wind would allow the me to grow, the fire seemed to have died out a little. It was strange.


    Everyone could breathe better now.


    The people on the other side were panicking.


    The official who was responsible for fire prevention made his way here. He looked worried.


    ¡°Why is the smoke so heavy? How many people are in there exactly?¡±


    ¡°Master, this is a wax shop. The smoke is too heavy, so we can¡¯t go in. Also¡­¡± His subordinate looked at the strange weather. ¡°Master, look. The smoke is so heavy that it¡¯s as if there¡¯s a dragon above the shop. I-I don¡¯t think we can¡¯t put the fire out!?¡±


    The official was dumbstruck too.


    The fire was rather strange. Indeed, he had never seen such a situation before.


    The entire wax shop was covered in ck smoke. The people outside could not get in. Not only that¡­


    Initially, not many people had been at the wax shop. However, 20-odd people had suddenly rushed in not long ago. Added with the people from the fire patrol¡­


    Master Liu felt this might be the end of his career.

 Chapter 189 - What’s There to Look At?

    <h4>Chapter 189: What¡¯s There to Look At?</h4>


    Official Liu could only bite the bullet and continued thinking of a solution to face the situation.


    Apart from that, he had to find out who was in the fire. After all, if they died from the fire, they would be unrecognizable from the burns by then.


    ¡°This is the Zheng family¡¯s wax shop. The family¡¯s only son, Zheng Lusheng, went in. He was wailing and moaning. His parents-inw are inside too. There¡¯s also a¡­ priest with them! A female priest who looks 30¡­ Some neighbors who live on the same street with the Wei family are inside as well¡­¡±


    The official had sent someone to investigate.


    As the people were from the same area, it should be easy to figure out who was inside.


    However, that priest hade out of nowhere. Nobody knew who she was.


    If something happened, would it not be difficult for him to file the report? Not only that, but they would also have to inform her family. Nobody knew which family that priest was from¡­


    ¡­


    Xie Pinggang was currently investigating a case with the Crown Prince next to him. He felt like his head was going to explode.


    The Crown Prince was here as a supervisor. To put it simply, he was here to monitor the people¡¯s work at the Criminal Division.


    However, he should not be investigating the case with them, right?


    Not only that, the Criminal Division did more than case investigation. They had many misceneous matters to handle. Any of them were easier than investigating a case.


    Xie Pinggang had no idea why the Crown Prince insisted on being out on the job with him.


    Forget that he tagged along; the Crown Prince was also talkative. He would ask Xie Pinggang about him working at the Criminal Division and whether his family was adapting to their lives in the Imperial City.


    People might think that the Crown Prince was interested in Xie Pinggang¡¯s family.


    They were bandits in the past, so Xie Pinggang was worried that the Emperor would suddenly recall their existence. Never had he expected the Crown Prince would be sent directly.


    He was like a fish that was being sliced. He had lost his spirit in the job.


    ¡°There seems to be a fire ahead.¡± Xie Pinggang nced at the south. ¡°Your Highness, the official from the fire patrol, is an old buddy of mine. Can I¡­ take a look?¡±


    Many people hade out of the mountain stronghold with him back then. They had been recruited, after all. It would not make sense if all of them were made officials. It would be unfair to the rest.


    Moreover, they had been rewarded for killing the barbarians.


    Therefore, those who wanted to be in the military had been hired. The timid ones had be good citizens and lived somewhere peacefully as they were worried that the imperial court woulde after them for what they had done in the past.


    However, those who came out of the bandit mountain stronghold would be courageous. Therefore, Xie Pinggang knew some of them in all military camps, including the fire patrol.


    The fire in the south seemed to be serious, so he wanted to take a look. He could give his buddy a helping hand if needed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing thought Xie Pinggang was interesting. He was direct in his words and straightforward in his work. Although he looked fierce, he was considerate. If he was born into a respectable family, he would not be a mere minor official at the administrative office now.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned. ¡°There¡¯s a fire¡­ What¡¯s there to look at?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was entertained.


    If it was someone else, he would definitely say things like, ¡°The ce of fire isn¡¯t safe for Your Highness who possesses a noble identity¡±. However, Xie Pinggang told his objective directly.


    ¡°I just want to look.¡± Naturally, one would have to be direct when talking to a straightforward person.


    Xie Pinggang said after hearing that, ¡°Sure. Please be careful, Your Highness. I¡¯m worried I can¡¯t watch out for you in the ce of fire.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing agreed to that happily.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s brother was such an interesting person.


    However, judging by the fact that Xie Pinggang wascking care when tending to the Crown Prince, he must becking in that too when it came to women. Given his hot temper, he might not be able to marry a wife for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 190 - Animal

    <h4>Chapter 190: Animal</h4>


    Since the Crown Prince was checking out the fire, those who were secretly protecting him had to follow.


    Official Liu was panicking. He was surprised to see Xie Pinggang.


    He was a minor official too, so he did not recognize the Crown Prince. However, he was pretty familiar with Xie Pinggang. He asked without waiting for Xie Pinggang to say anything upon noticing his caring expression, ¡°Brother Xie, it¡¯s terrible. People from the fire patrol are inside. We can¡¯t go in, and the people in there can¡¯t get out. Doomed, we¡¯re doomed!¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°My buddies are in there too?¡±


    ¡°They are. The fire seemed serious at first, but it could still be put out. However, something happened, and there¡¯s ck smoke all of a sudden. And then¡­ There¡¯s a cloud absorbing the water like a dragon above. How can we put out the fire now!?¡± Official Liu¡¯s voice was filled with despair.


    Even if he did not lose his job, he would be demoted.


    ¡°Is this a wax shop?¡± Zhao Xuanjing sniffed. ¡°How many people are stuck inside?¡±


    ¡°The fire can¡¯t be put out because it¡¯s a wax shop.¡± Official Liu sighed. ¡°We calcted earlier. Together with the fire patrol team, workers who stayed to put out the fire, and the citizens who are watching, there are 37 people. Oh, there¡¯s a priest too, but we haven¡¯t figured out who she is.¡±


    ¡°Why is there a priest?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyelids twitched. He spoke while getting someone to ssh water on his body.


    His buddies were in there, so he had to go in, no?


    ¡°A couple hired the priest. They stirred amotion on the street earlier, saying that the only son of the wax shop did something terrible and offended something ominous¡­¡± Official Liu¡¯s eyelids twitched as he spoke to this point. ¡°Brother Xiao, do you think¡­


    ¡°It was caused by something evil!?


    ¡°The fire was really strange!¡±


    ¡°Do you n to report it like this?¡± Xie Pinggang found it unbelievable.


    ¡°How could I? The female priest is strange. Many people had witnessed how true the priest¡¯s prediction was. That Zheng family¡¯s only son had a grieving spirit clinging onto him, and he couldn¡¯t stand up earlier.¡± Official Liu was currently losing hope.


    Xie Pinggang was ready to charge in as he was done with the preparation.


    However, after taking a step into the ck smoke¡­


    He came out again!


    Xie Pinggang looked beaten when he saw Official Liu and the Crown Prince¡¯s faces.


    ¡°I-I thought I walked in¡­¡± Xie Pinggang pointed behind him.


    He was stepping forward when he entered the ck smoke. How did he turn around instead?


    ¡°I saw you trying to walk into the smoke, but you couldn¡¯t no matter what¡­¡± Official Liu felt goosebumps.


    The corner of Xie Pinggang¡¯s lips twitched.


    He turned around and tried again.


    However, it was the same as before. He stepped out of the ck smoke as soon as he stepped in.


    ¡°Stop trying. Nobody could get in earlier. It¡¯s like a blind person losing his way. Do you think it¡¯s possible for a person to lose their way in such a small ce? I think there¡¯s a spirit in there,¡± Official Liu said in low spirit.


    Xie Pinggang scratched his head, looking rather lost.


    Zhao Xuanjing suddenly asked, ¡°What does the female priest¡­ look like?¡±


    Official Liu¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡®Is this guy human? He wants to know if the female priest is pretty at such a critical time!?


    ¡®What an animal!¡¯


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s charismatic, calm, and immortal-like. A priest who is unfathomable.¡± Official Liu added as he spoke to this point, ¡°It¡¯d be great if she¡¯s a capable priest. We should be able to put out the fire and save the people inside if she solved this strange situation¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned.


    He had only spent time with a priesttely¡ªXie Qiao.


    Although she no longer dressed like a priest sinceing to the Imperial City, Zhao Xuanjing could not forget her charisma during their first encounter back in Floating Pavilion Town.

 Chapter 191 - Excellent Timing

    <h4>Chapter 191: Excellent Timing</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing thought the only female priest who could be described as immortal-like and unfathomable would be¡­ Xie Qiao.


    There were not many female priests, after all.


    Zhao Xuanjing turned his head and called out, ¡°Zhou Weizong.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou responded and heard Zhao Xuanjing speak again. ¡°Gather the men to crush this wall.¡±


    Something was clearly wrong with the ck smoke. The wall was low, so it should be easy for the smoke toe out. However, there seemed to be a barrier whereby the smoke would not blow out of the wall. It was very strange.


    The smoke should be able to spread after the wall was removed, right?


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou got people to start working immediately.


    Official Liu was stunned. Although he had no idea who that person was, he spected that the man was a young master from some wealthy family.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s underlings acted fast, and the wall was soon crushed.


    The strange thing was that the ck smoke kept hovering inside instead of spreading outside as if an invisible web covered it.


    Zhao Xuanjing walked forward and took a step into the ck smoke in a testing manner.


    He went in.


    Xie Pinggang was shocked, while Zhou Weizong and the rest were extremely anxious!


    They wanted to get in too. However, as soon as they took a step into the ck smoke, they would turn around and walk out instead!


    ¡°Why are you so nervous? Which family is that young master from?¡± Official Liu was nervous too. However, there were already so many people stuck in there. He did not think it was a problem that one more person had gone in.


    Xie Pinggang nced at Official Liu with sympathy. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Official Liu nodded before feeling his jaw drop.


    ¡°Who!?¡± he eximed, horrified.


    ¡°The Crown Prince.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice was soft.


    Thud!


    Official Liu fainted.


    It did not matter if that were someone else. However, now the Crown Prince¡­ He had gone in as well!


    It was the end for Official Liu. He would lose his job as an official, and his family members would be executed!


    Xie Pinggang was nervous too, but he knew that it was useless for him to panic. The ce seemed ominous. It made no sense for him to hope that the fire would be put out, so he ordered someone to bring a monk over.


    Zhao Xuanjing was rather confused as he entered the ck smoke.


    In the next second, he saw a female priest standing there. She was mumbling to a cloud of ck and red smoke.


    She did not look too good, nor did she resemble Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao immediately sensed someoneing in!


    That was especially so for that creepy dark energy that she could not ignore. She turned around and was surprised to find out that it was Zhao Xuanjing. She had no idea what to say at the moment.


    Excellent timing!


    She had not brought any powerful instruments with her today, so it was difficult for her to fight the grieving spirit. She had been trying for so long, yet the spirit¡¯s power had only dissipated by a little. She was still unable to trap it.


    Xie Qiao could only fight it with incantations for now. However, she had limited strength and might not be able to hold on any longer!


    Zhao Xuanjing was nothing to be worried about. The thing was, he had a bunch of ghouls following him!


    He coulde in because of his dark aura that matched the atmosphere. Although those were ghouls around him, they were different from the grieving spirit.


    She could use the ghouls!


    Xie Qiao chanted more incantations.


    ¡°Seven stars and eight spirits, the most powerful of them all. Gigantic beast with a long skull, the master of all souls. Hear mymand, fight the evil one!¡±


    The bunch of ghouls that had juste in charged at the grieving spirit as Xie Qiao ordered.


    Thanks to the support she had just received, the ghouls started fighting with the grieving spirit like lightning, their ws flying like hooks.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    The grieving soul¡¯s voice sounded much more devastating now.


    Zhao Xuanjing heard it faintly. It sounded like the howling wind and a little bit like crying.


    It was rather eerie.


    Before he could think too much into it, he saw the ck smoke around was dissipating at a speed that could be seen with naked eyes.


    Meanwhile, the female priest mumbled, ¡°The righteous god is here to expel the evil spirit. Retrieve!¡±


    The cloud that was absorbing the water like a dragon in the sky disappeared as soon as Xie Qiao was done speaking.


    The ck smoke was gone too. Although the fire was still burning in the shop, it had subsided now.


    The courtyard seemed to have been emptied all of a sudden. Many peopleid all over the ground and looked like they were in a daze. They were still moving, nheless. They were alive.

 Chapter 192 - Illegitimate Son

    <h4>Chapter 192: Illegitimate Son</h4>


    Xie Qiao was so exhausted that she sat on the ground and did not want to move.


    She lifted her hand in an attempt to wipe her sweat but suddenly recalled the makeup on her face after touching it. She could only hold back so that she would not reveal her disguise.


    Xie Qiao must not faint today.


    She had fainted twice before the Crown Prince, and he shouldn¡¯t have forgotten about the incidents so soon.


    What if he recognized her because she fainted again?


    Xie Qiao pinched herself twice and inhaled with all of her might.


    No, there was not enough air.


    As soon as the ck smoke faded, the people out there rushed in immediately.


    Zhou Weizong and the rest surrounded Zhao Xuanjing, worried that he would lose even a strand of hair.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing had his eyes on Xie Qiao. He was frowning.


    Zhou Weizong said immediately, ¡°Are you alright, Your Highness? The smoke was ominous indeed. It disappeared out of nowhere¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    What could have happened to him?


    He had only entered for a moment, and the ck smoke was gone. Not only that, but he had also been holding his breath as much as he could. Thus, he had not inhaled too much of the smoke.


    ¡°There¡¯s a dead body here, Your Highness.¡±


    Xie Pinggang had immediately gotten in and ordered people to put out the fire in the shop after ensuring that his buddies were safe. He then stared at the man in wax.


    Xie Qiao was still sitting there. She was resting with her eyes closed.


    Exhausted, she was too exhausted!


    Xie Qiao looked bitter. The Wei parents stood by her side carefully, as if they were protecting her.


    Zheng Lusheng was staring in a daze now. It was hard for him to breathe. However, he was wide awake when he saw the wax man¡¯s dead body.


    Xie Pinggang knew something was off upon noticing Zheng Lusheng¡¯s expression. Also, he was aware that the property belonged to the Zheng family. Now that they had found a dead body at the family¡¯s wax shop, Zhen Lusheng was naturally a suspect.


    An employee who had woken up said while shaking, ¡°I-It¡¯s Daqiu. He had gone missing, and we couldn¡¯t find him¡­¡±


    Never had he thought the man was inside the candle!


    ¡°Daqiu? Tell me all about it!¡± Xie Pinggang looked at him condescendingly and menacingly with his big body, shocking that employee.


    The employee started speaking immediately. ¡°We used to work with Daqiu. He was fast in his tasks, and the boss liked him very much. He was promised a raise as well. However, he went missing one day. His wife came to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. T-The young master said that he had seen Daqiu with ady. He imed Daqiu had an extramarital affair, so we thought he eloped with her¡­¡±


    They had even scorned Daqiu back then as they found it ridiculous he was intimate with someone out there when he had such a great wife.


    Zheng Lusheng¡¯s expression was tense.


    Xie Pinggang walked to him, squatted down, and grabbed his shirt. ¡°Brat, you did this, right? Tell me the truth, and then you¡¯ll suffer less. Otherwise, I¡¯ll remove ayer of your skin when we get to the Criminal Division!¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s words were threatening.


    It was scary.


    Zheng Lusheng trembled. ¡°H-He fell into it himself¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ha, I don¡¯t believe you. I¡¯ll crush your teeth if you lie again.¡± Xie Pinggang looked like he was going to beat him up as he spoke.


    Zhao Xuanjing watched instead of stopping Xie Pinggang. He even admired his style. This fellow would make a great oppressive official.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s charisma was just too scary. Zheng Lusheng peed his pants on the spot and said while shaking, ¡°H-He was my dad¡¯s illegitimate son¡­¡±


    Old Man Zheng rushed over before he could finish speaking. It was as if a bolt of lightning struck him upon hearing that.


    ¡°What nonsense are you spewing you b*stard!? I only have one son, you! How could I have an illegitimate son!?¡±


    Zheng Lusheng turned his head around. ¡°I overheard your conversation with him the other day. You told him that his character was simr to yours, even more than I do! You also told him to work hard, and you would make him the shopkeeper in the future¡­¡±

 Chapter 193 - The Job is Too Difficult

    <h4>Chapter 193: The Job is Too Difficult</h4>


    Old Man Zheng almost fainted upon hearing that.


    ¡°I said that because Daqiu was responsible and hardworking! I thought if we had a branch in the future, I¡¯d make him the shopkeeper. You¡¯re the boss¡¯s son, what does that have to do with you!?¡±


    Old Man Zheng clutched his chest. He was upset.


    In reality, he was aware of his son¡¯s character. He had not stopped his son from having an affair, turning a blind eye to that. He also knew that his daughter-inw had died because of anger. Nheless, he only had one child.


    He could not make his son suffer because of an outsider, right?


    Never had he thought that his son would be so petty!


    Zheng Lusheng still did not believe what Old Man Zheng said.


    Now that this was revealed, it was the end for him.


    The Wei couple stared at Zheng Lusheng with resentment. They had never thought that not only was this man a heartbreaker, but he was also a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. He had even killed someone and hidden him in a candle. It was cruel!


    This was a good luck candle, which was considered the shop¡¯s specialty. It was normal not to touch it for years, even tens of years. If not for the fire, this man would have been concealed inside for years!


    That brat might even bury him in the suburbs when he had the opportunity. It would be traceless!


    God was wise to create the fire!


    It was karma!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s head was still spinning. She remained sitting there.


    The Wei couple stayed as well.


    Zhao Xuanjing walked toward her and waited for a moment. He asked upon seeing Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids moved, ¡°I wonder what¡¯s this priest¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Mo Chusheng,¡± replied Xie Qiao.


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned. He instinctively recalled that the priest had asked him not to speak. He had been under the impression he was disturbing her rest.


    However, he suddenly reacted in the next second. ¡°S-Senior Sister Mo?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Second Junior Brother,¡± Xie Qiao nodded and lifted her arm in an unfathomable manner. ¡°Junior Brother, I¡¯ve drained my energy, so I¡¯m a little tired. Help me up now and get me a carriage. I want to take a rest at the Fortune Pavilion.¡±


    Xie Qiao tried her best to change her voice a little bit.


    Although it sounded fine, Zhao Xuanjing thought something was wrong.


    Xie Qiao thought she could¡­ take advantage since she was the Senior Sister now.


    Zhao Xuanjing was her Junior Brother after all, and she had a Master who protected her above. Now that his Senior Sister had given an order, he had to be nice to her although he was the Crown Prince. Moreover, she had worked hard earlier. It made sense to take care of her.


    As such, Zhao Xuanjing stretched his hand to help her up.


    Xie Qiao looked at his long fingers before cing her hand on his.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s hand was quite smooth¡ªclear joints, skinny, and hard¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned and tried retracting his hand. However, at that split moment, he smelled a fragrance that he was familiar with. His eyes lit up, and he stared at her as he ced his hand on her stretched wrist.


    The hand was fair, thin, and weak. It was exactly the same as Xie Qiao¡¯s.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly and pinched Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s hand. ¡°Junior Brother¡¯s hand is strong. Not bad, not bad. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been practicing martial arts diligently, right?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face turned stiff as a strange feeling arose. He was rather dumbstruck at the moment.


    Was Xie Qiao disguising Mo Chusheng, or¡­ was this her true color!?


    ¡°Why is Senior Sister here?¡± Zhao Xuanjing had to pretend to be a filial Junior Brother, so he asked that since Xie Qiao refused to reveal herself.


    Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ trying to make a living¡­ This job is too difficult. I¡¯m getting old. I can hardly take a job that¡¯s this hard anymore¡­¡±

 Chapter 194 - Unbelievable

    <h4>Chapter 194: Unbelievable</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Xie Qiao was on cloud nine as the Crown Prince held her.


    ¡°Was Senior Sister capturing a ghoul earlier?¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought of the lost littlemb that Xie Qiao had buried back then.


    If the bones back then belonged to a littlemb, then what was that from earlier?


    Xie Qiao smiled and said, ¡°The ghoul had been sealed in the candle. He died in devastation, and he was resentful. Therefore, he had lost his rationale. He only gained his freedom because of the fire, and he wanted to kill everyone. But don¡¯t worry, Junior Brother. I¡¯ve captured that insignificant thing. I¡¯ll release his soul when I get home. Winter Clothes Day ising, and I¡¯ll send him for reincarnation on that day.¡±


    She looked gentle, like a legitimate senior.


    Zhao Xuanjing proceeded to pretend he knew nothing about Xie Qiao¡¯s disguise, ¡°I know ady who captures ghouls too. I heard you know her as well, Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re talking about Eldest Young Mistress Xie? I do. Her Master, Mo Lingzi, is considered my Senior Brother. But thatdy is from a respectable family, so she doesn¡¯t know much.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t flinch.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched as he secretly observed her.


    He held Xie Qiao along the way to send her to the carriage.


    Before getting on, she turned her head suddenly and said to the Wei parents, ¡°Dig under the osmanthus tree at home when you head back. Send the thing to the Fortune Pavilion on Eastern Street. That¡¯s the payment for the job.¡±


    The Wei couple nodded in a daze.


    ¡°However, your daughter is still with me. She¡¯ll only reincarnate some timeter. If you guys want her to live better in her next life, you can buy things for her to nourish her soul. You can also do good deeds to gather good karma for her,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    It would be ridiculous if the Wei couple ignored her. They knelt to thank her immediately, like chickens eating rice off the ground.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for this since I charged money for this job.¡± Xie Qiao waved and got on the carriage after she was done speaking.


    Xie Pinggang nced in the carriage¡¯s direction. He was rather confused.


    Thatdy was the Crown Prince¡¯s Senior Sister? She looked weak. However, she must be capable. Otherwise, how would the ck smoke from earlier fade so quickly?


    Zhao Xuanjing sent Xie Qiao to the Fortune Pavilion himself.


    It was his first time here. The more he looked at the shop, the more he thought his Senior Sister was simr to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao had been selling talismans too back at Floating Pavilion Town. She seemed to have a stack in her bamboo basket.


    However, if Xie Qiao was Mo Chusheng¡­ when did she be a disciple?


    Would that not mean that she had be a disciple when she was three or five?


    That sounded rather unbelievable.


    Zhao Xuanjing was uncertain, but it would be inappropriate for him to ask. His Master was wild, but he doted on this so-called Mo Chusheng.


    Ever since Zhao Xuanjing had entered the sect, he would hear his Master ordering them to be respectful to their Senior Sister. They should not offend her.


    He owed his Master for all the teachings that he had imparted to him. It would be different from others, whereby he would not take whatever people said seriously. However, he would respect his Master¡¯s orders.


    Zhao Xuanjing had aplicated expression on his face.


    Xie Qiao seemed to not see his expression as she gave an order, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Second Junior Brother. Please get your man to buy some food from across.¡±


    She was exhausted from the job. It made sense for her to eat.


    Zhao Xuanjing got Imperial Bodyguard Zhou to do that.


    Xie Qiao nodded and looked at Zhao Xuanjing gently. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much so fast? You were just a boy when you joined the sect.¡±


    She could not remember. No matter what, eight or nine years had passed since her Master had written her a letter, informing her that he had epted another disciple.


    Her Master had also written a couple of letters to exin that he would definitely not forget about her, his oldest disciple, just because he had epted a new disciple!


    It was as if he was worried that she would lose his love.

 Chapter 195 - Everything Will Go Well

    <h4>Chapter 195: Everything Will Go Well</h4>


    Xie Qiao was squinting. She looked like a senior who was full of love.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips suddenly twitched.


    He saw¡­ a small piece of makeup that had peeled on Xie Qiao¡¯s face. It was not obvious.


    ¡®Haha, Senior Sister.¡¯


    Just when he was going to speak, Xiao Yurong suddenly ran in from the outside, carrying a pot of orchids happily.


    He saw Zhao Xuanjing as soon as he came in and said while frowning, ¡°Why is Your Highness here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit Senior Sister.¡± Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and smiled. He took a seat as if he was the master and nced at the pot of orchid in Xiao Yurong¡¯s hands. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Senior Brother¡¯s priced beauty?¡±


    Xiao Yurong carried the pot tightly like he was worried that the Crown Prince would take it away. ¡°I picked this pot of orchids for Senior Sister to feast her eyes on as I noticed that the shop wascking color¡­¡±


    Xiao Yurong smiled in a shy manner at Xie Qiao as he spoke.


    Xie Qiao held her head low slightly, feeling rather awkward.


    Why was this dumb teacher here¡­


    ¡°I dropped by in the morning, but Senior Sister Mo wasn¡¯t around. I heard from the shopkeeper that you were working outside. I wonder, what was it? And did it go well? I¡¯ll help you without hesitation if you need my help at all,¡± Teacher Xiao said immediately.


    Zhao Xuanjing was observing him.


    Xiao Yurong wore a new robe today.


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo is a priest. Naturally, the job she epted would be subduing demons and expelling evil, capturing souls to release them. Since Senior Brother Xiao is so interested, I wonder if Senior Sister can tell us what¡¯s with the soul that you captured today,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile and a calm tone.


    Teacher Xiao¡¯s expression turned stiff.


    Capturing souls?


    Souls were illusory¡­


    Xie Qiao¡¯s spirit lifted. ¡°Sure. Since Junior Brother Xiao bought some talismans from me earlier, I assume you must be very interested in such a thing.¡±


    Teacher Xiao¡¯s eyelids twitched. He had put the talismans away instead of using them.


    ¡°I saw ck smoke everywhere today. I¡¯m afraid it was a ferocious soul?¡± A curious smile appeared on Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s cold face. It looked rather creepy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That person died in a horrible way. His life was already hard when he was alive. When a great opportunity arose, he was killed and immersed in wax. His eyes, nose, lips, and ears were covered in wax. He was sealed for quite some time, so his grievance was extraordinary.¡±


    Teacher Xiao had no smile on his face. Not only that, he could not bring himself to smile.


    ¡®Ridiculous, ridiculous!


    ¡®Senior Sister is speaking as if she had seen the soul with her very own eyes!¡¯


    ¡°Oh yeah, Senior Sister mentioned about the payment with the couple before leaving. Approximately how much was it?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked again.


    ¡°It has to be at least 100 taels of silver. The Wei family is wealthy. Their daughter¡¯s private money is hidden under the osmanthus tree. I¡¯m sure there are some essories apart from silver. I¡¯ll melt themter and forge them into Dharmic instruments.¡± Xie Qiao smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°You asked for so much?¡± asked Teacher Xiao instinctively.


    To him, capturing souls was purely ridiculous. It should be no different than what other priests did¡ªperforming a ceremony and burning some talismans at the ce.


    How could she charge so much?


    ¡°Does Junior Brother think I charged too much?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him with confusion.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Teacher Xiao said what he did not mean as he waved immediately. ¡°Senior Sister is capable. I¡¯m sure the clients would be at peace after the ceremony. Everything will go well when one¡¯s at peace. When everything goes well, it¡¯ll mean that Senior Sister¡¯s ceremony was effective. It makes sense for you to charge that amount, it makes sense.¡±

 Chapter 196 - Exposing Him

    <h4>Chapter 196: Exposing Him</h4>


    Teacher Xiao looked embarrassed when he forced himself to say that. Especially when he was the Crown Prince¡¯s expression, he was not sure whether he was smiling. Teacher Xiao felt like his cheeks were burning.


    Zhao Xuanjing smirked lightly and dusted his sleeves, seemingly in a casual manner. There was a slight smile in his eyes, ¡°I suppose Senior Brother bought something from here thest time? Why haven¡¯t I seen you using it?¡±


    Teacher Xiao was pissed. Why did the Crown Prince keep exposing him?!


    ¡°Senior Sister¡¯s stuff is utterly precious. There¡¯s dust out there. What if it got dirty?¡± Xiao Yurong said immediately.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she rubbed her cheeks.


    His words were so fake that it was awkward.


    ¡°Did you use it at the academy? Maybe Senior Brother should tell us how¡¯s Senior Sister¡¯s merchandise is like? If there¡¯s anythingcking, she can improve it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said casually as if he was talking about something random.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s eyelids twitched. He red at Zhao Xuanjing, ignoring his identity.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t this brat feel pity for me? I am over 30 years old, yet I am not married!¡¯


    Xiao Yurong was not great at lying. He failed to say anything now.


    Should he continue to lie, saying that his Senior Sister¡¯s merchandise was great?


    That would humiliate his personality!


    Xiao Yurong suddenly sped his fists and bowed, feeling guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senior Sister. I¡­ haven¡¯t used it, but I¡¯ll try it as soon as I return!¡±


    Xiao Yurong ran away in guilt as soon as he was done speaking.


    Zhao Xuanjing raised his brows and pretended to look confused. ¡°Senior Brother has always been a serious person.¡±


    ¡°My Eldest Junior Brother sure is cute.¡± Xie Qiao was joyful. She said lovingly upon seeing the food was served. ¡°You may leave if this is all, Junior Brother. You¡¯re the Crown Prince. I heard you¡¯re busy. Please go on. You can leave me alone.¡±


    She dared not depend on anyone when she was Xie Qiao.


    However, it was different now. She was the Eldest Senior Sister.


    Xie Qiao looked generous and gentle with a glow of a senior on her body. She looked like an expert who lived in seclusion with the Taoist robe. She spoke calmly, sounding sweet like water in the stream. Anyone might think that she was a powerful immortal when they saw her.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing could not help but stare at the makeup that was peeling on her face.


    She sure could pretend. She would send letters over the years, and nothing seemed to be off with it.


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo, there¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been curious about.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s peaceful mind seemed to be copsing. ¡°What does the gift mean?¡±


    ¡°Gift?¡± Xie Qiao was lost for a moment.


    When had she given him a gift? What was it?


    She seemed to really like golden bells at one time¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The golden bell sounds nice when it¡¯s ringing. It¡¯s been ced at the statue for a long time. Although there¡¯s no special meaning about it, it can expel evil,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt a clutch in his heart before he looked at her with an indiscernible expression.


    Xie Qiao thought he was ridiculous.


    ¡°Was it not a bell?¡± Xie Qiao asked doubtfully, ¡°Was it a¡­ jade?¡±


    There were quite many jades back at Floating Pavilion Town¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing looked away and nced outside. ¡°Xiao Yurong left too soon. He should¡¯ve stayed to hear this.¡±


    If he listened to their conversation, his heart would be dead like the water in a pond. Perhaps there would not be any sshes even if a huge rock was tossed into it!


    ¡®Ha! Golden bell? Jade? She must¡¯ve given the gift in her dreams!¡¯


    ¡°Now that Senior Sister is in Imperial City, I should be a good host since I¡¯m your Junior Brother. How about you stay with me at my mansion? Or maybe we could go to the Royal Academy,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said intentionally.

 Chapter 197 - Remuneration

    <h4>Chapter 197: Remuneration</h4>


    How could Xie Qiao agree to that?


    What if her five Junior Brothers found out that she was only 16? How could she live her life by then?


    She had already figured it all out. When her Master passed away, she would spread the news that she died too, as she was devastated by the filial piety she had for her Master. Mo Chusheng¡¯s identity would disappear without a trace by then. She would not have to worry about her Junior Brothers going against her.


    Years would pass by. Nobody knew how long Xie Qiao could live. She would live the rest of her life with her own identity at peace.


    Regarding Yun Wei¡¯s title¡­


    She could not announce that, as she wanted to paint more masterpieces.


    The price of a painting would be different based on whether the master was a man or woman, young or old.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Junior Brother. However, it¡¯s best that I live at the Fortune Pavilion. There are many things that I need to do on a daily basis. The two ces that you suggested have too many rules,¡± Xie Qiao said while smiling.


    Zhao Xuanjing just wanted to see how far she could pretend.


    ¡°Master isn¡¯t around, and I¡¯m worried about Senior Sister being here alone. Since you¡¯re unwilling to go with me, then I¡¯ll visit frequently. It doesn¡¯t make a difference to me,¡± said Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea? You¡¯re busy¡­¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. I merely monitor how others handle some cases. Moreover, Senior Sister is well-versed in both worlds. I¡¯m at peace whenever I see you.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s narrow eyes revealed a peaceful expression. He looked sincere.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids could not stop twitching.


    As expected, Junior Brothers were the most troublesome beings in the world.


    And she had five of them!


    She had only met two.


    Xie Qiao got people to ce the food on the table while holding back her annoyance. She buried her head and ate, while Zhao Xuanjing sat next to her, refusing to leave. He said nothing much either. She had no idea what he was trying to do.


    Two hourster, the Wei couple came. They carried something in their embrace.


    One could tell that it should be a small box. It was wrapped in a soil-covered cloth.


    ¡°Immortal, we¡­ can¡¯t open this thing, so we brought it to you directly,¡± the couple said immediately.


    They did that to show their sincerity as well.


    The outsiders were unclear of what happened at the wax shop, but they were well aware of the facts. If the immortal had not given them the talismans, they would definitely have passed out on the ground.


    Although the neighbors had woken up now, they were feeling ill from the smoke. They had returned home to rest now.


    Moreover, if not for the immortal who had expelled the evil spirit, they might have died!


    Xie Qiao took the box immediately.


    She opened it before the couple, and her eyes lit up.


    There was a pair of jade bracelets and a couple of gold hair essories. There were two silver certificates and many silver ingots.


    The items added up to at least 200 taels of silver.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit too much, I¡¯ve discussed this with your daughter. A portion of them will be used to prepare incense to offer to the god. There¡¯s no backing out now,¡± Xie Qiao exined.


    ¡°It makes sense, it does. We were worried that the items in our daughter¡¯s box would be insufficient. Here¡­¡± They took out a certificate of 100 taels of silver and shoved it to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already received payment. About this¡­ If you guys are willing, donate food and do good deeds for your daughter outside the city with this money. It¡¯ll help with her reincarnation.¡± Xie Qiao was not greedy.


    ¡°Thank you, immortal. We wonder¡­ if we can¡­ take a look when you send our daughter for reincarnation,¡± the couple asked nervously.


    Xie Qiao was surprised. ¡°Sure you can, but you guys won¡¯t be able to see anything. We¡¯re two worlds apart. If you guys could see her with your eyes, then the world would be in chaos.¡±

 Chapter 198 - I Want to Go Home

    <h4>Chapter 198: I Want to Go Home</h4>


    In reality, it was not that humans could not see ghouls. However, it was not a good thing that one could see them.


    Take her situation as an example. She was weak and could not get close to her family because she saw something that she should not.


    Apart from that, she would be scared every now and then.


    Those ghouls had no sense of direction. They could float and fly, bashing around. Now that she was getting better at talisman inscription, her health was much better than before. When she was young and could not defend the ghouls¡¯ power, she would asionally get possessed.


    Naturally, it only happened a few times.


    The Wei couple looked pitiful.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ sorry for our daughter that we got her to marry into such a family. No matter if we can see her or not, we¡¯re happy to know that she will enter reincarnation. About the Zheng family¡­¡± Master Wei¡¯s eyes looked ruthless. ¡°Zheng Lusheng can¡¯t be pardoned as he murdered someone. However, the rest of the Zheng family members are guilty as well. Don¡¯t they know their own son? Especially Old Man Zheng, no wonder he had been unwilling to see me since my daughter married into the family. He knew what was happening, so he was feeling guilty!¡±


    Master Wei added, ¡°Our Wei family can make candles as well. We can just pick up the business from now on. We¡¯ll never let that family take advantage of us again!¡±


    If not for his daughter, he would not have let go of half of the family business!


    He had raised an ingrate because of that, while his daughter had passed away. It was toote to say all that.


    His wish was to manufacture candles as well in order to make more money. He would contribute to society so that he could gather good karma for his daughter.


    Xie Qiao merely nodded after hearing what Master Wei said.


    She was hesitating as she looked at the good stuff in the box. She wondered if she could offer them a package¡­


    Living humans usually could not see ghouls. However, it would be¡­ different if she, the expert, was present.


    However, there would be side effects if one were to see ghouls. The severity depended on the individual. Some people were brave and had strong Yang energy. Nothing would happen to them even if they saw ghouls. Some would have nightmares easily, as well as problems with their health, after seeing ghouls.


    Although Xie Qiao was hesitating, she still spoke upon noticing the duo¡¯s expressions. ¡°You could see her onest time if you¡¯d like to. However, there are many things to take note of. I¡¯ll give you guys the details, and you guys can decide.¡±


    Xie Qiao listed the side-effects of seeing ghouls one after another.


    There would be many spirits on Winter Clothes Day. Thus, one would not only see ghouls once. At least, they would not have peace on that day as they would be seeing ghouls all day.


    There were all sorts of ghouls. Some had died properly, where they looked nothing different from ordinary people. Meanwhile, some had died devastatingly. They were so disgusting that one would not be able to eat. Ordinary people could hardly bear that.


    However, the Wei couple looked at her with surprise as soon as she said that.


    They agreed without hesitation.


    The payment was included in the small box, so Xie Qiao did not charge extra.


    Now that Ms. Wei¡¯s spirit¡¯s dying wish had almost been fulfilled, whereby she was only left with reincarnation, those ghouls that were secretly watching her were excited.


    They began to queue upstairs in an orderly manner.


    Zhao Xuanjing heard the bell beneath the signboard ringing non-stop. It sounded very creepy.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao ignored him after sending off the Wei couple. She went upstairs directly. Upstairs¡­ was for staff only.


    He was not a staff member.


    ¡°You¡¯re the spirit who has been following the Crown Prince?¡± Xie Qiao waved at the spirit after seeing it floating from downstairs, ¡°Do you have a dying wish too?¡±


    The spirit was rather lost.


    However, its mind was now clearer as it became familiar with the smell here. ¡°I-I want to go home¡­¡±


    It was another female spirit. She was dressed in imperial clothes, and it was difficult to tell whether she was a maid or a consort. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were empty.

 Chapter 199 - Soul Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 199: Soul Treasure</h4>


    Most of the ghouls around the Crown Prince had no consciousness. They were like an illusory dark wind, and they would be different every time.


    Judging by that, his body attracted ghouls.


    Those wandering ghouls were like stray dogs finding bones when they saw him, and they would follow him by instinct.


    After he entered the shop, the ghouls would change slightly.


    However, they had weak consciousness. They would be like a gush of smoke, wandering aimlessly.


    Meanwhile, the one before Xie Qiao clearly had a powerful obsession.


    Although the other ghouls were rather upset about this queue-cutting female spirit in an imperial dress, they dared not fight back.


    They were scared that Xie Qiao would capture them directly.


    Xie Qiao thought about it and brought a small jar out of a box. She ced three sticks of incense on it, then brought out a soul-summoning banner and a Taoist bell. She chanted the Soul Cleansing Incantation while surrounding the female spirit.


    The female spirit¡¯s consciousness was gradually bing clearer. ¡°Home, I want to go home.¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her brows, ¡°Where¡¯s your home?¡±


    ¡°Where is it¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I want to go home¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao felt rather troubled as the spirit was too confused. It did not work even after she chanted the incantation.


    Xie Qiao thought about it and took out a Dharmic instrument to cultivate the female spirit inside.


    Under normal circumstances, as long as it was not a grieving ghoul, a spirit could be stored in a Dharmic instrument. She would even chant the Soul Cleansing Incantation to those ghouls often if she could. It was beneficial for them.


    Naturally, if it was a grieving ghoul, she would have to remove its grievance first.


    Just like the ghoul she captured today. She would have to solve its grievance before sending it for reincarnation.


    A grieving spirit would affect its own karma, something that was bad for reincarnation. Therefore, the spirits could have obsessions but not stubbornness. Otherwise, it would be bad for themselves and others.


    Fortunately, the people at the wax shop had only fainted; none of them died. It would be devastating if the grieving ghoul had to carry the debt of murder.


    After Xie Qiao stored the spirit in imperial dressing, the other spirits became more sensible and made their pleas obediently.


    ¡°I¡­ just want to see my son, but I can only move around this Eastern Street. I can¡¯t meet him¡­¡± said a spirit.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Spirits had many forms. Indeed, some would be stuck somewhere, failing to get out. It was a normal phenomenon.


    Xie Qiao got him to stay at the shop for the next few days. The job was easy as his son was in the Imperial City.


    ¡°I want my wife to remarry,¡± an honest male spirit said while smiling. He rubbed his palms, looking rather shy.


    Xie Qiao nced at him with confusion before saying with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯d be willing to do that, but I¡¯ll convey your message.¡±


    The spirit nodded happily upon hearing that. ¡°Thank you, Sage!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good spirit. I¡¯ll send you off gloriously on Winter Clothes Day,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    By then, she would burn some nice clothes for him.


    Subsequently, Xie Qiao listened to six spirits¡¯ pleas.


    The ratherplicated jobs that she epted before Winter Clothes Day would have to wait. After all, she was busier during that special time of the year.


    Xie Qiao only washed her face and returned home when it was evening.


    She had no idea when Zhao Xuanjing left.


    It would be great if he was present when she was fighting grieving ghouls next time. He was a mobile soul treasure, very useful!


    Xie Niushan got her to have dinner with them as soon as she arrived at the Xie Residence.


    Xie Qiao returned to her courtyard to replenish a couple of talismans before heading there.


    As soon as she entered the main courtyard, Ms. Lu weed her while smiling. She then got a maidservant to send three sets of clothes¡ªa light blue dress with clouds and swallows, a fuchsia camlet garment, and a fiery red cloak.

 Chapter 200 - A Pie From the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 200: A Pie From the Sky</h4>


    Xie Niushan was satisfied with Ms. Lu¡¯s performance. Even Xie Pinggang thought Ms. Lu did well this time, which was rare. Therefore, he was nicer to her today.


    ¡°The materials are an apology gift from the Yuan family. I got the best tailor to make these quickly¡­¡± Ms. Lu looked like she was trying to please Xie Qiao as she spoke carefully.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Thanks, Mother.¡±


    One could not hear any emotions from her voice. It was as if she was treating an ordinary person.


    Ms. Lu kept smiling rather stiffly.


    ¡°Do you not like them?¡± Ms. Lu added immediately.


    ¡°They¡¯re okay.¡± Xie Qiao remained cold.


    Ms. Lu was pissed now, so she nced at Xie Niushan to convey she was feeling wronged.


    Xie Niushan chuckled. ¡°These clothes are nice. If I was ady, I¡¯d love them too. Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Ms. Lu red at him. She had no idea what to say now.


    Did she want Xie Niushan topliment the clothes?!


    The father and son were men, so how could they differentiate beauty!?


    Ms. Lu thought that girl would be grateful that she had made those clothes for her. She had put in some effort, so Xie Qiao should thank her!


    In the end, she epted them coldly. Nobody could tell whether she really liked them or not.


    However, their clothes were not bad. If she was still picky about such high-quality clothes, that girl would be really ungrateful.


    Ms. Lu sat down obediently.


    Xie Pinggang recalled what he had run into today and connected it with an unfathomable remark Xie Qiao had made the other day. He thought about it and was ready to say something about it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a wax shop in the city, and a dead man was hidden inside the lucky candle. I happened to pass by today and captured the criminal. It was a coincidence. I earned credit for nothing,¡± said Xie Pinggang.


    His luck had been extraordinarily goodtely.


    The case earlier aside, he had solved the mysterious cold case out of nowhere.


    What happened today was really like a pie that fell from the sky right into his mouth. He had witnesses and evidence, and the criminal had confessed as soon as he was taken to the Criminal Division. His superior had decided to execute him three dayster.


    His colleagues were envious of him.


    Well, he happened to run into that case when he was out with the Crown Prince. Since the Crown Prince did not need that credit, he took all of the credit instead.


    Xie Niushan was happy to hear that. ¡°With this credit, a big mistake can be amended. It seems you¡¯ve gotten a stable position as an official now. You don¡¯t have to worry about being betrayed like thest time.¡±


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless.


    Xie Pinggang nodded. ¡°Eldest Sister, you stayed at the Taoist temple for a long time. Are there many experts like the Grand Preceptor in the world?¡±


    The Grand Preceptor was the strategy advisor back at the mountain stronghold.


    However, he specialized in something else. The Grand Preceptor was not well-versed in minor things like capturing ghouls but astrology and military strategies.


    ¡°Not bad. There aren¡¯t many.¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    ¡°The fire today was rather ominous. I supposed there was something filthy there. A female priest happened to be there, and a disaster was avoided. Otherwise, many people would¡¯ve died there.¡± Xie Pinggang nced at Xie Qiao while tilting his head after he was done speaking. ¡°You spent many years at the Taoist temple, didn¡¯t you learn anything?¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head quietly. ¡°I did¡­¡±


    ¡°Capturing ghouls?¡± Xie Pinggang chuckled.


    Xie Qiao thought about it and asked after a chuckle, ¡°Should I?¡±


    Xie Pinggang suddenly lifted his arm and poked her head. ¡°I suspect there¡¯s nothing good in your head. Are you really considering being a priest?! Your mission foring to the Imperial City is to marry someone and raise children. Don¡¯t you dare think of anything else!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Ha! She had to be alive to do all that, right!?

 Chapter 201 - Relatives

    <h4>Chapter 201: Rtives</h4>


    There were things that Xie Qiao could say, but she dared not say it.


    Should she tell them that her job was to capture ghouls in order to increase her lifespan?


    Maybe she should at least tell her father and brother that she could see those floating things?


    She had the solution, so she did not want to trouble and worry them. Moreover, if they knew more, they might not treat her as a normal person anymore.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see that female priest. She¡¯s in her 30s, elegant and calm. I can tell that she¡¯s single. Also, she looks sickly. If she faints by the street, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t find anyone to take care of her.¡± Xie Pinggang looked at Xie Qiao with underlying meaning.


    His sister should be capable, but she might not be able to capture ghouls. However, she should be well-versed in feng shui and simple divination.


    He was worried that she would model after that female priest and travel the world.


    Her body was weak, and nobody would find out if she died on the street. Thus, he had to make her get rid of that idea soon.


    Xie Qiao looked at Xie Pinggang with extra innocence, ¡°Eldest Brother, those who are versed in Taoism are otherworldly experts. Why would they care about the matters of the mortal¡ª¡±


    Xie Pinggang thought about it seriously and said, ¡°You can go when Father is dead.¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xie Qiao proceeded to eat while burying her head.


    Xie Pinggang red at her because she was not filial toward her father. Meanwhile, Xie Niushan had gotten used to that, so his expression remained the same.


    ¡°The Winter Clothes Day ising. We must go to the old house¡­ to pray to your ancestors,¡± Xie Niushan suddenly said a momentter.


    ¡°We have an old house?¡± Xie Qiao asked directly.


    Did they not just move to the Imperial City five or six years ago?


    Xie Niushan¡¯s expression was rather strange.


    ¡°Calling it an old house is just sugar-coating it. The olddy was the mastermind behind this. She got Father to move the memorial tablets from the old house to the house that Father bought in Imperial City. There aren¡¯t many, and she calls it an ancestral hall. She said we should visit during holidays and pay silver to respect the dead,¡± Xie Pinggang snickered as he said straightforwardly.


    ¡°Brat, do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to hit you?¡± Xie Niushan was upset now. ¡°We¡¯re a family, after all. Why can¡¯t we visit? Also, the eldest daughter has been to the Imperial City for so long, but she has never visited. It¡¯s not good if the news spreads.¡±


    Xie Pinggang chuckled.


    ¡°Alright, she should meet those devils. However, our family isn¡¯t doing well. We don¡¯t have much money. If they think 100 taels of silvers is too little, we won¡¯t go. Who bothers to visit anyway?¡± Xie Pinggang said expressionlessly.


    He thought Xie Qiao¡¯s character was rather indifferent.


    No matter how bad the old house was, there was something good over there. It was lively.


    When it was noisy, she would not be at peace. She would have fewer opportunities to think of bing a monk.


    Xie Qiao had no opinion about it. She would agree to whatever her brother said.


    Ms. Lu and the two young ones were afraid of Xie Pinggang. Whenever he spoke, they would not dare to say more. They had been eating all this while obediently.


    Xie Niushan had brothers and sisters. The ones who hade to the Imperial City were Eldest Uncle Xie Mangshan, Youngest Uncle Xie Congshan, and the Youngest Aunt.


    There was also the Eldest Aunt who nobody liked. When the Xie family had moved, she was unwilling toe. She lived with her inws obediently and didn¡¯t consider them as her rtives.


    Meanwhile, the Youngest Aunt had a terrible rtionship with her inws. She had a divorce directly and thought she would remarry when she came to the Imperial City. However, with the Xie family¡¯s situation¡­


    She aimed high, but her skills wereckluster. Thus, she had yet to remarry.

 Chapter 202 - Old Biddy

    <h4>Chapter 202: Old Biddy</h4>


    Old Lady Xie would stay there asionally, but she had been staying at the so-called old housetely.


    ¡°Father, why did you be a bandit back then?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    She knew very little. She only knew that life was hard back then.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s expression turned stiff.


    Xie Pinggang, on the other hand, became excited. ¡°There was a drought where the old house was back then. They didn¡¯t have anything to eat, and barbarians wereing to the vige. The vigers hid in the mountain as they obtained the letter earlier. Father wasn¡¯t home back then, and the old biddy didn¡¯t get anyone to look for him. She got everything valuable at home and moved them to the mountain. Father was fetching water from somewhere further, and he found out that there was nobody in the vige when he returned.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi lifted their heads to listen.


    ¡°Father was still young back then and had no idea what happened. He thought there were thieves. Just when he wasining, the barbarians came. About 60 barbarians invaded the vige. Father had nowhere to hide, and the barbarians captured him. They only wanted money, and they were happy that they found someone to act as the pathfinder. They got him to show them around, looting the houses one after another.¡±


    The vigers may have left in a hurry, but they had brought along the valuables with them. However, there were things at home that they could not bring. They thought they would try their luck, hoping the barbarians would not find them.


    Still, how would the barbarians give up if they did not find sufficient things after invading the vige?


    Killing aside, they had to burn the vige down.


    Therefore, Xie Niushan had brought them to search each house obediently.


    The barbarians did not do anything to him as they thought he had done a great job.


    When the vigers returned, they naturally vented their rage on Xie Niushan. The local official could not take care of that. The vigers had to solve it themselves.


    The Xie family had shown their stance by chasing Xie Niushan out of the house.


    After that, he ran away, and his inws got him to be a bandit.


    ¡°Father dragged the Xie family down. In order to protect the family, there was no harm in chasing him out of the house. However, if someone from the family was willing to send Father a letter, he would not have been captured by the barbarians. Not only that, Father was unlikable at home as well. There was some water in the water tank. Eldest Aunt wanted to take a bath, and Eldest Uncle was unwilling to go, so the old biddy got Father to fetch water.¡±


    One could not find out who was wrong and who was right for something that had happened so long ago.


    His father was willing to take up the chore, bringing trouble upon himself.


    Xie Pinggang hated the old biddy, mainly because the family still wanted to seek justice when they did something wrong.


    Life was alright after his father became a bandit. He would secretly provide many benefits to the Xie family, giving them a good life.


    When his father became an official, the family became arrogant.


    However, whenever he mentioned his dead wife, the old biddy and the rest would be disdainful.


    If they thought she was filthy, they should not have taken the benefits that his mother offered, right?


    Those bastards.


    Xie Pinggang was not pissed. He recalled those things very ¡°calmly¡± and recounted everything to Xie Qiao clearly.


    She nodded.


    They had a bad rtionship, and the olddy was rude to her mother. A deep connection was unnecessary, and there was no need to prepare gifts.


    Xie Qiao remembered all that.


    ¡°Wear the new clothes when you go to the old house, Eldest Daughter.¡± Ms. Lu seized the opportunity to say that all of a sudden.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    Ms. Lu chuckled in a pretentious manner. ¡°The olddy likes girls who wear nice clothes.¡±


    She was the stepmother. If Xie Qiao visited the olddy wearing something nice, it would prove to her that Ms. Lu was good to the children at home. Since she was treating Xie Qiao, whom she was not close with like that, she would definitely treat Xie Pinghuai even better as she had been raising him for a few years.

 Chapter 203 - Chase Her Out

    <h4>Chapter 203: Chase Her Out</h4>


    Xie Qiao nced at those clothes.


    Ms. Lu was so passionate that she was almost suspecting something was wrong with those clothes.


    However, she roughly understood what Ms. Lu was trying to say as she thought about it.


    ¡°The Winter Clothes Day ising. Colors that are too in and bright aren¡¯t suitable.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    There was no death at home. If she wore something too in, it would make her look pale, and it would attract ghouls easily. However, it would be disrespectful to the ghouls if she wore something bright. It was also a no-go.


    She would just wear the clothes that she usually wore.


    Ms. Lu widened her mouth when she heard that. ¡°How about the light blue one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear it. Maybe next time.¡± Xie Qiao insisted.


    She still remembered how Ms. Lu treated her earlier. Why would she please her on Winter Clothes Day?


    She would not bother to throw Ms. Lu a cold nket intentionally. However, it was also impossible that she would do as she said.


    Ms. Lu looked gloomy.


    She pinched Xie Niushan softly, which made him cry in pain. ¡°Why are you pinching me? Why don¡¯t you wear it yourself? It¡¯s just clothes. Won¡¯t it be the same no matter who wears it?¡±


    Xie Qiao smirked.


    ¡°Father is right,¡± said Xie Qiao. She then added as she looked at everyone, ¡°Apart from the day we pray to the ancestors, don¡¯te to me these few days, Eldest Brother and Father. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Apart from being busy, the dark energy would be heavy these few days. There were many ghouls that she needed to release. Naturally, some inharmonious aura would be stuck with her. It would be terrible if they came close to her.


    She brought out a couple of sachets after she was done speaking.


    There was a talisman in each sachet. It was another means of safety.


    Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang hated people who beat around the bush. They did not ask what this was for and epted them directly, shoving them in their embrace.


    Xie Pinghuai took it and checked it out. He thought it had a nice smell and the pattern on it was pretty. Thus, he epted it happily.


    When Xie Xi touched it, disappointment shed through her eyes upon realizing there were no hard blotches inside. Nheless, she still put it into her embrace carefully.


    She was sensible.


    Ms. Lu would not need that as they were not connected by blood.


    As Winter Clothes Day was close, it ovepped with the academy¡¯s resting day. Thus, it became a big holiday.


    Now Xie Qiao had enough time to attend to her matters.


    She brought a spirit to see her son the next day. After fulfilling her wish, she stored the spirit sessfully.


    Later on, she worked on the wish of the spirit who wanted to get his wife to remarry.


    The spirit with that wish was poor, and his family was in a bad situation.


    Xie Qiao asked around and found out that his wife was raising a child. She had a hard life, whereby she sewed clothes to get by. Although she was separated from the inws, the mother-inw was clingy and woulde to criticize her sometimes.


    The inws had one more son. They thought the wife was bad luck, so the mother-inw would stir trouble with her intentionally.


    In the afternoon, Mo Chusheng (Xie Qiao) found thedy, who was washing clothes by the river, and asked while squatting down, ¡°Are you going to send your son to school?¡±


    Thedy¡¯s hair was rather messy. She turned her head to look at Xie Qiao with suspicion.


    ¡°I canmunicate with both worlds, do you believe it?¡± added Xie Qiao.


    Thatdy smiled. ¡°Priest, I¡¯m busy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your husband made the wooden hairpin on your head, am I right?¡± Xie Qiao smiled, looking very gentle. ¡°Your husband can¡¯t reincarnate as he can¡¯t let go of you. If you want him to reincarnate, be tough. When you see your mother-inw again, pick up the broom and chase her out. Alright?¡±


    Ms. Fang touched her hairpin instinctively. It was indeed a gift from her husband.


    Everyone was under the impression that she had casually picked up a piece of wood and wore it on her head.


    In reality, she was too shy to tell people that her husband had made it. There was a tiny peach on it, as her nickname was Tao[1]¡¯er!


    [1] Tao means peach(ÌÒ) in Mandarin.

 Chapter 204 - Chaotic Household

    <h4>Chapter 204: Chaotic Household</h4>


    Ms. Fang looked at Xie Qiao in shock. Her chin trembled, ¡°Priest, do you mean¡­ my husband hasn¡¯t reincarnated?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness. ¡°He misses you and is unwilling to leave. He got me toe to you. He wants you to remarry.¡±


    Xie Qiao liked this couple. They must have been close when he was still alive.


    The male spirit was currently standing next to her. His eyes betrayed his love as he looked at his wife, as well as shyness. It was an adorable scene.


    Thedy was pitiful.


    ¡°That jerk! I had a dream when he just passed away. He asked me to remarry in the dream, so I scolded him until he disappeared. He neveres to my dreams anymore! Now he got a priest here¡­ Why is he so cruel to me!? He wants me to remarry. If I really do that, his grave will be lonely!¡±


    Ms. Fang had a mental breakdown. She tossed theundry stick and suddenly covered her face to cry.


    She was soft and gentle earlier, but she started wailing suddenly.


    Xie Qiao was shocked, so she took a step back immediately while looking at the person before her.


    ¡°He¡¯s worried that your mother-inw will give you trouble¡­¡± Xie Qiao felt a little dry in her mouth.


    ¡°The kind of trouble is nothing at all. If he¡¯s unwilling to let me go, why did he leave me here alone!? That ungrateful thing! He must¡¯ve found a female spirit to love, so he¡¯s chasing me away!¡± Ms. Fang wiped her tears and spat on the ground. ¡°In his dreams! I¡¯m his wife. He wants me to remarry so that he can reincarnate in peace? He wishes! I want him to owe me his life so that I can take it back from him in my next life!¡±


    Xie Qiao gulped. She was rather dumbstruck.


    She had met a tough one. If thedy did not remarry, then the mission would be a failure, right?


    Xie Qiao sighed and put up with her. ¡°Then protect yourself from now on. I heard your mother-inw is mean. If she bullies you and your son sees that, he¡¯ll pity you to the point that he might have resentment brewing inside of him.¡±


    She was not a matchmaker, neither could she force thedy to remarry.


    Moreover, the couple was loving. To her, the male spirit might not really want her to remarry. He wanted his wife and son to be happy.


    Ms. Fang¡¯s fury was instantly gone when she heard that. She would only vent her anger onto her man. She was usually timid when it came to her mother-inw.


    The male spirit rubbed his palms in worry upon seeing his wife like that. ¡°Mother is unreasonable. Shees to stir trouble with her every two to three days. She also takes her things and criticizes her for bringing bad luck to me¡­ She isn¡¯t sincere about seeking justice for me. She just wants to take advantage of her to feed my younger brother¡¯s family¡­¡±


    Ms. Fang lowered her eyes and said, ¡°My mother-inw is tough. I can¡¯t fight her.¡±


    Xie Qiao sighed and thought about it.


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± Xie Qiao took out a talisman. ¡°Keep this talisman. If shees again, meet her while carrying this talisman.¡±


    Ms. Fang had doubt written all over her face.


    Xie Qiao smiled in an unfathomable manner and left. She did not go far. Instead, she strolled around Ms. Fang¡¯s mother-inw¡¯s house.


    The Lin Residence was different from the Zheng and Wei Residences from before. It was a small residence. The alley was dark and narrow, and the roads were not exactly t. The neighbors would gossip to each other, and their voices would spread from the entrance to the back of the alley.


    Ms. Fang was living in the same alley too, but there was some distance between.


    Naturally, Ms. Fang rented the house. After her husband passed away, she had been chased out of the house directly.


    Xie Qiao stood before the Lin Residence and saw an olddy walking out. She could tell that the olddy had lost someone from her face. She should undoubtedly be that mother-inw.


    ¡°Oh, my. Madam, I see that your be is dark, and your eyes are empty. Your lips are cracked while your tongue is dry. Your spirit is scattered, and your life must have been rockytely. Your household must be chaotic!¡±

 Chapter 205 - Jinx

    <h4>Chapter 205: Jinx</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s voice that came out of nowhere scared that olddy.


    The olddy looked at her when she snapped back to her senses and frowned immediately,


    ¡°Go, go, go! I don¡¯t have money for you!¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling everywhere, and I never asked for money from anyone. I¡¯m afraid you have no idea where I¡¯m from? I¡¯m the owner of the Fortune Pavilion on East Main Street. I happened to pass by this ce, and I only spoke when I noticed that something was off with your luck. However, since you don¡¯t believe that, I won¡¯t say more.¡±


    Xie Qiao swapped the duster in her hand as she was done speaking. She was going to leave.


    Mrs. Lin stepped forward immediately and grabbed Xie Qiao when she saw that. ¡°You¡¯re the Fortune Pavilion¡¯s owner?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Qiao raised her brows.


    Mrs. Lin¡¯s eyes lit up, and she pulled her over. ¡°Y-You¡¯re the Fortune Pavilion¡¯s owner who saved the Zheng family¡¯s wax shop!?¡±


    Xie Qiao was rendered speechless as she looked at her in surprise. ¡°The news spread so fast?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my! The Wei family is serving people porridge out there today. It was that family who told everyone. They said the Fortune Pavilion¡¯s priest is capable!¡± Mrs. Lin was slightly worried as she spoke. ¡°Priest, what¡¯s wrong with my luck? Is there a disaster approaching? Will you really not charge me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t charge anything.¡± Xie Qiao showed her stance immediately. ¡°Your luck doesn¡¯t look too good, and disaster is indeed about to befall you. Let me see.¡±


    Xie Qiao clutched her fingers. ¡°Hmm, your life is very hard¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡± Mrs. Lin nodded immediately.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had six children, am I right? It seems your luck in losing sons is heavy. You¡¯ve lost two sons,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    Mrs. Lin almost jumped when she heard that.


    She had six children, three sons, and three daughters!


    However, the second son died soon after being born. Many years had passed, so most people had forgotten about that!


    Now that her eldest son had died too, she was only left with one son.


    That was so urate!


    Mrs. Lin said immediately, ¡°Sage! What disasters are about to befall me? Is it that jinx who brings bad luck to me? That vixen brought bad luck to my son. Is she going to bring bad luck to me now?!¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Do you have your son¡¯s and daughter-inw¡¯s eight characters? Let me take a look.¡±


    Naturally, Mrs. Lin knew that, so she informed her immediately. She casually told hers in detail as well.


    Xie Qiao calcted while Mrs. Lin¡¯s cloudy eyes fixated on her.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Mrs. Lin stretched her head.


    ¡°Your daughter-inw¡¯s fate is perfect, but not your son¡¯s. Hecked Yang energy, so he was destined to live a short life. However, your disaster indeed stems from your daughter-inw,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    ¡°How dare you say that she has perfect fate? Are you trying to spite me!?¡± Mrs. Lin was pissed.


    That jinx!


    ¡°Your daughter-inwes with good luck. She has the fate of bringing good luck to her children. She¡¯ll definitely bear children and have grandchildren. She¡¯ll have a life of prosperity until she dies. Such a lucky person is blessed by god. I see that you don¡¯t seem to like her, so¡­ That must be it. You keep stirring trouble with her. You¡¯ve brought bad karma upon yourself after such a long time.¡±


    ¡°What? Bad karma!?¡± Mrs. Lin was upset upon hearing that.


    Impossible! That was her daughter-inw. She would merely go to take things from her since she was her mother-inw. She had not done anything else!


    How would she get bad karma from that!?


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Xie Qiao smiled mysteriously. ¡°Try looking for her again. I dare to guarantee that you¡¯ll encounter a bloody disaster if you go to her today.¡±


    Mrs. Lin panicked a little. She was doubtful, but she chose to believe Xie Qiao.


    However, she did not think that she had done anything bad. She refused to believe that.


    Xie Qiao, on the other hand, looked confident. Her prediction looked even more threatening now.

 Chapter 206 - Scared Out of Her Wits

    <h4>Chapter 206: Scared Out of Her Wits</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought Mrs. Lin would try her luck. Never had she thought she would p her thigh after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Sage, what do I do? You can¡¯t get me to be nice to her, right? Do I have to feed her!?¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned. She then shook her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. Due to what you did before, your aura shes with hers. It¡¯s useless no matter how you butter her up now. There¡¯s only one way to get rid of the disaster.¡±


    Xie Qiao added upon seeing that Mrs. Lin frowned, ¡°You should stay far away from your daughter-inw. Everything will be fine if you mind your own business. Also, I see that you¡¯ll have trouble with your mouth. Take this talisman. You can¡¯t speak for a day, or you¡¯ll definitely get an ulcer.¡±


    Mrs. Lin had a face of bad luck. Xie Qiao did not lie about it.


    She would criticize everything all she wanted. She was seemingly venting, but this was enough to attract some wandering spirits. Naturally, her luck had been affected.


    The talisman was indeed to treat mouth ulcers and chase away bad luck.


    Xie Qiao did not lie.


    Meanwhile, the talisman that she had given to Ms. Fang was one of the many types of protective talismans. It would gather one¡¯s spirit, get rid of filth, and increase one¡¯smunication ability.


    Ms. Fang would be braver if her aura changed. Therefore, evil would stay away from her. ndering, spitting, and theft belonged to evil. If Mrs. Lin really did that to her, evil would be stirred, and she would attract bad luck to herself. By then, she would really be out of luck.


    Naturally, the protective talisman was not miraculous. It would only work for a certain period.


    Never had Xie Qiao expected Mrs. Lin to be so timid, whereby she would not dare to try her luck knowing that there was a bloody disaster waiting for her.


    Would she trust Xie Qiao less now?


    She was worried.


    Although Mrs. Lin was worried, she was also happy. She thought she would have to pay. Never had she thought she would obtain a talisman for free.


    Thus, she put it away immediately, worried that Xie Qiao would take it back.


    Mrs. Lin suddenly asked, ¡°Sage, is there any way to bless my luck in terms of wealth?¡±


    She was unwilling to stir trouble with her daughter-inw. It was just that she was bored and felt good to vent. Her daughter-inw used to have nice things, but she was getting poorer now. Each time she went to her house, she would only obtain some food. It was not worth it for her to make a trip there.


    ¡°There¡¯s a way, but a person¡¯s luck in terms of wealth is limited in their life. If you obtain it now, you¡¯ll lose it in the future. Would you like to try?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a smile that was not a smile.


    Indeed, luck in terms of wealth was limited.


    However, a person¡¯s wealth was divided into three¡ªthe one that one had received, yet to receive, and the avable one.


    Wealth that was avable was uncontroble. Indeed, one could take advantage of a Fortune Talisman. However, the wealth they would find depended on individuals.


    Some people were ordinary for the first half of their lives, but they would suddenly be rich. It was what people called a windfall. That would be good luck, where one was lucky to obtain wealth that was supposed to move past them.


    Mrs. Lin had mediocre eight characters and fate.


    People at her age would have already moved past all fortunes. There was nothing much left.


    Even if she used a Fortune Talisman, perhaps she could pick up a hefty amount of cash by ident. If she wanted more wealth, she would be using the luck of obtaining the wealth that was supposed toe. In the future, she would definitely lose around the same amount.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s Fortune Talismans were pretty expensive.


    It would cost her a great effort, but the effect would be low.


    Mrs. Lin sighed in disappointment.


    Xie Qiao left slowly.


    After she left, Mrs. Lin returned home obediently, saying nothing more.


    However, she had always been a talkative person. Her family thought she was sick since she was suddenly quiet. They even showed care for her. After holding back for a night, which was torturous for her, she forgot about it and spoke instinctively as soon as she woke up the next morning.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s talisman lost its effect as soon as she spoke, and the corner of her lips began to itch.


    As expected, she had an ulcer.


    Mrs. Lin shuddered suddenly when she realized it. She was scared out of her wits!

 Chapter 207 - The Whole Family Was Out

    <h4>Chapter 207: The Whole Family Was Out</h4>


    Mrs. Lin recalled what Xie Qiao had said when she saw the ulcer in her mouth. She had been only 80% convinced before, but she nowpletely believed Xie Qiao.


    How would she dare to stir trouble with her daughter-inw?


    She even rushed to the Fortune Pavilion immediately.


    Unfortunately, Xie Qiao was not a person that would meet just anybody. Mrs. Lin learned from the shopkeeper that she would need to pay at least 10 taels of silver in order to get Priest Mo to end the disaster for her.


    Ten taels of silver¡­ How would she have that kind of money!?


    The priest had performed divination for her yesterday! And it was free!


    What did this prove?


    It proved that she was lucky to be enlightened by the priest. Other people would not be as fortunate as her.


    Mrs. Lin recalled what the priest had said yesterday immediately. She tried her best to etch each and every word in her head. To her, those words were like silver, 10 taels of silver¡ªa fortune that she obtained for free.


    How would she not listen?


    Xie Qiao was not worried that Mrs. Lin would rpse into her old habit. People her age would definitely be ill in the future. Although she believed in her fate now, it would still be hard for her to change.


    However, now that she had fear brewing in her, she would not be fearless like she was before.


    Moreover, she would give Ms. Fang time to breathe now. It had not been long since she lost her husband, so her character was still weak. However, a mother was strong. For the sake of her son, she would definitely stand up slowly. By then, Mrs. Lin would not be able to torture the daughter-inw any longer, even if she wanted to.


    That was all that Xie Qiao could do. She could not help with the rest.


    Even if she gave her money and benefits, it would backfire if she were weak.


    Xie Qiao looked at the male spirit and asked, ¡°Without your leech of a mother, she will have the chance to breathe now. Are you satisfied?¡±


    The male spirit nodded honestly. ¡°But I¡¯ve no money to repay you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xie Qiao raised her brows.


    If she was not paid, then she would be doing a good deed purely, and she would gather more good karma. The King of Death in hell should have a book recording that, right? If she did well, she would have a better record.


    Xie Qiao was happy as she stored the male spirit.


    There was a statue on the Fortune Pavilion¡¯s second floor. There was a small cab filled with many tiny bottles beneath it.


    She had collected many spirits now.


    The spirits were all kept in those small porcin bottles of various colors. The red ones were the grieving spirits that needed to have their souls released. They would not be reincarnated this time, or they would be ves in their next life.


    The grieving spirit she had captured the other day was pretty pitiful as it was a victim. Therefore, it would have to wait. Xie Qiao would send it away during the Qingming Festival.


    The ordinary spirits were kept in white porcin bottles. They would be sent away gloriously.


    To Xie Qiao, the closer Winter Clothes Day was, the creepier the surroundings became.


    She was usually unwilling to head out during this period as the dark energy was too strong. She was worried that the talismans she had with her could not suppress that.


    However, since she hade to the Imperial City, there were socialization events that she could not avoid.


    ¡­


    The day before Winter Clothes Day, Ms. Lu got the carriages ready, and the whole family was out.


    The Xie family¡¯s men rode on the horses. Xie Xi and Ms. Lu rode on a carriage, while Xie Qiao on another one, following close behind.


    Xie Niushan and Ms. Lu had prepared many gifts. There were herbs for the olddy, as well as some clothes and essories.


    The Xie family was quite big, and everyone had to be taken care of. Xie Niushan thought he had to take care of his brothers and mother since he was an official now. He was very generous when it came to this.


    However, he would give some money apart from gifts in the past. He would give at least 1,000 taels of silver.


    This time, however, he had only prepared 100 taels of silvers since Xie Pinggang took control.


    Xie Niushan had a big heart. He did not think it was a terrible idea. To him, he had given quite a lot since there were many holidays each year. He would make it up to them the next time, so he was still happy.

 Chapter 208 - Rotten Things

    <h4>Chapter 208: Rotten Things</h4>


    The house where the Xie brothers lived was rather far away. After all, Xie Niushan was an official, and his house was surrounded mostly by other official residences.


    However, the house that he bought for the Xie brothers was not too bad. It was a house with three courtyards, and some servants were living with them.


    Xie Niushan had gotten his brothers jobs as well.


    Xie Mangshan was an official too, but he had no ranking. He was merely considered to be a subordinate, a supervisor at the city defense, who took care of the army¡¯s dying wishes. The job was easy.


    Meanwhile, Xie Congshan had received education, so he obtained a position as a messenger.


    Although Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan¡¯s sons had grown up now, they relied on Xie Niushan to help them with their careers.


    Chun Er had heard that from the house.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s father was dumb¡ªthe pig that was waiting to be ughtered.


    Ms. Lu patted Xie Xi¡¯s head and sighed. ¡°Xi¡¯er, look at your sister. It¡¯s the academy¡¯s rest day, but she¡¯s running everywhere instead of staying home. It¡¯s rare that both of you are together now, but she refused to let you be in a carriage with her to tighten your rtionship.¡±


    Xie Xi was quiet and a little glum, staring at the essories she was wearing.


    She was dressed pleasant today. She wore aqua blue silk clothes and precious stones on her neck, which made noise when they were nging against each other. She had a jade hairpin mounted with gold on her head, two white jade bangles on her wrist, and a jade tassel on her waist. She looked pretty and proper.


    To put it simply, what she wore today was quite valuable.


    Ms. Lu sighed and yed with the piece of jade on Xie Xi¡¯s waist, noticing that she said nothing.


    ¡°This piece of jewelry is fromst year. We have a new member at home this year, but nothing has improved. Nobody bought you anything new,¡± said Ms. Lu.


    Xie Xi lifted her head to nce at her, saying nothing.


    Soon, they arrived at their destination.


    As soon as they got off the carriage, someone got out of the house.


    Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan stood there and weed Xie Niushan happily. The servants behind stepped forward immediately and began to take care of the things they brought along.


    Xie Qiao was dumbstruck to see them being so shameless.


    The two brothers patted Xie Pinghuai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller, kid? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go in!¡±


    Xie Pinggang nced at the brothers and scoffed. ¡°Are you guys blind?! If you are, I¡¯ll leave with my sister now!¡±


    As soon as Xie Pinggang spoke, the two brothers jolted and looked stiff. ¡°Eldest Nephew is here too?¡±


    The duo was absent-minded when they spoke. ¡°Hey, is that my Eldest Niece¡­ She¡¯s¡­¡± They only turned their heads to look in Xie Qiao¡¯s direction as they were halfway speaking and were stunned for a second. ¡°Not bad¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s something wrong with Eldest Uncle and Youngest Uncle¡¯s eyes. My sister is beautiful, and you said she¡¯s not bad? Oh yes, the two rotten things at your house can¡¯tpare to her. You guys have little experience of the world. It makes sense that you¡¯re poor with your words.¡± Xie Pinggang did not hold back at all.


    He walked into the house in big steps as soon as he was done speaking.


    He had paid for a portion of the house, so he felt no pressure when saying that at all.


    Xie Qiao followed close behind, nced at her uncles, and said nothing.


    All she had to do was to follow her eldest brother.


    She looked at the house¡¯s structure as soon as she got in.


    It was proper. Nothing was wrong with it.


    Someone was already waiting at the main house.


    Xie Qiao saw that olddy, the master of the house, as soon as she entered.


    The olddy¡¯s face was quite sunken and dark while her eyes were very cloudy. She was in her 60s. Unexpectedly, she did not have the stability and dignity an Imperial City olddy should have. She seemed a little out of ce to be wearing the expensive and sophisticated clothes.

 Chapter 209 - Traits of Bandits

    <h4>Chapter 209: Traits of Bandits</h4>


    The olddy and the others were stunned when they saw Xie Qiao. They were in disbelief.


    ¡°Pinggang, this is your sister by blood?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was over the moon seeing them like that. ¡°That¡¯s right. My sister by blood from the same mother!¡±


    These people had said many times in private that his mother was an ugly woman!


    So what if she was ugly?


    Those beautiful women could not bear daughters who were as good-looking as Xie Qiao!


    Also, his mother was not actually ugly. However, they thought his mother, Ms. Peng, was definitely as terrifying as a demon since she was born a bandit.


    The olddy nced at Xie Qiao and then the two granddaughters she had at home.


    The eldest son and youngest son¡¯s daughters were older now. One was almost the same age as Xie Qiao, while the other was younger. However, they were only two or three years old apart.


    She used to think that the two granddaughters were like angels and beautiful youngdies. But now that she looked at Xie Qiao, she felt something stuck in her chest.


    She was feeling uneasy as the gap was just too big. The two girls could notpare with Xie Qiao¡¯s purity.


    The two girls were rather dumbstruck at the moment.


    Their parents had told them that a big sister would being today.


    Since she was Ms. Peng¡¯s child, she must be ugly, right?


    Was this ugly?


    They turned into mud on the ground instantly when they stood with her. How could they lift their heads now!?


    Xie Niushan caught up to them and pretended to look filial when he saw the olddy.


    He was straightforward, and since he was a bandit before, dividing the loot was his expertise. Therefore, he rummaged through his clothes as soon as he went in, ready to give the money.


    Seeing the present people¡¯s anticipation-filled gazes, Xie Qiao spected that her father had been like that in the past.


    He would give out money as soon as he came.


    Xie Niushan ced the silver note on the table next to the olddy.


    When the olddy nced at it, she was stunned and then frowned. ¡°Why is there only one?¡±


    He usually gave silver notes in a box. There would be some ten silver notes of 100 taels!


    Xie Niushan chuckled. ¡°Mother, we¡¯re not doing welltely. Be thrifty with the money. It¡¯s less this time, but I¡¯ll make it up to you when I make money.¡±


    The olddy¡¯s face was gloomy, and she said in a grumpy manner, ¡°You¡¯re a fourth-rank official, and you¡¯re only giving your mother this little money. Aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll be humiliated if this goes out? People who have no idea will think that you look down on your brothers!¡±


    Xie Niushan did not mind that. ¡°Who dares to make fun of me? If they think it¡¯s too little, they can feed my mother on my behalf. Nobody¡¯s stopping them.¡±


    The olddy raised her brows.


    The bandits had utterly ruined her son!


    He had been a sensible and honest person at the age of ten. He had picked up the bandits¡¯ traits when that ugly woman Ms. Peng dragged him away!


    Xie Pinggang smiled at Xie Qiao. His dumb father was most useful when he told the truth.


    The olddy¡¯s two daughters-inw faked augh upon seeing that. They looked like they saw their savior when they saw Ms. Lu. They stepped forward immediately and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°My dear sister-inw¡­¡±


    ¡°My sweet sister-inw¡­¡±


    The duo spoke together, and the Eldest Son¡¯s wife, Ms. Jia, smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Look, did Second Brother misunderstand? It¡¯s not that Mother thinks the money is too little. It¡¯s just that there are many mouths to feed at home. We¡¯ve been expecting him to help us with that. The olddy¡¯s health isckingtely. She needs medicine, so it¡¯s rather¡­ tough. The money that Second Brother gives has suddenly dropped by so much, we thought¡­ we did something wrong¡­¡±

 Chapter 210 - Matchmaking

    <h4>Chapter 210: Matchmaking</h4>


    Ms. Jia looked at Ms. Lu pitifully as she was speaking. ¡°My dear sister-inw, talk to him for us. Don¡¯t let Second Brother be angry with us.¡±


    Ms. Lu nced at Xie Niushan and said while smiling, ¡°You guys are overthinking. Niushan is bad-tempered. The money is indeed less this time, it¡¯s our fault. But the situation at home is tough for us. We have three children going to school, and the expenses are heavy at the academy. Eldest Daughter used 5,000 taels of silver earlier. We¡¯re running out of money all of a sudden. We can¡¯t give more. We¡¯ll make it up to you next time when life¡¯s better.¡±


    The olddy stood up immediately. ¡°5,000 taels!? All just for discipleship? Why would a girl need to go to school!?¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her brows.


    ¡°Of course she has to. She¡¯s not living on a mountain. How can she find a husband if she isn¡¯t educated?¡± Xie Niushen red at them. ¡°Also, Eldest Daughter is pretty. If she stays home instead of studying, how would people know that I have a beautiful daughter?¡±


    Xie Qiao was the Xie family¡¯s pride!


    Let her stay home instead of going outside? That would not happen.


    The olddy felt like her whole body was getting numb. ¡°B-But it¡¯s so much money¡­¡±


    Xie Niushan scoffed and smiled. ¡°Not much. If I can¡¯t afford my girl¡¯s education, am I still a man?¡± He was indeed straightforward.


    Xie Qiao had gifted a painting to enroll in the academy back then, but she had been given money as well, which she used to open her shop.


    There was no need to try exining to everybody now since the money had been spent anyway in the olddy¡¯s mind.


    Ms. Jia could not help but mumble, ¡°My, my. The money spent on Eldest Daughter¡¯s education could have been used to support the olddy for many years, no?¡±


    ¡°How can youpare Mother with my girl? Mother is just eating and drinking at home, how much does she need? It¡¯s different for Eldest Daughter. She¡¯s young, so we can¡¯t be stingy with her,¡± said Xie Niushan.


    The olddy trembled, feeling terrible.


    She would stay at her second son¡¯s house asionally. However, that rarely happened as she could not get used to it.


    Her grandson, Xie Pinggang, was scary and fierce. She had a feeling that he would bring bad luck to her. Also, there were many maidservants over there. They looked more like a master than she did, which made her uneasy.


    Therefore, she would live in this house most of the time.


    Although there were neighbors around, they could not click.


    Her son was an official, while the neighbors were just normal citizens. What could they talk about?


    Just like what her second son had said, she was just killing time every day by eating and drinking. She did not need much money.


    However, she could give it to her other two sons and grandchildren, right?


    Unfortunately, she could not just say that out loud.


    The olddy red at Xie Niushan. Seeing that everyone was still standing around, she could only let it pass, whereby she said stubbornly, ¡°Alright, never mind that it¡¯s lesser. How much longer can I live? I keep this money for you three useless things anyway¡ªespecially you, second one. You¡¯re spending money recklessly. How can I not be worried?¡±


    Initially, she wanted to take over the family for her second son, but she was illiterate. She could count money but could not understand the ount book.


    ¡°Have a seat!¡± said the olddy.


    She said that, but she was actually asking the seniors, such as Xie Niushan and Ms. Lu, to sit. Xie Qiao, Xie Pinggang, and the rest had to stand.


    However, Xie Niushan could never forget that his daughter was weak. Thus, he got her to sit right away upon noticing a seat.


    Xie Qiao shamelessly took her seat.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s facial expression changed. It was uncertain whether she was smiling or not.


    The two wives were staring at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Eldest Daughter isn¡¯t young anymore. When are you going to matchmake her?¡± Ms. Jia looked at Xie Niushan while smiling. ¡°My nephew isn¡¯t too shabby. He¡¯spatible with this girl¡­¡±

 Chapter 211 - So Pretty

    <h4>Chapter 211: So Pretty</h4>


    As soon as Ms. Jia spoke, the expression of Ms. Xin¡ªthe youngest brother¡¯s wife¡ªchanged.


    ¡®Sister-inw sure is cunning to be saying that first!¡¯


    ¡°I have four or five nephews from my maternal family. They¡¯re stable and reliable, and they¡¯re family. If Eldest Daughter marries one of them, she¡¯ll definitely live a happy life,¡± said Ms. Xin.


    The two sisters-inw looked at each other. There seemed to be a tinder sparkling between them.


    Xie Qiao took a sip of tea as if she did not hear them.


    ¡°Is anyone from your maternal family officials?¡± Xie Pinggang asked coldly. ¡°None of them are officials, and they want to marry a fourth-rank official¡¯s direct daughter? No matter how close the family is, there¡¯s no need to ruin her future.¡±


    Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin looked rather troubled.


    The olddy mustered her courage and scolded, ¡°Pinggang, marriage is a big thing. Let your parents handle it. You¡¯re just a brother, don¡¯t interrupt. Don¡¯t be rude.¡±


    Xie Pinggang looked even more terrifying now after hearing that. He looked like he was going to eat someone.


    ¡°Tell me again, who will handle my sister¡¯s marriage?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice was deep and grim.


    When one looked closer, he had a dagger on his waist. It was close to his hand, and he could kill someone any time he wanted.


    The olddy panicked from the scare.


    The olddy looked for her savior immediately. ¡°Second one, look at your son. Is he here to pray to the ancestors? He¡¯s so fierce I wouldn¡¯t dare to let him stay!¡±


    Xie Niushan nced at his son andughed out loud. ¡°Why are you so timid, Mother? This fellow looks fierce, but he can¡¯t really do anything. Even if he¡¯s going to hit someone, he won¡¯t hit an old person like you. He¡¯ll practice with the younger ones at home at most. It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    He knew his son. No matter how impulsive he was, he was sensible. He definitely would not kill his own grandmother.


    He was wise!


    The olddy gulped. She was not sure what to say now.


    Yes, she was mad, but there was nothing that she could do.


    ¡°Eldest Nephew, don¡¯t misunderstand. We¡¯re just happy that Eldest Niece is pretty. She¡¯s sophisticated, so regr citizens like us can¡¯t measure up to her. We were just joking¡­ Don¡¯t take it seriously¡­¡± Ms. Jia said immediately.


    Ms. Xin nodded immediately.


    Xie Qiao swallowed a mouthful of tea.


    Xie Pinggang scoffed. ¡°I only have one sister. If anyone wants to be my brother-inw, he must pass through me first. Whoever dares to mess with her, I¡¯ll break their legs and make them crawl for the rest of their lives.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness. ¡°Thank you, Eldest Brother.¡±


    The rest felt terrible.


    Did they really like Xie Qiao? They merely thought this girl looked weak. If they could make her marry into their maternal family, Xie Niushan would definitely pay for her in the future, right?


    He had paid a lot for Xie Qiao to go to school. If she got married, the dowry would be quite hefty, right?


    However, they never thought Xie Pinggang would be so fierce and protective of Xie Qiao.


    At that moment, the atmosphere was great.


    Whenever Xie Pinggang was around, they would say less terrible things.


    On the other side, the younger ones gathered.


    To be more exact, Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan¡¯s children dragged Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi to the courtyard to ¡°y¡±.


    Xie Qiao sat closer to that ce, where she could see them with a nce.


    Her sister was crouching slightly as if she was trying her best to hide her hands in her sleeves.


    The Xie family¡¯s eldest daughter-inw¡¯s daughter said and took action directly, ¡°Wow, Sister Xi¡¯er, your ne is so pretty! The red things on it are precious stones, right? Can I wear it?¡±

 Chapter 212 - Mother

    <h4>Chapter 212: Mother</h4>


    Xie Xi was young, so when the pair of hands dragged her neck, the ne fell into their hands easily.


    ¡°Mine!¡± Xie Xi red in an upset manner, looking angry.


    ¡°Sister Xi¡¯er, you¡¯re so petty. I won¡¯t take it. I just want to take a look at it,¡± Xie Chun mumbled at Xie Xi and put it on immediately.


    She turned around and showed it off to Xie Zhu. ¡°How is it? Is it nice? Do I look fairer in it?¡±


    Xie Zhu nced in envy and then looked at Xie Xi¡¯s hands. She grabbed her hand immediately and saw the bangles on her wrist. She then removed them without hesitation and put them onto her own wrist in the blink of an eye.


    Xie Zhu was the youngest daughter-inw¡¯s daughter. She was almost the same age as Xie Xi, so she could wear the bangles forcefully.


    Xie Qiao stood up and walked over.


    Xie Qiao suddenly said while smiling, ¡°Are you guys having fun?¡±


    She had not spoken sinceing in. Now that she spoke out of the blue, Xie Chun and Xie Zhu were stunned. They turned their heads to look, not feeling guilty upon seeing that it was Xie Qiao.


    They even scrutinized Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Big Sister, the bell on your wrist is pretty,¡± said Xie Chun.


    In reality, the bell was ordinary and in-looking, with nothing special about it. Although it had no pretty patterns on it, it was sparkling. It seemed to be real gold. It must be heavy!


    Xie Qiao shook her wrist and smiled. ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    Xie Chun smiled and said immediately, ¡°Big Sister, you¡¯re giving it to me? You¡¯re so generous!¡± She stepped forward innocently, almost grabbing Xie Qiao¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re dark. The bell would look ugly on you.¡± Xie Qiao smiled and dragged the ne from her neck. She was elegant and skilled as she said slowly, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re already 15 this year? This ne is more suitable for a cute youngdy. You¡¯d look out of ce if you were to wear this when you look like this. You¡¯ll look like a monkey.¡±


    Xie Chun¡¯s face flushed when she heard that.


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± snarled Xie Chun.


    Xie Qiao put the ne onto Xie Xi¡¯s neck and red at Xie Zhu. ¡°Are you going to remove them yourself, or do I have to?¡±


    Xie Zhu¡¯s eyes turned red immediately. ¡°Mother! Mother! Big Sister is a bully!¡±


    The scream almost killed Xie Qiao, her eardrums on the verge of bursting.


    Xie Qiao covered her chest immediately and coughed twice. She leaned toward Xie Xi and panted pitifully.


    Xie Xi did not like thinking. She revealed a caring expression when she saw Xie Qiao like that.


    Xie Zhu¡¯s shriek attracted the three sisters-inw, Ms. Jia, Ms. Lu, and Ms. Xin.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zhu¡¯er?¡± Ms. Xin asked immediately.


    Xie Zhu said sadly, ¡°Mother, Big Sister is a bully. We thought Xi¡¯er¡¯s essories were pretty, so we wanted to try them on. S-She also said Sister Chun is ugly and asked me to remove them. She¡¯s mean to us and looks down on us!¡±


    Ms. Xin looked at Ms. Lu in a troubled manner. ¡°Second sister-inw, our family has dragged Second Brother down, but you can¡¯t do that with the kids, right?¡±


    Ms. Lu smiled awkwardly, ¡°Xi¡¯er, what did I tell you? You have many pretty essories. If these sisters like them, give them to them. You can¡¯t be petty, alright?¡±


    She was the one who had picked those essories for Xie Xi.


    It was not for Xie Xi to look good but to show the olddy how good she was.

 Chapter 213 - Take Everything

    <h4>Chapter 213: Take Everything</h4>


    Among the generation, the olddy doted on Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi the most. However, Xie Xi could notpare to the two granddaughters of the Xie brothers.


    Ms. Lu would let Xie Xi wear pretty and expensive essories to show the olddy that she was a good stepmother.


    Each time when Xie Chun and Xie Zhu took Xie Xi¡¯s things, she would allow them most of the time.


    They did notck in that anyway.


    It would make the olddy happy if the essories were given to Xie Chun and Xie Zhu.


    Meanwhile, Xie Niushan was considered filial to the olddy. As long as the olddy liked her, only her status as a wife would be steady.


    Therefore, Ms. Lu was behaving the same as before, ¡°Xi¡¯er, be good. Let¡¯s give them the bangles. I¡¯ll buy more for youter.¡±


    Xie Xi buried her head and said nothing.


    ¡°Is this what Mother has been teaching my Sister?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was pale, but her eyes were cold.


    Ms. Lu was stunned, to which she said in confusion, ¡°Qiao, you guys are sisters from the same family. We should share things. Also, look at these two sisters. They¡¯re dressed so in. You didn¡¯t even bring a gift as an elder sister. Why don¡¯t we give them these essories as gifts from you?¡±


    Xie Qiao smirked at Ms. Lu.


    She then pressed on her chest while clutching her handkerchief. She held her forehead with one hand while in a daze. She looked weak.


    ¡°Eldest Sister,¡± Xie Xi screamed in panic.


    She shoved Xie Qiao away like a fool and ran into the house. She stood at the door and looked around before shaking Xie Pinghuai, ¡°Eldest Sister¡­she¡¯s sick!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xie Pinghuai was stunned. He stretched his neck and looked outside.


    He was furious as he looked over.


    He saw Xie Qiao seemed to be falling. Her face was extra pale under the sun. Ms. Jia and the rest seemed to be fierce as they surrounded his eldest sister. It seemed¡­


    They were bullying her!


    Xie Pinghuai charged out quickly.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?! Are you bullying my Eldest Sister?!¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted immediately.


    Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin were stunned, where Ms. Lu said immediately, ¡°No, Huai¡¯er. Why did you say that?!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai held Xie Qiao instantly. She did not look better after getting support, ¡°Brother, they¡¯re mean. They took Sister¡¯s and my things. I-I don¡¯t have anything good on me. M-Maybe I should just give them my life! Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s fury had peaked.


    ¡°Are you guys shameless?! To be taking my Eldest Sister¡¯s things?! Didn¡¯t you guys see that she¡¯s weak?!¡± Xie Pinghuai said irritably.


    His voice was much more powerful than Xie Zhu¡¯s.


    Was Xie Zhu not great atining to her mother¡­? He could do that too.


    Xie Pinghuai really thought his eldest sister was pitiful. At that moment, he hadpletely forgotten how Xie Qiao bullied him before.


    After all, Xie Qiao looked like she was dying at the moment. She was so skinny and weak, at the same time so pretty. She was going to cry from being bullied!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s scream had sessfully attracted Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang over.


    The two men who were like bulls walking over in big steps.


    The suppression as immense as mountains immediately appeared before the wife and the rest.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s behavior was terrifying.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s expression was grim too. He got his two sons to help Xie Qiao to the house for a seat.


    Xie Qiao spoke after panting for a while, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Mother said that since we hardly visit, I-I should give all of the clothes and essories I¡¯m wearing to my Sisters¡­ I-I¡¯ll go into the room to change. I¡¯ll change into a sack dress¡­ I-I¡¯ll give all of the pretty ones to Sisters¡­

 Chapter 214 - Poof, There Goes the Family Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 214: Poof, There Goes the Family Fortune</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked sincere as she tried to stand up on her own forcefully.


    It was impossible for her to argue.


    Moreover, if they really were to argue, she could not win against the Xie brothers¡¯ families even if she had ten lives. Look at Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin¡ªthey looked like they were used to heavybor and were strong.


    She was weak, and it was suitable for her to pretend to be pitiful.


    Furthermore, she was pitiful anyway¡ªshe and her sister were being bullied!


    ¡°You guys are taking my sister¡¯s things?¡± Xie Pinggang had a grim expression as he nced at Xie Zhu¡¯s wrist and took action directly. ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯d chop off your hands?¡±


    Xie Zhu trembled from the scare and dared not say anything. She looked like she was going to faint.


    Ms. Xin said immediately, ¡°That¡¯s not what happened, Pinggang. The sisters are just ying¡­ Also, Zhu¡¯er and Chun¡¯er didn¡¯t steal. They¡¯ve been like this forever. The girls love to exchange clothes and essories¡­ It¡¯s Qiao¡¯s first time here, so she had no idea. She misunderstood¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words had left Ms. Lu dumbstruck, so she tried to salvage the situation. ¡°My God, don¡¯t you guys know how kindly I treat Xi¡¯er? How would I force them to remove their clothes and essories? I-I¡¯ve been humiliated!¡±


    Ms. Lu started crying while covering her face as she spoke.


    Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°What are you crying about? The ones who are being robbed haven¡¯t even cried yet!¡±


    Ms. Lu jolted and looked at him, feeling wronged.


    Xie Niushan was upset. He had willingly paid his respect to his mother and approved the gifts. What was with this robbing?


    Although he had not robbed someone for a long time, nobody had ever robbed him!


    Nobody should rob his daughters, right!?


    If this spread, his years as a bandit would be in vain!


    It was his dignity!


    ¡°Ah, so they¡¯re exchanging essories¡­¡± Xie Qiao panted and waved at Xie Xi. ¡°How many pieces did they exchange with you? What did they give you?¡±


    Xie Xi blinked slowly before shaking her head a momentter.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s an exchange, bring Sister to pick hers, Eldest Brother. Xi¡¯er, these two sisters¡¯ essories must be pretty. Pick the ones that you like, understand?¡± Xie Qiao said to Xie Xi.


    What did Xie Xi like?


    Gold, silver, and jade. To put it simply, she liked valuable things.


    ¡°Y-You guys can¡¯t take my stuff!¡± Xie Chun said as soon as she heard that.


    Xie Qiao coughed and spoke slowly. ¡°You guys said it¡¯s an exchange earlier¡­ Eldest Brother, Mother asked me to prepare gifts for my two cousins¡­ I really don¡¯t have any silver on me. Perhaps you should lend me some¡­ Cough, cough, cough!¡±


    Xie Qiao could hardly catch her breath from coughing.


    Xie Niushan was panicking when he heard her coughing. ¡°Stop talking, catch your breath.¡±


    He and his eldest son knew that Xie Qiao was weak.


    However, she seemed fine sinceing to the Imperial City. It was the first time they saw her this weak.


    Perhaps she was really upset.


    The father and son really did not suspect that Xie Qiao was pretending. After all, nobody dared to bet on Xie Qiao¡¯s health. Even if they knew that she was pretending, their heart sank seeing her like that.


    Xie Pinggang had his eyes on Ms. Lu.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re too much. Father and I prepared gifts when we came here. Now Sister has to take care of the little ones as well? Clueless people would think that this is your maiden family! Does Mother think that our silver grows on trees? That you can give our money away as you wish? You¡¯re managing a home, but you¡¯re like a god that scatters fortune around. Poof, there goes our family fortune!¡±

 Chapter 215 - Unlikeable

    <h4>Chapter 215: Unlikeable</h4>


    What Xie Pinggang said made Ms. Lu bury her head. She really wanted to cry now.


    This stepson of hers was hardly this direct with her.


    Now he had really humiliated her!


    Xie Qiao nced faintly at Ms. Lu.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to pick the essories,¡± said Xie Pinggang.


    The people around dared not breathe loudly upon hearing that.


    Naturally, Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin were unwilling, but they really dared not stop him. Them aside, even Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan were so scared that they dared not make a sound.


    ¡°A-Are you going into the sisters¡¯ rooms!?¡± barked the olddy.


    ¡°I paid for this house. Why can¡¯t I go anywhere I want?¡± Xie Pinggang looked majestic.


    A distinction should be made between males and females?


    He would beat up any criminal whomitted a crime, be it men or women. Why would he treat them differently based on their gender?


    The olddy copsed due to the anger. She held onto her head in a wobbly manner and said to Xie Niushan, ¡°A-Are you trying to kill me? You guys hardly visit, and now you¡¯re making a fuss just for some clothes and essories!? I-I¡­¡±


    She was losing her breath too as she spoke.


    Xie Niushan frowned, hesitating now. He had to take care of his mother after all.


    ¡°They¡¯re just some clothes and essories. Is it necessary to be so mad, Grandmother? The money that Father gave could buy how many gold, silver, and jade wares? Now Xi¡¯er is just taking what she should. Why are you so mad? Can it be that Grandmother thinks that Xie Chun and Xie Zhu shouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage? And it¡¯s okay if Xi¡¯er is? If that¡¯s the case¡­ Are us siblings worthless to you, Grandmother?¡± Xie Qiao was speaking clearly at a calm pace.


    When those words came out of her mouth, they did not sound aggressive.


    Xie Niushan thought carefully after hearing that. What his daughter said seemed to make more sense.


    ¡°The two girls took Xie¡¯er¡¯s stuff first. What¡¯s the fuss about her taking them back?¡± Xie Niushan said casually.


    His daughter should definitely be at a disadvantage.


    Moreover, he paid for everything at home. Xi¡¯er was just taking what belonged to her. His mother did not suffer any losses. What was there to be mad about?


    The olddy was pissed. She felt a lump in her chest.


    Xie Pinggang got a servant over to lead the way.


    Xie Xi was rather slow to react, but she went with Xie Pinggang. She also remembered Xie Qiao saying that she should pick the essories that she liked.


    It was a private matter when Xie Xi was being robbed before, and the mothers would only interfere whether something happened between the children.


    Ms. Lu had forced Xie Xi to tolerate that over and over again. As time went by, she could only keep quiet when it happened again.


    She did not like talking nor making a fuss. At the same time, she did not know the benefits ofining.


    Indeed, Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang were not attentive enough in that aspect. They had even allowed such behaviors when it came to the two youngest ones, so they would not ask anything about it.


    Now that Xie Qiao was here, she would scare Xie Niushan just by failing to catch her breath.


    Children who cried would be given candy.


    Xie Pinggang brought Xie Xi there himself. Naturally, wherever they passed would turn chaotic, like a robbery scene.


    Xie Xi looked at the stuff in the makeup box and took everything that was pretty. Noticing that her hands were full, Xie Pinggang got a pouch for her to carry them.


    The pouch was full an hourter.


    Most of the stuff belonged to Xie Xi in the first ce, and the rest belonged to Xie Chun and Xie Zhu.


    ¡°T-That bead hairpin is mine! It¡¯s mine! Mother bought it for me!¡± Xie Zhu felt really wronged now.


    Xie Qiao took a sip of tea and caught her breath. She seemed to feel much better now.


    She said slowly, copying Ms. Lu, ¡°You¡¯re the Eldest Sister, so what if you have to share your things with Younger Sister? Also, you¡¯ve used Xi¡¯er¡¯s things for so long. I can see that some are worn out now. They¡¯re no longer as valuable as before. You should make it up to your Younger Sister. Zhu¡¯er, you¡¯ll be unlikeable if you¡¯re so mischievous and petty.¡±

 Chapter 216 - There Are Many Things That You Don’t Know

    <h4>Chapter 216: There Are Many Things That You Don¡¯t Know</h4>


    Xie Qiao spoke in all seriousness, like a merciful senior.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes widened when she heard that. She was pissed as she looked at Xie Qiao in disbelief.


    Xie Zhu was stunned. She stood where she was, panicked.


    She¡­ was mischievous and petty? Those were her stuff!


    She was eager to shriek and tear Xie Qiao¡¯s face and lips apart. Unfortunately, Xie Qiao had three men standing around her. She dared not offend Xie Pinggang. Even Xie Pinghuai, whom she usually yed with harmoniously, was looking at her with disgust now.


    ¡°Zhu¡¯er, you¡¯re the Elder Sister. You should be generous, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked again, waiting for her to reply.


    At that moment, Xie Xi¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    Xie Zhu was crying inside. Under everyone¡¯s gazes, she could only say, feeling wronged, ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhu¡¯er is such an amazing Elder Sister. You should protect your Younger Sister from now on. Look at you, so sensible and sweet. Third Aunt dotes on you. How would youck essories? Our Xi¡¯er is different. Her mother is gone, and she has very few essories. She¡¯ll be happy if you give her some. We¡¯re family. We¡¯ll remember it that you treat our Xi¡¯er so well,¡± added Xie Qiao.


    She was fluent and confident in her persuasion.


    Meanwhile, Ms. Lu and Ms. Xin were livid.


    Ms. Xin doted on her daughter, but Xie Niushan was the one providing money.


    Xi¡¯er had no mother, but she had Ms. Lu as her stepmother. From what Xie Qiao had said, it sounded like she was a terrible stepmother.


    She could not smile now.


    The olddy scoffed. ¡°Our family had always been harmonious every time you guys visited. Why is it like that this time?!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked like she heard nothing and patted Xie Xi¡¯s head. ¡°But our Xi¡¯er had never been this happy during thest visits, right?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Xie Xi nodded in all seriousness.


    A smile spread on her face as she hugged the pouch with both hands. She looked extremely happy with her newly acquired fortune.


    After responding to Xie Qiao, she rummaged through the pouch with her tiny hand, crisp sounds echoing. She could not stop looking. It was as if she could never get enough of her loot.


    ¡°Do you feel better now, Eldest Sister?¡± asked Xie Pinghuai.


    Xie Qiao nodded and smiled gently. ¡°All thanks to Younger Brother. I would¡¯ve definitely fallen if you hadn¡¯t held me in time. I¡¯ll make you snacks when we get home.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai scratched his head shyly, ¡°Nah¡­ It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    His eldest sister was as beautiful as an angel!


    She was pretty, especially when she smiled, just like a sun that warmed someone¡¯s heart, making one unable to take their eyes off her.


    ¡°You make snacks too, Eldest Sister?¡± Xie Pinghuai smiled like a fool.


    ¡°A little bit.¡± Xie Qiao smiled lightly.


    She looked humble, but many thoughts were crossing her mind. There was so much that Xie Pinghuai needed to learn. He had too little tricks up his sleeve.


    Xie Pinghuai might not be considerate to all of his siblings. The reason he was so sensible was totally that she looked¡­ weak, helpless, and pitiful at the moment. It triggered his protective side.


    He was easily manipted and would definitely lose everything to women in the future.


    Xie Qiao inwardly mumbled.


    Xie Pinghuai was foolish as he seemed to be anticipating the snacks that she would make.


    Ms. Lu knew that she had lost, so she immediately tried to clean up the mess. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Qiao¡¯er came to the Imperial City, but I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re capable of making snacks¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°There are many things that you don¡¯t know, Mother.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten the snacks to pray to the ancestors ready. Since Qiao¡¯er is so capable, why not get her to make the snacks?¡±

 Chapter 217 - Promotion and Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 217: Promotion and Fortune</h4>


    What Ms. Lu said startled everyone, and the olddy had finally found an outlet to vent.


    Xie Qiao looked weak, so they never thought that she was quite something. However, no matter what, she was a junior. Would they not seize the opportunity to order her to work?


    ¡°Qiao, go to the back kitchen, then. Although there aren¡¯t many memorial tablets in our family¡¯s ancestral hall, the ancestors are watching. You must put in the effort toe out with four to eight types of snacks. They also have to be delicious, or the ancestors will be upset,¡± the olddy said.


    Xie Qiao sorted her sleeves and said while smiling, ¡°Father, I¡¯m still in shock about the two Younger Sisters earlier. I can only move my mouth. However, since Grandmother has made such a request, I¡¯ll be horrible if I don¡¯t do it. How about Eldest Aunt, Mother, Third Aunt, and the two Younger Sisters go with me? I could teach them, no?¡±


    Ms. Jia was rendered speechless, Ms. Xin¡¯s eyelids twitched, Ms. Lu almost choked, and the two Younger Sisters almost jumped right up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have maidservants?!¡± The olddy had never expected Xie Qiao to be so tough.


    Xie Qiao asked while blinking innocently, ¡°Don¡¯t we need sincerity to pray to our ancestors?¡±


    Her voice was soft, like raindrops hitting on bamboo. It was slow and sounded nice. However, what she said made the olddy livid.


    Xie Pinggang was not as dumb as his father. He sensed the tension from those back and forthments.


    Who was that targeting? Naturally, they targeted his sister by blood.


    Moreover, he despised that family from the beginning. When Xie Qiao was away, Xie Xi¡¯sbat effectiveness was zero. He was a man, and it would be terrible for him to stir trouble with the women. Not to mention, these people were afraid of him. Apart from asking for things, they dared not challenge him verbally.


    Therefore, nothing had happened all this while.


    However, this seemed rather interesting.


    That old biddy was so mad Xie Pinggang wondered how long she could live. The earlier she died, the better. They could save on some silver after her death.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, your request is ridiculous!¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly yelled and changed his tone. ¡°They¡¯re just women who have never seen the world! They might be able to make steamed buns. What kind of snacks would they be capable of making? What else are they capable of doing apart from eating? What can they help you with? It¡¯d be great that they don¡¯t make a mess for you! Also, the two young ones are dumb and idiotic. I¡¯m worried that they won¡¯t understand even if you scream your lungs out!¡±


    Xie Qiao thought her eldest brother was even meaner than she was.


    However, she would definitely threaten people more if she looked as overbearing as her eldest brother.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m weak, I can¡¯t talk too much, or I will lose my breath. However, it¡¯s something big. They must learn. How about this? The grannies at home can make snacks. Get them to teach.¡± Xie Qiao then said while looking at Xie Niushan, ¡°Father, Grandfather passed away early. If he sees that Grandmother and the rest are so dedicated, he¡¯ll definitely bless you in your career promotion and fortune.¡±


    Xie Niushan was stunned by what Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang said.


    No matter what, their arguments made sense.


    Also, as a homemaker, Ms. Lu should help with the ancestral prayer. It was merely making snacks¡­


    ¡°Learn with your sisters-inw. Learn diligently. Aren¡¯t you bored that Pei isn¡¯t aroundtely? You can kill time by learning to make some snacks.¡± Xie Niushan nodded.


    Ms. Lu and the rest were shocked.


    The olddy was dumbstruck.


    What happened? She had asked Xie Qiao to work, so how had everything changed so fast as they exchangedments!?


    Her old brain could hardly fathom the ongoing beating around the bush.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao looked generous and dignified as she sat there and smiled. She looked like a lovable virtuous daughter. The olddy could not nitpick any ws on her at all!

 Chapter 218 - Depend on Him

    <h4>Chapter 218: Depend on Him</h4>


    The olddy dared not speak at that moment. She felt that the more she spoke, the more mistakes she made, and the more it would benefit that girl who was like a devil!


    How long had it been?


    It had been less than two hours since they came. The two girls¡¯ rooms had been looted, and the homemakers had been chased to the back kitchen to work. Would the olddy not die from anger if that went on?!


    ¡°Father, this tea is old. I¡¯d like to have a new one.¡± Xie Qiao nced at the tea leaves after taking a sip of the tea and then looked at Xie Niushan pitifully.


    Xie Niushan asked by instinct, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between new and old tea leaves? Aren¡¯t they just mixed with water?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him while smiling. ¡°Father is right. Dead wives and wives who are alive are the same. New and old, they¡¯re about the same.¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He thought his daughter was strange. Were they not talking about tea leaves? What did that have anything to do with wives?


    The olddy was nervous.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s maidservant who hade along heard that and ran to the back kitchen to convey everything to her.


    Ms. Lu paled upon hearing that.


    What did that mean?


    She, the wife who was alive, was nothingpared to the two wives who were dead? Xie Qiao wanted to let her know that Xie Niushan could not tell the difference, so it would not matter even if he had a different wife!?


    Or was Xie Qiao saying that if she did not perform well this time, she would get her father to divorce her!?


    Ms. Lu could not help but make up scenarios in her head.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao finally felt like she was treated like a guest now. She sat without having to do anything while there were some tit-bits and tea by her side. However, the atmosphere was rather cold, while nobody was chatting.


    Her image was important to her. Although she was a little tired, she would try her best to respect others at the moment. She had a smile on her face while sitting right up. She was polite with good manners.


    However, the olddy was pissed.


    Who would rx when Xie Qiao was behaving like that?


    The olddy aside, even the men, Xie Mangshan, Xie Congshan, and their sons, were either standing or sitting in azy manner. They had never been as well-behaved as Xie Qiao before.


    Xie Pinggang felt good when he saw that.


    The olddy wanted to shift her focus away from Xie Qiao, so she spoke to Xie Pinghuai after cracking her head for a while. ¡°How is it at the academytely, Huai? You¡¯re the most outstanding child in the family. Look at those brothers of yours. They¡¯re no good. Unlike you who have been to school!¡±


    In the past, Ms. Lu would chime in topliment Xie Pinghuai after the olddy did it.


    She did not say what Xie Pinghuai had learned. All she did waspliment Xie Pinghuai on being smart.


    Now that Ms. Lu was away, nobody chimed in with thepliment. Xie Pinghuai did not get his spirit lifted. ¡°Nothing special happenedtely¡­¡±


    ¡°This guy has been busy with his discipleshiptely. The teacher doesn¡¯t want him. He¡¯s been naughty, waiting to be whipped.¡± Xie Niushan recalled the piece of jade as soon as he thought of the academy.


    It was unfortunate.


    Although he thought the youngdy from the Pei family was bad, he was considered lenient to women. He just thought that his son was useless not to be able to keep a piece of jade. If he was not reckless like he was, would anyone be able to go into his room as they wished?


    Xie Pinghuai felt utterly helpless.


    Why did his grandmother always have to bring up his studies? How did he look outstanding at all?


    ¡°Wow, discipleship?¡± The olddy pretended to be surprised. ¡°The teacher must definitely dote on children like our Pinghuai. Huai, don¡¯t forget about your brothers when you seed one day. They¡¯re not as lucky as you, nor are they fortunate enough to go into such a prestigious academy. However, you¡¯re capable. You should take care of your brothers in the future. When you seed, your brothers will be married by then. We¡¯ll depend on you to teach your nephews, right?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He could hardly learn, and now he had to teach his nephews!?


    Moreover, he had a couple of cousins apart from his own eldest brother. One family would have at least two sons, right? They were going to depend on him!?

 Chapter 219 - Easy Mark

    <h4>Chapter 219: Easy Mark</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai waszy, yful, and a coward. He had his eldest brother and father, so he had never thought of depending on himself.


    Now that the olddy suddenly gave him such a big responsibility, while Ms. Lu was not here to put out the fire for him, he could only talk to the olddy directly. He felt like his life was over at the moment.


    His face was gloomy.


    Xie Pinggang smirked while watching. He was gloating.


    ¡°Grandmother, it was Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister who got me the discipleship opportunity. The teacher doesn¡¯t want me at all,¡± Xie Pinghuai said in all honesty.


    Not only did the teacher not want him, but the teacher also despised him.


    He had only finished copying the book that the teacher had requested until his fingers were bruised. That old thing had said that his handwriting looked like worms, asking him to copy it again. He had requested that!


    Xie Pinghuai felt soreness in his hand whenever he thought about the academy now!


    ¡°This child is so humble!¡± The olddy kept smiling and pointed casually to get her eldest grandson out.


    The first daughter-inw¡¯s son was two years older than Xie Pinggang. He was engaged in the vige before. After learning that Xie Niushan had be an official, he canceled the engagement in order toe to the Imperial City to find a wife from a better family.


    Naturally, he had not stayed idle when he arrived in the Imperial City. He had met a fewdies, but the olddy and Ms. Jia had high expectations. He had only decided on a wife two years ago. She came from a business family, and the dowry was pretty good.


    After calling her eldest grandson, the olddy said, ¡°Pinghuai, he doesn¡¯t have a proper job when he¡¯s already so old. I heard there are many managers at the academy. Since you¡¯re striving for discipleship, your Master must be capable? Can he get your cousin a job?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned upon hearing that.


    He had yet to start his discipleship!


    Even if he did, how would he dare to get Teacher Xiao to y nepotism since he was so timid?


    Moreover, even if he did not know much, he knew that a high requirement was applied even to a regr manager at the Royal Academy!


    After all, the students at the academy were either talented or wealthy. Each manager was either wealthy or well-educated!


    Meanwhile, his eldest cousin¡­


    He had heard that the cousin had only been to a private school for a year, and he only knew a couple of words!


    The olddy looked at him gently.


    She just looked at him.


    Xie Pinghuai could not wrap his head around it, so heined right away, ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I haven¡¯t be a disciple yet! Even if I did, I¡¯m not capable of doing what you asked for! I¡¯m not running the Royal Academy. Why did youe to me for something that even Father can¡¯t do? And Grandmother, I¡¯m not an easy mark. What do my cousins¡¯ children have anything to do with me? They¡¯re not my children¡­ I¡¯m only 12 years old. Who would want to be my wife if I have to take care of so many nephews!?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was really furious now.


    It was too scary.


    He was broketely, so broke that he could not even pay for himself. How could his grandmother say that he was outstanding and ask him to take care of someone else?


    No way! Even if he had money, he would buy birds, crickets and spend them at brothels. Was that not a good way to spend money?


    Why would he give his money away?


    He could give his father, mother, and grandmother money, but his cousins were a generation apart. The cousins¡¯ children would be another generation. If he had to raise them, would he not be exhausted?


    In reality, the olddy just wanted to chat. She had said that to Xie Pinghuai, but she actually wanted to get Xie Niushan to find a job for her eldest grandson.


    The eldest grandson did not want to stay in his job any longer. He wanted to quit.


    Ms. Lu would understand the underlying meaning if she was around. Who would have known that Xie Pinghuai was so foolish?


    The olddy got herself in a tough situation now.


    Xie Pinghuai looked at the olddy like he was looking at a lunatic!

 Chapter 220 - Benefit

    <h4>Chapter 220: Benefit</h4>


    Xie Qiao was over the moon as she watched the grandmother and grandson pair. She looked like she was watching an opera show while eating snacks. There was joy even in her eyes.


    In contrast, the olddy was so pissed it was difficult for her to even squeeze a smile.


    Xie Pinghuai was not close with the olddy after all. He had grown up in the bandit mountain stronghold since young. He had only found out that he had a grandmother when he came to the Imperial City. The olddy would stay with them asionally, but she would say the same things to him. They hardly talked.


    However, she wanted him to take care of his nephews now.


    He was not that foolish!


    Xie Pinghuai scoffed and pouted. ¡°Whoever gives birth to them, they¡¯ll take care of them. Don¡¯te to me, not even borrowing money. I owe Eldest Sister a lot of money already!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai thought he was pitiful when he recalled the debt that he owed.


    The olddy said while biting the bullet, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to raise them. I was just joking¡ª¡±


    ¡°Great, then!¡± Xie Pinghuai exhaled loudly. ¡°It¡¯s so boring here. Is there anything fun to do around here, cousins? I¡¯m going to die from boredom!¡±


    Xie Pinggang would kick him if this happened in the past. However, it was rare that they got to visit, so he allowed Xie Pinghuai to have fun.


    The few grandsons from the Xie family were not surprised when they heard that. They were upset but dared not show it.


    They bought Xie Pinghuai out to y right away.


    Xie Pinggang did not stop them. Xie Qiao saw that the grandsons from the Xie family only had somemon games, like dice and pitch-pot.


    Xie Pinghuai did not have much money with him. Xie Qiao and his eldest brother had squeezed him dry.


    He could only bet with a couple of copper coins.


    Xie Pinghuai had many bad habits. It was impossible to eradicate them within a short period, so they allowed him to gamble.


    Since themotion, the olddy and the rest were obedient now.


    Soon, they prayed to their ancestors.


    Candles, prayer offerings, and joss papers were ready and burned.


    The grave was not here, so they could only pay their respect to the memorial tables.


    To Xie Niushan and the rest, it was an ordinary day. However, it was a different story for Xie Qiao. As soon as the incense was burned, she saw a surge of dark energying and a ghouling over to enjoy the offering.


    It should be the Xie family¡¯s ancestor indeed. Not only that, it was still in hell and yet to be reincarnated.


    There were just too many mysterious things in the world. Xie Qiao still had much to learn. She had seen many things like this during asions in the past, so she did not find it surprising.


    However, those ancestors usually would not disturb living humans when they came.


    Perhaps there were rules and regtions down there.


    At the moment, Xie Qiao had a pure and sincere heart as she prayed.


    Perhaps she was too sincere as the ghoul hovered around her and breathed on her. It then disappeared.


    Xie Qiao was rather dumbstruck.


    Regr people would look for good feng shui locations when they picked the grave. A properly located grave would benefit the grandchildren. Looking from another perspective, the people who lived in the grave would be happy too if the feng shui was good. Naturally, they would bless their descendants.


    The so-called blessing was mysterious.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s understanding was that it was a matching of aura that formed an invisible fate. It was simr for those with good karma.


    Why did she feel like the old ancestor seemed to be giving her a protective talisman from the breath earlier?


    She had seen that once before, but she had experienced it herself now.


    At that moment, she felt her body getting lighter. Her spirit was lifted. It was an amazing feeling.


    To put it simply, she was more energized now.


    She would look at people¡¯s spirits when she performed divination. When one¡¯s spirit was calm, their heart would be calm. A clear spirit would protect one¡¯s soul. That was important, especially for phrenology.


    Therefore, she had totally gained benefits for nothing!


    Xie Qiao thought the trip was worth it.

 Chapter 221 - You Can Call the Shots

    <h4>Chapter 221: You Can Call the Shots</h4>


    After the ancestral prayer, they ate together.


    The men and women were separated.


    Xie Qiao looked like she had no sense of presence. However, the daughters of the Xie family¡¯s eldest and youngest son said nothing much now. They were behaving like kittens.


    Xie Qiao ate and chewed slowly and tasted carefully. Even the olddy was nervous because of her.


    Xie Xi admired Xie Qiao now. No matter what Xie Qiao ate, she would eat too. She ate at the same pace as Xie Qiao did, irritating the rest.


    This used to be the olddy¡¯s favorite time. The reason being Ms. Lu was sweet with her words. She would exaggeratedlypliment the food while the olddy would seize the opportunity to name her requests so that Ms. Lu would talk to Xie Niushan when they returned home.


    However, it was totally a torture this time.


    That was especially upon seeing her two other granddaughters being looked down on whenpared to Xie Qiao¡¯s manners. The olddy thought she should not stay.


    She left saying that she was feeling ill when she was halfway through.


    The two sisters-inw brought their daughters along too. They went back to their rooms as they had lost their appetite to eat.


    Xie Qiao had won.


    Xie Niushan took his children home in the afternoon. He was carefree, so he did not realize what was happening. It was a different story for Xie Pinggang, who thought it was an amazing trip.


    It was no wonder there was a saying that went, ¡®Marrying a terrible wife would destroy three generations¡¯. Look, Ms. Lu used to socialize, giving money and clothes. Although the olddy would be happy, Xie Pinggang would be irritated.


    However, Ms. Lu did not dare to chip in on the conversation this time. Xie Pinggang felt good that the olddy was pissed.


    ¡°Father, do you want to change your wife?¡± Xie Pinggang asked irritatingly.


    Xie Niushan said after hearing that, ¡°You sure are boasting to be saying that, to think that you¡¯ve never had a wife!¡±


    Xie Pinggang wanted him to change his wife. Was it easy to look for a pretty and sensibledy from an official family?


    Although those minor official¡¯s families had many stepdaughters waiting to be matchmade, Xie Niushan thought they were too young. He could not bring himself to do it!


    ¡°Ms. Lu crossed the line this time. Give her the cold treatment for some time, Father. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll buy you a concubine. I can find ways if apanion to talk to is all you want,¡± added Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Niushan red at him. ¡°You¡¯re taking control of my wife now? Won¡¯t you be humiliated if this goes out?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t care before, but Ms. Lu is too much. Xi¡¯er is already 12 now. Do you want her to stay this useless forever? She¡¯s already not young, but she knows nothing about managing her own things and speaking up for herself, nor does she know any etiquette. If Eldest Sister wasn¡¯t with us this time, they would¡¯ve taken everything that belonged to Xi¡¯er. How does she look like an official¡¯s daughter?¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly.


    Xie Niushan frowned.


    Was it that serious?


    ¡°We¡¯re no longer in the mountain stronghold now,¡± Xie Pinggang eximed. ¡°Eldest Sister is weak, and she should not get too close to Xi¡¯er. We can¡¯t get her to teach Xi¡¯er, nor can Ms. Lu do it. What do we do?¡±


    Xie Niushan felt troubled.


    ¡°How would I know? You can call the shots on this.¡± Xie Niushan really did not want to manage that.


    Xie Pinggang thought about it. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Eldest Sisterter.¡±


    The two men knew nothing about that at all.


    Xie Pinggang and Xie Niushan were already sitting in her courtyard as soon as Xie Qiao returned home.


    It was quite scary that two pairs of eyes were staring at her.


    Xie Qiao sighed upon hearing what they said.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a way,¡± she said slowly.


    Xie Pinggang smirked. ¡°I knew that you¡¯re smart. Tell us. If the solution is good, I¡¯ll buy you clothes.¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes. She dared not wear the clothes that her eldest brother bought as he had terrible aesthetic sense.

 Chapter 222 - As if God Was Helping

    <h4>Chapter 222: As if God Was Helping</h4>


    What Xie Pinggang brought up was indeed important. Xie Pinghuai was a boy, and even if he did not be a disciple in the future, his eldest brother and father could manage him.


    Unfortunately, that would not work with Xie Xi. There was no qualified teacher at home that suited her.


    Xie Qiao looked at Xie Niushan and said in all seriousness, ¡°Father, where did you find Ms. Lin back then? Does she have any family members at home?¡±


    Xie Pinggang pped his thigh when he heard that, as he understood immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right. I remember Second Mother mentioned that she had family members off the mountain stronghold when she married into our family. We forgot about them since we arrived in the Imperial City. I¡¯ll get people to investigateter.¡±


    Although Ms. Lu had not given birth to any children for his father, they took care of the Lu family.


    It did not make sense to neglect the Lin family, right?


    Xie Pinggang changed his tone and asked, ¡°But the Lin family isn¡¯t very educated. Do they know this stuff?¡±


    ¡°There are academies all over the Imperial City. Do you think we can¡¯t find a proper female teacher? What weck at home isn¡¯t someone who can teach Xi¡¯er but a sensible homemaker. Let¡¯s ask around. If there¡¯s a sensible senior from the Lin family who is willing to live with us, bring her here. By then, we will get her to teach Xi¡¯er,¡± Xie Qiao added. She was energetic today, and her speaking speed was slightly faster now.


    ¡°Is Ms. Lu that bad?¡± Xie Niushan mumbled.


    Xie Pinggang and Xie Qiao looked at him as soon as he said that.


    Xie Qiao chuckled and raised her brows. She turned her head to her father and showed a disgusted face.


    Xie Pinggang was worse. ¡°You must¡¯ve been blinded to have found such a wife back then, Father. Apart from her face, what¡¯s good about her?¡±


    Xie Niushan could not argue with them.


    His son and daughter were suppressing him.


    Now that Xie Qiao had already said everything that she should say, she got them to leave soon.


    After the father and son left, Xie Qiao went to the back kitchen and made the simplest snack. She got Chun Er to send it to Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi.


    Xie Pinghuai thought Xie Qiao had said that out of politeness, never had he thought he would really receive a snack from her.


    He was grateful and raised Xie Qiao¡¯s ranking in his heart.


    In this house, his eldest sister was taken seriously when she spoke. Not only that, but she always stuck to her words, unlike his mother, who would always lie to him. His eldest brother and brother werepletely unreliable. They were always coaxing him and hitting him.


    They were not like his eldest sister. Although she was cruel with words sometimes, she would not hit him. She even made him food, and she was pretty!


    Xie Pinghuai was happy. His spirit was lifted now as he copied books.


    That was right¡ªhe was copying books!


    A thick stack of books, the homework that Teacher Xiao had ordered him to finish.


    Xie Pinghuai could not wrap his head around why Teacher Xiao was bullying him. He was punishing him despite the fact that he did not want to take him as his disciple!


    When he looked as scary as his eldest brother in the future, he would definitely find the opportunity to beat up Teacher Xiao to vent his anger!


    ¡­


    At the same time, Xiao Yurong sneezed.


    He then adjusted his sitting posture and ttened the paper before him. He was going to write a song in memory of his ancestors.


    His thoughts were flying. He could not calm down no matter what.


    All of a sudden, he recalled what happened at the Fortune Pavilion the other day. He stopped what he was doing and brought the Academic Excellence Talisman that he had bought immediately. He struggled as he looked at it, and he hung it on his neck in all seriousness.


    He exhaled.


    Not knowing why he was calmer now that he exhaled, ideas were flowing as he looked at the paper.


    He started writing as if God was helping.


    He was talented, to begin with. He was writing as if a strong wind was blowing and a waterfall was sshing as words poured on the paper.


    Without him realizing it, he wrote a long passage with thousands of words!

 Chapter 223 - Reincarnation

    <h4>Chapter 223: Reincarnation</h4>


    Xiao Yurong only snapped back to his senses after putting down the brush. He was stunned as he looked at the papers before him.


    ¡®I-It was so smooth?¡¯


    It felt like he had be his younger self earlier. He used to be elegant, and poems and songs would flow as soon as he opened his mouth. It had been years since he had this feeling!


    Xiao Yurong recalled something and pressed on the talisman in his embrace instantly.


    ¡°S-Senior Sister Mo wasn¡¯t lying! I-I¡¯m guilty, guilty!¡± Xiao Yurong was instantly upset.


    He thought he had betrayed Senior Sister Mo¡¯s kindness.


    He had been under the impression Senior Sister Mo¡¯s business was shady. Never had he thought that his Senior Sister was capable!


    It was no wonder that his Master had asked them not to disturb their Senior Sister. Perhaps he was worried that they would interrupt their Senior Sister¡¯s cultivation?!


    Xiao Yurong was eager to see Mo Chusheng right away. He wanted to apologize for his mistake, as well as buy more talismans. Thus, he went to the Fortune Pavilion early the next morning.


    However, the talismans on the first floor were sold out!


    All of the Academic Excellence Talismans and Pregnancy Talismans were sold out!


    ¡°Teacher Xiao, many people thought that our boss is capable since she expelled evil at the wax shop the other day, so business has been great the past few days. She¡¯s been busytely and has no time to inscribe new talismans, so¡­¡± The shopkeeper smiled, feeling bad.


    He subsequently said, ¡°Although the talismans are sold out, we have Dharmic instruments. They¡¯re quality items that have been consecrated. Didn¡¯t Teacher Xiao purchase one earlier? We have even better ones here. Also, the Winter Clothes Day ising. If you¡¯d like to burn something for your ancestors, we have these too¡­¡±


    The shopkeepers presented the tiny wooden dolls that Xie Qiao had carved as he spoke.


    Apart from wooden dolls, there were things such as wooden boats and houses.


    They were not asplete as the paper dolls at the funeral parlors, but they were exquisite and pretty. However, they were expensive; that was why they had not been sold.


    Teacher Xiao sighed, feeling sorry for himself. Eventually, he bought a tiny wooden house.


    Burn for his ancestors?


    No. The wooden house was pretty, so he bought it as a decorative item.


    At present, Xie Qiao was actually on the second floor.


    The Wei parents were here.


    Xie Qiao brought out a tiny porcin bottle. There were cow¡¯s tears inside. She pasted a talisman on each of the parents and wiped the cow¡¯s tear on them. The scene before them seemed to have changed a little bit.


    It felt creepier now.


    Xie Qiao called out to the Wei daughter¡¯s spirit.


    ¡°You guys can only watch, do not speak,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    The mother had tears dripping. She extended her hand in her daughter¡¯s direction. However, her daughter was just an illusionary spirit now. How would she be able to touch her?


    In reality, they could speak to her. However, there would be great trouble if they did.


    After sending off the daughter, the couple would have to return home.


    After speaking to a spirit, the aura on them would be different. They would definitely attract more ghouls, so¡­ They should be grateful. It was good enough that they could see their daughter.


    Xie Qiao began the ceremony.


    She had the statue of the god and the ghouls around. She started chanting as soon as a barrier was created.


    She released their souls and reincarnated them, guiding and blessing the souls.


    Xie Qiao repeated that a couple of times, it was a busy day. After all, there were many souls.


    The Wei family¡¯s daughter was queuing at the back, so her parents could see her more. However, when the time was up, the parents could only watch their daughter¡¯s soul vanish before their eyes.


    After sending off the Wei family¡¯s daughter, Xie Qiao said to the parents in exhaustion, ¡°You guys will definitely see some¡­ unusual things today. Remember not to be surprised by that. There are many ghouls in the world that are mischievous. If they learn you can see them, they will pull your leg on purpose. It¡¯ll get better after today, but you may see one or two asionally. However, it¡¯ll bepletely over after half a month at most.¡±


    The Wei parents were nervous.


    They were not scared when they were watching their daughter. However, now that she was gone and thinking that they would see other ghoulster on¡­ their hearts were jumping out of their chests.

 Chapter 224 - Terrified

    <h4>Chapter 224: Terrified</h4>


    After handling their daughter¡¯s matter, the Wei parents left the Fortune Pavilion worriedly.


    Xie Qiao removed the soul-summoning bell at the entrance today.


    She was terrified.


    Those ghouls that knew Xie Qiao were aware that she was sending souls for reincarnation today. They seemed to be worried that they would be sent off by ident, so they dared note. The Fortune Pavilion was considered clean today.


    However, as soon as they exited the pavilion¡­


    ¡°Ahh!¡± The Wei mother secretly jolted and closed her eyes instinctively.


    What did she see!?


    Many things were walking with their legs away from the ground on the entire street!


    The Wei father was a proud man, and he could still take it. However, he felt his legs were weak. He buried his head immediately and held his wife¡¯s hand.


    As they were worried that something bad might happen to them, they did not dare to get their sons over today¡­


    The Wei father¡¯s voice was shaking a little. ¡°L-Let¡¯s stay at the shop for now¡­¡±


    It would be terrible if they brought those filthy things home. It would affect their children and grandchildren!


    The Wei mother nodded while shuddering.


    The ghouls were curious since the duo was behaving strangely. It made sense that they looked at the parents; some even hovered around them. The parents were scared of their wits, on the verge of passing out.


    Xie Qiao had given them protective talismans. However, the talismans could only prevent them from being attacked. They could not stop ghouls from looking and staring at them.


    Moreover¡­


    Xie Qiao could only take care of herself today.


    Not only would ghouls being from below during the Winter Clothes Day, but there would also be those ghouls that had been wandering for a long time in the human world looking for food.


    For instance, there were mostly hungry ghouls during this time. They would look for food and drinks. If they could not get any, those that were bad-tempered might linger around a family, causing the family to be in bad luck for some time.


    No matter how many talismans Xie Qiao had¡­


    It was futile.


    She was worried.


    It was a must for her to reincarnate the souls. Now that she was done with that, she was going to hide somewhere.


    After some deliberation, the academy would be the best as the Yang energy was strong there.


    She went to the backyard, removed her Mo Chusheng disguise, and put on extremely in clothes. Even the material of the clothes looked very ordinary. She was worried that some ghouls would target her if she dressed too pretty.


    Xie Qiao hung a small peach wood sword on her waist. There was a small pouch too, with a picture of god in there. She wore a dog tooth pendant on her neck and inscribed a rune on her wrist with cinnabar. She also wore a jade bangle with an evil-expelling heavenly beast carved on it. She wore a peach wood hairpin on her head¡­


    She carried many things in her embrace too.


    Although she was fully prepared, she was still nervous. There were many Dharmic instruments at the Fortune Pavilion, but they were regr items to protect homes. They would not work for her at all.


    She could not be holding the ceremony here all the time. Now that the ceremony had ended, the aura here would eventually attract many strange things.


    It was morning, where the roosters were crowing when Xie Qiao came. The street was considered clean at that time.


    It was different now.


    Many families hadid out their offerings. There would be more and more ghoulsing.


    After preparing herself mentally, Xie Qiao exhaled and walked out of the Fortune Pavilion¡¯s back door.


    She almost bumped into a ghoul in front of her. The ghoul wore bright red clothes, making her tremble. She pretended not to see it and entered a small sedan chair in stiff steps.


    Unfortunately, the ghoul followed her and¡­ sat next to her!


    Xie Qiao held a book that helped with nothing in her hands and buried her head to lower her sense of presence.


    Meanwhile, the ghoul was close, its bloodshot eyes staring at her through the drape.

 Chapter 225 - Pervert

    <h4>Chapter 225: Pervert</h4>


    It was the first time Xie Qiao released the souls for reincarnation since she came to the Imperial City. Therefore, she was nervous.


    The releasing of souls would usually take ce at the Taoist temple in the past. After she was done with it, she would hide in the temple. There would be some scary ghouls knocking at her door asionally, but it was manageable.


    Unlike what was happening now.


    Xie Qiao was pretending to be calm as she flipped through the book.


    The female ghoul blew onto Xie Qiao¡¯s face, and she could see her better now. She then said in resentment, ¡°So pretty! If I was this pretty back then, how would that jerk leave me and find someone else¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    The female ghoul¡¯s thoughts were rather dangerous¡­


    Usually, those ghouls that liked her skin wanted to possess her!


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao could tell from a nce that the female ghoul did note from below. She was definitely a wandering soul. Such a soul was unreasonable.


    As expected, the female ghoul suddenly charged at Xie Qiao as she thought to herself. She seemed to want to possess her. However, she was thrown back as soon as she touched Xie Qiao.


    Fire and smoke were burning on her body. The female ghoul twitched a few times before criticizing weakly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!? You have so many things that expel evil on you!¡±


    Xie Qiao pretended not to hear.


    However, she felt warm in her embrace. Perhaps a couple of talismans were used from the encounter before.


    The female ghoul red at her in resentment and left rather unwillingly.


    Xie Qiao was relieved.


    The female ghoul had left, but the sedan chair that she was in was still dangerous as ghouls passed by her sedan chair asionally.


    Forget it if the ghouls looked alright.


    However, most of the ghouls were unbearable to the eyes!


    He ced his hand on Xie Qiao¡¯s shoulder as he spoke. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Tsk tsk, there¡¯s a youngdy here. Sigh, it¡¯s unfortunate. If I were still alive, I¡¯d definitely marry you.¡±


    His hand was burnt as soon as he touched her.


    Xie Qiao felt sorry for the talismans in her embrace.


    She lost another talisman now.


    She had inscribed them diligently, forgetting to eat. Those wild ghouls were unruly just because they had strong dark energy. They even did something so shameless!


    That promiscuous ghoul held his hand with a painful and strange expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re evil. I merely touched you. Do you have to be so cruel? My hand¡­ How much more incense do I have to eat to grow it back¡­¡±


    He left feeling wronged as he spoke.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes.


    She was the one who felt wronged. She was already careful enough to be dressing like this today, but the ghouls still came after her!


    If not for the fact that she did not want to attract the attention of the ghouls around, she would have captured that pervert! She would have captured all of the ghouls!


    Xie Qiao was pissed and looked terrible. She gnashed her teeth as she held back. The sedan chair was shaky. The carrier¡¯s legs became weak as the sedan chair was moving, and he sprained his ankle.


    The entire sedan chair trembled, but Xie Qiao managed to bnce herself immediately.


    When she got off to check, she saw a ghoul snarling at the carrier. The swollen body looked rather creepy, with scary eyes that popped out. Its grin would give one goosebumps.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao felt a chill on her back.


    ¡°This is so fun!¡± That ghoul was pping.


    The carrier turned his head and looked at Xie Qiao as he said helplessly, ¡°Youngdy, I sprained my ankle. I can¡¯t be carrying this. Could you get someone here for me, please?¡±


    Xie Qiao had gotten the shopkeeper to find her a carrier. After all, she had gone out early on her own this morning. She should not use the family carriage.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Although Xie Qiao felt helpless, she did not want to trouble him. She looked around and realized that they were only halfway there. She thought she would just walk to the closest restaurant.

 Chapter 226 - The Scum of Ghouls

    <h4>Chapter 226: The Scum of Ghouls</h4>


    The restaurant was crowded. There was a poetry recital going on. Many literati stood there, boasting andmenting on others.


    Xie Qiao held her head low and stayed in silence.


    ¡°This person knows nothing about poetry, and he wants to be a graduate? Ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Vulgar, so vulgar! Although his poems aren¡¯t good, how could you be so vulgar? You¡¯ve polluted our ears!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a regret that I died so young. If I was still alive, how would these people have the chance of showing off?¡±


    Xie Qiao felt her ears hurt from hearing all that.


    She asked for a private room immediately.


    She went upstairs right away. However, a cold wind was blowing as soon as she stepped on the stairs. She failed to hold her drape hat. It was flipped over directly.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯re a beauty by looking at your body. As expected, you¡¯re a beauty indeed!¡± A schr ghoul that was not far beneath said, looking elegant.


    Xie Qiao clenched her teeth.


    That was the scum of ghouls!


    ¡°Do you guys think that this youngdy seems to be different from the rest? She looked at us as soon as her hat fell. Can she actually see us?¡±


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s an expert in the Imperial City indeed. She canmunicate with both worlds. However, that¡¯s a female priest. This youngdy is rather weak. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not capable.¡±


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie,¡± Xie Qiao saw a few familiar faces as soon as she got upstairs, ¡°I think the restaurant is pretty far from the Xie Residence? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I happen to pass by,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The few people who were sitting upstairs were from Orchid Courtyard.


    There were a total of four people. Fang Muxue, Xia Yayun, and the other two youngdies that Xie Qiao knew. They had never spoken before, but from what she remembered, they must be Meng Shuxiang and Feng Shuangshuang.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why not sit with us? There are people reciting poems down there,¡± Fang Muxue smiled and dragged Xie Qiao over immediately.


    Since the forged painting incident, she had a pretty great rtionship with the people from Orchid Courtyard.


    At least they could maintain a daily conversation instead of standing against each other.


    Naturally, that excluded Xia Yayun.


    ¡°No need,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    She wanted to be alone today.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, your house is so far away. It must be a lie that you happened to pass by?¡± Xia Yayun smiled and nced at the schrs beneath, ¡°Can it be that¡­your family arranged a marriage for you, and you¡¯re here to look for the man? Also, what are you wearing today? Clothes made of worn cloth and sack? Is the Xie family this poor?¡±


    ¡°Yayun!¡± Fang Muxue was rather upset, ¡°We¡¯re from the same ss. Can you not target Young Lady Xie all the time?¡±


    The other two youngdies nodded too.


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth,¡± Xia Yayun pouted.


    ¡°I was going to the academy, but the sedan chair broke. So I thought I¡¯d rest here,¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°Young Lady Xia, yes, I¡¯m wearing clothes made of worn cloth and sack. It¡¯s much prettier than the beautiful clothes that you¡¯re wearing. It¡¯s futile even if you¡¯re unhappy about it. You can¡¯tpare my natural beauty.¡±


    Xie Qiao added after saying that, ¡°I want to be alone, so I won¡¯t be sitting with you guys.¡±


    She smiled at them after she was done speaking and walked over directly.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that smug?!¡± Xia Yayun rolled her eyes.


    Fang Muxue¡¯s facial expression looked rather stiff, ¡°You¡¯re always saying terrible things whenever we chat with Xie Qiao. Yayun, if you won¡¯t change, I wouldn¡¯t dare to invite you out for tea again.¡±


    Xia Yayun¡¯s face became stiff, ¡°Sister Muxue, I¡¯m just helping you. If you really invited her over, would she really tell the differences of the tea? By then, wouldn¡¯t that be an embarrassment? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never heard of the saying, ¡®A cow chewing on peonies¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 227 - Claim Justice

    <h4>Chapter 227: im Justice</h4>


    Indeed, Xia Yayun was being straightforward when she said that, but Fang Muxue could not say that she was wrong.


    They came here not just to watch the schrs downstairs. They heard that the restaurant had brought in a batch of green tea, so they came all the way here to taste it. There were some tea sets in the private room. Apart from green tea, there were some ten different varieties of tea leaves too.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie might know a lot about tea. Moreover, she might be unwilling to join us. What makes you think that you have the right to judge her?¡± Fang Muyue was helpless as she mumbled.


    Xie Qiao closed the door as soon as she went into the private room.


    To ghouls, closing the door was futile.


    Within a blink of an eye, three ghouls appeared across the table from her. There was one each on her left and right too.


    They were all schrs.


    ¡°I suppose this youngdy has been excluded. I see she dresses differentlypared to those youngdies in the next room. They must be from wealthy families.¡±


    ¡°Youngdies who are from wealthy families are the worst! I was asking one to marry me back then, but I was chased out despite making a proper visit. All crows are equally ck. I bet those next door are terrible too!¡± A schr said in a pissed manner.


    Xie Qiao clenched her fists.


    She nced through that schr, seeming casual.


    She was disgusted right after seeing his face.


    He deserved to be chased out, no?


    Look at him. He had a cloudy spirit and a t face. It was an unlucky face. He had a big nose and thick brows. He was boastful when he spoke. One could tell that he came from a lowly family, as well as having a terrible character.


    No matter how proper he was when he visited, what he requested was unreasonable. It made sense that he was chased out of the house.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we im justice for this youngdy?!¡± The schr ghoul was suddenly excited when he said that.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    im justice for her?


    Ha, he wanted to do that since the beginning, but he was too shy to take the initiative. Now he was using her to do something shameless?!


    ¡°Say, those wealthy youngdies would definitely not marry a respectable family in the future if they were to run out in a disheveled manner in public, right? I see there are many rather talented literati here. Maybe we should matchmake them?¡± That ghoul added.


    The other schr ghouls humored him.


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    That was right. The schr ghouls that came here were usually literati from the lower ss.


    They studied for many years and suddenly died. It made sense that they still had resentment.


    However, Xie Qiao should not speak now. The reason being there were many ghouls downstairs. If she spoke, it would show that she could see the ghouls. In that case, the talismans she was holding on with her could definitely not protect her today!


    However, she was a half-immortal.


    This was happening right before her, and she was aware of it. If she did nothing about it, the good karma that she gathered from reincarnating the ghouls earlier would be in vain. She would suffer a great loss. Forget about Xia Yayun, but she should protect the rest.


    As Xie Qiao was thinking to herself, the few ghouls had gone next door.


    It was a big private room with a couple of tea tables in there. There was a tiny stove on each table for them to make tea.


    The ghouls were smiling in a strange manner as soon as they got there.


    In the next second, a crackle suddenly popped out from the charcoal fire that was boiling the tea before the four of them. Sparks were flying.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Fang Muxue and the rest were startled, where they jumped up immediately.


    Not sure why the sparksnded on their skirts!


    Suddenly, fire was burning.


    The maidservants were shocked. They rushed forward instantly to put out the fire for their youngdies. Their clothes were messy as the fire was being distinguished. At that moment, the couple of schrs downstairs smelled something and seemed to see sparks flying upstairs.

 Chapter 228 - Reputation

    <h4>Chapter 228: Reputation</h4>


    Fang Muxue and the rest¡¯s screams attracted much attention.


    A couple of schrs ran upstairs immediately.


    How could Xie Qiao remain thinking? She walked out of the private room. She was stunned to see that those schrs wereing in an aggressive manner.


    She happened to see the shopkeeper, she stepped forward instantly, ¡°There are youngdies from respectable families in the private room. Nobody else should go in. Get the grannies in the backyard to help put out the fire!¡±


    The shopkeeper secretly jolted and reacted immediately.


    If the fire was serious, the people should have run out of the room by now.


    ¡°Quickly, get someone to fetch water!¡± The shopkeeper shouted immediately and got the waiter to chase the schrs downstairs.


    The few youngdies in there came from respectable families. If something happened to them here, his restaurant would suffer a great loss.


    Meanwhile, Fang Muxue and the three youngdies in the room were panicking.


    They had no idea what was happening to the charcoal fire, where sparks kept popping. The sparks were small, they could not burn the wood brick floor. However, their clothes would turn into holes within a blink of an eye. The outer garments that they had taken off had been burnt entirely.


    Therefore, they looked rather disheveled now. They heard people talking out there. They seemed to want toe in!


    If somebody was to really see them, would that not be the end of them?!


    They were a little regretful, but they were terrified. They dared not make loud noises.


    Fortunately, Xie Qiao handled the situation.


    Very soon, those grannies came in while fetching water. They kicked open the door.


    Xie Qiao went in to take a look too.


    The few schr ghouls were smiling while enjoying the view as they sat by the table. They thought it was not enough. They were still stirring the sparks. The few youngdies were hiding far away. Although the burnt clothes on them had been removed, they were still scared out of their wits.


    The grannies stepped forward as soon as they came in and poured the water into the stove. Ear-piercing noises were heard.


    ck smoke came out of the charcoal fire.


    The smell was pungent.


    The shopkeeper was shocked to smell that as he waited outside, ¡°Those are top-grade silver coal, aren¡¯t they?! It¡¯s impossible that they¡¯re so pungent!¡±


    Xie Qiao was helpless. She took the picture of God out of her pouch and pressed it on the door after opening it up. There was no adhesive on it, but it stuck sturdily on the door. Even the wind could not move it.


    The few schr ghouls had a change of expression as soon as the picture was shown.


    Xie Qiao was fast. She burnt a talisman and drank a mouthful of water with the burnt talisman. She held the small peach wood sword and spat the water on it. She waved the wooden sword with talisman water lightly andnded on the ghouls as if she had grown wings.


    The ghouls would suffer intense pain when they came in contact with talisman water.


    They crawled and rolled on the floor as they ran away.


    The room was quiet now that the schr ghouls were gone. The smoke was gone, as well as the sparks. There was no wind in the room. The picture of God on the door fell naturally.


    Xie Qiao put her things away carefully.


    Fang Muxue and the rest looked terrible. She said to the maidservants immediately, ¡°Go buy some clothes for us. And you, guard the door. Don¡¯t let anyonee in!¡±


    The grannies left immediately.


    After Fang Muxue was done with the arrangement, she rushed to Xie Qiao almost instantly, ¡°Young Lady Xie, thank you so much. If people out there came in, we¡¯d really¡­be done for!¡±


    She knew that those people from downstairs who wanted toe in were doing that out of kindness. However, they weredies. Their reputation was important.


    Losing one¡¯s reputation was the equivalence of losing one¡¯s life!


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Xie Qiao said caringly.


    Fang Muxue shook her head immediately, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just that I was hit a few times earlier when we were putting out the fire. It hurts a little bit, but it¡¯s nothing.¡±

 Chapter 229 - Favor

    <h4>Chapter 229: Favor</h4>


    Meng Shuxiang and Feng Shuangshuang stepped out to thank Xie Qiao after Fang Muxue was done speaking.


    ¡°Oh, what were you¡­doing when you came in? Is there something¡­filthy in here?¡± Feng Shuangshuang asked carefully.


    Her face was pale. If not for the fact her clothes were torn, she would have definitely run now. She would never stay in such a creepy ce!


    They have made tea before. It was impossible that they failed to control the fire.


    Moreover, it was unusual that something wrong happened to the four small stoves at the same time!


    ¡°Better safe than sorry. It¡¯s a special day today. I did that just to be safe,¡± Xie Qiao exined.


    Fang Muxue and the rest did not find it surprising. After all, they heard that Xie Qiao grew up in a Taoist temple.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re to me for being out today,¡± Fang Muxue patted her chest, ¡°What you did was pretty good. I really feel that the room is cleaner now after you spat that mouthful of talisman water. The fire has been put out, and the smoke is gone too. It might¡¯ve really worked.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled in a perfunctory manner.


    Of course. The talisman that she burnt was difficult to be inscribed. One could only inscribe a few pieces in two hours.


    ¡°So unnecessary,¡± Xia Yayun could not help but scoff at the back.


    ¡®It was the grannies who put out the fire. What does that have to do with Xie Qiao?¡¯


    Fang Muxue was upset as soon as she heard that, ¡°Xia Yayun, if not for Xie Qiao, the four of us would¡¯ve beughing stocks in the Imperial City! Do you want your parents to send you to a monastery and spend the rest of your life there?!¡±


    Xia Yayun was secretly pissed, but she had to admit that Xie Qiao really did help her.


    And because of that, she was feeling unwilling.


    In reality, Xie Qiao was not mad at Xia Yayun¡¯s behavior.


    The reason being there were favors that one had to return.


    If she was not here today, the few schr ghouls would definitely find a sugar-coated excuse to mess with them. Therefore, there was no karma involved with her interfering in this matter.


    However, now that she had helped them, as well as showing the picture of god, it would be good enough if they respected the god. However, Xia Yayun was clearly in disdain. It was a special day. The evil energy was strong. She would be in bad luck if she said something wrong.


    Just like performing divination, no matter how much the fee was, one had to ept it.


    Unless the divination was performed on a person whose life wasing to an end, having a cmitying, or a person with bad fate.


    The cmity was taken away. One should not owe a favor to the god. Although they did not have to repay the favor for this matter, they should definitely not have contempt for it.


    Xie Qiao looked directly at Xia Yayun. She seemed to have hurt her hand.


    The lifeline on her palm reached her finger joint. It was the fate of wealth. Her palm was clean, while the wound was on her index finger, forming a red mark. The mark stretched to the bottom of her little finger. She would definitely encounter a cmity before the wound was healed.


    If it was someone else, Xie Qiao would find a solution to avoid the cmity.


    However, she would not show kindness to Xia Yayun.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xie Qiao. We owe you a favor this time. If there¡¯s anything that you need in the future, we¡¯ll do anything we can!¡± Fang Muxue said to Xie Qiao.


    Meng Shuxiang and Feng Shuangshuang nodded at Xie Qiao sincerely.


    Xia Yayun said in a sarcastic manner, ¡°Xie Qiao, you can name your request now! You must be happy to be having three favors. I¡¯m sure nobody will bully you at the academy from now on!¡±


    Fang Muxue and the rest were considered the most influential ones at the Orchid Courtyard.


    With them helping Xie Qiao, who would dare to stir trouble with Xie Qiao at the Orchid Courtyard?

 Chapter 230 - You Can See Me

    <h4>Chapter 230: You Can See Me</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought what Xia Yayun said was funny.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia is so loud, are you firecrackers?¡± Xie Qiao looked at the gloomy weather outside the window. She was in a bad mood. Her face turned cold right away seeing Xia Yayun¡¯s face of bad luck, ¡°If you think I brought bad luck to you, you can go downstairs now. I believe many people are willing to look at you down there.¡±


    Xia Yayun covered her clothes immediately, ¡°Why are you so vicious?!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled when she heard that. She sighed and put away her small peach wood sword. She then walked to Xia Yayun, ¡°Young Lady Xia seems to misunderstand what viciousness is. But since you¡¯ve already said that, I¡¯m afraid I might disappoint you if I don¡¯t be vicious to you.¡±


    Xie Qiao walked to the stove with silver coal as soon as she was done speaking. She tossed it at Xia Yayun¡¯s face.


    The pitch-ck coal was still warm from before. One¡¯s skin would feel it the deepest.


    Xia Yayun did not expect Xie Qiao to do that since she was weak. She screamed directly when she felt the pain on her face, ¡°Ahh! What are you guys waiting for?! Tear her mouth off for me!¡±


    Her maidservant stepped forward she they heard that.


    Xie Qiao grinned and enunciated word after word slowly and in determination, ¡°My Eldest Brother is Xie Pinggang. If I lost a hair here today, tomorrow¡­Young Lady Xia will have to offer pieces of your flesh for my Father and Brother to avenge me.¡±


    What was a big brother for?


    A big brother was not a decorative item.


    The maidservant had a change of expression. She turned her head in hesitation and looked at the youngdy.


    Xia Yayun¡¯s lips trembled lightly. She looked very pitiful.


    Xie Qiao used her hand to rub Xia Yayun¡¯s face. The coal on her face was much more bnced now, ¡°Threaten one with power and majesty. That¡¯s what viciousness looks like. I¡¯ve done a great job today. Don¡¯t you think so, Young Lady Xia?¡±


    A ghoul hovered up and stared directly at her as soon as Xie Qiao was done speaking.


    The smell of the talisman water earlier must have attracted the attention of many ghouls.


    Now that Xie Qiao mentioned Xie Pinggang, Xia Yayun was furious like a toad, ¡°Xie Qiao, aren¡¯t you scared that I¡¯d get my Father to tell on your father, saying that he¡¯s loose with his daughter?! Your father is a bandit, who would side with him?!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead! If he doesn¡¯t tell on my Father, then your father is a jerk,¡± Xie Qiao snickered.


    Her father was a bandit. Did he manage to be an official just by having that insignificant fighting ability?


    Naturally not.


    The Emperor trusted and doted on the grand preceptor. The grand preceptor came from the same bandit mountain stronghold as his father. When the grand preceptor could not protect her father, she still had her master and the five useless junior brothers!


    At most, she would reveal who she really was. Would that not protect her father by then?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s majesty scared Fang Muxue and the other two out of their wits.


    When had they seen such¡­hot-tempered Xie Qiao?!


    Even when Yuan Bin humiliated Xie Pinghuai or when Qi Huai from Peony Courtyard got people to stir trouble, Xie Qiao was calm as if she was an expert. Nobody couldpare her generosity, no?!


    However¡­


    Not only did she use violence now, but she was also even cursing.


    It was as if she was a different person. Nobody knew why she was so furious and terrifying.


    Although Xia Yayun had crossed the line, they thought what Xia Yayun said should not cross Xie Qiao¡¯s bottom line. Why¡­did she have such a big reaction?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was cold, there was chilliness exuding from her body.


    At that moment, the ghoul that hovered up snarled at her, ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Youngdy, you can see me, right?¡±

 Chapter 231 - I’ll Burn All Of You!

    <h4>Chapter 231: I¡¯ll Burn All Of You!</h4>


    The ghoul that spoke was an old man. His voice was husky, and his eyes were cloudy. He hovered with his rickety body.


    Xie Qiao said nothing. She pursed her lips, exuding an intimidating majesty.


    Fang Muxue and the rest could not help but gulp. They suddenly became rather timid. They sat aside obediently and dared not say a thing.


    Fortunately, the clothes were sent a momentter. They cleaned up themselves instead of just sitting there.


    Three more ghouls came.


    ¡°It was her who brought that smell, right? It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°She has talismans on her. We can¡¯t go near her.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t do anything to us when she has exhausted all of her talismans, right? My, my. We might scare this youngdy so badly that she might piss herself!¡±


    ¡°Watch out, you guys. It¡¯s rare that wee up here. Do you want a horrible life in your next life to be stirring troubles here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not messing with others. This youngdy canmunicate with both worlds, she¡¯s different from ordinary living humans. There¡¯s no disadvantage for us to possess her.¡±


    They were talking to themselves, they were noisy.


    They seemed to be queuing to possess Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao knew that those ghouls only wanted to possess her in order to do things that living humans can do. They usually would not harm her. However, the feeling of being possessed¡­


    She did not want to experience that!


    She closed her eyes lightly, not wanting to stir a chaos in her mind.


    If she was scared, her soul would be unstable, and it would be easier for the ghouls to possess her.


    Very soon, the carrier came back. Xie Qiao said goodbye to Fang Muxue and the rest, and she got the carrier to bring her to the academy.


    Xia Yayun washed her face as soon as Xie Qiao left.


    Fang Muxue was secretly in disdain.


    Xia Yayun could not fight Xie Qiao, and she was secretly scared of the Xie family¡¯s First Young Master, yet she still wanted to challenge Xie Qiao. She had no idea why Xia Yayun was so stubborn.


    Moreover, there was no grudge between her and Xie Qiao. She had no idea why Xia Yayun was always stirring troubles with Xie Qiao.


    She did not repent after embarrassing herself.


    Xia Yayun was really reflecting on her behavior now.


    How was she scared by Xie Pinggang¡¯s name earlier?!


    The ashes on her face and the stares from Fang Muxue and the rest made her too embarrassed to lift her head!


    However, Xie Qiao had left now. She could not vent her anger.


    As Xie Qiao got onto the sedan chair, those ghouls had already caught up with her.


    There were ghouls surrounded inside the sedan chair, above it, and even under it.


    Some were lying down, some were hanging, some were moving their faces before Xie Qiao, snarling and snickering at her, ¡°This is my head. Can we exchange heads, please¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes.


    Could they scare her with something else? Why must they do something so disgusting?!


    ¡°Little girl, I like your body. Can I borrow it, please?¡± A beautiful female ghoul next to her smiled at her in a flirtatious manner.


    ¡°I¡¯m here first¡­ Youngdy, I hardlye up here. I¡¯d like to borrow your body to visit my home. I¡¯ll return it to you two hourster. Can we do that?¡±


    ¡°My grandson is handsome, and my family has countless fortunes and properties. Do you want to be my granddaughter-inw? It¡¯d be convenient for me to return next time too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao felt like her head was going to explode.


    She could no longer hold back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll burn all of you if you guys dare to speak again!¡± Xie Qiao said while clenching her teeth with a grim face on.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Some experienced, old ghouls smirked in a creepy manner, ¡°You can burn one or two, but can you really burn all of the ghouls? When you have no more talismans and exhausted your strength, we can still possess you by then.¡±

 Chapter 232 - Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 232: Negotiation</h4>


    Xie Qiao had to admit that what the old ghoul said was right.


    Although she could capture ghouls, it was impossible for her to do that alone. There were just too many wandering ghouls today, especially those that came from below. All of them wanted to borrow her body to rest in the human world for a little bit.


    Even if it was only for a moment, it would give them the taste of being alive.


    However, she had a special body, where she couldmunicate with both worlds. That did not consider going against the rules and not subjecting to the constraints. The ghouls would not be at a loss. Naturally, they were eager to possess the body for a while.


    The old ghoul snarled at Xie Qiao.


    The smarter ones like the old ghoul would remain an appropriate distance with Xie Qiao, but those that were dumb would want to touch her, like moths to the fire.


    Xie Qiao felt the effectiveness of the talismans on her was dropping.


    The sedan chair was shaking along the journey. The new carrier had strong Yang energy, so nothing happened. They were getting closer to the academy now.


    ¡°The dark energy is strong today. The academy can only stop those insignificant ghouls, but it can¡¯t stop us,¡± the old ghoul grinned. He seemed to be confident.


    ¡°This must be the Royal Academy? When I was still alive, I heard there¡¯s a Teacher Xiao who is talented and peerlessly handsome. I¡¯ll get the chance to check him out today. If I can get close to him, everything is worth it,¡± the beautiful ghoul¡¯s eyes lit up, and she smiled in a flirtatious manner.


    ¡°When did you die? Teacher Xiao is over 30 now. He has lost his glory,¡± Xie Qiao was cold as she spoke.


    The beautiful ghoul was stunned, which she then smacked her lips, feeling sorry, ¡°That makes sense. But I can get close to other schrs as well.¡±


    Xie Qiao touched her pouch. She could feel that the effectiveness of the picture of the god was almost gone as well.


    The ghouls around were looking at her as if she was a piece of delicious meat.


    Darn it.


    Xie Qiao felt the glory and fame that she had were going to be destroyed today!


    She felt wronged, angry and terrible.


    Life was good at the Taoist temple. Why did shee to the Imperial City, which was such a foolish idea?


    It was too difficult to protect herself in such a dangerous ce.


    ¡°Youngdy, it seems the threat on you is fading?¡± The old ghoul smiled in a lecherous manner.


    ¡°You guys sure are patient,¡± Xie Qiao leaned back. She thought she would be straightforward, ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t avoid you guys today, but the Winter Clothes Day onlysts for a day. No matter how strong the dark energy will be from then on, it wouldn¡¯t influence me much. By then, I¡¯ll settle the score with whoever used my body! Your aura is stuck on my body now. I can summon you guys in the future.¡±


    In reality, it was rather difficult to summon ghouls from below.


    The old ghoul was stunned. He did not seem to expect Xie Qiao to say something like that. He began to evaluate his decision.


    ¡°You¡¯re well-versed in Taoism?¡± The old ghoul asked.


    ¡°A little bit. I¡¯ve just sent a few ghouls for reincarnation this morning. I still have a bottle of grieving ghouls with me,¡± Xie Qiao calmed herself and said.


    The old ghoul thought to himself for a moment, ¡°Hey, youngdy, you sure are boastful. Since you¡¯re well-versed in Taoism, as long as we don¡¯t do anything evil, you can¡¯t do anything to us even if you summon us in the future. Otherwise, you¡¯ll suffer bad karma.¡±


    Xie Qiao clenched her fists.


    ¡°However, we don¡¯t want to offend a Taoist priest. How about this? If we possess you, we¡¯ll behave and not humiliate you. If we manage to do that, you won¡¯t stir trouble with us in the future. Can we do that?¡± The old ghoul thought about that and said.


    The other ghouls seemed to feel a little dissatisfied. However, they thought what the old ghoul said made sense as they thought about it.


    It was easy for people who couldmunicate with both worlds to fight ghouls like them.


    If not for the fact that it was a special day today, they would not have the upper hand.

 Chapter 233 - Possessed

    <h4>Chapter 233: Possessed</h4>


    In reality, Xie Qiao had no options. She was surrounded by rather powerful ghouls now. If they insisted on possessing her, she could only bear it. What was the use of going after themter on? She would not get back what she lost.


    ¡°Sure. But there are many of you here, and I¡¯m weak. I can¡¯t be walking around. You guys can¡­rest at the academy. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare snacks and tea for you guys to enjoy. Leave after that. You guys should know that if you harm my life, you¡¯d be carrying a sin. You won¡¯t be able to repay that even if you reincarnate into animals in your next life,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    In reality, she was not worried about her life.


    The old ghoul was happy, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we know what to do.¡±


    Although she couldmunicate with both worlds, she was a human after all. If she was really dead or became half-dead because of them, they would have bad karma stuck on them. They would live a horrible life in their next life.


    Since they were already dead, they would do anything for a better next life. Naturally, they would be careful.


    Now they only wanted to have a taste of being alive.


    They would not cause a mess.


    ¡°I¡¯m the direct daughter of a fourth-rank official. Please maintain my identity after you guys possess me!¡± Xie Qiao added.


    The talismans¡¯ effectiveness faded again.


    The ghouls nodded.


    In reality, those who dared toe into the academy had weak dark energy. Most of them were proper. Grieving ghouls would not dare toe in at all.


    The schrs had strong Yang energy, there were many things in the academy that could repel them. That was the reason why Xie Qiao insisted oning to the academy.


    She walked in and got someone to prepare her a courtyard. Naturally, she had to spend silver beans to do that.


    Later on, she got someone to prepare food, snacks, and tea¡­


    After all was done, her body copsed. She had lost consciousness.


    ¡°It¡¯s been years since I tasted such delicious food. It¡¯s amazing,¡± the old ghoul ate a mouthful of dishes and caressed his beard by instinct. He was stunned for a second, feeling the smooth skin, then he released a loudugh. He got an overseer over, ¡°If this old man¡­I were to invite Teacher Xiao over to y chess with me, how much would that cost?¡±


    The overseer looked at ¡°Xie Qiao¡± with a strange expression.


    Something was off with Young Lady Xie today.


    ¡°Did Young Lady Xie run into a predicament? You¡¯re a student. You can¡¯t be getting the teacher over. It doesn¡¯t matter how much money you have,¡± the overseer was considered to be nice.


    The old ghoul sighed. He then looked at his own hands.


    It was a young pair of hands.


    Since he could not leave the academy, he wanted to do something interesting.


    ¡°Get me a horse,¡± the old ghoul said.


    The overseer¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°This is the academy. You¡¯ll have to get it yourself, Young Lady Xie.¡±


    ¡®She wants to unt her wealthydy¡¯s identity at the academy?


    ¡®She would be punished with silver beanster. Is she not worried about that?!¡¯


    The old ghoul thought he was young and strong now. Although he was in ady¡¯s body, it was considered great. He must experience the majesty of being young. Therefore, he did not mind going to the stables with the overseer walking in big steps.


    The overseer was rather dumbstruck watching her walking in big steps.


    He had seen Xie Qiao before. He remembered this youngdy was very gentle and reserved. She was like an angel.


    However, now¡­


    She hunched her body slightly, and her steps were rather wide. She looked out of ce. Why did she look so strange?


    The old ghoul got onto a horse happily when they arrived at the stables.


    ¡°Hiyah!¡±, he went, making the overseer jolt.


    ¡®Something is wrong with this youngdy¡­


    ¡®Is she possessed?!¡¯


    The overseer was secretly terrified when he suddenly recalled it was a special day today.


    He could not make up his mind. He thought about it and got someone to get Teacher Xiao over.


    Many teachers were away today as it was a rest day. Apart from the dean and the Crown Prince, only Teacher Xiao would be at the academy today.

 Chapter 234 - What Nonsense is This

    <h4>Chapter 234: What Nonsense is This</h4>


    The old ghoul felt like he was flying. He got the horse to run fast. It was liberating!


    Unfortunately, before the horse had run for one round, the old ghoul suddenly felt rather strengthless. He was losing his breath.


    He realized that this girl¡¯s body was very weak!


    ¡°You¡¯re a priest, and you can¡¯t even run for a round?! Your body is weaker than mine, an old man!¡± The old ghoul felt sorry.


    ¡°Hey, are you done? Isn¡¯t it my turn now?¡± The bunch of ghouls were queuing aside. They were impatient.


    They agreed that each ghoul would possess the body for an hour.


    ¡°Did time pass so fast?¡± The old ghoul shook his head and sighed, ¡°Time has been cruel to me. But being able to breathe after so many years, this feels¡­¡±


    Indescribable.


    It was good to be alive!


    At that moment, Xiao Yurong was ying chess with Zhao Xuanjing. The criminal division only worked for half a day today. There was nothing to do, so the two men could only stare at each other.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a student who came to the academy and went to the stables. She seemed unstable. Do you want to take a look?¡± The overseer came over to tell him himself.


    Xie Niushan was a difficult man. If something happened to Young Lady Xie at the academy, it would be troublesome if Xie Niushan got furious and go to the dean.


    ¡°When did senior brother be a nanny?¡± Zhao Xuanjing teased and smiled as he said.


    Teacher Xiao was considered caring to his students. He said when he heard that, ¡°Which courtyard is this student from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the sister of that Xie Pinghuai who couldn¡¯t stop asking you to make him your disciple, Xie Qiao, Young Lady Xie. I heard that she¡¯s weak, but she was riding a horse, and the horse was running fast. I¡¯m worried that something bad might happen, so¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing had gotten up and left before the overseer was done speaking.


    He frowned when he realized that Xiao Yurong did not catch up to him when he arrived at the door, ¡°Xie Qiao¡¯s eldest brother is Xie Pinggang, right? He¡¯s doing a great job at the criminal division. If something happened to his sister, he would be distracted with his job as her brother. Why aren¡¯t youing with me, senior brother?¡±


    Teacher Xiao was dumbstruck.


    The Xie family?


    His senior sister was close with people from the Xie family.


    He got up immediately.


    When the duo arrived at the stables, they saw Xie Qiao sitting on the ground while crossing her legs.


    The overseer was worried that something might happen to her, so he got someone to watch her before he left. However, that person had be ¡°Xie Qiao¡±¡®s steward now.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, the wine is here,¡± the person said.


    ¡°Xie Qiao¡± sighed, ¡°The courtyard that I rented earlier has nice dishes, but I can¡¯t be wasting time now. Maybe I should go over while drinking. I might eat some of the food when I get there.¡±


    She opened the wine jar as she spoke and took two sips in a gulp. She got up quickly and walked back with flushed cheeks.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°What nonsense is this!¡±


    It was not that one could not drink wine, but Xie Qiao was ady. She seemed a little loose indeed!


    As Xiao Yurong flung his sleeve, Xie Qiao sorted her sleeves and lifted her head to take a few sips again. The crystal-like wine dripped from her chin to her neck, it had stained her clothes.


    She saw Zhao Xuanjing and Xiao Yurong after taking two steps.


    ¡°Ha,¡± she scoffed, ¡°Good wine, good wine!¡±


    Xiao Yurong was speechless.


    Zhao Xuanjing was speechless too.


    ¡°See, I wonder if Young Lady Xie is going through something¡­¡± the overseer was helpless, ¡°I heard that she¡¯s weak. She was riding a horse, and now she¡¯s drinking wine. I wonder if her body¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned, ¡°She rented a courtyard?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The courtyard costs a hundred silver beans per day¡­¡± The overseer thought the youngdy was out of her mind, ¡°She even ordered many dishes and said that the dishes would have to be served every two hours.¡±

 Chapter 235 - Wandering Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 235: Wandering Ghoul</h4>


    If Xie Qiao was not behaving strangely, the overseer would not make an effort to tell Teacher Xiao about it.


    It was just that he did not expect the Crown Prince toe here himself.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    The overseer was surprised, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°You may return, senior brother. I admire her eldest brother, it¡¯d be terrible if I don¡¯t take care of her. I¡¯ll bring along my imperial bodyguards to check it out,¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked serious. Nobody could tell what was wrong on his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s a student of the academy after all. I can¡¯t ignore that. Also, you knew that senior sister and the Xie family¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This youngdy is senior sister¡¯s rtive. I¡¯ll have to look into it. There¡¯s something wrong with the song that you wrote. Go back and give it a good thought. My Father will be using it in a few days. If it¡¯s not good enough, I can¡¯t help you if Father mes you,¡± Zhao Xuanjing left Xiao Yurong alone and walked away directly.


    Xiao Yurong tried to speak.


    Zhao Xuanjing said his song was good earlier¡­


    What exactly went wrong? Xiao Yurong frowned and began to think to himself.


    Zhao Xuanjing brought his imperial bodyguards along and entered that courtyard.


    There was almost nobody at the academy today. He was not worried that the news would spread.


    Zhao Xuanjing saw Xie Qiao sitting in the courtyard in a carefree manner. There was a big table before her with¡­over ten snacks on it, as well as some dishes the academy usually served.


    Xie Qiao held a pig¡¯s trotter in her hand while pouring herself a ss of wine. She had grease all over her mouth.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned at the scene.


    That did not look like her.


    Xie Qiao¡­was careful with her behavior.


    Even when she was digging dead bodies in the forest in the middle of the night, she was elegant with her moves, and she always wore a pretty smile.


    Now she looked like a¡­crude man.


    ¡°Brother,e join me?¡± ¡°Xie Qiao¡± spoke.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just upset that nobody would drink with me. It¡¯s boring to drink alone. Come here, drink with me. Just one ss will do. I don¡¯t have much time left,e quickly,¡± ¡°Xie Qiao¡± sounded like she was in a rush.


    Zhao Xuanjing took his seat casually with light sparkling in his eyes, ¡°Do you¡­not remember who I am?¡±


    If he remembered, he should not have said that.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xie Qiao frowned, ¡°Must I know who you are to drink with you? You talk too much, drink if you want to, or leave!¡±


    She drank another ss after speaking.


    Zhao Xuanjing became cold now. Apart from Zhou Weizong, the rest of the imperial bodyguards were guarding outside.


    He looked at the person before him with a cold face, ¡°You¡¯re not Xie Qiao. Who are you?!¡±


    The male ghoul jolted, ¡°So you know her¡­ You should¡¯ve told me that¡­ I¡­ Burp!¡±


    His soul shook from that burp and left the body identally. The female ghoul came in within the blink of an eye. Suddenly, she was looking at Zhao Xuanjing in a shy and coquettish manner.


    ¡°Sir, should I pour you wine?¡± Xie Qiao smiled lightly.


    Zhou Weizong was stunned to have seen that. He froze as he stared at Xie Qiao.


    W-Why was Half-immortal Xie behaving like a shy little girl?!


    No, that was not a little girl. She looked like one of those loose courtesans¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing watched Xie Qiao, who was before him, pouring wine into the ss in front of him. After she put down the wine jar, the pair of fair hands glided on his. His body stiffened, he looked even more intimidating now.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Xie Qiao either,¡± his voice was cold.


    The beautiful ghoul fetched a handkerchief from her embrace and squeezed it, ¡°Oh, what are you talking about, sir¡­¡±


    ¡°A wandering ghoul?¡± Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and took out a talisman that he purchased from Xie Qiao¡¯s shop earlier. He said in a testing manner, ¡°I wonder if you can still joke around with me after I pasted this thing on you?¡±


    The beautiful ghoul¡¯s face stiffened.


    Naturally, it would be terrible. She would definitely be forced out of the body right away. However, the other ghouls could possess the body. It was just that it was finally her turn to possess the body

 Chapter 236 - One’s External World is a Reflection of Their Mind

    <h4>Chapter 236: One¡¯s External World is a Reflection of Their Mind</h4>


    The beautiful ghoul smiled in an awkward manner. Her tiny hands were naughty as she yed with Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s clothes. Her voice was soft, and she looked seductive.


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know what you mean¡­¡± the beautiful ghoul said while blinking fast.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt very ufortable when he thought such a loose person was in Xie Qiao¡¯s body.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Zhao Xuanjing said coldly. He looked grim.


    The beautiful ghoul shook her head, feeling wronged, ¡°No, sir. Why are you poking your nose in my business? I just want to rest for a little bit. Can¡¯t you just pretend that you didn¡¯t see me? Also, aren¡¯t you scared of me? I¡¯m not human. Be careful, I might eat you.¡±


    She said and snarled with her mouth wide.


    It was Xie Qiao¡¯s face.


    She should have looked scary with that expression, but she made him rather ufortable instead.


    If it was Xie Qiao who made that face herself, perhaps it would be cute.


    So it was true that one¡¯s external world was a reflection of their mind?


    ¡°Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing had coldness in his eyes. He was going to use the talisman in his hand.


    The beautiful ghoul rejected while stretching her hand immediately, ¡°Sir! You can¡¯t even take care of yourself. Why do you bother taking care of this youngdy? We really won¡¯t hurt her!¡±


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t the young master have many ghouls following him as well?!


    ¡®Even more than those that are following the priest. Also¡­¡¯


    The beautiful ghoul could not help but take a hard whiff. The smell on Zhao Xuanjing was nice. There was dragon energy on him¡­


    However, people with dragon energy usually had strong Yang energy. Ghouls should not be able to get close. She had no idea why this person had strong dark energy on him, causing many ghouls to be attracted to him. They were nourished by his dragon energy. However, this person¡¯s fate would be terrible if there were too many ghouls. As soon as he was out of dragon energy, he would suffer a cmity.


    She was surprised that she had the mood to care for someone else.


    Dragon energy was more powerful than talismans. Therefore, even though he had weak Yang energy, the ghouls could not possess him.


    If not for the fact that it was rare that they found someone who couldmunicate with both worlds that they could possess, she would have stayed by this young master¡¯s side to be nourished by his dragon energy.


    ¡°We?¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned, ¡°How many more are there apart from you?¡±


    ¡°There are¡­¡± The beautiful ghoul looked around, ¡°There are not many powerful ghouls, even lesser for those who happened to see her. Also, Yang energy is strong in the academy, so¡­ There are some ten of us now. However, you brought over ten ghouls yourself¡­¡±


    The beautiful ghoul winked at Zhao Xuanjing after she was done speaking.


    ¡°You said there are over the ghouls following me, then why aren¡¯t they possessing me? Xie Qiao learned Taoism from a young age. Can it be that an ordinary person like me can repel ghouls better than she does?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°Of course not. This youngdy is smart enough to carry many talismans with her. We wouldn¡¯t be able to find her if not for the fact that she exposed herself by carrying out a ceremony earlier. She canmunicate with both worlds. We won¡¯t be expelled from her body easily when we possess her, nor is it against the rule. You, on the other hand¡­ You have strong dark energy on you. We¡¯re supposed to be able to possess you, but¡­ You share the same bloodline as the Emperor, so we can only sniff you but can¡¯t do anything to you for now,¡± the beautiful ghoul just treated like she had found someone to talk to. She chatted while smiling.


    Although she was smiling, she looked rather creepy.


    Zhao Xuanjing fell into deep thought when he heard that.


    ¡°We¡¯vee to an agreement with the youngdy. We won¡¯t go anywhere else today. We¡¯re only staying at the academy. We won¡¯t hurt her,¡± the beautiful ghoul added and poked Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s chest, ¡°But sir¡­you¡¯re so handsome. It¡¯s been years since I touched a living person¡­¡±

 Chapter 237 - Marry Him

    <h4>Chapter 237: Marry Him</h4>


    As the hands were caressing, Zhao Xuanjing stood up to tidy his clothes.


    The beautiful ghoul was not mad. She smiled and took a sip of wine.


    ¡°Xie Qiao¡± was blushing.


    Zhao Xuanjing walked to the courtyard and stretched his arm to get Zhou Weizong¡¯s saber. He stared at the saber coldly with determination. Suddenly, he slit it across his palm. Blood was flowing at the moment.


    ¡°Your Highness?!¡± Zhou Weizong was stunned.


    He rushed forward to wrap the wound, but Zhao Xuanjing said calmly, ¡°Wait.¡±


    He held the talisman he purchased from Xie Qiao in his palm as he spoke. Very soon, the talisman was dyed red.


    ¡°What are you doing, Your Highness? What if your body¡­¡± Zhou Weizong was heartbroken.


    ¡°I¡¯m not made of mud. My hands are rather useless, so it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re injured,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said, and joy revealed in his bright eyes suddenly, ¡°I heard that dog¡¯s blood can expel evil.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a¡­dog,¡± Zhou Weizong said instinctively.


    He realized that he had misspoken, to which he immediately said, ¡°This humble one will get you dog¡¯s blood¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing thought it would be futile.


    That ghoul from earlier said that it was a special day today.


    With Xie Qiao¡¯s capability, she would not have to hide in the academy if regr things that could expel evil worked. Moreover, people said that the Emperor was the descendent of the dragon. Although he was not the Emperor, he was getting there. If he was lucky, his blood might be even more useful than a dog¡¯s blood.


    As he was done soaking the talisman with his blood, he stretched his arm. Zhou Weizong was smart to bandage it immediately.


    ¡°If it works, how do you think Half-immortal Xie would thank me?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said while smiling. He then raised his brows, looking magnificent.


    Zhou Weizong wrapped his wound carefully. He was rather speechless.


    ¡°This is a big favor. Perhaps she will¡­marry you?¡± Zhou Weizong asked in a testing manner.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and recalled his hand. He then walked to Xie Qiao.


    The beautiful ghoul looked at him in suspicion.


    Zhao Xuanjing took the talisman man out and pasted it on Xie Qiao¡¯s head without hesitation. Zhou Weizong, who was watching from not far away, felt rather shy.


    It was quite scary for a youngdy to have a bloody paper pasted on her forehead.


    Xie Qiao leaned back as the talisman was pasted.


    The beautiful ghoul was thrown out immediately.


    The other ghouls were pacing around instead of stepping forward when they saw. They hesitated. A ghoul mustered its courage and possessed Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao opened her eyes.


    ¡°How are you? Do you feel pain anywhere? Should I get the imperial doctor here?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked slightly relieved and asked immediately.


    Xie Qiao held her head down, ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at her while examining her, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Xie Qiao nodded immediately.


    She looked shy and reserved. She said nothing much. She sat up straight, she looked fine.


    ¡°Did Mo Lingzi look for you yesterday? Are you bullied or anything?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked calmly.


    Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°No. Thanks for your kindness, Your Highness.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and smiled.


    Useless.


    This nonsense dragon energy was futile. What was the point of having it?!


    ¡°Zhou Weizong!¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt annoyed. When he called out, Imperial Bodyguard Zhou came right away. He looked panicky as Zhao Xuanjing said immediately, ¡°Go to the room to get a nket and rope.¡±


    Zhou Weizong was rather confused, but he did it anyway.


    He got someone to bring the rope. Very soon, the two items were gathered.


    ¡°Xie Qiao¡± sat there, she looked rather obedient.


    That would save Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s effort of restraining herter.

 Chapter 238 - Evil

    <h4>Chapter 238: Evil</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing wrapped the rather thick nket on Xie Qiao and tied a rope around it.


    Very soon, she was wrapped into a dumpling.


    The few ghouls watched with their eyes widened in panic.


    ¡°Is this the Crown Prince? What the hell, he wrapped her up. Then what¡¯s the point of us possessing her?!¡±


    ¡°This idiot didn¡¯t run away from him, and now the Crown Prince got what he wanted!¡±


    ¡°What do we do now? Do we still possess her? This opportunity is rare. I want to eat that osmanthus snack!¡±


    The ghouls felt wronged.


    They were angry and helpless.


    ¡°We should possess her. This brat adores women. Let¡¯s scold him throughout the night, I bet he wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to us!¡± A ghoul said angrily.


    The other ghouls thought that made sense.


    Zhao Xuanjing carried Xie Qiao into the room andid her t on the bed. Meanwhile, he sat at the table next to the window and got someone to fetch him a book. He guarded while feeling bored.


    ¡°Brat, let go of me!¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s body began to scream, ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of me, we¡¯ll follow you from tomorrow onward. We¡¯ll suck your pathetic dragon energy dry!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned.


    ¡®Pathetic dragon energy?


    ¡®Can it be that the dragon energy I have on me is too little? Or was the blood too little?


    ¡®Would it be more efficient if I go to the pce to borrow some of Father¡¯s blood?¡¯


    He looked serious, but he figured the possibility of him borrowing blood was low. The older his father got, the more terrified he was of death. A talisman soaked in blood aside, his father would be in pain to even borrow a drop of blood.


    ¡°Brat, we¡¯re not afraid of you even if you¡¯re the Crown Prince. Aren¡¯t you scared that you won¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep in the future?!


    ¡°Your Highness, I think you¡¯re interested in this youngdy, right? How about you touch her secretly? We won¡¯t tell anyone. Can we do that?


    ¡°This youngdy won¡¯t remember what happened even after she woke up. We definitely won¡¯t tell her. Your Highness, Your Highness?!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing rubbed between his brows. He got up helplessly and found a soft cloth, which he shoved it into Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth.


    In the next second, the world was silent.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not look at her. After all, Xie Qiao¡¯s face was too seductive. If those ghouls pretended to cry, would he not let his guards down?


    Zhao Xuanjing was too cruel. The ghouls felt it was meaningless even if they possessed Xie Qiao now.


    A momentter, all of them surrounded Zhao Xuanjing in unwillingness.


    They were snarling at him, they were terrifying.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Xuanjing could not see anything.


    Without the ghouls possessing her, Xie Qiao slept for quite some time. When she had gained consciousness slowly¡­


    She realized that there was something in her mouth, and her body was tied up. She was shocked.


    She looked around and saw a familiar figure by the window, as well as those resentful ghouls.


    The ghouls began toin seeing that her eyes were opened.


    ¡°Youngdy, we had an agreement. Now a cruel man appeared out of nowhere, we can¡¯t do anything even if we possessed you, right?!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to him? Tell him that we just want to take a rest, we won¡¯t do anything else. All we need is 15 minutes each, can you do that?¡±


    Xie Qiao wanted to speak, but her tongue was constrained. She could not talk at all.


    She blinked, feeling exhausted.


    ¡°Youngdy, see how cruel this man is. You¡¯re so young and beautiful, and he did this to you. You can see that he¡¯s evil by that! You must stay far away from him!¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right, he¡¯s evil. He even touched my hand when I possessed you!¡± The beautiful ghoul said in all seriousness.


    The other ghouls showed up to speak too.


    ¡°If not for us stopping him with all our might, your dignity would¡¯ve been gone, youngdy!¡±


    ¡°See, it¡¯s almost midnight, and he¡¯s still here. You¡¯re ady. Now that the both of you are alone in the room, your reputation would be tarnished if this goes out!¡±

 Chapter 239 - At a Loss

    <h4>Chapter 239: At a Loss</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought those ghouls were loud, and her head was hurting.


    Her face was flushing, she felt dizzy with alcohol filling her body. She wondered¡­how much she had drunk.


    Now that she could not speak and that she had little strength, she thought she would just shut her eyes to rest. However, those chatters were so loud that her head was going to explode.


    After tolerating for approximately an hour, her mouth felt loose.


    The piece of soft cloth was being removed.


    Zhao Xuanjing ced the soft cloth aside and said nothing.


    It could be cruel to cover her mouth for the entire night. She would have to move around, or her face would be swollen tomorrow.


    ¡°Could you untie me, Your Highness?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was hoarse, and it was weak. She felt pain in her face as soon as she spoke. She felt horrible.


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned. He turned around to look at her.


    Xie Qiao locked eyes with him calmly. She seemed a little tired, as well as helpless. Although she was pale, she looked natural.


    ¡°If I untie you, you will be another person right away,¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought about it and said calmly.


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    What the Crown Prince said made sense.


    However, she looked like she was an innocentdy who was being stolen. She looked pitiful.


    Moreover, she dared not ask what had happened.


    The Crown Prince had the face of a good man. He would not be tempted easily. Therefore, she definitely did not believe in what the ghouls said. On the contrary, she dared not even think about what the ghouls used her body for!


    Xie Qiao secretly checked out Zhao Xuanjing.


    He was so calm, majestic, and mysterious. The moonlight by the window shone onto him. He was glorious and quiet, his appearance stood out among all.


    She did not see promiscuity on him¡­


    However, that would not apply to herself. She really would not be able to tell what she had done to him.


    She felt troubled.


    She could not believe that she did not have the upper hand in this when it was such a great opportunity.


    Xie Qiao had thoughts flying in her head, while she then realized something suddenly. She asked carefully in a testing manner, ¡°Your Highness¡­ I was misbehaving when I had too much to drink. A-Are you overthinking it?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the 20 to 30 ghouls around?¡± Zhao Xuanjing scoffed and smiled.


    Xie Qiao chuckled and pursed her lips, ¡°There are so many¡­ I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending, I¡¯ve already asked everything that I should know,¡± Zhao Xuanjing closed the book, ¡°Young Lady Xie, I thought you were just a half-immortal. I didn¡¯t know that you can see ghouls with your eyes?¡±


    He had seen Xie Qiao perform division, detect aura and read Fengshui. However, he thought she was just smart.


    He had never thought that she could see those things that they should not see with her eyes.


    Xie Qiao looked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m well-versed in Taoism. My third eye has been opened since young, it made sense that I can see those things,¡± Xie Qiao gave herself an excuse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve never met a powerful Taoist master. They¡¯re not as capable as you,¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at her, not sure if he was smiling.


    Xie Qiao looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Are you going to burn me alive, Your Highness?¡± Since she was being exposed, she could only admit it, to which she said, ¡°Since Your Highness already knew, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of what¡¯s happening with you? You¡¯re covered in strong dark energy. It¡¯ll only influence you more as time goes by. If Your Highness keeps the secret for me, I¡¯ll treat this problem of yours. Do we have a deal?¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s problem was difficult to be treated! She was at a loss!

 Chapter 240 - Please Feed Me, Your Highness

    <h4>Chapter 240: Please Feed Me, Your Highness</h4>


    In reality, Xie Qiao could not understand why the Crown Prince would attract ghouls to himself.


    When the country was prosperous with wealth and power, the people in the royalty would have dragon energy on them. The ghouls around could not approach them.


    The royalty had definitely hired a master to treat the Crown Prince, so such a problem should not ur. Therefore, it was difficult to get to the root of the Crown Prince¡¯s issue.


    She had no idea how to treat him now.


    Although that was the case, she could try to find out in the future.


    She could check his birth date and time, the royalty¡¯s tomb, to find out if it was someone¡¯s evil doing. As long as she spent some effort, she would definitely find the cause.


    However, it would be a great effort. Therefore, although she liked the Crown Prince¡¯s face, she had never mentioned that to him before.


    ¡°No need. Young Lady Xie is weak. How could I trouble you?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was sitting down at the moment as he said softly and calmly.


    Xie Qiao felt shy, but she could not move as she was lying there, ¡°For a Taoist master, it¡¯s our job to help. We can gather good karma as well.¡±


    She secretly sighed.


    The Crown Prince was like a big water tank. He seemed round and full, but there was actually arge hole at the bottom!


    He could only hold onto a little bit of the endless dragon energy that was sending his way. The rest would be lost. Due to the hole, the ghouls out there could even approach him, being a threat to his life.


    He was quite pitiful, actually.


    Xie Qiao peeped at him in sympathy.


    She had no idea how much she had drunk. Her eyes were only half-opened. She looked flirty and seductive like that.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Isn¡¯t Your Highness returning to the eastern courtyard?¡± Xie Qiao asked slowly.


    Zhao Xuanjing stayed still, ¡°I¡¯m worried you might burn the academy down.¡±


    Xie Qiao thought about it. It was good that he was here, she would have someone to talk to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Your Highness to feed me tea,¡± Xie Qiao said shamelessly.


    Zhao Xuanjing said nothing and poured a bowl of tea. When he walked to her, only she noticed that his right palm was bandaged. He should not be holding the bowl.


    He hardly used his right hand.


    Zhou Weizong was guarding the door. Seeing that Zhao Xuanjing was going to Xie Qiao, he ran in right away, ¡°Let me do it, Your Highness.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face turned grim. He then ced the bowl onto Zhou Weizong¡¯s hand casually.


    Xie Qiao only wanted to drink tea, it did not matter who was feeding her. However, Zhao Xuanjing was her junior brother in name after all. She was happy to receive kindness from her junior brother.


    Moreover, the Crown Prince¡¯s reaction was rather odd.


    ¡°Can¡¯t he even hold a spoon?¡± Xie Qiao said doubtfully.


    ¡°Half-immortal Xie, His Highness shouldn¡¯t be using his hand. He was cut by a saber earlier, it¡¯d be better if he doesn¡¯t use his hand,¡± Zhou Weizong exined immediately.


    ¡°Cut? Can he move his fingers, then?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Zhou Weizong thought about it. His Highness cut his palm, it bled quite a lot, but holding a spoon should not affect the wound.


    The wound was not the point. It was just that his right hand was crippled, he should not be carrying heavy items with it.


    ¡°If you can move your fingers, please feed me, Your Highness,¡± Xie Qiao said in a testing manner.


    There were no outsiders here. She could take advantage of him.


    Zhao Xuanjing smirked a little bit, but there was no expression on his cold face. He brought the bowl over directly. With one hand holding on to the bowl and another holding the spoon, he fetched a spoonful of tea to Xie Qiao¡¯s lips.


    Zhou Weizong looked at the Crown Prince in a caring manner. He was staring at the Crown Prince¡¯s hand by instinct.


    Xie Qiao took a sip, ¡°Imperial Bodyguard Zhou, His Highness isn¡¯t a fool. He¡¯d definitely tell you if his hand can¡¯t take it. Now, can you look away?¡±

 Chapter 241 - The Feng Shui has Changed

    <h4>Chapter 241: The Feng Shui has Changed</h4>


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou looked away in an awkward manner.


    Zhao Xuanjiang rxed his frown. ¡°Retreat.¡±


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was dawdling. He hesitated but eventually retreated to the door obediently. He stood there and could not help but turn to look. He suddenly felt like he was a wife that had lost his husband¡¯s love.


    However, this Crown Prince¡¯s new love was insensible. Who had no idea that His Highness¡¯s right hand was crippled? She sure was insensitive.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s body still felt heavy after drinking the tea.


    Soon, she fell asleep.


    The noisy ghouls were gone as soon as the sky turned bright the next morning.


    The sun was shining in the academy. The rope that was tied around her was released, and a nket was covering her. She wondered when the Crown Prince had left as he was nowhere to be seen.


    After washing up, Xie Qiao walked to the eastern courtyard.


    The overseer who passed past her was strangely looking at her.


    The scenery at the eastern courtyard had changed¡ªthere was no bamboo outside any longer. It had been reced by a rather big and square garden. Some flowers and trees were basking in the sunlight. It looked warm and peaceful, with less dark energy.


    However, Xie Qiao retreated after taking a few steps in.


    She was in a slight daze when she stared at one corner as she stepped into the garden.


    A momentter, she waved at the person who was guarding the door, asking him to bring over the Crown Prince.


    He was quick toe.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t build this garden following the blueprint I gave you,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    Her voice was soft, but it was very determined.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked immediately.


    ¡°The nts are the problem. On the blueprint, there should be normal wild chrysanthemums here, not this red-leaved nt. These purplish-red flowers are beautiful. It should be alright to ce them here, and it¡¯s even a good thing. However, the whole ce is in, and this thing is standing out. When youe in and out every day, it¡¯ll be a pressure point when you look at it. As time goes by, there¡¯s a chance of you getting nightmares. Also, the shape of this artificial mountain doesn¡¯t suit this ce¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao pointed and proceeded to speak. ¡°Look at the cave in the artificial mountain, isn¡¯t there a big rock blocking it? The artificial mountain is on the east, and that rock is like a bed in the cave, shing with the mountain. It¡¯s considered bad luck to have an inharmonious life with your wife.¡±


    The Crown Prince may not be married yet, so concubines were included as well.


    Zhou Weizong could not help but say, ¡°Is that so? Young Lady Xie, it¡¯s just some flowers, an artificial mountain, and a rock¡­¡±


    Other people had simr things, didn¡¯t they? How could that be bad luck?


    ¡°The things are ordinary, but I¡¯ve altered the feng shui around here. The reason being the eastern courtyard had strong dark energy initially, so I put some effort into altering it. These two things have changed the feng shui entirely,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    What she said was considered simple.


    A pot of flowers could create nightmares for one. Naturally, it would not happen just by looking at it.


    The energy was the problem.


    The energy would change when the nts changed. When he passed by this ce often and even stayed in this garden, it was only natural that this energy would linger on him.


    Zhou Weizong looked ufortable as he stared at the extra decorations. Indeed, one was rather out of ce, while the other one was¡­ rather oppressive. However, he did not think that those things would affect one¡¯s health and fate.


    Xie Qiao was still tired today.


    Just when she was going to speak, Zhao Xuanjiang spoke first. ¡°Find out if anything happened to the carpenters who renovated the courtyard. Be quiet about it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhou Weizong responded immediately.


    ¡°Father was going to betroth me when I just came to the Imperial City. I¡¯ve been spending time at the Criminal Division, so I didn¡¯t get to reject him,¡± exined Zhao Xuanjiang.

 Chapter 242 - Travel the World

    <h4>Chapter 242: Travel the World</h4>


    Xie Qiao understood when she heard that.


    Zhao Xuanjing was different from the previous Crown Princes. Although he lived in the Imperial City, as the Crown Prince, he was always away from home. He even had a residence in the academy. It was no wonder people had alwaysined about him.


    However, as he was dotted on and the Emperor did not care, no one else was qualified to question him. In addition, there were too many academies in the Qian Yuan dynasty. It wasmon for princes and princesses to study outside. Therefore, his behavior was eptable.


    If he got married, he would most likely have to live here with the bride.


    The dark energy would naturally be useful.


    Xie Qiao looked at him sympathetically.


    ¡°Does this ce attract dark energy easily?¡±Zhao Xuanjing frowned and asked again.


    His attitude remained modest. Seeing this, Xie Qiao exined patiently, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve changed the feng shui here. It¡¯s not easy to attract dark energy on this basis. These two spots are indeed weak points, but it won¡¯t have a big impact.¡±


    ¡°Could you take a look at the residence and the East Pce? I¡¯m afraid this dark energy isn¡¯t here only, ¡± Zhao Xuanjing added. He did not forget to add, ¡°There will be a reward.¡±


    Xie Qiao hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°With my status, I shouldn¡¯t be going to the East Pce, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked carefully.


    ¡°Father wants to arrange a marriage for me. After I return to the pce, I¡¯ll let him hold a banquet in the East Pce. By then, all the women of the right age shoulde and visit. Is it possible for you to go openly?¡± He pondered for a moment and observed Xie Qiao¡¯s reaction.


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    It was a pity.


    Zhao Xuanjing was slightly disappointed that he did not see any change in Xie Qiao¡¯s expression, he casually added, ¡°I¡¯m a cripple and have never thought of getting married. Therefore, not to mention wives and concubines, there¡¯s not even a lover¡¯s room in here. The workers have wasted their efforts to create such an artificial mountain.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t even have a lover¡¯s room here?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was a little spirited, but he said calmly, ¡°I have a master. Before he traveled, he repeatedly reminded me after he got drunk and entrusted his beloved disciple, my senior sister, to me. I agreed after giving it a thought.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    ¡®No, this isn¡¯t true.¡¯


    Her master should not be so deceitful, right? Not that it was Mo Lingzi, that ignorant old man!


    However, seeing the Crown Prince¡¯s serious face, he did not look like he was lying.


    Xie Qiao frowned, weighing the pros and cons secretly.


    The Crown Prince was not bad. She liked him quite a bit. He was good-looking, and he was her junior brother. No matter what, he could not escape from her.


    However, this person was the Crown Prince. Who knew how many days he could be in this position? If he implicated the entire Xie family, it would not be worth it.


    Furthermore, she was already a short-lived person. There were countless ghouls around the Crown Prince. If she were to be with him, she would have to worry that she would not be able to see the morning sun before she went to bed every day.


    If she really got engaged¡­


    Then¡­ Mo Chusheng should travel the world¡­


    Thinking to this point, Xie Qiao did not feel any psychological pressure. She smiled gently at the Crown Prince, ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly. Could it be that he had mistaken her for someone else? Impossible.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve agreed to Your Highness¡¯ request. It¡¯s just that I also have something to ask Your Highness for help,¡± Xie Qiao continued as she spoke, ¡°With Your Highness¡¯ identity, you should be able to find someone in the pce, right?¡±


    Earlier, she had even caught a female ghoul in a pce dress!


    That female ghoul insisted on going home, but Xie Qiao did not even know the name of this female ghoul.


    When she returned, she would sketch the ghoul¡¯s appearance and ask the Crown Prince to help her investigate¡­ It was the perfect n.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao felt that it was amazing to have a good rtionship with the Crown Prince.


    There were many ghouls in the capital, and it was estimated that many had died in the Imperial Pce. In the future, if she epted businesses of this aspect, she would have someone to help her.

 Chapter 243 - Love Token

    <h4>Chapter 243: Love Token</h4>


    It would be easy to find a person, so Zhao Xuanjing agreed without hesitation.


    Xie Qiao came here mainly to thank him.


    Fortunately, Zhao Xuanjing had intervened yesterday. Otherwise, there would have been more than a few ghouls in her body. Damage was done when the ghouls¡¯ possessed her, and her body was so weak. If she had been tortured for an entire night, she would have been half-dead when she woke up today.


    Unlike now, she still had some strength.


    ¡°Your Highness used a safety talisman yesterday, and now I don¡¯t have anything else that I can give you. The only thing I have left is this¡­ a small wooden sword, so I specially brought it to you to express my gratitude. If this is all, I¡¯ll take off.¡±Xie Qiao was well-behaved.


    Zhao Xuanjing stared at the small wooden sword with a cold and hard gaze.


    The carving of this wooden sword looked much more mature.


    Compared to the greeting gift that he was given when he was eleven or twelve years old, this peach wood sword in front of him¡­


    Other than the carving skill, there was no difference in material and pattern!


    Zhao Xuanjing lowered his gaze and tried hard to get used to the rough texture with his slightly furrowed brows. He rubbed his fingers lightly and smiled helplessly.


    Xie Qiao, on the other hand, was as serious as an otherworldly immortal. It was as if she had given him a peerless treasure.


    ¡°Is this a love token?¡±After a while, Zhao Xuanjing suddenly said.


    Xie Qiao was stunned and looked up at him.


    ¡°How many wooden swords have you given away?¡±Zhao Xuanjing asked seriously.


    Xie Qiao did not understand what he meant.


    It was just a small wooden sword. Peach wood could ward off evil, and it was very useful.


    Zhao Xuanjing was thinking of stealing his swindling Senior Brother Xiao¡¯s wooden sword back in the future. However, seeing Xie Qiao¡¯s reaction, it was likely that she had given more wooden swords away apart from Senior Brother Xiao.


    He was afraid that he would not be able to find all these tokens that were ¡°lost among the people¡± even if he tried his best.


    ¡°This wooden sword isn¡¯t suitable for me,¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was low and deep, and he was so close that it would make one shiver.


    Xie Qiao rubbed her ears, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else now. I used it all yesterday. Why don¡¯t you give me a few days to inscribe a few talismans?¡±


    One was probably not enough. It was such a big favor that he did for her.


    ¡°This wood isn¡¯t too shabby, but there¡¯s nothing new about the carving. Since Ms. Xie wants to give me as a decoration, maybe carve something special,¡± Zhao Xuanjing pondered for a while, then he said, ¡°For instance, phoenix chirping, Mandarin ducks ying in the pond, or lotus blooming together, they are all fine. I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    Xie Qiao furrowed her brows feeling speechless.


    ¡®The Emperor has arranged a marriage for him, right? Is he afraid that others wouldn¡¯t know?¡¯


    Xie Qiao secretly snorted.


    She had taken advantage of the Crown Prince yesterday, but it was probably not that serious. She did not mind touching his hands or kissing him, but the Crown Prince actually learned to keep a distance and began to deliberately make her jealous.


    He was just short of carving the word ¡°married¡±on his forehead.


    Xie Qiao felt quite ufortable secretly.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll carve a pair for you,¡±Xie Qiao said seriously with a sincere expression.


    After she agreed, Xie Qiao immediately left because she was not in good health.


    She asked the steward to arrange a carriage to send her directly back to the Xie Residence.


    However, to order the steward to do things for her, she would need silver beans.


    Xie Qiao sat in the carriage and could not help but start to count.


    The courtyard she rented yesterday cost a hundred silver beans!


    It should not have been so expensive. However, it was a rest day yesterday, and she rented it for a short period of time, so the price was almost doubled. In addition, in order to avoid making too much noise, she rented arge courtyard. There were some basic facilities in the courtyard, so the price was high.


    In addition to the courtyard fee, there was also food, drinks, and¡­


    Xie Qiao held the bill that the steward had given her when she woke up early in the morning.


    She felt bad.


    She had actually rode on a horse.


    That ghoul was really vicious. It was no wonder she felt that her thighs were sore today. If it were not for the bill, she might have thought that she had reallyid her hands on the Crown Prince yesterday!

 Chapter 244 - Chase Them Out

    <h4>Chapter 244: Chase Them Out</h4>


    Xie Qiao felt wronged. She tried her best to look as generous as possible.


    The silver beans she spent yesterday were all ounted for. The next time she went back to the academy, she would have to go to ounting to pay.


    Twenty silver beans for the horse, a table of dishes¡­ 80 silver beans to rent to Teacher Xiao¡­


    Wait, what?!


    Xie Qiao stared at that item on the bill, showing that she did not quite understand.


    When did she rent Teacher Xiao?!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression became even more strange.


    Could it be that¡­ apart from the Crown Prince, Teacher Xiao was also there yesterday?


    ¡®Rent, rent¡­¡¯


    The more Xie Qiao thought about it, the more nonsense she came up with.


    Finally, she could not hold it in any longer.


    She leaned her head against the carriage, her expression solemn and her face serious.


    Once this Winter Clothes Day was over, many ghouls would return below. Now, they could not possess her, and ghouls from yesterday stopped lingering around her. She did not even have anyone to reason with!


    Of course, even if the ghouls from yesterday were not around, there were still other ghouls.


    There were very few things on her body that could protect her body, and none of the talismans were left.


    The shock and fatigue from yesterday made it difficult for her to breathe, especially the shaking carriage¡­ It was ufortable..


    Fortunately, they arrived at the Xie Residence not long after. Xie Qiao entered through the side door and returned to the courtyard. After informing Granny Wan and Chun Er, she fell onto the bed.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard was extremely quiet.


    As Xie Qiao had mentioned it in advance, the two of them did not dare to make too much noise. They could only wait anxiously for Xie Qiao to wake up.


    Xie Qiao slept for a day and a night.


    When she woke up, her face was frighteningly pale.


    Granny Wan and Chun Er were both frightened.


    ¡°Young miss, why don¡¯t we get the doctor toe over and take a look? You look very ill, and you¡¯ve slept for so long¡­¡± Granny Wan looked at Xie Qiao as if she was looking at her own granddaughter.


    If Xie Qiao had not warned her before she went to bed, she would not have been able to sit still until now.


    Moreover, when Xie Qiao was unconscious, she stayed by her side. She knew that although she was unconscious, she did not have a fever, and her breathing was very steady. That was why she was able to restrain herself from panicking and waited.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Xie Qiao said pitifully.


    ¡°There¡¯s food! I¡¯ve been warming it on the stove!¡± Granny Wan immediately responded. Chun Er immediately ran to the kitchen. In the blink of an eye, the food was already ced in front of Xie Qiao.


    After washing up, Xie Qiao ate slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the Yang energy has been depleted a lot. I think the weather has been pretty good these past two days. I¡¯ll bask in the sun moreter. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Xie Qiao said as she ate, ¡°People from the main courtyard didn¡¯t look for me these past two days, right?¡±


    ¡°Madam sent someone to look for you once. I said that you weren¡¯t feeling well and it worked,¡± Granny Wan said.


    As a servant, she could not say certain things.


    The madam of the Xie family was indeed insensible.


    For instance, when she said that the young miss was not feeling well, if an attentive madam had heard it, she would have sent someone to inquire about it. She might even have sent a doctor over. However, Ms. Lu did not. She only sent someone to ask the young miss to see her when she recovered.


    Ms. Lu thought she was high and mighty in the family.


    However, she was a mother, and the youngdy was a daughter, so Granny Wan could not criticize her.


    Xie Qiao did not take Ms. Lu to heart.


    When she was at the Taoist temple earlier, she also had the intention of respecting Ms. Lu.


    However, after spending some time together, Ms. Lu¡¯s personality really did not get along with hers, so she could not be bothered to waste her effort.


    ¡°If they send more people over, just chase them out,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    With something in her tummy, she felt much better.


    Her body also felt warmer.


    After eating, Xie Qiao went out to bask in the sun. The warm sun hit her body, she felt she was much more energetic now.

 Chapter 245 - Domineering

    <h4>Chapter 245: Domineering</h4>


    However, the silence did notst long.


    When Ms. Lu barged into Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard, she saw her reclining on the chair with her eyes closed.


    Under the sunlight, she was so fair that she seemed to be shining. She looked as if she could transform into an immortal any time.


    Ms. Lu felt extremely ufortable.


    Earlier, she had been told that Xie Qiao was sick. Now, did she not look fine?!


    She had the time to bask in the sun, but she did not have the time to see her mother?


    ¡°Qiao!¡± Ms. Lu raised her voice.


    Granny Wan immediately stood in front of her, ¡°Madam, young miss is resting. If you have anything to say, we can talk about itter!¡±


    ¡°Impudent! Why don¡¯t you know the rules at all?! Is Madam someone you can stop?!¡± Steward Yuan immediately berated her, ¡°Hurry up and leave, or I¡¯ll immediately sell you away!¡±


    Ms. Lu also hated this old woman. Now that Steward Yuan had said it, she was relieved and felt much better.


    Granny Wanughed, ¡°I do have a contract to sell myself, but it¡¯s in the hands of the young miss. Nobody else has the right to sell me!¡±


    She was a servant, but she was Xie Qiao¡¯s servant.


    When Granny Wan and Chun Er were in trouble, the young miss had said that all they had to do was to obey her when she bought them. Other people, especially those whom the young miss did not like, they could ignore them!


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face was cold, ¡°Qiao, I have something to talk to you about. Are you going to let a servant treat me so poorly?¡±


    Xie Qiao opened her eyes slightly and saidzily, ¡°Mother is here? I¡¯m not feeling well. Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡±


    Her attitude was the same as Granny Wan¡¯s.


    Ms. Lu felt embarrassed.


    It was the first time she had entered this courtyard, and this was how she was treated?!


    Not only did they not even offer her a cup of tea, they even chased her out!


    Was there anyone who had ever treated her like this before?


    Fortunately, it was not her who gave birth to this child. If this was her child, she would have strangled her when she was still a baby!


    Naturally, Ms. Lu refused to leave, she said directly from where she stood, ¡°I heard that Pinggang sent people to bring the Lin family over?! Do you know about this matter? I¡¯ve raised Huai and Xi¡¯er for so many years. Even if I didn¡¯t contribute much, I worked hard nevertheless. If they were to bring the Lin family over, what would I be? What will these two children think of me in the future?¡±


    ¡°Granny Wan, get someone to go to the criminal division and get my Brother home,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    When Ms. Lu heard that, she was immediately enraged, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare go!¡±


    As she spoke, she had someone block the door.


    Xie Qiao then sat up straight and looked at her coldly, ¡°Are you behaving domineeringly in my courtyard? Didn¡¯t Father tell you what you shouldn¡¯t do?¡±


    She was like a porcin doll. Her fair and tender face as well as her deep gaze made her look like a soulless walking corpse. Her tone was eerie and frightening.


    ¡°Who talks like that?! I¡¯m the madam of this house. Why can¡¯t Ie?!¡± Ms. Lu was even angrier, ¡°Qiao, when did I ever let you down? Since you came here, I have treated you well. I bought you new clothes a few days ago. You said you wanted to go to the Royal Academy, I didn¡¯t stop you. I didn¡¯t ask you to repay me, but how can you be so heartless?!¡±


    Ms. Lu did not even dare to imagine what would happen if the Lin family came.


    Although they were bumpkins with no status, as long as they were Xie Pinghuai¡¯s family, as a stepmother, she would be ashamed!


    She had been raising the children all this while. Could it be that she was paving the way for the Lin family for all she had done?!


    The father and son did not think about the Lin family earlier. Why would they suddenly have thoughts about it now?!


    Without guessing, it must be Xie Qiao¡¯s doing!


    This girl was born to be her nemesis!

 Chapter 246 - Whose Brain Will Be Blown up First?

    <h4>Chapter 246: Whose Brain Will Be Blown up First?</h4>


    Xie Qiao stood up, and Chun Er quickly stepped forward to support her.


    ¡°Ms. Lu, if you and I had stayed out of each other¡¯s way, you would still be the madam of the family. But today, you came to my ce to make a scene. Have you thought about the consequences?¡± Xie Qiao enunciated each word clearly.


    Although her voice was slow, her majesty was not one bit less.


    Ms. Lu had previously thought that her man did not care for his daughter. However, as time went by, she could not tell that was not the case.


    That husband of hers did not care much about Xie Qiao, but every word that Xie Qiao said did not go unnoticed!


    There was also Xie Pinggang. These two were blood-rted siblings. They were always on the same side, which made her feel even more bitter and had nobody toin to!


    ¡°I¡¯m just teaching my daughter. What consequences can there be?¡± Ms. Lu felt that she had been too weak previously!


    Xie Qiao was a junior. Even if she scolded and punished her, who could say that she was wrong?!


    Even if it was spread to the outside world, others would only say that she had put in a lot of effort as a stepmother. She had raised those two children for four to five years. Her reputation as a stepmother had always been great!


    Xie Qiao felt her body go weak, so she sat back down.


    ¡°It seems that if you don¡¯t vent your anger today, you won¡¯t leave, right?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°You have to admit your mistake properly. When your father and your eldest brothere back, tell them not to bring the Lin family over! Otherwise¡­ Qiao, I¡¯m still in charge of this family. If you misbehave, I¡¯ll have to teach you a lesson!¡± Ms. Lu said again.


    She was quite determined.


    ¡°Sure, do it.¡± Xie Qiao leaned back, ¡°Your lesson won¡¯t just be words, right? Do you want a punishment or a beating?¡±


    Ms. Lu was a little caught off guard.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s reaction was different from what she had expected.


    Granny Wan sneered and said, ¡°Young miss just woke up. Before you came, she had been unconscious for a day and a night. Since you¡¯re here, as the madam, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t care about her condition. But if you dare to touch a single hair on her body, if word gets out, you¡¯d be seen as having the intention to kill her! She¡¯s studying at the Royal Academy. If she gets sick and can¡¯t go to school for no reason, someone will definitely ask about it!¡±


    Xie Qiao sat calmly.


    Let her beat her up.


    If Ms. Lu really dared to hit her today, she would have respected her courage. Her reputation would be doomed by then.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s face was stiff as she stared at Granny Wan.


    ¡°Who knows if what you said is true? She¡¯s usually fine, but now she¡¯s sick?! When I came, she was still basking in the sun!¡± Ms. Lu huffed angrily.


    ¡°Madam, earlier on, they said that the youngdy¡¯s health iscking, but from what I see, the youngdy is able to eat and sleep on a daily basis, so there¡¯s no problem at all. Moreover¡­ The youngdy is a woman, but she¡¯s often out¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s often out?¡± Ms. Lu was stunned.


    ¡°Yes, I was worried about the youngdy¡¯s safety, so I secretly got someone to keep an eye on her room. Two nights ago, the youngdy wasn¡¯t around, and she only returned early in the morning,¡± the steward added.


    When Ms. Lu heard that, she was delighted.


    That should be enough reason to punish Xie Qiao!


    ¡°Xie Qiao! Why are a youngdy like you out in the middle of the night?! Do you want to tarnish the Xie family¡¯s reputation?!¡± Ms. Lu yelled at Xie Qiao, ¡°Kneel here and reflect!¡±


    Xie Qiao did not move, as if she did not hear her.


    ¡°Someone, tie the youngdy up and make her kneel!¡± Ms. Lu said angrily.


    Yuan Rong immediately waved his hand, and two servants walked over.


    The people that Ms. Lu brought naturally listened to her.


    Granny Wan quickly stopped them.


    Next to Xie Qiao¡¯s chair was her own treasure chest. It was originally ced here to bask in the sun. Now, she reached out and rummaged inside, then she took out a small crossbow.


    ¡°Yes, take two steps forward. Let¡¯s see whose brain will be blown up first?¡± Xie Qiao was still sitting there, pointing the crossbow in her hand at Ms. Lu as said slowly and leisurely.


    How could she travel from the Taoist temple here without possessing some ability to protect himself?

 Chapter 247 - Evil Servant

    <h4>Chapter 247: Evil Servant</h4>


    Xie Qiao was still sitting, but the thing in her hand was very intimidating.


    Ms. Lu was shocked and quickly stepped back. The other servants also felt their scalps tighten, and they did not dare to take a step forward.


    ¡°Young Miss, you¡¯re ady, how can you have such a thing?¡± Steward Yuan took a look, but he was not afraid, ¡°Someone, quickly take the thing from Young Miss¡¯s hand, lest you hurt yourself!¡±


    It was just a bow and arrow. He was born as a bandit, he had seen everything. How could he be afraid of this?!


    Also, this young miss did not seem to be able to hold her breath. She might not even have seen a dead person. How could she dare to attack?


    With this thing in her hand, she was only trying to scare Ms. Lu!


    The servants of the Xie family were mostly bandits from the mountain stronghold back then. When they were bandits, their lives were hard. Later, Xie Niushan gave them a good living, so they were willing to follow him.


    They respected Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang, but they also respected Yuan Rong, who the father and son take seriously.


    If Xie Niushan could still be considered the head of the family, then Yuan Rong was just a minor leader.


    Now that Yuan Rong had spoken, the servants did not cower. They simply went forward and wanted to take the thing in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were cold.


    With a whoosh, the arrow was shot straight into Yuan Rong¡¯s abdomen.


    Yuan Rong felt a sharp pain on his body. Then, he looked at his wound in disbelief.


    ¡°Wild and untamable. He actually tried to harm the master¡¯s family. Such an evil servant deserves to die.¡± Under everyone¡¯s shocked gaze, Xie Qiao loaded the arrow.


    Ms. Lu was so frightened that her entire body trembled, and her face turned pale!


    ¡°S-She killed someone!¡± Ms. Lu opened her mouth, she was pale as she spoke.


    Yuan Rong¡¯s body went limp, and he directly fell to the ground. Blood gushed out from his abdomen. When the others saw that, they immediately retreated. How could they dare to step forward again?


    Xie Qiao stood up unhurriedly, ¡°Evil servant, when you die, I will have Eldest Brother throw you into a mass grave.¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes widened. No one knew what was going on in her head, but she fainted!


    When Xie Qiao saw that, her cold expression suddenly disappeared. She put on a concerned face, ¡°This evil servant scared Mother out of her wits. Hurry up and help Mother back to rest.¡±


    The others were like a swarm of bees that saw a ghost. They carried her away in a chaotic manner.


    The moment the people left, Xie Qiao threw the small crossbow into the bamboo basket.


    Chun Er said worriedly, ¡°Young Miss, that Steward Yuan won¡¯t die, right?¡±


    ¡°If he dies, so be it. If he bes a resentful ghoul, I¡¯ll kill him again,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly and seriously, she was at ease when she said that.


    ¡°But Young Miss, your reputation¡­¡± Chun Er was not concerned about Yuan Rong¡¯s life.


    She only felt that if what happened today were to spread, there would be disadvantageous to the young miss.


    ¡°My life¡¯s fragile, why do I have to care about other people¡¯s lives?¡± Xie Qiao sat on the chair to calm herself down. Then, she said pitifully to Chun Er, ¡°Chun Er, I want ginseng stewed chicken for lunch.¡±


    Chun Er was stunned and quickly agreed.


    ¡®Young Miss, you¡¯ve worked hard!¡¯


    There were few people in her courtyard, which was why they were bullied. If the young miss did not have something to protect herself, she might have really been bullied to death!


    In reality, Xie Qiao knew what was going on.


    Although Yuan Rong was the steward of the family, her idiotic father did not ask Yuan Rong to sign the contract to sell himself in order to show his love for his brothers.


    If Yuan Rong really died, she would indeed bebelled as a murderer.


    However, the small crossbow was not that lethal.

 Chapter 248 - Heartbroken and Horrified

    <h4>Chapter 248: Heartbroken and Horrified</h4>


    The arrow pierced Yuan Rong¡¯s abdomen, but the wound was not fatal. At most, he would have to take some time to heal.


    However, such a person should not stay here.


    Today, he dared to instigate Ms. Lu to break into Xie Qiao courtyard andy their hands on her. In the future, they would dare to kill her openly.


    Her parents were bandits. She knew very well what kind of people bandits were, and there was no need for her to clear their names.


    Her father obtained his current status from sheer luck. He had killed the barbarians to protect his family and defend the country. Otherwise, someone like him would have long been dragged to the market to be killed.


    Some of his men were innocent and clean, and some were brave and courageous. However, for people like Yuan Rong¡­


    First, he had never killed the barbarians. Second, he had done evil. The only reason why he could still live peacefully by Xie Niushan¡¯s side was because his father was dumb.


    Xie Qiao scoffed.


    ¡®Yuan Rong, there are many things that I can do to you since I can¡¯t kill you.¡¯.


    Xie Qiaoy on the bed, eating and drinking.


    When Ms. Lu passed out, they called for a doctor and got Pei Wanyue over to see her. It was as if Ms. Lu was the one who was about to die.


    On the other hand, Xie Qiao¡¯s side was extremely quiet.


    At noon, Chun Er stewed ginseng chicken soup for her.


    Xie Qiao ate it all.


    She liked nutritious food like that. After eating it, she felt energized. She also thought about getting Chun Er to prepare some delicious food for the evening.


    The few ghouls that ate and drank recklessly earlier had really hurt her stomach. Now, she had to make it up to herself.


    In the afternoon, Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang returned.


    In the main courtyard, Xie Pinghuai and Pei Wanyue had been guarding Ms. Lu for the entire day. They could only see that her head was tied with a piece of cloth and her face pale as shey on the bed. She looked extremely pitiful.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t she fine when I left this morning? Why is she so sick now?¡± Xie Niushan took off his outer garment and immediately went forward to ask with concern.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Ms. Lu¡¯s daughter hurriedly called out, she had tears falling on her face.


    Xie Niushan secretly jolted from her call.


    Xie Pinghuai scratched his head, feeling rather annoyed.


    He had heard about what had happened today. To be honest, he felt that¡­ his eldest sister had done the right thing. After all, his father had said earlier that no one was allowed to go to eldest sister¡¯s courtyard without his and eldest brother¡¯s permission.


    His mother had done this knowingly. However, it had not been easy for his mother to take care of him all these years. Seeing how frightened she was, he could not me her.


    He only felt that he was in a pickle, he thought he was quite pitiful.


    ¡°Uncle Xie! Xie Qiao is ady, yet she wants to shoot my Mother. You must stand up for my Mother. Otherwise, even if I have to bring this matter to the administrative office, I will make Xie Qiao pay the price!¡± Pei Wanyue became determined suddenly.


    Xie Niushan frowned, ¡°What did you say? Shoot her?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t believe it.¡¯


    His eldest daughter was weak and frail. She was delicate and pitiful. She looked like she could barely breathe. How could she shoot Ms. Lu?


    If it was the other way around, it would be more realistic to say that Ms. Lu wanted to kill Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Master, Madam wanted to speak to First Young Lady today. She asked for her several times but First Young Lady was not feeling well, so she personally went to visit her. However, when she arrived at the courtyard, she found that First Young Lady was sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun. Madam felt wronged and said a few words to her, but First Young Lady used Madam of meddling in other people¡¯s business. Madam felt that First Young Lady had been raised in a Taoist temple since young and did not understand the rules. She was worried that she would be like this when she married someone in the future, so she scolded her and wanted to teach her a lesson. Who would have thought¡­


    ¡°Who would have thought that the First Young Lady would be so angry that she took out her crossbow and shot Steward Yuan to death! Fortunately, the doctor arrived in time and saved Steward Yuan¡¯s life!¡± One of Ms. Lu¡¯s servants said immediately.


    Ms. Lu felt wronged, ¡°Master, although I didn¡¯t give birth to any children for the Xie family, I have apanied you all these years with all those rumors and nders. Now, forget it that Qiao doesn¡¯t listen to me, this is how she treats me. I¡¯m heartbroken and horrified!¡±

 Chapter 249 - I Don’t Know Anything

    <h4>Chapter 249: I Don¡¯t Know Anything</h4>


    Xie Niushan could roughly understand.


    He was angry. He said immediately, ¡°I¡¯ll look for Qiao and ask her about it.¡±


    Xie Niushan strode out.


    Xie Pinggang heard as soon as he came in. He knew that his father must have been fooled again, so he waited for him at the main courtyard¡¯s entrance.


    Seeing that he was in such a hurry, he immediately felt disgusted. ¡°Father, what kind of thing did you marry? She doesn¡¯t understand humannguage at all! Didn¡¯t you tell her before that no matter how serious the matter is, we¡¯ll talk about it when we get back? She¡¯s not allowed to go to Eldest Sister¡¯s courtyard. Doesn¡¯t she understand that?!¡±


    Xie Niushan opened his mouth feeling speechless.


    That was right, he had said that before!


    He was almost fooled!


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told her, but she¡¯s free to move around. What can I do?¡± Xie Niushan was upset.


    ¡°There¡¯s also Yuan Rong. He deserves what happened to him this time. What kind of person dares to step into the young miss¡¯ courtyard? If it were me, I would¡¯ve shot an arrow through his head!¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    With that said, Xie Niushan calmed down a little.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s ask your sister what happened.¡± Xie Niushan sighed.


    Xie Pinghuai happened toe at this time. The father and sons went to Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard.


    After entering, they saw blood on the ground.


    They frowned.


    The sky was dark. Xie Qiao went back to her room so that she would not catch a cold.


    She sat there and tranted some foreign texts. She wanted to do more during this holiday so that she could earn some silver beans to make up for her previous losses.


    The father and sons stood at the door, feeling rather awkward.


    ¡°What are you guys standing there for? Are you guys guarding the door?¡± Xie Qiao put down her brush and said in an unfriendly tone.


    Xie Niushan jolted. He nced at Xie Pinggang and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s throwing a tantrum at us¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang red at him.


    Who was to me?!


    Xie Qiao got up and asked Chun Er to prepare tea.


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to ask what happened during the day. We weren¡¯t at home. If there¡¯s any conflict between the two of you, it would be chaotic at home¡­¡± Xie Niushan said in a low voice. He did not seem to have much confidence.


    He was indeed a little scared of this daughter of his.


    It was because his official position was given to him by Xie Qiao. Back then, if Xie Qiao had not written a letter to him asking him to beat up the barbarians and exchange his merits for an official position, his life would not be sofortable now.


    Moreover, this daughter was different from his sons. She was soft and gentle, and her voice was delicate like feathers. If his voice was too loud, it would scare her to death.


    Most importantly, when he saw his eldest daughter, he thought of his first wife, Ms. Peng, the tigress.


    When his wife beat him, she never showed mercy.


    Although Xie Qiao looked much more charming than Ms. Peng, and even though she did not look like her mother, her sarcastic tone¡­


    It sounded interesting.


    ¡°Who did Father say was my Mother?¡± Xie Qiao did not even look at Xie Niushan and sneered indifferently, ¡°My Mother was reincarnated a long time ago. Who is this person even? I called her Mother twice just to be polite, and you actually took it seriously?¡±


    Xie Niushan gulped.


    ¡°What exactly happened?!¡±


    Chun Er came in.


    She looked furious, ¡°How could you ask that?! My young miss almost died, and you¡¯ve no idea about it?!¡±


    Chun Er was fearless.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°I¡¯ve just returned home, how could I have known that¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, yet you¡¯re here to stir trouble for my youngdy! Aren¡¯t you biased?¡± Chun Er asked again.


    Xie Niushan felt that he had been shot twice, ¡°Stop your nonsense. What happened during the day?¡±


    How did his prideful daughter almost die?!

 Chapter 250 - Can You Do That?

    <h4>Chapter 250: Can You Do That?</h4>


    Chun Er was pissed. She was worried about Xie Qiao when she thought about what happened during the day.


    ¡°Our Young Lady¡¯s health wascking, and she had been unconscious for a day and a night. She was afraid that you guys would be worried, so she stopped us from calling a doctor. She also said that she was used to it since she was young and that it was fine for her to be unconscious. We were afraid that she would feel ill, so we listened to her. Madam, on the other hand, sent someone to get the Young Lady to see her. We told her that Young Lady was not feeling well, but she didn¡¯t believe it!


    ¡°Early this morning, the sun was shining brightly. Young Lady loves to bask in the sun. She said that it was full of Yang energy and good for the body, so sheid down in the courtyard for a while. Madam brought a few servants and barged in just like that. Our Young Lady is an unmarried daughter of a respectable family. How could they be so rude?!


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Young Lady asked them to leave, but they didn¡¯t listen. Madam insisted that Young Lady was putting on an act and wanted to punish her. She said that she wanted to beat her up and make her kneel. Our Young Lady couldn¡¯t even stand properly. Madam didn¡¯t care at all. Instead, she kept provoking the Young Lady!


    ¡°That Steward Yuan also said that our Young Lady didn¡¯te home that night during Winter Clothes Day. What he said was like telling others that our Young Lady was indecent!


    ¡°Our Young Lady didn¡¯t go home on Winter Clothes Day. She went to the academy. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to the academy and ask the steward!


    ¡°When Madam heard the news, she was like an eagle that saw a prey and immediately pecked at her. She insisted on teaching the Young Lady a lesson. How is she a qualified Madam?! The Young Lady didn¡¯t do anything bad. Even if she did, instead of trying to protect the family pride, the Madam only wanted to make a big fuss out of it!


    ¡°On the way to the capital, our Young Lady had to go through troubles everywhere she went! Ms. Lu bought all sorts of good things for Young Lady Pei, but not a single one of them was for our Young Lady. The Yuan family¡¯spensation a few days ago was meant for the Young Lady, but Madam made it feel like it was her who bought them for the Young Lady. She even said that she had sacrificed a lot for the Young Lady. What a joke!


    ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know much, but I know that my heart aches for the Young Lady. If it weren¡¯t for you guys, the Young Lady wouldn¡¯t be suffering so much!¡±


    Chun Er¡¯s consecutive words stunned Xie Niushan.


    In the end, he found out that this youngdy was filial to her father, so she endured everything all the way.


    As her father, he had married an evil woman, causing this youngdy to suffer all sorts of troubles.


    His old face flushed.


    ¡°How¡¯s Eldest Sister¡¯s health now?¡± Xie Pinggang quickly asked.


    ¡°She ate some supplements. She¡¯s doing alright.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked low-spirited.


    ¡°H-How could you not tell us that you¡¯re sick? It¡¯s not like our family doesn¡¯t have money to get you a doctor!¡± Xie Niushan said.


    Xie Qiao looked up at him, ¡°Does Father have money? Father is clearly very poor.¡±


    Xie Niushan was speechless. He felt a pain in his chest.


    Poor.


    There was no official who was poorer than him.


    Xie Niushan felt sullen and smacked Xie Pinghuai on the head, ¡°You little brat, when are you going to pay back the 10,000 taels of silver that you owe your Eldest Sister?!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai covered his head and stared at his father.


    What did that have to do with him?!


    After venting his anger, Xie Niushan looked at Xie Qiao and said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°No matter how poor we are, we must get you a doctor¡­ Oh right, what supplement do you eat? Is it enough? Go buy some more and get the money from our ountter¡­¡±


    ¡°Is Father going to pay for me?¡± Xie Qiao looked up at him with a calm expression.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Xie Niushan immediately expressed his stance.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll ask Chun Er to send you my daily food list in a while. My body needs all that to be healthy, so there¡¯s nothing on the list that you should miss. I¡¯ll be relying on you from now on.¡± Xie Qiao said with a serious expression, ¡°Is Yuan Rong Dead? If he is, send him to the mass grave. If he¡¯s not¡­ hit him 80 times, break his limbs and chase him out of the house. Can Father do that?¡±

 Chapter 251 - Three Options, Your Choice

    <h4>Chapter 251: Three Options, Your Choice</h4>


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He was not used to this youngdy shouting and fighting. As for the list of supplements she mentioned earlier, he did not care at all.


    How much silver could this youngdy spend? She was so petite¡­


    ¡°My daughter, Y-Yuan Rong has been with me since the beginning of time. We¡¯re from the same mountain stronghold. Now that I¡¯m doing well, I can¡¯t get rid of him, right?¡± Xie Niushan said carefully.


    Xie Qiao narrowed her eyes, looking a little disappointed.


    ¡°So in Father¡¯s eyes, you need to protect your brother even if he repeatedly offends your daughter? You would tolerate that? He barged into my courtyard today, and even ordered the servants to take my stuff. Maybe you¡¯ll give your daughter¡¯s life away to him one day, is that right?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was cold and indifferent, there was even a hint of estrangement in it.


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he felt a chill inside.


    ¡°He deserves to be killed!¡± Xie Pinggang was very decisive, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. When we return, we¡¯ll cripple his limbs and throw him out of the city. In the future, we won¡¯t allow this man to get anywhere close to the Xie family again! He humiliated you like this. He will definitely suffer a fate worse than death!¡±


    ¡°You brat!¡± Xie Niushan was a little anxious.


    Yuan Rong had to be punished. It was not a problem to chase him out. However..


    It would be a little cruel to hit him¡­


    ¡°That b*stard Yuan Rong has been misbehaving for a long time. The family finance is in a mess. He benefited significantly from Ms. Lu¡¯sck of management! Although he¡¯s an old man from the mountain stronghold, he¡¯s just a piece of trash. He has never fought with us before. We made him a steward from a crude bandit. Have we wronged him? He actually dared to ride on his master¡¯s head. Even if this kind of person is in the mountain stronghold, he¡¯s still a disloyal traitor. It¡¯s good enough that we didn¡¯t feed him directly to the wolves!¡±


    Xie Niushan understood that. Now that he heard what his eldest son said, he thought about it seriously.


    He did not think that Yuan Rong was qualified.


    It was just that there were fewer and fewer people from the mountain stronghold. Some of those who got out together had apletely different life now and had long forgotten the friendship between their brothers.


    ¡°Thank you, Eldest Brother,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Pinggang had a serious look on his face. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to change the servants in the house. Father is nostalgic, but this is not the mountain stronghold! Those who don¡¯t abide by the rules and don¡¯t behave are not allowed to stay!¡±


    It should have been like this a long time ago!


    Only then did Xie Qiao show some relief on her face.


    Xie Niushan also felt guilty toward Xie Qiao.


    Thinking about it carefully, he had been nice to Yuan Rong and the others. However, Yuan Rong actually bullied his daughter now¡­


    His stance changed very quickly.


    As he thought about it, he felt that Yuan Rong was indeed a traitor.


    ¡°If Father has nothing to dotely, can youe over and y chess with me?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said.


    Xie Niushan was stunned and a little puzzled. However, his daughter¡¯s voice was soft and sounded very pitiful. He nodded without even thinking about it.


    After nodding, he remembered that his daughter¡­ had the fate that was bad luck for her family?! Moreover, he did not know how to y chess!


    He suddenly felt a little scared.


    However, Xie Qiao was upset now and on the verge of throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Father, Ms. Lu¡­¡± Xie Pinggang was a little frustrated. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three options. First option, our children would lose their father. Second, divorce. Third option¡­ after the family changes the servants and wife, lock them in the courtyard to reflect. Your choice.¡±


    Xie Niushan was about to re up when Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°My vote goes to divorce. We should have done this earlier. If the olddy dies in the future, Ms. Lu will need to pay her respect. It would be difficult for you to divorce her in the future.¡±


    ¡®What the hell?!¡¯


    However, Xie Niushan did not dare to express his opinion at that moment!


    He was angry. How could Ms. Lu and her servants bully the girl?!


    However, even though he was angry, he did not consider divorcing his wife. After all, it was not easy to get a wife¡­


    ¡°Are you guys serious about that?¡± Xie Niushan felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles.


    Xie Pinghuai had an anxious look on his face, but he did not dare to say anything as he had heard that his mother¡¯s doings were inappropriate.

 Chapter 252 - Passing

    <h4>Chapter 252: Passing</h4>


    Xie Qiao ced the teacup in her hand on the table.


    ¡°Father can¡¯t bear to part with her?¡± Xie Qiao snorted, ¡°Madam is not virtuous and is the source of the chaos of the family. As a junior, I shouldn¡¯t have said these things. However, if there is even the slightest redeeming feature of Ms. Lu, I will not stop there.


    ¡°Ms. Lu doesn¡¯t distinguish between right and wrong. She doesn¡¯t know her priorities and indulges the sisters-inw. She has developed the habit of only reaching out for benefits. As the Madam, she¡¯s not strict in her housekeeping. Her ounts are full of loopholes and she¡¯s always lying. Forget it that she doesn¡¯t know how to educate her children. For Pinghuai, she would spoil him. For Xi¡¯er, she would put on an act and ignore her. She¡¯s selfish, ipetent and ignorant. If she were a concubine, it would not be a problem for her to be ignorant. However, she¡¯s not qualified to take on the burden of the entire family¡­ Cough, cough¡­¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she started coughing violently.


    She was so stifled that her face turned red.


    Xie Niushan was so worried that he immediately stood up and rushed over to help her breathe.


    Xie Qiao was so angry¡­


    At that moment, Xie Niushan really began to reflect on himself.


    ¡°Father and Eldest Brother¡­ Cough, cough¡­¡± Xie Qiao took a deep breath, ¡°We were bandits before, every word and action we take¡­ People are w-watching¡­ and Eldest Brother, his marriage¡­ Cough, cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, take a rest,¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s heart ached terribly.


    Chun Er quickly ran to the cab and took out some pills, giving them to Xie Qiao to consume.


    The medicine was too expensive, and Xie Qiao tried her best to use it sparingly.


    However, the effects of the medicine were undeniable.


    After taking the medicine and drinking some water, Xie Qiao calmed down after a while.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart almost jumped out of his chest. Earlier, he thought his daughter was going to die!


    ¡°Eldest Brother is already in his early twenties. He should¡¯ve settled down a long time ago. However, with such a Madam in the family, even if the daughter of another family were to marry into our family, she would still have to suffer¡­ Although it¡¯s better to demolish a temple than to demolish a marriage, Ms. Lu¡­ doesn¡¯t have my mother¡¯s courage and decisiveness, and neither does she have Ms. Lin¡¯s gentleness and warmth. We can¡¯t keep her,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    She would not simply destroy a woman¡¯s future.


    It was difficult for women. If her marriage was ruined, she would have to live in the shadows for the rest of her life.


    That was why she had endured it earlier.


    On the way to the capital, Pei Wanyue had been scared sick by the bones. Ms. Lu had been cold to her, but Xie Qiao could not be bothered to care about it.


    After returning home, she had repeatedly tried to pretend that she did not understand the underlying meaning behind Ms.Lu¡¯s words.


    However, Ms.Lu was too much.


    ¡°Eldest Sister¡­¡± Xie Pinggang looked at Xie Qiao with aplicated expression.


    Xie Qiao looked determined.


    ¡°Let me¡­ think about it.¡± Xie Niushan looked serious as he stood up and left.


    ¡°When you were at the Taoist temple, you wrote to your family saying that you were feeling much better. Is that true?¡± Xie Pinggang chased Xie Pinghuai out and asked.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m feeling much better.¡±


    She was no longer like when she was young, almost fainting every day.


    Xie Pinggang knew that she was short-lived. After all, she had seen many doctors.


    However, he also had the thought that this girl couldst for decades, especially since Xie Qiao looked fine and always had a blush on her cheeks. She would only asionally pant like that, so he was not that concerned.


    ¡°Tell me the truth. How many more years can you live?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°We have to make preparations early. I mentioned to you earlier about the matter of offering after death¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao felt that her eldest brother loved torturing himself.


    She rubbed his nose, ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure how many years more I can live. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯d live longer if I eat supplements and keep a peace of mind. If I¡¯m angry every day and have no medicine to take, it would be hard for me to live for a year or two¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang said with a serious expression, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the matchmaker and get some portraits. Take a look and choose a man to bear children with!¡±

 Chapter 253 - Bearing A Child

    <h4>Chapter 253: Bearing A Child</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was very clear about that.


    Since Xie Qiao was going to die anyway, there was nothing he could do to stop this matter. It was useless for him to be sad.


    The most important thing was to let Xie Qiao give birth to a child and have an heir to pass on. Her life in the human world would not be in vain.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I¡¯m picky,¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    When she looked at people, she could not help but look at their facial features. It was fine if it was her rtives, but if it was her other half, if there were any ws, she would not be able to stand it!


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to get married?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Xie Qiao was very straightforward.


    She had never gotten married in her previous life, but in this life¡­ she had always lived cautiously. She did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that she would scare herself to death. Although she had the temperament of a Taoist master, she was still ady after all. She was already 16, she also wanted to have the taste of marrying and having children. Only then would her two lives be consideredplete.


    Moreover, she also hoped that after her death, regardless of whether it was a man or woman, she hoped someone would remember her and pay her respect.


    It would be fine if she was reincarnated immediately after her death. If she was never reincarnated, and she had no descendants to do that for her, what would she do if her life was miserable down there?


    ¡°Then don¡¯t be picky. Just find someone with decent facial features and decent character,¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and thought for a moment, ¡°Eldest Brother, I like¡­ The Crown Prince¡¯s looks. Can you find someone who looks like that?¡±


    Xie Pinggang thought he heard wrong and dug his ears, ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Xie Qiao felt a little guilty, ¡°The Crown Prince is good-looking. There¡¯s nothing wrong with his facial features. He¡¯s born with a noble appearance. His eyes are bright, I feel veryfortable when I look at him¡­ Is there anyone simr to him?¡±


    ¡°Give up on that thought!¡± Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes.


    ¡®The Crown Prince, why not the Emperor, then?!¡¯


    It was still possible to be married to the Emperor. After all, he was an old man. She might even make it to the talent show!


    However, the Crown Prince, that thing! Patooi! That guy was even more picky than his sister!


    Now that the Crown Prince was working in the criminal division, he especially liked to call him over to talk about cases, so he now knew a lot about the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince was not a lecherous person. No matter how much he looked like a celestial being, it was useless!


    Also, his temper¡­ was not very good.


    He had gone to the prison to interrogate a case once, and he faced an extremely vicious person. That torture device was gravely cruel, and it was to his liking!


    It would be terrible for him to bring such a person back for Xie Qiao, right?


    The look in his eldest sister¡¯s eyes¡­


    Xie Qiao chuckled and scratched her head, ¡°I was just joking¡­ Who doesn¡¯t like that face? It¡¯s just a face¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that the pce is arranging a marriage for the Crown Prince. Why don¡¯t I get the grand preceptor to find a way to include you as well? If the upper echelons see you, they might be able to make you a concubine or something. Anyway, you won¡¯t live long. It doesn¡¯t matter who you marry. As long as you can have a child, that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly said with a serious expression.


    Xie Qiao opened her mouth.


    She was talking about someone who looked like the Crown Prince. She did not mean she wanted to marry the Crown Prince¡­


    However, someone who looked simr to the Crown Prince was definitely someone who was wealthy or noble.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that our father is incapable. I¡¯m afraid that we won¡¯t be invited to the East Pce banquet. Even if the grand preceptor helps, it might not be possible. I¡¯ll¡­think of a wayter¡­¡± Xie Pinggang left with a headache.


    For the sake of Xie Qiao¡¯s future, he had put in a lot of effort.


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded.


    She stood there in a daze.


    No, that Crown Prince¡¯s banquet¡­ she had already agreed to go¡­


    However, it was not for the arranged marriage..


    Xie Qiao could not even catch her breath. Before she could say anything, Xie Pinggang had already disappeared.

 Chapter 254 - Let’s Get A Divorce

    <h4>Chapter 254: Let¡¯s Get A Divorce</h4>


    Xie Pinggang really took this matter to heart. He was thinking of putting in a good word for his younger sister to the Crown Prince some other day.


    Although Xie Qiao¡¯s health wascking, her face was pretty. Perhaps the Crown Prince would give him face on ount of his hard work and diligence?


    Xie Pinggang felt that his younger sister would not live long, so he naturally had to work hard to fulfill her wish. He also wanted her to die in peace.


    On the other side, at this moment, Xie Niushan was returning to the main courtyard with a cold expression.


    When he stepped back into the house, he saw Ms. Lu lying on the bed with a sickly look on her face.


    Looking at Ms. Lu¡¯s face, it made one¡¯s heart ache. However, when Xie Niushan thought of his own daughter, he did not feel that her face was weak anymore.


    If one were to say that she was sickly, Ms. Lu¡¯s appearance was nothing.


    Qiao¡¯s face was truly pitiful. As for Ms. Lu¡­


    Xie Niushan was not blind. He could tell that Ms. Lu was faking it. However, there were many times when he did not bother to argue with a woman. Moreover, to him, it was pleasing to the eyes when a woman was delicate.


    However, the prerequisite was that this delicate appearance was the pleasure of the bedroom, not to be used to scheme against his daughter.


    Xie Niushan entered with a grim expression. Ms. Lu¡¯s heart sank, she immediately felt wronged, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve married into the family for so many years, but I haven¡¯t given birth to a son or daughter for you. I¡¯ve let you down. Now that Qiao hates me so much, I really don¡¯t have a ce in this family. I think you should just divorce me!¡±


    Ms. Lu understood that retreating was the best way to advance.


    Xie Niushan said, ¡°I won¡¯t divorce you, but you can¡¯t stay in this house anymore. You¡¯ve been divorced once. I reckon that if you divorce me again, you¡¯ll have a miserable time when you go home. Since your daughter doesn¡¯t want to go back to Liaozhou, you two can stay in the capital. I¡¯ll give you a house and some silver. With my name, even if we¡¯re divorced, no one will dare to bully the both of you!¡±


    There were differences between divorcing and being divorced.


    As soon as Xie Niushan finished his sentence, Ms. Lu¡¯s face stiffened and she looked at him in disbelief, ¡°What did you say? You want to divorce me?!¡±


    Pei Wanyue was also dumbfounded when she heard that.


    Although she felt that the Xie family was born as a bandit, she slowly came to her senses since she could not go to the academy and could only stay in the house alely.


    Even if Xie Niushan was born as a bandit, he was still better than amoner.


    She still wanted to properly apologize to Uncle Xie and think of a way toe back in the future. However, in the blink of an eye, they were getting a divorce?!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so yourself? You asked me to divorce you, but I gave you face. Instead of divorcing you, I chose to do this peacefully. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Xie Niushan said directly.


    ¡°What did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?! Since I married you, I was trembling with fear all these years, afraid that I would offend you and your son. Now that you¡¯ve heard two sentences from that little girl, you¡¯re going to turn around and abandon your wife. Xie Niushan, you¡¯re heartless!¡± Ms. Lu leaped from the bed directly, crying and shouting as she cursed.


    Xie Niushan was shocked, but he became calmer after he came to his senses.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you made many mistakes? Earlier, this girl stole something. I didn¡¯t punish her because of you. Because of her, my son is still being bullied by the teacher. He hasn¡¯t be a disciple yet!


    ¡°He¡¯s a man, and I don¡¯t want him to be petty about this. I never mentioned it, but this time, you¡¯ve really done it!


    ¡°When Eldest Daughter was brought home, I repeatedly reminded you that you¡¯re not allowed to set foot in her courtyard! If you think you can¡¯t get along with her, then don¡¯t bother about her, as long as you don¡¯t shortchange her daily expenses! What did you do to her?! My daughter almost died in your hands, and I shouldn¡¯t divorce you?!¡±

 Chapter 255 - Useless

    <h4>Chapter 255: Useless</h4>


    Xie Niushan felt aggrieved too.


    He knew that he had already treated this woman well. He had agreed to take care of Pei Wanyue, the daughter who came for free without even thinking about it. He had even thought of putting that girl under his family name like a cuckold!


    Ms. Lu had all the family fortune in her hands. She had spent more and saved less. Xie Niushan said nothing about it!


    Now that he thought about it, the only thing that he did not do for them was catching the stars and moon in the sky. However, it turned out this woman was ungrateful!


    He knew what kind of person he was. He was incapable of educating his children, nor did he expect Ms. Lu to be better than him. As long as it was not too much, he could tolerate it.


    However, she should have a bottom line.


    To put it bluntly, if she was targeting that brat Xie Pinggang, he would not be so angry.


    His eldest daughter was different. She was already a short-lived child. Ms. Peng had risked her life to leave this seed behind. He should have pampered her properly. If not for her wretched fate, she would not have been raised in the Taoist temple for so many years!


    There were only a few people in his life that he was afraid of.


    Ms. Peng was one of them.


    If Xie Qiao was killed by this woman, he would not be able to sleep well in the future!


    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s do this. If you¡¯re not willing to leave, then we can only follow Pinggang¡¯s n to keep you at home. We can learn from those big families and build a small temple hall. We can lock you in there for life. I feel that it is no different from raising animals. I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t be able to stand it either. We might as well let you leave. Although it would ruin your reputation, it won¡¯t hinder you from living your life!¡± Xie Niushan said, he felt troubled.


    It was not easy to get a wife, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone.


    However, he could not possibly not have a wife by his side, right?


    He was not a monk. In the dead of night, he had to do something to feel better, right?


    Xie Niushan frowned.


    Ms. Lu originally thought that Xie Niushan was joking to scare her, but now, seeing him so serious, she really panicked.


    ¡°Master! It¡¯s that girl who bullied me! As a stepmother, why can¡¯t I even enter her courtyard?! It¡¯s her who pointed the crossbow at me, it¡¯s me who almost died!¡± Ms. Lu immediately shrieked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times! You¡¯re not allowed to enter her courtyard! Pinghuai and Xi¡¯er usually don¡¯t go over, why did you have to go there?! Do you really think I¡¯m dumb?!¡± Xie Niushan was furious, ¡°I¡¯ll get people to prepare the divorce papers!¡±


    After saying that, he snorted and left in rage.


    Ms. Lu was left dumbfounded, ¡°He wants a divorce?! He actually wants to divorce me for that wretched girl?! How am I supposed to live?!¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s tears instantly flowed down like a steam.


    ¡°Mother! Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s useless to cry now!¡± Pei Wanyue quickly grabbed Ms. Lu¡¯s hand, ¡°You can choose not to divorce. You have been back to the capital for some time now. Perhaps during this period of time, you¡¯re already pregnant with Uncle Xie¡¯s child in your belly? Let¡¯s get through these few days. If you coax him properly, he might change his mind!¡± Pei Wanyue quickly said.


    Other than this, she did not know what else to do.


    If her mother divorced, the two of them would have no backing in the future.


    Pei Wanyue was in a daze.


    Could it be that she could only rely on the Xie family? The Xie family was too unreasonable!


    ¡°That¡¯s right! A child¡­¡± Ms. Lu quickly clutched her stomach. Then, she felt a little hopeless, ¡°Back then, I couldn¡¯t give birth to a child at the Pei family. Now that I¡¯m in the Xie family¡­ How could I possibly have a child?!¡±


    Ms. Lu cried and sobbed until Pei Wanyue was annoyed and frustrated.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! You¡¯ve been in this family for so long, and your status is even worse than Xie Qiao¡¯s! Which madam of the family is as useless as you?!¡± Pei Wanyue said angrily.


    Her face was also somewhat dispirited.


    Ms. Lu looked at her in shock, ¡°I¡¯m useless? If it wasn¡¯t for you, h-how would I have ended up like this?!¡±

 Chapter 256 - Isolated and Helpless

    <h4>Chapter 256: Isted and Helpless</h4>


    When Ms. Lu said that, she suddenly felt that that was the truth.


    If her daughter did not go against Xie Qiao in every way, she would not stand on the opposite side of Xie Qiao in order to avenge her daughter!


    She did not have a child with the Xie family. In order to fortify her position, she would definitely have to curry favor with Xie Qiao. Moreover, earlier on, she had told Wanyue that Xie Qiao was short-lived. No matter how outstanding she was, she would still pave the way for her. There was no need to fight with Xie Qiao!


    However, Yue¡¯er did not listen to her!


    After a while, she finally formed a grudge with Xie Qiao!


    Also, the matter of stealing the jade had made her lose face in this family!


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of Mother thinking about all this now?! You should think about how you can stay!¡± Pei Wanyue snorted.


    She had to think of a solution. She could not just rely on her mother.


    Ms. Lu could only feel that the sky had turned dark. She could not feel any strength in her body. This time, it was as if she was sick. She could not eat or sleep well.


    After Xie Pinggang left Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard, he immediately began to count the servants and maidservants in the house.


    The next morning, he directly applied for a day off and got many people toe to the house.


    He sold those dishonest people away. Fortunately, other than Yuan Rong, there were not many servants without a contract in the house. Otherwise, it would be even more troublesome.


    At that moment, those who were without a contract were chased away directly. Xie Pinggang even got people to carry Yuan Rong over in the presence of everyone.


    They only hit him 20 times. After all, if they really hit him 80 times, this man would definitely be beaten to death.


    Yuan Rong¡¯s body was weak. He was beaten until he was unable to resist.


    ¡°Eldest Young Master, you are ungrateful. I-I followed the Master all the way here!¡± Yuan Rong said with difficulty.


    ¡°My a*s! I remember clearly when you entered the mountain stronghold. You were already a sly and cunning person. You were not there when you beat up the barbarians. However, you came along with us to the Imperial City to be an official!¡± Xie Pinggang said with a straight face, ¡°Cripple one of his arms and legs and throw him out!¡±


    ¡°Young Master! You can¡¯t do this. I-I have worked hard even if I didn¡¯t contribute anything!¡± Yuan Rong dragged his body and crawled over to grab the corner of Xie Pinggang¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked at home for so many years and didn¡¯t even contribute anything. What¡¯s the use of having you?!¡± Xie Pinggang had long disliked him.


    With that said, he ordered his men to take action the next moment.


    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t punish me! I¡¯m a free man, I¡¯m not a servant!¡± Yuan Rong quickly added.


    Xie Pinggang waved, ¡°You mean to report the case, right? That¡¯s fine too. There are witnesses to the attempted murder of my sister. Why don¡¯t I send you there myself?¡±


    Yuan Rong jolted.


    Of course, he knew that if he really reported the case, his life would be even more miserable.


    The usation was not true at all. However, Xie Pinggang was an official in the criminal division. Would it not be a piece of cake for him to get someone to punish him?!


    Moreover¡­


    Before he became a bandit, hemitted crimes. After that, he followed Xie Niushan. That was why he was able to rely on the military merits of the Xie family to protect himself. If he reported the case, he would not have any military merits, and his previous crimes would resurface¡­


    Yuan Rong quickly shook his head.


    He did not dare toin anymore.


    Xie Pinggang was a man of his word. He really got people to cripple him.


    The pain directly knocked him out.


    Xie Pinggang did not have anypassion or sympathy. He got people to throw Yuan Rong out of the city.


    With the benefits of the Xie family, he actually dared to bully the youngdy of the Xie family. He was lucky that he did not kill her on the spot.


    Xie Niushan did not interfere in this matter. Moreover, he had been very depressed for the past two days.


    He had a scale in his heart and knew who was right and who was wrong. He also knew that Yuan Rong should not be kept. However, now that Yuan Rong was gone, many of the elders from the mountain stronghold were sold or chased away. All of a sudden, it was as if it was empty, causing him to be a little dazed.


    He initially thought that even if he became an official, there would be people that he knew in the family and their days would be simr to the past.


    Now, out of nowhere, he suddenly felt empty behind him, isted and helpless.

 Chapter 257 - Befuddled

    <h4>Chapter 257: Befuddled</h4>


    Xie Niushan felt wronged as well.


    He was initially a bandit, he was not used to being an official.


    Of course, he also understood that since he hade to the Imperial City, he could no longer be as unbridled as before. It was just that he was already so old, yet he still had to ept such a change. He felt wronged.


    The person who felt even more wronged was currently holding onto the nket and crying.


    Pei Wanyue could not stay in the Xie Residence any longer. She went back on the same day, leaving Ms. Lu behind. She could not figure it out no matter how hard she tried.


    At night, when Xie Niushan delivered the divorce papers, Ms. Lu immediately knelt and said the excuse she had thought of earlier.


    Xie Niushan looked at Ms. Lu¡¯s tummy, ¡°You haven¡¯t been pregnant for a few years. How could there be such a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°But what if?!¡± Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes were hazy with tears, ¡°Master, I-I really made a mistake. I promise that I will never provoke Qiao again in the future¡­ Husbands and wives should stay together forever. If I were to divorce, I might as well die!¡±


    Xie Niushan was in a pickle as well.


    He knew that this woman would be criticized by others after the divorce.


    For instance, when he married Ms. Lu, she had been staying with her parents for many years. She never dared to go out and meet people. Even at home, she had to tip-toe around her parents and brothers. She was locked in the courtyard almost all the time and could not step out.


    ¡°You are my woman. I have treated you well all these years. Back then, when Ms. Lin was around, I didn¡¯t spend so much money to support her. All these years, I have be an official. But have you forgotten what I used to do?¡± Xie Niushan sat there, he looked ferocious.


    Ms. Lu was stunned. She buried her head and her body could not help but tremble.


    ¡°Back then, I was in charge of so many brothers. I relied on my fists. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t hit women! You¡¯re living in this house. As long as you don¡¯t make mistakes, even if you¡¯re old and ugly, I¡¯m willing to support you. Even if that b*stard Xie Pinggang isn¡¯t willing, he can¡¯t do anything to you! But this time, you¡¯ve really crossed the line.


    ¡°I became an official because I was a bandit. But don¡¯t you know why I was a bandit?¡± Xie Niushan asked again.


    Ms. Lu twitched twice.


    She remembered now.


    She was well aware of her husband¡¯s past deeds.


    It was Ms. Peng¡¯s father, the old master of the family, who brought the young Xie Niushan up the mountain stronghold. After training him for a few years, he married his daughter off.


    Although Ms. Peng¡¯s family were all bandits, if it was not for Ms. Peng back then, Xie Niushan would have died long ago.


    A person who was hated by the vigers and driven out of the family, without talent or money, and in such a chaotic territory, the chances of survival were not high.


    Ms. Lu nodded with difficulty. ¡°I-I¡¯m at fault. I know I¡¯m at fault¡­¡±


    Tears were streaming down her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to tell you directly. Ms. Peng¡¯s children are more important than my life. If you don¡¯t take her children seriously, then you¡¯re cutting me with a knife, making me an ungrateful person. You can¡¯t do that!¡± Xie Niushan said again.


    Ms. Lu was already crying.


    ¡°I, I was befuddled. I-I have also thought of taking good care of her before this. I-It was¡­¡± Ms. Lu actually could not say it as she spoke to this point.


    She could not say that it was because of her own daughter that she treated Xie Qiao differently.


    She slumped dejectedly.


    She knew that Xie Niushan was often like a fence sitter. He was fickle-minded, but once he made up his mind, then there was no way of changing it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said everything I need to. Sign the divorce papers,¡± Xie Niushan said again.


    Ms. Lu suddenly felt that in Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes, she, who was his wife, was no different from an ordinary woman now.

 Chapter 258 - Confident

    <h4>Chapter 258: Confident</h4>


    Regardless of whether it was Ms. Lin or her, they were like toys that Xie Niushan bought. He could pamper and love them, but if they really fell out, he would kill them himself.


    Ms. Lu took the brush and wrote her name with her trembling hand. Then, she stamped her fingerprint.


    ¡°Our family isn¡¯t wealthy. When you married into the family, you didn¡¯t bring much dowry. Later on, you even spent money to buy a courtyard for Pei. I reckon that your hands are empty. After all, you were once my woman, so I won¡¯t treat you unfairly. I will give you 5,000 taels of silvers. You can sort it out on your own!¡± Xie Niushan said majestically.


    Ms. Lu did not have any strength at all.


    Five thousand taels of silvers was not a small sum. Amoner¡¯s family would never be able to spend it all in their lifetime.


    She also knew that Xie Niushan¡¯s generosity was already great. Back when she was in the Pei Residence and Lu Residence, she did not have afortable life like how she lived in the Xie Residence.


    Before Xie Qiao and her daughter came, she was practically the master of the family.


    Xie Pinghuai respected her, he would be over the moon whenever she gave him some silver. Xie Xi was well-behaved and she did not have to worry about her. Even Xie Pinggang who was dissatisfied with her, she pretended not to see it.


    How did her life end up like that?!


    Ms. Lu also regretted it, but she could not say what she regretted.


    After signing the divorce papers, Xie Niushan made a trip to the government office.


    On the next day, the news of the Xie couple¡¯s divorce was spread throughout the city.


    Xie Niushan treated Ms. Lu quite well. Although the divorce was over, she was allowed to take away some of the things that she had bought for the Xie Residence. They even hired a carriage for her. The carriage was filled to the brim with things as it arrived at Pei Wanyue¡¯s small courtyard.


    ¡°Mother! Didn¡¯t I tell you to say that you¡¯re pregnant?! How could you be chased out?!¡± Pei Wanyue asked in disbelief.


    Ms. Lu said listlessly, ¡°Just stop it. I haven¡¯t been pregnant for five years. How can I be pregnant now? Dying it for a few days won¡¯t change anything, ¡±


    She had crossed Xie Niushan¡¯s bottom line.


    After all, she had been with him for five to six years. She knew a little about him.


    ¡°Then what should we do now? If you¡¯re kicked out, how are we going to live in the future? Are we going to sit around and wait?!¡± Pei Wanyue panicked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He gave me 5,000 taels of silver, and these¡­ are all the things I bought in the past. He also let me take them with me. If I send them to a pawnshop, I should be able to get 5,000 to 6,000 taels of silver,¡± Ms. Lu added.


    Pei Wanyue looked at her mother in surprise.


    She quickly went to look at the things in the carriage.


    Some of therge items looked ordinary, but inside those boxes, there were indeed some valuable things. Gold, jade, jewelries, high-quality brocades¡­


    Pei Wanyue fell silent for a moment.


    With so much silver, she was confident to get married in the future.


    ¡°Mother, pleasee in and rest, ¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s tone calmed down and quickly helped Ms. Lu into the house.


    Ms. Lu was in a bad mood and did not think anything was wrong with her daughter. Even after she grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand, Ms. Lu still felt a little more at ease.


    With money and a daughter, she could live her good life too¡­


    All these years, she had learned to manage a store. In the future, she could buy a small shop and hire a reliable manager to manage it.


    The Xie family suddenlycked a madam. The servants and maids were all trembling with fear.


    In the past two days, the Xie family had sold some of the servants, and the neighbors could not help but spread the news. There were already some rumors out there.


    Everyone said that it was because Ms. Lu, the stepmother, lost the fight with the stepchildren. That was why she was kicked out.


    These words should not have reached Xie Qiao¡¯s ears, but Chun Er could not keep it a secret. With that angry look on her face, it was a piece of cake to guess what happened.

 Chapter 259 - Blessing

    <h4>Chapter 259: Blessing</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought it was impossible for her to not know anything after all that she had done. She did not really mind learning what the outsiders said.


    She could not be angry, or else she would not live long.


    Xie Qiao stayed at home to rest and earn silver beans.


    When the holiday ended, the charity donation at the academy would begin.


    Before the holiday, she had many silver beans in her hands. Excluding the daily expenses, there were still 500 silver beans left.


    However, those ghouls ate, drank and rented the very expensive Teacher Xiao. All her hard work went down the drain and she only had 200 beans left. She was still a little short of her goal, so she could only trante the documents day and night.


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang was standing next to the Crown Prince at the criminal division.


    The Crown Prince was sorting through the records of the cases over the years and would ask him some questions from time to time.


    He was quite amiable.


    Seeing that the Crown Prince seemed to be in a good mood today, Xie Pinggang thought for a while and said, ¡°Your Highness, have you heard any rumours out theretely?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing flipped through something in his hand, but there was no reply.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the rumor that my Eldest Sister drove my stepmother away in rage¡­¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a little,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said concisely.


    Xie Pinggang looked fierce, but he was afraid that he would be too angry and make people think that he did not respect the Crown Prince, so he tried his best to remain calm and said, ¡°It¡¯s all nonsense. My Eldest Sister is the most kind and gentle, and she¡¯s also very beautiful. I dare to say that no woman in the Imperial City canpare to her looks. Of course, her looks are secondary. Her talent is also great.¡±


    Hearing that, Zhao Xuanjing asked with a smile, ¡°What talent?¡±


    Seeing that the Crown Prince was interested, Xie Pinggang thought he would seize the opportunity, ¡°Well¡­ she¡¯s much better than me and my other siblings in the family! Growing up in the Taoist temple, she had a peaceful state of mind and looked like an angel from heaven. Even if it was just a simple sentence, she could calm people down and make them feelfortable.¡±


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips lifted slightly, and he concealed his feelings.


    This Xie Pinggang really did not know how to praise someone. He only paid attention to her appearance.


    ¡°Minister Xie¡¯s sister is indeed not bad,¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled slightly and changed the file in his hand.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he felt that there was a chance, he immediately said, ¡°I heard that Your Highness is going to choose a consort soon? I¡¯m asking this shamelessly, but could you invite my sister there? If your Highness thinks she¡¯s suitable, she can be a side consort and bear your children. It¡¯s a good idea¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Xie Pinggang listed his chest. He was tall and his majesty remained, ¡°My Sister is gentle, pure, indifferent, and innocent. She has a really good temperament. If she can be His Highness¡¯ consort, it¡¯s your¡­ it¡¯s my sister¡¯s blessing.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was sharp, and his eyebrows were as bright as a peak. He sat upright in his ck robe, and there were some ripples in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Xie Pinggang felt a little guilty.


    His sister was indeed as beautiful as a flower and jade. He only hoped that the Crown Prince was heartless. It would be alright if they had a child together, but they better not have a deep rtionship and die of love with his sister in the future.


    Of course, Xie Pinggang only thought about it casually.


    Zhao Xuanjing raised his brows and smiled.


    He remained looking down and said casually, ¡°Since Minister Xie has spoken, let¡¯s invite her into the pce to have a look. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not the only one making the decision regarding the consort selection¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand, I understand,¡± Xie Pinggang was ted.


    Zhao Xuanjing was initially thinking about how he could send an invitation to the Xie family so that it would not appear absurd. Now, Xie Pinggang actually came knocking on his door.


    It won his heart deeply.

 Chapter 260 - Offence

    <h4>Chapter 260: Offence</h4>


    The Crown Prince picking a consort was a big deal. In the past few days, the ordinary students from the Royal Academy had already gone to the academy, but the girls had longer holidays, so they had to wait.


    With Xie Pinggang as a shield, the Crown Prince ordered Young Lady Xie to go to the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion on the 8th of October directly.


    The invitation was sent directly to the family.


    Many people saw that, and the news quickly spread among the officials.


    On this day, Xie Qiao wore a smoky purple robe with blue clouds and embroidered patterns. She wore a red cloak and boarded the sedan chair.


    The more she wore, the more things she could hide.


    She was going to see the feng shuiyout of the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion, so she had to bring many things with her.


    Thepass could not be missing. It was secretly hidden in her embrace. In addition, the newly inscribed talismans and the gift of gratitude carved for the Crown Prince were all hidden.


    She was initially thin. Even though she had packed a lot of things at this moment, she did not appear fat. Not only that, this fiery red cloak made her look even more delicate and pleasant.


    As soon as she entered the Imperial City, Xie Qiao felt that the bottle that she carried with her moved slightly.


    Inside the bottle was the female ghoul in the pce dress. She thought that this ghoul had lived in the pce before. If she returned to her previous residence, she might be able to think of something. Therefore, Xie Qiao decided to bring this ghoul here.


    She did not expect the effect to be so great. She had just entered the Imperial City and this ghoul was already restless.


    She let the ghoul out.


    ¡°The atmosphere here is very familiar¡­¡± The female ghoul in the pce dress floated obediently in her sedan chair and muttered.


    This female ghoul was quite good-looking and her face was as fair as jade. She was a little too outstanding to be a maidservant. She might even be a concubine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay too far away from me. If you float away, I won¡¯te looking for you,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    Xie Qiao lifted the curtain and looked outside.


    Other than the walls, there were only the officers and soldiers. It was quiet and solemn.


    It looked like it would make one¡¯s chest feel stuffy. Xie Qiao covered the curtain with disdain again.


    After they arrived at the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion in the East Pce, they got off the sedan chair and were taken to the back garden of the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion by the pce maids.


    There were many beauties.


    Hmm¡­


    There were living ones and dead ones as well.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao felt her eyes were stimted and immediately lowered her head.


    She looked at her feet casually and did not move closer to the crowd.


    ¡°Sister Dong, look, Xie Qiao is really here,¡± Xia Yayun pointed in the direction of Xie Qiao, ¡°A bandit¡¯s daughter thinks she deserves to have any rtions with the Royal Family?¡±


    Young Lady Dong was calm and gentle, ¡°Sister Yayun, you will offend people if you say that.¡±


    ¡°I have offended her a long time ago. Why should I be afraid of her? Besides, you don¡¯t know that even though she doesn¡¯te from a good family background, she¡¯s capable of coaxing people. Even Sister Mu Xue is on her side!¡±


    After the Winter Clothes Festival, nobody talked to her anymore!


    Not to mention Fang Mu Xue, even Meng Shuxiang and Feng Shuangshuang ignored her invitation!


    When the Crown Prince chose his consort, not every woman from every household had toe.


    For those who were already engaged or prepared to be engaged, they were naturally exempted.


    For others, unless they were feeling unwell, they woulde for a visit. Of course, it was not for the sake of being chosen. It was because today, the Empress and a few imperial concubines would also being, so they naturally had to leave a good impression.


    The Crown Prince was crippled. In the eyes of the people, no matter how much they favored him, he would definitely not be a great treasure in the future.


    Hence, they definitely would not throw these flirtatious nces casually. It would be disastrous if they brought disaster to their family.


    At a nce, almost all the beauties present were dressed in in colors.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s fiery red fur cloak was especially eye-catching.


    She was sincerely not trying to steal the limelight. Instead, she thought the white cloak was bad luck. Apart from the white cloak, the red cloak was the only one that looked better.

 Chapter 261 - Offering Herself

    <h4>Chapter 261: Offering Herself</h4>


    Xie Qiao was very pretty. Even though she was standing in a corner now, people could see her at a nce.


    Many of the youngdies present had seen Xie Qiao before. Most of them were from the same academy.


    However, most of the girls who coulde today were from ss Qian, Kun, Sun, and Moon. There were very few of them from ss Sun and only one or two from ss Moon. Of course, although their family was not high in rank, they had some special connections, they came here just to go through the formalities and to watch.


    Xie Qiao sat there. Soon, Fang Muxue, Qin Liu, and the others came over.


    ¡°A few days ago, I wanted to send some gifts to your family. However, I thought it¡¯d be strange to do that since we¡¯re from the same academy, so I didn¡¯t send anyone over. Then I heard something happened in your family. Are you alright?¡± Fang Muxue asked with concern.


    After she returned home from the Winter Clothes Festival, she told her parents about what happened.


    Her parents were very grateful to Xie Qiao, but they did not send her a thank-you gift in time because it was the festival. Later on, something happened to the Xie family, so it was inappropriate to send her a gift.


    However, the three families remembered the favor.


    ¡°We don¡¯t believe the rumors out there. Don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Qin Liu quicklyforted her.


    Xie Qiao smiled at them, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Fang Muxue felt that Xie Qiao was a little introverted. She did not like to talk, nor did she like to look at others.


    She still could not imagine how much courage Xie Qiao had mustered that day to smash the stove into Xia Yanyun¡¯s face.


    At that moment, when Xia Yanyun saw Xie Qiao, she thought of the embarrassment she felt that day.


    ¡°Sister Dong, it¡¯s fortunate that you were brave and straightforward that day. That¡¯s why that boorish man from the Xie family didn¡¯t seed. If he identally ruined his family¡¯s reputation, then his next life would really be over!¡± Xia Yayun suddenly said.


    Dong Xiyun frowned slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about what happened back then anymore.¡±


    Xia Yayun¡¯s expression turned awkward for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m only speaking up for you, Sister Dong. Look at Xie Qiao. Because of that painting and calligraphy incidentst time, everyone in the Orchid Courtyard treated her like a treasure. In between the words, many people felt that everyone in the Peony Courtyard is inferior to her. For today¡¯s asion, she¡¯s the only one dressed in fancy clothes. I¡¯m afraid she has other intentions, right?¡± Xia Yayun said.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie¡¯s clothes are just ordinary. How can they be considered fancy?¡± Dong Shiyun smiled.


    Of course, Xia Yayun knew that Xie Qiao¡¯s clothes were actually quite ordinary.


    It was not the most popr style in the capital at the moment, and it did not look new either.


    There was not much jewelry on her body, only that the color was slightly bright.


    ¡°Even so, we pale in her presence.¡± Chu Long¡¯er next to them smiled slightly and looked at Xie Qiao with a smile on her face.


    When they heard that, they stared at Xie Qiao from top to bottom again.


    ¡°In terms of looks, who canpare to you, Young Lady Chu? Xie Qiao? She¡¯s just the daughter of a bandit from the countryside. People only look at her because she¡¯s new. Later on, they will be sick of looking at her,¡± Xia Yayun said.


    Chu Long¡¯er was the most beautiful woman in the capital.


    There were also some people who did not like Xie Qiao.


    When they heard Xia Yayun¡¯s words, they covered their lips andughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t we all hear about it? Xie Qiao didn¡¯t have the right toe, but his brother, who is an official in the criminal division, shamelessly begged the Crown Prince to get her here!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t do such a thing as offering ourselves! How shameless! Do you really think you can be chosen just because you¡¯re here? The Crown Prince has very high standards. Even if she were to be His Highness¡¯s concubine, I¡¯m afraid His Highness wouldn¡¯t think highly of her!¡±

 Chapter 262 - The Crown Prince’s Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 262: The Crown Prince¡¯s Mansion</h4>


    A group of people gathered together and murmured many bad things about Xie Qiao.


    However, Xie Qiao could not hear them and did not raise her head to look at them for a long time.


    After sitting for a while, she spoke to Fang Muxue and the rest, then found a pce maid to show her around.


    She said she was going to take a stroll, but in reality, she was looking at the feng shuiyout of the Crown Prince¡¯s pce.


    It was just that she had encountered quite a few lonely ghouls along the way, and one of them would suddenly hovered in front of her, scaring her out of her wits.


    The location of the East Pce was definitely auspicious. The purple clouds came from the east, and it was the best location. However, there was indeed quite a bit of trouble within the pce.


    The pce maid was ordered to show Xie Qiao around, so she followed obediently and pointed out the rooms in the East Pce to Xie Qiao one by one.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the pce maids and eunuchs live, but¡­ because the Crown Prince hardly lives in the pce and idents often happen in the mansion, many of the people in there have been condemned and sent away. Today, these are the people that His Highness asked the Imperial Household Department to transfer at thest minute,¡± The pce maid pointed to a ce and said.


    Xie Qiao swept her gaze over it, and her eyebrows sank.


    There were two more doors on the east and west, and many people had died in there.


    The courtyard was filled with shock and conflict, and it was not auspicious.


    ¡°This door is opened at the back?¡± Xie Qiao walked to a corner and asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s convenient to serve the master this way, ¡± The pce maid hurriedly nodded.


    ¡°Is there an extra room there? It¡¯s not quite the same as the other rooms,¡± Xie Qiao pointed to the room in the servant¡¯s courtyard.


    The pce maid was stunned for a moment, and after snapping back to her senses for a while, she said, ¡°The year Your Highness was in trouble, the Emperor was worried that he didn¡¯t have enough people to take care of him, so he sent more people over. It was hectic that time, so he built an extra room here side by side.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not say anything. She secretly memorized it by heart.


    The construction was built in a good location, three to five rooms side by side. It was considered good feng shui. If it was seven or nine rooms, it would still work. However, if it was an even number, the number of four to six to eight was bad luck.


    Nine to five was the most revered. The middle of the houses side by side was Yang, and the two sides were Yin. It also sought for a symmetry. However, the rooms here looked like an extra piece, and the Yin and Yang were in chaos.


    ¡°Many people have died here, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The pce maid nodded with aplicated expression. ¡°In the East Pce, idents happen every two or three days. There were often sick pce maids being carried away. There were also those who fell into wells and died. Your Highness¡¯ kitchen has been on fire twice. There are always troubles. Your Highness has no choice but to live in the academy.¡±


    Over the years, every time something happened, the ministers outside would get the news and me it all on His Highness, saying that His Highness was not worthy of his position and that His Highness was crippled to take up the position of Crown Prince was not in ordance with heaven¡¯s will.


    Xie Qiao only saw that there was a grave in the servant¡¯s courtyard.


    Although it was called a grave, it was actually not protruding. There was even a tree nted on top of it. However, dark energy was emitting, clearly forming a unique murderous aura.


    As it was buried in the soil, no one could see it.


    In addition, the location of the well was initially not a problem. However, after the construction was changed, the location became bad luck.


    A person¡¯s mind would be dull in the dark night. Standing at the location of the well, one could see the slightly pockmarked area under the room opposite.


    If it was the day after the rain, the reflection of the water pit would be dazzling. If a person was in a trance for a moment, it would be normal for them to step on the wrong foot and fall into the water.


    In addition, she also took a look at the Crown Prince¡¯s courtyard.


    As if to show her affection, there were many zed windows in the Crown Prince¡¯s courtyard.


    It was not that the zed windows could not be used, but there was a need to pay attention to the number of them.


    If there were too many, or if the location was bad, they would collide with each other, and the light would turn into something evil, leading to a disaster.


    Most importantly, the East Pce had also offended the white tiger devil.


    The upper right side of the entire pce had been changed into a garden. That ce should not have been changed, but every spring, the soil had to be turned over. This had ruined the good feng shui of the entire pce, causing the yin and yang in the entire East Pce to be unbnced, and the aura to bepletely disordered. That was the reason why there were frequent idents in the pce.

 Chapter 263 - Favoritism

    <h4>Chapter 263: Favoritism</h4>


    Xie Qiao could not help but sympathize with Zhao Xuanjing. No wonder he could not live in the East Pce. There were many devils of all sizes. The only reason he could live until now was because he had the protection of the dragon bloodline and his own fate was strong enough!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression wasplicated. The pce maid beside her felt that Young Lady Xie was very strange.


    His Highness had told her earlier to take Young Lady Xie around. So this morning, she asked about Young Lady Xie¡¯s appearance and stood nearby, waiting for Young Lady Xie to speak.


    She thought she was only showing her around¡­


    She thought it would be a stroll through the garden, looking at the flowers and nts. If Xie Qiao had any requests, she would respond to her in time.


    However, Young Lady Xie was really taking a stroll!


    When she came out of the courtyard, she had almost checked out the entire East Pce!


    What shocked her even more was that Young Lady Xie had brought a brush and paper along with¡­ a smallpass.


    She would mumble, and she would lower her head to write on the paper. Some were words, and some were drawings. She could not understand the drawings either, but for some reason, she felt that this youngdy was very mysterious!


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, it¡¯s almost time. Do you want to go back and rest?¡± The pce maid asked carefully.


    Xie Qiao looked at the sun, it was warm.


    In fact, she was not tired. After walking a few steps, she would sit down and rest. This pce maid had also received instructions to take the shortcut. Moreover, Zhao Xuanjing had prepared the drawings of the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion in advance. Xie Qiao had a rough idea of the ce.


    ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s consort selection should be starting now, right? What¡¯s the procedure? Will it be decided today?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°It has already started since the Crown Prince entered the pce. This consort selection is different from the past. There¡¯s actually no procedure as long as Your Highness likes anyone.¡± The pce maid smiled, ¡°Your Highness actually chose once the year when he was 16. At that time, the legitimate daughters, younger sisters, nieces, and granddaughters of the hundreds of officials who were single could participate in the selection. After rounds of selection, a few were finally selected. Each of them was a beauty and the portraits were sent to Your Highness. However, something happened at that time, and Your Highness did not choose anyone.¡±


    Xie Qiao was quite curious, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The pce maid hesitated for a moment.


    However, thinking of His Highness¡¯ instructions that she would have to answer whatever Young Lady Xie¡¯s question may be, she said, ¡°At that time, the Second Prince was involved with one of the women and was caught by Your Highness.


    ¡°The consort selection was originally prepared for the Crown Prince, but the other princes also had a part in it.


    ¡°After the Emperor had chosen the consort for the Crown Prince, if he felt that it was appropriate, then it was normal for him to decide for the other princes.


    ¡°But before the Crown Prince had chosen, the Second Prince was involved with one of the women. It was obviously a p to the Crown Prince¡¯s face. At that time, His Highness was also angry and ended the consort selection directly.¡±


    ¡°Second Prince? Why haven¡¯t I heard of him?¡± Xie Qiao asked suspiciously.


    Aftering to the capital, she had heard of the Crown Prince and¡­ the Fourth Prince.


    When she was cleaning the stables earlier, she had also met a person called Meng Jifang. That person seemed to be a rtive of the Fourth Prince.


    However, she had indeed not heard of the other princes.


    Even the pce maid was surprised.


    ¡®She came to the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion, but she didn¡¯t even know about the past?¡¯


    ¡°The Emperor doted on the Crown Prince. The Second Prince embarrassed the Crown Prince and directly angered His Majesty. Later, he found a reason and imprisoned him,¡± the pce maid said embarrassedly.


    Xie Qiao was extremely surprised.


    ¡°Then is there a Third Prince?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Yes, the Third Prince¡­ has be amoner.¡± The pce maid¡¯s words were shocking.


    Seeing that Xie Qiao was puzzled and curious, the pce maid simply exined, ¡°When the Crown Prince was 12, he injured his hand. At that time, the Third Prince did not know how tofort his elder brother, and even mocked the Crown Prince privately that from now on, he would be a cripple. When these words reached His Majesty¡¯s ears, His Majesty was furious and demoted the Third Prince that night.¡±

 Chapter 264 - Gifting

    <h4>Chapter 264: Gifting</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard what the pce maid said, she thought it was unbelievable.


    The Emperor was heartless. After all, a tiger would not eat its own cub. Even if the sons were to fight each other, few fathers could make such a decisive decision.


    If Zhao Xuanjing was the son of the imperial concubine of the harem, with this degree of favoritism, the imperial concubine must be beautiful to have caused this to happen.


    Thinking about it, with what happened with these two brothers, the Fourth Prince behind him should also be cautious and not dare to cross the line, right?


    ¡°Do you know why the Crown Prince is so favored?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°His Highness has been intelligent since young. Regardless of appearance or talent, he¡¯s the best among all the princes. The Crown Prince is the son of the Empress. The Empress and His Majesty have a deep rtionship and are childhood sweethearts. Her child is naturally the most valued by His Majesty. In addition, the Empress is not in good health. His Majesty is considered to have taken care of His Highness personally. The father-son rtionship is stronger. Furthermore, His Highness even used his body to block the tiger for His Majesty¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao understood now.


    First, it was orthodox. Second, he was the child of the woman he loved. Third, the Emperor brought him up personally. Fourth, he saved the Emperor¡¯s life.


    Who else would His Majesty dote on if not him?


    However, to the Crown Prince, the doting would probably be a killer weapon as well?


    Xie Qiao was almost done strolling, so she walked back.


    When she arrived, she discovered that everyone had already sat down properly.


    There were a few women dressed in pce attire on the throne. They looked dignified and majestic.


    ¡°Has the Empress decided what kind of Princess Consort to choose for the Crown Prince this time? His Highness has already passed the best year of his life. If he still doesn¡¯t get married, His Majesty will be worried,¡± Imperial Concubine Meng said.


    Beside her, Concubine Ruan smiled, ¡°I think that there will definitely be a result this time. Before I came, I heard that His Highness personally sent an invitation to a woman!¡±


    The Empress, who was sitting in the middle, frowned slightly when she heard these words.


    ¡°Are you talking about thatdy from the Xie family?¡± The Empress smiled lightly, ¡°My son is filial. I heard that thedy is very good at writing Sanskrit, so she copied a scripture book and sent a gift over. I¡¯ve gotten someone to look at her work. Moreover, her father is also a fourth-rank official. Even if my son didn¡¯t personally send an invitation, she¡¯s still qualified toe.¡±


    Concubine Ruan was stunned.


    Then, she quickly said, ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. I¡¯m rash to have actually believed in the rumors.¡±


    The Empress¡¯ voice was neither loud nor soft. Everyone present could hear it.


    The youngdies knew who the Empress was talking about. They could not help but look at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°This gift was sent to the Empress? It was clearly her brother who personally told the Crown Prince. Someone from my family works at the criminal division. He heard her brother say that!¡± Xia Yayun muttered.


    She wanted to pry into Xie Qiao¡¯s business, so she was also concerned about the other members of the Xie family.


    She did not expect the Empress to exin in front of so many people!


    Xie Qiao was stunned when she heard the Empress¡¯s words.


    How could she have the time to deliver scriptures?


    Lately, she had to inscribe talismans and trante books. She was so busy that her feet could not touch the ground and her hands were upied!


    Beside Xia Yayun, Dong Shiyun heard her muttering and almost snapped at her.


    ¡°Sister Xia, be careful what you say. Don¡¯t drag others down with you!¡±


    Xia Yayun shifted her body awkwardly and then remained silent.


    With so manydies gathered together, they could not just eat, drink, and chat. The Empress did not like to talk and her health wascking. The matters were handled by the other two concubines next to her.


    The Emperor did not have many concubines today. He was one of the Emperors who did not like talent shows. The concubines in the harem were mostly old.


    There were not many heirs. There were a total of five princes and three princesses.


    The concubines in the pce who had the right to speak had children.

 Chapter 265 - Afraid of You

    <h4>Chapter 265: Afraid of You</h4>


    After Xie Qiao stayed for a short while, the pce maid exined the identity of the concubines to her clearly.


    Imperial Concubine Meng was the Fourth Prince¡¯s birth mother. Although her appearance was dazzling, her fate¡­was very amiable. She actually had a virtuous appearance.


    Meanwhile, Concubine Ruan was not considered to be devastatingly beautiful. At the very least,pared to the Empress, she was indeed far inferior.


    It was said that she had given birth to the eldest daughter of the Emperor, so her status was pretty high. Although her looks could not bepared to the Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng, she was not too bad. If there was a w, it would be that her eyes were slightly long, her nose slightly round. She spoke out of impulse, and her personality might be a little panicky.


    When she saw theyers of killing formations in the Crown Prince¡¯s pce, Xie Qiao had already imagined a pce battle scene.


    However, now, she saw the two most authoritative concubines around the Empress¡­


    She was confused.


    While Xie Qiao¡¯s mind was running wild, Imperial Concubine Meng had already asked thedies to show their talents.


    They were all youngdies from noble families, and today was considered a ¡°blind date.¡±


    Naturally, they would not get them to show their singing and dancing talents. It was too frivolous.


    Therefore, what they wanted everyone to disy was calligraphy and poetry.


    They wanted them to recite poems.


    Each of them seemed to be in no hurry, but in fact, they were in a rush to answer. They only watched as these youngdies stood out one by one and said the famous phrases that had been passed down through the ages.


    In terms of talent, those who came from the Peony Courtyard were indeed better at reciting poems than the women from the Orchid Courtyard.


    Xie Qiao was not really here to participate, so she just sat there and ate snacks, watching the performance of others.


    She lowered her head, but she could also feel a ghoul floating around.


    ¡°What a delicate color¡­ you guys can recite poems, and so can I,¡± The ghoul muttered, and then looked disappointed, ¡°My recitation is not as good as yours¡­ Of course I¡¯m not good enough. You guyse from such a wealthy background, don¡¯t you? You have a teacher to teach you, and a nanny to guide you. All I did was serve people¡­


    ¡°Your lives are really good¡­


    ¡°You drank this wine before I even tasted it. I really hate it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Those ghouls were lingering. It was not a big deal, but they looked scary.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, you didn¡¯t join the poetry club when you were in the academy, right? Can you understand the poems they¡¯re reciting now?!¡± The people on the other side became lively and their voices became louder. With a cover, Xia Yayun shouted at Xie Qiao again.


    Xie Qiao turned her head to look at her.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re a bandit, you can only fight! Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m afraid of you after what happenedst time!¡± Xia Yayun said again.


    Xie Qiao frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t open your mouth. If you open your mouth again, I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t live long enough to finish the bet with me.¡±


    They had made a bet earlier. If she managed to give 500 silver beans as charity money, Xia Yayun would leave far away.


    Xia Yayun thought about the previous feud with coal. Now, she was filled with hatred. After pondering for a moment, she identally knocked the thing in front of her onto the ground.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Come over and help remove it. Rece it with new ones!¡± Xia Yayun said to the pce maid serving behind Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao also brought servants with her when she went out. However, today¡¯s asion was special. The servants were waiting outside. The ones inside were pce maids.


    There was one behind each of thedies.


    It was not enough for Xia Yayun to order her around, she still wanted to order Xie Qiao around.


    ¡°Go,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    The pce maid responded and then lowered her head to sort out the things.


    Once the pce maid left, Xia Yayun moved closer. She suddenly pulled Xie Qiao¡¯s body and threw something out, ¡°Sister Xie?! Why did you bring this thing here?!¡±

 Chapter 266 - Next Time

    <h4>Chapter 266: Next Time</h4>


    Xia Yayun¡¯s tone was sharp, and the sounds of people reciting poems suddenly stopped.


    Everyone turned to look at her.


    When Xia Yayun saw that, she quickly went forward to pick up the thing that had been thrown out. Then, she immediately knelt, ¡°I am disrespectful. Please forgive me, Your Highness!¡±


    She prostrated on the ground timidly, her body slightly trembling. There was only one thing in her hand. Although that thing was held, more than half of it was revealed. It made people curious.


    ¡°What are you holding in your hand? Why are you making such a big fuss?¡± Asked Concubine Ruan.


    ¡°T-This¡­¡± Xia Yayun looked panicked, ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing¡­ I-It¡¯s Sister Xie¡¯s. I was scared, that was why I¡­ I beg for your forgiveness, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°What item could have scared you like that? Hand it over and show us?¡± Concubine Ruan smiled.


    The item was quickly sent up.


    It was handed over to the Empress for inspection.


    It was a true lover¡¯s knot.


    Unmarried women would not normally wear such an item.


    Today, the Crown Prince was choosing a consort. If they were married or engaged, they were not allowed toe.


    ¡°Whose is it?¡± Imperial Concubine Meng asked.


    Xia Yayun trembled, ¡°I-It¡¯s Xie Qiao, Sister Xie¡¯s. I-I saw her always lowering her head and holding something in her hand, so I curiously took it over to have a look. I was just messing with her, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao got it now.


    So it was a true lover¡¯s knot. She had thought it was something hot. She was startled by the loud scream!


    Now that she was pointed out, she could only walk to the front.


    Her weak bow looked dignified and gentle.


    Just the unhurried manner made people unable to help but look up to her. Imperial Concubine Meng said, ¡°Is this yours?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid perhaps Young Lady Xia isn¡¯t feeling well, so she was mumbling to herself earlier. I¡¯m not close to her. After she sent my maid away, she suddenly tugged at me maniacally and threw something out. I saw that¡­ I didn¡¯t lose anything on me, so what she threw out should be hers,¡± Xie Qiao said word by word, she answered in all seriousness.


    ¡°Sister Xie?! It¡¯s obviously yours¡­¡± Xia Yayun said immediately.


    Xie Qiao smiled and took off her cloak.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia, look. Is there anywhere for me to hang anything?¡± Xie Qiao smiled innocently.


    Xia Yayun then looked at her waist.


    Her eyelids twitched.


    Her waist¡­


    People usually wear a jade essory on their waist. Xie Qiao could be considered to be wearing one, but not exactly. She was wearing a long safety buckle.


    The safety buckle had an odd size, but it was actually quite pretty.


    In addition, there were three to five small sachets on her waist.


    Xie Qiao raised her wrist again. There was a string of golden bells on her wrist, and on the other side were a few red ropes and a jade bracelet.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia¡¯s item is quite good, but I really don¡¯t have anywhere to wear it. Next time. Next time, Young Lady Xia, please let me know in advance. I¡¯ll leave a vacant space for it.¡±


    After Xie Qiao said that, she put on her cloak again.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions were quite strange.


    As Xie Qiao¡¯s cloak was wide, they had not paid attention to what kind of essories she was wearing earlier.


    Now that they saw it, they were a little stunned.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s waist was a little too thin. It was not good to have many items hanging around her waist. There were already many things hanging on it. It was indeed impossible to add another true lover¡¯s knot. If she really did, it would not be the symbol of missing her lover, but a show-off. She was not that idiotic.


    Moreover, this true lover¡¯s knot was not small. There was even a jade knot on it.


    Although there were many things hanging around Xie Qiao¡¯s waist, the overall look was very bnced and pretty. However, if there was such a knot, it would really be strange.


    Of course, she could hide it in his embrace. However, Xie Qiao did not seem like someone who made such a guilty mistake.


    When the Empress heard Xie Qiao say ¡°next time¡±, she could not help but smile.

 Chapter 267 - Upset

    <h4>Chapter 267: Upset</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s calm attitude made Xia Yayun¡¯s eagerness shine brighter. Just by looking at her, one could feel that she was up to no good.


    Xia Yayun was also panicking.


    The Emperor and the Empress doted on the Crown Prince the most. Today, they specially selected the Princess Consort, which was why they invited so many talented women over. If someone here had already been privately engaged but still came for the selection, the Emperor and Empress would definitely be angry and she would have to be severely punished!


    Even if she was not severely punished, Xie Qiao¡¯s reputation would definitely be ruined!


    Therefore, when she heard that Xie Qiao wasing, she had already prepared this true lover¡¯s knot.


    Who knew¡­


    Xia Yayun knelt and looked a little flustered, ¡°I¡­ I was wronged. It was Sister Xie who wronged me¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao lowered her eyebrows and looked like she was in no mood to argue.


    However, anyone with eyes could tell that there was something wrong with Xia Yayun¡¯s attitude.


    Since she kept calling her Sister Xie, it meant that they were on good terms. However, if they were on good terms, why would she shout out loud when she saw the true lover¡¯s knot?


    If the thing really belonged to Xie Qiao and was discovered by her, then it was understandable for her to shout out loud. However, look at Xie Qiao¡¯s body¡­


    There was really no ce for her to wear that.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a true lover¡¯s knot. Young Lady Xia, keep it. Next time, just don¡¯t throw it away. Although you¡¯re shocked, there¡¯s no need to use others,¡± The Empress¡¯ voice waszy, and there was no doubt in her tone.


    Xia Yayun wanted to say something more, but when she raised her head, she realized the meaning behind the Empress¡¯ words.


    Unless she had strong evidence that the thing belonged to Xie Qiao, she would have to bear the responsibility herself.


    If she were to bear the responsibility, the Empress would not pursue the matter further.


    However, she would not be able to get rid of the crime of already having a lover. Moreover, she had wronged Xie Qiao. It would be horrible if word got out.


    However, if she were to continue saying that this thing belonged to Xie Qiao, the Empress would probably be angry as well.


    Xia Yayun was very regretful. Why did she not take a closer look at Xie Qiao¡¯s clothes?!


    She only saw that she was wearing a bright red cloak on the outside that was really beautiful. She actually did not care about what was inside!


    It was also Xie Qiao¡¯s fault that she was too thin. That cloak was wrapped tightly around her, so how could she see what was hanging on her waist?!


    Moreover, Xie Qiao¡¯s attire was really strange. The safety buckle was fastened one after the other. It was extremely strange!


    Xia Yayun bit her lips and lowered her head, ¡°This humble one apologizes for her mistake¡­¡±


    The Empress only nodded slightly and let her and Xie Qiao leave together.


    Xia Yayun sat in her seat, feeling angry and stifled.


    She felt that she had rushed out like a fool and wasted her efforts. Not only did she not manage to mess with Xie Qiao, she had also gotten herself into trouble!


    The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt.


    At that moment, she did not dare to attract any attention. However, when everyone¡¯s attention turned to poetry, calligraphy, and painting, she took the thing in her hands and vented her anger.


    She broke a te directly.


    She red at the pce maid behind her, ¡°What are you waiting for? Quickly take this away!¡±


    The pce maid was very innocent. She had just changed some tes, but in the blink of an eye, one was broken again.


    She could only lower her head and do her job.


    ¡°She bullied the little pce maid again!¡± Beside Xie Qiao¡¯s ear, a ghoul grimaced, and one of her eyeballs fell out of anger, ¡°She wronged others, so why should she vent her anger on us pce maids?¡±


    ¡°When I was still alive, the Master I met was just like her. I just used too much strength tob the Master¡¯s hair, and she pped my lips! I was only a teenager at that time. My face was swollen, and I had to beughed at by other pce maids¡­¡±


    As the ghouls talked, they moved to Xia Yayun¡¯s side.


    Some stretched out their bright red nails and scratched Xia Yayun¡¯s face, while others tried their best to strangle her.

 Chapter 268 - Chaotic

    <h4>Chapter 268: Chaotic</h4>


    Xie Qiao sat aside and felt cold all over.


    There were too many ghouls. It was noisy and scary.


    She drank a cup of tea and tried her best to warm her body. Beside her, Xia Yayun felt ufortable all over.


    She was too angry inside. It made her feel like her chest was stuffy and she could not breathe. Especially when she heard Xie Qiao¡¯s movements next to her, she felt that it was just her luck.


    With this irritation, Xia Yayun could not help but feel itchy all over her body. She touched her face and actually felt a few bulging pimples!


    Xia Yayun¡¯s expression immediately changed.


    She had not eaten spicy food recently, right?


    It was all Xie Qiao¡¯s fault for making her angry. It was only because she had a knot in her heart that she had these things!


    Xia Yayun became even more irritated. Her face was itchy, but she did not dare to scratch anymore. Her body also felt a little cold, and she could not get up.


    Her mind was running wild.


    As she was thinking, she suddenly felt a pain under her feet.


    She looked down and saw a pair of bean-like eyes stretching out its neck to stare at her!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xia Yayun was so scared that she jumped. She was about to scream until her voice was broken. The snake had already bitten her, but seeing that she had too big of a reaction, the snake suddenly charged and left two more teeth marks on her face!


    The sudden change of events shocked everyone.


    The maids and eunuchs were protecting the nobles, and the youngdies were so scared that they huddled together.


    When they focused their attention, they saw that it was a grass snake, which scared the youngdies so much that their faces turned pale.


    After Xia Yayun was bitten, she immediately fainted.


    Some called for guards, and some called for the imperial doctors. It was a mess.


    Although the Crown Prince¡¯s pce did not have many people, there were people who cleaned it every day. It was already October, and the weather was very cold. The snakes should have gone into hibernation a long time ago, but now one actually appeared at this banquet¡­


    All the youngdies present could not help but think of the rumors about the Crown Prince.


    Although the Emperor had intentionally suppressed those rumors, there were still quite a number of rumors that spread.


    It was said that the East Pce was¡­chaotic.


    In fact, some years ago, it seemed that many peopleined about the Crown Prince that he was not worthy of his position, which was why the East Pce was always in trouble!


    Thest time the Crown Prince chose a consort, the Second Prince was imprisoned¡­


    This time, someone was injured again, and even attacked by a snake in the winter. Could it be that the Crown Prince had a¡­lethal destiny?!


    Everyone¡¯s thoughts ran wild.


    Among the people present, some of them were arrogant and looked down on the crippled Crown Prince, but there were also some families who wanted to take advantage of the Crown Prince being favored.


    If the Emperor really allowed them to marry, even if they were not satisfied, they would dly ept it.


    After all, the Crown Prince had not been gotten rid of yet.


    With the Emperor¡¯s stance, it was likely that he wanted to remove all obstacles for the Crown Prince and insisted on helping him ascend to the throne. Even if the Crown Prince could not ascend to the throne, he could still be an idle prince. To them, it was already a high position.


    However, now¡­


    They were afraid.


    Very soon, the imperial doctor came over.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this snake is not poisonous. It only needs to apply some ointment and it will be fine in a few days. However, the bite mark left by this snake is a little deep. There might be a little scar in the future,¡± the imperial doctor said.


    The scars were nothing much.


    The snake¡¯s teeth were not big, so the bite mark left was naturally small. The imperial doctor had a good scar-dispelling ointment. If they applied it a little more, the scar should bepletely gone.


    However, they would not speak too harshly so that they would not be pped in the face in the future.


    The Empress¡¯ expression was slightly better now.


    If someone were to be poisoned to death by the poisonous snake today, there would probably be many people in the main pce tomorrow who would want to say that her imperial son was terrible.


    However, the more she looked at Xia Yayun, the more the Empress disliked her.


    ¡°Send Young Lady Xia back to her residence to heal properly. This time, she has suffered such a great shock in the pce. In case she¡¯s injured in the future, I will allow her to never enter the pce again,¡± The Empress said with a cold expression.

 Chapter 269 - Quite Suitable

    <h4>Chapter 269: Quite Suitable</h4>


    Ever since the Empress appeared, she had always been benevolent. Now that her voice was solemn and cold, one could feel her displeased attitude.


    Everyone present was silent.


    Xia Yayun was immediately carried away by someone.


    Xie Qiao remained silent.


    Her gaze swept across the snake and she let out a faint sigh.


    Beside her, the ghoul danced with joy, ¡°Serves her right! Karma!¡±


    The others did not know why Xia Yayun was in trouble with the snake, but Xie Qiao was well aware of that.


    These ghouls were haunting her, and her face had been poked several times by them. The aura they left behind was also quite strong, and animals were more sensitive to these things. After the ghouls lured the snake over, the snake would attack her involuntarily¡­


    In the eyes of the snake, Xia Yayun was a filthy thing at that time, which was why it would bite her.


    Of course, she could have helped her to avoid disaster, but¡­why would she do that?


    Earlier in the restaurant, she had no choice but to take action. After all, Fang Muxue and the others did not have any conflict with her. If she did not save them, it would be disadvantageous to her.


    However, Xia Yayun was different. She had a grudge with her to begin with, so she had no reason to help her.


    Now that the person who had troubled the Empress had left, but she was no longer in the mood.


    She nced at the people below.


    ¡°Raise your heads, all of you,¡± the Empress said.


    Everyone followed the order. Even when they raised their heads, they all lowered their eyebrows and did not dare to look at the Empress and the other concubines.


    The Empress¡¯s expression was cold. Looking at these beautiful youngdies, she actually felt that they were not pleasing to the eye, except¡­


    At the corner, there was a little girl dressed in festive clothes.


    She had asked these youngdies to recite poems and draw paintings, and she could also see that the calligraphy and paintings that these people had done were almost all based on the Fourth Prince¡¯s preferences.


    The Fourth Prince¡¯s personality was gentle, and the poems that he liked were also more graceful.


    As for her imperial son, he had an indifferent and cold personality. He did not like poems and songs, and even when he asionally wrote poems, he was very sharp.


    These people, were they here to be selected as the Crown Prince¡¯s consort?


    They clearly had their eyes on the position of the Fourth Prince¡¯s consort!


    ¡°Imperial Concubine, the Fourth Prince is not young anymore. If you think one of these is suitable, then choose for him. It should be decided long ago,¡± the Empress said indifferently.


    When she said that, most of the women¡¯s faces revealed a slight blush. They stood up a little straighter.


    Imperial Concubine Meng smiled.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is his brother. He hasn¡¯t married yet, and the Fourth Prince isn¡¯t in a hurry. Let¡¯s talk about it in the future,¡± Imperial Concubine Meng said.


    ¡°The Fourth Prince is too muddleheaded. If you, his mother, didn¡¯t make a decision for him earlier and hoped that he would pick someone himself, who knows how long he would have to wait,¡± the Empress said, then she added, ¡°Everyone has been shocked today. Go back and rest.¡±


    She saw that the child of the bandit Xie family was not too shabby.


    She was pretty, she had a calm and unhurried personality. She was suitable for the Crown Prince. His personality was appropriate for being a consort.


    It was just that the identity of the Xie family was inappropriate.


    Xie Niushan was a bandit after all. Although he was an official now, many people still remembered what had happened earlier. If his daughter was allowed to enter the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion, all the courtiers in the pce would spread rumors again.


    Other than Xie Qiao, there were also many people with suitable statuses. However, after that incident earlier, the Empress could not help but be picky.


    It was better to think about it again.


    The three imperialdies left first.


    Once they left, everyone stood up. All of them hadplicated expressions on their faces.


    They were not numb. This was the pce. Even if they had something on their minds, they should not say much. They all left quietly and obediently.

 Chapter 270 - Everyday You Live is a Day Less of Life

    <h4>Chapter 270: Everyday You Live is a Day Less of Life</h4>


    It was the same for Xie Qiao. She could not wait to leave as soon as possible.


    Not only were there many ghouls in the pce, all of them were full of resentment. If she stayed for too long, she would feel ufortable all over.


    Naturally, she had to wait untilter to tell the Crown Prince about the feng shui in the pce.


    They entered the pce together. If she went backte, it would not be appropriate if the news spread.


    She was carried home in a wobbly sedan chair.


    ¡°How was it? Is the Crown Prince happy with you? Who do you think will be chosen as the Princess Consort?¡± Xie Pinggang actually skipped work and returned home early. The moment he entered her courtyard, he asked loudly.


    Apart from Granny Wan and Chun Er, there was no one else around.


    ¡°They are all women, so the Crown Prince did not show. The Empress and the two concubines made the decision. It was just that there was an ident. I saw that the Empress did not seem to be in a good mood. Let¡¯s see if there will be a sudden decree in the next few days. If there isn¡¯t one, then I believe that this time, none of them will be chosen,¡± Xie Qiao said straightforwardly.


    It was not difficult to guess what the Empress was thinking.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s situation was special. She had to find someone who would treat the Crown Prince sincerely.


    ¡°So many people, but none of them are worth looking at?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned and asked.


    They were too picky.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is the king of the country, and the Princess Consort is the queen of the country. How can they just randomly choose someone?¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    Family background, appearance, and personality. Naturally, everything could not becking.


    The status of the Empress¡¯ family was not high, it was even declining. However, the Empress and the Emperor had known each other since they were young, and their rtionship was extraordinary. Naturally, they could skip the family background.


    Xie Pinggang sighed and then took out a stack of paper from his pocket, ¡°I thought that you wouldn¡¯t be picked, so I also asked the matchmaker for some portraits. Choose carefully.¡±


    Everyday you live would be a day less of life, so every day should not go to waste.


    Xie Qiao frowned, Xie Pinggang turned to the first page, ¡°This is a schr. Look, he¡¯s very fair and clean, and his body is rtively strong. His bones are heavy and his flesh is strong, but he has no family background and is rtively poor. But that doesn¡¯t matter. Although our family doesn¡¯t have money, at least we¡¯re official. If you have a child, and with my help, he can still afford to support you.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. This person looks like he would hit his wife. His belly is empty. He definitely doesn¡¯t have any real talent,¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Looking at the portrait, this man had a narrow forehead and a sharp chin. He had thick eyebrows, round and fierce eyes. That was not good.


    Xie Pinggang frowned.


    Hit his wife?


    He would not dare!


    However, Xie Qiao¡¯s dislike was authentic. He patiently flipped to the next one, ¡°How about this? He¡¯s my colleague. He lost his wife before. He¡¯s not bad overall.¡±


    Although he lost his wife, he was capable. He would definitely be promoted and make a fortune in the future.


    His family had some property, and his family background was simple.


    ¡°He lost his wife and son. Eldest Brother, ask him to get a master to perform divination. It¡¯s a rather tough one,¡± Xie Qiao looked at him sympathetically.


    ¡°Lost his son? How do you know that he¡­¡± Xie Pinggang choked on his words.


    His colleague¡¯s wife died during childbirth. Two lives were sacrificed.


    ¡°How about this¡­¡± Xie Pinggang continued to point.


    Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. It¡¯s just that he has too many brothers, it¡¯s troublesome.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was speechless, which he then took a look at.


    That was right, this person¡­ indeed had many brothers. He was the seventh son!


    However, it was not written on the portrait?! This girl coulde up with that all on her own?!


    Xie Pinggang was a little unconvinced. He pointed at another person who looked the most ordinary and gentle.


    Xie Qiao nced at him and said, ¡°Yes, he looks pretty good. It¡¯s just that¡­ this person has a fate that he¡¯d travel to a foreignnd. If I really marry him, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll die in a foreignnd. Even if Eldest Brother wants to take care of my child for me, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be toote.¡±

 Chapter 271 - Adding Insult to Injury

    <h4>Chapter 271: Adding Insult to Injury</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was stunned by Xie Qiao¡¯s words. Looking at the portrait in his hand, he was a little flustered.


    ¡°He has a fate of traveling to a foreignnd? Are you sure?¡± Xie Pinggang stared at the portrait carefully.


    He could not tell what it was.


    It was just an ordinary man. Although he was not very good-looking, he was not ugly either.


    After all, she was his younger sister. Even if she were to marry anyone, she would still have to choose carefully.


    He had carefully questioned the matchmakers in these portraits. Even criminals would not dare to lie when they saw his ability to interrogate them, let alone a matchmaker?


    From the matchmakers, he also knew the background of these men.


    The person in his hand was not particrly outstanding, but he had a good personality and a good family background. He was a student for two years, but he had not married yet. He did not even have any women by his side. He was just an eighth-rank official. His future¡­


    Xie Pinggang was stunned.


    ording to the period of time he worked, this person was honest, sensible, and conscientious. It was time for him to be promoted.


    He heard that this person did not have anyone to rely on, so he probably did not have the ability to live in the capital.


    He might even be sent to another city to be a local official¡­


    Xie Pinggang was a little dejected.


    It was a good candidate that he had. No matter how good it was, it would not be his sister who picked the other party. Instead, they would pick each other and take their time. Who knew how long it would take for them to figure out this marriage?!


    ¡°You¡¯re quite capable,¡± Xie Pinggang snorted, ¡°All of my candidates are in these portraits. Although I want to marry low, you can¡¯t marry too low. You won¡¯t live long, so it¡¯s not good for me to scam someone who is too good. Letting someone be a widower without a wife for no reason is really a headache,¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. If Father doesn¡¯t anger me more often, maybe I can live forever,¡± Xie Qiao said leisurely, ¡°Father gave Ms. Lu 5,000 taels of silver, and the ount actually paid her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. 5,000 taels of silver in cashpletely emptied the house. Our family really doesn¡¯t have money for the next meal now,¡± Xie Pinggang sneered.


    His family was already ¡°poor¡± .


    Now, that was just adding insult to injury.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xie Qiao murmured and then smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Father has been a bandit for so many years, how could he not have some private savings? Now that Ms. Lu has left, Father is bored by himself. How about this? When Fatheres back, I will go talk to him.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was speechless. He looked at her with a strange gaze.


    ¡®Talk to him?


    ¡®Are you sure you¡¯re not making yourself die sooner to be talking to him?


    ¡®However, thinking about it, this girl might be a little angry with Father. In any case, she would not really kill our Father. Let them talk then!¡¯


    Xie Qiao was a person of his word. When Chun Er reported that Xie Niushan had returned, she packed up and went to the main courtyard to apany her biological Father for a meal.


    Ever since returning to the capital, she had always carried a talisman that suppressed the evil energy on her. She carried it with her most closely and never dared to leave her body.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao hesitated for a moment and took out more than half of the talismans. She brought the remaining two or three talismans with her.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s thoughts were quite pure. He had long forgotten the previous gloom. Now that he heard that his eldest daughter was going to apany him for a meal, he was over the moon and had people serve good wine and dishes.


    Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi wanted to join them, but they were stopped by Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinghuai felt that something was wrong.


    Ever since his eldest sister returned home, his eldest brother seemed to have never supported him and his sister getting too close to his eldest sister.


    Now, they were not even allowed to eat together at the same table?


    However, Xie Pinghuai did not dare to ask.


    He could only obediently bring Xie Xi along to eat the snacks in the small kitchen.

 Chapter 272 - 2: It Was All Silver

    <h4>Chapter 272: It Was All Silver</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at the dishes on the table and frowned.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t father say that you would help me heal my body?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was bitter.


    Xie Niushan was stunned, ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t this good?¡±


    Chicken stew, pork knuckles, and wine.


    They usually could not afford to eat those!


    ¡°Father, do you know that for a weak person like me, if I eat such greasy food, my stomach won¡¯t be able to take it and my body will suffer?¡± Xie Qiao had a gentle look on her face as she handed over a list, ¡°Take a look. This is what I normally eat.¡±


    Xie Niushan did not pay much attention and took the list to have a look.


    With one look, one could squish a fly between his eyebrows.


    ¡°Buddha roll fish fillet, exquisite bird? What are these?¡± Xie Niushan was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Buddha roll fish fillet is actually fried fish fillet. It¡¯s just that this fish fillet has to be marinated with abalone juice, and it has been specially processed. After being cooked, the fish fillet curled up like a flower, light and delicious. The exquisite bird is actually a pheasant, but¡­ it needs to be stewed with a few kinds of wild mushrooms,¡± Xie Qiao exined.


    Xie Niushan nodded, indicating that he understood.


    Then, he continued reading.


    ¡°A first-grade birds nest? You want a cup of it every day?¡± Xie Niushan shouted in surprise, ¡°Prosperity sea cucumber, ginseng stew, double-skinned milk, arhat prawn, eight treasures deer meat¡­ what are these? Medicinal pills?¡±


    Xie Niushan was really shocked.


    The list was filled with the names of the dishes.


    Just looking at it made one¡¯s heart ache. It was so appetizing!


    He had never been particr about food. As long as there was meat and rice, it was fine as long as his stomach was filled.


    However, Xie Qiao¡¯s list was different. In this month¡¯s list, other than some things like ginseng, treme, and birds nest that were repeated, almost all of the dishes were brand new.


    Where did so many dishese from?


    No matter how blind he was, he could still tell that those were not dishes. They were clearly silver!


    Just this grade of birds nest cost several taels of silver a day. In addition, the treme and ginseng were also very expensive, so she had to eat them often¡­


    That was not all, what was important was the pill.


    He did not know if it was made of gold, but it was written on the top that it had to be at least ten times a month, and each pill was worth 30 taels!


    Thirty taels for a pill? Was his daughter sure that she had not been cheated?!


    Xie Niushan said solemnly, ¡°My daughter, if you eat like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Father can¡¯t afford it, can you?¡± Xie Qiao was about to cry when she heard that, ¡°When I was in the Taoist temple, Master was also poor, but he saved up a lot of pills for me, which allowed me to grow until now¡­¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°That annoying old Taoist master¡­ raised you like this?¡± Xie Niushan was shocked.


    It was too scary.


    How much money did he have to spend this month?


    Judging from the food and drinks, he would not be able to afford it without 400 to 500 taels of silver a month!


    ¡°Yes, Master said that since I was young, I was weak and fainted several times a day. I had to take some supplements so that my Yang energy would be strong and I wouldn¡¯t get sick. There are several herbs in these pills to supplement Yang energy. The prescription was made by Master. After buying the herbs, I had to decoct the herbs and make the pills myself. Oh right, there¡¯s also a piece of gold foil in there. I can¡¯t grind it. I have to buy it from the store,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    The moment Xie Niushan heard about the gold foil, he knew how powerful this pill was.


    How hard was it to smash this gold foil? The craftsmanship wasplicated, so the price was naturally high.


    Xie Niushan felt a little guilty.


    This girl ate like this in the Taoist temple. If she could not eat such good food at home, would it not appear that his father was not as good as that annoying Taoist master?

 Chapter 273 - Almost Broke

    <h4>Chapter 273: Almost Broke</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan felt his heart ache.


    He did not think that raising a child would be so troublesome. After all... His two sons and that girl Xie Xi were happy with just a little bit of food. How would they dare to ask for this and that?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t deer meat and pork the same? What¡¯s the difference?¡± Xie Niushan coughed.


    ¡°Of course they¡¯re different. The deer was born in the mountains and tasted all kinds of precious herbs. Can it be the same as a pig that feeds on hay?¡± Xie Qiao said frankly.


    Deer were so cute, how could she not eat deer?!


    If it was her previous life, she promised to only eat domesticated deer.


    It was different in this life. It was already a problem to live, so it was better to nourish her body as much as possible. Moreover, hunting was one of the ways to make a living these days. It was unknown how many people had been fed by the saying of relying on the mountain to live.


    Xie Niushan had to admit that what Xie Qiao said made sense.


    ¡°The dishes are soplicated. Do any maidservants know how to cook them?¡± Xie Niushan asked again.


    Xie Qiao looked at him stubbornly.


    ¡°Chun Er and Granny Wan know how to cook them. Don¡¯t worry, Father,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly.


    Xie Niushan scratched his nose, ¡°Wine? Why do I see wine here? What¡¯s this four season fine wine?¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s wine made from flowers, nts, fruits, or ginseng herbs, you don¡¯t need to buy it at the store. You just need to buy some ingredients. I¡¯ll get Granny Wan and Chun Er to make it and bury in the yard. I can drink it whenever I need,¡± Xie Qiao exined patiently.


    Xie Niushan frowned.


    Fruits and nts?


    Would it be sweet or spicy?


    Xie Niushan¡¯s expression was solemn.


    After a while, he called the new steward over.


    The new steward had been working in the Xie family for five to six years. Although he was not an old man from the previous mountain stronghold, he was a very sensible and loyal person. Previously, he had been oppressed by Yuan Rong, but now, he was considered to have made a name for himself.


    Xie Niushan asked the steward to bring over the ount book.


    He flipped it through over and over. The food was already cold, but he could not eat a single bite.


    There was... no money left in the ount.


    On a closer look, that Ms. Lu had bought quite many things before she and him were divorced. He guessed that they were all for Pei Wanyue.


    If he were to ask for the money back now, he would not look like a man at all.


    He was really poor!


    When Xie Qiao went to the academy earlier, he still had 10,000 taels of silver left, but Pei Wanyue had spent 2,000 taels of silver to go to the academy!


    In addition, he had to spend another 1,000 taels of silver this month.


    After deducting the 5,000 taels of silver he had given to Ms. Lu... and the money that Ms. Lu had spent¡­


    Xie Niushan was almost broke.


    Such a big family, yet they only had 1,200 taels of silver on the ount book?!


    So many servants to feed, the carriage fees, and the money he had to spend on drinks and socialization... That was simply not enough!


    Xie Niushan¡¯s expression was especially embarrassed. Xie Qiao seemed to be confused. She even asked the steward to make another trip to her courtyard and have Chun Er bring over her bird¡¯s nest porridge.


    Xie Qiao drank it gently in front of Xie Niushan.


    One mouthful after another, it was really delicious.


    Xie Niushan subconsciously gulped.


    Looking at his daughter eating the porridge so obediently, how could he say that he did not have the money to feed her?


    As a bandit leader, he had never said such embarrassing words!


    ¡°Ms. Lu didn¡¯t give you any silver before this. How did you buy anything?¡± Xie Niushan asked.


    ¡°She did. I used that painting to enrol in the academy, but I got the 5,000 taels from the ount anyway. However, I bought a small shop with that 5,000 taels... I spent it all. The money to buy the supplement was given by my Master from the Taoist temple,¡± Xie Qiao said honestly.


    ¡°Shop? Do you make money at all?¡± Xie Niushan asked by instinct.

 Chapter 274 - Fell to the Ground

    <h4>Chapter 274: Fell to the Ground</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao told the truth with an obedient and serious face, ¡°The shop has just opened. We haven¡¯t gotten the capital back yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It has just opened. It¡¯s not bad if you don¡¯t lose money!¡± Xie Niushan sighed.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s shop was actually not too shabby.


    There were not many people in the shop. Other than the shopkeeper, there were only two errand boys and one who was taking care of Da Xiong. The furnishings were also simple. The main cost was things like cinnabar.


    The talismans had been sold, and the profit was considerable.


    If her father continued to ask, she would not hide the fact that she did not lose money.


    However, it was clear that Xie Niushan was not interested in this shop that was ¡°not lucrative¡±.


    ¡°Leave the list to the steward. In the future, I¡¯ll buy them for you ording to this list. Just let the people in your courtyard cook,¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s heart was bleeding.


    His mind was already thinking about taking a look at his private savings.


    ¡°Thank you, Father. You¡¯re so kind,¡± Xie Qiao was sweet.


    When Xie Niushan heard that, his mood became much more cheerful, ¡°You little girl, why are you being so polite with Father? It¡¯s just things that can be solved with money. It¡¯s not a big deal. Just you wait. Father promises to feed you until you¡¯re big and fat!¡±


    It did not make sense that the annoying old master could afford to raise her, but he, Xie Niushan, could not!


    Xie Qiao smirked lightly.


    Xie Niushan could not sit still. After saying a few words, he hurriedly went back to his room to open the box.


    However, when he reached the door, for some unknown reason, he did not even take a step forward. His legs went weak and he tripped at the doorsill directly. His entire face fell to the ground!


    A loud thud was heard, the sound was terrifying!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    She chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Father, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. This darn doorsill! I¡¯ll get someone to tear it downter!¡±


    It would be a lie to say that he was fine!


    Who was Xie Niushan?! He had lived for so long. Other than the many grievances he had suffered in his own home when he was young, he had been doing well ever since he arrived at the mountain stronghold. Now, he actually fell to the ground in front of his daughter?!


    After Xie Niushan got up, he kicked the doorsill.


    In the end, he hit his foot.


    Enduring the pain, his face turned red.


    He looked so pitiful.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and snorted lightly.


    Who asked her father to bully her before? If it was not for her eldest brother making the decision for him, this dumb father would have made terribe mistakes!


    She would have killed him!


    She woulde again tomorrow!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was serious. She simply ate some food and went back.


    On the way back, she saw Xie Pinggang with the pair of younger siblings. He looked at her from afar, and then he carried the two little things away with him.


    Xie Qiao was not upset. After all, she just wanted to bully her biological father who had never taken responsibility. She did not want to harm her siblings. It was better to stay far away. When her dark energy subsided, she would y with them again!


    On the other side, Xie Niushan returned to his room with a sullen face. When he entered the room, he closed the door. Then, he lifted one of his feet and jumped on the bed. When he took off his shoes and socks, he saw that his big toe was bruised.


    Xie Niushan grimaced. He applied the medicine and endured the pain to open the box.


    When he opened the box, his face turned grim.


    He had a few precious boxes. The one in the room was for Ms. Lu to buy things. He thought that since he did not need it anyway, the money in the box would be saved for rainy days.


    However... It was empty.


    Forget it, he was the one who promised to let Ms. Lu take it away. A man should be generous!


    He turned around and went back to the armory to open the box.


    He stored his precious treasures there!

 Chapter 275 - No Big Deal to Get Rid of Worldly Possessions

    <h4>Chapter 275: No Big Deal to Get Rid of Worldly Possessions</h4>


    In the armory, there were 18 different types of weapons.


    Xie Niushan first looked at his armory with satisfaction. Then, he walked to the metal box, dropped the lock, and opened it.


    He obtained the things inside from his years of being a bandit and fighting barbarians. Each of them was worth a lot!


    Xie Niushan smiled.


    The box was opened bit by bit.


    Suddenly, Xie Niushan¡¯s smile froze.


    The metal box in front of him¡­ howe¡­ It was empty?!


    ¡°Men! Men!¡± Xie Niushan howled, ¡°Where are my treasures?!¡±


    The new steward was called over immediately. He looked troubled, especially when he saw Xie Niushan¡¯s livid face. He was frightened.


    ¡°Master, what treasure? I just became a steward. Don¡¯t you know that?¡± The steward said helplessly.


    When he first arrived at the Xie Residence, he thought that he would be ced in an important position. Who knew that he would be suppressed for several years. Now that he had climbed up with great difficulty, he realized that this master was really hard to please!


    ¡°Call that brat Xie Pinggang over!¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s voice sounded as if it was about to tear apart, causing people¡¯s scalps to go numb.


    That brat must have taken it!


    The steward immediately went to get Xie Pinggang over. Not only did Xie Pinggange over, even Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi came over confused.


    ¡°Father, why are you mad? We didn¡¯t do anything bad,¡± after Xie Pinghuai arrived, he said somewhat gloomily, ¡°Are you panicking because Mother isn¡¯t here? Why don¡¯t you¡­ Get her back¡­? Ah!¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Xie Pinggang pped him.


    Xie Pinghuai pouted, feeling wronged.


    His eldest sister was his family, but Ms. Lu had raised him for several years¡­


    In the past, when Ms. Lu was around, he was living a good life. He nevercked money, nor did heck delicious snacks. Now¡­ he had not eaten chestnuts for a few days.


    ¡°Who took the things in my box?! Hurry up and hand them over to me!¡± Xie Niushan said angrily.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he smirked coldly, ¡°Only now do you remember your box of things?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Xie Niushan was upset.


    ¡°The things in your box have been gone for a long time. I thought you knew about it,¡± Xie Pinggang said casually, ¡°Earlier, you said that it¡¯s no big deal to get rid of worldly possessions. Why are you so mad now?¡±


    After saying that, he sneered.


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he almost fumed, ¡°When did I say these words?!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Lu entered the house a month ago. She said her nephew had a baby. She asked for your opinion and took a jade bangle from your box. Do you remember that?¡± Xie Pinggang said calmly.


    Xie Niushan tried hard to think.


    He remembered.


    ¡°Yes, that happened. I allowed it,¡± Xie Niushan said, ¡°She stayed with her family for a few years after her first divorce. Since she married me, I naturally had to give her pride. I agreed to let her send an expensive gift to show how much I value her. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°At that time, I told you that if Ms. Lu wanted to spend money, she could use the ount. If she wanted to buy anything, she could just take the money and spend it. It¡¯s better not to touch the things in this box. You didn¡¯t listen to me and didn¡¯t take me seriously. All these years, Ms. Lu has sent gifts everywhere. What do you think she was sending?¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    Xie Niushan was a little dumbfounded, ¡°You mean, she sent out all of the things in this box?! Impossible, there were so many of them. Who could she have given them to?!¡±


    The treasures in his box were really valuable!


    How could she give them away just like that?!

 Chapter 276 - It’s Not Enough

    <h4>Chapter 276: It¡¯s Not Enough</h4>


    The reason why these treasures were ced in the armory was because the ce was inconspicuous. The items could be kept as family heirlooms!


    The jade bangle was considered the cheapest one. Although the material was used sparingly, the quality of the jade was great. It was small and pretty. The craftsmanship was amazing. It was also worth 2,000 to 3,000 taels of silvers!


    Not only that, he remembered that there was a golden eagle in this box. The eyes of the golden eagle were made of gemstones. They were solid gold. The feathers were also iid with a kind of shiny golden stone. That stone was rare. It was from the time when they were fighting against the barbarians, it was taken from that big tent!


    To put it bluntly, that thing was not even avable to the Emperor!


    It was actually given away by that prodigal woman?!


    ¡°Who did she give them to?!¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes were red, and it was very scary.


    ¡°Why are you yelling at me? I only found out that the things were gone after I opened the box. I investigated in private, and some of the things were given to my Grandmother and Uncles. Some were given to Ms. Lu, and some were given to people who have a good rtionship with you. She picked them out and sent them over¡­¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    He knew that there was a golden eagle in there.


    Later on, he investigated. Two years ago, the Meng family had an old person who was celebrating his birthday. Many families in the capital sent gifts over, and Ms. Lu took care of it as well.


    She gave the golden eagle to the Meng family.


    Nothing grand happened to the Xie family the past two years, so the Meng family did not return the gifts.


    However, if he was a member of the Meng family and received such a heavy gift, he would think that the Xie family had done something shameful, so they asked them to help settle the score!


    Would people give such an expensive gift away just like that?!


    They did nothing at all and they suddenly gifted a huge golden eagle!


    When he found out about this matter, Ms. Lu was on her way to Liaozhou to pick someone up, so he did not have the time to settle the score with her.


    Later on, his eldest sister came. It was inappropriate for him to add fuel to the fire with this old matter. Otherwise, it would seem like his family was a bully.


    Xie Niushan felt his entire body go weak.


    This box was quite well hidden. Although it was in the armory, it was ced in the innermost part of the room and would not be noticed usually!


    How could that woman think of emptying it out?!


    His silver!


    His treasure!


    Xie Niushan really wanted to vomit blood at this moment.


    There was nothing left in this box. What was left¡­was a sheepskin scroll that he used to keep dry at the bottom¡­


    Xie Niushan felt weak all over. He sat on the ground and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any silver left. Eldest Daughter¡¯s health iscking, so I have to take care of her. Now, I only have¡­ more than a thousand taels of silvers left. It¡¯s not enough!¡±


    His golden eagle¡­


    Xie Niushan was dispirited for a moment. He muttered and suddenly stood up. He suddenly swept his hand across the weapon rack and reached out for the long saber.


    He lifted his foot and was about to leave.


    ¡°Father, where are you going? Don¡¯t tell me you want to kill¡­ Ms. Lu?¡± Xie Pinghuai was shocked.


    ¡°I want to get my things back! I want to find Ms. Lu and find out who she sent those things to! Whoever dares to take from me, I will kill them!¡± Xie Niushan was greatly agitated.


    The things in that box could be said to be his life¡¯s work!


    What was the point of being a bandit and fighting the barbarians?! Was it not just to earn some good stuff?!


    He was willing to give Ms. Lu 5,000 taels of silvers, not because he was generous, but because he thought he had a lot of money!


    If the things in the box were still there, not to mention 5,000 taels of silvers, even if he were to give another 5,000 taels, his heart would not ache!


    However, the truth was¡­


    That prodigal woman Ms. Lu!


    Who could stop Xie Niushan from doing what he wanted to do?


    He called the steward, rode his horse, and directly headed toward Ms. Lu¡¯s ce.

 Chapter 277 - Debt Collection

    <h4>Chapter 277: Debt Collection</h4>


    Xie Niushan sped up, worried that if he was a step toote, Ms. Lu would run away or die. He was panicking so much that he was sweating.


    It did not take long for him to get there.


    The steward knew where Ms. Lu was living, so Xie Niushan arrived directly at that moment. The sky was already dark, but he kicked the door open.


    The mother and daughter were shocked.


    ¡°Ms. Lu, get out here!¡± Xie Niushan shouted, as if a meteor had descended.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When she dragged her cloak out, she looked at Xie Niushan with a hint of resentment and fear.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Ms. Lu called out in a very low voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given away all the things in my metal box, haven¡¯t you?! Who did you give them to? Write it down for me. If there¡¯s one less thing, don¡¯t me me if my saber hurts you!¡± Xie Niushan said angrily.


    Why did he get a wife?


    If he had known that marrying such a wife would cost him his family heirloom, he would have preferred to be a eunuch in the pce!


    This vicious woman was too much!


    How many years had they been married?


    When he mentioned the box, Ms. Lu frowned suspiciously, ¡°I did give them away. Isn¡¯t gift-giving normal between families? I thought it would cost a lot of money if we had to buy the gifts. Since we already have ready-made ones at home¡­¡±


    ¡°Ready-made gifts?! Are you dumb?! If they were cheap stuff, would I put them in the box?!¡± Xie Niushan almost spat out a mouthful of blood.


    When Ms. Lu saw Xie Niushan like that, she was really scared.


    Were those things especially valuable?


    She thought that if they were ced in the armory, they should not be particrly valuable. The price would be about the same as the jade bangle!


    Excluding the golden eagle, which seemed to carry a lot of weight, she had sent it to the Meng family. The Meng family was a new aristocrat, a rtive of the royal family. Furthermore, she had heard from others that the Fourth Prince might be the Emperor. The Meng family was the external family of the Fourth Prince¡­


    Ms. Lu seemed to be quite wronged and helpless.


    Xie Niushan pped a piece of paper in front of her, ¡°Write! Who did you send them to? Write it clearly!¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s entire body trembled and her eyes turned red.


    Pei Wanyue was also hiding at the door of the back room, not daring toe over.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart was in a mess, but under Xie Niushan¡¯s gaze, she had no choice but to write.


    She still remembered what was inside. After all, the things inside looked different from the normal decorations.


    Moreover, the Xie family did not give away gifts to many other families¡­


    She wrote with a trembling hand.


    After a while, she finally finished writing.


    She did not know what the names of the items were, so she could only use words to describe them.


    Xie Niushan looked like he was having a hard time, but knowing who had them was enough.


    After finishing the task, it was alreadyte. Although Xie Niushan could not wait to get his things back, he could only endure it and go home to sleep.


    Early the next morning, Xie Niushan did not even go to the barracks. He went to the olddy¡¯s ce first.


    There was a reason why he went to his brothers¡¯ ce first.


    His family was short of money at the moment, so he had to get his things back quickly.


    Ms. Lu was a little far away, and it would take a while to send a message, so it was a little toote.


    Also, there were things at the Meng family and a few of his colleagues. They were not as close, so it would be easier to take the items back from his brothers. Moreover, his brothers had several treasures with them.


    Xie Niushan knocked on the door early in the morning. The olddy happily invited him in.


    The Xie brothers had not left the house yet. They also felt that it was strange for him toe, so they naturally treated him well.


    ¡°Second Brother, I heard from the people out there that you and Sister-inw have split up. Sigh, Ms. Lu was actually quite good. I don¡¯t know why you guys have reached such a stage. Listen to what Eldest Brother says. You should treat her well since you married her. You can¡¯t just let the children have their way, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Xie Mangshan said.

 Chapter 278 - Marking Up the Price

    <h4>Chapter 278: Marking Up the Price</h4>


    Xie Mangshan intended to insult Xie Qiao, but Xie Niushan did not get the underlying meaning.


    He only felt that his eldest brother was praising Ms. Lu. He was already angry, so he said directly, ¡°She¡¯s pretty great?! She gave out all of the assets that I hid away! She¡¯s even more powerful than that beast. She took 200,000 taels of silver from me at once!¡±


    ¡°200,000 taels?!¡± Xie Mangshan¡¯s heart jolted in disbelief.


    This brother of his did not have that much silver, right?!


    When Xie Niushan said that, he felt a little embarrassed.


    To the outside world, he had alwaysined that he was poor.


    However, those things were not included in his family¡¯s assets. He had secretly hid them away.


    Back then, he said to the outside world that he had donated most of his family¡¯s wealth to get this official position. The rest of the things were used as money to buy houses and properties.


    In reality, he definitely kept some treasures. When his descendants needed them, he would sell them for money.


    However, how would he know that Ms. Lu was so deceitful?!


    ¡°They were all treasures that I took from the barbarians. If I sell them, they should be worth this much money! Brother, I came to look for you because of this. Previously, Ms. Lu gave you many things. You have to return them to me!¡± Xie Niushan said as he took out a list.


    ¡°One is a tea set with red and blue gemstones on it. The setes with a few pieces of items. There¡¯s a pair of golden and jade elephants too. They are small. Also¡­ a gemstone crown and¡­¡±


    Xie Niushan mumbled a few things.


    The olddy and the others were stirred now.


    ¡°How¡­ how much do they worth?¡± Xie Mangshan suddenly asked.


    ¡°These few items add up to about 60,000 taels of silver,¡± he did not hide it from his own family.


    When Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan heard that, their expressions changed.


    60,000 taels of silver?!


    Those items had long been pawned at a pawnshop. After adding up several items, they were only worth 5,000 to 6,000 taels of silver!


    Had he been cheated?!


    ¡°Second Brother, to tell you the truth, our family is short of money. We¡¯ve already pawned those things. Furthermore, they were not sold for much silver. They were only pawned for 5,000 to 6,000 taels of silver?! Did you miscalcte? They were all from a foreignnd. They¡¯re not worth much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re foreign that they¡¯re worth so much! I took them from the enemy¡¯s camp! How can the secret stash of the Great Khan be cheap?!¡± Xie Niushan shouted.


    With that said, Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan¡¯s faces were ashen.


    ¡°They really weren¡¯t sold for that much money¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you guys not want to return these things to me?¡± Xie Niushan was upset.


    Other than these precious treasures, he had also given quite a lot to his brothers. What was wrong with returning the things he liked?


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Second Brother, don¡¯t you believe me?!¡± Xie Mangshan wanted to cry but he could not.


    Of course, even if he did not sell any of them, he would not return them.


    If he returned them before this, what benefits would he get?


    However, his heart was dripping with blood and he felt uneasy all over. The items worth 50,000 to 60,000 taels of silvers had been sold for 5,000 to 6,000 taels of silvers!


    If he had that tens of thousands of taels, howfortable would his life be?!


    The two brothers looked as if they regretted what they had done in the past.


    As for Xie Niushan, he was getting more and more furious.


    ¡°You two are my brothers. Whenever I have money, I would¡¯ve counted you guys in! But now, you guys have to return those items to me. My family is so poor that we have nothing to eat. I need those items to raise my child!¡± Xie Niushan said in all seriousness.


    Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan did not believe him at all.


    From their point of view, Xie Niushan was just here to stir trouble.


    Right, maybe all the words were not true. If the things were really worth that much silver, would Ms. Lu give them away?


    His wife did not want the items anymore. Now, after listening to Xie Qiao¡¯s instigation, he wanted to take back the thing after marking up the price, right?!


    Hmph!

 Chapter 279 - A Series of Bad Luck

    <h4>Chapter 279: A Series of Bad Luck</h4>


    After the two brothers thought about it, they understood what was happening.


    Since having his daughter¡¯s guidance, this Xie Niushan did not like them anymore, so he came to stir trouble with them!


    ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯ve disappointed us too much. The things you gave us, weren¡¯t they to show respect to Mother? Now you want them back. Mother gave you a life! If Mother goes back on her word, can she kill you?!¡± Xie Mangshan said.


    Xie Congshan immediately nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s just a few pieces of junk, and you insist on saying they¡¯re worth 50,000 to 60,000 taels of silvers. Who are you lying to?! Outsiders know better than you how much money your family has! I just didn¡¯t expect that you would even disregard your own brothers and say such a lie!¡±


    When Xie Niushan heard these words, he was stunned.


    ¡°What I said is true!¡± Xie Niushan was angry.


    However, what he got was them rolling their eyes at him.


    ¡°You came to cause a ruckus early in the morning because you think that our Mother has lived too long, is it?!¡± Xie Mangshan showed his stance as the eldest brother, ¡°We don¡¯t have silver. There are several lives here. Just take the lives of your family!¡±


    Xie Niushan initially thought this trip would definitely be a fruitful one.


    He did not understand. His brothers and mother were not high-ranking officials. Normally, they would not use much silver. Could they not take the pity of him being cheated by Ms. Lu and return the items?


    The truth was, they did not.


    Not only did they not return the things, they wanted to chase him out.


    Xie Niushan had a bad temper.


    After feeling the malice from his brother, he became angry.


    He immediately stood up and smashed the things.


    ¡°You guys are spending my silver so carefreely, aren¡¯t you?! If you don¡¯t return the things, I will really chop you guys up!¡± Xie Niushan looked fierce.


    The olddy looked at him and sat on the ground. She began to cry, ¡°Oh god! Just strike me with lightning. How did I give birth to such an unfilial thing? You want to kill your brothers to anger me to death for such a small matter¡­¡±


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he stopped.


    He red at the olddy angrily.


    ¡°You guys take whatever Ms. Lu gives you. You¡¯ve received so many things from me. Have you ever sent a gift back to my house?!¡± Xie Niushan suddenly remembered and said angrily.


    The olddy was still crying, but she did not agree with his words.


    It was only right for a son to be filial to his mother!


    Xie Niushan let out a breath, ¡°Fine! Just cry! In the future, there will be nothing left for you guys! Do you expect me to give you more? No way!¡±


    He was furious.


    He flung his sleeves and left.


    On the way back, he felt wronged.


    He was not dumb. He was worried that he would not be able to get the silver back.


    Even if he could get them back from his colleagues, what would happen after he got them back? Would he not lose his dignity?


    After Xie Niushan calmed down, he felt as though he was carrying a huge mountain on his back. It was extremely heavy.


    The treasures that he had painstakingly hidden were all gone. All of them were gone!


    As for his daughter, she needed several hundred taels of silvers worth of supplements to maintain her health¡­


    He, Xie Niushan, had run amok for decades. It was not easy for him to be an official, but he could not even afford to raise a child!


    Xie Niushan was extremely vexed.


    On the other hand, the steward had already exined the situation to Xie Qiao.


    The new steward was quite intelligent and knew who could speak up in this family. Now that the old master was acting so crazy, it was quite scary. It was better to inform the First Young Lady first and make preparations.


    Moreover, the youngdy was so weak. If she was scared to death by her biological father, it would be horrible if it spread.


    Xie Qiao was shocked to hear the steward¡¯s story.


    ¡°How many good stuff were lost to make my Father so angry?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but wonder if she removed too many talismans from her yesterday that caused her father¡¯s series of bad luck.

 Chapter 280 - Sheepskin Scroll

    <h4>Chapter 280: Sheepskin Scroll</h4>


    The steward had exined everything that had happened on Ms. Lu¡¯s side. He also gave a copy of the list.


    Xie Qiao looked at it, and her eyes were filled with astonishment.


    These things were probably not of ordinary value.


    In particr, she knew about this golden eagle. Back then, when she had sent a letter to her father and brother, her father had told her that he had taken a particrly valuable trophy. He had said that this golden eagle only weighed a hundred catties, not to mention that it had been meticulously carved. In addition, the eyes of the golden eagle were blood-red gemstones. They looked as terrifying as cold light. On the wings, there were white stones that shone under the sunlight.


    The white stones should be diamonds. No one knew how they were polished and iid.


    There was also good stuff iid on the belly and ws of the golden eagle.


    The gold alone was worth more than ten thousand taels of silvers. The craftsmanship and gemstones¡­


    At that time, her father excitedly said that it was thanks to that vulgar barbarian that he obtained such a valuable and practically good item. He said that he secretly found someone to estimate the price, and this one item was worth more than 30,000 taels of silver.


    At that time, her reply was to ask her father to send these good stuff to the national treasury.


    The better the items, the more sincere he would appear. Only then could the Emperor not only not despise his bandit title, but somewhat like it.


    After all, if he did not have the temperament of a bandit, he would not have taken stolen a good trophy.


    She did not think that the item would actually be left behind.


    How many items did her father take? After donating so many, there was still some left!


    Although there was definitely only a small portion left behind¡­


    ¡°Is the box in my Father¡¯s armory big?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask.


    ¡°It is, it can hold a lot of people,¡± the steward nodded in all seriousness.


    ¡°Is it empty?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Yes, I stretched my head to look. There¡¯s only an old parchment at the bottom. There¡¯s nothing else,¡± the steward said again.


    Parchment?


    Xie Qiao hesitated for a moment, ¡°Show me.¡±


    Her father did not seem to be so meticulous as to put parchment at the bottom as a cushion. Perhaps this parchment was also one of the things he took. It was just that he did not like it, so he put it at the bottom.


    The reason Xie Qiao thought so was because she was in a good mood this morning and performed divination.


    When she woke up this morning, the wind blew on her face, her eyes squinted. There was a gush of herbal fragranceing toward her. The sun was great, and it was full of vigor on all sides. She quickly performed divination, and the result was that after the dry year, a dragon was born. With the addition of sheep¡¯s horns, wealth and promotion met.


    School would only start tomorrow. Today, she was prepared to stay at home and not go anywhere.


    How would wealth and promotion meet, then?


    Just as she was puzzled, the steward came. When he entered the courtyard, a wisp of Yang energynded on his feet. Dark energy spread out in all directions, and when he stopped, the position he was standing on was where the dragon was.


    Therefore, she guessed that wealth and promotion would meet from what the steward would tell her.


    The steward brought Xie Qiao to the armory.


    It was her first timeing in, so it was quite rare.


    After taking a look, she realized that this big box was behind the armory.


    It was indeed very big. She guessed that his father had hired someone to forge it, and it was a metal box with a lock on it. However, perhaps there was nothing inside, so the lock was not used at the moment.


    The box was very heavy. Xie Qiao asked the steward to help her, and it took him a lot of effort to open it.


    There was indeed only a piece of parchment inside.


    Xie Qiao bent and almost smashed into the box before she could reach it.


    The parchment was very old.


    The top was clean and there was nothing on it.


    However, the parchment was very big and its shape was very regr. It still looked a little strange.


    Xie Qiao rolled it up and prepared to take it back to figure it out.

 Chapter 281 - Priceless

    <h4>Chapter 281: Priceless</h4>


    The entire parchment was spread out, and it was actuallyparable to the size of the table in Xie Qiao¡¯s room. The leather felt quite soft, and it looked gray and dusty.


    She first wet the parchment with water and looked at it again.


    Nothing happened. It was still just an ordinary piece of leather.


    She then carefully brought the parchment closer to the copper stove and heated it through the copper cover, so she did not have to worry about setting it on fire.


    If there was really something fishy about the leather, she would use fire, water or acid and alkaline water. She could always figure it out.


    Xie Qiao stared at it carefully.


    After a while, she saw that there were actually some traces on the leather!


    They spread out bit by bit!


    Xie Qiao looked at it in surprise. She stared at it for about 15 minutes, and the entire picture was disyed!


    It seemed to be a map, but the picture was veryprehensive. On a closer look, it actually included almost all the countries on the continent.


    In particr, some big countries, such as the states that came from far away, or the states of Chou and Dongye, were also drawn very carefully andprehensively. Behind the map, there were even the characteristics of the people of some countries.


    In the lower right corner of the entire map, there was a person¡¯s name.


    Xie Qiao took a look and really sucked in a breath of cold air.


    This thing¡­


    Was valuable!


    In the previous dynasty, there was a Baili family. This family especially liked to wander around the famous mountains and rivers, painting one famous painting after another. They even heard that they had the mostprehensive ¡°world map¡± in their hands!


    Of course, it was only a rumor. Thest Emperor of the previous dynasty was a fool who lived up to his name. When he heard that news, he asked the Baili family to hand over the world map, but naturally, they did not have it.


    The Emperor was upset, and the Baili family was gone.


    The Baili family had many people, and almost all of them were killed. Due to this case, it upset the entire country. The uprising armies from all over the country fought against each other, and the dynasty changed.


    Later on, there were rumors that the Baili family still had descendants, but in order to avoid the disaster, they ran far away.


    As for the world map, it was also rumored to be miraculous. There were even people who said that it contained a great treasure.


    The thing in her hand¡­


    It was the world map alright.


    This biological father of hers¡­ how should I put it¡­


    His brain was a littlezy, but his luck was really¡­ peerless.


    If she were to use gold and silver to measure this thing¡­


    Xie Qiao really could note out with a figure for now. After all, there was not a single person from the Baili family who had appeared. Perhaps all of them had really died, and all of the famous paintings produced by the Baili family back then had been burned by that foolish Emperor!


    So even if it was an ordinaryndscape painting, its value could definitely be sold for tens of thousands of taels of silvers!


    However, this thing¡­


    It was the only ¡°world map¡±, and the time taken to make it was probably a few hundred years. Thebor required was the hard work of generations of a family, and almost all of the people who made it among the family were famous masters!


    How much was it worth?


    It was priceless.


    However, this thing became useless being with the Xie family. After all, it could not be sold.


    Firstly, no one could afford it. Secondly, no one dared to buy it. Other than the Emperor who dared to buy it, anyone else who held it in their hands would be deliberately pping the Emperor in the face.


    The previous Emperor had sacrificed his dynasty for this thing. Therefore, anyone who held this thing would have to donate it!


    Xie Qiao calmly put away the sheepskin scroll.


    At that moment, Xie Niushan returned.


    He was so angry that strangers did not dare to approach him.


    However, when he returned, he seemed to have started to gather his men again. The steward quickly ran to Xie Qiao and said, ¡°Young Lady, please stop Master! He is going to the Meng Residence to collect the debt!¡±

 Chapter 282 - Loss-making Business

    <h4>Chapter 282: Loss-making Business</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard what the steward said, she almost choked.


    Father must have suffered a great shock!


    However, Xie Qiao really should not pity him. After all, he did not even check the things in his armory from time to time. As long as he put in some effort, he would not let those things be emptied by others.


    However, although she thought that, he was her biological father after all.


    She could not just ignore him. She could not leave him being angry.


    Xie Qiao changed her clothes and immediately went to the front courtyard.


    Xie Niushan had already gathered his men and even gave each of them a broom. It was obvious that he was going to stir trouble.


    ¡°Father,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was pale as she called out shakily, ¡°Are you going to kill someone?¡±


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he felt guilty for a moment, ¡°No, I¡¯m going to collect debt¡­¡±


    ¡°Who stole something from our house?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice remained soft.


    Xie Niushan was also embarrassed to say it directly.


    Xie Qiao suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Get them to put these down. There are so many brooms. What are you going to sweep? Father, I heard that you lost something?¡±


    Xie Niushan red at the steward fiercely.


    The steward buried his head and felt wronged.


    ¡°Why are you staring at him? Could it be that it was the steward who lost something?¡± Xie Qiao said calmly, then she went forward and patted the horse beside Xie Niushan. The horse immediately snuggled in her arms. It was very obedient. Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°Since the thing has been given away, we can¡¯t ask for it back just like that. You¡¯re a man. If you don¡¯t have integrity, how can you stand your stance?


    ¡°Even if it was Ms. Lu who gave the thing away, since she was your wife, this matter will be on you. I think this horse is quite tired, so let it rest,¡± Xie Qiao took a breath and said slowly.


    Xie Niushan looked at Xie Qiao with aplicated expression. Although he felt embarrassed, he still said, ¡°That golden eagle is very valuable, we can¡¯t just give it to the Meng family for free¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just give it to them for free,¡± Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°They owe us one condition. We just need to get it back.¡±


    He could request for a condition, but he definitely could not take the thing back.


    If he really wanted to get it back, it would have to be them who was willing to give it back.


    When Xie Niushan heard what she said, he immediately threw away the reins.


    ¡°Eldest Daughter, then let¡¯s ask them what they want. The value must be 30,000 to 40,000 taels of silvers. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to sleep well!¡± Xie Niushan really did not want to do a loss-making business.


    Of course, he knew that he could not go and ask for the debt.


    Even if Xie Qiao did note, he would take his men for a walk on the streets at most.


    He would specifically pass by the Meng Residence¡¯s door to let the Meng family feel that he was a hooligan and did not want to interact with him. Then, they would return the item.


    He was not foolish enough to directly p the face of the prince¡¯s family.


    Xie Niushan immediately dismissed the people.


    He brought Xie Qiao to the hall and sat down.


    ¡°I heard that the old matriarch of the Meng family is good at matchmaking. Since Father has already chased Ms. Lu away, you need a new madam to take care of the house. There¡¯s also Eldest Brother. He¡¯s already in his twenties, but his marriage has not been settled¡­ Father will send someone to the Meng family to pass on a message and ask the old matriarch for help. That will do it,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Marry?!¡± Xie Niushan had goosebumps when he heard that, ¡°I¡¯ve just gotten rid of a prodigal, and now you want me to marry again?! Right now, the family doesn¡¯t have the money to spare for the betrothal gifts. No, no, no.¡±


    ¡°If you want to marry, you¡¯ll have to see if anyone wants to marry you. The matriarch of Meng family might not even dare to take up the job. After all, you¡¯ve only just divorced Ms. Lu, and your reputation is poor. No matter who they introduce, the matriarch would think that she¡¯s harming the women. Why would she actually agree to it? However, when you bring up this matter, it won¡¯t seem like you¡¯re making things difficult for her. If she doesn¡¯t help, it won¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m afraid¡­ In the end, she¡¯ll have no choice but to send the golden eagle back and avoid you. Who knows, she might even send you apology gifts,¡± Xie Qiao added.

 Chapter 283 - I Robbed It Fair and Square

    <h4>Chapter 283: I Robbed It Fair and Square</h4>


    When he heard about the apology gifts, Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes lit up, but he said, ¡°This matter¡­ was done by our family unjustly. epting the apology gift, isn¡¯t that a little too much¡­¡±


    The Meng family was the imperial concubine¡¯s family, the Fourth Prince¡¯s external family, so the gifts must be quite generous!


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡®Why are you pretending to be such a weak little rabbit?¡¯


    Xie Niushanughed out loud, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say! But¡­ why haven¡¯t I heard that his olddy is a good matchmaker?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that either,¡± Xie Qiao replied in a serious manner.


    ¡®Who cares if she likes matchmaking? As long as the Xie family put on a show, it would be done.¡¯


    Xie Niushan nced at her and felt that his eldest daughter was quite shrewd. Herplicated temper waspletely unlike his. Logically speaking, he was most afraid of dealing with such people, however, when he saw his daughter¡¯s gentle and weak appearance, he was actually put in a good mood.


    In just a few sentences, his anger had actually disappeared.


    ¡°Eldest Daughter, those uncles of yours are really terrible. I gave them such valuable items, but they were unwilling to return them to me!¡± Xie Niushan could not help butin bitterly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s strange gazended on Xie Niushan.


    He coughed lightly and then said helplessly, ¡°When Father was a bandit, you robbed someone else¡¯s things. If someonees to ask for it, would you return it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I robbed it fair and square, why should I return it?!¡± Xie Niushan immediately red at her.


    Xie Qiao chuckled, ¡°The things that Ms. Lu personally sent over are more appropriate than the things you robbed. Why should they return it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. Back then, I was a bandit, and that¡¯s what bandits do! Over here, we¡¯re brothers, and there¡¯s a division between us?! If I want it, they have to give it back!¡± Xie Niushan argued.


    Xie Qiao suddenly felt that her lethal fate was probably caused by Xie Niushan doing too many horrible things.


    Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan were not good people, but her father was the same.


    They were the same. No one should mock each other.


    ¡°Father, when you were a bandit back then, did you kill as many people as horses?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    The father and son had never told her about the robbery in the mountain stronghold, so she did not know much.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. If someone died, the people wouldin, and the government would suppress the bandits,¡± Xie Niushan answered straightforwardly, ¡°There wasnd on the mountain too. The brothers would grow some food for themselves. There was enough to eat and drink. However, that mountain was, after all, surrounded by us brothers. Those passersby had to leave something behind in order to show off the prestige of our mountain stronghold. If we stayed quiet, the other viges would think that we were push-overs.¡±


    To put it bluntly, it was like loving what you do.


    Moreover, there waspetition in the line of work.


    There were so many bandits. If they did not fight for territory, then others would fight for it. Everyone was a bandit. If one of the bandits acted too noble and kind, then they would be bullied by others.


    The brothers only entered the mountain stronghold as they were dying out there. In order to survive, they had no choice.


    The main purpose was to steal property. It was not necessary to murder people. After all¡­


    They had to rely on people for a living. People often died, so who would dare to cross the line?


    Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°Even if it was to rob people of their property, it was not right. Whose family¡¯s money grows on trees? Fortunately, you still have some real capabilities. You killed the barbarians and made a contribution. Otherwise¡­ you¡¯d have a hard time.¡±


    How could evil bandits reincarnate in the next life?

 Chapter 284 - Taken Away and Sold!

    <h4>Chapter 284: Taken Away and Sold!</h4>


    In reality, Xiao Qiao¡¯s father¡¯s identity did not need to be reimed, as it could not be reimed at all.


    He was a bandit to begin with, so there was nothing to hide.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t be able to get the other items back, especially from your colleagues. Since they¡¯ve already been given away, don¡¯t think about it anymore. However, you can do something about Ms. Lu¡­¡± Xie Qiao exhaled and took a rest, then she said, ¡°The matter of the divorce has to be spread to the Lu family. Send someone to interrogate them. The person must be fierce and evil. Say that Ms. Lu has been supporting dozens of people from her family¡­ Cough, cough¡­ As long as the Lu family doesn¡¯t want to lose face, they would return half of the things that Ms. Lu sent at least.¡±


    There must be some young descendants in the Lu family. For the sake of their reputation and future, they would not dare to keep all those things.


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll get someone to do it right away!¡± Xie Niushan pped his thigh, he was very happy.


    ¡°Father, I finished all my medicinal pills yesterday. Can you get someone to buy some for me?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    There were still some pills left, enough tost for a month.


    However, she just wanted to see her father being worried.


    Sure enough, as soon as Xie Qiao said that, Xie Niushan¡¯s smile froze, and a few words popped out, ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll get the steward to get the money from the ount!¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly, and then returned to her own courtyard with satisfaction.


    As soon as she left, Xie Niushan stared at the steward and said, ¡°Has the money in our ount been sorted?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. The carriage fee and the money you spent for drinks, there should not be anything left¡­¡± The steward felt troubled.


    Xie Niushan was panicking and angry. He took two steps directly and suddenly remembered something, which he said, ¡°Go to Pinggang¡¯s courtyard and take the new spear he bought away. Sell it!¡±


    The steward¡¯s heart jolted with fear.


    ¡°His sister can¡¯t afford to buy medicine, so why is he still ying with a spear?! It¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t have any weapons!¡± Xie Niushan added.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s spear was extraordinary. It was forged by a famous cksmith in the capital. The spear itself shone with silver light, and the de was sharp. It was unknown how many times it had been hammered before it was made into such a divine weapon. It was expensive!


    This son of his loved to buy weapons.


    There were all sorts of weapons. Almost everything in the armory was purchased by him. However, those weapons had long since be his old favorites. He only kept them there for viewing, but not that spear!


    ¡°Master, this humble one really doesn¡¯t dare to do that¡­¡± The steward was sweating.


    Why was his life so miserable that he was bought by this family?!


    He had to be scared out of his wits to work every day!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go myself, ¡± Xie Niushan was quite proud.


    He had lost his things, but that kid still dared to make fun of him. Hmph, he should know what it was like to lose something he loved!


    Xie Niushan sold it as he said. He did not even need the steward to do anything. He carried the spear and went to find his colleagues.


    He knew many military officials, and there were many people in the military camp who were interested in this thing. He auctioned it at a high price directly.


    He obtained more than 400 taels of silver.


    The silver was considered an additional ie. He spentvishly and bought all the medicinal herbs and supplements, sending them all to Xie Qiao.


    Whatever her father gave, Xie Qiao would take.


    After obtaining the medicine, she immediately brewed it, mixed it with gold foil, and rolled it into pill after pill.


    However, at night, after Xie Pinggang returned, the Xie family..


    Had a huge fight.


    In the courtyard, Xie Pinggang was holding a big knife and almost killed his own father.


    Unfortunately, Xie Qiao did not see that.


    She only knew that when she saw Xie Niushan again, her father¡¯s waist was thicker and blood was seeping faintly.

 Chapter 285 - Pay for A Loss

    <h4>Chapter 285: Pay for A Loss</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was also worried by her father and brother¡¯s savage behavior. She obediently took the talismans with her.


    She had only put the talismans away for a while, yet her father¡¯s luck these days were already so miserable!


    If this went on... he might even lose his insignificant life!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose to that brat. I was just unlucky recently. While fighting him, my legs suddenly cramped up. Otherwise, with that brat¡¯s weak capability, do you think he would be able to hurt me? Hah!¡± Xie Niushan was still determined to save his dignity.


    Xie Qiao felt even more guilty.


    She held onto the talismans tightly.


    ¡°I sent someone to deliver a letter to the Meng family early in the morning. There should be a reply soon regarding the arranged marriage. You should go to the academy well. You don¡¯t have to worry about the rest!¡± Xie Niushan added. As he spoke, he grimaced. It seemed that he had identally affected his wound.


    Xie Qiao nodded obediently. She even revealed an obedient smile.


    If her father knew that his bad luck was caused by her, would he carry a knife and cut her?


    Xie Qiao was scared and quickly sat on the sedan chair.


    After taking so many days off, Xie Qiao really missed the academy.


    In the satchel that she had sewn, there was a thick stack of books. As soon as she arrived at the academy, she went to the library to exchange for silver beans.


    Copying books day and night was effective. At that moment, a couple of books were ced on the desk of the teacher. The teacher raised his head in shock.


    ¡°So many?!¡± After a careful count, there were actually seven or eight books!


    Was this little girl a little too diligent?


    Xie Qiao forced a smile, ¡°Those who are capable will have to work hard.¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± the teacher took them over and examined them.


    The trantions were all written in Zhoi text. A few of the books were especially obscure and difficult to understand. They had been ced in the library for so long, but they had not beenpletely tranted. He did not expect Xie Qiao would solve them after merely a few days.


    The contents of the books still needed to be verified, but the texts were neat. It did not look like she had done it in a hurry. It was clear that the little girl¡¯s temperament was steady.


    ¡°Among these books, one is worth 300 silver beans, and the others are worth 200 silver beans each. In other words...¡± the teacher said as he fiddled with the abacus, ¡°It¡¯s equivalent to 1,700 silver beans, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded immediately.


    ¡°However, half of these silver beans... will be deducted,¡± the teacher said again.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡°I heard from the stable steward that you came to the academy for horse racing on the day of the Winter Clothes Day? The horse that you rode on that day, for some reason, was a little restless when it was returned. The steward couldn¡¯t stop it, and it ran to the next yard. It trampled on several nts, which were very expensive, so...¡± he had to deduct the money.


    Xie Qiao was speechless. She was shocked by that.


    She pouted, feeling wronged, ¡°I¡¯ve already returned the horse. How can I still be responsible for what happens after that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? You rented the horse... for twelve hours, right? What the horse did that day will naturally be your responsibility,¡± the teacher was serious, ¡°The steward heard that you were tranting books here, so he specially asked me to deduct more. I think it¡¯s not easy for you to be so diligent. After much persuasion, we¡¯re only deducting half of it. ording to the actual value of the flowers and nts... even if you deduct all of them, we won¡¯t be considered as wronging you...¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart was broken hearing what the teacher said.


    Bully.


    This academy was great at bullying.


    They tried every means to get the silver beans from the students!


    ¡°What kind of flowers and nts are they? Can I take a look? And... Since I have already used the silver beans topensate for them, then these flowers and nts... No matter if they are dead or alive, I should take them with me, right?¡± Xie Qiao was a little mad.

 Chapter 286 - Physically Disabled, Mentally Strong

    <h4>Chapter 286: Physically Disabled, Mentally Strong</h4>


    Tranting books was actually quite easy for her, unlike inscribing talismans, which required a lot of effort. However, she had been tranting so much that her wrist was about to break these few days.


    She had worked so hard to make money, yet the payment was deducted just like that!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s stubborn gaze made the gentleman feel a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work. I¡¯ve calcted a preferential price for you. Moreover, these flowers and nts¡­ belong to Mr. Sang. He has gone on a trip. Before he left, he specially instructed that these flowers and nts, dead or alive, should be kept in his yard. They should be well cared for while they¡¯re alive. Once they die, they will be dried in the sun. When hees back, he will check them one by one.The academy will have to cover this matter for you. Otherwise, if Mr. Sang finds out that you have damaged his flowers¡­¡±


    The teacher smiled faintly, ¡°He loves flowers like his life. He would kill you.¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless. She felt her heart ache. She pondered and said, ¡°I want to take a look. If I can revive the flowers, is there¡­ no need to deduct the money?¡±


    The teacher looked at her in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°In that case, please give me a few more days. Keep the silver beans for now. If the flowers are revived, return them to me,¡± Xie Qiao quickly added.


    When the teacher heard that, he happily agreed.


    Revive the flowers?


    That was absolutely impossible.


    She had gone to take a look. The stems of the flowers were all torn, and it was a mess. Fortunately, the roots were protected, which was why they could be kept for so many days.


    However, looking at the leaves turning yellow and wilting, it was going to be over sooner orter.


    Xie Qiao said that she was going to see the flowers, but she was in a hurry to go to ss. She could only go at noon.


    What surprised Xie Qiao was that Xia Yayun still dared go to the academy.


    The wound on her face was scarred. It was small, but one could see that it was a snake bite.


    ¡°It¡¯s really terrible. Our academy already knows about Xia Yayun¡¯s incident. Everyone is talking about it today¡­¡± Qin Liu sighed helplessly.


    After being chased out of the pce by the Empress and never allowed to enter the pce, who would dare to talk to her?!


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s still thinking about the bet with me,¡± Xie Qiao admired her persistence at that moment.


    She was simply¡­ physically disabled and mentally strong.


    Other than that, she could not think of any other terms that could describe Xia Yayun¡¯s ¡°courage¡±!


    Qin Liu hesitated for a moment and thought about it, she said, ¡°Xia Yayun¡¯s aunt married into the Meng family. I heard that her aunt seems to want to set Xia Yayun up with Meng Jifang, and Meng Jifang¡­ knew about your bet. I heard that he said something mean to the Xia family¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at her suspiciously.


    She thought Qin Liu seemed to be worried about her.


    What did Xia Yayun¡¯s incident have to do with her?


    ¡°Meng Jifang doesn¡¯t care. He said that he would marry Xia Yayun if she beats you,¡± Qin Liu added.


    After that, she immediately calmed Xie Qiao down.


    Xie Qiao frowned, ¡°Why is he using me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe Xia Yayun has been against everything you dotely. Meng Jifang wants to watch a show. He has a temper. Who in the academy would dare to mess with him?¡± Qin Liu sighed.


    Although it was still apetition for Xie Qiao, it would be even more embarrassing if she lost.


    Xie Qiao had met Meng Jifang. She knew that person¡­ was indeed a little dumb.


    The invincible temper toward the world was indeed not to be trifled with.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make it apetition, then. It was a bet to begin with. I will not get involved in their marriage. It¡¯s up to them,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± Qin Liu looked concerned, ¡°Of course, I believe that you will win. However, Meng Jifang gave 10,000 silver beans and made a request to the academy. He asked the two of you topete in a one-on-onepetition. Thepetition would be the donation, but it¡¯s not as simple as donating 500 silver beans. There are other additional conditions.¡±


    This had not been announced, but she had connections in the academy, so she found out in advance.


    She could not help but remind Xie Qiao first.

 Chapter 287 - Extravagant

    <h4>Chapter 287: Extravagant</h4>


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly and was a little surprised, ¡°10,000 silver beans? How could Meng Jifang be so rich?¡±


    She had worked hard for more than ten days, but she had only earned more than 1,000 silver beans, and half of them had to be deducted!


    ¡°Of course he didn¡¯t earn them. Meng Jifang has always been ignorant and ipetent, and rarely takes the initiative to earn silver beans. Most of the silver beans he used were given to him by others, or¡­ he won them in bets. All he had to do was to tell the public that he¡¯s short of silver beans, and his followers would naturally give him the silver beans,¡± Qin Liu was also displeased.


    ¡°Did nobody in the academy take care of this?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°No. Meng Jifang is smart. Even if he wanted to steal the silver beans, he wouldn¡¯t do it himself. His hands are clean. He wouldn¡¯t be punished even if there was a punishment,¡± Qin Liu added.


    Xie Qiao was envious.


    He gave 10,000 silver beans to the academy just to watch a show!


    It was simply extravagant!


    ¡°Do you know what specific conditions he requested when he gave the silver beans?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    She had never been afraid of a one-on-onepetition, and¡­


    This seemed to be very interesting.


    Qin Liu looked at her in surprise. She thought Xie Qiao would be afraid or felt uneasy, but she saw some excitement on Xie Qiao¡¯s face!


    ¡°Meng Jifang told the academy¡¯s overseer that 500 silver beans is too easy for you two. Since you want topete, you should be more sincere. The so-called donation is to help the people. In the capital, there are often refugees from other ces whoe to take refuge. What he means is that you guys should go outside the city and help 50 disaster victims each, so that these victims will be grateful to you and ording to the rules of the academy. That is to say, you can only use the silver beans, not your family¡¯s power and wealth.


    ¡°In addition, the deadline is before the end of the year. There¡¯s only one month left. When the end of the yeares, the academy will ask 50 disaster victims to rate anonymously. Each person can be awarded a maximum of five stars. Those with more stars will win,¡± Qin Liu added.


    Xie Qiao listened and thought Meng Jifang had many tricks up his sleeve.


    ¡°If we win¡­ what are the benefits? Can the 10,000 silver beans be a reward?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    Qin Liu looked at her with a strange look, ¡°The academy will take amission, but half of the 10,000 silver beans will be given to the winner.¡±


    ¡°The academy didn¡¯t do anything, and they got 5,000 silver beans for free,¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    She wanted to start an academy.


    If 5,000 silver beans were converted into silver, it would be 500 taels!


    How evil.


    ¡°It should be fine if you want to reject it. When the teacher announced it, you should pretend to be weak. We all know that you are not in good health¡­¡± Qin Liu quickly added.


    Xie Qiao shook her head with a serious expression. Her eyes were bright. She opened her thin lips lightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s 5,000 silver beans. Of course I have to earn it.¡±


    She had tranted eight books and only obtained 1,700 silver beans!


    The job of tranting was rtively easy. If she were to copy ordinary books¡­


    One primer could only earn 30 to 50 silver beans. It was not easy!


    ¡°You want to bet with Xia Yayun?¡± Qin Liu was shocked, ¡°Xia Yayun came to the academy when she was 10. She has many silver beans. Moreover, Xia Yayun¡¯s father is a third-rank official. Several aunts in the family married well because of the good reputation! If she buys silver beans from others at a high price, I¡¯m afraid the people in ss A, B, C, and D wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse.¡±


    The students were indeed not allowed to unt their identities in the academy.


    However, they were born with this identity. How could they not exploit it?


    Xia Yayun was not Pei Wanyue who had no foundation at all.


    She had already been chased out of the pce by the Empress. However, who would dare to be sarcastic or show some disdain in front of her now?

 Chapter 288 - Deep Grudge

    <h4>Chapter 288: Deep Grudge</h4>


    Xie Qiao naturally knew that the Xia family was different from the Xie family.


    Although she and Xia Yayun were both in ss Sun, the Xia family¡¯s future was brighter. The foundation and connections they had umted over the years were not something the Xie family couldpare to.


    Moreover, the Xia family was born into a good family, unlike the Xie family, which was a bandit.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying. However, since Meng Jifang has already used me to stir up trouble, unless I hide at home and stay put, Xia Yayun will always find an opportunity to vent her anger on me. Instead of fighting with her and making people¡¯s heads hurt from arguing, it¡¯s better to do it openly¡­ Cough¡­ Besides, it¡¯s a good thing to save the victims. There are also the silver beans as a reward. There¡¯s nothing to feel wronged about,¡± Xie Qiao was open-minded.


    Five thousand silver beans!


    It would take a long time for her to earn that!


    The dishes in the academy were better than those in the restaurants outside. Every month, the imperial cook from the pce woulde to cook. However, those dishes were expensive. She had been reluctant to eat them. If she could earn enough silver beans¡­


    She would set up a few tables every month to enjoy them!


    Qin Liu wanted to persuade her, but after hearing what Xie Qiao said, she actually thought it made sense.


    That Xia Yayun was like a dogskin ster that stuck tightly to Xie Qiao. She could not shake her off no matter how hard she tried.


    If Xie Qiao had rejected thepetition, Xia Yayun would definitely stir trouble. She might even tell the world that Xie Qiao was afraid of her and had taken the initiative to admit defeat!


    Thinking of this, Qin Liu was already a little upset for Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the bet! You¡¯re right! We¡¯re not afraid of her. Isn¡¯t just 50 disaster victims, isn¡¯t it? I have friends too. Later, I¡¯ll ask around ss A, B, C, D, and the 20 courtyards. My family is quite wealthy. I¡¯ll buy some for you at a high price!¡± Qin Liu said boldly.


    Xie Qiao could not help butugh.


    Qin Liu was stunned by herugh, ¡°Xiaoqiao, you look really nice when you smile.¡±


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth stiffened, she was speechless.


    Qin Liu immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.


    She liked Xie Qiao. Firstly, it was because Xie Qiao was a member of the Xie family that she owed a favor from. Secondly, it was because Xie Qiao¡¯s personality really made onefortable.


    She would not fight, but she was neither afraid nor weak. She was like a piece of jade that was warm in winter and cool in summer. One would feelfortable just by looking at her!


    Not long after Qin Liu and Xie Qiao finished talking, Old Master Lu arrived.


    The old master entered the academy and took a look at Xie Qiao.


    After a while, he indeed told them about thepetition.


    ¡°If either of you disagree, we can let it go,¡± Old Master Lu added.


    Xia Yayun suddenly stood up, ¡°Xie Qiao, let¡¯s have a fairpetition!¡±


    ¡°We canpete, but Young Lady Xia, you and I don¡¯t have any grudges. May I know why are you being so vicious and persistent? I wonder why you are doing this?¡± Xie Qiao chuckled.


    Xia Yayun¡¯s gaze tightened.


    Why¡­


    She did not have any deep grudge with Xie Qiao. At first¡­


    She simply thought that Xie Qiao was the daughter of the Xie family, so she hated her. The Xie family had Xie Pinggang who was always teasing. She was angry on behalf of Sister Dong!


    Later on¡­


    The more she looked at her, the more she hated Xie Qiao. Especially her attitude, she pretended to be indifferent and put on an act!


    Now, she was betting on this because of what happened in the East Pce!


    She had never been humiliated like this in her entire life!


    However, after Xie Qiao said that, Xia Yayun thought of her initial intention and felt that what she was doing now was not worth it.


    However, she would not back down. She could not let Xie Qiao see her as a joke!


    ¡°Needless to say, if I lose to you this time, I will go home and never set foot in this academy again!¡± Xia Yayun snorted, ¡°However¡­ I, Xia Yayun, will not lose to you again. You want to save the victims with your pitiful appearance? I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work!¡±

 Chapter 289 - Disaster Victims

    <h4>Chapter 289: Disaster Victims</h4>


    Xie Qiao had never done any good deeds in the academy. She was different. A few years ago, when there was a major disaster, she had followed her mother to the outskirts of the city to give out porridge. She knew what those disaster victims needed!


    Food, quilts, and money!


    The money required to save the disaster victims this time needed to be exchanged from the academy with silver beans. In addition, the expenses had to be ounted for. The amount of money needed had to be matched with the silver beans exchanged. How long had Xie Qiao been here?


    Xia Yayun had already estimated that Xie Qiao would have 300 to 500 silver beans in her hands. That was already a lot!


    Xie Qiao did not bother to waste her breath to talk to Xia Yayun.


    She just said that because she thought Xia Yayun was dumb and that she did not know it.


    At that moment, both sides were willing. Only then did Old Master Lu take out a contract.


    On it was written the witness, and even¡­ the name of the organizer¡ªMeng Jifang!


    Meng Jifang had already signed his name in advance!


    Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun signed it.


    The academy¡¯s donation day wouldst for a few days. Meanwhile, Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun coulde and go freely in the academy during this period of time because they had signed the contract. They could also apply for leave for some of thepulsory courses.


    Of course, they had to make up for itter, and they also had to do the homework that the teacher had instructed them to do. They even had to attend the exam when it was time.


    In the afternoon, Xie Qiao went to the East Pce to avoid being noticed by others.


    The Crown Prince was not in the academy, but he had left his guards here. Xie Qiao handed over the small ount book that she had recorded in the East Pce.


    There were pictures and exnations on it, so they must be able to understand it. In addition to those things, there was also a picture of a female ghoul in pce dress, which was convenient for the Crown Prince to help find her.


    Xie Qiao wanted to stay in the academy for a while longer, but there were many things to do, so she left in the afternoon.


    Xia Yayun also left early.


    Xie Qiao was not in a hurry to leave the city. Instead, she went to the Fortune Pavilion.


    Shopkeeper Chang only recognized Mo Chusheng¡¯s appearance, but he knew that Mo Chusheng had a junior ¡°Young Lady Xie¡± whom she was very protective of. So when Xie Qiao arrived, the shopkeeper immediately served tea and snacks and took care of her well.


    ¡°Master Mo asked me to deliver the talismans,¡± Xie Qiao took out a stack of things from her satchel.


    The shopkeeper happily epted them, ¡°Thank you foring, Young Lady Xie. I was panicking. There has been a shortage of goods these few days. Many customers returned disappointed.¡±


    Xie Qiao took a look and actually found out that the newly replenished Academic Excellence Talismans were gone again.


    ¡°The Academic Excellence Talismans sold out so quickly?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Yes, but this time, it was all bought by Teacher Xiao. He spent a lot of money,¡± the shopkeeper added.


    Xie Qiao frowned, ¡°He can¡¯t do that. If hees again, he can only buy three at most.¡±


    The shopkeeper was stunned.


    It seemed that Young Lady Xie was not in a position to take care of the matter of the Fortune Pavilion, right? However¡­ This Young Lady Xie would probably inform the boss, so after snapping back to his senses, the shopkeeper immediately nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chang, do you know about the disaster victims outside the city?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Disaster victims? Those who came recently?¡± The shopkeeper looked in doubt, ¡°I heard that there was a ce that had a rat infestation during the summer. The rats were as big as a person¡¯s arm, and they were very scary. It was said that the food was destroyed, and some people were even bitten to death by rats¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡°However, the scale of the rat infestation this time isn¡¯t particrly big. Only two or three counties were affected by the disaster. The people inside hid away. It¡¯s winter now, and the rats are cold and hungry. Most of them should¡¯ve died. However, it¡¯s hard to move around during winter. Even if the disaster victims want to go home, most of them will have to wait until spring,¡± Shopkeeper Chang added.

 Chapter 290 - Disaster Scene

    <h4>Chapter 290: Disaster Scene</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard what the shopkeeper said, she understood a lot better now.


    Shopkeeper Chang looked at the girl and thought she must be a little naive, he then exined, ¡°The sight of the rats causing a disaster is scary. I¡¯ve seen it once in my early years. Those rats appear in groups, they¡¯re fearless no matter day or night. Inside the house, whether it is wood or porcin, almost everything would be eaten. Even the house can¡¯t be preserved, not to mention the chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, and farms.


    ¡°The crops that the rats had eaten would be barren in the blink of an eye. Moreover, the rats are fearless of people, and there were many people who were bitten to death by the rats. Fortunately, the scope of this rat disaster was small. Otherwise, the imperial court would be in a terrible state. There would be more disaster victims outside the capital.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang sighed.


    ¡°The weather is getting colder and colder. This year, there will be¡­ Many people freeze to death out there,¡± Shopkeeper Chang added.


    ¡°In the capital, there should be many rich families giving porridge and doing good deeds. When I came to the capital, I saw a few porridge stalls outside. There were even people giving out quilts. How could people freeze to death?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    This year, the number of victims did not seem to be particrly high. The supplies they needed should also be avable.


    Shopkeeper Chang nced outside. Seeing that no one came over, he said, ¡°If someone gives something away here, it will be robbed. How can the victims enjoy them?¡±


    ¡°Robbed?¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    ¡°Unless the disaster victims have work to do, they¡¯re not allowed to enter the city. How can it be safe outside the city? There would be some hooligans guarding outside the city. When they saw that someone had good stuff and was a pushover, they woulde forward and take it away. The things they took would be sold to pawn shops. Pawn shops were all for business, so how could they not take it when money came to them? Young Lady, where do you think the things that you¡¯ve collected will go to in the end?¡± The shopkeeper said mysteriously.


    Xie Qiao did not even need to think hard to realize that in the end¡­


    The items would be bought by some wealthy families, then sold and sent out of the city.


    ¡°If the clothes are robbed, the food probably won¡¯t be any better, right?¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those victims outside mostly rely on porridge or work to make some money to support themselves. However, most people eat porridge for months, so how healthy would their bodies be? They are sallow and emaciated. It¡¯s difficult for them to find work to do. There are also people who would distribute rice directly, but it¡¯s the same. They will be robbed,¡± The shopkeeper smiled.


    Although it was cruel, they were disaster victims. How could they live well?


    It was only food and clothing.


    It was not easy to build houses outside the city, so they were living in simple sheds. The sheds were covered with satintails and built with wood and stone around them. There would always be air leaking in.


    It was cold during winter. In a few more days, the water would turn into ice.


    When it snowed, the sheds would probably copse.


    However, even that was the case, the disaster victims probably thought their lives were not bad.


    If it was during the disaster year, it would be normal for them to trade their children for food. Although some people would freeze to death, most people could still survive. As long as the snow melted at the beginning of spring, they could return home.


    Xie Qiao was deep in thought.


    When the shopkeeper saw that Xie Qiao was silent, he suddenly felt a little guilty.


    This little girl was gentle and weak. He should not scare her like that.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not too bad. There are not many disaster victims this time, and their days are much better than before. You¡¯re still young and have not seen the scene of the great cmity in the past.


    The current one is really nothing,¡± the shopkeeper said again.

 Chapter 291 - I Will Never Let Them Go

    <h4>Chapter 291: I Will Never Let Them Go</h4>


    The shopkeeper thought he was quite good atforting people. He smiled kindly at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was not as timid as he thought. Moreover, at that moment, she was only thinking of her childhood.


    There were many jade mines in Yunjing. Once, the jade mine copsed and buried hundreds of people.


    During that time, she did not dare to go out because after the jade mine copsed, the dark energy was heavy. Besides the dead souls, the ghouls in the surrounding dozens of kilometers also lingered in that area.


    Other than that, in the Taoist temple, there were also manymoners who went up the mountain to beg and cry to the gods.


    When her body was especially weak, and she was still young, there was nothing she could do. She could only be affected by the dark energy and almost died.


    There was another time, a few yearster, she suddenly realized something was off with the constetion one night.


    After careful divination, she found that there was a faint sign of the heavenly bow of the guardian. This sign gave her quite a scare. It showed that the world was in chaos, and soldiers were rising up. Themoners were scared and worried about the country. However, the constetion was not obvious yet, and there were still signs that could be changed.


    At that time, although the barbarians were on the move, their momentum was not strong.


    Later on, the barbarians suddenly made a big move, and the soldiers were unable to fight them in time, causing the city gates to fall.


    If they waited for reinforcements, many people would probably die at the border. That was why she had written a letter to Xie Niushan, asking him to bring the bandits out of the mountain stronghold.


    During those days, she was panicking.


    That was because she could always see the dark clouds pressing down on her. To her, it was like the end of the world.


    Of course, she was not asking her father to seek death.


    Before making that decision, she had calcted carefully. To the Xie family, it was a great fortune. That was why she dared to ask them to take action.


    Now that she heard what the shopkeeper said, although she was moved, she was not afraid.


    Xie Qiao walked out of the shop and then took a carriage to the outside of the city.


    She sat quietly in the carriage and watched carefully.


    Perhaps it was because the terrain outside the city was a little more spacious, but it was indeed much colder. She wore a thick cloak and held a small hand warmer in her hand. She was shivering from the cold, and her small face was blue and the tip of her nose was slightly red.


    On the outskirts of the city, there seemed to be a daily porridge supply. There were several porridge stalls, and on top of each stall, there was a g with a family name written on it.


    There were no cotton-padded clothes being distributed yet.


    The cotton-padded clothes could be distributed very quickly, unlike the porridge stalls, which could stand there all the time with a signboard.


    ¡°Our children are out of luck. There are so many children, why isn¡¯t it our turn yet? It¡¯s said that every day, a bowl of meat will be distributed, and clothes will be given¡­¡± someone passed by Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that we¡¯re all human, but we have different fate. Isn¡¯t it? ¡°Your kid is also in his teens. Look at him, he¡¯s as thin as a monkey, and look at that rich youngdy¡­ Sigh, her hands are like jade. They¡¯re fair and tender, and the clothes on her are even smoother than our skin¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Lady Xia is kind. I heard that she came from the Royal Academy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I also heard that the academy will hire people to repair the shed in the next two days. I hope that we can work there and make some money at least¡­¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao got it. That youngdy was most likely Xia Yayun.


    She probably picked children or teenagers out of the fifty people that she would help. After all, people at this age were usually more simple-minded and easier to coax.


    Xie Qiao was not in a hurry to do good. She stayed here for the whole afternoon before returning home.


    It was the same for the next few days. In the morning, she would learn in the academy. In the afternoon, she woulde to the city gate to keep an eye on them.


    ¡°It was them. They took my clothes and food. I didn¡¯t want to. They even beat me. After I crawled back to the shed, I suddenly vomited blood and died,¡± Sitting next to Xie Qiao was a dark and thin male ghoul, ¡°It¡¯s these evil people¡¯s fault. I will never let them go!¡±

 Chapter 292 - Last Wish

    <h4>Chapter 292: Last Wish</h4>


    The male ghoul¡¯s eyes were red and he looked a little scary.


    He had vomited blood and died, so his mouth was also blood red. Xie Qiao could even see his stained teeth. It really made people not want to look at him again.


    However, this ghoul was weak.


    His words were quite fierce, but his aura was not strong enough. Instead, he looked quite pitiful.


    Moreover, she had been waiting here for a few days. She had selected this male ghoul to listen to hisints.


    The male ghoul was in his twenties and was educated. After suffering from the disaster, he escaped with his wife and mother.


    On the way, the man fell ill. He was only able to live because his wife took care of him. When he arrived in the capital, there was a noble who gave him porridge. Although it was difficult, he survived.


    Two months ago, a rich merchant was giving out clothes and food. When he was in good health, he queued to receive them. Due to his sallowplexion and thin body, he obtained many things.


    He was over the moon, but he was robbed along the way.


    He had never done anything for his wife, children, and mother. It was difficult for him to get some food, so he naturally would not let go. That was why he was beaten up by the group of people.


    His constitution was weak to begin with, so he could not hold on. When he returned, he died not long after.


    His food and clothes were gone, and he could not keep his insignificant life.


    There were officers and soldiers outside the city, but because he had died in the shed and had been sick in the past, his death was ssified as ¡®death from a serious illness¡¯.


    The male ghoul was fearless of death. He had been sick for so long, and he had long been mentally prepared to die. Even death was a relief to him. At the very least, he would not drag his wife and children down.


    However, what made him unwilling was the handful of grain and the two cotton-padded clothes!


    That was why he had been lingering around ever since he died!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze stared at those fierce-looking hooligans.


    These people did not gather together. They basically formed groups of twos and threes. They would wander around. Whenever they encountered officers and soldiers on patrol, they would even pretend to help out in front of some porridge stalls.


    That was right. They were also the civilian ¡°guards¡± that maintained the security of the porridge distribution site.


    If someone came to provide porridge to prevent the disaster victims from trampling and crowding, they would organize a queue.


    However, because they were in charge of this job, they knew better than those who did good deeds who received food or clothing!


    The male ghoul kept staring at them. Staring was not enough. After a while, he hovered and floated to the side of one of the people who had attacked that day. His hands were strangling that person¡¯s neck.


    All ghouls loved to strangle people.


    However, it was obvious that the strength of this ghoul was not strong enough. Moreover, the person who had attacked was full of Yang energy, so the influence of the male ghoul was very small.


    He did not even feel anything!


    After a while, the male ghoul hovered back dejectedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m really a cripple. I can¡¯t do anything. I drag my wife, children, and mother down with me. When I died, I couldn¡¯t even take revenge¡­ Sob¡­¡± as the male ghoul spoke, he began to sob.


    Blood-red tears flowed down his face, making him look even more terrifying.


    ¡°Stop crying. Think about what yourst wish is. I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill it for you,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    She sat close to the heater.


    It was still not the coldest season right now.


    She would not freeze to death when it snowed, right?


    Xie Qiao looked outside in a daze.


    The male ghoul raised his head miserably. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°My wish¡­¡±


    ¡®Revenge?


    ¡®Let those people who stole things die like me?¡¯


    Thinking of that, the male ghoul trembled. Only then did he realize that he was really useless. Even his deepest wish was not about him.


    ¡°I want to take the clothes and food back and send them to my mother and wife¡­¡±

 Chapter 293 - Leave of Absence

    <h4>Chapter 293: Leave of Absence</h4>


    The male ghoul felt a little ashamed when he finished speaking.


    He had been killed by someone and had be an ethereal soul, but he did not even have the courage to take revenge. He only thought about those worthless¡­ clothes and food.


    The immortal-like master in front of him would surelyugh at him, right?


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll take this wish of yours.¡±


    There were more than 800 silver beans that had not been paid by the academy, so she only had about 1,000 silver beans left on her ount. She could only get 100 taels of silver if she changed them into silver.


    A hundred taels of silver was probably not enough to hire thugs.


    However, although the academy stipted that one could not use their family¡¯s fortune, it was no problem to use manpower.


    When Xia Yayun came to the outside of the city, it was impossible for her to only bring a personal servant. In order to avoid a riot, she had to bring at least seven or eight servants with her.


    Within a reasonable range, she could still make use of her family¡¯s power.


    After Xie Qiao returned home, she asked the steward to count the servants in the house.


    Almost all of the servants in the Xie family could fight. As her father and eldest brother were martial artists, they were very careful when choosing servants.


    In this way, it saved her a lot of trouble.


    ¡°All these servants have to be brought out? What for?¡± The next morning, before leaving the house, Xie Niushan was shocked when he saw so many servants.


    His daughter was not going to bring these brothers to fight, right?


    ¡°Eldest Sister is gambling with Young Lady Xia. I suppose she¡¯s bringing servants to do good deeds outside the city!¡± Xie Pinghuai said immediately. After saying that, he even smirked at Xie Niushan, looking as if he was asking for praise.


    Xie Qiao looked at Xie Pinghuai¡¯s attitude and thought this silly child was quite pitiful.


    Twelve years old should be the time when a kid became sensitive.


    After Ms. Lu left, Xie Niushan did not pay attention to him. Recently, Xie Pinggang had been more strict with him. As his eldest sister, she had confiscated his grasshoppers. This kid probably did not have any fun now.


    Oh right, when he was in the academy, he even had to curry favor with Teacher Xiao.


    He was quite a miserable child.


    ¡°Did you bet with Young Lady Xia? Which Young Lady Xia? Did you bet on money?¡± Xie Niushan asked immediately.


    He was still looking at Xie Qiao and did not give Xie Pinghuai any extra nce.


    ¡°People outside say that Father is cruel, useless, and a bad person. I felt ufortable listening to that, so I made a bet with Young Lady Xia. If I win, I will bring Father a lot of dignity,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly.


    Xie Niushan was very pleased to hear that, ¡°Good girl. If you are bullied, let these servants beat them for you! Our status is low, but we¡¯re protected by the grand preceptor. Unless the grand preceptor is gone, we have great support in the capital!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    As far as she knew, the grand preceptor was old. Who knew when he would really die of old age.


    It was better to count on herself than the grand preceptor.


    ¡°Do you two want to go out with me today?¡± Xie Qiao asked Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to take a leave of absence from the academy.¡±


    Xie Xi shook her head.


    Xie Pinghuai was very interested and quickly replied, ¡°Yes, Eldest Sister! But if you want to take a leave of absence for me, you have to look for Teacher Xiao. That stinky old man doesn¡¯t ept me as a disciple, but he still order me around all day. And now he has even transferred me to his courtyard to grind his ink¡­¡±


    At this point, Xie Pinghuai felt dejected. He rubbed his feet against the ground and said, ¡°He¡¯s very strict. He definitely won¡¯t allow me to take a leave. Sigh¡­¡±


    Old Man Xiao was very evil!


    When he was in the academy, he had to work under his nose in the morning and afternoon. He had to do everything from running errands to copying books. Once Teacher Xiao was dissatisfied, he would bring out a thorny ferule!


    He would really hit Xie Pinghuai with it!


    Now, there was still an unhealed injury on his calf!

 Chapter 294 - Not His Treat!

    <h4>Chapter 294: Not His Treat!</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai lowered his head pitifully.


    ¡°Are you going or not? I¡¯ll take care of it for you at the academy,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Xie Pinghuai thought for a moment. Since his eldest sister said so, then¡­


    Even if he skipped ss, his father and eldest brother would not punish him. At worst, he would just get beaten up by Teacher Xiao!


    In fact, the old schr did not hurt him at all. He did not even dare to hit him hard. He should not hesitate any longer.


    Xie Pinghuai immediatelyughed and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go with Eldest Sister. You can order me around whenever you want. I¡¯m very diligent!¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled at him.


    Xie Pinghuai instantly felt at ease.


    He even looked at the silly girl, Xie Xi, regretfully. All she did was stay in the academy instead of going out to have fun.


    Xie Xi¡¯s eyes were a little dull, and she looked neither happy nor sad. Xie Qiao asked, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Xi¡¯er want to go?¡±


    Children should love to go out and y, right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to spend money to do that,¡± Xie Xi¡¯s words were like gold. She even frowned, as if she had thought of something that she could not ept.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you pay,¡± Xie Qiao could not help butugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll earn some silver beans at the academy,¡± Xie Xi said in all seriousness.


    Xie Qiao was speechless.


    Xie Xi had her own set of rules for earning silver beans. If she left the academy and did not earn any silver, she would lose money¡­


    She loved money so much at such a young age because she had such an unreliable Father.


    ¡°Father, after the Meng family sends people to send the item back, the golden eagle can¡¯t be sold for a year,¡± Xie Qiao said suddenly before she left.


    ¡°Why not?!¡± Xie Niushan immediately flew into a rage when he heard that.


    If it could not be sold, then what was the point of him getting it back!


    Now, he wascking silver!


    ¡°Father, do you want the Meng family to know that we are short of silver?¡± Xie Qiaoughed, ¡°Oh right, Father, I¡¯ve always been afraid of the cold. Every winter, I would shiver from the cold. It was fine in the Taoist temple. The feng shui there is good, and it¡¯s spring almost all year round. But over here¡­ I hope Father can prepare as much silver frost charcoal as possible in advance. The more the better, or I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    The reason why the Taoist temple was able to have spring all year round was because people were still burning incense over there. She had inscribed quite a few talismans with Old Man Mo. With some dharma instruments, the ce emitted afortable aura.


    However, it was indeed rather cold at home.


    When Xie Niushan heard that, his eyelids started to twitch.


    Silver frost charcoal was quite expensive.


    There would be an additional expenditure on the ount.


    Moreover, the weather was cold this year. It was probably not easy to find silver frost charcoal out there. The amount of silver needed to be spent would definitely have to be higher than the normal price.


    Xie Niushan could not cry about being poor on the surface. In his heart, he had once again been reminded of the debt from Ms. Lu.


    If Ms. Lu saved some money, he would not be so reluctant to buy even a single piece of charcoal!


    Xie Qiao left a few words and led her people out in a grandiose manner.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, should we go to a restaurant first? I know a restaurant that has excellent dishes, especially the Lion¡¯s Head¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes were shining.


    ¡°Brother is so generous?¡± Xie Qiao asked in surprise.


    Xie Pinghuai licked his lips feeling speechless, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s more important to get down to business¡­¡±


    He was generous?! It was not his treat!


    However, it made sense. He was a man after all. How could he spend his sister¡¯s money when he was out there?


    Nevertheless, he was really poor now. He could not even afford ten copper coins. Lion¡¯s Head aside, he could not even afford the vegetable soup.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I haven¡¯t been staying idle these days. When I was in the academy, I even asked around for you. Xia Yayun has already gathered 50 people. They¡¯re all teenagers under the age of seventeen. Those kids are easy to fool. Xia Yayun just gave them some benefits and they¡¯re treating her like a god.¡±

 Chapter 295 - God is Unfair

    <h4>Chapter 295: God is Unfair</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai quickly changed the topic, worried that Xie Qiao would find out that he was stingy.


    ¡°What else did you find out?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a smile.


    ¡°I heard that Xia Yayun goes to the city gate every day and brings a lot of delicious food with her. There are also snacks from Guifeng Room. I even secretly went to the 20 courtyards in ss A, B, C, and D. I also heard that many people sold silver beans to her,¡± Xie Pinghuai said.


    Xia Yayun was very rich now. With so many silver beans, what could she buy?!


    His elder sister should be in trouble this time.


    ¡°Giving out snacks?¡± Xie Qiao chuckled, ¡°I think the 50 teenagers she chose must be¡­ the most helpless and those with least support among the disaster victims.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned.


    He was not sure about that.


    However¡­ it should be true.


    If he were Xia Yayun, he would definitely look for those poor kids who had no one to rely on. Only then would the contrast be strong and the poor kids would know how precious her redemption was.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, let¡¯s pick someone like that, how about it?¡± Xie Pinghuai immediately expressed his opinion.


    ¡°Who said we¡¯re going to pick someone? We¡¯re going to beat up people today,¡± Xie Qiao said calmly.


    When they reached the city gate, Xie Qiao took out a set of clothes and handed it to one of the servants. She told him to go to the side and change into it.


    The servant was the thinnest one in the Xie family. He looked small, but although he looked so thin and weak, he was actually a great fighter. That was why his father and eldest brother brought him home.


    ¡°Carry these things and be careful. Pass by those people with staff. If they want to stop you, just run as far as you can,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    He did not need to avoid anyone. He just needed to make sure that innocent people would not be hurt during the fight.


    Xie Pinghuai was a little confused.


    He did not know what Xie Qiao was doing.


    Xie Qiao looked at him and thought for a moment before asking the servant to leave. She then stuffed clothes into Xie Pinghuai¡¯s arms, ¡°Huai, I have an acquaintance who lives in that shed. I need you to help me send these things over¡­¡±


    As Xie Qiao spoke, she pointed in the direction of the shed, ¡°Go in. Count to 20 from the city wall. It¡¯s a family with white strips of cloth. There are old people, women, and children in the family.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was a little confused, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go there yourself, Eldest Sister?¡±


    ¡°Everyone here is affected by the disaster. I feel bad watching,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    Xie Pinghuai nodded.


    That was right. Eldest sister grew up in a Taoist temple and had apassionate heart.


    However, what did eldest sister mean by what she said to that servant just now?


    He did not quite understand.


    Xie Pinghuai thought it was easy to do this, and it was rare for him toe out. He was not prepared to reject Xie Qiao¡¯s request, so he put on the clothes obediently.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s face was still fair. Xie Qiao wiped the dirt off the ground and directly pasted it on his face, then messed up his hair.


    ¡°Eldest Sister?! What is this for?¡± Xie Pinghuai was disgusted to death.


    ¡°There are disaster victims there. You look too good. People would think that God is unfair,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Xie Pinghuai opened his mouth and somehow thought it made sense.


    So be it that he was dirty.


    Xie Pinghuai rarely came outside the city and had never been with disaster victims. At that moment, he still felt that it was quite strange.


    When he got closer, Xie Pinghuai could not help but frown again. Subconsciously, he wanted to cover his nose, but there were many things in his arms and he could not free his hands.


    He could only endure.

 Chapter 296 - Run!

    <h4>Chapter 296: Run!</h4>


    When Xie Pinghuai entered the capital, he was only six or seven years old. Ever since then, he had been doted on by Ms. Lu. Naturally, he had never experienced such hardship.


    Even when he was in the mountain stronghold, he was the young master of the mountain stronghold. He could ride on the brothers¡¯ necks, as well as climb mountains and trees. No one had ever dared to oppose him.


    He had been beaten up by Xie Pinggang and Xie Niushan. He had also suffered grievances, but he had never been poor. He had never seen such a scene.


    Xie Pinghuai did not have much sympathy either. In fact, he even despised them.


    His feet avoided people as much as possible, and even when he walked, he would jump up and down.


    Xie Qiao sat in the carriage and looked outside through the window.


    This silly little brother of hers was still stirring trouble.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s actions were quite conspicuous. Moreover, because he was carrying many things, it was very easy for him to attract the attention of those hooligans.


    All of them stared at him, and they looked like they were going to wave the staff in their hands.


    Xie Pinghuai had just passed by the two hooligans when he was stopped.


    ¡°Put down the things and leave,¡± the other party said.


    Xie Pinghuai was startled, ¡°Why? Who are you? Did you talk to my Eldest Sister?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a stupid kid. Don¡¯t you understand what we are saying?¡± The two hooligans smirked coldly and then moved to snatch the things in Xie Pinghuai¡¯s arms.


    Xie Pinghuai looked weak. After all, he was only twelve years old and had not developed well.


    At that moment, he was pulled by someone and his body staggered.


    However, he was Xie Niushan¡¯s son.


    No matter how thin and weak he was, he was a bison, not a little chick.


    Therefore, the hooligans failed to take his things.


    ¡°Let go if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± The hooligans became furious.


    They could take many things every day, and they did not have to snatch the items from this kid¡¯s hands. However, they wanted to live here. If they were scared by this little fool today, how would they be able to show off their stance in the future?!


    ¡°Who are you to be yelling at me?! Get lost, or else my fists won¡¯t have mercy!¡± Xie Pinghuai was not afraid and shouted directly.


    Xie Qiao curled up and sat there, staring straight at them.


    In reality¡­


    If she did not get rid of these hooligans, she would win this bet even more easily.


    After all¡­ Fifty helpless youths were a big chunk of meat to these hooligans. How could they give up?


    How could they feel grateful when they had grudges piled up?


    However, those hooligans¡­ looked fierce and ugly. She was afraid that if she saw too many of them, she would have nightmares.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s thoughts were running wild. On the other side, Xie Pinghuai had already started fighting with the hooligans.


    Xie Pinghuai was so angry that he wanted to curse.


    These people were like madmen. They actually wanted to snatch his things!


    They could not snatch it, yet they still started fighting!


    Let¡¯s fight, then. Who was afraid of who now?! With just these two people, how could he not be able to beat them?!


    Xie Pinghuai was carrying things in his arms, but his footsteps were very agile. The opponent¡¯s staff did not hit his body. He even used a roundhouse kick to knock down one of them directly!


    ¡°You want to hit me? Do you know who I am? When I started to fight, you guys weren¡¯t even born yet!¡± Xie Pinghuai had a smug look on his face.


    He had been ying with knives since he was three years old!


    Fortunately, he did not have the time. Otherwise, he would have killed this group of foolish people!


    Xie Pinghuai snorted.


    However, just as he finished showing off, dozens of people with staff walked over from all directions.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s expression froze.


    Why? Just for those insignificant things in his hands?! They were not gold, so why would they want to take them?!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s expression became serious, and he suddenly thought of what Xie Qiao had said to the servant.


    Run.


    Xie Pinghuai did not hesitate and charged forward.


    Although he had guts, he knew that two fists were no match for four hands. Moreover, he only had two legs. He definitely would not be able to defeat dozens of pairs of hands from the enemy¡¯s side!

 Chapter 297 - Failed to Protect You

    <h4>Chapter 297: Failed to Protect You</h4>


    When Xie Pinghuai ran, he was as fast as a leopard.


    As soon as he ran, the people behind him immediately started chasing him, attracting the attention of many people. When the disaster victims saw the things in Xie Pinghuai¡¯s arms, they knew what was going on. Many people also showed a concerned expression.


    Xie Qiao watched anxiously.


    The people behind him ran too slowly. There were so many people, but none of them could catch up.


    Not long after, Xie Pinghuai ran over to her side, ¡°Eldest Sister, quickly get on the carriage and tell the servants to follow me. I¡¯ll beat them to death!¡±


    ¡°Go back ten steps and let them beat you for 15 minutes,¡± Xie Qiao said with a ruthless expression.


    ¡°What?!¡± Xie Pinghuai cried out in surprise, ¡°Eldest Sister, are you crazy?! Why should I be beaten by them?!¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes, ten taels of silver as your allowance. Also, I¡¯ll give you back one of the grasshoppers you bought before,¡± Xie Qiao said firmly.


    Xie Pinghuai hesitated for a moment, but it was only for a moment.


    He was really too poor recently!


    He did not have any money to buy snacks even if he wanted to!


    Ten taels of silver, he could spend it for a long time if he saved it!


    Xie Pinghuai turned around and ran back!


    Naturally, he was surrounded by people. He clenched his teeth and squatted on the ground with his head in his hands.


    ¡°Brat, weren¡¯t you running? Why aren¡¯t you running now?!¡± The leader said while painting.


    This brat was a rabbit, right? He disappeared in the blink of an eye!


    The group of people was furious. The leader called out two people and said, ¡°Teach him a good lesson!¡±


    As he said that, he walked forward and started to attack.


    He kicked Xie Pinghuai¡¯s body.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao called out to the servants, ¡°Did you see that? The Second Young Master of the Xie family is kind-hearted. He personally came to the outside world to do a good deed, but he was beaten up by these unruly people. These people are cruel, tyrannical, and dehumanizing. The heavens will not tolerate them! One of you will inform the government, while the others take your weapon and rush forward to beat them up! Even if we beat them to death, it¡¯s on me.¡±


    The servants had all been taught by the new steward, and they all followed the principle of listening to the Eldest Young Lady. When they heard the order, they did not hesitate and immediately rushed forward.


    They charged like a swarm of bees, it was very frightening.


    Those hooligans were stunned for a moment, and then they were all shocked.


    Before they could react, the servants had already started fighting them.


    They had to fight back after being beaten, so they were confused and deep in the fight.


    Xie Pinghuai counted secretly and thought time was almost up. He grabbed the things on the ground and quickly squeezed out of the crowd. He looked at Xie Qiao with a bruised face and said, ¡°Eldest Sister, ten taels of silver please!¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless. Good-for-nothing.


    Xie Qiao secretly sighed, but her eyes suddenly became misty with tears. She grabbed Xie Pinghuai¡¯s arm and refused to let go, ¡°My poor little brother¡­ T-These people are too cruel. You came here with the heart of an innocent child to do a good deed, but they bullied you like this. It¡¯s all my fault, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m your sister, yet I failed to protect you¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mind was buzzing.


    What was that?


    ¡°All of you, stop!¡± Within 15 minutes, the officers and soldiers nearby came.


    Xie Qiao had a mournful look on her face. She looked both afraid and distressed.


    The situation had been stabilized.


    On Xie Qiao¡¯s side, there were people who were injured, but not many people were beaten down. After all, the people her father had chosen were very capable.


    Those hooligans were beaten quite badly. Theyy on the ground in a mess, looking like they were wailing.


    Not far away, there were also quite a number of disaster victims who were secretly watching.


    Especially now that the officers and soldiers had arrived, some people mustered up their courage to get closer and secretly watched the show.


    It was not known whether the government could im justice for the young man.

 Chapter 298 - They Beat Up the Bandit’s Son

    <h4>Chapter 298: They Beat Up the Bandit¡¯s Son</h4>


    It was a deputymandant who was responsible for patrolling the security outside the city. This person was smart. When he saw the carriage behind Xie Qiao, he was stunned for a moment and then went forward politely.


    ¡°Youngdy, I wonder what happened here¡­¡±


    The deputymandant felt that something was wrong.


    It could not be a youngdy with a high status.


    Recently, all the funds collected by the academies had been sent over, and many young masters and youngdies would go outside the city to put on a show.


    Xie Qiao had consumed a medicinal pill in advance, so she was full of energy now, ¡°Since you are responsible for guarding the safety of the people outside the city, you should do your duty. Why are you letting such viins run amok now?!¡±


    ¡°Youngdy, why do you say that?!¡± Themandant¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    They knew the situation outside, but¡­ it would be terrible to meddle.


    It had always been like this outside the city. The situation this year was considered good, and the number of victims who died was low.


    Xie Qiao pushed Xie Pinghuai forward, ¡°He went to the shed to deliver some clothes and food to a family. Before he reached the shed, he was robbed by these people. Are these people bandits? Even bandits have a conscience, and they know not to take advantage of others especially when they¡¯re in danger! One shouldn¡¯t disregard one¡¯s conscience! How innocent are these disaster victims outside the city? It¡¯s not easy to obtain things to keep out the cold, but they were robbed by such shameless people. It really¡­ pisses me off!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked fierce, but what she said made the deputymandant think she was a little childish.


    The officers and soldiers who came here looked at Xie Pinghuai again¡­


    He was a poor boy with a bruised nose and a swollen face. He was also dressed very simply and pitifully. He was also a disaster victim.


    ¡°This is all a misunderstanding. I think he thinks that this kid is crafty and doesn¡¯t seem like a good person. That¡¯s why they stopped him and checked his bag. Youngdy, you may not know this, but there are many disaster victims outside the city, but there are always people who want to bully them. These people with staff are all here to protect the disaster victims. That¡¯s why they¡¯re a little fierce,¡± the deputymandant said with a smile.


    Xie Qiao suddenly threw the heater in her hand.


    It directly hit themandant¡¯s head.


    In an instant, a bloody hole was created.


    ¡°Impudent! How dare you turn the truth around! As an officer, how dare you collude with such viins! You even dare to frame my brother. When I go back, I will definitely let my Father take a look at your records!¡± Xie Qiao said, she pulled the dazed Xie Pinghuai and stuffed him into the carriage, ¡°Brother, you are badly injured, right? It¡¯s okay. With me here, I will not let others bully you!¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ brother?¡± The Commandant was stunned, ¡°May I ask who you are¡­¡±


    ¡°M-My Father is Xie Niushan, the one who chased the barbarians away!¡± After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she almost lost her breath and panted quickly.


    It had been a long time since she spoke so¡­ fiercely.


    She was so tired.


    Acting was not easy.


    ¡°A-All of you are bad people. M-My Father has always taught us to be gentle and kind. W-We must not bully people. Moreover, these people have just encountered a disaster. We should take care of them more and brace the difficulties together. Today, I brought my brother here to show him how hard the people are working and to learn to share joy and sorrow together. I-I never thought that you would be s-so shameless!¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao turned around sadly and climbed onto the carriage, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s tell Father and Eldest Brother about this!¡±


    The servants immediately followed. The coachman drove the carriage and quickly left.


    Only then did the soldiers and hooligans realize that they were gone after snapping back to their senses.


    Who was that?


    Her Father was Xie Niushan?!


    The hooligans¡¯ expressions changed.


    They¡­ beat up Xie Niushan¡¯s son?!


    Xie Niushan, they had heard of that name. Everyone used the name Bandit Xie to scare people out there!

 Chapter 299 - Worthless Things

    <h4>Chapter 299: Worthless Things</h4>


    The officers and soldiers panicked and immediately went to their superiors.


    After Xie Qiao entered the city gate, she did not go home. Instead, she went to thergest medicine shop in the city.


    Her people were also slightly injured, so they naturally had to be treated.


    When she first entered the city, Xie Qiao had someone hang up the Xie family te.


    ¡°This is the Xie family¡¯s carriage? Those are Xie Niushan¡¯s son and daughter? What happened? Who did they beat up?¡±


    ¡°They really are the children of bandits. They actually brought so many servants to run amok on the streets. It¡¯s really scary¡­¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai frowned. He had forgotten about the pain.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I was not there to do a good deed. Why did you say that earlier?¡± Xie Pinghuai was puzzled.


    ¡°Was Brother not giving out clothes and food to the disaster victims? Of course, you were doing good deeds. You were so kind, but you were bullied by those hooligans, humiliated by the officers and soldiers, and even came to this medicine shop for treatment, and you were even criticized by others¡­¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was much slower now.


    Xie Pinghuai thought about it.


    Yes, those things were for the disaster victims.


    Thinking about it, he was indeed doing good deeds.


    Moreover, he was indeed very innocent today. He did not do anything, but he was beaten up by someone. He was especially wronged!


    Thinking about it, Xie Pinghuai was quite angry. He would fight back sooner orter for those evil people outside the city!


    ¡°Brother, from now on, you should be more pitiful,¡± Xie Qiao saw his angry face and reminded him.


    ¡°Why should I be pitiful?¡± Xie Pinghuai did not understand.


    ¡°Because¡­ a weak person who is reasonable will have a stronger lethality,¡± the corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled slightly.


    Xie Pinghuai subconsciously gulped.


    Eldest sister¡¯s smile was frighteningly gentle, just like a beautiful scorpion.


    Xie Qiao was worried that she would give Xie Pinghuai the wrong idea, so she restrained herself and carefully exined, ¡°A person¡¯s kindness can¡¯t be used at any time. We have to see if using this kindness will make you feel uneasy in your conscience.


    ¡°Everyone around here is like chess pieces on a chessboard. Every word they say sounds like they have been stabbed by a knife. However, in reality, this knife may be able to help clear the poisonous blood in your body. How you use these knives would depend on yourself.


    ¡°Today, I can use them to benefit the people outside the city. I can make the reputation of the Xie family rise. I can make the souls of those who died unjustly restart. Then, this kindness is worth using,¡± Xie Qiao said gently and seriously.


    The heater in her hand was gone.


    Her little hands were cold.


    Xie Pinghuai looked at her with a conflicted expression.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you mean that I get a lot of benefits from being beaten up, right?¡± Xie Pinghuai was conflicted for a long time before he replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are a lot of benefits,¡± Xie Qiao could not help butugh. She thought for a moment and then told him, ¡°Actually, you¡¯re just repeating someone else¡¯s life today.¡±


    ¡°Who is so miserable that he has to be beaten by so many people?¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s expression turned ferocious.


    ¡°Did I not ask you to deliver the food today? That person¡¯s family is now only left with the elderly, the weak, women, and children. However, there was a man originally. Unfortunately, because he went to collect these things in your hands¡­ which are not very valuable to us, he was targeted by those viins. For these things, he protected them with his life. He refused to give in no matter what. In the end, he was beaten to death,¡± Xie Qiao continued.


    Xie Pinghuai had just experienced the feeling of being beaten.


    When he heard that someone was beaten to death, he was shocked.


    He opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say.


    Beaten to death¡­


    Death was not scary, but¡­ just for the sake of the worthless things that he was holding?!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, those things¡­ are they worth even a hundred cash?¡± Xie Pinghuai could not describe what he felt, but it wasplicated. He even felt a little sad suddenly.

 Chapter 300 - Cry as Hard as You Can

    <h4>Chapter 300: Cry as Hard as You Can</h4>


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai became a little cuter in Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes.


    To have sympathy was to have a conscience.


    When she saw Xie Pinghuai looking at those disaster victims with disdain, she was quite worried.


    ¡°The rice was only two or three catties. If we talk about expensive things¡­ Only that person was lucky enough to get two cotton-padded jackets. It was almost¡­ A hundred cash,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    Xie Pinghuai suddenly felt a nd taste in his mouth.


    A small piece of his favorite snack cost a hundred cash.


    The grasshoppers that he usually yed with might cost at least tens of cash each, but he did not like them. The grasshoppers that he bought were almost all worth dozens of cash. In fact¡­ he even bought a grasshopper worth a hundred cash in the past, but it was crushed to death by his eldest brother.


    Xie Pinghuai felt a little guilty and suddenly buried his head.


    His expression was indeed a little listless. He looked like he had lost his spirit, as if he had been stimted by something.


    Only then did Xie Qiao bring him down from the carriage.


    The silver exchanged from the silver beans were used to buy medicine for the servants. After that, the group of people sat in the medicine shop to rest. Then, they let an uninjured servant go to the criminal division to find a backer.


    The servant hurried over. When he saw Xie Pinggang open his mouth, he said, ¡°Bad news, Eldest Young Master. The Eldest Young Lady and the Second Young Master were beaten up when they went out of the city to do charity work. Now, they¡¯re in the medicine shop¡­¡±


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang only felt that someone was ringing a big bell in his head.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Xie Pinggang immediately went to the Crown Prince to ask for leave of absence.


    Everyone could tell that something big was going on with his grim face.


    ¡°Minister Xie, why are you so flustered? Is there a big case?¡± Zhao Xuanjing already knew what was going on.


    This Xie Pinggang looked rude, but he was actually very steady. Even if a ferocious thief stood in front of him, he would remain his expression. However, there was only one person who could make him change immediately.


    That person was his sister, Xie Qiao.


    He wanted to talk to Xie Qiao earlier, but he did not have the chance.


    Now was the perfect time.


    ¡°It¡¯s just some family matters¡­ my younger sister has suffered some grievances out there. She seems to be injured and is currently at the medicine shop¡­ I¡¯ll have a look. Her body is weak and she doesn¡¯t have any descendants yet¡­¡± the more Xie Pinggang thought about it, the worse he felt.


    She had better not die early.


    After Xie Pinggang finished speaking, he raised his head.


    However, there was no one in front of him.


    He was stunned for a moment. As soon as the Crown Prince left, he immediately ordered his men to prepare his horse. In the blink of an eye, he got on his horse and left?!


    Where was the Crown Prince going?


    Anyway, he had already applied for this leave, so he¡­ was leaving as well?


    Xie Pinggang did not hesitate. He immediately ordered his men to bring his horse over.


    At the criminal division, Xie Pinggang¡¯s official position was low. However, no one dared to provoke him. Firstly, it was because he had a bad temper, and secondly, it was because he had a backer.


    In the past, his backer was the grand preceptor. However, ever since the Crown Prince came, he had to apany him every time. They were inseparable, so the choice of backer had changed again.


    Therefore, even if he skipped work and left, no one dared to interfere.


    They just thought that he had gone to do some errands.


    Zhao Xuanjing led the guards and headed straight for the medicine shop. Once they arrived at the medicine shop, they saw the carriage with the Xie family¡¯s te hanging at the door. His heart skipped a beat, and he directly barged in.


    However, his footsteps froze on the spot.


    Xie Qiao¡­


    Her clothes were neat, her face was fair, and her hair was not messy at all. It was just that her hands¡­ seemed to have a strange greenish-red color.


    The other people around her looked a little miserable, especially Xie Pinghuai. His face was swollen, and he looked listless.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not walk forward anymore. Instead, he turned around and left again.


    ¡°Sister, that was the C-Crown Prince, right¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s face was even more swollen now, and he could not keep his tongue straight.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°The Crown Prince is here, so maybe Eldest Brother will be here soon. Remember what I taught you. Cry as hard as you can, and show your chivalrous character and grievance. Think about the person who was beaten to death. If you perform well, you can avenge him. Then you wouldn¡¯t have been beaten for nothing, understand?¡±

 Chapter 301 - Killing A Few Birds with One Stone

    <h4>Chapter 301: Killing A Few Birds with One Stone</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai did not like to suffer losses, so when Xie Qiao said that, he nodded in all seriousness.


    Getting beaten for nothing was absolutely impossible for him.


    Xie Pinggang followed closely behind the Crown Prince and arrived soon after.


    As soon as he entered the door of the medicine shop, he was bumped into by someone. He looked down and saw that it was his ugly little brother who was useless.


    Just as he was about to pull him away in disgust, Xie Pinghuai tugged at his clothes, he said with snot and tears in his eyes, ¡°Eldest Brother! I-I was beaten up. Today, I went out with my Eldest Sister to do charity to help the disaster victims. Who knew that those bullies outside the city would see me wearing coarse linen clothes and think that I¡¯m a disaster victim as well. So they wanted to take my things. I refused to give it to them. They even beat me up. You see, I was almost beaten to death by them. Just because I wore the clothes of the disaster victims, they bullied me. But I-I don¡¯t want to be ostentatious!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s shout was heard from both inside and outside the house.


    Everyone was shocked.


    No wonder this Young Master Xie was dressed so shabbily. They thought that his family was so poor that they could not afford to buy clothes. They did not expect¡­


    He went out of the city to do charity?!


    He was actually so reserved and wore coarse linen clothes. This was too unbelievable!


    However, it was impossible to say that he was faking it. After all, this child was not that old. He looked like he was only 12 or 13 years old. At such a young age, there was no need for him to beat himself up like that?


    ¡°Eldest Brother! There were dozens of bullies outside. They watched the disaster victims receive their supplies and then turned around to steal them. They almost beat me to death. If Eldest Sister hadn¡¯t arrived in time, I would¡¯ve died! Eldest Brother, it doesn¡¯t matter if I die, but those bullies out there are going to kill a lot of people!¡± Xie Pinghuai opened his mouth and said.


    Xie Qiao taught him that.


    The mastermind lowered her head and looked sad.


    It suddenly made people feel ashamed of their inferiority.


    It turned out that the children of the Xie family were not what they thought?


    They did go to fight, but¡­ they were fighting bullies?


    Earlier, almost everyone despised them secretly, and some even criticized them out loud.


    However, at that moment, they felt their faces burn.


    ¡°There are such evil acts outside the city?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly appeared again, followed by a displeased voice, ¡°Young Master Xie and Young Lady Xie are kind-hearted and solicitous. It¡¯s just that the two of you are young and have suffered such a blow. Later, I¡¯ll send someone to send the two of you back to the residence¡­¡±


    Speaking up to this point, Zhao Xuanjing suddenly brought the heater in his hand to Xie Qiao¡¯s side, ¡°Young Lady Xie is weak, you must take good care of yourself.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment and caught it in a daze.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s heater was quite fragrant. It seemed to be¡­ a woman¡¯s style.


    ¡°Thank You, Your Highness,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    Xie Pinggang was a little surprised by the Crown Prince¡¯s appearance, but it was not appropriate for him to ask in public.


    ¡°Minister Xie,e with me to take a look outside the city. If there is now at the foot of the Imperial City, what will happen to the world?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s anger was real at this moment.


    He had heard of Xie Qiao¡¯s bet.


    It was probably true that the bullies outside the city hade. It was also true that Xie Qiao had put herself in danger to kill two birds with one stone.


    Neither of these two things made him feelfortable. Fortunately, it was that kid who had been beaten up. If it was Xie Qiao¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing felt uneasy, especially when he thought of the frozen red and ice-cold hands earlier. His anger grew even more intense.


    Xie Pinggang thought that the bullies outside the city were finished.


    The Crown Prince really loved the people like his children. Look at this. When he heard that the poor disaster victims were wronged, his face was so cold that crushed ice might fall from it.


    Such a good Crown Prince, why could he not take the throne?


    Was it not just a hand? It was notpletely crippled. He could still carry things!

 Chapter 302 - The Apology of A Great Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 302: The Apology of A Great Enemy</h4>


    Xie Qiao wanted her eldest brother toe forward. With his fierceness, this matter would definitely blow up. If her father came forward to make a report, the imperial court would definitely take care of it.


    Her father was a bandit official. Usually, it was very difficult for him to give constructive suggestions. It was rare for him to do good deeds, and he even did it so that everyone knew about it. The effect would definitely be big!


    However, she did not expect the Crown Prince to be so kind.


    Xie Qiao lowered her head, rubbed her hands, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.


    Xie Pinghuai acted out the scene and cried half-truthfully. He thought that his eldest brother would despise him for being useless, but he did not expect his eldest brother to pat his shoulder before he left. That gaze¡­


    Was especially gentle!


    Of course, it was still very scary. However,pared to his usual fierce appearance, his eldest brother¡¯s attitude earlier made him feel like it was a spring breeze!


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai felt like he was in a trance. When he walked, he felt like he was floating, as if he was stepping on clouds of cotton.


    Being escorted by the Crown Prince¡¯s guards all the way home, Xie Pinghuai thought it was not very realistic.


    However, what shocked him even more had yet toe.


    Zhao Xuanjing brought Xie Pinggang and a group of guards outside and directly called the disaster victims over for investigation.


    The result was naturally the same as what Xie Qiao had said.


    The official in charge of taking care of the disaster victims outside the city was panicking that he broke out in cold sweat.


    If other officials hade to investigate, he might have been able toe up with some excuse, but this was the Crown Prince!


    The official in charge of the matters outside the city actually knew what was going on. However, in his opinion, as long as the number of deaths of the disaster victims was within a certain range, it would not have any effect.


    As for whether the victims¡¯ belongings would be robbed?


    That was not important!


    After all, those things were given by others and did not belong to the victims!


    However, he never expected that those bullies would be so foolish that they could not even see through the rich young master!


    They even almost killed someone!


    That was fine, but this matter¡­ it was as if it had grown wings. In less than four hours, it had spread to the entire city!


    In the afternoon, several groups of people came to give gifts to the Xie family.


    There was no madam in the family, while Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang were not around either. The steward could only invite them in, while Xie Pinghuai and Xie Qiao came out to deal with it.


    ¡°My Young Master said that he heard the rumors and thought that Second Young Master Xie was¡­ uh¡­ crude. We didn¡¯t expect him to be so kind and considerate. A few days ago, my Young Master had some conflicts with Second Young Master Xie, so he specially asked me toe here today to apologize. It¡¯s just a small gift. I hope that Second Young Master Xie won¡¯t hold it against my Young Master.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was a little flustered as he looked at that¡­ small gift.


    The gift giver¡­ was Chu Jian, who had obtained his white jade earlier and had taken Teacher Xiao as his master.


    He especially hated Chu Jian because that brat had sessfully taken Teacher Xiao as his master. Although he did not usually say anything evil to him, his eyes were always filled with disdain when he looked at him!


    It was as if he was superior to others!


    Before the holidays, he really could not hold it in any longer and argued with him. He almost got into a fight with Chu Jian. Later, Teacher Xiao came and punished him, making him copy books¡­


    It could be said that Chu Jian was his ¡°great enemy¡±!


    However, today, his great enemy sent someone to give him a small gift!


    ¡°Is Chu Jian crazy? He didn¡¯t like me!¡± Xie Pinghuai snorted. He must be plotting against him!


    Perhaps now that he epted the gift, he would secretly tell Teacher Xiao that he was greedy!


    That was right, it must be so!


    When the servant who gave the gift heard that, he was stunned for a moment, then, he hurriedly exined, ¡°Second Young Master Xie, don¡¯t misunderstand. My Young Master¡­ is a little aloof by nature, but he doesn¡¯t have an evil heart. He also mentioned you at home. He said that you¡¯re simple-minded, but you¡¯re a little too reckless and easy to take the wrong path. That¡¯s why his attitude toward you was a little off. But after this incident, our Young Master feels guilty and thinks that he misunderstood you!¡±

 Chapter 303 - Bully

    <h4>Chapter 303: Bully</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinghuai was not someone who could be reasoned with.


    ¡°He even said bad things about me behind my back! What a despicable person!¡± When Xie Pinghuai heard that, he was actually furious.


    He had never mentioned Chu Jian in front of his family!


    That servant was a little miserable at that moment, and he looked at Xie Qiao as if he was asking for help.


    There was nothing he could do. This Second Young Master Xie did not listen to human words, and it was really difficult tomunicate with him. He did not dare to imagine that such a straightforward person would be so meticulous as to transform into an ordinary disaster victim and go out of the city to do a good deed!


    Although he did not believe it, he could not be lying since he had a swollen face.


    He had been beaten up for doing a good deed. There was no other young master in the entire capital who could do it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to go back and thank Young Master Chu on behalf of my good-for-nothing younger brother. This younger brother of mine has a mischievous nature and is a little dumb. He doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate the kindness of others. It¡¯s been hard on Young Master Chu to take care of and supervise him all this time,¡± Xie Qiao said gently and calmly.


    Xie Pinghuai turned his head and red at her.


    When did Chu Jian take care of him?!


    He wanted to shout out his dissatisfaction, but when his eyes met Xie Qiao¡¯s, he felt a chill all over his body. He sat there obediently.


    His cheeks were also hurting, so it was better for him not to speak.


    The old servant finally heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that, and he left.


    ¡°Eldest Sister! He never helped me at all! Moreover, Chu Jian always bullies me. He has criticized me several times in front of Teacher Xiao! Because of him, I was beaten up two or three times by Teacher Xiao!¡± After the person left, Xie Pinghuai said angrily.


    How could eldest sister help others?!


    ¡°Then tell me properly, what bad things did he say about you in front of Teacher Xiao? If it¡¯s his fault, I¡¯ll immediately bring my servants to beat him up,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    ¡°The first time, he told Teacher Xiao about how I dirtied the painting! The second time, he told Teacher Xiao that there was someone else helping me to do the stack of homework. Another time, he told Teacher Xiao that I secretly pulled out the thorn on the thorn ferule! I didn¡¯t do it. I couldn¡¯t pull it out at all!¡± Xie Pinghuai was flustered.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those your fault? If you seed in taking him as your master, he will be your senior brother. As a senior brother, it is only right to teach a junior brother,¡± Xie Qiao said matter-of-factly.


    He still dared to mention the teacher¡¯s ferule?


    He should be beaten up!


    ¡°But he stole my white jade, that¡¯s how he got the discipleship!¡± When Xie Pinghuai thought of this, he felt more and more indignant.


    All outsiders said that Chu Jian was a gentleman, how would a gentleman do such a thing?!


    ¡°When Chu Jian entered the sect, he might have some shorings. Teacher Xiao will teach him that. But think about it carefully. If you want to eat chestnut pastry every day, and the cook who can make it is right under your nose, would you want to bring him home and get him to make it for you every day? It is human nature for Chu Jian to take the white jade.


    ¡°Moreover, Chu Jian¡¯s white jade was exchanged with his own rmendation quota. In terms of methods, he did it fairly.¡±


    Moreover, Chu Jian only thought that Pei Wanyue had picked up the jade, and did not know that it was stolen by her.


    From the looks of it, even if Chu Jian was wrong, there were not many mistakes.


    Of course, she did not think that Chu Jian was in the rightpletely. It was just that it was a fact that Chu Jian had gotten a master. Xie Pinghuai could not keep thinking about the things that he had lost in the past.


    Xie Pinghuai pursed his lips.


    ¡°He always bullies me!¡± Xie Pinghuai was very determined.


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    ¡°Do you think Chu Jian is smart?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Yes, he is quick at memorizing. The teacher always praises him,¡± Xie Pinghuai was a little listless again.


    ¡°Yes, he is smart. Smart people tend to be arrogant. Why does he always target you? That is because he can see that Teacher Xiao... is teaching you.


    ¡°He puts you in the same position as him, but he finds that you¡¯re wasting your opportunities everywhere. You are not serious, not dependable, not sensible, and even shameless. It is like... someone calling chestnut pastry a piece of trash in front of you! In Chu Jian¡¯s heart, Teacher Xiao was that chestnut pastry. You¡¯re the person who looked down on the chestnut pastry, but still wanted to dominate it all day long. Do you understand?¡±

 Chapter 304 - Change

    <h4>Chapter 304: Change</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai was confused, but after some thought, he understood.


    ¡°Does that mean that he¡¯s scheming against me behind my back because he cares about me?¡± Xie Pinghuai felt that something was off.


    Xie Qiao said with a faint smile, ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    He was either concerned or jealous. There was nothing else.


    No matter which one it was, Xie Pinghuai should not continue fighting against Chu Jian. He should learn more about¡­ the soft policy.


    Xiao Yurong was a strict teacher. He could not be bothered. Therefore, she guessed that Chu Jian had some bad habits, and that was all. Otherwise, he would have been kicked out of the academy by Xiao Yurong by now.


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s worldview had copsed.


    In addition to the apology gift from the Chu family, there were other gifts from his ssmates.


    There were many snacks and some herbal supplements.


    Xie Pinghuai was shocked.


    When did he be so popr?!


    Just because he was beaten up?!


    He was a little embarrassed at first, but soon he became excited.


    In the evening, Xie Xi woulde back from the academy. Simrly, she brought a lot of things with her. Her little face was tense, and she seemed to be in a dilemma.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, I can¡¯t finish all these snacks. Hurry up and share some,¡± Xie Pinghuai said smugly.


    Xie Xi shook her head, ¡°I have some too.¡±


    As she spoke, the steward had already moved the things from the carriage.


    They were not expensive food, but these gifts were something that she had never received before.


    ¡°Is our family popr now?! If I had known this would happen, I could¡¯ve stayed there for a while longer. I could have taken the beating for a day!¡± Xie Pinghuai said excitedly.


    He was very resistant to being beaten up!


    His eldest brother was ruthless. It was much more painful than those bullies hitting him. However, his eldest brother would not hit people in the face when he hit them.


    ¡°They said that they misunderstood our family. They apologized and gave us food, but¡­ They won¡¯t give me work to earn silver beans,¡± Xie Xi said with a bitter face.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she had mixed feelings.


    This silly child worked as an errand girl for others in the academy. She was very willing to do it.


    Now, those people treated her as a real heiress and treated her with respect. Therefore, they could not go on to order her around, so Xie Xi could not earn silver beans anymore.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er wants to earn silver?¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while and said, ¡°In the future, you help me with some work, and I¡¯ll pay you silver. How about that?¡±


    ¡°No, Sister. I can¡¯t take your silver,¡± Xie Xi shook her head.


    ¡°What about mine?!¡± Xie Pinghuai was stunned for a moment.


    Usually, if he asked Xi¡¯er to help him with some small matters, he would have to give a copper coin.


    Xie Xi said nothing.


    Second brother was rich. In the past, their mother¡­ Ms. Lu would always give him money.


    Eldest sister¡­ she was even more gentle than their mother. She was different from others.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t ept it, then I¡¯m afraid I can only hire someone else to do it¡­¡± Xie Qiao sighed with a regretful look on her face.


    When Xie Xi heard that, she hesitated for a moment.


    She wanted to earn money.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Xie Xi¡¯s eyes lit up, looking forward to it.


    This sister was simply a little cutie.


    The Xie family was in a state of peace, but the news had also reached Xia Yayun¡¯s ears.


    She listened to the servant¡¯s report in disbelief, even finding it ridiculous, ¡°They say that the Xie family is kind-hearted?! Xie family was born a bandit, they used to rob other people¡¯s things!


    ¡°Because Young Lady Xie said that she would stand up for the people. She got Master Xie to report to the Emperor to im justice. She even invited the Crown Prince to capture the bullies. So¡­ those disaster victims think that Young Lady Xie is¡­ a good person,¡± the servant said nervously.


    She was not just a good person. All of the disaster victims said that she was a god!


    Xia Yayun clenched her fists.


    Her biggest chance of winning was not the 50 carefully selected youths, but the reputation of the Xie family¡¯s bandits!


    No matter how much Xie Qiao did, she only needed to let the disaster victims know about the Xie family¡¯s situation clearly and let them think that this bandit Xie Qiao was just pretending. Then, she would win for sure!


    However, now Xie Qiao¡¯s good reputation had actually been established first!


    Those idiots even praised Xie Qiao and Xie Pinghuai for being kind and benevolent even though they knew that the Xie family had started out as bandits?!

 Chapter 305 - Too Many Good People

    <h4>Chapter 305: Too Many Good People</h4>


    Xia Yayun felt that it was a little unbelievable.


    The reputation of the Xie family had always been terrible, and it had never changed. Now that Xie Qiao had only shown her face in front of the disaster victims, everything had changed!


    Now that the reputation of the Xie family had changed, Xie Qiao¡¯s advantage was much greater than hers!


    Xia Yayun was panicking a little.


    At that moment, the disaster victims outside the city weed an unprecedented ease.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s personal visit not only captured the bullies, but also reced the officials responsible for maintainingw and order outside the city. It was said that they would be heavily punished. Almost everyone felt a lot more at ease!


    ¡°Grandma, there will be no bullies anymore. No one will steal our things again. Do you know? That snack smells really good, it¡¯s white and soft¡­¡± In the middle of the night, a curled up youth leaned against a slightly messy straw mat as he spoke in the shed.


    However, there was no response to his words.


    After a while, the youth buried his head, ¡°Grandma, why is the world so unfair? Why is it that some people are superior to others, while others are nothing just like weed?¡±


    Her fair hands held the snack that emitted a milky fragrance and ced it in front of him.


    The girl would smile at them, but it was like she was avoiding a gue. The moment she handed them the snack was in their hands, she would pull her hands back.


    She would hold her breath, and she would pick and choose, as if they were¡­ animals.


    Were they not humans?


    The snacks were very delicious. He had tasted them the first time, but the second time¡­ all the chosen victims were targeted by those hooligans, and they could only give everything back.


    At that moment, he suddenly felt that he had be a beggar, even worse than a beggar.


    Half a year ago, he was a good citizen. He had his parents, grandparents, and younger sister.


    However, now, there was not a single one left.


    He should be grateful. That girl had no rtions with him. He should be filled with gratitude for the delicious food that she had kindly sent over. He should remember that in his heart.


    However, he just could not ept it.


    ¡°Grandma, I hate them so much.¡±


    Those pretentious people.


    Those high and mighty noblemen.


    The body lying on the ground could not answer him. The old man who was hovering in the air stared at his living grandson with empty eyes.


    ¡­


    The next day, the scene outside the city changed as expected.


    The incident of the bullies taking the disaster victims¡¯ resources was now known to everyone. When they thought of the helpless victims and the vicious gangsters they had to face, many wealthy families in the city started a new round of donations, and these donations¡­ they were registered by the government and then distributed to the people.


    Everyone had clothes and food.


    They did not have to worry about being robbed.


    In addition, those wealthy families also sent their servants to help build more stable sheds to shelter them from the wind and rain.


    ¡°What are these people doing? Do they have too much time in hand?!¡± Xia Yayun gritted her teeth when she went out to take a look!


    There were too many good people, who would remember her?!


    ¡°Young Lady Xia, we all had a difficult life in the past and took your things, but we thought about it this morning. The government is distributing food to us frequently now. This winter won¡¯t be as difficult, so¡­ it¡¯d be terrible for us to take your things for free,¡± seeing hering, many teenagers came over and said politely.


    Previously, they were willing to be taken care of because life was too difficult.


    However, it was different today. The government gave out food and cotton-padded clothes. There were even notices posted by the government to recruit short-term workers. There was more work to be done.


    After resting for a few days, many people would be able to go to work. They would definitely be able to survive this winter.

 Chapter 306 - Return

    <h4>Chapter 306: Return</h4>


    At that moment, upon hearing what these youths said, Xia Yayun tried her best not to fly into a rage.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ept the things I gave you for free? Do you think those snacks aren¡¯t delicious? It¡¯s alright. How about this? I¡¯ll treat you guys to lunch today. Order whatever you guys want, just do it,¡± Xia Yayun said gently.


    The teenagers fell into silence for a moment.


    Many of them blushed.


    ¡°Many families in the city are hiring short-term workers now. W-We can earn money on our own¡­¡± One of the teenagers said quickly.


    ¡°The food at the restaurant is very expensive. You might not even be able to afford a dish even if you work for a month!¡± Xia Yayun frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be shy. I¡¯m willing to treat you well because I think your experiences are too miserable. I can help you, and I can let you live a good life!¡±


    Xia Yayun had lived afortable life since she was young, so what she said was only natural.


    At that moment, she thought they were shy when she saw these blushed youths.


    If these youths had been miserable since they were young, then they might feel that they had climbed onto a big tree at that moment. However, the truth was that these people were all pampered children in their families before they were affected by the disaster.


    Even if their families were not that well off, they were not short of food.


    Hence, at that moment, Xia Yayun¡¯s words were particrly harsh to them. It even triggered their self-esteem directly.


    They were all youths under the age of 16 or 17. It was the time when they were most sensitive.


    At that moment, they felt ashamed and had the urge to run away.


    However, Young Lady Xia had given them snacks earlier. Although they were somewhat dissatisfied now, it was not appropriate to quarrel with their ¡®benefactor¡¯.


    They stood there stiffly.


    Xia Yayun smiled, ¡°Alright, all of you don¡¯t have to be afraid. I didn¡¯t know that there were bullies here earlier. Now that I know, I will definitely protect all of you.¡±


    As she spoke, Xia Yayun brought these people to the restaurant in the city.


    The youths felt ufortable, but they knew that Xia Yayun¡¯s background was extraordinary. With the previous incident with the bullies, they did not dare to go against Xia Yayun at that moment. They could only follow her obediently.


    Xia Yayun booked the entire restaurant¡¯s hall and invited them in.


    Themotion was big.


    Yesterday, someone praised the Xie siblings for their kindness and generosity. Today, someone praised Xia Yayun for her uninhibited and pure nature.


    Xie Qiao also came to the outskirts of the city today.


    However, she did not get off the carriage. Instead, she asked the servant toe over and take the things from yesterday and return them to the male ghoul¡¯s family.


    The servant was also puzzled, but he was very obedient. He found the shed that she had mentioned.


    ¡°Are you Wang Zhen¡¯s family?¡± The servant asked very carefully.


    An old woman looked at him with muddy eyes, ¡°That¡¯s right. May I know what¡¯s the matter, Noble?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m just an errand boy. I¡¯m not considered a noble¡­ Well, my First Young Lady asked me to bring these to you. She said¡­ she said Wang Zhen received the goods when he was alive, but they were stolen by someone and she¡¯s returning them to you now,¡± the servant immediately said.


    The old woman¡¯s expression froze for a moment, then she took the items in realization.


    ¡°Yes¡­ My Son said that someone was giving out food and clothes. He wanted to get them, but they were taken away¡­ Just like that¡­¡± the old woman hugged the items and wailed loudly.


    The young woman next to her was the same, tears streamed down her face.


    The young child was indifferent, but he knew that his father was gone. He was pouting at that moment.


    The servant felt terrible, ¡°The dead cannot be brought back to life. Those who are alive must take good care of their health. The First Young Lady said that the wicked have been brought to justice, and the disaster has passed. Peace will be restored when springes.¡±

 Chapter 307 - Soar to Great Heights

    <h4>Chapter 307: Soar to Great Heights</h4>


    The servant ryed Xie Qiao¡¯s words ordingly. When the family heard that, a glimmer of hope appeared in their grief.


    Their son and husband had risked his life to protect these things. What right did they have to not live a determined life?


    ¡°Who is your First Young Lady¡­?¡± the olddy reacted.


    Not many people knew the truth about her son¡¯s death.


    ¡°My First Young Lady¡¯s surname is Xie, and she¡¯s the daughter of General Xie Niushan,¡± the servant said.


    When the olddy heard that, she suddenly pulled her daughter-inw down on her knees, ¡°Please go back and thank our benefactor on our behalf.¡±


    If it were not for that Young Lady Xie who caused a ruckus yesterday, her son¡¯s revenge would not have been possible!


    Those bullies would still run amok here!


    It was all thanks to Young Lady Xie!


    The servant quickly helped her up and left.


    At first, he was curious as to why Young Lady Xie had only given them so few things. He did not expect that Young Lady Xie¡¯s things were what they needed the most!


    Xie Qiao was in the carriage, but she did not stay idle.


    There were quite many ghouls in this ce.


    However, the ghouls did not have any obsessions and just drifted unconsciously. Now, Xie Qiao had also captured them and would send them away during the Qingming Festival next year.


    ¡°Master, my grandson has suffered quite a bit. I¡¯m worried that something might happen to him. There¡¯s only one seedling in my family now¡­ As long as he can be safe and sound, I¡¯ll give my life to you!¡± In front of Xie Qiao, another stubborn olddy came.


    Although this olddy was a ghoul, her body was still emitting a rotten aura. Her body was shriveled and her face was sallow. It was obvious that she was malnourished.


    ¡°Your life has long gone,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    When the olddy heard that, she became a little listless.


    ¡°Is your wish to let him return home alive? It isn¡¯t difficult to achieve that. You shouldn¡¯t havee looking for me,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    The olddy was startled. That ethereal ghoul seemed to be at a loss.


    Previously, the matter of the bullies had angered the entire city. Now that the imperial court was paying close attention to the situation outside the city, the disaster victims would definitely be settled well. Death¡­ that would not happen. Moreover, her grandson was so smart that he would not have to suffer from hunger.


    ¡°I just¡­ Hope that my grandson will be able to soar to great heights¡­¡± After a long while, the olddy finally spoke.


    Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly, ¡°This wish seems a little overboard.¡±


    To soar to great heights, one had to rely on oneself. How could one rely on others?


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ I¡¯m not asking you to give him great benefits¡­I-I¡¯m begging you to give him a chance! Let him follow you¡­ I heard that those rich families can study and practice martial arts. My grandson can read too¡­ Give him a chance to improve, whether he can seed or not will depend on himself!¡± The olddy ghoul knelt.


    She knew her own grandson.


    In the past, her family spoiled him, and they sent him to school. However, he was mischievous and did not pay much attention at school.


    However, that child was very smart and had a good physique. Regardless of whether he studied or practiced martial arts, as long as he put in the effort, he would definitely seed!


    Now, his grandson was unwilling to ept it.


    If he returned to his hometown during spring, he would be a person with no rtives or friends. If he had to think of ways to support himself, how could he have the chance to improve?


    ¡°You have the wrong person. Your grandson is now one of the 50 teenagers that Young Lady Xia has chosen. If he asks, Young Lady Xia will arrange a chance for him to score,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    He did not need to study at the famous academy. He could go to a small academy in the capital.


    With the Xia family¡¯s reputation, those small academies could even enrol him directly for free.

 Chapter 308 - Hurtful

    <h4>Chapter 308: Hurtful</h4>


    Seeing Xie Qiao¡¯s refusal, the olddy became a little anxious.


    ¡°That Young Lady Xia can¡¯t do it!¡± The olddy hurriedly shouted. Her soul looked a little more ferocious.


    ¡°That Young Lady Xia, she¡¯s a good person. She gave us things for free, but¡­ We could feel that she doesn¡¯t care about disaster victims like us at all. Master, you¡¯ve also said that she¡¯s doing it for her grading. If she has achieved her goal, will she still care about my grandson¡­?¡±


    ¡°I also did it for the grading. Moreover, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re hoping others to n for your grandson for the rest of his life?¡± Xie Qiao chuckled softly.


    The olddy shook her head.


    She did not mean that.


    She only felt that Young Lady Xia was not as good as this master in front of her.


    This master had taken action and brought those bullies to justice. Moreover, she had been secretly watching earlier. The master had taken in many pitiful ghouls and wanted to release them and send them to reincarnation¡­


    She was so attentive to those ordinary ghouls. If she agreed to the matter with her grandson, she would definitely be more responsible.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m just worried about that Young Lady Xia¡­¡± the olddy looked extremely pitiful.


    Xie Qiao exhaled.


    In reality, she understood what the olddy had in mind.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it if you want him to soar to great heights, because everyone¡¯s fate is in their own hands. It¡¯s not something that an outsider like me can change. My Father and Brother are only military officials. If you insist on asking me to help, I can only let your grandson be a recruit in the military camp. My father will take care of him and teach him a thing or two, but he will still suffer a lot. Promotion depends on one¡¯s own ability.


    ¡°Perhaps, he will only be able to work in the military camp for the rest of his life. When he reaches your age, he will retire with injuries. There is even a possibility that he would lose his life. Think about it carefully,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The olddy¡¯s soul trembled.


    She was hesitating.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xie Qiao nced at her from head to toe, ¡°You should be able to enter a dream, right? You can ask your grandson for his opinion.¡±


    This olddy¡¯s determination was quite strong, and the possibility of her sending a message in dreams was quite high.


    However, some old people did not like to enter the dreams of their descendants, afraid that it would harm the younger generation.


    At this moment, the olddy was sent away.


    The wish was too big, so Xie Qiao could not easily agree.


    At that moment, in the restaurant, Xia Yayun looked at the 50 youths downstairs and could not help but frown.


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to like these dishes very much. Shopkeeper, is it because the dishes by the cook are not good?¡± Xia Yayun said, feeling upset.


    At that moment, she was sitting upstairs, looking down from above.


    When the shopkeeper heard that, he secretly cried out that he had been wronged, but he did not dare to say it out loud.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ They¡¯ve never seen these before and want to taste them slowly¡­¡± the shopkeeper could only say that.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It must be hard to adapt to a ce like this all of a sudden,¡± Xia Yayun thought for a moment and said.


    The shopkeeper could not help but roll his eyes.


    It was true that the youngdies of the rich families did not know the hardships of the people!


    These guys, the younger ones were six or seven years old, and the older ones were 15, 16 or 17. Although their clothes and hair were a little dirty, most of their faces were still fair and clean. Their hands did not look particrly rough. It could be seen that they had been living quite well before the disaster.


    Young Lady Xia¡¯s way of doing things was simply hurtful.


    However, this Young Lady Xia was a big client. As long as he had money in his pocket, that would be all that matters. Why would he care so much?


    Xia Yayun thought of Xie Qiao again and pondered for a moment, she asked the maidservant next to her toe over, ¡°Go find a few¡­ beggars out there. Get them to praise me for what I¡¯ve done. Make sure to suppress Xie Qiao¡¯s reputation. Let everyone think that I¡¯m kinder and better than Xie Qiao!¡±

 Chapter 309 - Apprenticeship

    <h4>Chapter 309: Apprenticeship</h4>


    After Xia Yayun gave the order, one of the maidservants did as she was told.


    Another maidservant advised, ¡°Young Lady, isn¡¯t it terrible for us to send food to them like this? Why don¡¯t you find work for them so that they can earn some money? This way, you can save some silver beans and let these people remember your kindness at all times.¡±


    Xia Yayun heard that and thought it made sense.


    ¡°We should hire them to run errands in our house? There¡¯s no need for so many people. Besides, look at those six or seven-year-olds down there. What can they do?¡± Xia Yayun frowned and said with some disdain.


    These people were clumsy and had not been trained. How could they do those delicate jobs?


    ¡°Young Lady, it¡¯s better not to bring them home. After all, they¡¯re all teenagers and it¡¯s not good for your reputation. In my opinion, I can introduce them to some shops in the city as apprentices. Yes, it¡¯s better to be an apprentice. Craftsmanship is more important than silver!¡± The maidservant added.


    Xia Yayun thought it was a great idea.


    She would look for some carpenters, cksmiths, or doctors. She would send them some gifts and let them take in apprentices. She thought they would not refuse her idea.


    She had only done this charity for a few days, but she had already spent more than 3,000 silver beans. It was too much.


    She really had to change the method.


    Now that Xia Yayun had thought of a way, she naturally had to pass on the good news.


    She asked the servants to go downstairs and announce the news.


    One must say that it was really effective.


    Many people were delighted.


    However, although some of these youths had rtively high self-esteem, there were some who were greedy.


    Initially, they had thought Young Lady Xia¡¯s kindness toward them was a little strange. Now that they heard the news, they immediately raised their heads and looked upstairs, they asked tentatively, ¡°Can we really be apprentices? Young Lady Xia, the dishes in this restaurant are really good. It would be great if I could eat them every day. Can you arrange for me to be the cook¡¯s apprentice?¡±


    Xia Yayun frowned and turned to look at the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper¡¯s expression changed drastically, ¡°Young Lady Xia, we¡¯ve spent a lot of money to hire our cook. His skills will only be passed on to his children and grandchildren, not to outsiders!¡±


    If the cook was willing to teach outsiders, he would teach his children and nephews. How could it be someone else¡¯s turn?!


    Xia Yayun frowned, ¡°It¡¯s just a few dishes. Why can¡¯t we learn from him? If everyone holds onto the skills in their hands and doesn¡¯t pass them on to outsiders, wouldn¡¯t some of the delicacies be lost easily?¡±


    Those cooks in her family had to learn their skills everywhere, no?


    The shopkeeper looked troubled, ¡°It¡¯s really not possible¡­¡±


    The inheritance of these skills was extremely precious.


    It was not unheard of for outsiders to take on a master. However, under normal circumstances, it was usually the cook who had no sessor or saw a talented junior who could bring his family¡¯s dishes to greater heights. Only then would he ept an apprentice.


    How could he take in an apprentice so casually?!


    ¡°Ask the cook toe over. I¡¯ll talk to him personally,¡± Xia Yayun said bluntly.


    The shopkeeper could not smile at that moment.


    However, he could not refuse, so he could only ask the waiter to call for someone.


    The waiter told the cook about the matter in advance. When the cook heard that, he was furious.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re angry in private, but don¡¯t behave like this in front of Young Lady Xia. I heard that she made a bet with someone else. That¡¯s why you have to make these 50 youths feel grateful toward her. I see that these youths don¡¯t have any foundation. At worst, you¡¯ll grit your teeth and agree. Take in apprentices, you¡¯ll teach them some basic skills. Then, let them do chores in the kitchen! After a while, Young Lady Xia will ignore them, then we can chase them away!¡± The waiter quickly advised.


    The cook gritted his teeth and thought it was quite cowardly.


    However, the waiter was right. Which apprentice did not start from doing odd jobs?


    Wanting to learn something as soon as they started? That was impossible!

 Chapter 310 - Exception

    <h4>Chapter 310: Exception</h4>


    However, the cook was still upset.


    This Young Lady Xia was really annoying. She had crossed the line. She wanted him to take in apprentices now!


    Fortunately, even if he epted an apprentice, no matter how he taught the apprentice, it was still up to him. When the time came, if these youths had any objections, what could they do?


    Young Lady Xia could not possibly guide him how to teach an apprentice, right?!


    When the cook arrived at the front hall, Xia Yayun indeed raised her request.


    ¡°epting apprentices is possible. It¡¯s just that Young Lady Xia, the work in the kitchen isn¡¯t easy. I¡¯m afraid that they won¡¯t be able to endure the hardship. Moreover, the people who be apprentices at the beginning won¡¯t have any wages¡­¡± The cook said with a smile.


    ¡°All you need to do is teach them,¡± Xia Yayun said.


    If they could learn craftsmanship, it would be the same whether they were paid or not.


    As he spoke, he asked the servant to ask how many people were willing to learn to cook.


    They got eight or nine people.


    With so many youths, the kitchen would probably be in a mess. The cook smiled foolishly, ¡°Young Lady Xie, the kitchen is only that big. Besides me, there are several cooks who help with the side dishes. I can only take in two people at most. If there are too many, I won¡¯t be able to locate them. Why don¡¯t you ask other restaurants?¡±


    Xia Yayun thought she was not an unreasonable person.


    She nodded in agreement.


    Subsequently, four or five restaurants on the street said yes to her request.


    Other than the restaurants, Xia Yayun also asked the people in the residence to find a medicine shop and fill it with more than ten people.


    Some youths thought it was inappropriate, and they asked to do some hardbor. Xia Yayun was unwilling to do that.


    How tiring was it to do hardbor? Moreover, it was not decent. By then, what if they thought she was not kind enough?


    She tried to persuade them.


    With this persuasion, out of the 50 youths, only seven insisted on doing hardbor ording to the government¡¯s arrangements.


    The rest became apprentices. Some were learning how to weave and dye, some learned to make sauces and cosmetics, and there were also those who worked at medicine shops, carpentry, pottery, and iron tools. It was quiteplete.


    As for those seven youngborers¡­


    Xia Yayun could barely hold back her good intentions.


    She really wanted to move them away.


    If nothing good came out of the hardbor, they would definitely me her in the end.


    Lu Lin was one of the sevenborers. He did not speak much and looked very depressed. The other six people were about the same as him.


    ¡°Have you all thought it through? If you be an apprentice, you can stay in the capital. They will provide food and amodation. After a few years of apprenticeship, good days wille. For example, a cook will be paid several taels of silver a month!¡± Xia Yayun said.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia, thank you for everything that you¡¯ve given us. It¡¯s just that¡­ It¡¯s pretty good to do hardbor now,¡± said one of them.


    ¡°Do you think that doing hardbor earns you money and that¡¯s why you look down on being apprentices?¡± Xia Yayun was upset. These people were too short-sighted!


    ¡°Since you are not willing, then¡­ I will remove you from the fifty quotas. If you don¡¯t live well in the future, you have yourself to me!¡± Xia Yayun said and left.


    There were so many disaster victims outside the city. Would it not be easy for her to fill in a few?


    Lu Lin sneered.


    Sure enough, Young Lady Xia treated them like toys.


    Who would not want to be an apprentice?


    However, he was not a fool. Those who epted apprentices were obviously forced. Even if they got what they wanted now, they would be chased out in the future.


    The possibility of being kept¡­ maybe there was, but it was definitely low.


    Moreover, he just did not want to take Young Lady Xia¡¯s charity.


    Her gaze was very piercing, as if she was looking at a disobedient animal. She was clearly smiling, but there was no warmth at all.


    ¡°Lu Lin, you¡¯re so smart. You should have be an apprentice. You¡¯ll definitely be able to stay. That¡¯s what all those people think,¡± said the young man next to him.


    Who would not wish that they would be an exception? Or what if¡­ They were lucky enough to meet a generous master?

 Chapter 311 - I Might Want More

    <h4>Chapter 311: I Might Want More</h4>


    Lu Lin sneered.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be an animal,¡± Lu Lin¡¯s eyes were gloomy, ¡°Master won¡¯t treat them well if they be his apprentices. They will look for Young Lady Xia for any decisions to be made. She won¡¯t help us forever. I don¡¯t want to be¡­ greedy in the end.¡±


    ¡°In fact, Young Lady Xia¡­ treats us quite well, but I just can¡¯t be grateful to her. Maybe¡­ I¡¯m an ingrate,¡± the kid next to him smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Today, I heard people say that Young Lady Xia is nice to us for some sort of grading,¡± someone added.


    A few youths gathered together and were talking when someone ran over.


    ¡°Lu Lin! The patrol found your grandmother¡¯s body and is going to bury her! Hurry up and send her off!¡±


    When these words rang out, Lu Lin¡¯s face turned pale.


    He staggered out of the city.


    However, when he arrived, his grandmother was already wrapped in a straw mat and had been dragged out by someone.


    He gritted his teeth. Beside him, the olddy¡¯s soul followed.


    His heavy footsteps followed, but he could not bring himself to stop them.


    He knew that he could not stop them. There were many people outside the city, and someone would eventually die. If the dead were not buried, they would stink even in winter.


    He only wanted her to stay for another two days¡­


    If even his grandmother was buried, he would really never see another family member!


    At that moment, Lu Lin followed obediently. The officer saw that he was young and quite pitiful, so he did not scold him for hiding the body. He moved the body to a nearby cemetery and dug a hole into the ground.


    Lu Lin sat in front of the grave until he fell asleep.


    In his dream, he saw his grandmother.


    His grandmother said that she had met a noble, and that the noble could send him to the military camp. When he became a soldier, he would be paid and asked if he was willing.


    He nodded and told his grandmother that he would learn martial arts well and would work hard to climb up the ranks. He would never take the looks of disdain from others, and he would never be bullied because of a piece of snack.


    He was not afraid of hard work, nor was he afraid of being beaten. He was only afraid that his life was worse than a pig or a dog.


    When he opened his eyes, he realized that it was only a dream.


    He could not help butugh at himself again.


    Yesterday, he had rejected Young Lady Xia¡¯s good intentions. At night, he actually dreamed of relying on someone else to go to the military camp?


    In reality, the others were the same. They also hoped¡­ that someone could help them, right?


    Putting this dream aside, Lu Lin went to work obediently.


    At noon, a man suddenly stood in front of him, ¡°You are Lu Lin, right? Our First Young Lady has invited you over.¡±


    First Young Lady? Did Young Lady Xia not give up on him and choose someone else?


    Lu Lin was puzzled, but he was tactful and followed obediently.


    When they reached the carriage at the city gate, the curtain was lifted. It was a girl he had met once.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Young Lady Xie who caught the bullies¡­¡± Lu Lin was surprised.


    That day, he had been hiding in the crowd to secretly watch, so he knew this girl.


    ¡°Have you thought it over? Do you want to go to the military camp and be a new recruit?¡± Xie Qiao said directly, ¡°It¡¯s very hard, and my father is very fierce. I can get him to take care of you, and I guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to fall and hit. You¡¯ll grow up to be¡­ a little stronger than the others.¡±


    To the military camp?!


    Lu Lin¡¯s expression changed, ¡°H-How did you know¡­¡±


    The dream he hadst night?!


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s secrets can not be divulged. You don¡¯t have to care about how I know. You just have to tell me your decision,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Lu Lin was stunned, ¡°You¡¯re the same as Young Lady Xia. It¡¯s also for¡­ some grading?¡±


    ¡°More or less. I might want more,¡± Xie Qiao nodded in acknowledgment.


    Besides the grading, she had to gather good karma.

 Chapter 312 - Willing to Give It A Try

    <h4>Chapter 312: Willing to Give It A Try</h4>


    A hint of shame and anger shed across Lu Lin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Taking advantage of the misery of others. Do you feel at ease doing such a good thing?!¡±


    Suddenly, he snapped.


    Xie Qiao lowered her eyes slightly.


    ¡°Do you think our lives are so lowly? That you can sort things out for us as you wish? After sorting it out, we still have to shed tears of gratitude and wag our tails like a dog to please you?!¡± Lu Lin said angrily again.


    It was unfair, this world was too unfair!


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    ¡°Master, Please don¡¯t argue with my grandson. He¡¯s too stubborn. In the past six months, his parents were gone, and I¡¯m no longer by his side. He can¡¯t stand the hit, that¡¯s why he¡¯s like this¡­¡± the olddy¡¯s soul was a little anxious, swaying around. It was distorted.


    Xie Qiao was not angry. Her face was calm.


    After looking at Lu Lin for a while, he calmed down a little, only then did she speak, ¡°It is not a waste to go to the military camp, and not everyone will be epted. After you get there, go through the proper procedures. The veterans will test your body. They won¡¯t ept those who are disabled or weak. If you can pass, you will start from the lowest level. The recruits will have to suffer, and the pay is not much. If you don¡¯t do well, you will be chased out at any time. If you make a big mistake, you may even be punished by militaryw and beaten to death.


    ¡°If you go, you will owe me a favor. You can repay the favor. In five years, half of your sry will be used in my name to donate to the Taoist temple,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Part of the incense money received by the Taoist temple was used to maintain expenses, while the other part was used to do good deeds and benefit the people.


    Lu Lin thought he was going to be beaten up, but he did not expect Xie Qiao to say that.


    He had to admit that he was tempted.


    However, he did not want to lower his head.


    ¡°No one can stop a disaster from falling from the sky. If you look down on yourself, you¡¯d think that everyone in the world looks down on you. If you think you¡¯re capable, the charity in front of you is an opportunity. It depends on how you see it,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    Lu Lin clenched his fists.


    He knew that Young Lady Xie was right.


    Even though Young Lady Xia had an ulterior motive for doing good deeds, he had to admit that her help was useful.


    Those who had taken her as their master had at least a small chance to change their lives!


    Moreover, the opportunity given by Young Lady Xie was not considered charity.


    The military camp had a recruitment every year, and many people could go. It was just that it was not the time for recruitment now.


    Besides, it was really hard at the military camp. The recruitment conditions were also high. Even if Young Lady Xie said nothing, he would still register himself after a while. However, by then, he should have already passed the most difficult time. Perhaps he would not have the unwillingness he had now.


    About the dreamst night, his grandma knew him well, so she asked¡­ a noble toe, right?


    ¡°I¡­ am willing to give it a try,¡± Lu Lin finally said.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly, ¡°Someone wille to take you there tomorrow. Before the New Year, they will invite you to the Royal Academy. Remember to give a five-star review.¡±


    After Xie Qiao said that, she got people to drive away directly.


    Lu Lin was speechless. He felt that something was off.


    This Young Lady Xie¡¯s attitude was far too different from Young Lady Xia¡¯s, was it not?!


    Young Lady Xia kept watching them and sending them things, as if it was not enough.


    However, this Young Lady Xie¡­ although she had given him some benefits, she was very indifferent. That look in her eyes¡­


    She did not look down on him nor did she think highly of him. It was as if she was only here to inform him of an ordinary matter, yet there wasn¡¯t a single ripple in her eyes!


    What a weirdo.


    However, he had to admit that although this Young Lady Xie was cold, her help actually made him feel a little more at ease.


    Lu Lin nodded his head, and Xie Qiao put the olddy¡¯s soul away.


    Over the past two days, she had collected quite a number of souls that she wanted to release, and now they were all sent to the Fortune Pavilion.

 Chapter 313 - Female Ghoul in Palace Dress

    <h4>Chapter 313: Female Ghoul in Pce Dress</h4>


    However, when Xie Qiao arrived at Fortune Pavilion today, she found that his eldest brother was sitting there.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s heart tightened.


    She did not change her clothes when she went out today, so when they looked at each other, Xie Qiao was a little scared. Thinking that she had only done good things recently, she straightened her back and walked forward, ¡°Eldest Brother, are you here to buy things?¡±


    Xie Pinggang snorted, ¡°You did well.¡±


    Xie Qiao faked augh, ¡°What are you going to buy, Eldest Brother? I¡¯m quite familiar with this ce.¡±


    Xie Pinggang took out a Love Talisman from his pocket and stuffed it into Xie Qiao¡¯s hand, ¡°As your eldest brother, I should give you some gifts as a reward. After picking and choosing, I thought that clothes and jewelry are useless. What you need now¡­ is this thing.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s smile disappeared.


    She inscribed those talismans herself and used them on herself?


    Some other talismans could be used to ward off evil spirits and exorcism, but this Love Talisman¡­ was useless to her, okay?!


    Besides, was he sure it was not because the clothes and jewelry were more expensive?!


    Xie Qiao hesitated and epted the thing.


    Xie Pinggang initially wanted to buy some things and leave, but he heard from the shopkeeper that his sister had beening here often recently, so he sat here and waited. Maybe he would run into her, but he did not expect to have such a coincidence.


    Xie Pinggang looked at Xie Qiao with a strange gaze, which made Xie Qiao¡¯s scalp tingle.


    ¡°I was too impulsive earlier. I shouldn¡¯t have let Pinghuai get beaten up,¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and admitted her mistake.


    ¡°He deserved to be beaten up. It¡¯s good that he can improve after getting beaten up,¡± Xie Pinggang did not me her.


    Xie Qiao bit her lip.


    Was it not because of Xie Pinghuai? Then what was it? Staring at her like that was a little scary!


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Xie Qiao coughed a few times and then quickly calmed herself down.


    She raised her head pitifully.


    Xie Pinggang hesitated and took out a letter from his pocket, ¡°The Crown Prince gave this to you.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise and then quickly took it.


    The identity of the female ghost in pce attire had been investigated!


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes were cold, ¡°You¡¯re boosting your reputation when the royal family is choosing a Princess Consort. Don¡¯t tell me you have ulterior motives?¡±


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this little bit of reputation is not enough, unless our father¡¯s social status is raised to another level. So, I¡¯ll say the same thing. You should give up on that idea. Also, I¡¯m delivering the letter for the Crown Prince because he said that there¡¯s nothing important here. I¡¯m only willing to run errands after I¡¯ve read it, understand?¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    Xie Qiao was a little speechless.


    She opened the letter in front of Xie Pinggang and took a look.


    The words written on it were extremely simple.


    The appearance of the pce dress girl was exactly the same as that of Princess Xingmo who passed away 20 years ago. The only difference was that the clothes and essories on her body belonged to Princess Xingmo¡¯s pce maid.


    He also wrote about the life of Princess Xingmo.


    Princess Xingmo, the eldest daughter of Consort Dowager Jiang.


    Consort Dowager Jiang was extraordinary. She was responsible for the poprity of the female schools in the capital.


    Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s ancestors were some extraordinary people. She could be said to be the one most simr to her ancestors. After marrying thete Emperor, she built a prosperous era¡­


    Consort Dowager Jiang entered the imperial pce at the age of 18. She gave birth to Princess Xingmo at the age of 20. It took another five years before the current Emperor was born.


    The letter said that Princess Xingmo had suddenly disappeared at the age of 17 and there had been no news of her. After seven or eight years, they had no choice but to announce to the public that the princess had died of a sudden illness.


    Xie Qiao was shocked when she saw the contents of the letter.


    So¡­


    This ghoul was the First Princess, Princess Xingmo who was wearing a pce maid¡¯s clothes?


    Furthermore, from the meaning of the letter, the First Princess¡¯ bones had not been found.

 Chapter 314 - He Killed Me

    <h4>Chapter 314: He Killed Me</h4>


    When Princess Xingmo disappeared, the Crown Prince had yet to be born, so it was normal that he did not recognize the person in the painting when he first received it. Moreover, the woman in the painting was wearing a pce maid¡¯s dress.


    ¡°The Crown Prince asked you to copy the scriptures for Princess Xingmo. Do you have the time? If you¡¯re tired, I¡¯ll reject him for you,¡± Xie Pinggang actually felt something was off.


    The Crown Prince said that her sister was good at Sanskrit.


    However, his sister¡­ grew up in a Taoist temple!


    No matter how good her Sanskrit was, she should not copy the scriptures all day, right?


    Besides, there were many people who could copy the scriptures. Why did he get Xie Qiao to do it?


    He felt that there seemed to be some shady deal between the Crown Prince and his sister¡­ but he did not dare to ask about the Crown Prince. As for Xie Qiao¡­


    This girl¡¯s mouth was probably even tighter than the Crown Prince¡¯s.


    ¡°I can do it. When it¡¯s finished, I¡¯ll personally hand it to His Highness in the academy,¡± Xie Qiao replied with a serious expression.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xie Pinggang narrowed his eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t think about hitting on the Crown Prince. It¡¯s a waste of time. You need to find someone easy to deal with so that you can have a child earlier.¡±


    Xie Qiao covered her face and fled, going upstairs directly.


    It was terrible.


    He, Xie Pinggang, had the fate of a loner. How dare he ask her to bear a child?


    Thinking of this, Xie Qiao thought even after so long, his eldest brother¡¯s appearance had not changed at all. This destiny was really too strong. He should have brought along more Love Talismans with him!


    Xie Pinggang chuckled. He thought Xie Qiao was shy, so he left in big steps.


    As soon as Xie Pinggang left, Xie Qiao let out a sigh of relief.


    The shopkeeper looked at Xie Qiao going upstairs. He was going to stop her, but when he saw her back, he was stunned for a moment before Xie Qiao barged in.


    Young Lady Xie¡¯s figure was exactly the same as the owner¡¯s.


    Now that she had gone upstairs, the shopkeeper could not say anything more. He was prepared to wait until the owner came over to talk about this matter.


    After Xie Qiao went upstairs, she released the female ghoul in the pce dress.


    Since being here for so long, this ghoul looked much more energetic now.


    Xie Qiao looked at her and asked tentatively, ¡°Do you remember who you are now?¡±


    The female ghoul was stunned for a moment, then she shook her head, ¡°I only remember that there were many people at night. There were skynterns, fireworks, and¡­¡±


    The female soul¡¯s expression suddenly became extremely terrifying. Her pupils dted, and her voice was shrill, ¡°He killed me! He killed me!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± The female ghoul kept thinking, and she was on the verge of copse.


    It looked as if she was about to be a resentful soul. However, it was also the time when the female ghoul was most awake. Xie Qiao prepared the talisman, and she continued to ask, ¡°Do you know where your body is? If you can¡¯t remember, that¡¯s fine. Follow your instincts and I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    Generally, spirits could more or less sense their own bodies.


    Although Princess Xingmo¡¯s soul was a little chaotic, she definitely had some basic abilities.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s voice seemed to have the ability to appease the spirit.


    She walked out of the door and hovered along the way.


    Xie Qiao ced a talisman on this ghoul¡¯s body and chased after her along the way.


    Sometimes, this ghoul would directly pass through the wall, but Xie Qiao could not do so, so she could only go the long way.


    After about two hours, Xie Qiao stopped.


    She was stunned.


    This ce¡­ was the Zhou Residence.


    The Zhou family had the family background of schrs, and the deceased old master was once thete Emperor¡¯s teacher.


    In addition to those officials in the imperial court, the Zhou family had several powerful figures as well.

 Chapter 315 - Chance of Survival

    <h4>Chapter 315: Chance of Survival</h4>


    The eldest grandson of Old Master Zhou was nearly 50 now. He was an idle official who married the Third Princess of thete Emperor.


    She was also Princess Xingmo¡¯s younger sister.


    Although thete Emperor¡¯s Third Princess was not born of Consort Dowager Jiang, she could be considered the daughter raised by Consort Dowager Jiang.


    Due to Princess Xingmo¡¯s disappearance, Consort Dowager Jiang doted on this Third Princess very much. Even she, who did not understand the royal family, knew that this Third Princess was extremely favored.


    This week, the Prince Consort had a younger sister who entered the royal family and gave birth to a royal daughter for the current Emperor.


    It could be said that royal rtives were infinitely honored.


    Now, the problem was grave.


    This ghoul had run to the Zhou Residence. Clearly, something was not right. Could it be that she had discovered some shocking case?!


    Xie Qiao was timid and quickly retreated.


    When she returned home, she was still somewhat bewildered.


    She was carrying too many tiny secrets, and now, she still had the world map of the Baili family hidden in her hands. That thing had not even been used yet, and now, she actually obtained¡­ a big piece of news.


    Xie Qiao was a little listless.


    If she knew too much, would she die faster?


    It was just that she had only taken a look outside, so she was not sure if the ghoul¡¯s body was actually inside the Zhou Residence. Even if it was, she still had to know the exact location.


    Recently, did the Zhou family¡­ hold any grand banquets?


    Xie Qiao narrowed her eyes and thought for a moment.


    She had already captured Princess Xingmo¡¯s soul. There were some things that needed to be investigated clearly.


    After all, no matter how small a mosquito was, it was still a life. It was duty-bound to work for a ghoul!


    She did not know much about the Zhou family. Now, she would find someone to get him to ask around.


    When Xie Niushan returned home, Xie Qiao told him about recruiting a soldier outside the city.


    Recruiting soldiers was different from paying to be officials. As a general, Xie Niushan was qualified to choose some people to enter the military camp. Moreover, the person chosen was just a new recruit. The recruitment process would go through the normal recruitment requirements, so there was no problem.


    This was also rted to the bet between Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun. Xie Niushan was very attentive to it.


    The next morning, he brought his subordinates to take a look outside the city.


    Xie Niushan was not a person who cared about trifles. Since he was already here, how could he only bring one person with him?


    Moreover, there were many disaster victims outside the city who had no family or rtives. They might as well recruit on the spot. The requirements were also written down. They had to write down the three generations of their ancestors clearly. Their family background had to be clean. In addition, their height and strength also needed to be checked.


    Inside the military camp, they had to suffer. If their bodies were weak, they would naturally fail.


    There were not many of these disaster victims who qualified.


    However, Lu Lin was one of them.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s open and aboveboard recruitment method surprised Lu Lin, and his poor self-esteem was somewhat appeased.


    However, this appeasement did notst long.


    Xie Niushan brought a few recruits back to the barracks and directly called a hundred-man general.


    ¡°These kids are too skinny. Remember to give them extra meals. Every meal must be for two people, and the food will be deducted from the army¡¯s sry! If they can¡¯t finish it¡­¡± Xie Niushan smirked faintly, ¡°Then they are not hungry or tired enough. Train harder! Especially him.¡±


    He pointed at Lu Lin.


    Lu Lin shivered.


    He had some hesitating thoughts earlier, but now that he felt Xie Niushan¡¯s majesty, all that was left in his mind was the thought of saving his life.


    Xie Niushan was indeed as terrifying as the rumors said!


    At that moment, the hard days had finallye!


    Xie Niushan¡¯s training was the hardest. Lu Lin, who was named by him to take good care of, was naturally under several times the pressurepared to the rest!


    However, Lu Lin could not resent Xie Niushan.


    It was because Xie Niushan¡­ was especially ¡°good¡± to him!


    He was so good that after every day of training, he would even specially call him over to teach him martial arts!


    Lu Lin was not a fool. He was currently in the military camp. The more he learned, the greater his chances of survival in the future!

 Chapter 316 - Examination

    <h4>Chapter 316: Examination</h4>


    As soon as Lu Lin was sent to the military camp, Xia Yayun received another piece of news.


    She was so angry that she broke her beloved teacup, and her expression became ferocious.


    ¡°She¡¯s really trying to make things difficult for me! Half of those youths actually went to the military camp. She¡¯s deliberately stealing my credit!¡± Xia Yayun was so angry that she was fidgety, ¡°Those ungrateful b*stards. I gave them many opportunities, but they didn¡¯t want it. They actually thought that the military camp was a good ce! A bunch of idiots!¡±


    Once they were in the military camp, they might even lose their arms and legs!


    Moreover, the military camp where Xie Niushan was located was responsible for the war of the Qianyuan dynasty. If there was a riot, they would definitely send out troops, and the possibility of suffering would be the greatest!


    They were all ignorant and unruly people. When they died on the battlefield in the future, they would know how good the conditions she offered were!


    ¡°Send some new quilts to those youths. They must wear thick and proper clothes, and feed them until they¡¯re fat. When the New Year is over, invite all of them to the academy. Whenpared to Xie Qiao¡¯s 50 people, we will naturally be able to see who gave them the best things!¡± Xia Yayun gritted her teeth. She wanted to eat Xie Qiao alive.


    Although Xia Yayun was angry, she thought Xie Qiao wasughable.


    Xie Qiao had only helped a few teenagers to enter the military camp, and there were not enough people.


    As for her?


    She only needed to send some things asionally. Those teenagers were obedient to her.


    Xia Yayun had plenty of time now, so she did not need to go out of the city every day.


    A new round of examinations had begun in the academy.


    Every round of examination in the Royal Academy was very important, especially for the women¡¯s academy. If they were to get an ¡°A¡± in each examination, they could choose to go to the better courtyard or get some silver beans as rewards. If they did too badly, they might be demoted.


    This was also to ensure that the students in each courtyard were of the same standard, so that the teacher could teach them better.


    The examination was more important. Xie Qiao had toe.


    It would take three days. The men¡¯s side would use the imperial court¡¯s examination, while the women¡¯s side would have a variety of questions.


    Every teacher had toe up with the examination questions. Other than the courses for armaments, even the embroidery and tea ssics courses also had a written examination.


    However, if one did not enter the school normally, they could choose not to take those courses.


    Xie Qiao usually attended Master Lu¡¯s ss. He talked about the Four Books and Five ssics, the world style, and history.


    However, it was obviously not enough to only take this ss only. Therefore, Xie Qiao thought about it and thought she would check out arithmetic and the way of flowers.


    The way of flowers was not only to recognize pictures and objects, but also to cultivate flowers and arrange flowers. There were even some poems about flowers in it. It was quite difficult.


    When Xie Qiao returned to the academy, she met Xia Yayun. The meeting of enemies, their eyes were bloodshot.


    Xie Qiao had almost skipped all of the sses recently, so when she appeared, there were many worried gazes.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, you don¡¯t have to be worried. You haven¡¯te recently and your body is weak. Even if you can¡¯t pass the examination, the teacher will understand. You won¡¯t be demoted to the Chrysanthemum Courtyard.¡±


    ¡°This is what the teacher has been talking about recently. Try to remember as many sentences as you can. You might just hit the mark!¡±


    There were many people around Xie Qiao whoforted her.


    There were even some who expressed their sympathy for Xie Pinghuai¡¯s situation.


    These few days, Xie Pinghuai was recuperating at home. He was originally from the Begonia Courtyard, and the reason for his injury was admirable. Therefore, he could totally note to the examination.


    Xia Yayun felt the changes in everyone.


    When Xie Qiao first came to the academy, everyone clearly hated her!


    Was Xie Qiao a vixen? How could he be so bewitching!

 Chapter 317 - Let Him Go

    <h4>Chapter 317: Let Him Go</h4>


    Xia Yayun could not help it, and she did not want to either.


    Now that she was in the Orchid Courtyard, the few people she cared about did not want to talk to her anymore, so she did not care about making more enemies.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a few rumors circting out there, and you think it¡¯s true? Do you think that the Xie family are good people? Have you all forgotten that Xie Pinggang almost bullied Sister Dong?!¡± Xia Yayun said with a sneer.


    Everyone fell silent.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia, Xie Pinggang¡¯s matter has nothing to do with Xie Qiao, right?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°Nothing? A woman¡¯s reputation is very important. Xie Pinggang had fallen in love with my Sister Dong. When he failed in his courtship, he actually wanted to hit her. He almost made my Sister Dong lose face! If this happened to you guys, would you think that Xie Qiao is innocent?! Since her surname is Xie, she is never innocent!¡± Xia Yayun added.


    Xie Qiao heard that and looked at her.


    ¡°Think about it carefully. Young Lady Xia mentioned Young Lady Dong many times, so you bullied me several times to avenge your Young Lady Dong? But why do I feel that¡­ Young Lady Dong of the Peony Courtyard has never stood up for you?¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    Whether in the imperial pce or in the academy, Dong Xiyun was very good at protecting herself.


    ¡°You still want to nder her! You¡¯re just like your brother, a shameless sl*t!¡± Xia Yayun directly cursed.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face turned cold.


    ¡°I have heard a little about my Eldest Brother¡¯s matter. At that time, there was only Dong Xiyun¡¯s maidservant around and no one else to testify. My Eldest Brother has never been interested in women. Whether he did it or someone wants to frame him, it¡¯s hard to say!¡± Xie Qiao said coldly.


    If her eldest brother¡¯s fate did not change, he definitely would not be able to marry a wife for the rest of his life!


    He did not understand romance and was not good with women. How could such a person humiliate Dong Xiyun?!


    She had never believed it!


    ¡°Xie Qiao, don¡¯t go too far! What do you mean by that? My Sister Dong doesn¡¯t even know him. Why would she use her own innocence to frame him?! Your Xie family can really twist the truth!¡± Xia Yayun became even angrier.


    ¡°Everyone knows that there isn¡¯t even a female fly by my brother¡¯s side. He has always been clean and self-loving. It isn¡¯t normal for such a scandal to suddenly spread. Perhaps¡­¡± Xie Qiao smiled faintly and lowered her brows as he flipped through the book in her hand, she said slowly, ¡°A young girl¡¯s love was rejected by my brother. She was suddenly struck by a blow and started spouting nonsense?¡±


    When Xie Qiao said that, Xia Yanyun was so angry that she was on fire.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, you have no sense of shame. How can you humiliate Sister Dong like this?!¡± Xia Yayun wanted to charge forward and strangle Xie Qiao to death.


    However, Xie Qiao did not seem to be in a hurry, ¡°Have any of you heard that my Brother has no respect for women other than Young Lady Dong? My Brother has already passed the age of marriage. He¡¯s still a virgin. All he wants to do is serve the imperial court. He doesn¡¯t know how to be amorous. When ites to getting a wife, he has yet to be enlightened!


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense that Young Lady Dong¡¯s reputation is valuable, but my Eldest Brother¡¯s is worthless, right? Just because Young Lady Dong made noise first? Isn¡¯t that a little pathetic?


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll have to tell my Eldest Brother in the future not to be too powerful. He looks like a bad guy. In the future, if Young Lady Donges any closer and makes noise within three meters, I¡¯m sure Young Lady Dong will see that he¡¯s pitiful, so she¡¯ll let him go,¡± Xie Qiao recited the scriptures, then she said softly.


    These words really subverted everyone¡¯s understanding.


    They were even a little confused. Could it be that Xie Pinggang was really innocent?!


    That was impossible. Dong Xiyun was a talented woman. She would not be so self-deprecating.


    Although Xie Qiao talked a little too much, Xia Yayun was the one who started this after all. Everyone was trying their best to pretend not to hear it.


    The rest were not like Xia Yayun, vouching for Dong Xiyun everywhere they went.

 Chapter 318 - Apologize

    <h4>Chapter 318: Apologize</h4>


    Xia Yayun¡¯s face flushed red from holding it in.


    She did not know how Xie Qiao was capable of saying such things!


    She always looked like she was going to die, but every word she said was harsh!


    ¡°Shameless! You¡¯re shameless!¡± Xia Yayun practically howled, ¡°Your eldest brother isn¡¯t even worthy of a single finger of my Sister Dong! How dare he speak such nonsense?! Your Xie family was born as bandits, and your entire family is a bunch of idiots and trash. If not for the grand preceptor backing you up, do you think your Xie family¡¯s background alone is enough to survive in the capital?!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s cold gaze swept past Xia Yayun.


    She was neither flustered nor angry, and her expression was calm.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already criticised me to this extent, so I shouldn¡¯t give in to you,¡± Xie Qiao closed her book and seemed to be seriously thinking for a moment, only then did she open her mouth and say, ¡°My family was indeed born as a bandit, but I was also lucky to be able to let this bandit¡¯s daughter be in the same academy as you, Young Lady Xia. Unlike you, Young Lady Xia, you were born wealthy from a young age, but as you grew up, you went down the slope.


    ¡°Look at you now. Your fierce eyes have turned white, your heart is like poison, your masculine voice is fierce and violent, and you¡¯re filled with ignorance and stubbornness. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have a good ending in the future,¡± Xie Qiao said sarcastically.


    Her fate was indeed good.


    However, if her heart was malevolent, it would definitely appear in her eyes. Her eyes were vicious, her voice was evil, and her nose was soft. The lines on the marriage pce had changed, and she was no longer a wife!


    Even if she was wealthy, she would not be a wife!


    Xia Yayun¡¯s face was malevolent and resentful, ¡°I won¡¯t have a good ending?! Xie Qiao, I want to see who will have a miserable ending between us!¡±


    Xia Yayun uttered a harshment.


    Initially, she only needed to win against Xie Qiao and drive her out of the academy, but now¡­


    It was far from enough!


    The others were shocked by Xia Yayun¡¯s behavior.


    And the tit-for-tat words between the two soon reached Dong Xiyun¡¯s ears in the Peony Courtyard.


    Hearing what Xie Qiao said, Dong Xiyun¡¯s face turned pale and tears fell. She buried her head and cried, causing many people to feel heartbroken.


    On the men¡¯s side, there were also people who came when they heard themotion. Theyforted Dong Xiyun, but it was useless.


    They heard Xie Qiao¡¯s nder from other people¡¯s mouths, and they could not contain their anger.


    They directly came to their courtyard.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, as a woman, how can you be so vicious? Quickly apologize to Young Lady Dong!¡± Xie Qiao knew the person who came, his name should be Qi Huai.


    When they had ndered her for using a forged painting earlier, this person was the leader of the men¡¯s academy and had been aggressive towards her.


    It was quite difficult for Xie Qiao to review her homework.


    These groups of people must have too much time on their hands.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I won¡¯t apologize,¡± Xie Qiao sat there like an old priest and was quite rxed.


    Qi Huai was angry, ¡°Why do you not understand humannguage? What happened back then was your eldest brother¡¯s fault. Young Lady Dong was kind and didn¡¯t argue with him. How could you deliberately mention it to make Young Lady Dong sad?!¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her head sarcastically.


    Did she not argue with her eldest brother?


    Earlier, her eldest brother was an eighth-rank official in the military camp. ording to his military achievements in fighting barbarians and his own strength, if he stayed in the military camp forever, his future would be bright.


    Due of Dong Xiyun¡¯s matter, he lost his position.


    Therefore, he could only go to the criminal division to do errands as an executioner.


    That errand was only slightly better than the ordinary police, but the work was almost the same. If it were not for the fact that he solved two cases in a row, took all the credit, and won the favor of the Crown Prince, it would have taken at least a few years for him to get a proper official position. In fact, he even had to climb up one rank after another!


    Although his current position was just an eighth-rank official, if he worked hard, he could achieve things that some people might not be able to for the rest of their lives!

 Chapter 319 - The Subject Under the Skirt

    <h4>Chapter 319: The Subject Under the Skirt</h4>


    Xie Qiao had no idea why Dong Xiyun would target her eldest brother. There were no rtions to the both of them at all.


    However, she knew that Dong Xiyun was definitely not a good person.


    Her eldest brother was unfortunate to have been targeted by Dong Xiyun.


    Fortunately, there was no involvementter on. Otherwise, with Dong Xiyun¡¯s ability to cause a heart ache, it would be difficult for her eldest brother to turn the table around!


    Xie Qiao ignored her at that moment.


    Seeing her like that, Qi Huai thought this girl had such a beautiful face for nothing. She was actually so vicious.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, Young Lady Dong is different from you. She¡¯s put in a tough spot at home. If those words of yours were to be spread to the Dong family, it might destroy her! Young Lady Xie, since your health iscking, you should do more good deeds to gather good karma. Only when you are reincarnated as a person in the next life can you be blessed, right?¡± Qi Huai said again.


    These words had punctured Xie Qiao¡¯s bottom line.


    Her face turned pale, and she suddenly began to cough violently.


    Then, she hurriedly took out a pill from her cloth bag and stuffed one into it. She opened her mouth and bit it, blood actually flowed at the corner of her lips!


    When Qi Huai saw that, he was shocked.


    Xie Qiao wiped the corner of her lips, ¡°Young Master Qi, are you saying that I, Xie Qiao, have a vicious heart and deserve a short life? You have a good life, full of vigor and longevity¡­ Cough, cough, it¡¯s just that¡­ your brain is a little dumb. You two are actually so warm-hearted. Young Lady Dong didn¡¯te forward herself, but you actually fought for her injustice¡­¡±


    Qi Huai was stunned for a moment.


    The other people in Orchid Courtyard looked at Qi Huai and the rest with a somewhat disdainful gaze.


    ¡°All of you keep saying that you want to stand up for Young Lady Dong. May I ask who you are to Young Lady Dong? Father, brother, husband, or lover? Today, for Young Lady Dong, you actually forced me to this extent and even verbally cursed me. Aren¡¯t all of you vicious?¡± Xie Qiao said, she closed her eyes slightly.


    Young Lady Dong was pitiful?


    The blood pill that she had prepared was used, and she had to spend money to do that. Clearly, she was even more pitiful.


    Qi Huai did not expect Xie Qiao to vomit blood.


    Behind him, there were a few other men.


    At that moment, they all stood there awkwardly.


    ¡°Young Lady Dong is really ostentatious. She hid herself and cried a few times, and she actually triggered all of you toe. Xie Qiao is right. Who are you? Dong Xiyun¡¯s subordinate! If that¡¯s the case, then the First Young Master of the Xie family is actually much more righteous than Dong Xiyun. At the very least, the First Young Master doesn¡¯t have a group of women like you by his side!¡± Qin Liu said angrily when she saw Xie Qiao bleeding, she was furious.


    ¡°This is Orchid Courtyard, who asked you to behave atrociously here?! Do you really think that there¡¯s no one in our Orchid Courtyard?!¡±


    ¡°In the past, I thought Young Lady Dong was innocent and pitiful, but now that I think about it, Young Lady Dong sure has tricks up her sleeves! Don¡¯t tell me none of you understand? Everyone knows that Young Lady Dong suffers at home. It can be seen that she oftenins to Young Master Qi and the others!¡±


    ¡°There are differences between men and women, and they are neither family nor rtives. Isn¡¯t Young Lady Dong disgusting to be doing that?!¡±


    Fang Muxue, Feng Shuangshuang, and the others also chimed in.


    In addition, their impression of Dong Xiyun instantly dropped.


    As they were not familiar with her, they only heard that she was a talented woman, so they naturally had a good impression of her.


    However, forget it that she provoked Xia Yayun¡¯s incessant criticism, but she actually provoked Qi Huai and the rest toe and stir trouble!


    Qi Huai and the rest were all men!


    Did they not cross the line? They would not believe that Dong Xiyun was innocent!


    They were all girls, and Dong Xiyun¡¯s intention had be too obvious!


    Qi Huai did not know what to say after being scolded by these people.


    ¡°Don¡¯t nder Young Lady Dong. We saw that she was wronged, so we asked around and took the initiative to stand up for her!¡±

 Chapter 320 - Blood Pill

    <h4>Chapter 320: Blood Pill</h4>


    Qi Huai was panicking a little. His original intention was to avenge Dong Xiyun and make Xie Qiao apologize. However, if he allowed others to have a deeper misunderstanding of Young Lady Dong, then she would be even more heartbroken.


    At that moment, Qi Huai tried his best to exin, but the eyes of others were still filled with disdain.


    He was anxious.


    ¡°Young Lady Dong has been well-versed in the Four Books and Five ssics since she was young. She¡¯s righteous. She¡¯s not what Young Lady Xie said at all!¡± Qi Huai immediately said.


    ¡°ording to what you said, she has read a lot of books, so whatever she did makes sense?¡±


    Xie Qiao thought Qi Huai was courting death.


    Qi Huai did not directly admit it.


    However, he was not backing off, ¡°Young Lady Xie, you haven¡¯t read any books since you were a child. Naturally, you don¡¯t know what a schr¡¯s temperament is like. Young Lady Dong has the universe in her heart and is above board. She disdains scheming and plotting against people. We admire Young Lady Dong¡¯s talent, and we also know that she doesn¡¯tin about fighting with others, so we are willing to stand up for her! It¡¯s just that all of you¡­ have terrible thoughts in your hearts. That¡¯s why you guyse up with so much nonsense and nder others!¡±


    Young Lady Dong was right. All the girls at the Orchid Courtyard were jealous of her!


    Look at all these people. They were all eager for Young Lady Dong¡¯s reputation to be ruined!


    Fang Muxue and the others were almost angered to death.


    Filthy thoughts in their hearts?!


    They had also read quite a few books!


    However, Dong Xiyun was indeed very talented. Therefore, even though Fang Muxue and the others were angry, they were also a little sullen.


    ¡°I understand what you mean. A person who has just learned well will have a clean mind,¡± Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°In that case¡­ tell Dong Xiyun that if she is not as talented as me in this examination, she must remember to apologize to me and Eldest Brother because of her vicious mind.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± Qi Huai was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that? She has read a lot, so she disdains lying? Isn¡¯t that the same principle applied to others?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    Qi Huaiughed from the anger.


    Xie Qiao wanted topete with Dong Xiyun.


    How could she bepared with Dong Xiyun?!


    Dong Xiyun started reading at the age of three. When she came to the Royal Academy at the age of ten, she had already made a name for herself. Her calligraphy, paintings, poems and wisdom were not inferior to any other men!


    What did Xie Qiao have? She was just a sicklydy!


    However, as long as she would apologize to Young Lady Dong, his goal would be achieved.


    ¡°Alright, after the examination is over, you can apologize to Young Lady Dong,¡± Qi Huai said again.


    His voice was a matter of course.


    Xie Qiao could not help but shake her head.


    This infatuated man was blind and brainless. Even if he was alive, he was still a walking corpse, wasting the air.


    Xie Qiao hurriedly took a deep breath, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, scram, idiots. You guys are too noisy.¡±


    As she said that, she raised her hand and waved it in disdain.


    The bell on her wrist rang, and her mind calmed down a little.


    Qi Huai and the others snorted and left fiercely and confidently.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, go and see a doctor¡­¡± Qin Liu was so anxious that her eyes were a little red.


    Xie Qiao always fainted, and now she even vomited blood. How bad was her body?


    C-Could it really be that her life was short¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t vomit blood,¡± Xie Qiao was too embarrassed to continue lying to Qin Liu, ¡°My health iscking, but recently¡­ I¡¯ve be much stronger. This is a blood pill. It¡¯s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. With a light bite, the juice will flow out. The juice is red, so it looks a little scary.¡±


    Qin Liu blinked her eyes in disbelief.


    However, when she took it and sniffed it, it actually smelled quite good!

 Chapter 321 - Score

    <h4>Chapter 321: Score</h4>


    When Xie Qiao coughed so badly earlier, Qin Liu thought that she was looking for medicine to take. Who would have thought that she was eating a snack pill?!


    Qin Liu looked at Xie Qiao with admiration in her eyes.


    She was too entric!


    Earlier, she had scared Qi Huai and the rest to death!


    Xie Qiao smiled.


    This pill mainly replenished qi and blood. There were all kinds of pills in her house. Fragrant or with a terrible smell, they came with all kinds of effects. They were all created by Mo Lingzi.


    Her master was well-versed in some medical skills, but he was not a godly doctor. He just happened to know how to feed children with a special physique like her.


    She missed her master and the Taoist temple.


    ¡°Then the examination¡­¡± Qin Liu said with concern, ¡°Did you lie to them too?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I have to take the examination seriously. If I do well, I can ask my Father and Brother for some rewards. I can also set a good example for my younger siblings,¡± Xie Qiao was very serious and determined.


    Qin Liuughed dryly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was quite arrogant.


    However, she might not know the difficulty of the examination¡­


    Fifteen minutester, the teacher arrived and handed out the number tes. Everyone went to the training field to look for their own number tes.


    On the training field, there were rows of low tables. Everyone sat cross-legged in an orderly manner. They were all unfamiliar with each other. There was a teacher watching them from a few steps away. The invigtor was very strict.


    It was just that it was a little cold outside.


    Xie Qiao held the heater that the Crown Prince had given her in her arms. She first ground the ink for herself and warmed her hands before writing.


    The Royal Academy was indeed straightforward and strict. On such a cold day, they were not worried about freezing the students.


    Moreover, the scene was shocking. Students in the same clothes and the same table. The entire ce was silent. Even Xie Qiao felt a sense of tension and pressure.


    However, she flipped through the paper in her hand and heaved a sigh of relief¡­ It was not difficult.


    Moreover, she had to write quickly. After all, it was too cold outside.


    Xie Qiao curled up into a ball and started writing rapidly.


    Halfway through the burning incense, Xie Qiao had already finished filling in the paper. The clean draft paper beside her was left alone.


    She hurriedly handed in the paper and left. She returned to the school to warm up and feel the melting sensation all over her body.


    Earlier, she had thought that she could only take three examinations. Now that she wanted topete with Dong Xiyun, she had to take more.


    They were all written examinations. All she had to do was to use her hands and brain, so it would not be too tiring.


    For three whole days, the atmosphere in the academy seemed to have frozen. Everyone¡¯s face was pale every day and their hands were always hidden in their sleeves. They were reluctant to take them out unless it was thest resort.


    Xie Qiao felt that this examination was too cruel.


    Three dayster, the teachers began to mark all the papers together.


    Xie Qiao took a total of eight examinations, just like Dong Xiyun did.


    In addition to thepulsory courses, arithmetic, and the way of flowers, she also added tea ssics, poetry, calligraphy, painting, music theory, and embroidery theory.


    There were other courses that Xie Qiao did not participate in, such as horse-rearing theory, swordsmanship, and so on.


    There were so many variations.


    The teachers of all subjects gathered together andmented very seriously.


    All the results would be divided into nine grades.


    The first three grades would also be ranked.


    ¡°This article is well written. One look and I can tell that it was written by Young Lady Dong. On the women¡¯s side, I think this Young Lady Dong will probably win first ce again in this examination, right?¡±


    In the women¡¯s ss, there were eight Peony Courtyards. Dong Xiyun¡¯s talent could indeed be ranked in the top three.


    She had even won first ce many times.


    ¡°Look at this essay,¡± One of the teachers took out a paper, ¡°It¡¯s better written. The questions and answers in the beginning are all correct. The following essay is based on the ssics, and the words and sentences are better.¡±


    Hearing that, everyone took it over to have a look.


    It was indeed better. Dong Xiyun¡¯s essay was well written. Although the words were fancy, the content wascking in substance. At first nce, it looked good, butpared to the one in his hand, it looked very empty and boring.

 Chapter 322 - A Little Talented

    <h4>Chapter 322: A Little Talented</h4>


    Without a doubt, the teachers put down Dong Xiyun¡¯s test paper.


    They knew Dong Xiyun¡¯s style well, so they could recognize it. However, the test paper in their hands puzzled them.


    Whose was it?


    When did such a talented girl appear in the women¡¯s academy? Why did they not know about her?


    Could it be from the two sses of Qian and Kun?


    However, this handwriting..


    It was written in regr script. Every stroke looked very organized, and it looked very elegant yet a little unfamiliar.


    Master Lu faintly thought this handwriting was a little familiar¡­ but he did not dare to think about it.


    The girl in his courtyard¡­ Her handwriting seemed to be more casual, and she was not so serious and well-organized¡­


    Although he did not know who it was, he was sure that she would be the first in the excellent-excellent grade.


    The papers were scored for three days.


    In these three days, the women¡¯s academy was closed, while the men¡¯s academy was much more tense about their studies. They could not afford to ck off.


    Xie Qiao did not stay idle either. She ran out of the city all day long.


    Xia Yayun had people following her secretly, but she was not sure about Xie Qiao¡¯s style of doing things.


    She would also send things to the disaster victims, but the things she sent were not very valuable and rarely showed up in person. It seemed mysterious and strange.


    Three dayster, the academy announced the results of the examination.


    On the wall of the courtyard of the women¡¯s academy, there was a red piece of paper with the ranking written on it.


    ¡°Young Lady Dong, let¡¯s check your result together. With your talent, you will definitely be the champion. Later, you must make Xie Qiao apologize to you,¡± Qi Huai ran toward the women¡¯s academy.


    ¡°No need. I can go and see for myself. How can I trouble Young Master Qi?¡± Dong Xiyun smiled apologetically. Then, she pulled her best friend and walked toward the notice wall.


    Qi Huai was not angry. On the contrary, he thought Young Lady Dong was a well-read and reasonable person.


    Those people from the Orchid Courtyard were always manipting people¡¯s minds. They had no idea how innocent Young Lady Dong was.


    Qi Huai followed not far behind Dong Xiyun. He was polite and did not get too close.


    There were many people gathered here today.


    There were not many students from Heaven Courtyard. As they were all nobles, they usually did not show up in person. Instead, they would ask someone to copy a list and send it over.


    Usually, those who came to check it out were those who liked to join in the fun or were very interested in their schoolwork.


    Not everyone could be listed on the nine divisions.


    On this list, there would only be the top three grades. Those who could not be listed on the list would be directly handed out their papers, and they would be graded by the teachers.


    When Dong Xiyun arrived, everyone made way.


    Dong Xiyun was stunned for a moment.


    Could it be that she was the first?


    When she appeared, the scene was especially quiet. Everyone was looking at her. Xie Qiao was sitting nearby. When he saw Dong Xiyun appear, she smiled and stood up, then walked over.


    Dong Xiyun was a little puzzled. She raised her head and looked at the list.


    Then, she was stunned.


    First in thepulsory course, Xie Qiao.


    First in the tea ssics¡­ Xie Qiao!


    First in arithmetic was also Xie Qiao?!


    Impossible!


    Dong Xiyun quickly looked at the position of her name.


    She had taken a total of eight subjects. She did not get first ce for any, not even a single one of them. That was eptable. Among them¡­ there were three subjects that Xie Qiao had suppressed! As for the remaining five subjects¡­ she ranked so far behind Xie Qiao!


    Dong Xiyun felt that it was a little surreal. She had always been an excellent student. Now, she had obtained three second ces, three third ces, and two fourth ces!


    As for Xie Qiao, she obtained first ce in all eight examinations?


    ¡°Please don¡¯tugh at me. I¡¯m just a little¡­ talented,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice rang out.


    Her tone was light, like snow falling on cypress leaves.

 Chapter 323 - Drowning Dog

    <h4>Chapter 323: Drowning Dog</h4>


    Ever since Dong Xiyun entered the academy, she had never encountered such a big predicament.


    In the past, without Xie Qiao, even if she did not do well in the examination, she could still enter the top three. However, now, she was ranked fourth!


    Dong Xiyun clenched her fists tightly. Feeling the attention from the people around, her face turned red.


    She knew what Qi Huai had said to Xie Qiao.


    What should she do now?!


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes were bloodshot.


    Xie Qiao took a look, then, as if struck by a blow, she took a step back, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t bully her¡­ She bullied me and insisted that I apologize. I was only going for three examinations. In order to prove my innocence, I had no choice but to take eight examinations. I almost froze to death in the examination venue¡­¡±


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s tears were stuck in her eyes and did not fall.


    She was so angry that she could not cry.


    ¡°We can all testify that Qi Huai was the one who kept saying that Dong Xiyun was a high schr. Now, it seems that she is only so-so! Now that it has been proven that Xie Qiao is a higher schr than Dong Xiyun, can it be said thatpared to Xie Qiao, she¡¯s the one who is filthy in her heart?!¡± In the Orchid Courtyard, someone immediately provoked them.


    It was one thing for Qi Huai to target Xie Qiao previously, but he even included the other girls in the Orchid Courtyard!


    He said that they had a filthy heart?!


    Hah, now look at this talented girl who was like an immortal, was she also not have a filthy heart?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ Young Master Qi only stood up for me¡­ I don¡¯t know how things turned out like this¡­¡± Dong Xiyun felt wronged.


    Xie Qiao could not be bothered to waste her breath on them.


    She coughed dryly and straightened her body, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to apologize ording to the agreement, just say it. There¡¯s no need to look like you¡¯ve been forced to work at the brotel. The two of you are from a prestigious family, so there¡¯s no need to teach you what to do, right? Young Master Qi¡¯s nonsense had been spreading for six days. In these six days, Young Lady Dong had never stopped him. It could be seen that you had tacitly agreed, so I¡¯m waiting for Young Lady Dong to apologize to My Eldest Brother.¡±


    She did not have the time to argue with these two people.


    Moreover, she clearly could not argue with them.


    After Xie Qiao finished beating the drowning dog, she left in a carefree manner.


    When everyone saw that, they were all in a daze.


    That was Xie Qiao. Xie Qiao had actually gotten eight first ces!


    Eight!


    Just how many rumors in this world were false?!


    Earlier, they had said that the Xie family was fierce, but they had gone outside the city to do a good deed! They had also said that Xie Qiao was dumb and had never seen the world since she was born in a Taoist temple. Yet, her results in the examination could surpass the others?!


    Did Bandit Xie not know how to teach his children?


    Everyone suddenly re-examined the four descendants of the Xie family.


    Xie Pinggang¡­ although he was scary and vicious, he was like a fish in water in the criminal division. It was said that the Crown Prince had almost regarded him as his right-hand man!


    Xie Pinghuai was indeed useless, but he had apassionate heart. Moreover, he had been extremely respectful to Teacher Xiao for so long. Initially, everyone thought that he could onlyst for three to five days. However, how long had it been since he said that he wanted to make Teacher Xiao his master?


    Not only had he not been chased away by Teacher Xiao, but he had even be Teacher Xiao¡¯s ink boy!


    It was clear that Xie Pinghuai¡¯s personality was persistent and determined. If he could walk on the righteous path, he would definitely be a talent that could be molded!


    As for Xie Xi, there was no need to mention her. She was quiet and amiable, diligent and sensible.


    All of the Xie family¡¯s children were great, no?!


    Once they had that thought, they could no longer stop.


    Looking at Dong Xiyun and Qi Huai, they had always been famous.


    However, now it seemed that they were trying to cheat.


    Tsk, tsk, tsk. They were even worse than Xie Pinghuai¡¯s honesty! They could not evenpare to the younger brother of the Xie family, let alone this eldest sister who obtained eight first ces!

 Chapter 324 - Senior Sister and Flowers

    <h4>Chapter 324: Senior Sister and Flowers</h4>


    Dong Xiyun was furious. She had never expected Xie Qiao to do so well!


    Meanwhile, Qi Huai was also standing at the same spot.


    He was a little absent-minded.


    Earlier, he had heard Xia Yayun say that Xie Qiao always slept during ss, and he had never seen her attend sses such as tea ssics, scriptures, and way of flowers. How could such a person get first ce?


    While he was puzzled, he was also embarrassed.


    At that moment, he was no longer in the mood tofort Dong Xiyun. Instead, he turned around and left.


    Dong Xiyun was criticized and pointed fingers at. When she saw that Qi Huai had abandoned her and left, she could not help but cover her face and run away.


    Xie Qiao had gone to collect her prize money.


    That was right. The interval of the academy¡¯s examination was uncertain. Sometimes it was once every two months, sometimes once every three months. asionally, there would be a small test. The prize money for both the big and small tests was also uncertain. Now that it was a big examination, the reward was generous!


    One thousand silver beans for first ce. 500 silver beans for second ce. If it was third ce, 100 silver beans.


    She got eight first ces! Eight!


    She was not going to the Peony Courtyard, so naturally, she had to collect the silver beans.


    Eight first ces was unprecedented. The overseer looked at the silver beans in her hand, and his eyes were shining.


    She must be thinking of how to bring her silver beans home!


    With so many silver beans, Xie Qiao chose to keep ounts and take out some that were enough for daily use.


    With so many silver beans, Xie Qiao even thought that the flowers in Mr. Sang¡¯s yard were not important anymore.


    However, the silver beans that she earned from copying books came from her hard work. It was terrible to waste them, so she went to take care of the flowers again.


    Although she said she was going to cultivate the flowers, in fact, she was only going to water and fertilize them.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie hasn¡¯te in three days. The flowers are a little wilted again,¡± the little boy heaved a sigh of relief when he saw hering.


    The flowers were almost dead. When Xie Qiao first came, the branches were a little yellow. It seemed like even gods could not save them.


    Who knew that after Xie Qiao came and took care of them for a few days, they actually became lively.


    Later on, Xie Qiao came less often. He watered the flowers. When he was in charge of taking care of them, the flowers had been exposed to too much sun. The leaves were soft and weak, but when Xie Qiao was taking care of them, they were very lively and charming.


    Xie Qiao smiled as she slowly watered the flowers.


    These flowers were indeed some rare species.


    Most of the orchids were grown on the cliffs.


    When she was at the Taoist temple, she hardly nted flowers. She mostly nted herbs or vegetables. After all, she had to take many pills in the early years. Mo Lingzi could not afford to feed her, so she had to save money.


    However, her health wascking, so she could not be too meticulous in keeping medicinal herbs.


    She only tried to cultivate them. asionally, she would sit near the medicinal herbs and read a book. She would only hire the vigers at the foot of the mountain to do the watering asionally.


    Even if it was difficult, the herbs could still be harvested.


    As time went by, she realized that all the nts that she cultivated, whether they were edible or not, could grow well as long as they were alive.


    Such skills gave her a lot offort.


    ¡°The teacher loves flowers so much. I think he must have had many flower seeds, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Yes, he has a greenhouse with over a thousand flower seeds. There are over a hundred ssifications of chrysanthemums seeds alone,¡± the little boy said proudly.


    Flower addict.


    Xie Qiaoughed dryly.


    The reason why she was able to get first ce in this examination was because of¡­ her Third Junior Brother¡¯s entricities.


    All these years, the most gifts she received were stacks of books about flowers. Many of them contained Third Junior Brother¡¯s annotations, and there were also many poems about¡­ senior sister and flowers.

 Chapter 325 - Mad Dog Bites

    <h4>Chapter 325: Mad Dog Bites</h4>


    Xie Qiao shivered thinking of those poems.


    Looking at these flowers, they were not as pleasant as before.


    ¡°When Mr. Sanges back, don¡¯t tell him that these flowers have been trampled. What do you think?¡± Xie Qiao asked the little boy.


    The little boy nodded quickly.


    Of course, he could not tell him!


    Mr. Sang loved flowers as much as his life. If he found out, he would definitely split that horse at the stable alive!


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief secretly.


    The flowers looked like they had almost recovered. There was no need for her to continue worrying. She could finally get the silver beans back.


    If she bought some things to do good deeds, she would not have to worry about not having enough money.


    However, at that moment, someone else was filled with worry.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s face was washed with tears. She had never felt so wronged before.


    ¡°Sister Dong, don¡¯t be sad. Who knows how Xie Qiao got first ce? She¡¯s not a good person. How could she have real talent? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure she leaves dejectedly during the New Year!¡± Xia Yayunforted her.


    She was at the Peony Courtyard. She really could not stay at the Orchid Courtyard anymore.


    She felt tormented for a moment.


    The reason being the people there were now on Xie Qiao¡¯s side. They were praising the honor of Xie Qiao¡¯s first ce. Who else could they see in their eyes?!


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes were a little red and swollen. She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sister Yayun, you don¡¯t have tofort me. Xie Qiao is so smart, how could she lose? Maybe when the New Yeares, you might even be chased away by her¡­¡±


    ¡°No way! How could I lose to her?!¡± Xia Yayun raised her voice.


    ¡°Although I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d always be in first ce, I didn¡¯t expect that the person whom I lost to would be Xie Qiao. She has always taken me by surprise. If she wins against you, what¡¯s there to be surprised about?¡± Dong Xiyun added.


    Xia Yayun was silent for a moment.


    After a while, Xia Yayun said, ¡°Sister Dong, I know that you are concerned about me. In fact, I am also a little worried. Xie Qiao doesn¡¯t do anything special every time she goes outside the city. However, I got someone to ask the disaster victims that she hase into contact with. Those people treat her very well and say that she¡¯s a good person.¡±


    ¡°Yayun, what if you lose? Young Master Meng initially said that he would marry you if he won¡­¡± Dong Xiyun added.


    Xia Yayun clenched her fists.


    She had never thought of marrying Meng Jifang. In fact, when she was at the stable earlier, she had hated the way he had ganged up with Xie Qiao to bully her.


    However, she had to admit that there was no more suitable husband than Meng Jifang.


    Even though he was ignorant and ipetent, his status was noble. If the Fourth Prince could ascend to the throne in the future, the Meng family would rise.


    ¡°You told me that Meng Jifang¡¯s attitude towards Xie Qiao was quite good. Then¡­ could it be¡­¡± Dong Xiyun did not say it out loud, but Xia Yayun understood the meaning behind her words.


    Could it be that he had taken a liking to Xie Qiao?


    ¡°No, what¡¯s so good about her?!¡± Xia Yayun said stubbornly.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia is also a good person. She looks gentle and calm. That appearance¡­ who among us canpare to her? I thought she¡¯s not smart, but the truth was that she was full of talent. Any man would probably admire her, right?¡± Dong Xiyun smiled bitterly.


    Xia Yayun felt her heart ache.


    ¡°How dare she have the nerve to pull ropes with the Meng family?! I will definitely not let her seed!¡± Xia Yayun gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Sister Yayun, you must not be impulsive. You know, if Xie Qiao is in danger, that Xie Pinggang will definitely bite like a mad dog, right?¡± Dong Xiyun quickly tried to persuade her. She was nervous and looked very scared.

 Chapter 326 - Reward

    <h4>Chapter 326: Reward</h4>


    When Xia Yayun saw Dong Xiyun¡¯s frightened look, she thought Xie Pinggang was even more detestable!


    Sister Dong was being so reasonable, how could she be targeted by that evil person?!


    She really wanted to help Sister Dong vent her anger.


    Recalling Sister Dong¡¯s words, her eyes shed with a hint of viciousness.


    If something happened to Xie Qiao, then¡­ would Xie Pinggang not be sad and upset?! He bullied other girls, but if his sister was bullied instead, would it not be karma?!


    Dong Xiyun looked at Xia Yayun behaving like that and pretended not to see it.


    ..


    That night, Xie Qiao took her eight first ces¡¯ test papers home.


    She waved it in front of Xie Niushan.


    Xie Niushan looked at the papers and was a little confused, ¡°I don¡¯t like to look at these boring things. What are you doing?¡±


    Xie Pinggang took them over and looked at them. Then, his eyes lit up, ¡°You didn¡¯t write the score on these papers on your own, did you?!¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless, she sneered.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, it¡¯s very impressive,¡± Xie Xi suddenly stuck her head out and said.


    ¡°So this is true?¡± Xie Pinggang was the most excited. The stubble on his face seemed to quiver a little, ¡°Well done! You are so simr to our Mother. Our Mother is also very intelligent!¡±


    In any case, she was not like their father!


    ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Xie Niushan still could not understand. Then, he looked carefully and saw that first ce was written on each sheet.


    Did that mean she got first ce?


    ¡°Eldest Sister actually got eight first ces in the examination. It¡¯s amazing,¡± Xie Pinggang exined to his silly father.


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he almost jumped up, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he suddenly shouted, and she almost died from fright.


    Who was the one with the lethal destiny?!


    Why was he making such a fuss? Did he think that her life was short enough?!


    ¡°Father, Eldest Brother, it was cold during the exam, but I thought that if I did well in the examination and could make you happy, so I held on¡­¡± Xie Qiao paused and then looked at them with anticipation, ¡°Is there a reward?¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s old face tensed up.


    Xie Pinggang turned his head.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you got eight first ces?! Ah, if I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve gone to the academy! How shameless! I am your biological brother! Who dares to call me an idiot?!¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s reaction was a little slow, and he spoke when Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang were troubled.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot to begin with! What does your Eldest Sister have to do with you?!¡± Xie Niushan said fiercely.


    Xie Pinghuai pursed his lips and snorted.


    That was his biological eldest sister, how could it not have anything to do with him?!


    ¡°Father? No reward? Then next time¡­ I¡¯d better get thest ce in the examination¡­¡± Xie Qiao sighed in disappointment.


    Xie Niushan gulped.


    His head was about to split open.


    ¡°Yes, there is,¡± Xie Niushan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait. It was sudden and I didn¡¯t make any preparations. Tomorrow¡­ I¡¯ll send out troops again. When Ie back, I¡¯ll bring you a gift?¡±


    He was not the one who was supposed to send out troops.


    However, it was now.


    He still wanted to work at the military camp for the rest of his life. However, if he did not do more now, how could he afford to raise this girl?!


    There were bandits on the West Mountain. If he went to exterminate them, he might be able to get some good stuff¡­


    And he would also be rewarded with silver.


    ¡°Alright, Father. Thank you, Father,¡± Xie Qiao said sweetly.


    Xie Pinggang took his time and took out¡­ a small purse from his pocket.


    ¡°I was going to use it for myself, but since you did so well in the examination, I¡¯ll give this to you. Don¡¯t waste it. I heard that the master inscribed it himself. It¡¯s very useful,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. Then, she opened the wallet and gritted her teeth.


    Marriage Talisman! It was to attract love!


    Eldest brother actually bought two and secretly wore one?


    He was so stingy with his sister. No matter how many Love Talismans he had, it would be useless!

 Chapter 327 - Divination

    <h4>Chapter 327: Divination</h4>


    Xie Qiao reluctantly epted the gift from Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Niushan looked at it and felt that he had been led astray. The things that this girl had asked for earlier were expensive, so when she mentioned a gift, he thought of something that was worth more than a hundred taels of silver!


    However, looking at the thing that his eldest son had given her¡­


    He could just give her something small?


    However, at that moment, he had already said that he wanted to send out troops, and he even said that he wanted to bring a gift. This gift¡­ could not be casually dealt with.


    He felt a pity inside of him.


    Xie Niushan really did not want to go on a long journey. It was too difficult for an official like him to rise in rank. He did not want to waste his efforts.


    He also thought about whether he should take the golden eagle from the Meng family¡¯s apology gift as a reward for this girl.


    Even though Xie Niushan was thinking that, he did not dare to say it out loud.


    He was about to leave, so Xie Qiao was prepared to foresee whether his trip would go smoothly.


    Xie Qiao then took out a few copper coins and yed with them on the table.


    Judging from the divination, her father¡¯s journey should be pretty good. Looking at the position where the copper coinsnded a few times, it seemed that the white tiger was in charge of the wind, and the dragon was in charge of the rain. The wind and the rainbined to form a prosperous appearance. In addition, there were not many changes in the entire divination. He would definitely be able to return with a great victory.


    It was good fortune.


    ¡°Father, after you set off, every time you reach a high ce, dismount and kowtow three times to the east. This will ensure that your journey will be smooth,¡± Xie Qiao stammered again.


    ¡°Kowtow?!¡± Xie Niushan snorted.


    On what basis?!


    ¡°Yes, my master said that if my family members are going to go on a long journey, they must get rid of the bad luck. The purple clouds areing from the east. I¡¯d be better if you kowtow to the east,¡± Xie Qiao made up nonsense.


    ording to the divination, what she saw was that a noble person was in the east and could not be seen or touched. However, the person had to be treated with respect. If that was the case, they would definitely be blessed and rewarded.


    How could they be treated with respect? Would kowtowing count?


    ¡°It¡¯s just kowtowing. You just have to follow what Eldest Sister says,¡± Xie Pinggang nced at Xie Qiao and then said to Xie Niushan.


    Xie Niushan reluctantly nodded his head and agreed.


    He would definitely do what he had promised, and Xie Qiao was quite at ease with this.


    Of course, it was fine if he did not kowtow. It was just that he would miss this secret nobleman.


    The divination said so.


    Xie Qiao did not forget to ask Xie Niushan for a cash.


    One should not owe the divination money.


    Xie Niushan was confused. Fortunately, he was generous. He did not say much and directly gave her ten cash¡­


    He could only pay so much.


    The next morning, before dawn, he went to the military camp and left with a group of people. He left in a straightforward manner.


    Xie Qiao woke up early as well. As soon as the city gates opened, she took a carriage to the city gate and sent her father off.


    As usual, after arriving, Xie Qiao called the wandering souls around and asked them about the situation in the vicinity.


    These souls knew more about this ce and would tell her who was sick and who was being bullied among the disaster victims¡­


    Of course, the dark energy outside was heavy, and some children or old people were haunted by the ghouls.


    Xie Qiao was not Mo Chusheng now, so she could not spread feudal superstitions. After receiving the news, she secretly collected the souls and called a doctor to treat the disaster victims.


    Without the ghouls, these illnesses could be cured by a doctor.


    However, if the ghouls remained here even if the doctor prescribed the right prescription, the people would be bedridden, suffering from major and minor illnesses, and their bodies would be weaker and weaker.


    The number of disaster victims outside the city had increased quite a bit recently.


    Perhaps because the bullies had been caught, the disaster victims who had left earlier came back when they heard the news.


    However, there was no space, and they were all squeezed into the forest on the outskirts of the city.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage stopped at a certain spot.


    ¡°Master, in the forest far away, there seems to be a woman who has been captured. She¡¯s crying so hard, it¡¯s really scary¡­¡± a small soul hovered over and said to Xie Qiao while burying its head.

 Chapter 328 - Can She Aim Accurately?

    <h4>Chapter 328: Can She Aim urately?</h4>


    The little soul looked at Xie Qiao in fear. He seemed to be quite obedient.


    He was quite good-looking. He was fair and clean. If he was not floating, one would not be able to tell that he was a soul.


    That was why Xie Qiao made a deal with him.


    The soul helped her to observe the surroundings. She would burn joss paper for him to spend. She would also help him adjust the position of the mound to benefit his family and descendants.


    ¡°Who took her away?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°It was a woman in her twenties. Three or four men dragged her away. There were few people nearby, but they wouldn¡¯t dare to speak up¡­¡± the little soul said again.


    There were no officers and soldiers patrolling in this forest. Even if there were, they would onlye here asionally to take a look. After all, it was still quite far from the outside of the city.


    Thend outside the city had almost been divided up. It would be inconvenient if there were too many people. Later on, these disaster victims could only make do with sleeping nearby. When they went to the outside of the city to collect food during the day, they would also pass through.


    However, Xie Qiao did not expect that there would still be people who dared to go against thew andmit crimes.


    It was a little strange.


    However, now that she had heard about it, Xie Qiao could not just sit there and do nothing.


    First, she had someone go to the officials to report the case. Then, she arranged for the servants to follow her and ride over to take a look.


    When they reached that ce, there was no one there. The people around were shaking, and they seemed to be a little frightened.


    Xie Qiao was hesitating whether to chase after them.


    If she did not chase after them, by the time the officers and soldiers arrived, the people would have already disappeared. How could they find them?


    Should she let the servants do it?


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and was about to speak, but she felt that something was wrong.


    This ce was too dangerous. These ten or so servants were her confidence. If they were to divide into two groups, she would not be able to hold on if she really encountered an evil person.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look,¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said.


    The servants obeyed obediently.


    There were still traces of people being dragged on the ground. Xie Qiao and her men had been following them, but the other party ran quite fast. It did not take long before there were no more people around.


    When they reached the empty spot in the wild forest, the people in front actually stopped. Not only that, there were actually more than ten people climbing up from the surrounding hay.


    ¡°Protect the Young Lady!¡± The servants around Xie Qiao were shocked and shouted quickly.


    At that moment, there were indeed some people following not far behind them.


    As they counted, there were more than 20 people in total.


    Xie Qiao licked her lips and started to think. Her eyes scanned the people around them.


    She really saw someone she recognized.


    ¡°Hah, isn¡¯t that the old steward of my Xie family, Yuan Rong? Isn¡¯t it enough to cripple one of your arms and legs? Are you sick of living?¡± Xie Qiao said coldly.


    Yuan Rong was initially standing behind these people, limping.


    However, when he heard Xie Qiao mention his name, he walked out limping. He looked at her with a cold gaze, ¡°Eldest Young Lady, always show mercy, so that we¡¯ll be at peace when we meet in the future! You got the Eldest Young Master to do this to me. Now that you¡¯ve fallen into my hands, I will definitely serve you well!¡±


    Who asked Xie Qiao to be so proud and make enemies everywhere?!


    The Xie family¡¯s reputation was not bad, but did they not think that she had ruined many people¡¯s jobs?!


    Many people had been captured outside the city, but how could they catch all of them?!


    Ha, look, now the ones who wanted revenge hade!


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve forgotten how painful the arrow I shot at you was?¡± Xie Qiao was still sitting in the carriage, and she took out a bow and crossbow.


    Yuan Rong¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he saw the familiar crossbow, and he subconsciously felt a pain in his abdomen.


    He had not fully recovered from his injury!


    It was all because of Xie Qiao. If she had not returned, he would still be the head steward of the Xie family, looking very impressive!


    ¡°Little girl, why are you ying with this thing? Young Lady Xie, we won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Get down from the carriage and let us brothers vent our anger. Let¡¯s forget about the past, we won¡¯t hurt you. What do you think?¡± The man in the leadughed.


    The little girl was still ying with a crossbow?


    Could she aim urately?


    Whoosh¡­

 Chapter 329 - Like A Vengeful Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 329: Like A Vengeful Spirit</h4>


    As soon as the leader finished speaking, Xie Qiao¡¯s arrow was shot.


    Almost in the blink of an eye, it pierced onto Yuan Rong¡¯s stomach again, almost at the same position as thest time.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was cold as she smirked sinisterly, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t aim urately? Ask yourckey next you. He has experienced my skill once, why won¡¯t he learn his lesson?¡±


    ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t be shameless! I have so many people with me. How would I not be able to kill a little girl like you?!¡± The leader said ferociously.


    Yuan Rong held his stomach in pain and copsed on the ground directly. Cold sweat was dripping down his face.


    Xie Qiao! Xie Qiao!


    This b*tch!


    Xie Qiao reloaded the crossbow.


    That person began to lead people closer and surrounded Xie Qiao and the rest.


    Xie Qiao quieted down her mind and pretended to be calm.


    She even smiled and said slowly and leisurely, ¡°Your surname is Yang, and you¡¯re called Yang, Mahai, right?¡±


    When the leader heard that, he was stunned. The others also looked left and right, somewhat puzzled.


    How did this little girl know the leader¡¯s name?!


    ¡°Yang Mahai, is the chicken from the vige¡¯s Old Li family delicious?¡± Xie Qiao asked. Her voice sounded like it came from an empty valley, giving off a terrifying feeling, ¡°If you ate the chicken, why did you bully his granddaughter?¡±


    Yang Mahai¡¯s expression looked terrible.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Old Li¡¯s granddaughter died so tragically. Wasn¡¯t she hanging from the tree across your house? Oh, she was also wearing red outerwear. She stared at you with her legs wide open and her tongue stretched out. You saw it the moment you stepped out of the door, didn¡¯t you?¡± Xie Qiao said, a strange smile appeared on her lips.


    At this moment, Yang Mahai broke out in a cold sweat.


    He thought of that morning.


    That morning, he thought that the granddaughter of the Old Li family satisfied her. After all, she was a clean girl, different from the ones at the brothel.


    That daughter was very pretty. Now that her body had been destroyed by him, she probably would not be able to get married. It would be better to marry him, cook for him, and serve him.


    He was still dreaming of that. Who knew that when he opened the door, he would see that woman hanging in the air. When the strong wind blew, she even swayed twice!


    How did she know?!


    Yang Mahai gulped. He thought that perhaps it was that hillbilly who had informed her in advance!


    He spat a mouthful of thick phlegm fiercely, ¡°Who are you pretending to scare? Do you think you can scare me?¡±


    ¡°When you were seven, you hammered your mother¡¯s stomach, so she miscarried and died. What a pitiful little baby. It was a little brother. Why were you so upset that he was born?¡± Xie Qiao tilted her head and asked with an innocent look.


    Her eyes were clear and clean.


    So clean that it was as if she could see the thoughts in people¡¯s minds.


    When Yang Mahai heard that, he subconsciously took a step back and looked left and right.


    Something was wrong. There was something wrong with this woman!


    Other than his dead grandfather and his mother, no one else knew this about his mother!


    How did she know?


    Yang Mahai stood there stiffly, his mind a mess.


    The people around him felt that it was a little strange, and they were all waiting for Yang Mahai¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°That night, didn¡¯t Li Sanya beg you to let her go? She said that she could get her family to give you money, but you still dragged her into the haystack¡­ Yang Mahai¡­ feel your neck. Is It¡­ ufortable? It¡¯s like¡­ that night, when she strangled you, when she resisted with all her might, it seemed like¡­ she even left a mark on you¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s faint voice sounded as if it came from hell.


    Not to mention this group of people, even the servants around her could not help but have goosebumps all over their bodies.


    However, at that moment, a faint cold wind blew, like a vengeful spirit.

 Chapter 330 - A Big Soul Eating A Small Soul

    <h4>Chapter 330: A Big Soul Eating A Small Soul</h4>


    Xie Qiao smirked, revealing a row of white teeth. They were clean and creepy.


    There were two ghouls next to Yang Mahai.


    One of them¡­ was a vengeful spirit that did not have much of a temperament.


    The vengeful spirit was different from the one in the candle earlier. The other one was sealed inside the candle and happened to catch fire. The body and the fireplemented each other, so it was much more powerful.


    This one was very weak. It could only follow by Yang Mahai¡¯s side, or even hang on his body, consuming his Yang energy bit by bit.


    Yang Mahai¡¯s Yang energy was still rtively heavy, so while consuming this Yang energy, the vengeful spirit carried some pain.


    The vengeful spirit was the ruined Li Sanya.


    She was wearing a red cotton-padded outerwear. When she died, she probably wanted to use all her strength to take revenge, right?


    Other than this vengeful spirit, there was also a ghoul that was suppressed by the vengeful spirit. It was an old man.


    The old man was Yang Mahai¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°This b*stard! It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t teach this b*stard well. I watched him harm one person after another. I¡¯m useless. I couldn¡¯t stop him¡­¡± the old man¡¯s soul was still crying.


    What was there to cry about¡­


    He did not try his best when he was alive. What was the use of regretting it after he died?


    When the vengeful spirit heard that, she howled. Her voice was strange and sharp, as if it was going to pierce one¡¯s eardrums. It scared the old man next to her, causing him to tremble and cower.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± The vengeful spirit¡¯s had bloodshot eyes. She bared her teeth at the old man¡¯s soul, ¡°It¡¯s you who indulged him! I will definitely eat you. You¡¯ll definitely watch me strangle him to death!¡±


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    She was quite fierce.


    A big soul eating a small soul, such a thing happened.


    However, only a vengeful spirit would do that.


    The old man¡¯s soul was now like an essory. It could not be too far away from the vengeful spirit. In fact, as long as the vengeful spirit was willing, it could devour him at any time.


    However, looking at the appearance of this old man¡¯s soul¡­


    He could not be considered an innocent little soul.


    His brows were straight but not smooth. His left interfered with his wife and right interfered with his child. He had a rocky life. His nose bridge was damaged, his eagle-like mouth was exposed.


    Looking at him, there was even a look of domestic violence. However, this face was still somewhat concealed. Thinking about it¡­ this old man had a hypocritical nature and was very good at lying.


    Xie Qiao could judge souls more urately than people.


    Therefore, looking at this old man¡¯s appearance, her senses toward him were terrible.


    This old man was definitely not a good person when he was alive.


    Xie Qiao looked at him faintly. Her gaze did notnd on Yang Mahai, but on the side. It made Yang Mahai feel like there was something strange behind him.


    Goosebumps appeared on his skin.


    He was already feeling a little guilty. Now that he was exposed by Xie Qiao, not even half of his majesty was left.


    ¡°Are you a human or a ghost?! How do you know all that?!¡± Yang Mahai looked like he was copsing.


    As he said that, he subconsciously stroked his neck twice.


    He had no idea if it was his imagination, but his neck seemed to be in pain.


    It was as if someone was strangling him, and he could not breathe.


    Xie Qiao took out a few talismans.


    She wrapped the talisman around the crossbow and shot three arrows at the position of Pris, the heavenly prison, and the Vermilion Bird.


    The arrows were all used up.


    She took out a bronze mirror and hung it on her carriage. The position of the carriage was the position of the Green Dragon. This way, it suppressed the Yang energy, and the dark energy was abundant.


    The water, wood, and dark energy in this ce was slightly higher. Now that this vengeful spirit had appeared, it instantly formed a small energy field.


    It was as if there was an endless stream of dark energy nourishing the vengeful spirit, causing its abilities to increase by a few notches.


    However, there was a limit to what she could do, so the effect on the vengeful spirit was not particrly great. She could only make Yang Mahai feel¡­ the eerie atmosphere or¡­ the entanglement of the vengeful spirit.

 Chapter 331 - Evil Older Generation

    <h4>Chapter 331: Evil Older Generation</h4>


    Using resentful spirits to kill was not enough. Even if it was possible, Xie Qiao would not do it simply. It would harm her moral integrity.


    Suddenly, Yang Mahai felt that something was wrong with his body again.


    The top of his head felt cold.


    This damn weather¡­


    Yang Mahai could only think that it was winter now, which was why it made people feel so ufortable.


    Xie Qiao took out a peach wood sword and a talisman to capture the old man¡¯s soul. She gently struck it out and collected the old man¡¯s soul. Then, she stuck a Fire Talisman to the porcin bottle.


    ¡°If you want to feel better, it depends on what you do. If your grandson bullies me today, then I will let you stay here for a hundred years. You will be burned by the fire every day and you will never be reincarnated!¡±


    Xie Qiao whispered, but her terrifying voice almost scared the old man out of his wits.


    He quickly told the truth.


    When the old man was young, he married a wife and was beaten to death.


    As it was a family matter, he was a good person who would speak well of others, so even if the wife died, she was only buried in a hurry.


    They gave birth to a son. The son watched his mother being beaten by his father all the time, and his character became sharp. When he was young, that character was still hidden. However, after he married and had children, his violent character like the old man was revealed.


    He was Yang Mahai¡¯s father.


    He did not beat his wife, but it was nothing better. He would take Yang Mahai with him to the mountains to torture some animals to vent their anger, or hide behind other people¡¯s backs and say some sinisterments.


    Yang Mahai was illiterate.


    When the old man was old, he did not have a wife to beat. His temper seemed to have softened a lot, but in fact, the influence was always there.


    He even looked at his daughter-inw with a terrifying gaze. Yang Mahai¡¯s motherter became pregnant again. Under the influence of this father-inw, he became like a hedgehog, and his emotions were very unstable.


    Yang Mahai thought his mother had changed. She was asking for a beating.


    So he took action. He punched the bulging belly more than once, in the presence of the old man. He did not stop him, and even added fuel to the fire. After that, he covered up the incident with Yang Mahai.


    Yang Mahai¡¯s father fell into the pit and died when they went up the mountain together.


    The old man took care of Yang Mahai.


    When the older generation was evil, the next three generations would follow.


    Xie Qiao threw the bottle containing the soul into her bag and did not care about him anymore.


    It was time to burn it.


    ¡°Boss?¡± At that moment, the brothers next to him looked at Yang Mahai who was in a daze and wiping his sweat. They were a little puzzled.


    Most of the people here had half their faces covered. Only Yang Mahai and a few of his brothers showed their faces openly.


    Since they dared to show their faces, it meant that they were prepared to run away in advance.


    Yang Mahai shook his head and snapped back to his senses. He thought he had been possessed!


    He was actually frightened by the little girl¡¯sments!


    She was just faking it!


    ¡°Brothers¡­¡±


    He raised his hand and was about to order his brothers to charge forward when that strange little girl suddenlyughed.


    Her voice was like a wind chime, very pleasing to the ear.


    ¡°Yang Mahai¡­ Your grandfather is riding on your head. He said that if you don¡¯t give him medicine, he will eat you!¡±


    Xie Qiao suddenly said, then turned her head and pointed at someone else.


    ¡°Xiao Zhuzi, your brother is a water ghost in the river in front of your house. He¡¯s asking you when you¡¯re going down to be with him¡­¡±


    ¡°Qian Wanshan the cripple is asking if your legs hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Chuanliang, isn¡¯t Wang Dong your good friend? He fell into the water. Forget it that you didn¡¯t save him, but how could you rob him of his silver?¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao pointed at a person each time, and she pointed at some of them.


    Everything she said was urate.

 Chapter 332 - We Will Definitely Win

    <h4>Chapter 332: We Will Definitely Win</h4>


    A gust of wind blew, and yellow leaves covered their faces.


    Those whose names were called by Xie Qiao felt their legs go weak, and some of them sat directly on the ground. They stomped hard, and they retreated continuously.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re not human¡­ you¡¯re not human!¡±


    Yang Mahai also panicked.


    Although Xie Qiao¡¯s lethal destiny could not harm them, it had an effect on them, such as messing with¡­ their minds.


    The weather was cold to begin with, and every now and then, there would be a tiny breeze blowing. In the past, they would not think that there was anything wrong with the wind, but at that moment, they would subconsciously pay attention to their surroundings, which would make them feel strangely cold and eerie.


    In addition to what she had said, she did not believe that their morale would still be high after giving them hints of what they did!


    At that moment, the people on the opposite side were in a mess.


    One of the people who was called by Xie Qiao suddenly took the thing in his hand and shed it at the side!


    ¡°Don¡¯te over! Don¡¯te over! It wasn¡¯t me who caused your death, it wasn¡¯t me. You fell into the river yourself. I don¡¯t want that silver for nothing!¡± The person shouted as he shed.


    With this wave of his hand, the leaves flew in circles as if they could understand his words.


    It was the mostmon scene, but in the eyes of that person, it was like a vengeful spirit demanding his life at the moment.


    How many good people dared to do such a thing?


    It was inevitable that there would be some spirits around them.


    If the heart was not calm and the soul was not stable, the Yang energy would be insufficient, and the ghouls could still take advantage of it.


    At that moment, the surrounding ghouls seemed to have smelled something delicious, and they were taking their revenge.


    The ghouls started to attack.


    Some hung on their bodies, some grabbed their hair, and some yed with the dried grass and fallen leaves around them, making rustling sounds.


    Everyone¡¯s expression changed.


    They were like headless flies, spinning around on the spot. The people in their hands were randomly shing at the empty space. The scene looked very strange.


    The servants around Xie Qiao were scared, but they also thought it was a little strange.


    The servants she found were mostly more masculine and had a slightly more upright fate. They were slightly different from those people on the opposite side. Now that they saw this scene, they thought those hooligans on the opposite side¡­ might be a little crazy.


    ¡°First Young Lady¡­¡± the servants came to the front of the carriage, ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Take advantage of the chaos and take their lives,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was a little cold.


    Behind these people, there was a woman tied up.


    She was already here, she could not go back empty-handed!


    ¡°But¡­ Young Lady, could there really be filthy things? The things you said earlier¡­¡± the servantughed dryly. He was scared.


    ¡°What filthy things? If you didn¡¯t do anything guilty, you won¡¯t be afraid of ghouls knocking on your door. I just see that they don¡¯t seem like good people, so I just casually scared them. Who knew that they would actually be so useless.¡± After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she coughed twice and said, ¡°You guys go up in groups of three to five. The ones I called out earlier, beat them up first. They are unlucky today. We will definitely win.¡±


    Even if a person was unlucky, they would choke even if they were only drinking water. Even a fight could kill them.


    Of course, that was not really a matter of luck. Sometimes, those invisible things would hide in the dark and drag them down.


    Even though the servants could not see it, she could see it clearly.


    For some reason, the servants felt a little confident.


    They did as they were told.


    It was just that they were holding sticks, while the other party was holding arge saber. Even though it was not very sharp, it was still much more powerful than their weapons.


    So they were still a little afraid.


    Xie Qiao was holding a talisman to deal with the ghouls.


    It looked like she was ready to capture the ghouls at any time. The ghouls were afraid.


    Naturally, they had to perform well.


    Seeing that the people around the master wereing over, the ghouls tried their best to influence those hooligans.


    Sun Chuanliang only felt that his hand was sore and heavy. He did not know if he was injured from swinging it twice. His hand trembled and the saber fell directly to the ground. Before he could react, he was hit on the head by the youngdy¡¯s servant and fainted.

 Chapter 333 - How Much Strength Was That

    <h4>Chapter 333: How Much Strength Was That</h4>


    The servants found it unbelievable.


    These hooligans were too useless, they could not even hold a saber!


    Grabbing a saber, they continued to fight.


    The scene was chaotic.


    Yang Mahai looked ferocious, but his majesty was not powerful enough. He had a vengeful spirit on him, and he felt that something was wrong more than anyone else. His neck hurt, his body was sore, he was dizzy, and with a flurry of attacks, he even injured two of his own people.


    Were there really ghouls around?!


    Yang Mahai was extremely scared.


    However, he really did not see anything. It was clearly daylight?!


    It was all that woman¡¯s doing!


    Yang Mahai tried hard to calm himself down. He opened his mouth and bit his arm. His mind instantly became clear. He stared at Xie Qiao, and when he saw that there was no one around her, he immediately charged.


    It was impossible for Xie Qiao to say that she was not panicking.


    The saber shed over. Xie Qiao blocked it with the peach wood sword in her hand and it immediately broke into two.


    It would not have worked if she was stuck in the carriage. Xie Qiao immediately jumped off.


    She had fought with ghouls before. It was not that she waspletely unable to take the attack. It was just that humans were different from ghouls.


    If they really fought, Xie Qiao would not be able to take the power of those talismans at all. The talismans could only deal with ghouls. The effect on humans was very slight.


    Xie Qiao dodged them one after another, and she was already panting.


    The saber fell on her shoulder again.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­¡±


    The sound of the arrow piercing through flesh and blood reached Xie Qiao¡¯s ears.


    Yang Mahai was stunned, and he looked like he was in pain. Xie Qiao took the opportunity to roll to the side, lest the saber hit her head.


    With a bang, Yang Mahai fell to the ground.


    The arrow went straight through his chest.


    He was dead.


    Xie Qiao looked toward the direction where the arrow hade from. He saw Zhao Xuanjing riding over with a lot of people.


    Xie Qiao froze, then her brows and eyes curved. It was destiny!


    As soon as the Crown Prince arrived with his people, those hooligans started to run away, but they could not outrun the horses. Not long after, all of them were caught.


    Xie Qiao was still sitting on the ground.


    Her legs were weak, so she decided to rest on the spot. She sat upright with a leaf in her hand and threw it at Yang Mahai¡¯s body angrily.


    The leaf floated up and then fell down in a whirl.


    The Crown Prince dismounted.


    He walked over.


    He squatted in front of her.


    He was quite close to her.


    Xie Qiao moved to the side, ¡°I was in a sorry state because of a mistake. He looked unfortunate, and his be is ck. I knew he was going to die. Everything was within¡­ this half-immortal¡¯s expectations.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. His be turned ck because of you. Could you tell that?¡± Zhao Xuanjingughed, ¡°Your legs are weak, aren¡¯t they? Why are you so desperate to do charity? Do you think the King of Hell will let you go?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, what a coincidence! Are you hunting outside the city?¡± Xie Qiao immediately changed the topic.


    Her unfathomable image!


    Just because she rolled on the ground a few times, it was gone.


    ¡°Someone reported the case, and coincidentally, I was patrolling outside the city. I thought that maybe I could save a lostmb today,¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at her with a faint smile and said in a low voice, ¡°If you can¡¯t get up, you can ask me for help.¡±


    He knew that Xie Qiao was doing a good deed outside the city, so he sat on the city tower to take a look.


    Xie Qiao hurriedly waved her hand, ¡°TNo need. The scenery here is great. I¡¯ll sit for a while longer.¡±


    After Xie Qiao said that, she looked at his right arm.


    As expected, he saw that the hand was hidden in his sleeve, and the fingertip that was revealed was slightly trembling.


    That arrow earlier, even if he exerted force with his left hand, his right hand still needed to be taut.


    An arrow pierced through the chest. How much strength was that?

 Chapter 334 - Huge!

    <h4>Chapter 334: Huge!</h4>


    Xie Qiao felt quite embarrassed.


    ¡°Is your hand okay?¡± She asked calmly.


    Hearing her words, Zhao Xuanjing was stunned for a moment. Then, his thin lips curved, ¡°Not bad. I have the ability to lift you up.¡±


    Lift?


    Xie Qiao licked her lips.


    She was not a Thumbelina.


    Zhou Weizong, who had never left Xie Qiao¡¯s side, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.


    This girl actually dared to directly ask His Highness if there was anything wrong with his hand!


    She was really daring!


    Only His Highness spoiled her and indulged her instead of threatening her¡­


    Zhou Weizong thought so, but he still smiled at Xie Qiao and even greeted him politely in a low voice, ¡°Half-Immortal Xie.¡±


    After all, Xie Qiao had taken Zhou Weizong¡¯s gold before. He was a big client, so her attitude was great. There was a gentle smile on her face.


    After a while, only Xie Qiao got up feeling that she was much better.


    Those people were all tied up. The servants stood obediently at the side and formed a row. They did not even dare to breathe loudly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s legs were still a little shaky, but she was able to steady herself. She walked very slowly and walked in front of those people.


    ¡°Why did you set me up?¡± Xie Qiao asked, ¡°The officers and soldiers have been protecting these disaster victims recently. You must¡¯ve calcted the time and asked someone to keep an eye on my whereabouts. That¡¯s why you did it, right? You know that I¡¯ve been doing good deeds recently, so you spent a lot of effort to lure me here¡­ Someone instructed you, right?!¡±


    Those people were cowardly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be given a lighter punishment if you tell the truth yourself,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said straightforwardly.


    As soon as he said that, someone immediately said, ¡°Yuan Rong knows! He was outside the city the whole time. Later, he came to our boss and said he would pay 500 taels of silver to humiliate Young Lady Xie and let her be despised by everyone¡­¡±


    Yuan Rong¡­


    He was lying on the ground, and a lot of blood was flowing around him.


    He was also shot by Xie Qiao, but only on his old wound. When they were fighting earlier, he was identally stepped on by the people around him. Now¡­


    He was also dead.


    Yuan Rong did not have any silver when he was thrown out of the city, so he definitely did not pay the 500 taels of silver.


    However, these hooligans probably did not know who the real mastermind was.


    ¡°Take him away,¡± Zhou Weizong immediately said considerately.


    A lighter punishment? These foolish bratsmitted crimes against the wind!


    For the sake ofw and order, for the sake of the disaster victims, the lighter ones would be left with a whole body, and the heavier ones would be torn apart.


    However, these people were really ipetent. They had lured Young Lady Xie here for so long, yet they were still wasting their time here. In fact¡­ before they came, half of these people had died.


    They dared to have such intention despite being incapable. They were really courting death.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. It¡¯s still not very safe outside the city. If wee to this forest in the future, we¡¯ll bring a team of people,¡± Zhao Xuanjing nced at those servants with a bit of disdain.


    These servants were obviously raised by Xie Niushan.


    They all looked like bandits and fierce, but they did not have much real ability.


    ¡°Thank You, Your Highness,¡± Xie Qiao answered obediently and was quite happy.


    ¡°Where did you get the portrait of Princess Xingmo?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not in a hurry to leave and asked another question.


    Thinking of that, Xie Qiao was ready to tell the truth.


    On the day of the Winter Clothes Festival, the Crown Prince had seen the possession of ghouls, so she could say some things directly. She said, ¡°I happened to meet the princess¡¯ soul, and I wanted to ask Your Highness for help. The soul has a wish to go home, so I have to find her body first¡­


    ¡°I found out earlier that the soul seemed to have a special liking for the Zhou family, so could Your Highness get the chance for me to go to the Zhou Residence to have a look?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression changed when he heard that.


    Did she mean that his aunt might die in the Zhou family? Then this matter¡­ would be huge!

 Chapter 335 - Must See the Person If She’s Alive

    <h4>Chapter 335: Must See the Person If She¡¯s Alive</h4>


    Xie Qiao was not the kind of person who would shoot aimlessly. Since she had already said that, then the death of the First Princess Xingmo probably had something to do with the Zhou family.


    Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s health was deteriorating day by day. The imperial doctor concluded that she would notst for more than three years.


    When she was young, she worked hard with thete Emperor to improve the country. That was why her health had deteriorated. Now, her greatest wish was to look for First Princess Xingmo.


    In private, she had asked her father to send people to continue the search.


    She must see her if she was alive. If she was dead, she wanted to see the body.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression became more solemn.


    ¡°Before the New Year, the Zhou family will have a banquet. By then¡­ I¡¯ll think of a way to get them to invite you,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said after thinking for a while.


    The Xie family¡­ had never had any dealings with the Zhou family.


    It was indeed difficult to get the Zhou family to invite her personally.


    ¡°Although you¡¯re the Crown Prince, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not good for you to invade other people¡¯s banquets. If you can¡¯t think of a way, I can¡­ ask someone else to help.¡±


    She disguised as Mo Chusheng to do that.


    As a Taoist master, if she used the method of divination and feng shui and said some mysteriousments to the Zhou family, she might be invited in, right?


    However, she could not say it out loud.


    Zhao Xuanjing had guessed what Xie Qiao was thinking about.


    He did not point it out.


    ¡°I heard that you got eight first ces at the academy? Why didn¡¯t you inform me of such a happy event? Minister Xie gave you a Love Talisman, so I will do better than him. I will give you a jade pendant. I hope you can find your ideal husband soon,¡± Zhao Xuanjing calmly took out a jade pendant from his pocket and casually ced it in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    Xie Qiao frowned and looked at him in surprise, ¡°Jade pendant of the Mandarin Duck?¡±


    It was inappropriate, was it?


    ¡°Minister Xie said that you¡¯re in a hurry to get married. If you think that this isn¡¯t good, you can take it to the Fortune Pavilion. Get¡­Master Mo Chusheng to consecrate it. However, you and Mo Chusheng seem to know Taoism. You can do it yourself too,¡± Zhao Xuanjing emphasized some of the words very clearly.


    Xie Qiao felt a little guilty and coughed ufortably.


    However, this jade pendant was¡­ a trouble.


    The quality of the jade was not bad.


    Nevertheless, Xie Qiao wanted to give it back immediately.


    Zhao Xuanjing had a serious look on his face, his tone was gentle, ¡°Earlier¡­ you owe me a thank-you gift, right? I remember that you asked me to help you find someone and said that you wanted to give me a wooden sculpture¡­ Now that it¡¯s been so long and you still haven¡¯t sent it to me¡­ It¡¯s not good for you to keep thinking about it. In that case¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing took the jade pendant and gently broke it into two halves.


    One half for each other.


    ¡°Since you and I have to give each other gifts, it¡¯s troublesome to do so. In that case, we can call it even,¡± Zhao Xuanjing took the half and got on the horse.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. She looked down at the half in her hand¡­


    It was quite neat!


    The jade pendant was carved so clearly that it could be divided into two!


    Xie Qiao slowly got onto the carriage and looked outside. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were staring at the Crown Prince¡¯s figure.


    His every move was elegant and carefree. He was in high spirits, and even his stance on the horse was so handsome.


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment.


    However, could it be that the Crown Prince also took a liking to her good looks?


    Otherwise, giving this pair of lovers jade pendant¡­ would it not be a little too ambiguous?


    Xie Qiao rested her chin on one hand and held her chin. The corners of her lips curled into a smile as she narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, she waved outside of the carriage window and said with a smile, ¡°Your Highness, I will take good care of this thing.¡±


    Why did she take it? It was such a good jade pendant.


    And it was given by her sweetheart.

 Chapter 336 - Wealth and Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 336: Wealth and Fortune</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing rode his horse to her side and nced at her, ¡°Is it true that Young Lady Xie is in a hurry to get married?¡±


    Xie Pinggang had been making many big moves recently.


    He had captured all the unmarried men of the right age to the criminal division and interrogated their parents and brothers as if they were criminals. He always got Xie Pinggang to his side, but Xie Pinggang had never asked him anything.


    Could it be that his condition was worse than those people?


    ¡°My health iscking. It¡¯s normal for Eldest Brother to be a little worried,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s gazended on Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s waist. His horse riding posture was really beautiful, which showed that his waist strength was strong.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips curled up as he looked at her with a smile.


    ¡°The waist is the mountain of the belly. Your Highness, this mountain is straight, wide, thick, and upright. You have all the wealth and fortune. I will look at it a little longer, but I won¡¯t steal it,¡± Xie Qiao was envious.


    She could not find any ws in the Crown Prince¡¯s body except for the ghouls around him.


    Every time she saw him, all she could think of was those rhymes!


    A perfect work of art.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was always calm and rxed, but her thoughts had long flown to the nine heavens.


    She rubbed her small hands. Unfortunately, she could not touch him.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not expect her to be so bold. She even learned how to tease people in broad daylight. If he did not respond, would she not take advantage of him and treat him as a monk who cultivated in seclusion?


    He bent down with a teasing smile on his lips, ¡°Since Young Lady Xie likes it, why don¡¯t I let you take it from me? It¡¯s okay to choose a good day toe to my mansion. You can experience this wealth and fortune yourself.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯ Xie Qiao¡¯s small face tensed up.


    With a swish, the curtain of the carriage was pulled down.


    There was even a teasingughtering from outside.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face blushed.


    Fortunately, no one else heard what he said.


    However, thinking about it again, Xie Qiao thought something was wrong.


    The Crown Prince, this scoundrel, was actually quite a yer. Earlier, he had clearly told her that before master left, he had entrusted her, Mo Chusheng, to him!


    Looking at him, was he ready to take responsibility?


    Previously, he had said so much, and he had such a filial disposition. Yet, he actually turned around and started discussing wealth and fortune with her!


    Could one discuss wealth and fortune so casually with others?!


    His head must have been tied to his waist, and he had taken a liking to Mo Chusheng¡¯s¡­ mature and steady personality, and he had also taken a liking to her young and lovely appearance!


    Thinking of that, Xie Qiao snorted.


    Could it be that he wanted bothdies to himself?


    However, she could not help him by splitting herself into two!


    Xie Qiao swayed unsteadily, and her thoughts ran wild. The carriage entered the city.


    Perhaps she had just suffered a little shock, but as she thought about it, she actually fell asleep in the carriage.


    Outside the city, there were people secretly guarding. Now that they saw the Xie family¡¯s carriage return, they did not know what was going on inside.


    However, some of the Xie family servants were still injured, and the Crown Prince went out to capture quite a number of people. They dared not to confirm whether this matter had seeded or not.


    ¡°The Crown Prince went out to capture people? How can she be so lucky?! Every time, she would run into the Crown Prince, and he would help her!¡± In the teahouse near the city gate, Xia Yayun eximed.


    Xia Yayun did not think too much about it.


    The Crown Prince was unpredictable. He had never been methodical in his work. Now that he was the supervisor of the criminal division and valued Xie Pinggang, it was normal for him to take care of the Xie family.


    It was just that he did not expect it to be such a coincidence every time.


    ¡°Where are Yuan Rong and Boss Yang?¡± Xia Yayun asked immediately.


    ¡°These two should be dead already. They¡¯re not among the people captured alive,¡± the servant reported.


    Xia Yayun heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that.


    It was good that they were dead. In this way¡­ They would not be able to trace it back to her.

 Chapter 337 - Talkative

    <h4>Chapter 337: Talkative</h4>


    However, there were only a few days left until the date of the agreement with Xie Qiao¡­


    Those people were all captured, and there were no rumors about Xie Qiao in the city at that moment. Thus, even if Xie Qiao was injured, as long as she recovered, she would still be able to appear in front of people!


    ¡°Find a few people and spread rumors. Say that Young Lady Xie was humiliated outside the city and was fortunate to be saved by the Crown Prince. That¡¯s how she managed to survive!¡± Xia Yayun gritted her teeth and said ruthlessly.


    ¡°Eldest Young Lady, the Crown Prince is involved in this matter. We shouldn¡¯t continue. Otherwise, what if His Highness finds out?¡± The maidservant beside her said quickly.


    Xia Yayun sneered.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? The Crown Prince only cares about catching the hooligans. Who cares about thedy¡¯s innocence? Just tell them to be careful.¡±


    She was worried that the Crown Prince would find out that she was involved with Boss Yang and the rest.


    Now that Boss Yang and Yuan Rong were both dead, those hooligans¡¯ crimes had nothing to do with her.


    As for the rumors in the city¡­


    Ha, which day in the capital would there not be some rumors? The Crown Prince was busy, so why would he care?


    She wanted to humiliate Xie Qiao, making her ashamed to see people. Only then would she understand how scared Sister Dong would be when she was almost bullied by Xie Pinggang!


    Xia Yayun immediately sent people to do it.


    However, just as the people on this side started to move, Zhou Weizong and his men caught them.


    They brought them to the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Your Highness, what you said is indeed correct. I had a few people guard the nearby teahouses and the busy city. Indeed, I caught some gossipers. One by one, I took them all out,¡± Zhou Weizong said proudly.


    Boss Yang was dead. There were so many people under hismand.


    It was easy to find out that these people wanted to ruin Young Lady Xie¡¯s reputation!


    Now that they failed, they had to think of something else, right?


    However, he did not think that this person was so foolish that she could not wait for a day. He thought that he would have to get his brothers investigate for a few more days to get a result!


    At that moment, the people who were caught were also scared, ¡°We also heard from o-others¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with us. You guys are famous for being talkative in the city. You guys can earn a lot of money with this ability, right?¡± Zhou Weizong smirked, ¡°If you honestly give up the person who bribed you, you¡¯d suffer less. Otherwise, in the future, you won¡¯t be able to do this job and you won¡¯t be able to keep your tongue.¡±


    As soon as these words were said, the men and women below could not help but shiver.


    They all buried their heads.


    As far as their eyes could see, they could only see a nobleman sitting nearby. He was dressed in ck, and the corner of his clothes had the pattern of an apricot-yellow cloud-patterned qilin beast. He must be either rich or a nobleman.


    Everyone thought they were in big trouble.


    They loved to socialize the most. There was no one on the dozens of streets that they did not recognize!


    As they loved gossipping, no one knew where it started. Someone would always find them and give them some silver and copper coins to gossip to the outside world. As long as those gossips reached the ears of the maids, women, and servants who came out from the rich families to shop, they would be considered to havepleted the task.


    It was just a matter of talking. Naturally, they had to earn money.


    However, today¡­


    It was really a bad start. They had just opened their mouths and they were caught!


    These people had not seen much of the world. They were allmoners. When they heard those words, they were so scared that they prostrated on the ground, ¡°We don¡¯t recognize them either. We only work for the silver¡­¡±


    Another person nervously wiped his sweat, then, he said softly, ¡°I-I know, I know. The person who looked for me is¡­ he used to be an errand boy for a big family. I saw him talking to a maidservant before. I heard that the maid servant¡¯s master is an official¡­ With the surname¡­ Xia!¡±

 Chapter 338 - That Young Lady

    <h4>Chapter 338: That Young Lady</h4>


    With that, the investigation would be easy.


    As long as they investigated the people around Xie Qiao, they could almost confirm who the person surnamed Xia was.


    Moreover, Zhao Xuanjing also knew about the bet between Xie Qiao and the girl from the Xia family.


    If nothing went wrong, it would be her.


    However, how could one base on guesses to catch the thief?


    Zhao Xuanjing asked his men to draw the characteristics of the Xia family¡¯s maidservant and the errand boy that this person mentioned.


    This time, it was even more confirmed.


    ¡°After you guys head back, change the script¡­ Say that it was the Xia family¡¯s youngdy who had an ident. Since you¡¯ve already done this thing out of nothing, you have to do it better. If you can¡¯t even do this small thing well, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue and feed it to the dogs,¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s cold voice drifted over.


    These people did not dare to refute him.


    There were so many of them, yet they were caught just like that. It was obvious that they could not escape from the other party at all!


    Money was important, but their tongue was more important.


    They agreed repeatedly.


    It was alreadyte. Even if they wanted to do as the noble said, no one outside was willing to listen to their nonsense. They could only endure and wait until dawn the next day.


    As soon as dawn broke, they went out immediately.


    ¡°Do you still remember the youngdy I told you about yesterday who was insulted by the hooligans outside the city?! Yes, yes, yes, it was that Young Lady Xia? Xie?! Not Xie, it was Xia! Young Lady Xia, it was said that she was the same Young Lady Xia who was doing good deeds outside the city as Young Lady Xie!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, Old Wang outside the city saw it with his own eyes! That Young Lady Xia, yes, she¡¯s the daughter of a government official! She went out in a carriage and was insulted by someone. My, my. Her clothes were ripped off. Old Wang even saw the girl¡¯s exposed shoulders from afar!¡±


    ¡°I heard that Young Lady Xia went out of the city to look for some young man, but in the end, she was ruined. It¡¯s really something!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe it? It was those hooligans that the Crown Prince caught yesterday. They initially wanted to bully the disaster victims, but who knew that the daughter of a government official delivered herself to their doorstep. Now, they have their eyes on her!¡±


    ¡°I heard that Young Lady Xia¡¯s b-buttocks¡­ had a flower drawn on it!¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    Who cares if she had a flower drawn on her buttock or not. Anyway, no one would look for Young Lady Xia and take off her clothes to check.


    People were just having fun with the gossip.


    How would themoners know Young Lady Xia?


    However, they thought this heiress was pitiful, to actually fall into the hands of the thieves.


    These talkative people had their target audience. They would chat everywhere they go. When they saw the maids and old women, they would mutter a few things.


    It was simply exhausting all their strength.


    ¡°Miss, when I went out today, I heard that Young Lady Xia had been ruined by someone!¡± Chun Er went out early in the morning to buy some vegetables. When she came back, she said to Xie Qiao.


    After the examination, the academy was much more rxed. Xie Qiao was prepared to take a leave today to inscribe more talismans at home.


    Hearing Chun Er¡¯s words, she could not help but put down her brush.


    ¡°Young Lady Xia? Xia Yayun?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    So miserable?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it her? They said that she deserved it. She went out to look for teenagers every day. It seemed like she was doing a good deed, but she was always looking for those good-looking ones. There must be something fishy going on here? Even if she doesn¡¯t have anything to do with those young people, she¡¯s doing a good deed. Why did she differentiate the gender? Why did she care about their age?¡± Chun Er snorted, ¡°Ah, how dare she bet with you. I initially admired her, but looking at what she¡¯s been doing these days, even if she doesn¡¯t know how to be a good person, why is there a need to put on a show?¡±

 Chapter 339 - Lost All of My Dignity

    <h4>Chapter 339: Lost All of My Dignity</h4>


    It was true that Xie Qiao disliked Xia Yayun, but looking at the rumors out there, she found it strange.


    Especially since she was besieged by a group of hooligans yesterday.


    Logically speaking, this rumor¡­


    Xie Qiao thought of something and her expression turned cold.


    If she guessed correctly, the rumors outside should have been aimed at her!


    However, why did it be Xia Yayun¡­? It was probably because of the Crown Prince¡¯s help.


    Even if the Crown Prince was on her side, he would not casually nder other women. Therefore, those hooligans must have been hired by Xia Yayun. Thus, this rumor was a revenge!


    She had fallen asleep in shock yesterday, so she did not think too much about it. Now that she hade to her senses, she was somewhat d.


    She lowered her head and looked at the talisman that she messed up.


    Xie Qiao got up, threw it aside, and started inscribing again.


    She inscribed more as thank-you gifts.


    ..


    At the Xia Residence, Xia Yayun¡¯s father had gone to the imperial court. At that moment, Xia Yayun was still stuck at home instead of going to the academy.


    Xie Qiao had won eight first ces, so she would definitely be showing off recently. Everyone in the Orchid Courtyard would praise her. If she went, she would definitely be filled with anger, so she might as well stay at home and be quiet.


    Moreover¡­


    She was waiting for the good news out there.


    The maidservant who went out to inquire about the news came back quickly.


    ¡°Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°How is it? Has Xie Qiao¡¯s reputation beenpletely destroyed?¡± Xia Yayun¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked excitedly.


    When she said that, the maidservant hurriedly knelt on the ground, ¡°Miss, i-it¡¯s your reputation who has been destroyed!¡±


    Xia Yayun was stunned, ¡°It¡¯s me? How could it be me? Were the people you assigned unreliable?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how this happened either. I wanted to go out and ask Third Brother about how things were going, but when I reached the gate, I bumped into him. He said he had no idea what happened to the people he assigned, that they actually reced Young Lady Xie with Young Lady Xia¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go out of the city yesterday¡­? They made up rumors about you. They said¡­¡± The maidservant was so scared that her face was pale, and she could not speak clearly.


    ¡°What did they say?!¡± Xia Yayun¡¯s voice was sharp, as if she wanted to eat people alive.


    ¡°They said that you like beautiful young men, and that you looked like you were doing good deeds, but i-in fact¡­ it was to satisfy your own selfish desires! They also said¡­ that you were ruined by hooligans!¡±


    With a thud, Xia Yayun threw the thing in her hand over directly.


    In an instant, the maidservant¡¯s head was hit and she was knocked unconscious.


    Xia Yayun started throwing things around frantically, ¡°B*stard! B*stard! B*stard! How can they do this? It¡¯s clearly Xie Qiao, why did they say it was me?! These idiots, my dignity!¡±


    Xia Yayun merely shouted one sentence, and her bedroom door was kicked open.


    Master Xia and Madam Xia charged in.


    Master Xia went forward and pped Xia Yayun on the face, ¡°You unfilial daughter! What have you been doing outside all day?! I lost all of my dignity because of you!¡±


    He had gone to the imperial court, but on the way there, he had heard people gossiping and thought he had heard wrong. He had specially gotten someone to ask which Young Lady Xia they were referring to!


    Who was it in the end, it was his daughter!


    Why should he still go to the imperial court? Did he not feel embarrassed enough?!


    Madam Xia looked at her daughter and felt both pained and angry. She hugged Xia Yayun and cried, ¡°My darling, do you know what people are saying about you? How would the Meng family still want you?!¡±


    Xia Yayun was stunned by the beating.


    She had lived for so long, and this was the first time her father had hit her.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± Xia Yayun murmured, ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me, Father, Mother! It was Xie Qiao who was in trouble! It wasn¡¯t me!¡±

 Chapter 340 - Ignorance

    <h4>Chapter 340: Ignorance</h4>


    Xia Yayun was also panicking. There was no need for her parents to say anything more. She knew what those rumors meant!


    The Xia family was not considered arge family, but she had several aunts in her family, and they had good inws. Thus, she could have married Meng Jifang, and in the future, Meng Jifang would treat her with respect.


    However, if her reputation was ruined, that would be impossible!


    She knew that Meng Jifang¡¯s temper could not be rubbed with sand!


    Even if she proved that it was just a rumor, Meng Jifang probably would not tolerate her!


    Xia Yayun¡¯s face was ashen, ¡°Father, it¡¯s Xie Qiao who bullied me. She used the scheme to win against me!¡±


    ¡°Master, figure out a solution now! Our Ya¡¯er is too wronged. That Xie family¡¯s girl is too evil. This is just apetition, how can she defame Ya¡¯er¡¯s innocence?! She¡¯s going to ruin her life!¡± Madam Xia said quickly.


    Master Xia was also a little angry.


    However, as he thought about it carefully, he thought it was not quite right.


    Recently, he had also heard that the Xie family¡¯s daughter had indeed offended someone by criticizing the bullies outside the city.


    Even if those bullies had really bullied Young Lady Xie, that little girl should have been hiding at home and crying secretly. How could she think of pushing this matter onto this girl?


    Was that not a little too fast for her to take action?


    Master Xia thought for a moment and called all the maidservants around his daughter over.


    He got the beating stick with him, asking them to tell the truth. What had this girl done recently?


    With that question, the truth naturally came to light.


    Hearing that, Master Xia felt his entire body break out in cold sweat!


    ¡°You, how did you develop such a vicious mind?! The Crown Prince had just arrested someone outside, and added fuel to the fire! If this were to spread to the Emperor¡¯s ears, your father, I, would have to give up on my career!


    ¡°I asked you to study, did I ask you to make decisions for other girls?! That Dong Xiyun was really wronged. Does she not have a father, mother or a brain? Why does she need you to fend for her?! Fool, you¡¯re really a fool. You¡¯ve read all the books for nothing, haven¡¯t you?! I initially thought that although you were out there making a bet, you were at least doing a good thing. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so ignorant!¡±


    With this question made clear, Master Xia¡¯s anger rose to the peak!


    She did not do anything right!


    The bet was wrong from the start!


    She agreed to Meng Jifang¡¯s request just like that?! She did not even discuss such a big matter with him!


    She did not even care about the dignity a girl should have and was in a hurry to marry Meng Jifang?!


    How shameless!


    Since she made the bet, she should have put in more effort and be picky. She only looked for the youth. How could the people out there not gossip?!


    He naturally knew that young men¡¯s hearts were easy to manipte.


    However, this girl did not think it through!


    Master Xia was so angry that he could not breathe and gulped down a pot of tea.


    At that moment, he really thought that Xie Qiao was shameless. He did not think that the shameless person was actually his own daughter!


    ¡°Master, the First Young Lady sent someone to ask¡­¡± the steward barged in with an anxious expression.


    Master Xia raised his hand, ¡°I got it.¡±


    His sisters were the matriarchs of high society. Now that this matter had spread, how could the women of the Xia family retain their dignity?


    Fortunately, they were not new wives who had just gotten married. Each and every one of them had a firm stance in the inws¡¯ family. Otherwise, it was possible that they would be forced to leave and return home!


    Madam Xia was scared silly at this moment.


    ¡°M-Master¡­ Let Ya¡¯er go¡­ Although she made a mistake, she¡¯s innocent¡­ The outsiders were just spreading nonsense¡­¡± Madam Xia begged.

 Chapter 341 - Stir Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 341: Stir Trouble</h4>


    Master Xia knew that his daughter was somewhat wronged, but what was the use of being wronged at that moment?


    Everyone out there knew about it!


    The dynasty was very lenient towards women, but not to such an extent!


    However, it was his daughter after all, so he could not really be ruthless and ignore her. He said again, ¡°This matter was only spread yesterday. Ask your mother to visit your aunt. Don¡¯t look so dejected, tidy yourself up!¡±


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m already so embarrassed, how can I face others?!¡± When Xia Yayun heard that, she was in despair.


    ¡°You know what embarrassment is?!¡± Master Xia wanted to hit her again.


    Xia Yayun sobbed in grievance.


    Master Xia took a deep breath, he said again, ¡°Rumor has it that you met a group of bullies. If you really lose your virginity, your face would still be slightly injured! If you walk out so openly and smile at everyone you meet, if anyone mentions this matter, don¡¯t try to shirk it off to Xie Qiao. Just say that you don¡¯t know whichdy from the Xia family it is! Or maybe someone has mistaken you!


    ¡°No matter what, you must not show that you care too much about this matter, and you must notpete with Xie Qiao! It doesn¡¯t matter what the ordinary people think. As long as the elders of the high-ss families in the capital are willing to exin a few things to people, you¡¯ll survive!¡± Master Xia was both angry and helpless.


    Xia Yayun could only listen.


    However, she was not sure if she could do it.


    Others would definitely look at her with a strange expression. They would definitely think that she was that kind of shameless woman!


    Even if there were elders who were willing to exin for her, who would be willing to marry her into the family?


    In the future, she would definitely not marry as she wished!


    After such a big incident, Xia Yayun really lost her fighting spirit.


    She hated Xie Qiao, but she could not care about it now. Her mind was in a mess.


    She had never thought that if her scheme against Xie Qiao seeded, Xie Qiao would be the one to bear all of this.


    Xia Yayun immediately packed up and left.


    She first visited the Meng family¡¯s aunt¡¯s ce to show her face. Then, she went to another cousin¡¯s house on the way. She did not stay too long.


    After taking a long walk around, almost everyone who saw her was sure that she was innocent, which made her feel much better.


    However, she was still worried, so she took a turn and went to the Dong Residence.


    Dong Xiyun was the first-born daughter of the wife, and she had a younger sister.


    However, her younger sister was close to her stepmother, and she was second.


    Xia Yayun knew about that. That stepmother, Ms. Duan, was not a good person. She always mistreated Sister Dong, and even taught Sister Dong¡¯s biological sister to be unruly. She always tried to sow discord between the sisters.


    Sister Dong was very pitiful.


    After Xia Yayun found Dong Xiyun, she immediately cried andined.


    When Dong Xiyun heard what she said, she was shocked.


    After spending so much effort, not only did she not seed, but she actually¡­


    Dong Xiyun really did not know how to look at this useless good friend of hers.


    Calling her a fool? She could understand what she said and even vent her anger on her behalf. To say that she was smart¡­ this revenge almost cost her life!


    ¡°Sister Dong, how did you get through being bullied by Xie Pinggang?¡± Xia Yayun could not help but ask.


    Dong Xiyun clenched her fists.


    That idiot had insulted her more than once.


    She looked at Xia Yayun with a judgmental gaze.


    Xia Yayun would not be able to marry into the Meng family now, so she was less useful now. Since that was the case, she might as well use her to¡­ stir trouble for others.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯ll have a drink or two with you,¡± as she spoke, she got someone to serve wine.

 Chapter 342 - No Light in Her Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 342: No Light in Her Eyes</h4>


    Dong Xiyun listened to Xia Yayun¡¯s sobbing. When she was done crying, she was drunk.


    She sent a maidservant from the Xia family back to report that she was staying the night.


    However, in the middle of the night, someone from the Xia family was asked over to personally bring Xia Yayun back.


    The husband and wife both had sullen faces, while Xia Yayun was still smiling drunkenly and her clothes were disheveled.


    When she woke up the next day, her parents were sitting in front of the bed, looking at her coldly.


    Another p came.


    ¡°You don¡¯t love yourself!¡± Master Xia¡¯s heart was extremely cold.


    ¡°Father?¡± Xia Yayun looked at him innocently.


    She felt that her body seemed to be a little ufortable, but she did not realize anything, nor did she think of that.


    Madam Xia¡¯s heart softened, and she said, ¡°Ya¡¯er, you were drunk yesterday, and y-you actually entered the Dong family¡¯s Aunt Miao¡¯s house. Master Dong, h-he was also drunk at that time, and mistakenly thought that you were Aunt Miao, so he¡­ ruined you!¡±


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s impossible! Mother, you¡¯re lying!¡± Xia Yayun was going crazy!


    How was that possible?!


    She remembered¡­st night¡­


    Xia Yayun tried her best to recall, but when she did, her face turned pale and she became paralyzed.


    Last night, she had a little too much to drink. As it was still early, she went to see Aunt Miao.


    Aunt Miao was Sister Dong¡¯s stepmother. After Sister Dong¡¯s biological mother passed away, she was brought in to take care of the child¡­


    At that time, Aunt Miao dragged her to eat and drink some more. Later on, Aunt Miao seemed to have passed out on the table, and then¡­


    She only vaguely remembered that she was drifting. There were so many rooms and doors, and she even fell unconscious when she left.


    Where was the guest room¡­


    She searched for a long time before she found it. Later on, she had a dream. In the dream¡­


    Xia Yayun was in despair.


    ¡°How could Uncle Dong not recognize me? It can¡¯t be¡­¡± she said in despair.


    Master Xia was speechless at that moment.


    It was his fault. He should not have allowed his daughter to have any contact with Dong Xiyun! Even if Master Dong had recognized the wrong person, this Dong Xiyun was definitely not innocent!


    ¡°You¡­ hang yourself or poison wine, your choice,¡± Master Xia finally said.


    ¡°Father?!¡± Xia Yayun was extremely shocked.


    She did not want to die! She did not want to die!


    Madam Xia¡¯s entire body trembled, ¡°Forgive her¡­¡±


    ¡°Forgive her? Do you want her to stay home and not get married, or do you want to send her to the Dong family to be a concubine?!¡± Master Xia said angrily.


    A legitimate daughter to be a concubine? If she was a prince¡¯s concubine, it would be eptable, but who was she?


    That person surnamed Dong was the same age as him and held the same official position. If his daughter became his concubine, it would be a p to his face!


    However, recently, there had been such rumors outside.


    If she stayed home and remained unmarried, others would only think that the rumors were true!


    Or¡­ he could find a young boy and marry her off.


    However, the young boy was not stupid either. Who could endure the absence of his wife¡¯s innocence?! If the man who ruined his innocence died, he could barely ept it. However, that man was still alive!


    The Xia family was in a gloomy fog.


    Outsiders did not know about this matter, so they could only grit their teeth and swallow it, thinking about how to resolve it.


    After all, the bet had been prepared for so long. The Xia family would be humiliated to cancel it directly. Furthermore, both parties had signed the agreement, so they bite the bullet and asked Xia Yayun to show.


    Xie Qiao had not seen Xia Yayun for a long time, and now she realized that this person had changed a lot.


    She was no longer as arrogant as before, and there was no longer light in her eyes.


    Xie Qiao had thought that she would be able tost a little longer, but she did not expect that she would not be able to stop her bad luck.


    However, judging from her looks, she must have offended a viin.


    There were nobles in this world who could make people lucky, and naturally, there were viins as well.


    If she were to offend a viin, she would have to get rid of that.

 Chapter 343 - Concubinage

    <h4>Chapter 343: Concubinage</h4>


    Xie Qiao could not help but sigh at Xia Yayun¡¯s behavior.


    It was not that she sympathized with her, but that fate was unpredictable.


    Fate was somewhat determined, but some of it was in her own hands. When she first saw Xia Yayun, although her fate was not very good and she had many ws, if she had rxed her attitude, she would not have reached such a stage.


    Looks were born from the heart.


    Meng Jifang also came at that moment. After all, he was the ¡°organizer¡±!


    Seeing Xia Yayun¡¯sck of fighting spirit, he was actually slightly disappointed.


    The 50 people from each side were also invited at that moment.


    Xie Qiao helped more than 50 people, no? She had been exhausted to death recently, and these people were mostly people who came voluntarily.


    There were still some people, but because there were enough headcount, they could not enter.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give the scores!¡± Meng Jifang was excited.


    They were invited to the courtyard to give the scores anonymously. After the scores were given, these people could leave. They did not even need to meet Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun.


    If they encountered any trouble after the incident, they couldmunicate with the academy so that they could avoid being taken revenge on because of the scores.


    ¡°Sister Yayun, you will definitely win!¡± Dong Xiyun quicklyforted her.


    Xia Yayun forced out a smile in response.


    So what if she won now?


    She would not get anything.


    For the reward of the 5,000 silver beans? She had spent more than 5,000 silver beans on these disaster victims.


    She regretted it. She really regretted it now.


    Everything she had was gone!


    Her eyes were red as she thought about it, but her father said that she was not allowed to lose face in front of others, and she could not let everyone think that she was really innocent.


    Xia Yayun tried her best to hold it in.


    Before she knew it, the gentlemen had arrived.


    The number of stars was announced.


    Everyone could give five stars, and Xie Qiao had a total of 250 stars! As for her¡­


    150 stars.


    Such a huge gap!


    Xie Qiao had won again. She thought that Xie Qiao was going toe over and mock her. She was still thinking of how to hold herself in so that she would not lose her dignity before Xie Qiao. However, Xie Qiao just smiled faintly and left.


    It was as if¡­


    She had never cared about her.


    Xie Qiao just did not like to look at the unlucky face. It was like looking at someone else¡¯s life. It would make one¡¯s mood terrible.


    ¡°Sister Yayun, don¡¯t be sad. When youe to my house, I will definitely make my father treat you well. Moreover, you were the one who protected me previously. I will definitely do my best to help you in the future!¡± Dong Xiyun suddenly said.


    Xia Yayun looked at her in shock.


    She did not say that she was going to marry Uncle Dong!


    That person could even be her father!


    After Dong Xiyun finished speaking, she felt the puzzled and surprised gazes of others. Then, she became a little anxious, she hurriedly grabbed Xia Yayun¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yayun. I saw that you were so listless. I wanted tofort you, but I didn¡¯t think of¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Yayun¡­¡±


    Xia Yayun felt very ufortable. At this moment, Sister Dong was not as likable as before.


    It was her private matter, how could she say it outloud in public¡­


    Thinking of that, Xia Yayun thought of the scene where she had brought up Dong Xiyun¡¯s matter and argued with Xie Qiao earlier.


    Was she wrong back then?


    So..


    She actually did not have the courage to me Sister Dong.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s words made Xia Yayun lose her face. Some troublemakers asked their family members to inquire about it. Soon, they learned that¡­


    Xia Yayun had lost her virginity to Master Dong when she was a guest of the Dong family.


    The Xia family had initially wanted to send Xia Yayun far away and find an ordinary family to marry.


    Now that these disgracefulments were out, the Dong family immediately sent a concubinage gift.


    There was no room to refuse!

 Chapter 344 - Bad

    <h4>Chapter 344: Bad</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    They could only tell the public that Xia Yayun had fallen into the river by ident and was saved by Master Dong. At the critical moment of life and death, she was saved, which was why she was forced to marry him.


    However, no matter what, the marriage of a third-rank official¡¯s legitimate daughter as a concubine was enough to make many people lecture their children.


    Xie Qiao sighed in private but did not make anyments.


    She only wondered if Xia Yanyun would regret what she had done in the future.


    Now that the bet was over, the New Year was close.


    Xie Niushan would probably not return until the beginning of spring.


    However, the Xie family had a visitor at that moment.


    Xie Qiao changed into a new set of clothes and was dignified. She brought a pair of younger siblings to wee the Lin family.


    Xie Pinghuai did not seem to care, while Xie Xi was obedient, like a little doll.


    Ms. Lin was born in an ordinary family.


    Xie Niushan was a sinner.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was waiting at the door. After waiting for a while, the carriages arrived. A couple of people came out of the two carriages.


    The group of people looked very uneasy.


    Xie Qiao went up to wee them and said politely, ¡°You are Grandpa Lin, right? This humble one is Xie Qiao, this is... my younger brother Xie Pinghuai and younger sister Xie Xi. They¡¯re the children of Second Mother.¡±


    Grandpa Lin quickly helped her up. Although his attitude was a little overwhelming, he did not look timid.


    Then, he began to introduce the people behind him.


    Ms. Lin¡¯s mother had passed away because she missed her daughter dearly.


    The letter regarding the situation of the Lin family had actually arrived earlier. Xie Qiao knew who these people were.


    The two men behind Grandpa Lin were not sons, but the disciple and son-inw. Furthermore, they were all married into the family.


    Such a son-inw had to change his surname.


    Hence, they all had the surname Lin.


    Grandpa Lin had four daughters. Second mother was the second daughter. She had a sister who was three years older than her. At that time, they were already engaged and were about to get married. In the end, barbarians invaded the vigers, scaring them into running up the mountain.


    At that time, there were many people and it was chaotic. Second mother got separated.


    Later on, the vige was peaceful after the chaos. However, second mother could not be found again. Ms. Lin¡¯s mother¡¯s health wascking. She was shocked by the incident and passed away.


    The Lin family¡¯s eldest daughter stayed home for three years because of the mother¡¯s death.


    However, she still had two younger sisters at home. She was worried. Before the marriage was about to be fulfilled, someone bullied her younger sister. She chased after them for ten kilometers with a knife and scared the inws away.


    She simply stayed at home to protect her younger sister.


    After losing a younger sister, she could not lose the rest.


    Old Man Lin was a doctor, and the disciples he taught were all good-natured. Moreover, there were many orphans in that area, and these two had no parents, so they both volunteered to marry and support him.


    However, this eldest daughter of the Lin family dyed for years, so she simply did not marry. She also had some obstetrics and gynecology skills, so she delivered babies in the vige. She was also somewhat famous.


    She was only 32 or 33 years old, but she dressed like a midwife in her 40s or 50s. She looked quite good at scaring people.


    At that moment, Grandpa Lin looked at Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi with red eyes.


    ¡°Yes, especially this girl. She looks just like my Second Son when he was young,¡± Old Man Lin sighed.


    Was he mad? Of course he was.


    After his wife passed away, someone sent him a letter saying that his second daughter was still alive. She was in the mountain stronghold and was the wife of the chief. They said that she was pregnant now and that her life was pretty good.


    He was happy at the time. It was better to be alive than dead.


    He was worried that the bandits would kill without blinking.


    However, there was nothing he could do. Since she had lost her virginity, she might be punished by being drowned in the river if she came home.


    He did not tell anyone about that.


    Later, he received a letter saying that his daughter had died in childbirth and had given birth to a son and a daughter. This letter¡­


    Half of it reported the good news and the other half reported the bad news. He did not sense the person who wrote the letter being sad.


    At that time he knew this bandit was bad!

 Chapter 345 - The Lin Family

    <h4>Chapter 345: The Lin Family</h4>


    Grandpa Lin carefully nced at Xie Qiao.


    He knew that this little girl looked delicate and weak, but in reality, her biological grandparents and parents were all bandits¡­


    Not only that, her mother was not captured and brought to the mountain.


    Grandpa Lin secretly sighed.


    He thought that when his daughter passed away, it would be great if he could get those two children back!


    Unfortunately, at that time, he could not take the initiative to contact the bandits, so he kept this matter in his heart. It did not happen.


    Fortunately, they finally met.


    ¡°I knew that Grandpa Lin wasing earlier, but I didn¡¯t think that it would be so soon. I hope you can forgive me for not amodating you fully. In my haste, I¡¯ve already cleaned up the guest room. It¡¯s cold outside, so we¡¯d better enter first,¡± Xie Qiao was very gentle, she was afraid that she would scare this person away.


    Grandpa Lin nodded.


    It was not good to remain silent, so he said, ¡°A few years ago, I heard people say that the bandit¡­ General Xie went to the mountain near our vige. At that time, I wanted to meet the two children. However, it was difficult at home back then, so I didn¡¯t leave. At the beginning of this year, the children¡¯s matters were settled. I saved some money, so I thought ofing to the capital to look for them.¡±


    They had arrived in the capital a long time ago, but the things in the capital were too expensive!


    Thus, they decided to settle down in a vige near the capital for the time being.


    He was a doctor, so no matter where he went, he was still quite popr.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    The Xie family knew some people in their hometown. Before looking for someone, they first sent a pigeon message to ask about the current situation of the Lin family. They found out that this person had left a long time ago, saying that he was looking for his rtives.


    There were not many rtives in the Lin family. The people in their hometown also helped to inquire, so they knew that this person was in the vicinity of the capital.


    After searching for a few days, they found the person.


    The person behind Grandpa Lin seemed to want to say something but hesitated.


    The names of the people in the Lin family were quite interesting. The eldest daughter of the Lin family was called Lin Yaxiang, the second daughter Guixin, the third daughter Sangzhi, and the fourth daughter Dengcao. They were all medicinal herbs¡¯ names.


    Even the name of this son-inw was given by Grandpa Lin. One was called Gangsong, and the other was called Cebo.


    There were three children behind them, and they looked quite obedient at that moment.


    This family seemed to be quite good. At least they seemed to be more reasonable than the rtives of the Xie family.


    Lin Yaxiang seemed to be unable to hold herself back. After she entered the courtyard, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not good for us to stay here for long with our family. But now that we¡¯ve seen my sister¡¯s children, we miss them very much¡­ We thought that in a while, we¡¯ll let the men in the family rent a courtyard and stay for a month temporarily. We won¡¯t trouble you every day, we just want these two little ones to talk to my Father at the courtyard. Of course, we won¡¯t disturb you during the New Year¡­¡±


    Although Xie Qiao chatted with them politely, in reality, she had always avoided looking up at them.


    Fortunately, she was a woman and had a smile on her face. Even if they did not look at each other, she would not appear to be too arrogant.


    However, when she heard what Lin Yaxiang said, Xie Qiao could not help but look at her again.


    Her tear trough was full, she had a strong personality. She had her own opinions and would not give in.


    Her facial features were not particrly unique. She was not born with enough luck, but she could see that she was slightly blessed. Her facial features had a good qi, and good qi turned into wealth. In herter years, she would have a long and prosperous life.


    However, her facial features were not fixed.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao did not reject Lin Yaxiang¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°How could we trouble both Uncles? I¡¯ll get the steward to find a suitable ceter,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pay for it ourselves,¡± Lin Yaxiang immediately replied, as if she felt that her words were a little too abrupt, she said, ¡°In the past, we never interacted with each other. Now that we¡¯ve suddenly met, and our family has arge poption, if we don¡¯t pay for it ourselves, we won¡¯t feel at ease. We wouldn¡¯t dare toe again next time.¡±

 Chapter 346 - Who Are These People

    <h4>Chapter 346: Who Are These People</h4>


    Lin Yaxiang¡¯s words represented the attitude of the entire Lin family. At that moment, even Grandpa Lin nodded.


    Xie Qiao agreed with that.


    With her nod, Lin Yaxiang silently heaved a sigh of relief.


    Her family had been in the capital for so long, and they would asionallye to the capital to inquire about the Xie family¡¯s situation.


    They were just lowlymoners, and they knew that the Xie family was now a high-ss family. If they were to enter rashly, they were afraid that others would think that they were here to take advantage of them.


    Hence, earlier on, in order to enter, they had specially prepared gifts.


    Unfortunately, before they could even enter, they were chased away by the servants.


    After that, they obediently lived in the vige outside the capital, thinking that they could try to save up more money in the future.


    However, they did not expect that the Xie family would actually take the initiative to look for them.


    Lin Yaxiang and the others were led to the inner courtyard, and they first put the things in the guest room.


    Grandpa Lin took out four gifts.


    They were all for the children.


    Most of the gifts given by the vigers were practical. Even if it was an egg, the recipient would be very happy. However, Grandpa Lin was worried that the Xie family would look down on them, so the gifts he gave were quite expensive.


    Each of the four small silver medals should weigh five catties, and there were even some designs on them.


    With the craftsmanship fee and the value of the silver medal itself, it mighte up to a total of 30 to 40 taels of silver.


    Moreover, there were also some other gifts that were unloaded from the carriages outside.


    The Lin family spent quite some money this time.


    They had to ept the gifts. After all, Grandpa Lin was an elder.


    Xie Qiao had two of the younger onese forward to receive the items.


    However, although Xie Pinghuai did not have much money on hand, there were still many good things in the house. There was nock of gold and silver. When he looked at these things, he did not find them special. His expression was indifferent.


    Xie Xi was different. She held the box containing the silver medal tightly, as if she was afraid that someone would take it away.


    These two children¡¯ attitudes werepletely exposed to Grandpa Lin and the others.


    It would be a lie to say that he was not disappointed.


    He came here happily, and naturally, he hoped to get closer to his grandson and granddaughter. Now, it was obvious that this grandson looked down on them. It was a p to both his face and heart.


    ¡°I think Grandpa Lin should also know that my father married another woman after Second Mother left. When Pinghuai was six or seven, she took care of him. Ms. Lu had no children, so it was inevitable that she indulged him a little. It also made his temper a little terrible. In this family, even when speaking to his father and brother, he only has fear and has no respect. As an elder sister, my health iscking, so I can¡¯t personally teach him. I thought in the future¡­ if it¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll have to trouble Grandpa Lin a lot,¡± Xie Qiao said politely.


    Xie Pinghuai pursed his lips.


    Who asked them to stick their noise in?


    These people¡­ who were they? They were not familiar with each other!


    However, he did not dare to refute his eldest sister¡¯s words and could only stand there obediently.


    Seeing the children across from him looking at him with their big eyes, Xie Pinghuai grimaced and rolled his eyes at them. Two of the four to five-year-old children pouted in fright.


    Grandpa Lin did not expect Xie Qiao to say that. He was very surprised.


    These words meant that they were going to have a long-term rtionship, right?


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Grandpa Lin was very happy.


    Xie Qiao found an opportunity to chat a little more.


    Lin Yaxiang had been observing this girl the whole time. When she first entered the door, she saw that this girl¡¯s gaze was always lowered and thought that there was something on her mind.


    However, after hearing what she said, she realized that this girl was really delightful.


    Her voice was soft but not coquettish. She sounded very spirited, and her expression seemed to be a little casual. However, in reality, this girl could respond to everything her father said.


    Her father was only talking about the trivial matters of their hometown and the viges outside the capital.


    Even so, she did not seem to be impatient at all.

 Chapter 347 - Let Out the Line and Catch the Big Fish

    <h4>Chapter 347: Let Out the Line and Catch the Big Fish</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Yaxiang could tell that her niece and nephew¡¯s souls had drifted off to God knows where. They were truly absent-minded.


    Unlike the First Young Lady of the Xie family. She was always sitting upright, well-behaved, and polite.


    It really did not seem like¡­


    She was born from a bandit family.


    When she came, she was actually worried.


    They heard that although Bandit Xie¡¯s third wife was not killed by the bandits, she was chased out.


    They had secretly asked around before. Someone said that Ms. Lu treated their previous child very well, so they felt pity and gratitude for Ms. Lu.


    In their hearts, they were also a little afraid of Young Lady Xie. In fact, the image of thisdy of the Xie family appeared in their minds.


    Before they met her, they thought that thisdy should be just like Bandit Xie. She should be very mean.


    However, now¡­


    Everyone in the Lin family felt quite embarrassed.


    They could not help but take a few more nces at Xie Qiao.


    This girl was too pretty. Her fair and tender face, her skin that was even more supple than autumn radishes, and her voice that was like a little oriole... Tsk, tsk, tsk. One can look at her face forever.


    They chatted happily.


    When it was time, Xie Qiao got someone to prepare the dishes and took out the fruit wine that she had hidden away.


    Xie Pinghuai really could not sit still today.


    Especially when he saw Xie Qiao speaking gently to the three children of the Lin family, he secretly felt uneasy.


    How could eldest sister smile so sweetly to the children of other families?


    A dark boy and two ugly girls. They were not even as good-looking as his sister.


    ¡°Sister, I thought we had no money. Why are we eating meat today?¡± Xie Pinghuai said deliberately, as he spoke, he took a drumstick and put it in front of him. He took a bite and then red at the three kids in front of him.


    Xie Qiao was speechless.


    He was already 13 after the New Year, but he was still as childish as a three-year-old kid!


    No wonder Xiao Yurong had dyed the matter of making him a disciple until now!


    If she were Junior Brother Xiao, she would not be able to eat when she saw such a disgusting kid!


    The Lin family members were a little embarrassed.


    They were embarrassed to continue eating after hearing what he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when will my Brother¡¯s bad habit of talking nonsense stop,¡± Xie Qiao sighed and then looked at Grandpa Lin, ¡°Grandpa Lin, you are a medical practitioner. You must know some acupuncture skills, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Grandpa Lin nodded. He was a little confused.


    ¡°How do you think my brother¡¯s illness can be cured? Do you want to stick a few needles into the crown of his head? Or do you want to sew up his mouth directly? Now that you are a member of the family, you won¡¯t mind him even if he has bad habits. But what if he does this when he meets an outsider? It really makes me worry,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    Grandpa Lin was stunned when he heard that, but Lin Yaxiang smiled brightly.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Lin Yaxiang was very direct. ¡°Brother Huai, if this meat is not enough for you, I will buy 20 of them for you at the marketter so that you can eat as much as you want.¡±


    It was her own nephew. She could say anything she wanted, right?


    She was a decent person. If this child was wrong, she should teach him!


    Not to mention that they were all guests. Even if they came a little too abruptly and upset him, he should not have expressed his dissatisfaction in such a way, making him seem petty.


    However, this child¡¯s appearance was really simr to her sister¡¯s, so she felt a little heartache.


    If her sister was alive, this child would definitely be a goodd that everyone praised.


    Xie Pinghuai snorted, ¡°Stop talking big. I know all of you. In the past, when Mother was still around, she told me that your Lin family is amoner. A poor family that can¡¯t even afford to eat a single egg. You¡¯re not any better than the disaster victims out there. Just this little silver medal, it must¡¯ve cost you a lifetime¡¯s worth of savings, right? What¡¯s the reason? You¡¯re just letting out the line and catching the big fish. You want to get something out of us, right?!¡±

 Chapter 348 - Poor and Miserable

    <h4>Chapter 348: Poor and Miserable</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s words were offensive, and he looked at the Lin family with disdain.


    Even Xie Qiao did not expect him to say such things.


    ¡°Mother?¡± Lin Yaxiang¡¯s face turned grim when she heard Xie Pinghuai¡¯s words, ¡°Everyone outside said that Ms. Lu treated you well, so we felt lucky for you. You met a kind stepmother, but I see that you don¡¯t even know the rules. It shows that this person isn¡¯t good. It makes sense that Bandit Xie to chase her away!¡±


    Mother, who was his mother?


    As long as Bandits Xie¡¯s three wives were still recorded in the household register, he could call each of them mother. If he did not call them mother, he would be insensible.


    However, now that Ms. Lu had left, he still addressed her that?


    He was a good child who knew how to repay kindness, but Ms. Lu actually taught him to look down on the external family. It could be seen that the woman was narrow-minded and a bad person. She could not even distinguish between right and wrong. That was really disappointing.


    ¡°Ya¡¯er,¡± Grandpa Lin looked at Lin Yaxiang unhappily.


    They were here as guests. Even if they were a little upset, they should not announce it to the public and make the master unhappy.


    Lin Yaxiang exhaled, then she said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Young Lady Xie, I¡¯m a straightforward person. Don¡¯t take offense. All these years, we¡¯ve been trying our best to save money in order to meet these two children. It¡¯s just that this ordinary family can¡¯t be like that rich and noble family and be generous. However, even so, this gift today shows our sincerity. Perhaps it is a little unpresentable, but the love we have for these two children is sincere.¡±


    The Lin family was indeed not a big family.


    Currently, they only had less than 50 taels of silver on hand.


    Initially, they had gathered a hundred taels of silver. They had spent half of it when they came to the Xie family this time.


    Although they had spent the money, they really did not think of earning it back from the Xie family.


    It was not like they did not know the name of Bandit Xie.


    Were they seeking death to be taking money from bandits?


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Xie Qiao said guiltily, ¡°My Eldest Brother and I know that you¡¯ve put in a lot of effort. This kid¡¯s words¡­ are a little rude. But I¡¯ll be frank here. He¡¯s usually like this, so I¡¯m afraid what he had just said isn¡¯t the worst thing yet. Now that I¡¯ve said it, you guys will be aware. If he¡¯s staying at the Lin Residence in the future, don¡¯t spoil him.¡±


    From her point of view, the Lin family had several advantages.


    Firstly, they practiced medicine and had good intentions in their hearts.


    Secondly, Grandpa Lin taught his daughters and disciples. They seemed to have a good character and would have a good influence on Xie Pinghuai.


    Thirdly, the Lin family was Xie Pinghuai¡¯s maternal family.


    This younger brother of hers usually looked heartless, but he was still young and had some respect for his elders. Otherwise, he would not have gone up to them even though he knew that Ms. Lu was deliberately scheming against him.


    He could not let go of Ms. Lu because Ms. Lu was the only one in the Xie family who had treated him well.


    Even if it was an act, it was enough to satisfy Xie Pinghuai.


    The Lin family could definitely do better than Ms. Lu in this aspect.


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai was angry when he heard what Xie Qiao said.


    Who was going to stay at the Lin Residence?!


    That house must be dirty, messy, poor, and miserable. They could not eat meat or drink wine. They probably did not even have toilet paper. He would not go!


    Xie Pinghuai had been throwing a tantrum. He was being difficult and looked like he deserved a beating.


    At that moment, in front of the Lin family, Xie Qiao did not say anything.


    The Lin family did not talk about that.


    After the meal, Xie Qiao invited the Lin family members back to the guest room to rest. Only then did she call the two younger ones over.

 Chapter 349 - Crossing the Line

    <h4>Chapter 349: Crossing the Line</h4>


    Xie Xi had a temperament like a y figurine and was the most obedient. However, Xie Qiao was also worried about her.


    After observing for so long, she could feel that Xie Xi was not a fool.


    She was just too introverted.


    She was immersed in her own world and did not like tomunicate with anyone. The only thing that could make her feel safe was money.


    It was all her father¡¯s fault!


    Raising children was like raising livestock. It was fine if they were given food and drinks, but they did not know how to greet and care for each other, much less hug and kiss!


    How could she be psychologically healthy when she grew up in a cold environment?


    The way these two children behaved could be considered good enough. That was the result of the secret blessing of Ms. Lin!


    ¡°Do you two think the Lin family is good?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Not at all! Especially that old woman. She¡¯s so fierce and arrogant. I¡¯d really love to beat her up!¡± Xie Pinghuai whimpered. His temper was so bad that it felt like he was going to shoot into the sky.


    Xie Xi did not react at all.


    ¡°Younger Brother, you¡¯re so bold. Why don¡¯t I kidnap Aunt Lin and let you kill her yourself?¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    ¡°No need for that. Just chase her out¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai was thick-skinned. He grinned, ¡°Eldest Sister, you¡¯re my real sister. I don¡¯t know who they are!¡±


    ¡°The Aunt Lin you hate is your mother¡¯s real sister. Grandpa Lin you despise is your mother¡¯s biological father. Even if your mother was alive, she wouldn¡¯t dare to speak so arrogantly if she saw them now. So¡­ Younger Brother, I can¡¯t save you. It¡¯s a big mistake to treat the elders like that. Wait for Father and Eldest Brother toe back¡­¡± Xie Qiao made a serious gesture of cutting her throat.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Do they still dare toin?!¡± Xie Pinghuai was not afraid at all.


    When Mother¡­ Ms. Lu was around, she had said that the Lin family was a rat and that they could not be seen in public.


    She had also said that if they really cared for him, would they have waited until now toe knocking on their door?


    ¡°Are all the maids and servants in this courtyard just decorations? Isn¡¯t it easy for Eldest Brother to find out what happened?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him sympathetically, ¡°And Father, Father holds the Lin family in high regard!


    ¡°As you know, your mother, Ms. Lin, was an extremely gentle and virtuous woman. Our Father dotes on her very much. I heard that when Second Mother was still around, even if she wanted Father to get the stars and moon, Father would be willing to do it! Now that you¡¯ve bullied Father¡¯s family, can Father be happy?


    ¡°If our Father and brother are upset¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was heard.


    However, it left Xie Pinghuai with endless ¡°reverie¡±.


    He knew better than his Eldest Sister how his father and eldest brother were like.


    Of course, he knew how unreasonable they were.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, don¡¯t scare me¡­ If Father really dotes on my Mother that much, would he have gotten married again¡­?¡± Xie Pinghuai quickly said.


    ¡°Doting on Second Mother has nothing to do with marrying again. Our Father isn¡¯t someone who can stay married forever,¡± her tone was quite rxed, ¡°Recently, Ms. Lu has spent all our wealth. You should know that, right? Father hates Ms. Lu to death now. He only had three women in total. Other than Ms. Lu, only your Mother and my Mother are left.


    ¡°My Mother¡­ had the nickname of Tiger Peng, while your Mother was the delicate little madam of the vige. Especially after our Father was bullied by my Mother and met Second Mother who was as gentle as water¡­ how could he not treat her as his precious?¡±


    She could guarantee that her father had taken a liking to Ms. Lin because he liked theplete opposite of her mother¡¯s temper!


    ¡°Now that our family is stable in the capital, Father immediately went to get the Lin family over. It can be seen that he cares about Second Mother¡¯s family,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    In other words, her younger brother¡­


    Was about to get beaten up.


    Xie Pinghuai was already thinking about it.


    He was extremely sensitive to being beaten up.


    At that moment, he was also a little flustered.


    Eldest sister was right. Father was unreasonable, so he definitely would not listen to his exnation and would kick him directly.


    He seemed to have crossed the line earlier¡­

 Chapter 350 - Eldest Sister is Like A Mother

    <h4>Chapter 350: Eldest Sister is Like A Mother</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai felt a little regretful. He then turned around and looked at Xie Qiao pitifully, ¡°Eldest Sister...¡±


    ¡°Go and apologize to Grandpa Lin, Aunt and Uncle, as well as your brothers and sister who were scared by you,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude was much more serious. She looked even more dignified than usual and did not allow anyone to refute her.


    ¡°No,¡± When Xie Pinghuai heard that, he immediately shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go, Eldest Brother will kick you out. You won¡¯t be able to take anything from your courtyard. By then, you¡¯ll be even poorer than your aunt¡¯s family. Not to mention 20 hens, you won¡¯t even be able to afford an egg,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s smile froze on his face.


    ¡°Eldest Brother won¡¯t be so vicious, right?!¡± Xie Pinghuai was anxious.


    He knew his own abilities. If he was really chased out of the house, he would starve to death!


    He did not know anything!


    ¡°Eldest Brother would. Eldest Brother will listen to everything I say,¡± Xie Qiao was very proud.


    When Xie Pinghuai heard that, his eyes widened and he almost jumped up and pointed at Xie Qiao, ¡°Eldest Sister! Why?!¡±


    How could she treat him like that?!


    Although he was fierce to outsiders, he was good to his eldest sister!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I lost face today?¡± Xie Qiao rubbed his face with her small hands and slowly exined, ¡°As the saying goes, Eldest Sister is like a mother. We don¡¯t have a mother. If you misbehave, then it¡¯d be my fault for being the Eldest Sister. Today, you humiliated the guests and shouted. You¡¯ve really embarrassed me. Younger Brother, think about it. Have I, your Eldest Sister, lost face like that before?¡±


    With that said, Xie Pinghuai felt a little guilty.


    His eldest sister was a person who was in the prime of her life.


    How could she lose face?


    To put it crudely, even if she farted, it would definitely be fragrant.


    Today...


    His eldest sister was probably a little embarrassed¡­


    Since Xie Qiao had already said this much, Xie Pinghuai knew that he had to apologize. In this family... he had no status! If he did not do as he was told, he would not even be able to eat.


    Xie Pinghuai groaned secretly. When he grew up, he would have a lot of money. By then, he would no longer have to be looked down upon by others!


    He walked out aggressively!


    His insufferably arrogant footsteps and his expression of going all out made him feel like he was facing a great enemy!


    Xie Pinghuai went to the side room.


    ¡°Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin! I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong!¡± He shouted valiantly.


    After he spoke, he immediately ran away.


    It was so embarrassing!


    In the guest room, Grandpa Lin and the others were shocked.


    Then, all of them revealed merciful and touching expressions.


    ¡°This child... is just stubborn and soft-hearted. Look, isn¡¯t he quite sensible?¡± Grandpa Lin said.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s most likely that Young Lady Xie used some kind of method to make him lower his head. But no matter what, he can bend and stretch. He knows humility. Not bad,¡± Lin Yaxiang smiled.


    That brat was stubborn, but there was a hint of cowardice in him. He was still young, but he had fire inside of him. He was also an interesting person.


    After all, he was her younger sister¡¯s child. How could she really be angry with him?


    Even if she was angry, she was only angry at Bandit Xie.


    He had stolen her younger sister, yet he did not take care of her properly. He had caused her to die in childbirth, and he had left the children behind without much guidance. He was really a barbarian!


    The moment Lin Yaxiang thought of Xie Niushan, she wished she could just grab a kitchen knife and chop his head off.


    Unfortunately, Xie Niushan was not at home. She heard from Young Lady Xie that... he had sent troops to suppress the bandits?!


    It was funny for bandits to suppress the bandits.


    Lin Yaxiang still had resentment inside of her, but she knew that this resentment could only be kept in her heart. After all, Bandit Xie was an official now, and he was raising her sister¡¯s two children.


    She could only criticize him in private.

 Chapter 351 - Not Too Ugly

    <h4>Chapter 351: Not Too Ugly</h4>


    The Lin family stayed at the Xie Residence for a night. The next day, they moved into the small courtyard that the steward had helped find.


    Xie Qiao had Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi move there as well.


    She even told them directly that there was no need for them to return home during the New Year.


    Their father had gone on a long trip and had yet to return. It was meaningless for the two of them to stay at the Xie Residence.


    Even though Xie Pinghuai was filled with displeasure, under Xie Qiao¡¯s tyrannical influence, he could only obediently follow them.


    Xie Qiao had been waiting at home for the Zhou family to take action.


    She had promised to fulfil the female ghoul in pce dress¡¯sst wish for a long time and had yet toplete it. She was also somewhat anxious.


    Just as Xie Qiao was thinking about whether or not she should pretend to be Mo Chusheng and go out, she finally received an invitation.


    The person who sent the invitation seemed to be a little embarrassed. When he saw Xie Qiao, he said politely, ¡°Our Princess has recently entered the pce to attend to her illness. The Empress has been praising you. It¡¯s the Princess¡¯s birthday, so she wanted to invite Young Lady Xie there to join the fun.¡±


    Xie Qiao replied with a calm expression.


    The Crown Prince was really direct. He actually asked the Empress to take action.


    The Empress kept praising her. The Third Princess had heard a lot about her. She would definitely want to meet her.


    The title of the Third Princess was Luo Shu.


    Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s love for knowledge could be seen from the title of the princess.


    Two dayster, Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang went to the banquet openly.


    The children of the Xie family rarely participated in socializing. Many of the big families would not dare to invite Xie Pinggang and Xie Pinghuai even if they held a banquet. Today was an exception.


    Xie Pinggang was not used to it either.


    Before he left, Xie Qiao forced him to shave his beard. At that moment, he was like apletely different person.


    Only now did she realize that her eldest brother¡­ was not too ugly.


    After removing his beard, there was a clean feeling on him. No matter how fierce he was, there was a hint of a young man¡¯s handsomeness. Moreover, he had nice facial features, except that he was a little too tall.


    He was always fierce in the past and had a short, prickly beard on his face, which was why he looked like a bear.


    Now, he did not look too bad.


    He looked like a human.


    Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi were still young, so they did not need to participate in such an asion for the time being. However, at his age, it was time for her eldest brother to show more of himself.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, remember, if you really meet a youngdy from another family, don¡¯t stare at her fiercely. If someone throws a handkerchief at you, don¡¯t shout so loudly that it scares people out of their wits!¡± Xie Qiao instructed in all seriousness.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled.


    He caressed his chin.


    It was too smooth, like a woman. It was really ufortable.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll just stand there. That should be fine, right? If those women are going to faint from fright just by looking at me, then why should I marry them?¡± Xie Pinggang was still clueless.


    Listening to what he said¡­


    Xie Qiao felt extremely awkward.


    This eldest brother of hers probably did not even have much respect for women. Finding a wife¡­ was difficult!


    ¡°Oh right, if I meet that Young Lady Dong again¡­¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    That Dong Xiyun was a ruthless person. Even Xia Yayun, the good friend of hers, was under her control. If she saw her eldest brother and came with ill intentions, she was worried that his eldest brother would not be able to escape!


    ¡°It¡¯s all nonsense from outsiders. How would I know Young Lady Dong?¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    Xie Qiao had nothing to say.


    She was even more convinced that his eldest brother was wronged.


    Not sure how long had passed, they had arrived at their destination.


    Xie Qiao brought the porcin bottle with her that contained the female soul in the pce dress.


    At that moment, she let it out.

 Chapter 352 - What A Coincidence

    <h4>Chapter 352: What A Coincidence</h4>


    There were already several carriages parked outside the Zhou Residence, and people were walking in one after another.


    Xie Qiao had prepared a gift today. It was Master Yun Wei painting. It was small and did not worth much, but it was rare.


    As soon as she entered the Zhou Residence, Xie Qiao was frightened.


    The reason being as soon as she stepped through the door, a ck shadow charged between her eyebrows. She was stunned on the spot, and that soul passed through her body.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was pale.


    However, the shadow was not having an easy time either. After struggling for a while, it dissipated.


    She had secretly hidden many talismans on her body. Ordinary ghouls did not dare to get close to her. The ghoul earlier was too mischievous. The moment it touched her, even if it realized that something was wrong, it was already toote for it to stop.


    For no reason, she had destroyed a ghoul.


    Xie Qiao was also quite innocent. Her lips slightly curled down.


    She was really scared to death.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned. Thatdy¡¯s unapproachable charisma came back.


    She scared the other guests around and they immediately walked far away.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine after a while,¡± Xie Qiao calmed her breathing and covered her face with her sleeves and coughed twice.


    She tried her best to muster her courage and looked around.


    Fortunately, although there was a reckless ghoul, the other ghouls around¡­


    As she was thinking, Xie Qiao¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    There was something wrong with the Zhou family.


    Big families would usually set up good feng shui when they built a house!


    It was the same for the Zhou Residence. As soon as she entered, she could see that the feng shui was supposed to be great. Amazing qi and blessed by the dragon. The children in the family would definitely be intelligent and good-looking. They would not have to worry about wealth and fortune. It would be an endless situation for generations.


    However, the feng shui was almost equally as powerful to the killing bureau.


    In this family¡­ there was definitely a coffin. Furthermore, the location of the coffin would definitely be somewhere with dark energy. Not only that¡­


    The bottom of the coffin was rotten. The evil energy leaked and the corpse turned into mud.


    Within the house, the pond was connected to the ground. If one ce was damaged, the entire house would suffer.


    That was why the good feng shui was broken.


    Xie Qiao was not sure if this coffin was rted to Princess Xingmo. She could only calm herself down and walked into the house like nothing happened.


    The Zhou Residence was quite luxurious. There were many charcoal pots in therge hall. Even with the windows open, one could feel the warmth.


    ¡°I¡¯m under the water, and there are other people under the water,¡± the ghoul in the pce dress said to Xie Qiao pitifully.


    One could not even tell that she was a princess.


    ¡°Go take a look at the pond and tell me its main location. I¡¯ll pass it on to the Crown Prince for you,¡± Xie Qiao said softly.


    Princess Xingmo had yet to remember who she was. She just listened to Xie Qiao¡¯s words and did as she said.


    Xie Qiao sat at the lower seat. There were also some young girls around her. The people sitting across from her were mostly male guests. They were far away from each other.


    The men in the capital were quite good-looking.


    Most of them were handsome, charming, and charismatic. As for her eldest brother, he was like a grizzly bear sitting among a group of white foxes. He stood out.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Young Lady Xie toe today,¡± coincidentally, the person sitting next to her was Dong Xiyun.


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°Since Young Lady Dong cane, so can I.¡±


    Dong Xiyun did not get angry, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you suffer for what happened to Aunt Xia earlier. I apologize on her behalf.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand that was holding the snacks stopped in mid-air.


    Aunt Xi.


    Dong Xiyun was adapting quite well, huh?


    However, from her tone, why did it seem like she was using Xia Yayun to scare her?


    Xie Qiao sneered and ate the snack in one mouthful. She said happily, ¡°What a coincidence today. Eldest Brother and I are both here. When are you going to apologize to us, Young Lady Dong?¡±


    Did she think that she had forgotten that Qi Huai had used her talent to insult her?

 Chapter 353 - No Need to Be Afraid

    <h4>Chapter 353: No Need to Be Afraid</h4>


    Dong Xiyun seemed to be waiting for Xie Qiao to speak. When she heard her words, she stood up immediately.


    She bowed to Xie Qiao and said coquettishly, ¡°Young Lady Xie, please be forgiving and forget about what happened earlier. It was all my fault.¡±


    She even took a sip of wine.


    After saying that, she walked directly to the opposite side. Her face was filled with fear and her hand that was holding the wine cup was trembling slightly.


    In the end, he said to Xie Pinggang, ¡°Young Master Xie, Young Master Xie, please forgive me. I know that I¡¯ve made a mistake. I hope that you won¡¯t be calctive with me.¡±


    Xie Qiao opened her mouth.


    She had learned a thing or two.


    Xie Pinggang was listening to Xie Qiao¡¯s words as he sat upright and amiably.


    He was a little puzzled when a person suddenly appeared and spoke to him.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you crying? Could it be that you lost your handkerchief? I didn¡¯t find it. Go ask someone else,¡± Xie Pinggang was quite polite.


    In that case, he would not be scary anymore, right?


    With a ¡°pfft¡± sound, Xie Qiao chuckled lightly.


    Dong Xiyun was a little stunned at that moment.


    The reason being she did not expect that Xie Pinggang¡­


    Did not remember her!


    That look in his eyes was obviously not an act!


    She had met Xie Pinggang before and had even caused that incident. How could he not remember?! It made it seem like she could not forget him!


    Dong Xiyun had thought that if she spoke to Xie Pinggang, even if he was a little angry and unwilling, he should also be a little unsettled. She did not expect¡­


    Her breath was stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Brother, this is Young Lady Dong from our academy. She misunderstood that you bullied her earlier and everyone knows about it. She told me that she wanted to apologize to you,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    Then, she poured herself a cup of tea.


    Xie Pinggang remembered now that Xie Qiao mentioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Xie Pinggang was very generous.


    He did not want to be calctive with this little girl.


    Xie Pinggang did not hold on to her, nor did hefort her with a smile. He was so straightforward and decisive. He looked very magnanimous.


    Dong Xiyun forced a smile and retreated.


    When Xie Qiao looked elsewhere, she happened to see the girl on the other side of Dong Xiyun.


    She was actually staring straight¡­


    At her eldest brother.


    The maidservant behind her was dressed the same as Dong Xiyun¡¯s maidservant. They should be a family.


    That should be¡­ Dong Xiyun¡¯s sister?


    Xie Qiao had heard that Dong Xiyun¡¯s biological mother had passed away. She and her sister were brought up by her stepmother. Everyone in the academy said that this sister was crafty. She had coaxed her stepmother. She even said that the stepmother of the Dong family was vicious and tried to sow discord between the two sisters.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s younger sister was not studying at the Royal Academy, but at the Gn Academy.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao had a vague guess.


    Could it be that Dong Xiyun was targeting her eldest brother because¡­ her younger sister¡­


    Xie Qiao thought she might be overthinking it.


    How old was this little girl?


    She was two or three years younger than Dong Xiyun, at most¡­ she was 14 or 15 years old?!


    However, she had indeed been looking at her eldest brother the entire time, and she was even secretly peeking at him¡­


    She would stare at him, then lower her head, her face flushed red, nervously taking a sip of wine. After a while, she let out a dry cough, straightened her neck, and looked left and right, as if she was afraid of being discovered.


    It was somewhat impossible to be saying that she was not interested in her eldest brother judging by her reaction.


    Xie Qiao also stared straight ahead. She had been discovered by the second daughter of the Dong family.


    The little girl¡¯s face instantly flushed and she choked on her saliva.


    She kept coughing, causing many people around to look over.


    ¡°Sister, are you scared? Don¡¯t be afraid. First Young Master Xie is a good person. Look, he didn¡¯t make things difficult for me earlier. No need to be afraid of him,¡± Dong Xiyun said again.

 Chapter 354 - Untitled

    <h4>Chapter 354: Untitled</h4>


    Xie Qiao could not help but pout.


    Second Young Lady Dong might not like to hear that.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I¡¯m not afraid of Young Master Xie. I just identally choked!¡± Second Young Lady Dong said hurriedly. As she spoke, she nced worriedly in Xie Pinggang¡¯s direction. However, she saw that Xie Pinggang was staring at the wine in front of him.


    Slightly disappointed, she lowered her head, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and coughed lightly twice.


    Xie Qiao roughly understood Dong Xiyun¡¯s thoughts at that moment.


    using eldest brother of bullying her¡­


    It should be enough to break Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s heart.


    How could she not be heartbroken when her beloved took a fancy to her sister?


    Now that eldest brother did not respond, Dong Xiyun even came forward and said that the earlier matter had been a misunderstanding. Thus, she wanted Xie Pinggang to feel that Second Young Lady Dong was afraid of him.


    However, that should not be enough.


    Xie Qiao was deep in thought.


    It was very difficult to guess the thoughts of a bad person. She had to think seriously. It was an awakening.


    Dong Xiyun put in so much effort. It could not be just to stir trouble for the two of them, right? For this girl to be able to scheme against Xia Yayun like that, her thoughts must be moreplicated.


    Since she was free, Xie Qiao began to let her thoughts run wild.


    Love, hate, and hatred shed through her mind.


    ¡°I suppose you like my sister¡­¡± the girl said.


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of me and won¡¯t like me,¡± the man said.


    Hmm, a resentful couple.


    Xie Qiao licked her lips.


    It was time for Dong Xiyun to matchmake the two of them, right?


    When Xie Qiao thought of that, she could not help but cover her lips and snicker. Her imagination was amazing.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie?¡± Just as she was thinking, an unfamiliar voice came from above.


    Xie Qiao snapped back to her senses.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, I¡¯ve often heard my royal sister-inw mention that you¡¯re both beautiful and intelligent. You¡¯re a rare, good girl. Come forward quickly and let me have a good look,¡± Princess Luo Shu waved at her.


    Xie Qiao calmly stood up and walked over.


    After bowing, she stood there for a while. That Princess Luo Shu seemed to be sizing her up.


    ¡°She¡¯s looking at you! She¡¯s looking at you! Quickly run, she¡¯s a bad person!¡± A terrifying voice suddenly came from beside her ear.


    ¡°Why did youe here? You¡¯re so pretty, she¡¯ll definitely target you, definitely! What should I do? You can¡¯t hear me, what should I do?!¡± The voice of the ghoul next to her seemed to be a little anxious.


    Xie Qiao did not even realize that there was a ghoul here earlier.


    She did not know where it came from, but it was quite good at hiding.


    ¡°You¡¯re indeed a pretty girl, no wonder the Empress likes you. It¡¯s just that you look a little too thin, you must eat moreter, alright? Someone, send this te of flower crisps over to Young Lady Xie. This youngdy is more suitable for eating such a pretty snack,¡± Princess Luo Shu said. There was a hint of gentleness in her voice.


    Xie Qiao bowed and thanked her.


    She briefly raised her head and took a close look at Princess Luo Shu.


    She took a close look. Xie Qiao immediately retracted her gaze and her heart tightened.


    The Zhou family¡­


    Would definitely undergo a huge change.


    Xie Qiao suddenly felt a little flustered.


    As long as there were ups and downs in arge aristocratic family, it was not a matter of one person.


    Dozens or hundreds of people, their fates could be implicated.


    She was not sure if this change was caused by her looking for Princess Xingmo¡¯s home, but she was worried that after she made this decision, she would have to bear the consequences.


    No, that was not right either. If something happened to the Zhou family, then karma would fall on the person who made the mistake.


    She had given the ghoul her promise and was going to fulfill the ghoul¡¯sst wish.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude was set.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth was not sweet enough, and her smile was not charming enough. At that moment, Princess Luo Shu secretly shook her head.


    The royal sister-inw always said that this girl was interesting, but looking at her today, she was dull-witted and timid. Other than being good-looking and obedient, there was nothing special about her.


    Two days earlier, she almost thought that the royal sister-inw was going to give the position of Princess Consort to this girl.


    However, now¡­


    The royal sister-inw¡¯s judgement was quite terrible, right?

 Chapter 355 - The King of Awkward Silence

    <h4>Chapter 355: The King of Awkward Silence</h4>


    Princess Luo Shu did not show any special feelings toward Xie Qiao, and many people secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Everyone knew that Princess Luo Shu was Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s favorite!


    The current Emperor was a filial son. He naturally treated Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s beloved princess well. Even the Zhou family had received a lot of favors. The Old Master Zhou had passed away for many years, and the family was still as prosperous as ever!


    Princess Luo Shu had a good rtionship with the imperial pce, so their preferences were naturally the same.


    Today, they specially invited this youngdy from the Xie family over. Many people were surprised, and even suspected that thisdy had been chosen as the Princess Consort.


    However, thinking about it now, it was indeed impossible.


    The status of the Xie family was too low. The Crown Prince was the prince of the country. Even if he took a fancy to thisdy, she would at most be a side consort.


    Thinking of that, some people revealed mocking expressions toward Xie Qiao.


    Although they had no grudges with the Xie family, this girl¡¯s good looks would steal the limelight.


    Xie Qiao was neither surprised nor happy. At that moment, she sat back down.


    She had just sat back down when the Crown Prince arrived.


    After everyone bowed, the Crown Prince actually had an amiable smile on his face as he sent a congrattory gift to Princess Luo Shu. This aunt and nephew even started to chat!


    During this Zhou family¡¯s elegant banquet, the Fourth and Fifth Princes did not even show. They did not think that the Crown Prince would actually show. It was truly somewhat baffling!


    The Crown Prince¡¯s personality was cold and indifferent, and he did not like to socialize. There were not many people in the imperial court who supported him. There were only a few old ministers, and their influence was not great!


    It could be said that as long as the Emperor was willing to reveal the slightest bit of intention to depose the Crown Prince, almost no one in the imperial court would object!


    The Crown Prince had always been willful and reckless. He never made friends with courtiers and even often offended people. Even to these members of the imperial family, he was always cold and indifferent.


    Today¡­


    The sun had risen from the west.


    He had even specially sent gifts to Princess Luo Shu.


    Princess Luo Shu also felt a little awkward at that moment, ¡°The Crown Prince managed to spare some time today? I heard that since you¡¯ve gone to the criminal division, the division has solved several big cases consecutively. Previously, I even heard from the Empress that you¡¯ve been so busy that you¡¯ve lost weight. You¡¯ve even entered the pce less and less¡­¡±


    Even entering the pce was rare, let aloneing to her ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s just solving cases. There¡¯s no need for me to personally go to work. It¡¯s just to urge the officials under me to do things. There¡¯s nothing to work hard about,¡± The Crown Prince looked like he was smiling, but his smile did not reach his eyes. It made people feel a chill.


    Princess Luo thought to herself, recently¡­


    She often met the Empress in the Consort Dowager¡¯s pce and did not do anything that would attract the Crown Prince¡¯s attention¡­


    Could it be that¡­


    The matter of Consort Shu befriending Imperial Concubine Meng in the pce¡­ had made the Crown Prince ufortable?


    Thinking about that, Princess Luo Shu felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles.


    Her sister-inw was useless. She had only given birth to a princess. Seeing that the Emperor¡¯s health was not as good as before, it was probably impossible for her to give birth to another prince. She could only ce her hopes on other princes.


    The Crown Prince¡­


    He did not listen to the carrot and stick. He never epted any kind gestures. He only did things based on his mood. He was neither cold nor warm to the Zhou family. He also did not have any close or distant attitude toward his younger brothers and sisters.


    Although the Fourth Prince was younger, he was more amiable.


    What he said carried weight.


    Only then did she secretly¡­ let Consort Shu and Imperial Concubine Meng get closer to each other.


    She did it inconspicuously. How did the Crown Prince notice it so quickly?


    Princess Luo Shu¡¯s heart was already in chaos.


    However, the Crown Prince still refused to leave.


    Xie Qiao found that the Crown Prince was the king of awkward silence. The originally lively scene changed instantly when he came. The surroundings were silent, and the atmosphere was even more solemn than when the academy¡¯s examination was held!

 Chapter 356 - Big Rock Pressing Down From the Top

    <h4>Chapter 356: Big Rock Pressing Down From the Top</h4>


    After a while, the female soul in the pce dress returned.


    ¡°My body is under the water, right in the middle of theke. It¡¯s being crushed by a huge rock and tied up by iron chains. It¡¯s very ufortable, and I feel like I can¡¯t breathe the moment I get close to it¡­ Save Me¡­ Save Me¡­¡± the female soul¡¯s voice was deste.


    ¡°How deep is the water?¡± Xie Qiao asked softly.


    ¡°How deep?¡± The female soul thought about it in pain, ¡°It¡¯s about seven meters deep¡­¡±


    Seven meters deep¡­


    Normally, the pool in a home would be about three meters deep, and it was easy to clean up. Seven meters deep, it wasparable to the depth of somerge ponds outside.


    Xie Qiao raised her head to look at the Crown Prince.


    After thinking for a moment, she stood up and walked to her eldest brother¡¯s side. She whispered in Xie Pinggang¡¯s ear, ¡°In a while, if His Highness looks for you, you¡¯ll tell him that in the center of the pool, there is a big rock pressing from the top.¡±


    Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know Taoism? His Highness asked me to perform divination on him. I¡¯m just telling him that the Zhou family¡¯s pond is beautiful¡­ It¡¯s a good ce,¡± Xie Qiao said guiltily.


    Xie Pinggang thought his sister was strange.


    She actually performed divination on the Crown Prince?


    It was fine if she performed divination, but why could not she not do this somewhere else?! A pond¡­ What if His Highness took it seriously and insisted on rowing a boat in the pond and fell in?!


    He red at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang finished their conversation less than 15 minutester, and the Crown Prince seemed to be a little bored.


    ¡°I feel a little bored,¡± after saying that, he looked at Xie Pinggang and said, ¡°Minister Xie, apany me for a walk.¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was tense.


    He immediately stood up and did as he was told.


    The moment Xie Pinggang stood up, the people beside him felt a huge mountain suddenly standing up. That imposing manner was as if a ferocious tiger was about to eat them!


    Especially when this mountain moved behind the Crown Prince¡­


    At that moment, the Crown Prince became even more frightening.


    Not only did Xie Pinggang¡¯s appearance not make the Crown Prince appear gentle, but it also seemed like¡­ abination of a fierce and evil spirit. The terrifying appearance doubled!


    One was cold, the other fierce, and behind him was a wooden guard who waspletely unmoved¡­


    The more they looked at them, the more they made one¡¯s heart tremble.


    ¡°Minister Xie, what do you think of this banquet? The Zhou family has invited many people over today. If Minister Xie has any interest in it, I can help you pull some strings,¡± after exiting the warm room, a cold breeze blew over, but the Crown Prince¡¯s words were much gentler.


    Xie Pinggang shook his head, ¡°None of the men deserve my sister.¡±


    The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, then faintly reminded, ¡°Minister Xie and Young Lady Xie are of the same mother.¡±


    ¡°If they can¡¯t evenpare to my short-lived timid sister and saw my Father¡¯s behavior after marrying her, they will be shocked and won¡¯t live past daybreak,¡± Xie Pinggang said disdainfully.


    The Crown Prince chuckled.


    ¡°Did Young Lady Xie say anything to you earlier?¡± The Crown Prince asked again.


    At the mention of this matter, Xie Pinggang was even more upset. He kept feeling that his sister had a secret with someone else, and he could not understand this secret!


    However, in front of the Crown Prince, he had to confess honestly.


    ¡°In the middle of the pond, a big rock is pressing down from the top,¡± Xie Pinggang looked unhappy.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were cold when he heard that. Even Xie Pinggang could feel the sullen mood. He was even more confused now.


    The Crown Prince¡­


    Was angry?


    Why?


    Xie Pinggang felt like his heart was being scratched by a cat. He was confused, curious, and helpless.


    ¡°Send a message and surround the Zhou Residence!¡± The Crown Prince said.


    Beforeing to the Zhou Residence, he had already asked for an imperial decree and he could search the Zhou Residence at any time. Now that he had received the intel, he naturally had to do it as soon as possible!

 Chapter 357 - Don’t Be Afraid, Prince Consort

    <h4>Chapter 357: Don¡¯t Be Afraid, Prince Consort</h4>


    Before Xie Pinggang could react, a firework had been sent into the air. It did not seem like¡­ it was a joke.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Xie Pinggang looked puzzled, ¡°Why are you surrounding the Zhou family? Is there¡­ a thief hiding here?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled at him, ¡°This time, it¡¯s all thanks to you that we were able to discover the Zhou family¡¯s evil intentions. When the truth is out, I will report to the Consort Dowager and the Emperor about your contribution and reward you ordingly!¡±


    What?!


    What contributions did he make?!


    Xie Pinggang was really confused. He did not understand at all, ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡±


    He only came to the Zhou Residence today and did nothing?!


    No, he only said a couple of words to His Highness today!


    ¡°My Eldest Sister said that¡­¡± Xie Pinggang pointed in the direction of the house in disbelief. After thinking carefully, he frowned and said with a grim face, ¡°Could it be that¡­ there¡¯s evidence of rebellion hidden in those couple of words?¡±


    ¡°Rebellion? That¡¯s not it, but the crime isn¡¯t much better than a rebellion,¡± The Crown Prince looked at Xie Pinggang¡¯s silly look and was quite happy.


    If Princess Xingmo¡¯s corpse was really fished out, the Zhou family would not be able to avoid the crime of plotting against the royal family.


    The Consort Dowager¡¯s long-cherished wish could finally be fulfilled.


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang wished he could bring Xie Qiao over and ask her in detail.


    It was too strenuous to talk to the Crown Prince.


    If his eldest sister dared to talk to him in such a strange manner, he would have pped her. However, this was the Crown Prince. Even if he did not understand these words, he could only endure it.


    Not long after the fireworks that carried the message fell, there was amotion outside.


    The Zhou Residence was in chaos.


    Arge group of soldiers charged from outside. Three troops inside and three troops outside,pletely surrounding the Zhou Residence.


    ¡°Princess! The officers and soldiers have broken in!¡± Someone immediately went to the house to report the news.


    Princess Luo Shu was not scared when she heard that. Instead, she frowned and said, ¡°Who brought the soldiers? Have you asked who they¡¯re investigating?¡±


    The Zhou family was so big. Perhaps there was a junior under them who was insensible and had done something illegal.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s the Crown Prince¡¯s men¡­ The Crown Prince has sent 5,000 elite soldiers. The outside ispletely surrounded. There are still 2,000 people. At this moment¡­ They have gone into the garden¡­¡± The servant immediately said.


    As soon as these words were said, the princess¡¯ expression changed, and she subconsciously turned her head to look at the Prince Consort.


    The Prince Consort was an extremely gentle person.


    He was almost half a hundred years old now, but the years had not left many traces on his face. One could still see his handsome and majestic appearance from back then.


    Everyone knew that the love between the Prince Consort and Princess Luo Shu was deep.


    For the sake of the princess, Prince Consort Zhou had even hidden away his talents, concealing his glorious body. He was willing to take on an idle position and be an outsider.


    The princess was also very attentive to the Prince Consort. The Princess¡¯ mansion had been empty for many years. Ever since the marriage, the princess had lived in the Zhou Residence, taking care of her inws and raising her children. She was extremely attentive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Prince Consort,¡± Princess Luo Shu looked at him worriedly.


    Prince Consort Zhou¡¯s expression did not look too great.


    Immediately after, the other members of the Zhou family rushed into the house.


    The guests in the house were also in chaos.


    The Crown Prince walked in again.


    ¡°My good nephew, shouldn¡¯t you exin to me why you did this? My Zhou family has always been dutiful. How did we offend you, nephew, to make you embarrass me at this time?¡± Princess Luo Shu said.


    Hearing that, the Crown Prince only smiled lightly.


    Then, he waved. Zhou Weizong brought his men forward.


    ¡°All of the guests present, please stay in the guest room for the time being. After we¡¯ve sorted out the people outside, we will escort everyone out,¡± As Zhou Weizong said, he ordered his men to capture all the members of the Zhou family.

 Chapter 358 - Are You Talking to Me

    <h4>Chapter 358: Are You Talking to Me</h4>


    Such a scene made one shudder.


    The people of the Zhou family, regardless of gender, were all brought into the courtyard and gathered together. Even Prince Consort Zhou was the same!


    Only Princess Luo Shu, after all, was a member of the royal family. At that moment, she still had some dignity remaining.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is so swift and decisive. I should find out what crime the Zhou family hasmitted!¡± The princess spoke righteously at that moment.


    ¡°Since Aunt has asked, then follow me to take a look. I believe that after a while, you¡¯d also think that the Zhou family¡¯s crimes are extremely unforgivable,¡± The Crown Prince treated Princess Luo Shu the same as before.


    At that moment, he had already sent people to the pool in the back garden to salvage.


    The hydraulic workers dived into the depths of the pool to investigate. Several people updated the situation one after another.


    After getting to the surface, they said respectfully, ¡°There¡¯s an old coffin at the bottom of the pool. There arerge rocks on top of it, and the surrounding area is covered by iron chains. It will be difficult to retrieve the coffin for the time being. In addition, there are 19 wooden boxes ced around the coffin. There are crushed stones and bones in the boxes. Fortunately, there are no iron chains around them. In less than two hours, we will be able to fish them out first.¡±


    Princess Luo Shu was extremely shocked.


    ¡°Coffin?! How could there be a coffin?!¡± Princess Luo Shu eximed in shock.


    She took a step back, her face deathly pale, as if she had suffered quite a bit of shock.


    The Crown Prince nced at the Imperial Aunt with his side eye, ¡°It seems that the Zhou family not only harmed people¡¯s lives, but also concealed it from Aunt. All these years, Prince Consort Zhou has probably pretended to be in love with you.¡±


    Princess Luo Shu¡¯s body tensed up, and her gaze was fixed on the bottom of the water.


    The hydraulic workers continued to work.


    The Crown Prince seemed to be acting on a whim. The guests that he wanted to send off were all invited to the back garden to sit and watch.


    To everyone, this was no different from watching an execution.


    After a short while, a shabby wooden box was pulled out from the bottom of the water. Once the wooden box came ashore, almost all of it fell apart. Green-furred stones and a set of bones appeared in front of everyone.


    When the little girls saw that, they were so scared that they closed their eyes and did not dare to look.


    The coroner went forward and gave a simple check, ¡°Your Highness, this skeleton should be a 16 or 17 year old woman.¡±


    The Crown Prince gave a short response.


    Not long after, another box appeared.


    It was still¡­ skeleton of a young woman.


    One after another, in less than two hours, 19 boxes were lifted and ced in front of everyone.


    At that moment, some of the guests at the back had already fainted from fear.


    The Crown Prince still acted as if he did not see anything. He only asked someone to invite the doctor over, but he was not willing to let everyone leave.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s expression remained the same. He even asionally sneered. As a member of the criminal division, Xie Pinggang was naturally very solemn at that moment. He observed the characteristics of these bones and tried to find some clues.


    Not to mention the people behind him, even Xie Qiao felt a little ufortable when she saw that.


    As soon as the corpses appeared, some of the ghouls that had been pressed under the water had also floated up.


    However, these ghouls were not very powerful. After they came out, they were like floating in the air, drifting about casually.


    After floating for a while, they finally followed behind the Crown Prince, as if they had smelled something delicious.


    There were quite a number of ghouls around the Crown Prince anyway, so it was not a big deal to have a few more.


    However, there was a ghoul in high spirits.


    At that moment, it was right beside her.


    It was also the same one who had warned her in the house.


    ¡°You¡¯re really lucky. Just as you were targeted, the Crown Prince tied up the bad guy. You definitely won¡¯t die, I¡¯m relieved,¡± the ghoul was still muttering softly.


    As it spoke, sorrow came from within, ¡°It can finally end. But, what should I do? I don¡¯t know where to go¡­¡±


    ¡°Follow me for now,¡± Xie Qiao whispered.


    The ghoul was stunned and looked at her, ¡°Are you talking to me?!¡±

 Chapter 359 - A Moth to the Flame

    <h4>Chapter 359: A Moth to the me</h4>


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly. The others were so scared that they lost their minds and did not pay attention to her.


    The ghoul saw her nod and suddenly started to circle in the air excitedly.


    A small tornado blew up around her and swept up a little dust on the ground.


    ¡°You can see me! Oh my, are you a living dead?¡± The ghoul tried to touch her, however, when it touched her shoulder, its fingers seemed to be charred. The pain made it grimace and scream, ¡°A-Are you a Celestial Master who can capture souls?! Wow, you¡¯re so powerful. I¡¯m in so much pain!¡±


    Xie Qiao could not say anything in front of many people.


    She could only smile helplessly.


    The lively ghoul quickly touched its injured fingers. After a while, it suddenly recalled, ¡°Then q-quickly tell the Crown Prince that it¡¯s him. It¡¯s Prince Consort Zhou! He¡¯s the one who killed us! He¡¯s really bad! The others were all drowned alive and trapped under the water, unable toe out. After a long time, they all lost consciousness. I was the only one. When I was thrown into the water, I lost my breath, so I could float around!¡±


    Prince Consort Zhou?


    Xie Qiao was surprised.


    She did not need to ask further. The ghoul beside her was chattering non-stop.


    ¡°Prince Consort Zhou is really bad! Ignore how talented he was when he was young, but in reality, s-something¡¯s wrong with him!¡± The ghoul was very angry, ¡°I¡¯m a distant rtive of the Zhou family. More than ten years ago, my Mother brought me to the capital. Because of my rtionship with the Zhou family, I came to their house as a guest and stayed there for a few days.


    ¡°But that day, after I ate my fill and fell asleep, when I woke up, I was locked in an empty room. The usually gentle Prince Consort Zhou became especially terrifying. He drew portraits of me and kept drawing. I don¡¯t know how many days he spent drawing. Later, he got annoyed and moved a big box to lock me inside.


    ¡°I kept struggling and struggling, and I didn¡¯t eat. I didn¡¯t have any strength. When my head fell on the box, I died. He thought I only fainted, so he stuffed me into the box and then sank to the bottom of the water.


    ¡°Later, many women were locked in the house like me!


    ¡°However, he was not satisfied with some of them. He drew a few pictures and starved them to death. He didn¡¯t throw them out and bury them. He just piled them up there, letting them rot¡­


    ¡°In the past few years, fewer people died. Unless he was in a bad mood, he wouldn¡¯t kill. However, if he saw someone as beautiful as you, he would still be tempted.¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she felt her scalp go numb.


    In other words, there were more than 19 corpses?


    No, including the princess¡¯ coffin, there were 20.


    ¡°Sigh, I pity my Mother. The day after I was locked up, my Mother was also gone. We didn¡¯t have a backer. We didn¡¯t have anyone at all. Many people in the Zhou family thought that we had left.¡±


    The ghoul sighed, ¡°Fortunately, my Mother didn¡¯t die in pain. She didn¡¯t know anything and just went down in a daze. She should¡¯ve been reincarnated by now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been drifting all these years. I don¡¯t know how to leave. Other ghouls can¡¯t leave the pond and the well of the Zhou Residence. As for me, I can¡¯t leave the Zhou Residence. Oh right, there was another ghoul of a maidservant who was killed by the water ghoul. That maidservant used to follow Prince Consort Zhou. She was also quite bad. She went to the front courtyard earlier, and I can¡¯t find her now.¡±


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips twitched.


    If she was not wrong, that maidservant¡¯s soul was destroyed by her.


    However, it was not her fault. Who asked that soul to charge directly at her?


    It was that soul that bumped into those talismans on her body. It was the case of a moth to the me.


    That was why, as a soul, you should learn to be more steady.

 Chapter 360 - My Sister is Timid

    <h4>Chapter 360: My Sister is Timid</h4>


    Two ghouls, one on the left and one on the right, obediently squatted by Xie Qiao¡¯s side.


    Princess Xingmo had a confused look on her face, while the other was angry, jumping up and down.


    Xie Qiao waved at her eldest brother and got him to the side. With a serious expression, she said, ¡°Eldest Brother, I still need you to deliver a message to the Crown Prince¡­¡±


    At that moment, when Xie Pinggang saw the corpse at the bottom of the pool, his mood had be much more solemn. Although he knew that Xie Qiao was hiding some important matters, now that he saw that it was rted to human life, he did not dare to belittle it. He suppressed the puzzlement inside of him and nodded directly, ¡°What do you want to tell him?¡±


    ¡°Prince Consort Zhou is a concealed man. The secret room of the Zhou Residence has a hundred bones crying together, and the mystery is in the Prince Consort¡¯s study, behind the painting of an immortal,¡± Xie Qiao braced herself and said.


    She had finished exining everything.


    Xie Pinggang looked at her with a much deeper gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to tell others,¡± Xie Pinggang gritted his teeth.


    It was no wonder that the Crown Prince wanted Xie Pinggang to take credit for that.


    Xie Qiao was a youngdy, and it was the first time she hade to the Zhou Residence. Her understanding of the Zhou family was a little too deep.


    It was a different case for him. He was a member of the criminal division.


    In order to solve the case, he had to gather spies in private. In the future, he only needed to tell the public that he had been investigating the disappearance of the woman for a long time and found evidence in the Zhou Residence. In this way, no one would suspect him.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I know what to do,¡± Xie Qiao replied obediently.


    ¡°After you go home today, tell me everything honestly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll chase Chun Er out of your courtyard!¡± Xie Pinggang threatened.


    He did not know what his eldest sister cared about. In his mind, he instantly thought of the loyal maidservant who was loyal to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips, ¡°Oh.¡±


    She could give an exnation. As long as she did not scare him to death, it would be fine.


    Xie Pinggang red at her, then walked over with a solemn expression and passed the message to the Crown Prince.


    He had to search the entire Zhou Residence.


    Now that he had Xie Qiao, his motive was even clearer. At the very least, he had already identified the murderer.


    At that moment, the Crown Prince saw that it was almost time. Only then did he ask Zhou Weizong to let the guests leave.


    The world had a prejudice against him. If he had let these people go in the beginning, who knew how manyments about how innocent the Zhou family was would spread out there. Now that they were frightened by the Zhou family, the situation was different.


    However, the effect seemed to be a little too obvious.


    The Crown Prince thought it might be a lot quieter recently.


    Letting a group of youngdies see the bones had some deterrent effect. Those irritating officials would not dare to think about pestering himtely.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, stay and apany your eldest brother,¡± the Crown Prince said coldly.


    When the others heard that, they all turned around and looked at her sympathetically.


    To have such an eldest brother, it was truly eight lifetimes of bad luck!


    She had been living a good life, but the investigation happened in the Zhou Residence. Now, they actually brought the Crown Prince to create such a bigmotion. It was really too frightening!


    Dong Xiyun looked at her mockingly.


    With a family member like that, no matter how kind the Xie family was, others would probably not dare to interact with her.


    Xie Qiao was very calm.


    Even after the others had left, she was actually relieved.


    A group of maidservants gathered together. The smell of cosmetics was very strong, and the smell of fragrance was even stronger. It was so strong that she almost could not breathe.


    Xie Pinggang looked at Xie Qiao with concern and then said to the Crown Prince, ¡°My sister is timid. Look¡­ get a screen to block her.¡±


    ¡°Your sister¡­ is indeed timid,¡± The Crown Prince chuckled and nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    She was so timid that she was digging up bones alone in the woodste at night.

 Chapter 361 - Confession

    <h4>Chapter 361: Confession</h4>


    However, as Xie Qiao was ady after all, it was a little disgusting for so many dirty and muddy bones to suddenly appear. The Crown Prince was very amodating.


    Not long after, Xie Qiao¡¯s surroundings were blocked by a screen. They even got a table with snacks and tea on it.


    Those busy guards and soldiers did not think much of it at all.


    The matter of the Zhou Residence was ¡°discovered¡± by Xie Pinggang. Since he and his sister came to attend the banquet, they naturally had to go back together.


    It would not be good if the little girl was frightened. It was reasonable to do so.


    After another two hours, the coffin that was weighed down by a big rock was finally carried up.


    The coffin was big and was slightly rotten.


    The bones inside were also salvaged. The Crown Prince immediately took off his robe and covered the body of the corpse.


    The honorable First Princess had actually sunk in the water for so many years!


    Through the screen, Xie Qiao could vaguely see that the Crown Prince¡¯s figure had be much colder, and her heart ached for him.


    That little wealthy man better not freeze. If his waist ached, tsk, his sex life would not be great.


    Xie Qiao hugged the heater and curled into a ball.


    ¡°Bring the Prince Consort here,¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s voice was cold and deep, like the sound of water flowing.


    At that moment, the members of the Zhou family had already been frozen in the courtyard for six hours.


    All of them were shivering. There were also some people inside who were confused. However, the olddy of the Zhou family and the Prince Consort¡¯s eldest brother knew clearly in their hearts.


    At that moment, they were extremely afraid.


    They had been exposed.


    ¡°We can¡¯t reveal the identity of that person¡­ for the sake of the lives of so many people in our Zhou family, Second Brother¡­¡± the Master Zhou said.


    Prince Consort Zhou¡¯s father had long passed away, but his mother was still around, so the two brothers had deep feelings for each other and still lived in this residence.


    There were also other stepbrothers and nephews in the family, and they were originally a flourishing poption.


    ¡°What on earth did you do?!¡± The other members of the Zhou family roared angrily at that moment.


    The olddy of the Zhou family was already in her sixties or seventies. She was cold and scared, and at that moment, she was already a little delirious. Her lips trembled, and she looked extremely pitiful.


    Prince Consort Zhou was dragged up.


    Not long after, he was brought in front of the Crown Prince.


    When he saw the rows of corpses and the old coffins, Prince Consort Zhou¡¯s stupefied face was somewhat different.


    Princess Luo Shu quickly rushed over and gave the Prince Consort Zhou a p on the face, ¡°Who killed these people? Don¡¯t take responsibility for them. These are human lives!¡±


    Prince Consort Zhou licked the corners of his lips and met Princess Luo Shu¡¯s eyes.


    Princess Luo Shu¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of begging.


    ¡°Prince Consort Zhou, the person in this coffin is my Imperial Aunt, First Princess Xingmo, right?¡± The Crown Prince asked directly.


    Princess Luo Shu turned her head in shock when she heard that, ¡°W-Who did you say this is?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Prince Consort Zhou calmly replied.


    Princess Luo Shu staggered for a moment.


    In an instant, her face paled as she red at her Prince Consort.


    ¡°Back then, my Imperial Aunt pretended to be a pce maid and left the pce together with a princess who was visiting her rtives. There was no news of her after that. In reality, she was killed by you,¡± the Crown Prince continued.


    Prince Consort Zhou was silent for a moment.


    He knew that he could not escape. The Crown Prince was so confident that he must have known everything.


    Thus, after a moment, he calmly nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The Crown Prince asked.


    Princess Luo Shu¡¯s entire body trembled, and her eyes were bloodshot!


    Especially when she saw the Prince Consort nod, in that instant, it was as if all her support had disappeared without a trace, and her heart was in extreme pain.


    ¡°Princess Xingmo¡­ was glorious. Men in this world¡­¡± there were some fluctuations in Prince Consort Zhou¡¯s eyes, ¡°Men in this world would fall in love with her, but that doesn¡¯t include me.


    ¡°I used to have a childhood sweetheart by my side. She was the daughter of a wet nurse. Her status wasn¡¯t high, but¡­ she was gentle and virtuous. She grew up with me from a young age, and I vowed to marry her!¡± At that point, a strong resentment appeared in Prince Consort Zhou¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 362 - Coward

    <h4>Chapter 362: Coward</h4>


    The Zhou family was an honorable family. Back then, Zhou Feiyuan¡¯s grandfather, the old master, was still around.


    The old master had taught two Emperors in session and was famous throughout the world.


    Yet, his grandson wanted to marry the daughter of a wet nurse. Howughable was that?


    However, at that time, Zhou Feiyuan was a stubborn and resolute person. He discussed with his parents all day long, fawning over them and acting coquettishly. In the end, he made the Zhou family nod to the marriage.


    ¡°Back then, Grandfather said that as long as I passed the examination and entered the imperial court, I would be able to make decisions for myself. However, Grandfather learned that the First Princess Xingmo wanted to choose a husband.


    ¡°She wanted to choose a husband, so those government-favored men in the capital had to stand guard for her to choose! Thete Emperor called Grandfather and asked him to marry Xingmo to me. Grandfather agreed.


    ¡°Ting Niang drowned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go home. I was wandering on the streets, but I saw the Princess wearing the pce maid¡¯s dress and having fun! She didn¡¯t know that there was a woman in this world who was injured and died because of her! I followed her closely and tricked her into getting into the carriage. I strangled her directly in the carriage. I dragged her back home and tied her up with iron chains, so that she could be tortured! But she was already dead, she couldn¡¯t feel the pain of Ting Niang sinking into the water!¡±


    Prince Consort Zhou¡¯s initially kind face suddenly changed and became extremely ferocious.


    Xie Qiao was far away, so she could not see clearly.


    Earlier in the house, she had even directly ignored this Prince Consort.


    He was too quiet and had always acted as if he did not exist. She did not expect him to be so ruthless secretly.


    ¡°I personally invited Grandfather toe and watch the execution. It¡¯sughable that Grandfather imed to be loyal, but at that moment, he was afraid. He acquiesced to me buying a coffin and throwing her into the water. A big rock pressed on top, and iron chains bound her body!¡±


    Speaking of that, Prince Consort Zhou seemed to feel a lot better.


    However, his heart was still empty.


    After Xingmo died, he seemed to have suddenly forgotten Ting Niang¡¯s appearance. He could not remember it no matter how hard he tried!


    He had been in the study for several days without sleep, but he could not remember a single characteristic of Ting Niang.


    In fact, every time he thought of Ting Niang, he could only remember the expression that First Princess Xingmo had looked at him before she died!


    It made him crazy and angry!


    He kept looking for the memories of Ting Niang. Every time he saw a person, a beautiful woman, he wondered if there was anything simr to Ting Niang on her face.


    Draw her!


    He had to draw her!


    He could not help but feel persistent. The people he drew looked like Ting Niang, and when those women were pushed into the water, they looked like First Princess Xingmo!


    The memories, the revenge, the pleasure!


    ¡­


    ¡°Did you record all of it?¡± The Crown Prince asked.


    The guard nodded quickly.


    These were all confessions.


    The words of Prince Consort Zhou¡­ Heh, it sounded as if he was deeply in love with her, but what did this have to do with First Princess Xingmo?


    That year, the First Princess was only 16 or 17. Although thete Emperor had taken a fancy to Zhou Feiyuan as the Prince Consort, he did not force her!


    If he had forced her, he would have just issued an imperial edict. Why would he ask Master Zhou for his opinion?


    Moreover, if he really had to choose Zhou Feiyuan, then he would not have chosen Zhou Feiyuan to be Princess Luo Shu¡¯s husband!


    It could be said that the Emperor had simply wanted to elevate the Zhou family and give them a chance. Master Zhou had to agree to it himself. What did it have to do with Princess Xingmo?!


    Moreover, look at how Princess Luo Shu had guarded the Zhou family for over 20 years now. The Zhou family had not shown any signs of failure at all!


    Were the benefits not obvious?


    The Crown Prince smirked coldly and looked at Zhou Feiyuan with disgust and disdain.


    ¡°A coward¡¯s move,¡± he only said that in a daze before he immediately put the person in shackles, ¡°Drag him away and put him in jail!¡±

 Chapter 363 - Tell Me the Truth

    <h4>Chapter 363: Tell Me the Truth</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing was patient and did not execute Zhou Feiyuan directly.


    Such a lowly person was only fit to live on in a corner. Letting him die was too easy.


    When Xie Qiao heard the Crown Prince¡¯s evaluation, she nodded in all seriousness.


    Well said.


    How could there be so much affection? He was just looking for an outlet for his own ipetence and cowardice. If it was really affection, when Old Master Zhou was still alive, he would go and settle the score with him, right?!


    Although he said that he was dignified, in reality, he was just as arrogant.


    Xie Qiao harrumphed.


    After a while, she found the secret room.


    After cleaning up the corpses, she counted over a hundred people.


    However, they should all be maids. Their statuses were low, so even if they died, it would be easier to cover it. Therefore, this Prince Consort Zhou¡­ was just bullying the weak and afraid of the strong.


    Was Princess Luo Shu not beautiful when she was young? She must have been extremely beautiful as well. Why was she not dead?


    Was it not because this person had already married into the family? If she died, the royal family would investigate the cause of death, so he could not kill her?


    Princess Luo Shu¡­ was in a daze at that moment.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is trustworthy. Although I know he killed people, I never knew that the first person he killed was my Imperial Sister,¡± Princess Luo Shu was in despair.


    Her birth mother¡¯s status was low, and she died early. She was raised by Consort Dowager Jiang when she was young, and was taken care of by the legitimate Princess Xingmo.


    When her imperial sister chose her husband, thete Emperor had given her several candidates. Zhou Feiyuan was the best choice.


    She also admired Young Master Zhou. Later on, she mustered her courage and told her imperial sister.


    Her imperial sister said that she wanted to go out of the pce to take a look. Perhaps she could meet a confidant, or perhaps, she would see if Zhou Feiyuan was someone she could entrust to.


    If she could entrust him, when she returned to the pce, she would tell her father to make Zhou Feiyuan the Prince Consort for Luo Shu!


    She was ecstatic and waited with all her heart.


    However, she never returned.


    Sometimes she thought that her imperial sister might have met a confidant and wandered the world unfettered.


    She never thought that¡­ she was harmed by Zhou Feiyuan!


    ¡°In response to Imperial Aunt¡¯sment, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯m trustworthy or not. I have to report it to the Consort Dowager before I can make a decision,¡± the Crown Prince was cold and heartless.


    Princess Luo Shu was in indescribable pain.


    Her husband and children had all been captured, and the truth of what had happened was shocking!


    The investigation of the Zhou family took a long time.


    However, when the sky darkened, Xie Pinggang took Xie Qiao and left.


    Those bones had been sent to the criminal division, waiting for their identities to be determined and for them to be properly disposed of.


    Now that the case was clear, the only thing left was to deal with the Zhou family, and it had nothing to do with Xie Pinggang.


    As soon as he returned to the Xie Residence, he took a stick and stood beside Xie Qiao with a smile.


    When he arrived at the living room, Xie Pinggang said fiercely, ¡°Tell me the truth! If I were to use the method I deal with the criminals, your life would be in danger!¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him and stretched out her hands, ¡°Eldest Brother, beat me to death. You¡¯re so fierce, I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡±


    Xie Pinggang felt ufortable all over.


    This girl, can she not learn from Xie Pingghuai? To be a little more stubborn?


    She was so cowardly and useless.


    ¡°Tell me, how did you know that something was wrong with the Zhou family? You even know how many corpses are in that secret room. Do you have irvoyant eyes and iraudient ears?!¡± Xie Pinggang was upset, but at the same time, he was more curious.


    Her ability was too great. If it was in the criminal division, what case could she not solve?!


    ¡°If I tell the truth, Eldest Brother¡­ You won¡¯t burn me, right? We are siblings from the same mother,¡± Xie Qiao asked in a low voice.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?! If you have something to say, say it quickly! Am I that kind of person who doesn¡¯t care about my family? If I really don¡¯t want to care about you, why would I bring so many portraits of men home?!¡±

 Chapter 364 - Not A Big Deal

    <h4>Chapter 364: Not A Big Deal</h4>


    Xie Pinggang snorted. It was not like he had nothing better to do.


    This little girl had no conscience. She told the Crown Prince a secret and did not even tell him. Could it be that the Crown Prince was even closer and more trustworthy than him?


    Xie Qiao was dawdling and hesitating. Xie Pinggang was waiting anxiously.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I¡¯ve been able to see some dirty things since I was young,¡± Xie Qiao went all out and said that.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What I said is that I can see ghouls. Some of them are floating around, and some of them are living like normal people. Some of them are vengeful spirits and fierce spirits that can harm people. I can see all of them. Also¡­ I was once possessed. It was the Winter Clothes Festival, and the Crown Prince happened to see me. He helped me out,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    After saying that, she sighed and sat down on the chair.


    She was quiet and extremely obedient.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned for a while.


    After a while, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.


    ¡°You little girl is trying to bluff your way out of this¡­¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    ¡°How did I know that it was a woman who killed the victim for the case you were investigating before? It was because I saw the ghost of the victim. He followed you back and told me everything about the victim. That¡¯s why I was able to help you,¡± Xie Qiao exined.


    ¡°Also, there was a resentful spirit at the candle workshop, so no one from the outside could enter and no one from the inside coulde out. After the resentful spirit was subdued by me, everything went back to normal,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Xie Pinggang sat down as well.


    Gulp, gulp, he poured himself a lot of tea.


    After drinking the entire pot, he seemed to calm down, ¡°When you sent the letter, didn¡¯t you say that Mo Lingzi was an enlightened master? He couldn¡¯t cure you of this problem?¡±


    ¡°I was born with it, he can¡¯t cure me,¡± Xie Qiao shook her head and epted her fate, ¡°Because I can see them, I¡¯m often affected by them. They would ask me for help and do things. This time, it was Princess Xingmo¡¯s ghoul that asked me to bring her home. It was because of that that the old bones at the Zhou Residence were found¡­


    ¡°My body is so weak because of the ghouls. Perhaps it¡¯s also because of the ghouls that I¡¯ve lived until now,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    She had already epted the fate very calmly.


    In the first few years of her reincarnation, she was a little unwilling, so she tried to get Mo Lingzi to change her fate.


    Unfortunately, she could not change it.


    In this life, she could either live until herst breath or die young.


    Of course, she would choose the former. She wanted to live until herst breath to make a difference. Moreover, it was quite interesting to help the ghouls solve theirst wishes sometimes.


    It would be even better if those ghouls would stop rushing over or scared her together!


    Of course, if she could run and jump, it would be perfect.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression was quite grave.


    He had even thought that maybe Xie Qiao had interacted with the Zhou family before, so she knew some things. He never thought that this was the truth!


    Now that she said it¡­


    Xie Pinggang remembered.


    His younger sister usually did not raise her eyes to look at people.


    She would often be absent-minded, and asionally, she would suddenly be frightened. Did that mean that¡­ she had met a ghoul?!


    Xie Pinggang was not afraid of ghouls.


    He was not even afraid of the living, why would he be afraid of the dead?!


    He was not a mncholic person.


    At that moment, he thought his sister was pitiful, but it was useless to pity her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just being able to see ghouls? It¡¯s not a big deal. Living person is almost the same as a dead person. Could it be that they can grow into a monster? My, my. You¡¯ve never been to a battlefield and have never seen what a dead person on the battlefield looks like. It¡¯s much scarier and more disgusting than a ghoul. Another day, I¡¯ll get someone to sketch it for you. You should take a good look. It¡¯s not a big deal!¡±

 Chapter 365 - Worked Together

    <h4>Chapter 365: Worked Together</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was very bold. After he finished speaking, he even nced at Xie Qiao with disdain, ¡°Tsk, we were born from the same mother. How could you have such good eyes? If it were given to me, how great would that be? I will interrogate those people in the criminal division, alive or dead. What case can¡¯t I solve?!¡±


    Hearing that, Xie Pinggang felt very regretful.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Eldest Brother¡­ I¡¯m very pitiful¡­¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    After saying that, she suddenly felt a little guilty.


    Why did eldest brother behave as if she had taken advantage of him?!


    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re pitiful, so pitiful,¡± Xie Pinggang did not have much patience, ¡°Don¡¯t you have the ability to capture souls? After learning so many skills, you¡¯re still afraid of ghouls. You¡­¡±


    At this point, Xie Pinggang was suddenly stunned.


    What was wrong? What was wrong?


    Xie Pinggang frowned and thought for a moment.


    After a moment, he turned to look at her, ¡°The incident at the candle workshop¡­ has something to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ yes?¡± Xie Qiao was about to answer subconsciously when she suddenly realized that she was exposed. Her heart jolted, ¡°A-A little.¡±


    ¡°No, you just told me that you were the one who captured the vengeful spirit, but it was clearly that master who captured it,¡± Xie Pinggang grasped the important factor.


    Xie Qiao immediately sat up straight with a solemn expression on her face, she subconsciously became anxious, ¡°So this is what happened. Actually, I went with the master back then. The master was inside while I was outside. Didn¡¯t I mention this to you? That Master Mo Chusheng is my master Mo Lingzi¡¯s junior sister, who is also my junior aunty. So¡­ I secretly learnt from her.¡±


    If her identity as Mo Chusheng was exposed, she would probably have to cower in fear if she used that identity to do things in the future. There would be many things that she could not do.


    Xie Pinggang fell silent for a while.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re capable, but I didn¡¯t expect that you, this girl, would be so proud to even dare to take the credit of that master,¡± Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at her.


    Xie Qiaoughed dryly, ¡°Junior Aunty Mo and I worked together¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it was all thanks to you guys that time. Otherwise, even the Crown Prince¡¯s life would have been lost inside,¡± Xie Pinggang nodded.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was stiff as she nodded obediently.


    Xie Pinggang sighed.


    ¡°With your physique, the doctor shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. But what you said earlier was right. It¡¯s always good to have more nourishment. Our Father will be able to get some benefits from bringing the troops out this time. When the timees, we¡¯ll add on to your supplement,¡± Xie Pinggang was actually worried.


    Not only did she have a short life, but her eyes were also different from a normal person¡¯s.


    It was inevitable that she would be scared out of her wits on a daily basis. How was she going to get married?


    It was probably not that easy to keep secrets between husband and wife. The men around him were not as bold as he was. If she scared her husband to death just after marrying him, not only would she not be able to give birth to a child, she would also bring disasters to her husband.


    The criteria for choosing a brother-inw had to be raised further.


    The man had to be bold.


    He had to not be afraid of ghosts.


    However, once this condition was out, those schrs would probably not be able to do it.


    It was better to find a military official.


    The more Xie Pinggang thought about it, the more he felt a headache. It was really not easy to raise a sister.


    Xie Qiao did not dare to say much. She sat down obediently. When Xie Pinggang waved to dismiss her, she stood up calmly and walked out gracefully.


    The Xie family had a peaceful night.


    However, it was different outside.


    The people who attended the Zhou family¡¯s banquet today were all in a nightmare.


    When they closed their eyes, all they saw was that terrifying skeleton!

 Chapter 366 - Good Ending

    <h4>Chapter 366: Good Ending</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The skeletons found in the Zhou Residence shocked everyone in the capital.


    The next day, almost everyone was talking about this matter.


    In the imperial pce, Princess Luo Shu knelt in front of the bed to beg for forgiveness. Her ck hair hung down, and she was in low spirits.


    ¡°You... I don¡¯t want to see you again,¡± Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s voice was haggard and hoarse, but one could still feel her majesty.


    ¡°Mother...¡± Princess Luo Shu quickly crawled to her, ¡°The Prince Consort has been sentenced to death, but my children... They¡¯re innocent and don¡¯t know what he has done. Please, spare them...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve no idea, what about you? As a mother, don¡¯t you know?¡± Consort Dowager Jiang looked at her with disgust.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that he killed my imperial sister! If I knew that the murderer was him, no matter how happy I was with him, I would definitely kill the enemy for my imperial sister!¡± Luo Shu quickly said.


    Hearing that, Consort Dowager Jiang looked at her with a strange gaze.


    ¡°I was wrong to love you in the past. You are far worse than Xingmo. You¡¯re fake. More than 100 lives were taken, and you pretended not to know. Do you really think that I me you for Xingmo?¡± Consort Dowager Jiang shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of being a member of the royal family.¡±


    The Emperor did not say anything.


    Now that he heard these words, he knew what to do.


    All these years, he had been very lenient to the Zhou family because of Luo Shu. If the Consort Dowager insisted on pleading for Luo Shu, it was possible to protect Princess Luo Shu and her children.


    However, at that moment, there was no need for a lenient punishment.


    The Zhou family¡¯s case was sentenced very quickly. Almost overnight, the entire family was destroyed.


    In March, the mastermind, Zhou Feiyuan, as well as Old Lady Zhou and the others in the Zhou family who knew about the crime, would be executed after the autumn of the following year. The others would be exiled 5,000 kilometers away. Princess Luo Shu would be demoted to amoner and imprisoned in the temple to help to release the souls of the dead, never to be released for the rest of her life!


    The Consort Dowager suddenly grew much older.


    ¡°Actually, all these years, I had already thought about it. If Xingmo was still alive, how could there have been no news of her? I just wanted to know who was so bold to harm her,¡± The Consort Dowager¡¯s tone was calm, as if she had not been greatly agitated.


    ¡°Zhou Feiyuan deserves to die. How dare he humiliate the royal family like this!¡± The Emperor was furious.


    ¡°I heard from the Crown Prince that it was all thanks to the eldest son of the Xie family that he was able to investigate this matter. He must be well rewarded,¡± the Consort Dowager added.


    The Emperor was a filial son. Now that he heard that, he immediately said, ¡°Rest assured, Mother. I¡¯ve already prepared to promote him to the criminal master of the criminal division. This kid is young, courageous, and capable. The Crown Prince has praised him a lot, so we will definitely not mistreat him.¡±


    The Consort Dowager nodded.


    He had found the bones of her daughter. Now that he had risen to the sixth-rank, it was actually still too low.


    However, he was still young, so it was not good to raise him too fast out of nowhere.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Now that my Sister¡¯s bones have been found, there¡¯s no need for her to suffer any more grievances in theherworld,¡± the Emperor added.


    They had already announced the news of the princess¡¯s death to the outside world, and there was even a mausoleum. However, this mausoleum had been empty in the past, and now, they had to bury her again.


    The Consort Dowager nodded tiredly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not been involved in worldly affairs these years, but I have more or less heard that the people outside are dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. When he was born, he became the Crown Prince. If he¡¯s unable to ascend to the throne in the future... I think it¡¯s better for you to pave the way for him as soon as possible so that he won¡¯t have a bad ending,¡± Consort Dowager Jiang said.


    Consort Dowager Jiang¡¯s meaning was obvious.


    If he would not be the next Emperor, then he should be abolished as soon as possible. He would be conferred the title of Prince and live an honest life in his fiefdom.


    After staying silent for a few years, even if there was a new Emperor in the future, he might be able to forget the Crown Prince¡¯s limelight over these years.

 Chapter 367 - Reward

    <h4>Chapter 367: Reward</h4>


    The Emperor was silent for a moment.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is courteous, virtuous, and filial. He¡¯s well-versed in both civil and military affairs. The position of Crown Prince cannot be taken away from him. As long as I¡¯m here, I will not allow him to be looked down upon and wronged by others. Mother, don¡¯t worry. In the end, this world belongs to Xuan¡¯er,¡± the Emperor¡¯s tone was slightly cold and did not allow any questions.


    Consort Dowager Jiang did not say anything else.


    In terms of talent and ability, the Crown Prince was naturally the most outstanding.


    ¡°The Zhou family wants to leech off my fourth son. This time, they¡¯re punished and serve as a warning to others. The Crown Prince did a great job. He should have had such a ruthless heart a long time ago,¡± the Emperor added.


    Consort Dowager Jiang was already a little tired, and her eyes and brows were listless.


    The Emperor saw that and retreated, allowing the Consort Dowager to have a good rest.


    ..


    Princess Xingmo¡¯s body had been dug up, but the ghoul had suffered serious injuries, so she did not recover her memories. However, subconsciously, she knew that her wish had been fulfilled.


    Xie Qiao brought her to the Fortune Pavilion and ced her in front of the immortals, waiting to send her away during the Qing Ming Festival.


    However, without Princess Xingmo¡¯s ghoul, Xie Qiao had another female ghoul that she brought out from the Zhou family.


    This girl¡­


    Was a little chatty.


    ¡°My Mother and I had a business. That ce has been abandoned for many years. If you help me fulfill my wish, I¡¯ll give that ce to you. Take a look at it!¡± This ghoul was quite sensible.


    However, Xie Qiao thought it was difficult to fulfil this girl¡¯s wish.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other rtives. Now¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do, but I just can¡¯t bear to leave. I died without experiencing anything in my life, and I died so miserably. I¡¯m really too pitiful,¡± the ghoul said pitifully.


    ¡°So?¡± Xie Qiao was not anxious.


    ¡°I want to stay a little longer. All these years, I¡¯ve been trapped in the Zhou family¡­ from a teenage girl to an old woman¡­¡± the ghoul said again.


    Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul and felt somewhat helpless.


    There was no change in her appearance.


    ¡°I¡­ will just stay by your side. I won¡¯t speak, and I won¡¯t touch you. When I¡¯ve seen and experienced enough, I¡¯ll leave,¡± the ghoul said again.


    Xie Qiao thought this ghoul might be a little troublesome. Maybe she wanted to get married or something, but she did not expect that she just wanted to look around.


    ¡°Yes, you can stay in the Fortune Pavilion. It¡¯s the New Year now, and many families will put out some offerings. You can eat some too,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The ghoul was very satisfied.


    Then, she reported her family property.


    ¡°It¡¯s a newly bought house in the capital. The location isn¡¯t bad either. It¡¯s just over third street on West Street. The deed to thend and the house deed, as well as my Mother¡¯s and my family property, are all hidden in the wall. It¡¯s just that we had only lived there for a few days¡­ You can take all of these things after you avenge me.¡±


    After the ghoul finished speaking, she brought Xie Qiao to take a look.


    Of course, Xie Qiao would not reject that offer.


    They arrived in a carriage.


    However, when they saw the house¡­


    Xie Qiao was shocked.


    ¡°How can it be so big?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not big, is it? It¡¯s not as grand as the Zhou Residence,¡± The ghoul smirked, ¡°When I was alive, Father was in business. The reason why the Zhou family was willing to let us live with them for a few days was because when my Father was alive, he gave his family a lot of money and benefits. After my Father died, my Mother and I failed to manage the family business and slowly declined. But we still have some family assets.¡±


    Xie Qiao pushed open the door and entered.


    It was a dpidated area, and the courtyard was filled with weeds and fallen leaves. It was extremely deste.


    Moreover¡­


    Not only had several parts of the house copsed, there was actually a ce¡­ that seemed to have caught fire.


    At that moment, there were even many beggars gathered inside. Xie Qiao was shocked and retreated immediately.

 Chapter 368 - Stupid

    <h4>Chapter 368: Stupid</h4>


    The ghoul went in and walked around, then came out with a dispirited look, ¡°How could this be? It¡¯s all gone. My Mother and my jewelry and everything in this house are gone!¡±


    Xie Qiao could but help but smile.


    ¡°This is all for you, and you¡¯re still smiling!¡± The ghoul stomped her feet.


    ¡°No one has taken care of it for more than ten years, so it makes sense. You don¡¯t have any gold or silver items, so naturally, you¡¯ll have other ways to repay me. Why shouldn¡¯t I smile?¡±


    Mo Lingzi had said before that one had to repay what one owed others.


    This ghoul owed her a favor. If she could not repay it with gold or silver, she would naturally have to use her luck to repay it.


    Perhaps, because of this luck, she would be able to live for another two days.


    ..


    Xie Qiao was quite happy. She was not in a hurry to go home. Instead, she walked toward the courtyard that the Lin family rented.


    The Lin family was not wealthy. When the steward rented the courtyard, he had also considered that point. He chose a more remote location and the surrounding area was filled with ordinary people.


    Xie Qiao bought some snacks and gifts and arrived not long after.


    When she stopped in the alley, she saw Xie Pinghuai standing in a ce with a conflicted look on his face. His facial features were almost squeezed together.


    ¡°What are you standing here for?¡± Xie Qiao walked forward and asked.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, can I go home? I don¡¯t want to stay here,¡± Xie Pinghuai asked pitifully.


    Xie Qiao looked in the direction where Xie Pinghuai was looking.


    However, he found that Grandpa Lin was in someone else¡¯s yard. He was squatting on the ground, helping someone to clean up the filth in his mouth. His hands and body were dirty.


    ¡°Grandpa Lin is saving someone?¡± Xie Qiao was a little surprised.


    ¡°Yes, he heard someone screaming. He came out and saw that this person was lying on the ground and convulsing. He even vomited disgusting things¡­¡± After Xie Pinghuai said that, he could no longer hold back his disdainful expression, ¡°It¡¯s too disgusting, Eldest Sister. This is even more disgusting than horse manure!¡±


    Just as Xie Pinghuai finished speaking, he heard Grandpa Lin say from inside, ¡°After cleaning up this filth, the convulsions have been stabilized. However, you¡¯ll still have to see a doctor. I¡¯m just a wandering doctor. If you¡¯re still worried, it¡¯s better to go to the medicine shop to check it out.¡±


    Grandpa Lin stood up very amiably. He wiped his hands and smiled. He left that person¡¯s house.


    Xie Pinghuai quickly turned to the side and distanced himself from Grandpa Lin.


    Grandpa Lin was stunned for a moment, then he said, ¡°It¡¯s dirty, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll just go back and wash up. If I didn¡¯t use my hands earlier, that person might have choked to death from the vomit. Look, it¡¯s such a small price to exchange for a life. It¡¯s worth it, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As Grandpa Lin said that, his footsteps were a little excited. He carried the medicine box back to his small courtyard.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, the Lin family members are all stupid,¡± Xie Pinghuai seemed to have found a backer, he said to Xie Qiao non-stop, ¡°Their family is very busy! This house has only been rented for a month, and they actually took on the job of a medicine shop. They have to produce medicinal ingredients all day long, causing the entire house to be filled with the smell. I haven¡¯t been able to sleep well these two days!


    ¡°That Aunt went out in the middle of the night to deliver a baby for someone else. She even insisted on dragging me along and asked me to help carry the things. I stood guard outside and heard the woman inside wailing and howling. It was really scary,¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes were ck and blue.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she curled her lips and smiled.


    Not bad, he should be tortured.


    When Xie Qiao entered the courtyard, he saw Xie Xi squatting on the ground and ying with a little ck dog.


    ¡°The salesman passed by yesterday and Xi¡¯er stared at the little ck dog. I bought it and let her keep it for fun,¡± Lin Yaxiang rubbed her hands, ¡°I don¡¯t know if the youngdy of a rich family can touch that, but it¡¯s not dirty.¡±

 Chapter 369 - Strange Noise

    <h4>Chapter 369: Strange Noise</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao stared at the little ck dog, lost in thought.


    Its ck hair had no ws at all. It was really rare. When it grew up in the future, this dog¡¯s blood would definitely be useful.


    Thinking of that, Xie Qiao¡¯s expression became awkward for a moment.


    Normally... she would not chase after the same dog for blood... she would only borrow some when she had no other choice.


    ¡°Aunt, you don¡¯t have to be so careful. Eldest Brother and I didn¡¯t think of getting some small animals to apany Xi¡¯er before this. You¡¯re really thoughtful,¡± Xie Qiao quickly said.


    Lin Yaxiang smiled, ¡°Your body isn¡¯t well. How can you take care of everything? I heard from Xi¡¯er that you fainted a few times aftering to the capital. I was thinking of asking my Father to take a look at you. Although his medical skills aren¡¯t very high, he has seen many strange and difficult diseases. Perhaps he can give you some suggestions.¡±


    Xie Qiao immediately agreed to this good intention.


    Grandpa Lin washed up and changed his clothes. Not long after, he walked out clean and brought up the matter. He took Xie Qiao¡¯s pulse on the way.


    His expression became more and more serious.


    In the end, he sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you were born into a wealthy family,¡± Grandpa Lin finally said.


    A wealthy family could buy many good supplements. Otherwise, she would not have been able to live until now.


    Xie Pinghuai also knew that Xie Qiao¡¯s life was short, so he was not surprised when he heard that. However, he secretly felt even more awkward.


    He should listen to his eldest sister. She did not have long to live, so no matter how much she tortured him, it would probably only be... one or two years. She would be able to die peacefully even if he endured it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t Father do anything about it?¡± Lin Yaxiang was very surprised.


    ¡°Sigh, that won¡¯t do. For the First Young Lady to be able to live until now, she must have a prescription. I won¡¯t show off in front of an expert,¡± Grandpa Lin put the things away and then added, ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing medicine for so many years. Sometimes, I encounter some strange patients. Those people seem to be possessed. Even if the medicine is right, they can¡¯t get better. I think there¡¯s something wrong with the youngdy¡¯s body. Maybe you should check it out at the temple instead?¡±


    When he said that, Xie Qiao almost gave him a thumbs up.


    Grandpa Lin was definitely capable.


    Moreover, he had many ideas. He actually found the root of the illness so easily.


    ¡°My Eldest Sister used to grow up in a Taoist temple,¡± Xie Pinghuai said.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s no wonder,¡± Grandpa Lin smiled, ¡°There are all kinds of strange things in this world. The First Young Lady¡¯s condition is quite stable. She might even live to be a hundred years old.¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled and retracted her wrist.


    Then, she stayed in the courtyard and ate a simple meal.


    Xie Qiao realized that Xie Pinghuai had be much more obedient.


    He actually did not snatch anything during the meal. His sitting posture was also good.


    Meanwhile, the three children of the Lin family stared at him and actually followed him. It was as if they recognized him as their boss.


    Xie Qiao felt much more at ease.


    However, as she was eating, Xie Qiao heard some noises faintly.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The sounds were very regr and did not stop.


    ¡°What¡¯s that noise outside?¡± Xie Qiao asked the Lin family members in puzzlement.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s from a cksmith shop. These two days, it will start ringing at this time, and it willst for about two hours,¡± Lin Yaxiang exined, then she said, ¡°But yesterday, I asked the neighbors, and they had a strange attitude, as if they didn¡¯t hear the noise.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    ¡°You guys can hear such a loud noise here, the neighbors must also hear something, right?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re used to it, so they don¡¯t think it¡¯s loud,¡± Lin Yaxiang smiled.

 Chapter 370 - Iron Head Technique

    <h4>Chapter 370: Iron Head Technique</h4>


    Xie Qiao had a vague feeling that the sound was not quite right. It was a little dull, almost far away, and it was somewhat unreal.


    It kept ringing, it was annoying.


    She went out to take a look.


    There were many houses in this alley. Every house had their front doors open, and she could see the scene in the courtyard at a nce.


    Only the door next door was tightly shut. There was no sound, and it looked lifeless.


    ¡°Why is no one living next door?¡± Xie Qiao asked casually.


    ¡°How did you know that no one is living next door? When we first came here, we thought someone was living next door. We even knocked on the door to pay our respects. Who knew that after knocking for a long time, we didn¡¯t see the neighbor open the door. Someone even told us that the door next door was empty,¡± Lin Yaxiang said without thinking too much, she said with a smile.


    Xie Qiao suddenly felt a little guilty.


    The house next door was most likely a haunted house.


    The steward who found the house was not very reliable. He actually did not mention such an important matter.


    Her new steward was quite honest. If he knew the situation next door, he definitely would not have brought the Lin family to live here.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and took out a few talismans that she carried with her.


    She called Xie Pinghuai over secretly.


    ¡°Each of you children will have one of these talismans. Carry it with you. Don¡¯t lose it,¡± Xie Qiao reminded.


    Xie Pinghuai took it and looked at it. These talismans were folded, they looked old and ugly. What use could these things be?


    However, seeing that Eldest Sister did not have many days left to live, Xie Pinghuai nodded obediently, ¡°Those little ones are scared of me. They¡¯ll do whatever I tell them to do. Don¡¯t worry, even if I tell them to eat this, they wouldn¡¯t dare to spit it out!¡±


    With a thump, Xie Qiao smacked his forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully,¡± Xie Qiao red at him.


    Xie Pinghuai still did not refute her. Instead, he said, ¡°Eldest Sister, is your hand made out of a steamed bun? It¡¯s soft and has no strength at all. I¡¯ve trained the iron head technique with my head. If you don¡¯t use some strength, I won¡¯t feel any pain!¡±


    Xie Qiao calmed herself down.


    This punk.


    ¡°Keep it well. If anything happens at home, send someone to look for me,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    It was a littlete now, so it was not good for her to go over and take a look. Tomorrow, Mo Chusheng woulde over instead.


    The Lin family had stayed here for a few days without any problems, so it was likely that this house would not have much of an impact for the time being.


    However, in order to avoid any idents, it was better to resolve it as soon as possible.


    Xie Qiao returned early.


    Xie Pinghuai was obedient and let the four people, including Xie Xi, stand in a row.


    ¡°Take this. The next time Eldest Sisteres over, if you still have it, I¡¯ll bring you guys to see the crickets!¡± After Xie Pinghuai said that, he looked at Xie Xi specially, ¡°If you still have it, I¡¯ll give you a cash.¡±


    He was very generous in the past.


    Now, he could only afford this little money.


    The four little ones nodded in agreement. Each of them held a yellow talisman in their hands and put it on their chests.


    Xie Pinghuai was quite proud.


    Although Aunt Lin was very fierce, his cousins were not bad. They were just too easy to bully and did not know much. He had to teach them a lot of things!


    After Xie Pinghuai handed out the talismans, he brought them to run around the alley. One moment, he taught them boxing, and the next, he taught them somersaults.


    Xie Pinghuai was powerful. He had only been here for a few days, but he had already recruited a few underlings.


    A few of the older children looked unhappy, ¡°You¡¯re so powerful. If you¡¯re capable, stay at Silly Mo¡¯s house for one night! If you dare to do that, we¡¯ll call you boss tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 371 - Get the Hell Out

    <h4>Chapter 371: Get the Hell Out</h4>


    When Xie Pinghuai heard that, his bad temper immediately red up. He raised his head and said, ¡°Who¡¯s Silly Mo? I¡¯ll go if I want to. Don¡¯t tell me he dares to hit me?!¡±


    When the other kids heard that, one of themughed out loud, ¡°Silly Mo is dead. When he was alive, he lived next to your house. My Mother said that you guys can often hear the sounds of nging in your house. Who knows, it might be Silly Mo who¡¯s looking for you guys!¡±


    The other kid immediately tugged at that person¡¯s clothes.


    The kid who said that panicked for a moment, ¡°Anyway, you guys wouldn¡¯t dare to go. His house is strange. There might be something dirty in it!¡±


    However, was Xie Pinghuai afraid of anyone?


    He turned his head directly and stared at the closed door of the house.


    Looking at it, there was nothing special about it.


    ¡°Alright, you guys wait for me!¡± Xie Pinghuai snorted and ran to the door next door without hesitation. He raised his foot and kicked it. With a bang, a cloud of dust rose.


    Xie Pinghuai turned around proudly.


    However, he realized that those kids had run away.


    He spat in disdain, ¡°A bunch of cowards. They don¡¯t keep their promises. Isn¡¯t it just a shabby house? It¡¯s not a big deal even if someone died in it. Who hasn¡¯t died in their house? Could it be that all of your ancestors are still alive?¡±


    After Xie Pinghuai said that, he stretched his head out and looked at the courtyard in front of him.


    It looked¡­ ordinary.


    However, it looked like a smithing stove with dust all over it.


    The courtyard was a little smaller than the Lin Residence. There were only two or three rooms, and there was arge locust tree in the courtyard. It was rather strange because very few people nted such things in the courtyard.


    ¡°This tree is quite tall. Should we climb up and take a look?¡± Xie Pinghuai turned around and asked Lin Dng.


    Lin Dng was only seven this year. He was a gentle and refined second son. When he was three or five, he could recite the Tangtou Gejue with Grandpa Lin.


    ¡°Cousin, this isn¡¯t good. After all, it¡¯s someone else¡¯s house. We can¡¯t barge in,¡± Lin Dng shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one in this house. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Xie Pinghuai did not care at all.


    Aunt Lu said that in this world, other than his father and eldest brother, he had to be afraid of those people who were higher in rank than his father. The rest would not matter. Even if he offended anyone, the family would be able to settle it.


    Meanwhile¡­


    It was just an ordinary house. He was not going in to steal anything. After taking a stroll, he would get out immediately!


    Xie Pinghuai walked in.


    ng! ng! ng!


    ¡°It¡¯s so loud,¡± Xie Pinghuai covered his ears. That noise could be heard too clearly here!


    He had a feeling that the noise wasing from inside the house.


    Xie Pinghuai walked over without hesitation.


    One step, two steps.


    There seemed to be a rustling sound under his feet. He turned around to take a look and scoffed.


    The courtyard had not been inhabited for a long time, so it was very quiet. After entering, his footsteps would naturally be clear, and it would appear very scary. The brats in the neighborhood must have heard these sounds, that was why they thought this ce was sinister.


    As for the nging sounds inside the house¡­


    ¡°Who is hiding inside?! Get the hell out!¡± He stood at the door and shouted loudly, ¡°If you don¡¯te out, I will go in! If I catch you, I will tie you up and bang a big gong on your ear the entire night!¡±


    No one responded, and the loud noise was still there.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good at scaring people,¡± Xie Pinghuai sneered.


    He pushed open the door and walked in with two feet.


    However, in an instant, with a whoosh, a strange wind outside blocked the door.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked around and found that the house was dark¡­

 Chapter 372 - Forging Iron

    <h4>Chapter 372: Forging Iron</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai pushed the door open, but the door remained unmoved. He jumped up and kicked it, but he bounced back and fell to the ground.


    He stood up in pain.


    Suddenly, he vaguely saw some strange red lights floating in the air like mes, moving up and down.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? Listen to mymand!¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted subconsciously.


    ng! ng! ng!


    ¡°Come over and hit me, hit me hard! Go ahead!¡±


    A big axe charged toward his face.


    Xie Pinghuai gulped hard.


    ..


    At that moment, the children outside had already been scared silly.


    ¡°Brother! Save Brother!¡± Xie Xi¡¯s face was pale. She ran toward the Lin Residence and ran inside. She pulled Lin Gangsong and Lin Cebo and said, ¡°The house has copsed.¡±


    The two sons-inw of the Lin family obviously knew that the house had copsed.


    They had heard such a hugemotion and saw such a huge amount of dust!


    ¡°Brother is inside,¡± Xie Xi and Lin Dng were extremely anxious.


    When these words were said, the entire Lin family panicked. They quickly ran to the side of the ruins and they were immediately stunned.


    The stone wall had fallen and the ground was filled with debris. Aunt Lin and the neighbors who heard the noise tried their best to climb up. When they climbed over the wall, they saw that the house inside¡­ had actually been smashed into a big pit!


    How could this person live?!


    The big locust tree had also fallen, and it was directly pressing down on the copsed house. At the top, there were beams and trees. They did not dare to move them easily!


    ¡°Quick! Quickly report to the authorities!¡± Aunt Lin¡¯s entire body was trembling. She was so anxious that she was like an ant on a hot pan, but there was nothing she could do.


    What if the person was still alive? What if they moved the things on top and identally pressed the child down again? What would she do?!


    ¡°Xie Pinghuai! Brat, if you hear me, respond to me!¡± Lin Yaxiang shouted.


    There was a hole at the bottom. It was dark and dirty. No one could see where this person was pressed under.


    There was no movement.


    Lin Yaxiang¡¯s heart turned cold.


    Someone immediately went to report the case.


    ¡°Get Sister, get her here,¡± Xie Xi pulled Lin Cebo with a bitter face. She was very persistent.


    Lin Cebo was helpless. Moreover, he should inform the Xie family about such a big matter. Therefore, he ran toward the Xie Residence.


    The house the steward found was not too far from the Xie Residence. It was also for the convenience of the two families.


    The Qian Yuan dynasty had curfews, but it waster than that. Although there were few people on the streets, they could still walk around.


    He knocked on the Xie family¡¯s door.


    When the steward heard that, he immediately reported it to Xie Pinggang and Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was grim. He put on his clothes and immediately got on his horse, leaving Xie Qiao behind.


    Xie Qiao¡­ did not dare to ride a horse.


    That brat had gone to the haunted house next door. She did not know what was inside that house. If it was especially difficult to deal with, riding a horse would consume most of her energy. She could only obediently let the steward prepare a carriage and then stagger over.


    When Xie Qiao arrived, many people were standing outside, including Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Many termite nests have been found inside. People from the government just came. They will need to find some chemicals to kill the termites before they can save him,¡± Xie Pinggang was calm.


    Aunt Lin looked serious. She looked even scarier when she was serious than when she was crying.


    ¡°This house hasn¡¯t been upied for a long time. That brat kicked it down and it copsed. He should be smashed,¡± Xie Pinggang remained vicious, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He has a tough life.¡±


    Xie Qiao was not anxious. It was useless to be anxious. She understood.


    At that moment, she was looking.


    There was dark energy in the pit. It was very dense.


    Moreover, there was a vengeful spirit in the copsed area. It was bare-chested and had no nose or eyes on its face. However, it was continuously¡­ forging iron.

 Chapter 373 - Repeat a Hundred Times

    <h4>Chapter 373: Repeat a Hundred Times</h4>


    ¡°Knock, knock¡­ Knocking hard¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao could hear the voice.


    She had never seen such a fierce vengeful spirit.


    The muscles and tendons all over his body looked like they could kill a person with a single hammer. His hands seemed to be on fire, and he was holding a long iron bar in his hand. He kept hammering it, emitting red light.


    ¡°When the termites are extinguished, your brother¡¯s¡­ little soul would be thrown into the furnace as firewood,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he lowered his head and looked at her, ¡°There¡¯s¡­ that thing here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a cksmith. He¡¯s quite fierce,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°Then go and get Master Mo,¡± Xie Pinggang hurriedly said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± Xie Qiao shook her head. Master Mo was here. It was a waste of time to leave ande back.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression turned grim. He let out a breath, ¡°What about you? Can you do it? Don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t handle such a minor situation despite being with Mo Lingzi for so many years.¡±


    ¡°I think I can, I¡¯m not sure,¡± Xie Qiao was timid.


    If she were Mo Chusheng, she would definitely nod her head mysteriously and agree without a word.


    However, in front of her eldest brother, she really could not be confident.


    Xie Pinggang was a little frustrated.


    ¡°This brat, why don¡¯t we just let him die in there?!¡± Xie Pinggang looked fierce, ¡°If you¡¯re not 100% sure, don¡¯t try. He¡¯s at the bottom. If something happens to you, we¡¯ll lose another family member.¡±


    Xie Qiao had already lowered her head and rummaged through her small cloth bag.


    She took out a few things and buried them in a few fixed spots around.


    ..


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai thought he was going to die.


    ¡°Knock, do you know how to knock? Come, follow me. Knock, do it quickly,¡± the voice was fierce.


    ¡°Stop shouting! I¡¯ll do it!¡± Xie Pinghuai huffed angrily. He grabbed the big hammer and went ng, ng, ng¡­


    After knocking it for less than ten times, Xie Pinghuai vaguely found a small white light spot.


    ¡°Idiot, repeat after me,¡± Xie Qiao was standing in the courtyard out there.


    Xie Pinggang asked the officials to drive away the people around. On Lin family¡¯s side, only Lin Yaxiang, who refused to leave, remained.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, where are you? There¡¯s a fierce idiot here who is asking me to knock something¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai yelled.


    Xie Qiao did not have the ability to enter one¡¯s dream. The talisman was for the soul.


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai could hear it, which meant that his soul had left his body slightly. When his soul left entirely, he would lose his life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, repeat after me!¡± Xie Qiao muttered, and then said, ¡°Heaven and Earth, the root of all qi. The golden light in my body, cover me¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xie Pinghuai was obedient, ¡°Heaven and Earth¡­¡±


    ¡°Turn a blind eye and turn a deaf ear to it! The sun rises in the east, pulling out the unknown. The demon is terrified, the spirit is dead. The lightning is in there, the thunder god is hidden¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was eager to say that this sentence was too long and he could not remember it.


    However, when Xie Qiao finished speaking, these words seemed to be echoing endlessly in his mind, and he subconsciously read them out.


    Then, he repeated one sentence after another.


    Xie Pinghuai felt a little tired and annoyed.


    However, when he thought of his short-lived eldest sister, he did not dare to disobey her.


    Moreover, it was as if he was emitting a golden light from his body as he chanted. It wasfortable, and he stopped hearing the particrly loud hitting noise around him.


    He felt much better inside, and he became more and more obedient.


    After chanting it a few times, Xie Qiao suddenly said, ¡°Have you memorized it? If you have, then recite it by yourself. Repeat it a hundred times. After a hundred times, pay me ten taels of silver!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll hit you ten times!¡¯ Xie Qiao thought to herself secretly.

 Chapter 374 - Untitled

    <h4>Chapter 374: Untitled</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai chanted over and over again.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was fully focused on dealing with the vengeful spirit.


    However, there seemed to be something wrong with it. She had initially thought that she should be multitasking, but she did not expect that the vengeful spirit would not attack her. Instead, it continued to knock and knock.


    The sky was getting darker and darker. Those people were outside the stone wall, so Xie Qiao could not be seen at that moment.


    Xie Qiao took out a suppressive talisman and the peach wood sword and struck at the vengeful spirit.


    With a bang, it hit the vengeful spirit¡¯s body, burning a big hole.


    The vengeful spirit lowered its head to look at the hole, then at her.


    Subsequently, it suddenly picked up the big hammer. ng!


    In an instant, Xie Qiao felt her brain almost exploded!


    ¡°It¡¯s not right for that brat to disturb your forging. If you let him out, I¡¯ll burn some more money for you, alright?¡± Xie Qiao said in a low voice.


    ¡°Knock, Knock, knock¡­¡± he continued to knock.


    Xie Qiao was furious.


    She raised her head and looked at the sky. Then, she started to walk in the direction of the peach wood sword and the Seven Star Talisman.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s secrets, Merak, Mizar¡­ look at the southern dipper on the right and the seven stars on the left. It¡¯s clear and spiritual. Under my heart, the origin of chaos in Heaven and Earth. Hear mymand!¡±


    The peach wood sword in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand seemed to have transformed into tens of thousands of stars as it smashed toward the vengeful spirit with a crackling sound.


    It directly smashed his furnace into pieces.


    The vengeful spirit¡¯s body was also smashed several times, and it was riddled with injuries. Xie Qiao immediately acted as if she was about to engage in a great battle.


    ¡°It¡¯s broken¡­ I can¡¯t knock it anymore, it¡¯s broken¡­ Mother, the furnace is broken¡­¡± the vengeful spirit actually started crying directly.


    Xie Qiao looked at him suspiciously.


    The vengeful spirit¡¯s face was distorted, but when it started to cry, Xie Qiao realized that there was something wrong with its bone structure.


    Was this¡­ a retarded vengeful spirit?


    At that moment, Xie Qiao felt a little embarrassed.


    The spell earlier was very powerful.


    She was afraid. Such a strong vengeful spirit was quite scary.


    ¡°Mother, the furnace is broken. The furnace is broken¡­ I can¡¯t forge it anymore¡­¡± the vengeful spirit continued to cry.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment, ¡°How about¡­ I¡­pensate you one? How about this, youe with me, I¡¯ll put you away. When we get back, I¡¯ll carve a new furnace and burn it for you?¡±


    ¡°I need the furnace. I need to work, I need to work,¡± the vengeful spirit repeated.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, it¡¯s done,¡± Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    When the vengeful spirit heard that, it actually became obedient and did not look as fierce anymore.


    Xie Qiao was secretly marveled. She hurriedly took out the yellow talisman to collect the vengeful spirit and chanted an incantation. Immediately, she captured the vengeful spirit!


    It was actually very smooth!


    Once the vengeful spirit was captured, the rest needed to be salvaged by humans. Xie Qiao got out to inform Xie Pinggang before the termite exterminators started to take action.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, the one living here is a silly vengeful spirit. He looks quite pitiful. I didn¡¯t spend much effort to capture him,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Pinggang nodded, ¡°I asked around earlier. The one inside¡­ was called Silly Mo. His brain hadn¡¯t been working well since he was young. He was bullied when he grew up. His parents were worried that he would starve to death in the future, so they brought him to learn how to forge iron. They built a big furnace at home for him to practice. He only knew how to hammer but not how to shape. His parents scolded him. For some reason, the hot iron hit his face and he died. After he died, his parents felt guilty and upset, so theymitted suicide on the locust tree,¡± Xie Pinggang exined.


    Xie Qiao fell into silence for a while.


    ¡°No wonder he kept talking about knocking,¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    He was a pitiful person.


    Logically speaking, such a silly person should not be able to be a vengeful spirit.


    Perhaps it was because after so many years, even though he was silly, he could understand. Everyone was rejecting and hating him, so unknowingly, it left a shadow in his heart.


    After death, he was not reincarnated, and he even became a vengeful spirit for some reason.

 Chapter 375 - He’s Out

    <h4>Chapter 375: He¡¯s Out</h4>


    Xie Qiao hade into contact with many ghouls, but this silly vengeful spirit was the first. Moreover, after bing a vengeful spirit, it obediently guarded this small courtyard. Only this one knew how to forge iron.


    She had no idea what this foolish younger brother of hers had done to upset Silly Mo.


    She reckoned that if other timid and pitiful children had barged in, they would not have caused this house to copse to such a state.


    Now, she had to clear away those termites to prevent them from spreading to other ces.


    The entire Lin family was so anxious that they could not sit still.


    The family could not fall asleep. They squatted at the entrance of their own small courtyard and waited.


    After Xie Qiao came out of the broken courtyard, she saw that they were nervous. She could not help but console them, ¡°That kid¡¯s skin is rough and his flesh is thick. Earlier, I heard him shouting inside. It¡¯s fine. I reckon that when the sun rises, he will be dug out.¡±


    ¡°Did you really hear him?¡± Grandpa Lin looked nervous.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Grandpa Lin¡¯s mentality had also changed at that moment, ¡°Previously, I always wanted to acknowledge these two children as my kin. Now that I¡¯ve really acknowledged them as my kin, such a big thing has happened after only raising them for two days. If something really happens, I don¡¯t even know how to face my dead daughter.¡±


    Xie Qiao could understand Grandpa Lin¡¯s thoughts.


    He had originally wanted to bring them home to personally teach them, but in the end, this person almost lost his life.


    He did not know how much guilt he felt in his heart.


    ¡°Sir, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve watched him stay with you these past few days. He has indeed improvedpared to before. If you wouldn¡¯t dare to teach him in the future, then he might as well lie under that pit and note out,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s words were a little vicious.


    After the old man heard that, he frowned and looked at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been in the capital for a few months. When I got home, I found out that this kid used to be ignorant and ipetent. When he was about ten, he went to a brothel and was thrown out by the procuress. Some of the children in the capital who are as old as him already have a good reputation and would sit for the elementary schr examination. As for him, he still doesn¡¯t know all of the primers. I found him a teacher. On the surface, he is obedient, but secretly, he often speaks rudely about that teacher. If he doesn¡¯t straighten things out, when his wings grow bigger in the future, it will be difficult to control him. In the future, if he bes a scourge, he might as well die in there now,¡± Xie Qiao said seriously.


    A brothel?!


    Grandpa Lin was shocked.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she leaned against the door.


    Seeing her pale face, Grandpa Lin thought this youngdy¡¯s words were harsh, but she must be worried about that kid.


    ¡°Your body is weak, so you can¡¯t get worked up,¡± Grandpa Lin said quickly, ¡°If they really fished him out, I will teach him. I will definitely teach him diligently.¡±


    He went to a brothel¡­


    How could he marry a wife in the future?


    ¡°Eldest Brother and I don¡¯t expect him to be sessful. Father is not the type to ace academically, so it¡¯s impossible to expect him to do well. In the future, most of our family will have to follow the path of a military official. We have to let him be able to distinguish right from wrong and understand some military books¡­¡± Xie Qiao added.


    In fact, the requirements could be lowered a little.


    It was fine as long as he did not bring trouble to the family.


    The Xie family was not popr in the past, and even Xie Pinghuai did not have many friends in the academy.


    It was also thanks to this that even if he wanted to, he could not fight against the enemies.


    Grandpa Lin was already thinking about how to teach this child in the future.


    He was going to school and did not see much of him in a month, so he had to make good use of this time.


    While Grandpa Lin was worried and anxious, the sun cast its first ray of light, seemingly driving away the remaining bad luck. Finally, someone shouted, ¡°He¡¯s out! He¡¯s out!¡±

 Chapter 376 - Going to Die

    <h4>Chapter 376: Going to Die</h4>


    Everyone exerted strength and carefully dragged Xie Pinghuai out.


    Grandpa Lin was a doctor, so he immediately went forward to take a look.


    Xie Pinghuai had already fainted. His small face looked pale and lifeless, but no one knew what he was mumbling about.


    It was obvious that this kid was dreaming and was still talking in his sleep.


    ¡°His head isn¡¯t hurt. H-His hand seems to be fractured a little bit. It¡¯s fine. He just needs to recuperate. His legs are fine,¡± Grandpa Lin heaved a sigh of relief.


    After he finished speaking, Xie Pinggang strode forward and gave Xie Pinghuai a p on his face.


    Grandpa Lin was so scared that his entire body trembled.


    Only now did he notice¡­


    The eldest son of Bandit Xie.


    With just a nce, his pair of old arms and legs became a little clumsy and weak.


    Meanwhile, Lin Yaxiang frowned and was also shocked. However, she reacted quickly and immediately went forward to support Grandpa Lin so that the bandit¡¯s son would not be implicated.


    ¡°Turn a blind eye and turn a deaf ear¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was still reciting when he was suddenly woken up by a beating. He almost jumped up, ¡°Who hit me?! E-Eldest Brother¡­¡±


    He looked at Xie Pinggang with his bruised eyes and buried his head in fear.


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡± Xie Pinggang sneered, ¡°You have guts, brat. You don¡¯t sleep on a good bed, but you like sleeping in a coffin? Why don¡¯t I change the bed in your room? I¡¯ll dig a big hole for you to fill in some soil, and you can go down and live there? When you miss me, you¡¯ll stick your head out and find me?¡±


    Xie Qiao was so scared that she coughed a few times.


    She carefully took two steps back.


    The hostility was too strong, so it was not suitable to interact with him.


    Xie Pinghuai felt he was wronged and was confused, ¡°Eldest Brother, why are you here¡­¡±


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t here, you wouldn¡¯t be here anymore,¡± Xie Pinggang really wanted to kick this brat to death, ¡°Open your stupid eyes and look around. Everyone here hasn¡¯t slept all night because they want to be with you! Don¡¯t you know your Eldest Sister¡¯s health? If anything happens, I¡¯ll chop you up!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was so scared that he started to hup.


    One after another, he did not stop.


    His small eyes secretly nced around.


    Then, he was stunned.


    What was going on?!


    ¡°How¡­ did it copse¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s voice was extremely low, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­ hic! I kicked it, right¡­ but I remember¡­ I remember¡­ hic¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai thought for a moment.


    Suddenly, he could not tell the difference between reality and dreams.


    He remembered that he kicked the door open, but it did not copse. Instead, he went to a dark ce. Then, there was a silly man who kept forging iron and even let him do it. That big hammer was so heavy that his arm was almost broken¡­


    His arm¡­


    ¡°Tss¡­ it hurts! I¡¯m in so much pain! Am I going to die?!¡± Xie Pinghuai covered his right hand with his left hand. He only reacted at this moment.


    Everyone was speechless.


    He had been crushed for so long, but he had not been conscious all this time?


    Was it not a little too slow to react now?


    However, this kid was really lucky to be alive at that moment.


    If Xie Qiao knew what others were thinking, she would have said something.


    How could her foolish brother be lucky? He offended a vengeful spirit. It was easy for the vengeful spirit to take his life? The reason he was alive was because of the talisman from yesterday!


    ¡°Brother, you owe me ten taels of silver now,¡± Xie Qiao said suddenly.


    The price was naturally more expensive since she had toe here in the middle of the night.

 Chapter 377 - You Are What You Eat

    <h4>Chapter 377: You Are What You Eat</h4>


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai had an innocent look on his face. He looked around nkly and felt that he had been abandoned by the world.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I dreamt of you yesterday. Hic, you even asked me to recite the book a hundred times. You said¡­ hic, if I finish reciting it, you will reward me with ten taels of hic¡­ silver. Why is it the other way around now? I owe you ten taels of silver? Hic¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai said carefully.


    Xie Qiao smiled.


    She looked at Xie Pinghuai gently, looking especially mesmerizing.


    ¡°Silly brother, you said that it was a dream?¡± Xie Qiao narrowed her eyes, then she said to Aunt Lin, ¡°This person has been fished out. It¡¯s not a big deal. Although this arm is broken, he still has another one. It doesn¡¯t prevent him from helping you guys with your daily work. Aunt, take him back. Oh right, although this hand can¡¯t write, he can still recite. I¡¯ll have to trouble Aunt to supervise him.¡±


    Lin Yaxiang heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°Alright.¡±


    This kid was so mischievous. He really deserved to be punished.


    However¡­


    Lin Yaxiang looked at Xie Pinggang and Xie Qiao. This family seemed to have a very bad temper. If they were to use voilence against Xie Pinghuai, it would not work.


    Earlier¡­


    Did she not say that Ms. Lu doted on him?


    Lin Yaxiang thought for a moment. This kid was soft-hearted. Now that he had hurt his hand, she wanted to take this opportunity to cultivate a rtionship with him. It would be more convenient to teach him in the future.


    Thinking of that, Lin Yaxiang looked at Xie Pinghuai with much gentler eyes.


    After the officers and soldiers left, Lin Yaxiang walked up and said gently, ¡°Child, you really got us worried to death. If anything happens to you, I won¡¯t be able to live anymore. I¡¯ll go with you. The two of us will go to see your mother together¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai opened his mouth, he was rendered speechless.


    It could not be that serious, right? He was not that close with his aunt¡­


    However, she was so gentle, so he could not scold her back. So he said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just an arm. Hic, I don¡¯t feel pain!¡±


    ¡°Silly child, you don¡¯t have to hold on in front of your aunt. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you home. What do you want to eat?¡± Lin Yaxiang¡¯s voice was gentle as she continued, ¡°You are what you eat. I¡¯ll make big bone soup for you, okay?¡±


    ¡± ¡­ Okay.¡± Xie Pinghuai answered in a daze.


    These few days, Grandpa Lin told him that his mother and aunt looked very simr.


    It was just that her mother¡¯s personality was gentle, and aunt¡¯s personality was a little more fierce.


    Lin Yaxiang brought Xie Pinghuai away, while Xie Pinggang frowned.


    Ms. Lu had just left. Thisdy from the Lin family better not be like Ms. Lu.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, don¡¯t worry. Aunt Lin is good,¡± Xie Qiao whispered when she saw him like that.


    ¡°If you say she¡¯s good, then she¡¯s definitely good,¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a moment, nodded and left without a worry.


    When Ms. Lu was around, Xie Qiao rarely took the initiative to deal with her, and she had never praised her. Her eyes could see the dead and the living very urately.


    Xie Qiao returned to her residence.


    As it was the new year, Xie Pinggang rested at home.


    The Xie Residence was not very lively. Xie Pinggang was only ying with his weapons in the courtyard. The best weapons had been sold. Now, he was waving a big saber with a look of disdain. Only a brave servant was left in the courtyard to serve him, the others avoided him.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s side was even quieter.


    She kept her word. At that moment, she found a piece of good wood. She took out her tools, and began to carve carefully.


    Arge stove and arge hammer.


    Xie Qiao thought of the vengeful spirit and thought he was pitiful. She thought about it and carved many lifelike patterns on therge hammer. It looked even more magnificent.


    She was not in a hurry to burn the things. After the vengeful spirit was put away, she did not dare to release it easily. She had to get rid of his vengeance first.

 Chapter 378 - Don’t Anger Me

    <h4>Chapter 378: Don¡¯t Anger Me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After the carving was done, Xie Qiao ced it at the Fortune Pavilion.


    The Xie family weed a joyous event after the new year.


    It was Xie Pinggang¡¯s promotion.


    A few months ago, he was just an errand boy without an official position. In such a short period of time, he was promoted to sixth-grade and became a criminal master!


    At this rank, if necessary, Xie Pinggang could directly interrogate officials above fifth-grade!


    This shocked many people.


    For a time, the threshold of the Xie family was about to be broken.


    In the past, the reputation of the Xie family was bad, but now it had changed. Moreover, there was such an outstanding and promising young man. Not only that, he was at the age of marriage. Many small families of officials had their attention on him.


    As for the rumor of him being fierce and vicious?


    That did not matter. It did not matter who the girl married? Perhaps only this fierce-looking man would dote on his wife.


    Other than Xie Pinggang, there were also many matchmakers who were asking about Xie Qiao.


    The Xie family did not have a madam, so the matchmakers could only look for Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang was a little impatient. He simply let these matchmakerse at the same time. They were all sitting in the room. When they were all here, he finally showed up.


    ¡°I won¡¯t talk too much. If you want to marry my Eldest Sister off, I have a few conditions,¡± Xie Pinggang was very straightforward.


    The matchmakers were so scared that they almost lost their smiles. They nodded stiffly, ¡°D-Do tell¡­¡±


    ¡°He has to be brave. If he¡¯s timid and would be scared when he sees a snake, insect, rat, or ant, then forget it!¡± Xie Pinggang raised his voice, ¡°This is the first condition, and the second is character. Having a concubine is fine, but the prerequisite is that when she dies, he¡¯d have to keep his promise.¡±


    The matchmakers thought they had heard him wrong.


    When the youngdy died?!


    Yes, they had indeed heard of the youngdy of the Xie family having a short life.


    However, no matter how short her life was, she had lived until now. What if this youngdy had a long life and could not give birth to a child? Would that not mean that she would have no descendants?


    ¡°Our family¡¯s requirements aren¡¯t high. Family background isn¡¯t important, education... doesn¡¯t matter. As long as his health is good and fertile, that¡¯s enough,¡± Xie Pinggang still thought he had suffered a loss.


    The matchmakers¡¯ could not smile at that moment.


    It was normal that the family had their conditions when marrying the daughter off.


    The conditions of the Xie family were not too high, but it sounded different when it was said by Young Master Xie.


    The matchmakers came quickly and left quickly.


    Xie Pinggang was quite angry.


    He ran to Xie Qiao¡¯s courtyard and saw her ying with wood in her hands. She was actually in the mood to carve a small wooden figure. Xie Pinggang sighed and said, ¡°Why can¡¯t you be more proactive? Didn¡¯t the Fang, Feng, and Meng families send you an invitation? If you go out and meet people more often, there might be a suitable male in their family. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Xie Qiao lowered her head and blew at the shavings on the wood, ¡°Isn¡¯t Eldest Brother the same?¡±


    ¡°I can still live for a few decades, can you?¡± Xie Pinggang raised his voice.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and said slowly, ¡°Eldest Brother, don¡¯t anger me.¡±


    Xie Pinggang red at her. He angered her just like that?!


    He had not even started to say the harsh words!


    ¡°Eldest Brother, do you know Dong Xiyun¡¯s younger sister? The second daughter of the Dong family? She¡¯s a little younger than me and is quite pretty. She also has a very good smile,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly thought of this matter and raised her head to ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know her,¡± Xie Pinggang did not even think about it.


    ¡°Think about it carefully. Did you talk to her? Especially before being wronged by Dong Xiyun,¡± Xie Qiao had a serious look on her face.


    Xie Pinggang furrowed his brows, pulled a long face, and remained silent for a long time.


    ¡°I think someone said that her surname is Dong... I think... When I was drinking outside, I kicked a conman. That conman happened to be targeting a woman... At that time, that woman didn¡¯t want to let go. She grabbed my sleeve and refused to let go. She insisted on telling me which family she was from. I thought that the woman wanted me to send her home.. It was really troublesome, so I didn¡¯t bother with her.¡±

 Chapter 379 - Talk About Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 379: Talk About Secrets</h4>


    When the matter was brought up, Xie Pinggang still had a troubled expression on his face.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she wanted to punch his Eldest Brother in the head.


    He was insensible!


    If that girl wanted him to send her home, she would have said it directly!


    She kept talking about who she was. Obviously, she wanted to get to know each other and interact more in the future¡­


    ¡°Eldest Brother, that girl probably¡­ wants to befriend you and thank you for saving her life,¡± Xie Qiao had a profound look on her face, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl. Why should I befriend her? She¡¯s so soft and weak. Don¡¯t tell me she can apany me to the horse race and y with my saber?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression of disgust was especially obvious.


    Xie Qiao had nothing to say.


    He could only be so foolish.


    He would never be able to get a wife in his lifetime.


    In the future, he will work hard. When he died of old age, perhaps the history books would even write this¡ªthere was an official who looked like a bear, had a voice like a tiger, and had eyes like bronze bells. He was extremely ugly. When women saw him, they would run away. He was a strange person.


    Thinking of that, Xie Qiao grinned at Xie Pinggang, taking pleasure in his misfortune. Her smile was like a flower.


    ¡°First Young Master, His Highness, the Crown Prince is here. H-He¡¯s in your backyard,¡± Xie Qiao was thinking when the steward ran in in a panic.


    Xie Pinggang immediately stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll greet His Highness. You¡­ Reflect on yourself!¡±


    ¡­reflect?


    What did she do wrong?!


    Xie Qiao snorted, ¡°I want to go too.¡±


    ¡°His Highness is a man. What are you going to do?¡± Xie Pinggang looked at her with a frown.


    ¡°Your Highness is good looking, I will take a few nces at him. I will be satisfied even if I die,¡± Xie Qiao said casually and ced the wooden figure back into the box. Then, she asked with a smile, ¡°Your Highness has been waiting for a long time. Eldest Brother, are youing? If you are not, I will go by myself.¡±


    ¡°You wish,¡± Xie Pinggang was extremely disgusted.


    This darn girl, she wanted to talk about secrets with the Crown Prince again, right?


    What was there to chat with the Crown Prince?


    That was right, this Crown Prince was¡­ handsome, but she could not marry him and have children with him. All that effort would be in vain!


    Xie Qiao walked out of the house, and it actually started to snow outside.


    The snow fell, and it was so cold that her entire body trembled.


    She naturally did not look for the Crown Prince just to take a few nces, but to give him something.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s problem of attracting ghouls needed to be cured.


    She had already told the Crown Prince about the situation in the East Pce earlier, and she had no idea if anything had changed¡­ In any case, there was no harm in taking a look.


    Xie Qiao wrapped herself up tightly, like a big red dumpling.


    Xie Pinggang was initially a little worried, but when he saw her thick appearance, his face rxed significantly.


    She was dressed like a fat kid. Unless the Crown Prince was blind, he would not take a fancy to her.


    Zhao Xuanjing was standing in the backyard, fiddling with Xie Pinggang¡¯s heavy broad saber.


    He only had Zhou Weizong with him, and Zhou Weizong stared at the broad saber, his eyes almost popping out.


    This Xie Pinggang actually used such a heavy weapon!


    ¡®Your Highness had held it for so long, don¡¯t tire yourself out!


    ¡®Especially that hand!¡¯


    Zhou Weizong had been staring at it, his eyes filled with resentment. After a while, Xie Pinggang and Xie Qiao arrived, and only then did they restrain themselves.


    ¡°Minister Xie, seeing the cold gleam of this long saber, you must¡¯ve seen blood, right?¡± Zhao Xuanjing directly spared them the trouble of bowing, and said.


    ¡°Yes, back then, we used this one when my father and I were fighting barbarians out there. Unfortunately, this thing was forged in the vige, and the handle of the saber was very rough. I got a good spear earlier, but my father¡­ sold it to someone else. When I have enough money, I¡¯ll get it back,¡± as he finished speaking, Xie Pinggang was clenching his teeth.

 Chapter 380 - Mirage

    <h4>Chapter 380: Mirage</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard her brother¡¯s words, she was curious. How did this person survive until now?


    Who was the person in front of him?


    The Crown Prince!


    In the future, this world would belong to him. And now, Xie Pinggang actually brought up the matter of the bandit mountain stronghold. Was he not telling the Crown Prince that the Xie family was a bandit in the past?


    His brother¡¯s promotion to this position was all thanks to his good luck.


    ¡°Speaking of divine weapons, I heard that the Shanhai Academy has quite a few. When the academy was founded, there were two deans, one civil and one in martial arts. Dean Wu was an old general, and he gave all his treasures to the academy. Unfortunately, the dynasty values civil and gives lesser attention to martial arts. The many treasures are still in the treasure pavilion. Very few people can win them back,¡± the Crown Prince said, throwing the broad saber in his hand to Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang had never heard of such things before, ¡°What weapons do they have?¡±


    ¡°There are all kinds of weapons. Spears, swords, halberds, and axes. They even have the meteor hammer,¡± the Crown Prince said.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes became passionate.


    It was as if he wanted to rush into the academy immediately and take the things.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, the Crown Prince said that we can only win them,¡± Xie Qiao added slowly behind him.


    ¡°How do we win? Can the people outside enter?¡± Xie Pinggang was anxious. He was afraid that if he went a momentter, the thing would slip out of his hands.


    Xie Qiao was a little helpless, so she sat on a chair under the corridor and listened.


    Zhou Weizong seemed to be worried that the Crown Prince would be tired from talking, he immediately said, ¡°Of course the people outside can enter. They can spend money to register and pass three tests. However, after so many years, there are not many people who have sessfully passed the tests. Now, they are either a regional general or a military official who are powerful in the imperial court.¡±


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    If someone could pass the test, it meant that the difficulty was low.


    Seeing Xie Pinggang¡¯s rxed expression, Zhou Weizong continued, ¡°The first test is about the g formation of war. The second test is about riding and archery, and the third test is about martial arts. Young Master Xie, don¡¯t underestimate the difficulty. Take the riding and archery test as an example¡­ Even the requirement to pass the test of shooting from a hundred meters away is considered low. The academy actually came up with a move called the Mirage. It is to use the reflection in the water to hit the target.¡±


    It was even more difficult than what Zhou Weizong had said.


    Every time someone participated, the situation was different. Sometimes, they would have to determine if the target was real or fake, and the target would even move. There were even cases where the target had to be hit multiple times within a specified time.


    There were even fewer people who could pass the Mirage.


    However, the rewards from the Shanhai Academy were very generous.


    Those who participated in this test would also receive a lot of attention. Apart from the academy¡¯s rewards, the imperial court would also reward them sometimes.


    ¡°How much is the registration fee?¡± Xie Pinggang asked again.


    Zhou Weizong looked at him in surprise, ¡°Do you really want to participate? The registration fee is not expensive. It¡¯s free for the students from the three academies, and the people outside would pay 500 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it a try!¡± Xie Pinggang was aggressive.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. The weather is still too cold. Minister Xie, it¡¯s better to wait a little longer,¡± the Crown Prince smiled, ¡°Riding and archery skills are certainly not difficult for you, but there are a lot of books to memorize for this art of war. I¡¯ll get someone to send you a box in a while. Minister Xie, you should be ready after studying for a few months. When the timees, you¡¯ll be able to amaze everyone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Xie Pinggang bent his knees and cupped his fists. He was very solemn.


    The Crown Prince was even more enthusiastic. He quickly helped him up.


    Xie Qiao could feel that her eldest brother¡¯s loyalty to the Crown Prince was rising tremendously.


    The Crown Prince was simply¡­ speaking to his heart.

 Chapter 381 - Bad Stuff

    <h4>Chapter 381: Bad Stuff</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not know much about Xie Pinggang¡¯s abilities.


    As for the Crown Prince, she was even more confused.


    The Crown Prince hade all the way here in the freezing cold to give him military books. These military books were even more precious than other books, and the Xie family only had a few of them!


    Back then, when she was in the Taoist temple, it was because she had met the old teacher that she was able to learn some of them.


    It was just that she did not understand all the things about fighting and killing. She had never been to the battlefield, so naturally, she would not be able to flexibly use all kinds of formations and tactics. It was just that she had more books to memorize.


    Could it be¡­ that the Crown Prince wanted to train his confidant?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s thoughts were running wild.


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang was so happy that he wanted to showcase his saber skill to the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince was not worried that Xie Pinggang would identally chop off his head. He actually sat under the corridor and watched.


    Behind the Crown Prince, there were still many ghouls.


    Xie Qiao asionally nced with her side eyes and found that these ghouls were very obedient.


    ¡°Has Your Highness¡¯ East Pce feng shui been changed?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Qiao who was curled up into a ball and was pitifully cold. He actually reached out and poured a cup of warm tea for her.


    Xie Qiao frowned. The feng shui did not seem to have any effect on chasing away the ghouls.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s nobility was still there, but it was strange that these ghouls would not leave.


    She had set up some formations in the Xie family to mediate the dark and Yang energy. Those particrly weak ghouls should not be able to enter. Therefore, at that moment, the ghouls behind the Crown Prince were all clear-headed and their souls were rtively strong.


    Xie Qiao took out a yellow talisman.


    ¡°Are you going to reincarnate?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly asked.


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned, and he looked a bit ufortable.


    Zhou Weizong was stunned. He looked at Half-immortal Xie suspiciously and looked left and right, ¡°A-Are you talking to me? Half-immortal, I¡¯m alive and well. What¡¯s the reincarnation for?¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Weizong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly stretched out his head and asked, ¡°But recently¡­ My be has been dark. Will there be a bloody disaster?!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked up at him and shook her head.


    Zhou Weizong felt a chill inside of him. Could it be¡­ that he was hopeless?


    At that moment, the ghouls around them began to chatter loudly.


    ¡°So this girl can really see us. It¡¯s a pity that she doesn¡¯t have dragon energy. Otherwise, it would be more interesting to stay by her side!¡±


    ¡°Little girl, let¡¯s not go down there. I spent a lot of effort to squeeze others away. I¡¯ll be ranked first. When I absorb some more dragon energy, I¡¯ll definitely be rich and noble in my next life,¡± these ghouls were all very resistant.


    Xie Qiao was helpless.


    There were too many ghouls. She could not forcefully subdue all of them. It would take a lot of energy and talismans. Moreover, the ghouls around the Crown Prince came in an endless stream. Even if these ghouls were gone, the next wave would appear before long.


    There were thousands of ghouls in this world. It was impossible to subdue all of them.


    If there were living people, there would be dead people. There would be souls that were unwilling to leave!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ve been in good spirits recently. I¡¯m a little stronger than before,¡± Zhao Xuanjing was calm. It did not seem like he had been affected by the ghouls.


    Xie Qiao felt sorry for him.


    The dragon energy had dissipated and the ghouls had surrounded him. He was still doing well even after so many years. It was clear that if he was normal, he would be like the sun in the sky. No one could shake the position of Crown Prince. In fact¡­


    Such luck would also affect a country. When he ascended the throne, the weather would be good and the country would be peaceful.


    ¡°The things I gave you are still of some use. This feng shui has a lot to do with luck. It¡¯s just that it can¡¯t change this¡­ dragon energy,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was soft.


    She thought that the possibility of problems urring in the imperial mausoleum and the dragon veins should be rtively small. It was still the Crown Prince himself who most likely came into contact with some bad stuff.

 Chapter 382 - Confiscation, Exterminate the Family, and Destroy the Ancestral Land

    <h4>Chapter 382: Confiscation, Exterminate the Family, and Destroy the Ancestral Land</h4>


    What exactly was it that caused such a strong evil energy?


    Xie Qiao could not figure it out.


    At that moment, she took out the talismans that she had inscribed for the Crown Prince the past few days.


    She handed over a thick stack of them, ¡°You have a noble status. They wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you in the first ce, but with these, they would usually be slightly further away from you.¡±


    Once they were far away, the dragon energy would not be sucked away so easily.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, you¡¯ve inscribed so many talismans. Aren¡¯t your hands tired?¡± Zhao Xuanjing took them with a serious face. Suddenly, he turned his head and put the peeled melon seeds on the te in front of her. He smiled casually, ¡°This tiny problem is nothing important.¡±


    ¡°Tiny problem?¡± Xie Qiao was confused.


    The problem was huge!


    In her life, she had only seen one person who could attract ghouls like that.


    She would attract ghouls as well, but the nature was different. She could see them, so the ghouls came to her. But the Crown Prince¡­ was just a piece of dragon meat. Who did not want to have a bite?


    ¡°Even ghouls¡­ once lived in the world, right? In that case, why don¡¯t you help me draw these dirty things that always hang around me? I¡¯ll send the portraits to the Ministry of Revenue and investigate their ancestors and descendants thoroughly. If there are any living descendants, I¡¯ll kill them all,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said, drinking a cup of tea quietly, ¡°Confiscation, exterminate the family, and destroy the ancestralnd.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him in a daze, holding a melon seed in her hand.


    The moment Zhao Xuanjing finished speaking, Xie Qiao saw the ghouls around him drift away in an instant.


    ¡°Does this trick work?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at her with a smile.


    Xie Qiao nodded in a daze.


    It worked quite well.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. In the future, if I meet Young Lady Xie and there¡¯s something dirty standing by my side, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to describe it. I can draw it myself,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said slowly.


    Zhou Weizong secretly took a step back.


    He did not dare to look around.


    He got it now. Even if Half-immortal Xie did not perform the ceremony, she could still see between both worlds.


    And..


    It turned out that His Highness did not like people standing behind him¡­ Zhou Weizong was in a daze.


    The ghouls around him were quite timid. Not a single one was left.


    It seemed that they all had rtives in the world of the living.


    Xie Qiao gave him a look of praise.


    ¡°After all these random ghouls have left, don¡¯t you feel a little better when you look at me, Young Lady Xie?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said slowly and proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard before that these evil things are afraid of evil people. Now that I¡¯ve said that casually, they¡¯ve all escaped. It seems that the rumors are right.¡±


    ¡°This is not a bad idea. When an evil person is full of anger, his liver would be full of fire. If his liver is full of fire, his Yang energy will naturally be strong,¡± Xie Qiao nodded seriously. Then, she looked at the Crown Prince suspiciously and changed her tone, ¡°What did the imperial doctor who checked His Highness¡¯ pulse say?¡±


    Could it be that he was lying?


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, if you keep talking, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to extinguish the fire in your liver,¡± Zhao Xuanjing red at her and said in a deep voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. One day, Young Lady Xie will know better than anyone else whether my body is weak or not.¡±


    There was a sneer on the corner of his lips, and it seemed that he was thinking about something else.


    Xie Qiao had always thought he was strange, especially that look in his eyes. It was as if he was sulking, and he was handsome and good-looking.


    ¡°What imperial doctor? Is His Highness not feeling well?¡± At that moment, Xie Pinggang withdrew his hand, strode over, and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just that my liver is on fire,¡± Zhao Xuanjing enunciated thest four words clearly.

 Chapter 383 - A Good Sister

    <h4>Chapter 383: A Good Sister</h4>


    Xie Qiao had seen many people who were weak on the inside. It could all be seen through their appearances that she could determine from their physiognomy at a nce.


    On the Crown Prince¡¯s face, she did not see any damage, but perhaps there were some people in this world who hid their problems deeply?!


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for Your Highness to be hot-tempered. It declines when it crosses the line. Do you understand? Moreover, the yin and yang of the five organs also emphasizes on being bnced. If you are too hot-tempered here, you might be weak there. It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness, she was very serious, ¡°But it¡¯s okay. Your Highness is still young. Just take care of your body.¡±


    ¡°Take care of it? There¡¯s no need for that. I can just bnce it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly said. ¡°Minister Xie is here. There are some things that we can¡¯t say. Young Lady Xie, it¡¯s better to talk about this some another day, ¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    Bncing¡­ yin and yang?


    That was indeed something that could not be said.


    Xie Pinggang did not like the atmosphere at that moment. What could not be said in front of him?


    ¡°Your Highness, my Sister¡¯s eyes are not very good. It is not a big problem, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Xie Pinggang said quickly.


    ¡°Minister Xie Is right. Young Lady Xie¡¯s mind is pure. That is why she can see things that others cannot see. I heard that there are many experts in this world. They spend all their effort cultivating for a lifetime, but all they seek is the ability to understand yin and yang, ¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded, he stopped peeling melon seeds.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    That was right.


    ¡°Minister Xie, are you worried that I¡¯ll report this matter to Father and interrogate her?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression tensed.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned, ¡°Minister Xie, do you think I¡¯m such a despicable person? I¡¯ve never lied these days. Why do you have so little confidence in me?¡±


    Xie Pinggang thought back.


    What did the Crown Prince say to him¡­?


    Well, the Crown Prince said that he admired his ability. He said that although the Xie family did not have a good background in the early years, they were very conscientious since entering the capital. Even the daughter of the Xie family had a noble heart.


    The Crown Prince saw that he had been loyal all these years, which was why he thought so highly of the Xie family.


    ¡°I care about my Eldest Sister and overthink it. Please forgive me, Your Highness,¡± Xie Pinggang said embarrassedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this again,¡± Zhao Xuanjing sat upright with a serious and upset face. After a while, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t take this matter to heart. You two have a deep sibling rtionship, so I¡¯m happy.¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not think too much about it.


    ¡°Minister Xie has such a good sister,¡± the Crown Prince said casually.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned for a moment.


    His sister was not bad.


    Xie Pinggang did not y with swords and sabers. Instead, he talked about the case in front of Zhao Xuanjing. On the surface, he was careless, but he observed the case in detail. When he talked about serious matters, he could not stop talking.


    As he spoke, he said, ¡°Now that Sister can see things, it¡¯s useless to be sad over it. This case is quite suspicious. Why don¡¯t you invite her to take a look at the criminal division? Maybe you can meet the ghoul of the victim and ask him clearly?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression changed dramatically.


    She did not want to! She heard that the ghouls at the criminal division were extremely ugly and scary!


    ¡°No, ¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°If you rely on your sister¡¯s eyes for everything, what¡¯s the use of the criminal division?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, ¡± Xie Pinggang nodded after thinking about it.


    It was okay to rely on ghouls to solve cases asionally, but if he did it over and over again, it would make him not know how to improve himself, and¡­


    Xie Pinggang turned around and nced at Xie Qiao. Seeing her pale face, he felt guilty, ¡°I¡¯m just saying. What is there to be afraid of?¡±

 Chapter 384 - Filial Piety

    <h4>Chapter 384: Filial Piety</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang sighed.


    He had only thought of the victim. Now that he saw Xie Qiao¡¯s pitiful state, the idea he had naturally disappeared.


    He could rely on his own abilities to solve the case, but he could not save this girl.


    Recently, he had to think about the Shanhan Academy¡¯s test, and time was running out.


    When his Father sent troops back, his eldest sister¡¯s marriage had to be decided. Iit could not be dyed any longer!


    Xie Qiao did not want to stay with Xie Pinggang at that moment.


    This guy¡¯s mind was filled with cases, and he told too many details. In her mind, she could already picture the scene of the bad guys killing people. It was too brutal.


    It was already quite painful to look at those ghouls, and she still had to listen to Xie Pinggang¡¯s description of the bloody scene¡­


    It was better to escape.


    Xie Qiao reluctantly looked at the Crown Prince again.


    After returning, it would be better for her to... paint this man.


    ...


    The Crown Prince was a man of his word. He had just left today, and the next day, he had someone bring tworge boxes of books over.


    Xie Qiao also ran over to join in the fun, and realized that she had actually memorized all the books.


    It made sense as she thought about it. The Crown Prince and she had the same master, so the things they taught were naturally the same.


    Xie Pinggang looked at these books with a serious expression, as if he had met a great enemy. However, he was actually quite patient. He gritted his teeth and really carried a stack of books back to the house. Not long after, the sound of reciting books could be heard.


    One after another, it was like thunder, buzzing and muffled. It was even rhythmic.


    Xie Qiao could not bear to hear another word, she immediately ran away.


    ¡°First Young Lady, someone came over from the old house today. They said that they want the Second Young Master and Second Young Lady to visit,¡± the steward told Xie Qiao about that.


    The old house?


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment before she remembered that uncle from the Xie family.


    ¡°No need to bother,¡± Xie Qiao directly rejected.


    This uncle of the Xie family was quite smart. He knew that she and eldest brother were not to be trifled with, so he chose the soft option.


    If Xie Xi and Xie Pinghuai were to visit, they would probably be coaxed away after a round of hospitality.


    ¡°But... that person said that the olddy misses her grandchildren and has not stayed with us for some time. If the Second Young Master and Second Young Lady don¡¯te, then the olddy... will have toe and stay,¡± the steward was quite troubled.


    That olddy... hade and stayed before. At that time, he was not the steward, but he was also deeply hurt.


    The olddy was not from a prestigious family, but she had many requirements.


    She had to eat and use the best. If anything was slightly not up to her standard, she would stir trouble.


    At that time, it was Ms. Lu who took care of the family. She was willing to give the olddy everything, but that made the old man from ounts worried sick. Every time he did the ounts, he would lose a lot of hair.


    ¡°Grandmother ising to live with us?¡± Xie Qiao was very surprised when she heard that. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Since Grandmother ising back, we can¡¯t stop her. We don¡¯t want to be used of being unfilial for no reason. If that¡¯s the case, then... send a few people over and bring her over personally.¡±


    ¡°Bring her over?¡± The steward was surprised.


    ¡°Yes, Father is very filial. How can he abandon his mother? Now that Father isn¡¯t here, as the daughter, I should share his worries,¡± Xie Qiao had a serious look on her face. She did not seem to care at all.


    When the steward heard that, he immediately nodded in agreement.


    Recently, the first young master received a reward. Before the master left, he had also found someone to lend him a sum of money. Now that the family expenses were sufficient, it was enough for the time being.


    However, it was probably not enough if the old madam came.


    Since the youngdy wanted to be filial, he could not stop her.


    At that moment, the old house was also panicking.


    It was the new year, yet not a single person from the second brother¡¯s family came over to give New Year gifts!


    Could it be that the fight with second brother earlier had really upset him?! So he did not even leave a message before he left?!

 Chapter 385 - Can’t Escape

    <h4>Chapter 385: Can¡¯t Escape</h4>


    When Ms. Lu was still around in the past, Xie Mangshan and the others only needed to secretly send a message to Ms. Lu to understand Xie Niushan¡¯s situation. However, things were different now.


    Ms. Lu was not living as well as them.


    No one knew what they had done to make second brother so angry that he actually divorced her.


    As for the nonsense that Xie Niushan had said earlier, the olddy and the others did not take him seriously.


    ¡°Old Madam, we¡¯ve brought news!¡± After waiting for a long time, they finally heard some news.


    They quickly called the person in to ask.


    ¡°How is it? What did Pinggang Say? Didn¡¯t I ask to get the two little ones toe and stay for a few days?¡± The olddy asked.


    If the little ones came, how could they not bring some gifts?


    ¡°Our First Young Lady said that the Second Young Master and Second Young Lady are currently staying at the external residence and have no time to visit. Today, I specially brought a carriage to fetch the Old Lady home. The courtyard is ready. You can stay as long as you want,¡± the Xie family servant said.


    The olddy¡¯s expression changed when she heard that.


    She quickly called her two sons to the back.


    ¡°That girl really wants me to stay at their house?!¡± The olddy was furious when she thought of that girl.


    ¡°I reckon she¡¯s sure that you wouldn¡¯t dare to go!¡± Xie Mangshan gritted his teeth, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re an elder. Just stay there. If she dares to do anything to you, just suppress her with filial piety!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. At most, this girl will say some harshments. She definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to mistreat you at all. After you move in, the two of us will be able to visit you. If we see that you have lost weight and suffered grievances, we can go to the government and sue her!¡± Xie Congshan added.


    If she refused to go¡­


    What benefits would they get in the future?


    They had been used to having their second son provide for their family for the past few years. However, there had been no news during the new year, causing their pockets to be tight.


    How could they eat and send gifts if they did not have money?


    The children at home needed their connection as well in their careers.


    ¡°But I just think that girl is strange. Look at thest time she came to our ce. All the things in the house were almost taken away by her. I feel uneasy going there alone,¡± the olddy was getting on in age now, she was getting more timid.


    ¡°Pinggang should be married by now, right?¡± Xie Mangshan suddenly said, ¡°I heard that this guy is now a sixth-grade official¡­¡±


    The olddy sighed, ¡°Such a good official, why isn¡¯t he my eldest grandson?¡±


    The children of Ms. Peng, the bandit, was unpleasant to look at.


    ¡°Ms. Jia has a niece who is now 17. Some time ago, her marriage was canceled and she¡¯s currently at home, feeling worried. Why don¡¯t you bring her along? Also, Second Brother isn¡¯t at home. As her grandmother,you can arrange a marriage for that girl, Xie Qiao!¡± Xie Mangshan added.


    Ms. Jia was not in the capital.


    After Xie Niushan became an official, Xie Mangshan gained a lot of benefits and brought the inw¡¯s family over.


    He bought a small courtyard. It was a little far, but they could take care of each other.


    ¡°Will Pinggang be willing? Your wife¡¯s niece is pretty good-looking, but she has a tricky temper,¡± the olddy frowned.


    ¡°You said it yourself. She¡¯s pretty good-looking. If we send this pretty girl home, no man will be able to escape, and there¡¯s no need to sacrifice her virginity. Just by touching her little hand, he will have to marry her! Now that Second Brother and us seem to be a little estranged, we should get hold of these two children!¡± The more Xie Mangshan thought about it, the more he thought it made sense.


    Not only did Xie Pinggang want to marry a wife, but Xie Pinghuai was also 13 this year, right?


    He could get engaged already!

 Chapter 386 - Good Life

    <h4>Chapter 386: Good Life</h4>


    The two brothers thought about it and thought they did not think it through in the past.


    At that time, they thought their second brother would be filial and would be able to take care of them for the rest of their lives. However, they did not expect his temper to be like the thunder in summer.


    The rtionship between them in the past was still too shallow.


    If the family wanted to be united, they needed to have an unbreakable blood bond or rtionship as inws!


    When the olddy heard what her two sons said, she felt reassured.


    Her son was right. Xie Qiao was just a little girl after all. She just had to get married.


    As for Xie Pinggang¡­


    That guy was a little fierce, but he did not have a wife to control him. Find him someone who could coax him. When the marriage was done, the rtionship between the two families would still be the same as before.


    ¡°Second Brother and Ms. Lu have divorced. Judging by his character, he will marry another one. Everyone is worried¡­¡± the olddy thought of Xie Niushan.


    ¡°I forgot about him,¡± Xie Mangshan was stunned, ¡°Second Brother is really troublesome. Wasn¡¯t Ms. Lu amazing?¡±


    Thinking about that, there were many things to be done in second brother¡¯s family!


    It was all that guy¡¯s fault for being insensible. He had to burden his two brothers to help him figure things out!


    At that moment, Xie Mangshan immediately asked Ms. Jia to go to his father-inw¡¯s house to invite the youngdy over.


    At noon, the youngdy was brought over. Only then did they ride the carriage to the Xie Residence together.


    The youngdy¡¯s name was Jia Huan. After getting off the carriage, her eyes were passionate as she stared at this high-door courtyard. Her heart was racing and somewhat excited.


    She knew Xie Niushan.


    In the past, her family was just an ordinary farmer. They dug for food in the crops. Although she was quite pretty, she helped out in the fields. Her skin was tanned and rough. Her life was hard and pitiful.


    Later on, Xie Niushan became an official and brought her aunt and uncle into the capital.


    Not only did he buy her uncle a courtyard, he had also rmended them for jobs. The work was profitable, so her aunt asked them to sell their family¡¯s fields ande to the capital.


    Only aftering to the capital did she realize that it was really a different world.


    She had been staying home. In the past two years, she had finallye outside, and her looks had be more and more beautiful. Unfortunately, she could never find a good husband.


    She wanted to live a good life.


    Before her¡­


    Was such a magnificent house. If she could live here forever, then her life on Earth would be worth it!


    ¡°Your Uncle-inw isn¡¯t home, and there¡¯s no one in the house who can call the shots. Stay here with me. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re upset about, just tell us. This family also has a girl who is a few months younger than you. That child¡­ is very smart. You just need to avoid her a little bit,¡± the olddy patted Jia Huan¡¯s hand, she smiled and led her people in.


    She had lived here before, and now that she had returned to her own home, she went to her courtyard first.


    ¡°Grandma Xie, do you live in this courtyard? This courtyard is bigger than our entire house!¡± Jia Huan was excited as she looked around, ¡°What about the others? Where does Cousin Xie live?¡±


    The olddy did not get mad when she heard her speak so bluntly. On the contrary, she was quite happy.


    ¡°There are quite a few big courtyards in this house. Ask the steward toe overter and show you around,¡± said the olddy.


    Jia Huan nodded repeatedly.


    The olddy looked around and found that there was nothing new in the courtyard. She was a little displeased.


    ¡°We¡¯re hungry. Let¡¯s cook ording to the portion I usually have. Make it soft and squishy. I¡¯m getting old and have weak teeth,¡± said the olddy.


    When the steward heard that, he said immediately, ¡°The First Young Lady said that you¡¯re old and shouldn¡¯t eat too much meat and sugar. You should eat more grains and vegetables. So your daily meals have already been ordered, and it¡¯d be difficult for us to change it. As for this y-youngdy, I wonder which rtive of the family you are¡­?¡±

 Chapter 387 - Gullible Sister-in-law

    <h4>Chapter 387: Gullible Sister-inw</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The olddy was immediately angered when she heard what the steward said.


    She said, ¡°I brought this girl here, why are you questioning us? ording to your First Young Lady¡¯s rules, you must treat her well! I¡¯m already so old, how many more days can I live? Do you think I¡¯d be able to live forever after eating grains and vegetables?!¡±


    The steward was quite calm on the surface, but when he heard that, he was deep in thought.


    ¡°ording to the First Young Lady¡¯s rules? I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s even more impossible. The money on the ount is scarce, and the food the First Young Lady needs to eat every day is tooplicated. Even our kitchen can¡¯t cook that. The small kitchen belongs to the First Young Lady¡¯s servant, so we can¡¯t order her around,¡± after the steward finished speaking, he added, ¡°I believe that Old Madam does not know what to do either. Since that¡¯s the case, I will check with the First Young Lady.¡±


    With that, the steward left.


    When the olddy saw that, she was so angry that she pped her thigh.


    ¡°This darn girl, she knew how to put on an act before, and now she¡¯s being high and mighty!¡± The olddy gritted her teeth, ¡°She really has no manners. When she was born, I was not there. If I was there, I would¡¯ve strangled her to death! Now there¡¯s this scourge left behind!¡±


    Jia Huan listened and felt envious.


    ¡°This First Young Lady¡¯s life is really good. She can eat whatever she wants, and even the steward listens to her,¡± Jia Huan looked outside, ¡°But girls must get married. After they get married, if they live with the inws and they¡¯re tortured, how could they still be strong-willed?¡±


    ¡°Hearing what you said, is there a suitable family for her?¡± The olddy asked.


    ¡°Grandma Xie, I¡¯m just saying. Who do I know who is willing to marry this youngdy? Aren¡¯t all the girls in our vige the same? No matter how much they¡¯re pampered at home, they have to be sensible when they marry,¡± Jia Huan said matter-of-factly.


    The olddy listened and let out a deep breath.


    Get married? Who knew when she would be able to get married.


    She had even heard that her health wascking. It would be bad luck if she died at home.


    The steward immediately went to look for Xie Qiao.


    When he saw Xie Qiao, he told him about the olddy and Jia Huan¡¯s situation.


    ¡°First Young Lady, I was thinking, since she doesn¡¯t like you, why did she bring her over? Your body isn¡¯t in good shape. What if something bad happens to you? How would that be good?¡± The steward was worried.


    Xie Qiao did not care much, ¡°Some people just never learn. I¡¯ll take advantage since my Father is resenting them to make them suffer a little.¡±


    ¡°But your reputation...¡± The steward hesitated.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t do anything to her,¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    The steward did not believe her.


    Xie Qiao put down the things in her hands, turned around and went back to the house to change her clothes. Then, she went to greet the olddy.


    She was serious and had a pure filial expression. She looked well-behaved, as if she was very close to the olddy.


    The olddy had never thought that she woulde over.


    She was scolding her at the top of her voice when someone stood outside the door.


    ¡°Grandmother, are you tired from scolding me? Take a sip of tea and rest,¡± Xie Qiao said as she personally went forward and brought a cup of tea to the olddy.


    She was respectful and polite. She did not look like she was insensible at all.


    It was the first time Jia Huan saw Xie Qiao. She was a little puzzled.


    Her? The eldest daughter of the Xie family?


    She looked like... a weak and useless person no matter what?


    She looked timid. What was there for the olddy to be angry about?


    Jia Huan thought that she was going to marry Xie Pinggang in the future. The person in front of her was her sister-inw.


    Forget it that she was a difficult person to deal with, but from the looks of it, she was really gullible.


    She quickly went forward and grabbed Xie Qiao¡¯s hand with a smile, ¡°You are Sister Xie, right? My name is Jia Huan.. I followed Grandma Xie here to visit. Thank you for taking care of me!¡±

 Chapter 388 - Clashing Fate

    <h4>Chapter 388: shing Fate</h4>


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    Jia Huan had just finished her sentence when the olddy choked on her tea.


    Xie Qiao looked at her hand and suddenly pulled it back with force.


    ¡°Just speak. Don¡¯t touch me. I don¡¯t like it,¡± Xie Qiao smiled and looked at the olddy, ¡°Grandmother, be careful with your tea.¡±


    Xie Qiao stepped forward and ced her small hand on the olddy¡¯s back to soothe her breathing.


    The olddy did not expect her to be so enthusiastic. She was shocked!


    She quickly stood up and lost her bnce. Her left foot collided with her right foot and with a thud, she fell to the ground!


    Xie Qiao covered her face in ¡°shock¡± .


    ¡°Grandmother!¡± She rushed forward and was extremely concerned.


    ¡°Grandmother Xie!¡± Jia Huan also rushed forward to support her.


    At that moment, Old Lady Xie was in a mess from the fall. Her leg and waist hurt. She looked ufortable as she struggled to stand up. However, she saw that Xie Qiao was very concerned as if someone had died in the house.


    ¡°What happened to Grandmother? Why are your legs so weak that you can¡¯t stand up? Could it be that you¡¯re abused by uncles at home?¡± Xie Qiao enunciated each word clearly, after she finished, she was a little upset, ¡°I¡¯ll send people to teach them a lesson! Who asked them to be so unfilial!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Old Lady Xie said with difficulty, ¡°It was you who startled me!¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, be careful with your words. I was being filial to you earlier. If your words were to be spread identally, you¡¯d be used of mistreating your granddaughter,¡± Xie Qiao took her time and sat down next to her, ¡°From now on, I¡¯lle every day. Grandmother¡­ take care.¡±


    Xie Qiao suddenly smiled.


    The olddy looked at that smile and thought it was a little strange.


    Xie Qiao came slowly and walked away slowly. She did not say much, as if she really came to pay her respects.


    However, the olddy thought about it carefully and thought it was a little strange.


    This wretched girl¡¯s fate shed with hers!


    How long had it been since she arrived here? She choked and fell. Fortunately, it was minor, or else she would have lost half her life!


    She was old, and this fall could be serious!


    It could be said that the olddy had guessed correctly!


    The olddy was Xie Qiao¡¯s rtive by blood. Although she was a generation away from her parents and brother, they could not be any closer. Would it not be a waste if she did not use her ability of harming her blood rtives with her fate on the olddy?


    The olddy had just arrived today. That was enough to scare her.


    Moreover, she was at home. It would be terrible to make a scene.


    ¡°This darn girl¡­ Ugh, she became so obedient suddenly, it scared me to death¡­¡± The olddy held her waist at the back and climbed into the chair.


    ¡°Grandma Xie, your granddaughter seems to be quite sensible. Look, she seems timid. She doesn¡¯t look very healthy and is so thin. It¡¯s not like what you said¡­¡± Jia Huan frowned.


    She thought Xie Qiao was a shrew.


    She was so weak. If she shouted twice, this person would probably be scared to tears, right?!


    The youngdy of the family was so weak and useless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on her! Just by relying on her ability to cry, she made that kid, Pinghuai, betray me! Before she came, that Pinghuai was the most obedient. But that day, he almost beat someone up because of this sister!¡± The olddy felt a chill inside her when she thought about it.


    How good was she to Xie Pinghuai?! Every time they met, he would call out to her with all his heart and soul. And what happened now?!


    He was taken away by the wolf for nothing!


    ¡°This youngdy has never been taught a lesson!¡± Jia Huan was a little disgusted when she heard that.


    The olddy cried out twice and muttered a few more words. In a short while, the food arrived.


    However, when she saw the food, the olddy was filled with anger inside.


    She did not even eat such light food at home!


    This girl had the nerve to ask someone to serve her such shabby food!

 Chapter 389 - Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 389: Cousin</h4>


    There were four dishes and one soup. Only one of them had a little bit of meat on it. The rest were all green.


    The olddy looked at them, she had lost her appetite. Jia Huan was fine. Her life could not bepared to her aunt and uncle¡¯s. It was rare for her to eat meat.


    She had eaten most of the dishes on the table.


    After eating, Jia Huan began to walk around. She found a maidservant to show her around to familiarize with the house.


    It did not take long for her to find out where Xie Pinggang¡¯s courtyard was.


    She walked straight in.


    When she came to the Xie Residence, she had specially put on the most beautiful clothes she owned.


    The cherry red dress on her was delicate and cute. Now that she was much fairer, the color really popped. Holding a butterfly-embroidered handkerchief in her hand, she stepped on her embroidered shoes and approached the window.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    When she got to the window, Jia Huan was shocked. She quickly retreated and fell to the ground.


    Xie Pinggang frowned and looked outside.


    She saw that Xie Pinggang had a rope tied to his head. His hair was hanging and there was a note stuck to his eyes. There were two des ced in front of the table. As long as he was sleepy and lowered his head, the des would definitely pierce his chin. If he was not careful, his throat might even be sliced!


    Jia Huan¡¯s scream made Xie Pinggang much more energetic, and his eyes lit up.


    He was in a good mood as he said to the outside, ¡°Bring me a cup of tea! It has to be bitter.¡±


    The corner of Jia Huan¡¯s lips twitched.


    What did he mean?! Did he think of her as¡­ a maidservant?!


    Her clothes were the best that she had. Even if she did not look like a nobledy, she should not be a maidservant, right?!


    The maidservant was taking a nap outside. When she heard the voice, she quickly responded. Only then did Xie Pinggang realize that he did not recognize the person outside.


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± The voice was like thunder.


    Jia Huan looked at Xie Pinggang.


    He grew a little beard. There was a note stuck on his eyelids, causing his eyes to look big, round, and fierce. His body was also huge. He was frighteningly fierce.


    However¡­


    This person was the most honorable person she knew.


    If she retreated now, she could only go home and meet other people. No matter what, eventually, the man she chose only had a few dozen mu ofnd at most!


    There was even a possibility that she would not be able to pick such a rich man.


    With that thought, Jia Huan stood up and walked slowly to the window, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m Jia Huan.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Xie Pinggang asked with a frown.


    ¡°I heard that Cousin is home, so I came to visit. Cousin, you can even read. You¡¯re really amazing. I don¡¯t understand these things. Do you need my help? I can help you tidy up the desk, do theundry, and so on,¡± that was¡­ all that Jia Huan could think of.


    Xie Pinggang thought about it, but he did not think that he had a cousin with the surname Jia.


    However, that was not important.


    ¡°That scream of yours earlier was pretty good. If you have nothing to do¡­e here every quarter of an hour and shout as loudly as you did earlier. It will wake me up,¡± Xie Pinggang expressed his thoughts very straightforwardly.


    That scream earlier almost deafened his ears.


    The effect was indeed great. Now his eyes were wide open. He thought he could recite a few more chapters!


    ¡°What?¡± Jia Huan was stunned and a little embarrassed.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then forget it. Just don¡¯t stand here and block my light,¡± Xie Pinggang did not make things difficult for her.


    If she was willing to do it, then do it. If not, then get out.


    He did not have extra time to deal with this cousin who came out of nowhere.


    Could she be from the Lin family?


    That was not right. The Lin family¡¯s surname was Lin, and the family was not that big.


    Xie Pinggang pondered for a moment, then turned a page, yawned, and continued reading.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Seeing that he was ignoring her, Jia Huan was also a little anxious, ¡°I got it, Cousin. Read your book at ease. I absolutely won¡¯t let you fall asleep!¡±

 Chapter 390 - Faster Than I Did

    <h4>Chapter 390: Faster Than I Did</h4>


    Jia Huan replied with a heavy expression. She really did not understand what was so good about that book.


    ¡°But cousin, aren¡¯t you already a sixth-grade official? Why are you still reading? You¡¯re making a lot of money just by being an official. In our vige, only those who can¡¯t get into the elementary schr rank would read,¡± Jia Huan could not help but say.


    ¡°Stop talking to me. It¡¯s too noisy. If you keep nagging like this, won¡¯t I be even more sleepy? It¡¯s enough to alert me every once in a while,¡± Xie Pinggang looked impatient.


    Jia Huan could not help but roll her eyes at Xie Pinggang.


    Was it not normal for a couple to nag at each other when they were together?!


    They would look at each other, only then would they have feelings for each other, right?!


    ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, why don¡¯t you take a nap? I¡¯ll make the bed for you, Cousin!¡± Jia Huan said boldly and went straight into the study room. She ignored the maidservant¡¯s shocked expression and barged in.


    There was also a bed in the study room. Jia Huan looked at it and her face blushed. However, she thought that if she really seeded, even if it was just a hug, the marriage would definitely happen¡­


    Xie Pinggang did not pay attention to her at all and kept staring at the book.


    Jia Huan made the bed and walked over shyly. She grabbed Xie Pinggang¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Cousin¡­ Are you tired? Let me massage your waist.¡±


    The maidservant outside was stunned.


    ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± The maidservant covered her face and ran away.


    She had to tell the youngdy!


    This new youngdy was a lewd andscivious woman!


    In broad daylight, when the first young master was reading diligently, she a-actually wanted to sleep with him!


    The maidservant had never seen such a scene.


    She had been sold at such a young age and had been trained for several years. She had only been brought in before the New Year. The first youngdy thought she was obedient and assigned her to take care of the first young master.


    At first, she was worried, butter on, she realized that the first young master was actually nice. His words were fierce, but he had never punished them. He was an extremely tolerant person, and also special¡­ pure of heart with few desires. He had never cared about these women!


    However, now, this youngdy actually wanted to lead the first young master astray!


    The maidservant panicked and ran all the way to Xie Qiao.


    After entering the door, she pounced over and knelt, ¡°First Young Lady, quickly save the First Young Master. That youngdy seduced him. S-She made the bed and nket for him. She wants to¡­¡±


    The maidservant was so anxious that her face was flushed.


    She could not say it.


    How embarrassing. How could that youngdy¡¯ expression not change? She was so shameless!


    The little maidservant was still young, only 12 or13. She was so anxious that she was about to cry.


    ¡°No need to panic. How can Eldest Brother be at a disadvantage?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but be amused, ¡°You¡¯re already here. Go y with Chun Er. Don¡¯t bother them.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. First Young Master is such a kind person. He can find a better family. That Cousin¡­¡± After the little maidservant finished speaking, she knew that she had made a mistake, she quickly added, ¡°First Young Lady, please forgive me. This humble one didn¡¯t intentionally make things up to boycott the Cousin¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no cousin in our family to begin with. She¡¯s just an outsider,¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°With First Young Master¡¯s temper, how could he really let her have her way? Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    On the other side, Xie Pinggang was pulled a little before he turned around to look at Jia Huan.


    Just because he had no interest to date women, it did not mean that he could not see through a woman¡¯s intentions.


    This Jia Huan actually took off her outer clothes.


    His face was gloomy.


    He picked up the de and sliced it above his head. The rope broke, and he pulled the rope down. He quickly made a circle and tied it around Jia Huan¡¯s body before dragging her out.


    On the other end, she was tied to a tree outside.


    He had her under control.


    ¡°What cousin? I won¡¯t fall for that. Which brothel are you from to be so unruly? Did I agree to do it with you? You took off your clothes faster than I did. I think you¡¯re feeling warm, so you can cool off outside!¡±

 Chapter 391 - What’s There to Look At

    <h4>Chapter 391: What¡¯s There to Look At</h4>


    Xie Pinggang looked at this fake cousin who appeared out of nowhere with disdain and got rid of her in frustration.


    It was dying his recitation.


    Jia Huan was both shocked and scared. No matter how hard she struggled earlier, she could not escape from this rope. And now, she was actually tied up here!


    She had taken off her cotton-padded clothes. At that moment, she only had a thinyer of clothing on her.


    In Xie Pinggang¡¯s courtyard¡­ There were not many people, but there were a few servants who were sweeping. They were all staring at her.


    ¡°What are you all looking at?! Look at me again, and I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out!¡± Jia Huan¡¯s face was filled with shame and indignation. Her entire body was trembling. She was angry and flustered.


    This Xie Pinggang!


    Did aunt not say that he was young and impetuous and that he would definitely not be able to resist seduction?!


    She had even taken off a piece of her clothing. Was her intentions not obvious enough? This person was actually u-unmoved, and not only that, he even treated her like that!


    Although Jia Huan had some ambitions, she was still young. At that moment, she was tied up here and could not move. For a moment, she could not help but cry.


    Xie Pinggang acted as if he did not hear her. He did not react at all.


    Jia Huan panicked as she cried. She simply criticized at the top of her voice, ¡°The Xie family is a bully. Xie Pinggang, you have ruined my reputation. You have to be responsible for me. Otherwise, I will report you to the administrative office!¡±


    The servants were stunned.


    Where did this cousine from? Why was she behaving like a shrew?


    Although they did not know what had happened in the room, the eldest young master had already tied her up here. Itc did not seem like he had ruined her reputation?


    That was not right. Her reputation was ruined indeed.


    A good and proper youngdy was hung up on a tree. If this news were to spread, it would definitely be a joke.


    ¡°Xie Pinggang, y-you took off my clothes. How can I get married in the future? You¡¯re pretending like a monk now. That was not the case earlier!¡± Jia Huan simply threw caution to the wind, she continued crying at the top of her lungs, ¡°Oh my god, how am I going to live now? I might as well jump into the river and die. Xie Pinggang, you better put me down. I¡¯ll hang myself from the tree by your door. If you don¡¯t marry me, I won¡¯t let you off even if I be a ghost¡­¡±


    With such a bigmotion, it was impossible for Xie Pinggang to pretend not to hear it.


    Feeling annoyed, he threw the military book in his hand away and walked out with a frown.


    ¡°What are you shouting for? When did I take off your clothes?¡± Xie Pinggang had never seen such a shameless person.


    He had only looked at that Young Lady Dong earlier. When he got a little closer to her, thatdy was so desperate that she said that he had taken advantage of her.


    Women were really troublesome.


    It was all up to them whether they touched them or took off their clothes or not?


    ¡°You did take off my clothes! You were the only one in the room earlier. My clothes are all gone. You took advantage of me and yet you don¡¯t want to admit it, right? I know that big families like yours love to bully small families like us who don¡¯t have any backers!¡± Jia Huan immediately said.


    Xie Pinggang did not like hearing that.


    ¡°You want to marry me?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°That won¡¯t do. You came from the brothel. I won¡¯t be a cuckold.¡±


    ¡°Brothel¡­¡± Jia Huan was shocked, ¡°Who said I came from the brothel?! Y-You¡¯re a bully! I¡¯m your cousin, a cousin from the Jia family. My Aunt is your Aunt!¡±


    When she said that, Xie Pinggang remembered.


    His uncle¡¯s inw¡¯s family was Jia¡­


    ¡°Why did youe to our house? Your Aunt doesn¡¯t live here,¡± Xie Pinggang did not have much patience, ¡°Stop crying. You took off your clothes yourself. I¡¯m busy studying, so I don¡¯t have time to look at you. Besides, what¡¯s there to look at? You only have two more pieces of meat on your chestpared to me, no? Maybe those two pieces of meat aren¡¯t as big as mine¡­ Forget it, I¡¯ll let you go. Go back to your Aunt.¡±

 Chapter 392 - Head-on Collision

    <h4>Chapter 392: Head-on Collision</h4>


    Xie Pinggang had grown up among bandits. What nonsense had he not said?


    He was not interested in women, but it did not mean that he did not know what this youngdy was up to.


    In the mountain stronghold, he was the next leader. There were women who threw themselves into his arms. Perhaps they were even better looking than this fake cousin in front of him!


    There were also many female captives that he had rescued from beating up barbarians out there. He had even captured a few beautiful barbarian women. If he wanted them, he would neverck any.


    However, he felt annoyed when he looked at those women.


    They were soft and weak, always crying. They were either pestering him or acting pretentiously. They were troublesome.


    They could not make him happy, and he even had to be patient and coax them. If he had the time, he might as well investigate more cases and practice martial arts!


    Jia Huan¡¯s face was as red as blood. She had really been humiliated.


    She was still wearing her clothes and they were tight, but they were a little thin. However, in front of this man, it was as if she had been seen naked!


    He was actually so vulgar that he could even say such things directly¡­


    ¡°Y-You have to be responsible for me. I-I really can¡¯t live anymore!¡± Jia Huan panicked.


    Xie Pinggang shook his head, ¡°Give up on that thought. I won¡¯t marry you!¡±


    ¡°I know how to manage a house and cook. I work very fast. Now that I¡¯m being treated like this by you, how am I not worthy of you? You want to get married. Marrying anyone is the same. I can bear your children! My Mother said that it¡¯s good fordies to have a big buttock. Someone like me can give birth to at least three children¡­¡±


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he nced beneath Jia Huan¡¯s waist.


    Although he looked at her, his gaze was calm. There was no other meaning behind it.


    It was just a subconscious reaction because of what she said.


    At that moment, Jia Huan felt like she was amb waiting to be picked. She was secretly nervous.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed to say these words as a youngdy? Did youe to this house because of the nonsense your aunt and uncle said? Don¡¯t they know what kind of temper I have? Aren¡¯t you worried that I will beat you to death?¡± Xie Pinggang smirked coldly, ¡°I will marry a wife, but no one will marry you!


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Xie Mangshan, that b*stard. He knew he couldn¡¯t get any benefits from my family, so he sent you here to take advantage of us, right? In his dreams! My Father and I worked so hard to make money. If he dares to do anything, I¡¯ll chop him up!¡±


    Xie Pinggang snorted and then untied the rope.


    ¡°Marry someone like you? Then I might as well go to the brothel and find one!¡± Xie Pinggang looked fierce, ¡°Hurry up and get lost, or I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±


    He was in his early twenties and had not married yet. Did they really think that he was not picky?


    They dared to send just anyone to him!


    Not to mention that this person¡¯s personality and appearance were not what he wanted, even if she was really like a celestial being, he would not marry a woman from the Jia family!


    He did not want them to take advantage of his family!


    Xie Pinggang scoffed.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Jia Huan was scolded repeatedly. At that moment, her mind was buzzing. Seeing that Xie Pinggang did not seem to care about it, she felt hot-headed and rammed directly into the tree!


    Xie Pinggang did not stop her.


    He would just drag her out if she died from ramming into the tree


    He was not the one who killed her.


    Jia Huan thought that he would stop her. When the time came, she would bump into his arms. Looking at how determined she was, he would definitely agree to marry her. Even if he did not want to marry her, then¡­ he could at least take in a concubine, right?!


    She knew that she was from a low background. If she wanted to live a good life, she could be a concubine too!


    However, she made a mistake.

 Chapter 393 - Who Will Marry Me

    <h4>Chapter 393: Who Will Marry Me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jia Huan did not see Xie Pinggang rushing over. At that moment, she was naturally afraid. Her original full strength was immediately reduced significantly.


    However, even so, she still mmed into the tree with a bang.


    A burning pain instantly came from her head. She felt dizzy and immediately fainted.


    Xie Pinggang exhaled, ¡°Take her away... Who did shee with?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Old Madam,¡± the servant said carefully.


    ¡°The old biddy is here too?¡± Xie Pinggang chuckled, ¡°Then throw her to the old biddy and tell the steward that we don¡¯t have any silver. If she hurts her head, we won¡¯tpensate her. She can do whatever she wants!


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if she¡¯s alive, but if she¡¯s dead... if she dirties my courtyard, I won¡¯t let her family off!¡± Xie Pinggang added when he thought of Xie Qiao¡¯s physique, which allowed her to see ghouls.


    The servant nodded repeatedly.


    This youngdy¡­


    Did she think that their young master was an ordinary man?!


    How pitiful. She was so young. Why could she not just let it go?


    The servant quickly carried Jia Huan out. The olddy was calling for a maidservant to massage her back when she heard themotion outside. She looked around and saw Jia Huan being carried back. Her forehead was blood red, she was so scared that her muscles trembled, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Old Madam, the youngdy broke into the Eldest Young Master¡¯s courtyard and disturbed the his studies. She even made noise to get the Eldest Young Master to marry her. The Eldest Young Master wasn¡¯t willing and she mmed herself into a tree. The Eldest Young Master said... We don¡¯t have money to get a doctor. If she¡¯s going to die, please send her out to die. Don¡¯t d-dirty the house...¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± When the olddy heard that, her legs went weak and she actually copsed to the ground.


    Dead? Could she be... dead?!


    She had only been here for a day and she was already... killed by that brat?


    The olddy panicked.


    Seeing her like that, the servant was also speechless, ¡°She¡¯s still breathing. This humble one will leave first.¡±


    Still breathing?!


    The olddy hurriedly crawled over in a panic and shook the person on the ground. Then, she stretched her hand to check. She could feel that the girl was breathing, only then did she heave a sigh of relief, ¡°My goodness. This good daughter has been sent to our home for not even a day, yet she has be like this...¡±


    The olddy trembled and asked the maidservant to call for a doctor.


    The maidservant had also heard what the others had said and was a little hesitant, ¡°If the a-ounts don¡¯t pay, this humble one¡¯s hands are empty. I¡¯m afraid this doctor wouldn¡¯t dare toe...¡±


    When the olddy heard that, her heart ached. However, at this time, she could not ignore the Jia family¡¯s daughter. She could only grit her teeth and take out a bit of silver from her embrace, ¡°Go and get a doctor. It¡¯s just an external injury. It shouldn¡¯t be much money.¡±


    The maidservant went out.


    Not long after, Jia Huan woke up.


    She was very weak.


    When she saw the olddy, she began to cry, ¡°He bullied me¡­ Grandmother Xie, who will marry me in the future...¡±


    When the olddy heard that, her heart jolted and she was a little surprised, ¡°What did he do to you?¡±


    ¡°H-He took off my clothes and even said that I¡¯m from the b-brothel. Grandmother Xie, it was you and Aunt who said that you wanted him to marry me. Now that he dislikes me, what should I do?¡± Jia Huan only felt a splitting headache.


    ¡°He actually went that far?!¡± The olddy was very angry, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since he got lucky and took advantage of you, he will definitely marry you! With me around, if he doesn¡¯t agree, I will make a scene. This family needs their dignity. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Jia Huan heard that and heaved a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 394 - Filial Granddaughter

    <h4>Chapter 394: Filial Granddaughter</h4>


    Jia Huan recalled Xie Pinggang¡¯s unapproachable look and was afraid that she would panic the olddy. After some thought, she said to the olddy in all seriousness, ¡°I-If Cousin is really unwilling, I can be a concubine.¡±


    Even if she was a concubine, she definitely would not be a cheap concubine that could be bought and sold. If it was a noble concubine¡­ she could ept it.


    ¡°How can I let you be a concubine? The Xie family used to be inferior to themoners. Now that they have an official position, they cannot forget their roots! Moreover, your Jia family is our family¡¯s inws. You¡¯re a good youngdy. If I let you be a concubine, wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of you?!¡± The olddy was very upset.


    How could a concubine be the same as a wife?


    Wife could not be divorced easily. She also had more weight in the family. She could interact more with the inws and could also represent the Xie family and their rtives.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to have such thoughts! If you are not willing to marry that brat Pinggang, then I will get someone else to! Ms. Xin has a niece too. Although she¡¯s a little young, she¡¯s more obedient!¡± The olddy said in a hushed voice.


    When Jia Huan heard that, she immediately became obedient.


    How could such a good opportunity be given to someone else?


    Now¡­ it did not matter even if she suffered a little.


    Not long after, the doctor arrived. Since it was just some external injuries, it was not a problem after applying some ointment.


    However, her forehead had swelled up quite a bit, and her original appearance had also been reduced significantly.


    Xie Qiao knew about such a bigmotion and could not help but be happy.


    She knew that Jia Huan was here for her eldest brother, but she did not expect that this person¡¯sbat strength was actually so formidable. She could not use force, but she actually dared to threaten him with death. Unfortunately, she had met her eldest brother who was destined to be alone. If it had been someone else.. Perhaps her n would have been sessful!


    Xie Qiao was happy when someone sent her a letter.


    It was a letter from the Fortune Pavilion.


    Shopkeeper Chang had always thought that Mo Chusheng was staying at the Xie Residence.


    Xie Qiao opened the letter and took a look.


    There was work to be done.


    The first floor of her shop was a business for the living, and for the dead on the second floor. It was a business for the dead. The final wish of a ghoul before it died was usually simpler than the thoughts of a living person. Therefore, she would only go there asionally to register the spirits in queue, then, she would settle the matter slowly.


    The shop had been open for so long, but it was the first time she had business for the living other than selling talismans and tools.


    She wanted to go to the Fortune Pavilion tomorrow to discuss it in detail.


    Since it will be tomorrow¡­


    Xie Qiao asked Chun Er to go to the olddy¡¯s courtyard to pass on the message.


    ¡°Old Madam, our Young Lady saw that you were wearing old clothes and didn¡¯t have any jewelry on you, she wants to bring you out tomorrow to buy some things to show her filial piety to you,¡± Chun Er was the most obedient.


    The old madam was delighted, ¡°Is this girl really so filial?¡±


    Why did she feel like she was different from thest time they met?


    ¡°Our Young Lady is the kindest and most sensible,¡± Chun Er said obediently.


    The olddy thought for a moment before hiring a doctor for Jia Huan. She spent some of her personal money. Although it was very little, thinking about it made her heart ache. Tomorrow, she will go out and buy some things. It could be considered a return on her investment.


    Moreover, she did not eat well today. If she went out tomorrow and went to the restaurant, how could this girl not pay the bill?


    ¡°Alright, I agree! I¡¯ll bring that girl out for a walk!¡± The olddy agreed without much hesitation.


    Chun Er immediately went back to report the matter.


    The next morning, Xie Qiao was wrapped tightly and waited for the olddy to go out together.


    This olddy actually brought Jia Huan with her.


    As such, they sat in two separate carriages. It was quiet.


    Xie Qiao did not raise her head to look closely at Jia Huan, but Jia Huan felt Xie Qiao looked down on her. Especially when she thought of her swollen forehead, she felt even more irritated. At that moment, looking at Xie Qiao¡¯s beautiful appearance, she felt ufortable no matter what.

 Chapter 395 - Fell Again

    <h4>Chapter 395: Fell Again</h4>


    Jia Huan gently touched her head and looked at Xie Qiao with a crafty gaze, ¡°Cousin, look at my empty hands. Since you¡¯re so rich, why don¡¯t you give me something good? In the future, I¡¯ll be able to show them to people and gain some dignity.¡±


    Gain some dignity for who? Naturally, it was for Xie Pinggang!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s curtain had not been lowered yet. When she heard that, she smiled lightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Cousin¡¯s face is already big enough,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    When Jia Huan heard that, she stomped her feet, ¡°Yesterday, your eldest brother bullied me. Today, you look down on me, aren¡¯t you? Our families are rtives after all. How can you be so petty?!¡±


    She often visit her aunt¡¯s ce!


    The sisters at her aunt¡¯s house had many good things!


    It was said that they were all given by Xie Xi!


    ¡°Cousin Xi¡¯er is much more generous than you. You¡¯re not young anymore, why aren¡¯t you as sensible as Cousin Xi¡¯er? You look like a miser! What future will you have?¡± Jia Huan lectured, she was quite confident, as if she had already be Xie Pinggang¡¯s wife.


    Xie Qiao could not help but smile.


    This girl had considered herself a part of the family. Her head had been hit so badly, yet she was still so energetic.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad to be a miser. If you think I¡¯m stingy, you don¡¯t have to go,¡± Xie Qiao said and put down the curtain.


    She was not interested in this Young Lady Jia who came out of nowhere. After all, her ability to bring bad luck to her rtives¡­ could not be applied to outsiders.


    Unlike the olddy, she had a lot of fun with her.


    ¡°Ignore her. If you take a fancy to anything, put that on my tab. I¡¯ll get her to buy it!¡± The olddy held Jia Huan¡¯s hand, ¡°That mother of hers, Ms. Peng, was a stingy person!¡±


    She had a hard life one year, as Xie Niushan had people secretly send some rice from home to the mountains.


    Xie Niushan was generous, but Ms. Peng was strict. They owned such arge bandit mountain stronghold, and they only sent a small bag of rice noodles each time. There were so many people in the family, and they only counted on that little amount of food. How could they survive?


    They were always worried about their next meal.


    Bandits would steal, but they could not bear to show filial piety to their mother-inw.


    Thinking of Ms. Peng, the olddy spat.


    However, she did not think much about what would happen if Ms. Peng sent too many things.


    That year, every family in the vige was short of food. Only the Xie family could live well. Although they were hungry, they did not lose much weight. They could eat some food from time to time, but they were still alive!


    The olddy also got into the carriage and went to the Eastern Street for a stroll.


    When they arrived at a jewellery store, the olddy stopped the carriage.


    Xie Qiao got out of the carriage first. She put down the heater and walked to the front of the olddy¡¯s carriage. She stretched her hand, wanting to help the olddy get out.


    Her fair and tender hand only stretched out for a while. It stopped in mid-air and turned cold and red. The olddy dawdled in the carriage. When she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s hand, she snorted and deliberately made her wait for a while.


    Seeing that, Xie Qiao stayed calm.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to show filial piety in front of others. I¡¯m not so old that I can¡¯t even get out of the carriage myself!¡± After a moment, the olddy said and ignored Xie Qiao. She stepped down on the stool and did not touch Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    However, just as her feet touched the ground, she slipped and fell again!


    When she looked again, it was unknown when pieces of ice had formed on the ground!


    She had actually stepped on two palm-sized pieces of ice!


    With a thud, she crashed into the pir of the jewellery store directly. Xie Qiao hurriedly went forward and helped her up, she had a concerned look on her face, ¡°Grandmother, why did you fall again? Are your eyes a little blurry? Why don¡¯t we stop shopping and go to the medicine store to have you checked¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to the medicine store! It¡¯s not a big deal!¡± The olddy pushed Xie Qiao back directly.


    The olddy exerted her strength and Xie Qiao took a few steps back.


    She gritted her teeth and insisted on stepping into the jewellery store with a grim face on.


    The door of the jewellery store was quite high.


    The olddy did not look when she walked. With a thud, she was thrown over. This time, Xie Qiao heard a very clear sound¡­ The sound of bones breaking.


    The sound was loud and crisp.

 Chapter 396 - Conflicting Fate

    <h4>Chapter 396: Conflicting Fate</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The noise caused the people inside and outside the jewelry store toe over and stretch their necks to look.


    The olddy was in so much pain that she bared her teeth.


    ¡°Oh my legs! What are you all standing there for?! Quicklye over and help me!¡± The olddy shouted. Her sunken face broke out in cold sweat, and her turbid eyes shed with some sparkling light, ¡°G-Get the doctor!¡±


    Xie Qiao stepped forward, and the maids and servants behind her got busy immediately.


    If she fell outside, she could not say that she was being abused at home, right?


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, she had only touched the olddy once, and after that, she had been pushed far away. No matter how big the sin was, it would not be med on her.


    However, Xie Qiao had a mncholic look on her face now.


    She looked like an obedient junior.


    She hurriedly called for someone to carry the olddy into the carriage.


    Shop at the jewelry store?


    How could she still go there?


    The boss of the jewelry store was also a little confused. He looked at Xie Qiao nervously, Xie Qiao took out ten taels of silver from her pocket, ¡°Shopkeeper, don¡¯t worry. My Grandmother is old and hasn¡¯t gone out for a long time. She identally fell and affected your business. I¡¯m really sorry. This silver can be used aspensation.¡±


    When the shopkeeper heard that, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    This olddy had fallen twice in front of his door. When people saw that, they thought that his ce was terrible!


    Today¡¯s business would definitely be affected.


    However, this girl was sensible.


    ¡°The olddy fell at our door. This humble also feels bad. I wonder where your house is. We¡¯ll send someone to send some apologiester...¡± The shopkeeper said uneasily.


    If it was the family that used to extort people, they would probably have topensate now!


    ¡°No need,¡± Xie Qiao said. After that, she turned around and sent the olddy to the medicine shop.


    The olddy wailed and wailed in the carriage, her hands trembling as she covered her legs, ¡°Oh my goodness... How can my old arms and legs withstand the torment...¡±


    She could not stop wailing, the olddy thought something was wrong again.


    ¡°T-Tell me, why have I been so unlucky these past two days? I fell yesterday, and I fell twice today. Could it be that that girl¡¯s fate really conflicts with mine?!¡± After the olddy finished speaking, she thought it was likely.


    She had been fine before, but after seeing Xie Qiao, she kept falling.


    Now, her legs were broken!


    Jia Huan could not be sure either, but she was also injured. She was feeling uneasy, so when she heard that, she immediately agreed, ¡°I think so too. Didn¡¯t you say earlier that Ms. Peng was not on good terms with you? There must be some simrities between this mother and daughter!¡±


    ¡°We must marry off this jinx!¡± After the olddy finished speaking, she sucked in a breath of cold air.


    It hurt, so much so that she could not stand it anymore!


    The olddy fell heavily. She did not go to the jewelry store, but instead, she went to the medicine store. After entering, two streams of nosebleeds actually fell.


    She was so scared that she was dispirited, and her entire body went limp.


    She was old, and she was already afraid of death.


    She could still reattach her broken arms and legs, but this bleeding... she was not sure if there was anything wrong with her body, and if too much blood flowed out, she would definitely be much weaker.


    Her lifespan might not be as long as it used to be!


    The more she thought about it, the more scared the olddy became. She let the doctor take her pulse obediently.


    ¡°The Old Madam is in shock. I¡¯ll prescribe something to calm her nerves and go back in a while. It¡¯s not a big problem. Your legs... We¡¯ll have boards clipped on them. You¡¯ll need to rest for a while,¡± the doctor said.


    The olddy heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that. She said, ¡°Thank you, doctor...¡±


    Clink, a toothnded on the table in front of the doctor.

 Chapter 397 - Matrilocality

    <h4>Chapter 397: Matrilocality</h4>


    At that moment, the olddy really could not hold back her tears.


    She had been humiliated and injured over and over again, and now even her tooth had fallen out. She was too unlucky!


    ¡°Y-You¡­ Get lost!¡± The olddy pointed at Xie Qiao and said.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were slightly cold, ¡°What does Grandmother mean by this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, the jinx, who has brought bad luck on me!¡± The olddy could not help but cover her mouth as she spoke, afraid that the wind would leak from the hole in her mouth.


    Xie Qiao secretly sneered. This olddy reacted pretty fast!


    That was right, this person¡­ was her nemesis.


    ¡°Is Grandmother muddled from the fall? How can you say such things?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was calm, then, she said to the servant, ¡°After Grandmother has taken the medicine, escort her home to rest. You must take the medicine on time. Grandmother is currently not feeling well and it¡¯s cold outside. For the sake of her bones, she can¡¯t be exposed to the wind. After going back, close the doors and windows and let Grandmother rest in the house.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to lock me up?!¡± The olddy said quickly.


    Xie Qiao was not afraid of what others would say about her, she just nodded calmly, ¡°Grandmother, you have to bear with it. Your injured muscles and bones will be healed in a hundred days. After a hundred days, the weather will be warm. When the flowers bloom in spring, your body will definitely recover. However, you have to maintain a good mood since you¡¯re sick. Since Grandmother doesn¡¯t want to see me, then¡­ I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll have to trouble Cousin Jia to take care of you.¡±


    With that, Xie Qiao turned around elegantly.


    She was not the one who pushed the olddy when she fell. If her words reached the ears of anyone, they would not suspect that she had plotted that.


    They would even think that her words were harsh and bitter.


    The servants behind her were guarding the olddy.


    At that moment, the olddy suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.


    There was no one in the house who could help her, and her second son had not returned home either. Perhaps this girl wanted to suffocate her to death in the house!


    By then, even if she died, all she had to do was to tell others that she fell to her death!


    Thinking of that, the olddy shuddered.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back. I want to go back to my own house!¡± The olddy said hurriedly, ¡°Did you all see that?! That wretched girl, she wanted to kill me!¡±


    However, the doctor shook his head, ¡°Old Lady, I see that your granddaughter is very filial. You¡¯re old, and your bones are broken. There might be some side effects, and you might limp a little. You can¡¯t catch a cold, so you should stay in the house and rest.¡±


    She was not wrong, right?


    If there was really a problem, it was that the girl¡¯s words were a little straightforward. She did not seem like a child who would sweet-talk her elders.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? I came over from the jewelry store earlier. Your injury was clearly caused by you falling while walking. Your granddaughter wanted to support you, but you didn¡¯t let her!¡± When a woman heard the olddy¡¯s words, she immediately curled her lips, ¡°Look at how you¡¯re dressed. You don¡¯t seem toe from a poor family. There shouldn¡¯t be ack of servants at home, right? Why are you still so harsh on your granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°That girl who came earlier. She¡¯s Master Xie¡¯s eldest daughter.¡±


    A medicine boy could not help but add.


    With that said, a few people sighed and understood.


    When the others saw that, they immediately asked in secret.


    After the conversation, the way they looked at the olddy started to be subtle.


    They thought that they were just ordinary grandparent and grandchild, but they did not expect that it was not the case at all!


    Everyone knew about Master Xie. Back then, he had been given an official title and was seen on horseback in the city. Everyone in the city had even discussed him. People had investigated who his ancestors were thoroughly.


    It could be said that Master Xie¡­ was once considered to have a matrilocality into the bandit mountain stronghold!

 Chapter 398 - Kill Without Blinking

    <h4>Chapter 398: Kill Without Blinking</h4>


    The first wife of this Master Xie was the real master of the bandit mountain stronghold.


    It was also because she had taken a liking to Master Xie¡¯s might that he was chosen as her husband. Later on, his first wife and father-inw passed away, so he naturally inherited the mountain stronghold. Only then could he bring the bandits to war!


    Although this bandit was not a good person, he was a man of his words. How many innocent people were spared from suffering since Master Xie beat the barbarians?


    Many people remembered this bit of merit.


    As for the family members of these bandits¡­


    It was said that they had not contacted each other for many years. After Master Xie became an official, they began to connect with each other.


    There was also Young Lady Xie. She had been raised outside since she was young and cultivated in a Taoist temple. Earlier, she had done so many good deeds outside the city. How could such a person be like what this olddy had said and want to kill her?


    ¡°Old Madam, if a grandmother like you views her granddaughter in such a way, wouldn¡¯t everyone else think that your granddaughter hasmitted a great sin?¡± Someone could not help but sigh.


    ¡°She has alwaysmitted a great sin. Look at my legs! Also, she urged her father to be on bad terms with her brother!¡± The olddy quickly added.


    When she said that, everyoneughed.


    ¡°You fell yourself, didn¡¯t you? Some people saw it. Besides, if your son is on bad terms with his brother, isn¡¯t it your fault as his mother? How could you me it on your granddaughter? This junior shouldn¡¯t bear this crime, right?¡± Someone could not help but mutter.


    When the olddy heard that, she was upset.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t know that her mother, Ms. Peng, was a real bandit. She used to kill without blinking! If it weren¡¯t for her mother, my son wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped to the mountain stronghold back then. He wouldn¡¯t have been a bandit for so long? We mother and son wouldn¡¯t have been estranged!¡± The olddy was afraid that others would not understand, so she immediately turned her head and exined properly to everyone.


    ¡°That Ms. Peng was born with a big and burly body. Her personality was violent, and she suppressed my son until he couldn¡¯t breathe. Shemitted too many sins, and that¡¯s why she died early. Otherwise, even if my son wanted to beat the barbarians, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to!


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys can¡¯t imagine what that Ms. Peng looked like? Let¡¯s put it this way, my eldest grandson should be very simr to Ms. Peng,¡± the olddy thought for a moment and added.


    Xie Pinggang oftene to this pharmacy.


    He had to investigate cases and travel around on a daily basis. He also had to frequently buy some medicine.


    Back then, when he was an official, he rode his horse through the city gates. Along the way, themoners crowded around and watched. They all had a deep impression of him.


    If a woman looked like Young Master Xie, then it was indeed¡­


    It was quite scary.


    ¡°Young Master Xie only solved a case about a year ago. In that big case, more than a hundred innocent women died. He offended the princess¡¯ husband¡¯s family. This kind of bravery is not something that an ordinary person can do. Old Madam, we don¡¯t know exactly what Ms. Peng that you speak of was like, but if you think about it carefully¡­ if she was that bad, I¡¯m afraid she wouldn¡¯t have given birth to such a brave, resolute, and righteous son.


    ¡°Besides¡­ isn¡¯t the old madam thinking too lightly of a bandit mountain stronghold?¡±


    The person who spoke was a schr. He was standing in line.


    With a serious expression, he said, ¡°There are so many people in the bandit mountain stronghold. If they are all cunning people whomitted crimes, Master Xie shouldn¡¯t be able to drive them away.


    ¡°I think that before Master Xie became the head of the bandits, the mountain stronghold had already set some rules. From the looks of it, the contribution of Ms. Peng should be greater than Master Xie¡¯s.¡±


    After the schr finished speaking, he nodded to himself.

 Chapter 399 - Favorite

    <h4>Chapter 399: Favorite</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The matter of the bandits fighting a war had been written into the book.


    The book said that in Bandit Xie¡¯s mountain stronghold, there were more than 3,000 strong men, and 3,000 old, weak, women, and children. It was thergest bandit mountain stronghold in that area.


    Once the war started, the border lost defense, and there was no time for reinforcements toe. Although there were some weapons in the bandit mountain stronghold, they were all low-grade armor, swords, and guns. Many bandits took hoes, pitchforks, and rakes to fight!


    Theyunched a surprise attack and surrounded from the back, chasing away the soldiers and horses that were attacking at that time!


    After entering the city, Xie Niushan immediately called over the remaining garrison generals, counted the number of people, and together with the grand preceptor, they began to fight back!


    He beat the barbarian until they could not get close.


    Later, when the reinforcements arrived, he forcefully seized the military authority. He led so many people to charge into the enemy camp and severed the barbarian leader¡¯s head. Only then did the battle end..


    These things were known by everyone in the border city. Later, they were written and spread to the capital.


    He first beat up the Barbarian, then gave arge sum of money and silver. Then, he reflected on himself as a bandit, and his attitude was sincere!


    The Emperor thought he was sincere and was willing to give in to his talent without restraint. He gave him the title of a fourth-grade general, his eldest son, Xie Pinggang, as an eighth-grademandant, and took in the bandits.


    These deeds seemed to be the heroic deeds of Xie Pinggang.


    However, thinking about it carefully, were there not many bandits in this world?


    Which mountain did not have people hidden?


    Why did it have to be that the people under Xie Pinggang¡¯s hands were so obedient and heroic, willing to go into battle and kill the enemy?


    Moreover, the grand preceptor was a bandit before Xie Niushan became one. If the Peng family¡¯s father and son were iparably savage, how did the grand preceptor survive until now?


    How would he help them?


    Therefore, no matter what, he did not believe that Ms. Peng was a vicious and evil person.


    The schr argued with reason, and the olddy felt that this kid was insensible, ¡°Why are you still speaking for the bandits?! Is robbing people reasonable? She was not a good person! You don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    ¡°Master Xie also became a bandit voluntarily after that,¡± the schr snorted.


    The olddy gritted her teeth, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, my son wouldn¡¯t be a bandit!¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Peng, your son wouldn¡¯t have been able to be a general!¡± The schr added.


    The olddy¡¯s expression did not look right. She red at the young man, feeling a little out of breath.


    People nowadays did not know what was right and wrong!


    Ms. Peng was born a bandit. Her son was forced to be a banditter on. How could it be the same? Their family had been implicated, which was why they had always been known as bandits!


    However, she could not win against this young man!


    The olddy was very angry and persistent, ¡°Anyway, I want to go back to my own home!¡±


    ¡°Grandmother Xie, if you go home, then... What about me?¡± Jia Huan was a little anxious.


    ¡°What are you anxious for? Ask your parents toe to propose a marriage. When the timees, I will show and agree on your behalf!¡± The olddy said.


    ¡°A marriage proposal from the woman?!¡± Jia Huan was shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the same. As long as it can be achieved in the end, it will be fine. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The olddyforted her and then red at the servants. She did not dare to let them send her off. She was afraid that these people would bring her back to her second son¡¯s house.


    She simply took out some silver and got someone to rent a carriage.


    Only then did she leave.


    The moment she left, the people who were talking about Bandit Xie became curious.


    ¡°This Master Xie has married three wives, right? Tell me, which one of them is his favorite?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s the first wife!¡±


    ¡°No, no. The first wife was great, but she was also fierce. I heard that the second wife was the daughter of amoner. She¡¯s from a small family, so it must be that one!¡±


    ¡°What about that one after that?¡±


    ¡°That one after that? I heard that they were divorced and she¡¯s still alive. The one who is still alive is definitely not as important as the two who died...¡±

 Chapter 400 - Bet

    <h4>Chapter 400: Bet</h4>


    There were a few people arguing in the medicine store. There were even passersby who came to join in the fun.


    ¡°Although thisst wife is still alive and can¡¯t bepared to a dead person, this Master Xie spent money on the betrothal gift to marry her back then. It can be seen that when he had just married her, he must have been extremely sincere.¡±


    ¡°How can a betrothal with money bepared to a childhood friend? Master Xie was robbed of his vige when he was only ten. He had been getting along with Ms. Peng for a few years!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be from a humble family. I know a person who was a bandit from that ce. He told me that when Ms. Lin was still around, Master Xie had a smile on his face all day long. His smile was even brighter than the wildflowers on the mountain!¡±


    ¡°If you dare, let¡¯s make a bet! When we meet Master Xie, let him choose who he loves the most!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet!¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    Very soon, they had made a scene.


    They even went to the gambling den directly to get someone to testify and ce a bet on this matter.


    It was lively and interesting, and it actually attracted quite a number of people to follow the trend. When the variousrge gambling dens saw that, they also followed the public¡¯s request and set up a bet.


    The gambling den was betting on the rtionship between Master Xie and the three madams when they were newlyweds. Which one was the most important?!


    The threedies¡¯ stories were written down so that the gamblers could understand it clearly.


    As for how this bet would end¡­


    For the sake of fairness, they had to judge it from several aspects.


    Someone was preparing to rehearse a y for the threedies. When Master Xie returned, they would enter the Xie Residence to perform. By then, they would have to see which one Master Xie would choose first. Naturally, they would ce more importance on the one he chose first.


    In addition, they were also going to invite Master Xie to a restaurant to drink and get him drunk. They wanted to invite Master Xie to reveal his true feelings. From that¡­


    They would definitely be able toe up with a result after giving it some thoughts!


    Within a short period of time, many people had already made arrangements.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao did not know that her father had be a popr figure in the city despite him being out of the city.


    At that moment, she secretly changed into Mo Chusheng¡¯s clothes and makeup and went to the Fortune Pavilion.


    Shopkeeper Chang had been waiting for her for a long time. When he saw her, he quickly said, ¡°Boss, someone invited you to look at their feng shui yesterday. He asked me to ask you if you would ept the work.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    She had told the shopkeeper earlier that she would ept this kind of work if she could.


    She wanted to earn more money to buy medicine.


    ¡°But this person said that his family also invited other feng shui masters. There should be several of them, so¡­¡± Shopkeeper Chang was embarrassed.


    People like masters were very dignified.


    If they invited a master and then invited another one, the master would be upset.


    Xie Qiao did not care about that, ¡°No problem. If the persones again, ept it. Have you decided when?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll send the carriage to pick you up in the morning the day after tomorrow,¡± the shopkeeper said quickly.


    The day after tomorrow?


    School will start the day after tomorrow.


    However, it was fine. She would take a leave of absence.


    Earning money was more important.


    In the afternoon, there were indeed servants who came over and gave a hundred taels of gold as the deposit. They were wealthy.


    Xie Qiao had her spirit lifted even more now. She went to the backyard and fed more dried worms to Da Xiong. If there was a need, she would still ask Da Xiong for help.


    It was too tiring for her to go alone.


    On the other hand, the olddy really went back to her own house.


    When Xie Mangshan and his wife came back from work, they were both angry and furious when they saw that their mother was half-dead.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only stayed there for one night and this happened to you?! Xie Pinggang actually dared to treat an elder like you so harshly. I don¡¯t think he can be an official anymore! I¡¯ll find someone to reason with!¡±


    This dynasty ruled the world with filial piety. He did not believe that Xie Pinggang would not behave himself if he used his mother¡¯s matter to threaten him!


    The olddy was angry and a little aggrieved, ¡°I fell outside by myself! It¡¯s no use looking for him!¡±

 Chapter 401 - Long Life

    <h4>Chapter 401: Long Life</h4>


    When Xie Mangshan and brother heard what the olddy said, they were a little puzzled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you stay at Second Brother¡¯s house? How did you fall outside? And you fell so hard? Could it be that you¡¯re speaking up for that brat Pinggang?¡±


    When the olddy heard that, she could not help but roll her eyes at this silly son.


    Who was she siding with? Did these two sons not know?!


    If it was Xie Pinggang that did it, she would definitely report him as soon as she got home. How would she be so aggrieved?


    ¡°Uncle, ever since Grandmother Xie moved into Master Xie¡¯s ce, her luck hasn¡¯t been too great. She fell at home yesterday. Today, Cousin wanted to take Grandmother Xie out to buy some things. Before getting out of the carriage, she fell twice in a row. Not only did her legs break, she had also knocked off one of her teeth,¡± Jia Huan quickly said on behalf of the olddy.


    ¡°Did you really fall outside?!¡± Xie Mangshan¡¯s expression turned grim when he heard that, ¡°Why weren¡¯t you careful? You didn¡¯t fall yesterday, but today you fell outside like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you still speaking the humannguage?!¡± The olddy used her new walking stick to hit Xie Mangshan.


    Xie Mangshan knew that he had spoken too harshly. He thought about it and said, ¡°Well¡­ Did many people see it? If no one saw it, you can me it on them.¡±


    ¡°It happened at the entrance of the jewelry store. It was the most magnificent building on the East Street. There were many people around, and then they went to Dusheng Medicine Store¡­¡± Jia Huan said on behalf of the olddy.


    In other words, with so many pairs of eyes watching, it was impossible to me Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Then¡­ Mother, why are you home? You should be recuperating at Pinggang¡¯s house, right?¡± Xie Congshan asked with concern.


    The olddy shook her head, ¡°That won¡¯t do. You guys have no idea. That little girl Xie Qiao is a crafty person. If I were to go back, she would definitely lock me up and not let me see anyone. Wouldn¡¯t she be the one to decide what food to give me? I¡¯m already so old, do you want me to suffer so much?¡±


    The olddy thought of Xie Qiao¡¯s gentle and sweet voice, but she felt a chill in her heart.


    That girl looked perfect, but her thoughts were really vicious!


    Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan were feeling a little irritated at that moment.


    The two brothers looked at each other, then looked at the olddy¡¯s legs, ¡°The bones and tendons are injured. They won¡¯t recover for three to four months at least. We need to take care of the family. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to take care of you. How about¡­ you bear with it? I think that girl definitely won¡¯t dare to do anything to you¡­¡±


    The olddy shook her head, ¡°Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin can¡¯t serve me at home? Do I have to go to Xie Qiao¡¯s ce to suffer? Before she gets married, I won¡¯t go over!¡±


    That girl¡¯s fate shed with hers. If she really wanted to kill her, would she still be able to live?!


    The olddy was frightened.


    The brothers did not like that, but they knew that the olddy called the shots in this family.


    Second brother was ruthless, but he was still filial to the olddy. As long as the olddy lived a long life, the family would still be able to reap some benefits.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl. Just find a random family to marry her. Her body isn¡¯t healthy, and even a good family wouldn¡¯t dare to marry such a short-lived woman as a wife. So, even if the family is low, they wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything,¡± Xie Mangshan considered it seriously, ¡°We don¡¯t have a suitable candidate among our rtives¡­¡±


    ¡°I know a good one,¡± Xie Congshan said quickly, ¡°She¡¯s my future daughter-inw¡¯s brother. She¡¯s a vinegar-making man in the city, and her family has a lot of money. They have about a hundred mu ofnd outside the city. Although he¡¯s engaged, I¡¯ll talk to my inws to cancel the marriage. He would definitely be willing if he¡¯s marrying Xie Qiao.¡±


    Xie Qiao was the daughter of a general. The dowries would definitely be hefty!

 Chapter 402 - Defeat Them

    <h4>Chapter 402: Defeat Them</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Although Xie Mangshan did not want his brother¡¯s family to take advantage of him, he could not find a suitable candidate, so he could only nod and agree.


    Fortunately, he could marry Jia Huan to Xie Pinggang.


    It was much better than marrying Xie Qiao off.


    When Xie Mangshan thought of that, he felt much better. Then, he asked, ¡°Mother, do you know the birth characters of these two children?¡±


    The olddy was stunned.


    ¡°Uh...¡± The olddy hesitated for a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t remember it either....¡±


    When her second child¡¯s children were born, he had secretly sent her letters. However at that time, he was a bandit. How would she care about such a small matter?


    Even if she did care, it had been so many years. It was normal to forget it.


    ¡°How can you not remember such an important matter? If you had their birth characters, we could have done it directly. Now that it¡¯s gone, if we want to make the wedding card, we¡¯d have to find that brat and that girl to ask about it. If the two of them are not willing, then we won¡¯t be able to marry them off, right?!¡± Xie Mangshan said a little angrily.


    The name, birth characters, birth origin, and three generations had to be written clearly on the wedding card. If it could be finalized, they would also have to find a matchmaker to settle the case for them.


    Now that they did not know the birth date, they could not bypass Xie Qiao and the rest and just write it simply, right?


    If the wedding card was forged, they would have to go to jail.


    Although the olddy was a grandmother, she could not just visit as she wished now.


    She was very depressed.


    If she had known that this day woulde, she would have definitely remembered the birth date and birth character of those two children clearly!


    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t agree, they have to! Look at Jia Huan. For the sake of her innocence, she almost broke her head. If she doesn¡¯t marry him, who else can she marry? How about this? Let¡¯s do it ording to the order of age. First, let the Jia family bring people over. I will also step in and force him to make the wedding card!¡± The olddy said.


    ¡°That would be the best!¡± Xie Mangshan was overjoyed.


    ¡°But we have to wait. I fell badly these two days. Let me rest first.¡± The olddy said, ¡°We have to focus more on Xie Qiao. Let¡¯s see if there is a chance for that family¡¯s child to have more contact with her. If they¡¯re willing, it will save us some trouble.¡±


    Xie Congshan could not wait for even a second.


    After holding it in for a night, he immediately went to talk to the Cao family.


    The Cao family¡¯s daughter was only engaged to Xie Congshan¡¯s eldest son. The girl was still young, so she had not gotten married yet.


    The Cao family¡¯s eldest son had originally nned to get married in spring in March, which would happen soon.


    However, hearing what Xie Congshan said at that moment, the Cao family was moved.


    Although the daughter-inw they had decided on was a good one... the Xie family was of a high status. If the marriage happened, perhaps the family¡¯s status would be elevated!


    It was such a great opportunity, how could they give it up?


    The Cao family was in a dilemma.


    ..


    On the appointed day, Xie Qiao disguised as Mo Chusheng and waited at the Fortune Pavilion.


    Not long after, a carriage came to pick her up and take her to look at the feng shui.


    To be able to pay a deposit of 100 taels of gold, it should not be an ordinary family.


    Sure enough, the carriage wobbled and finally stopped in a courtyard. The scenery in this courtyard was very beautiful. From the moment Xie Qiao entered, she looked around and did not see anything wrong.


    There were two other people who followed her into the door.


    One was a monk, and the other was an old Taoist master in his fifties or sixties. He had a horsetail whisk in one hand and apass in the other, looking like a deity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Taoist Master Mo¡­ Our master will not make things difficult for you, whether you seed or not,¡± said the steward beside Xie Qiao. After he said that, he lowered his voice and said secretly, ¡°To tell you the truth, our master asked us to look for a master. I heard from my rtives that you caught a powerful one earlier... So, we got you here immediately. You must defeat these twoter!¡±

 Chapter 403 - Evil Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 403: Evil Encounter</h4>


    Xie Qiao was stunned by the steward¡¯s words. She said helplessly, ¡°You mean¡­ your master didn¡¯t ask me toe?¡±


    ¡°Master doesn¡¯t care about these things. It¡¯s all done by our subordinates,¡± the steward smiled embarrassedly, ¡°But I believe in you, Master! I¡¯ve bought the talismans from your shop. I had the luck in fortune because of that!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled dryly.


    At that moment, the Taoist master next to her nced at her.


    That nce was lofty and arrogant, as if Xie Qiao was a swindler who came to scam.


    It was true that one must judge a Taoist master by her appearance and age. She had disguised into Mo Chusheng, who was forty years old, but she only painted her face and hands. Her hair was jet-ck, which made her look young.


    Moreover, Mo Chusheng¡¯s appearance could be considered ordinary. Although she also had the charisma of an unworldly expert, she was young and was a Taoist master, she did not look as intimidating as the Taoist master beside her.


    However, Xie Qiao did not think too much about it.


    Since she had already taken the deposit,she had to put in more effort this time.


    Xie Qiao lowered her head and looked at Da Xiong. She simply saw that it was in her arms, which could boost her courage.


    Not long after, they arrived at the main hall. Xie Qiao saw an old couple, who were about 60 years old.


    The two of them were dressed unusually.


    They nced at Xie Qiao and the other two people for a few times before finally passing by Xie Qiao. Their gazesnded on the other two people and said, ¡°We have invited the masters here mainly for my youngest son. May I know your names?¡±


    ¡°This monk¡¯s Dharma name is Pu Chen,¡± the monk looked unfathomable.


    ¡°This Taoist master is Yuan Changzi,¡± the Taoist master sized up the person in front of him and said in a well-mannered manner.


    ¡°Mo Chusheng,¡± Xie Qiao gave a simple name.


    She raised her head and nced at the person in front of her. She could tell that this person had a great appearance.


    He had river eyes and a mouth of the sea. He ate and drank good food. This person had a wide and long earth pavilion. He had the appearance of a king and a noble. Between his brows, there was a bit of the heroic charisma of a northerner, but it was not too obvious¡­ Xie Qiao already had an idea about this person.


    This person must be Prince Ning Bei, the cousin of the current Emperor.


    Prince Ning Bei had been in the northern fiefdom for a long time and returned to the capital before the New Year.


    He was famous for being infatuated. It was said that he and the princess were very close. After marrying the princess, he did not take in any concubines for many years until he was 40 and had no children. Only then did he take in a few concubines to carry on the family line.


    After giving birth to the eldest son of the concubine, all the other concubines left. Only the mother of the eldest son became the side concubine.


    It was said that when the princess was 50, she gave birth to the youngest son at the old age.


    This son was Prince Ning Bei¡¯s favorite, and he had always doted on him.


    The king had previously been in the fiefdom. When he returned to the capital this time, the youngest son had been sick. The king had invited all the doctors in the capital, but he remained sick. Some people said that the king¡¯s mansion had begun to prepare for the funeral of the youngest son.


    They guessed that this time, they had gotten them here for the young heir?


    Xie Qiao guessed it secretly, but she did not ask directly.


    Prince Ning Bei sat there with a heavy expression. He said, ¡°My child has been sick for several months and has not recovered. Today, I invited all the masters toe over and take a look. Did he encounter some kind of evil?¡±


    If that was the case, then it was not feng shui they would be looking at, but a person.


    The husband and wife did not waste any time and directly brought the three of them to the room.


    The old princess was initially dignified. After seeing her child, her eyes revealed a tired and distressed expression. She sat in front of the bed and stroked her son¡¯s hair.


    To have a son at the age of 50, she naturally doted on him.


    When Xie Qiao entered the room, a strong medicinal smell assailed her nostrils.


    Other than the smell of medicine, there was also a sense of disharmony.


    ¡°Has the young master always lived in this room?¡± Asked Yuan Changzi.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Earlier on, we lived in the northernnds. On the way back, this child of mine felt a little ufortable. I treated him as if he had typhoid fever, but for some reason, his body became worse and worse. Before the new year, he could still get out of bed and walk a little. Now¡­ he can only lie on the bed and drink a few mouthfuls of liquid food.¡±

 Chapter 404 - I Have A Solution

    <h4>Chapter 404: I Have A Solution</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    If this went on, even if he could fight the illness, he would probably starve to death if he could not eat anything.


    Monk Pu Chen and Yuan Changzi were not foolish. When they heard that, they could guess the identities of these two people. Immediately, their expressions became grave and nervous.


    ¡°The child fell sick on the way here, so this house should be fine. Moreover, I have already asked the doctors to check everything. There¡¯s no poison anywhere,¡± Prince Ning Bei¡¯s expression did not look great either, ¡°Master, please take a look. If you can save my son, I¡¯ll reward you with 10,000 taels of gold!¡±


    Ten thousand taels of gold?


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips twitched.


    It was quite a lot, but it was not good to have too much gold. The child¡¯s life was not worth that much, and he was easily hurt..


    At that moment, the two of them went to the bed to take a look first, while Xie Qiao was squeezed behind.


    It was not good to get close, so she wanted to wait for the two of them to finish looking before going forward.


    ¡°I see that the Young Master¡¯s face is turning ck faintly. It should indeed be stained with something evil...¡± the monk said, ¡°I can recite the scriptures for the Young Master for forty-nine days to purify the dark energy around. I think this illness should be cured by then.¡±


    However, the Taoist master shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the Young Master¡¯s body won¡¯t be able to hold on for so long.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a talisman from his embrace, ¡°Let the Young Master drink the water with the talisman...¡±


    The princess hesitated.


    It was difficult for her son to even drink some food, and she had to feed him this talisman water... Moreover, she was not sure if it would work¡­


    However, that was the only chance they had now, so she could not refuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to perform a ceremony as a ritual. Master Pu Chen, why don¡¯t you help me to guard the altar so that we can get rid of this bad luck together?¡± Yuan Changzi said. Then, he looked at Xie Qiao, but he did not say anything in the end.


    He did not know where this Taoist master came from. He had never heard of her before, so he did not want to ruin their business.


    Master Pu Chen nodded in agreement.


    As they spoke, the two of them began to ask the old prince to prepare some things.


    The two masters were so confident that some hope appeared in the old prince¡¯s heart. He quickly asked someone to make arrangements.


    The family did notck anything.


    Xie Qiao opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but¡­


    No one looked at her, she was unable to say anything.


    She looked around the house. There was indeed the aura of a vengeful spirit inside, but this vengeful spirit could not be seen. It probably had a hiding ce. If she did not find this hiding ce, it would be impossible to destroy the vengeful spirit.


    Moreover, this little heir was already half dead. Forcefully destroying the vengeful spirit was not a wise choice.


    Xie Qiao followed them out. She found an opportunity and said, ¡°The Young Master¡¯s case needs to be dyed. If we do it directly, I¡¯m afraid that his life will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°May I know which Taoist temple you are practicing in?¡± Asked Yuan Changzi.


    ¡°Water Moon Temple in Yunjin,¡± said Xie Qiao honestly.


    ¡°Yunjin? That ce isn¡¯t near. It¡¯s far away. I think you haven¡¯t seen much of the world. In the Young Master¡¯s case, you should take action immediately. Remove the bad luck, otherwise, he won¡¯tst more than ten days,¡± said the Taoist master immediately.


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. We need to find out the reason why the Young Master encounters this. If we can¡¯t find the source, even if the method is useful, it can onlyst for one or two days. It can¡¯t be curedpletely. It might even cause the evil to be upset and kill him.¡±


    ¡°So, do you have a solution?¡± Yuan Changzi was a little unhappy.


    Chasing evil away, he had done this many times.


    Thisdy Taoist master was young, she probably did not have much experience.


    ¡°I have a solution,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°You have a solution, and this humble Taoist master also has a solution. In this case... whose solution should we use?¡± Yuan Changzi snorted, ¡°We should let the Prince choose. Let¡¯s see which of us he¡¯s willing to use?¡±

 Chapter 405 - Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 405: Ceremony</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    They were enemies of the same profession, Xie Qiao understood that.


    Especially when it came to this Taoist ceremony. If they were in a disagreement, it was easy for big issues to arise.


    However, if the prince really had to choose, she would probably be the one to be chased out.


    Xie Qiao did not panic. She was not in a hurry and smiled, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, seniors will go first. If you guys can cure him, I will naturally be overjoyed. If anything happens... I wille again to take a look.¡±


    .


    As she spoke, Xie Qiao left.


    However, before she left, Xie Qiao called over the steward who was looking for her. She took out a talisman and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid these two will not be able to do it. Try to pay more attention to the Young Master¡¯s condition. If you feel that something is wrong, take out this talisman and stick it on his body.¡±


    The steward was a little confused, ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that?¡±


    ¡°The ceremony is not something that can be done in a short period of time. Don¡¯t tell me that I have to sit here and wait? I¡¯m going to rest in the inn outside. If you need anything, just look for me,¡± Xie Qiao smiled faintly. With that, she carried her big rooster and left.


    The ceremony was to burn incense and worship the gods.


    The thing in this young master¡¯s room was very powerful. Although the Taoist master could not see it, he could feel it. If they were to really do it, they would probably have to fight for two or four hours.


    In addition to the troublesome matters that had to be prepared before and after, if Xie Qiao stayed here, it would only exhaust her mind.


    Moreover, this Prince Ning Bei did not value her very much. If she waited there, what would she do if she fainted from exhaustion?


    Why not go to the inn near the courtyard and order some good food to fill her stomach? Only then would she have the energy to work.


    When the steward heard that she was going to the inn nearby, he heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°Please don¡¯t go too far, then¡±


    He did not believe in the other two masters.


    Master Mo¡¯s Fortune Talisman was very powerful!


    As she had received the deposit, Xie Qiao only went to the inn to wait.


    At that moment, after the two masters were ready, they began to perform the ritual.


    The monk held the wooden fish in his hand and sat cross-legged, muttering scriptures. Beside him, the Taoist master held the peach wood sword in his hand, and as if there was a fire under his feet, he began to dance and wield the sword.


    It happened in the young master¡¯s courtyard.


    All the windows were opened, and as soon as the ritual began, everyone felt that the surroundings seemed to be gloomy.


    The initially calm weather seemed to be surging at that moment. A wind blew. It swept up the fallen leaves and blew the incense and candles on the corners. It looked a little creepy.


    However, the stranger the atmosphere was, the greater the hope in the hearts of Prince Ning Bei and his wife.


    They watched as the Taoist master spat fire from his mouth. The fire was driven by the peach wood sword. It looked very strange.


    The Taoist master kept chanting incantations. Even Prince Ning Bei could not understand it. He could only vaguely hear the master saying ¡®go¡¯ a few times. However, every time a strange wind blew over, the fire was extinguished.


    The old Taoist master¡¯s speed became faster and faster, and his voice became heavier and heavier. The bells in his hands jingled like a life-threatening charm, making people nervous.


    With a thud, a gust of strong wind blew over, and the table with the things on it was directly overturned!


    The old Taoist master was also knocked to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood!


    ¡°Oh no, oh no! Y-Young Master can¡¯t breathe!¡± The maidservant who was guarding inside quickly shouted.


    As soon as she said that, Prince Ning Bei¡¯s face turned pale and he quickly rushed over. The steward who had been secretly observing also entered the room sneakily.


    The husband and wife looked and saw their son groaning and moaning in pain on the bed, tossing and turning. Beads of sweat were dripping on his pale face, and his dry and cracked lips were panting heavily. Every breath was extremely difficult!


    How could this be?!

 Chapter 406 - Judged Too Quickly

    <h4>Chapter 406: Judged Too Quickly</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Prince Ning Bei¡¯s face was gloomy. He grabbed his son¡¯s hand, but he was helpless.


    The doctors were useless. The Taoist master¡­was useless too!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is my son still like this after you performed the ritual?!¡± Prince Ning Bei was furious.


    Yuan Changzi was shocked and also in disbelief, ¡°T-This evil thing is extraordinary. The power of Master Puchen and I is not enough!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there one more person?!¡± Prince Ning Bei said angrily.


    He was afraid that one person could not handle it, so he asked his servants to hire a few more!


    ¡°That person.... has left...¡± the other two servants said.


    At this time, the steward holding Xie Qiao¡¯s talisman braced himself and rushed over. He pressed the talisman on the Young Heir¡¯s head. Immediately, it was pasted!


    In an instant, the Young Heir¡¯s ferocious expression returned to normal.


    His breathing also became much calmer, and he actually looked like he was sleeping soundly.


    Steward Fu Man heaved a huge sigh of relief.


    He knew that Master Mo¡¯s things were useful!


    ¡°Fu Man, what did you do?¡± Prince Ning Bei was going to be angry, but seeing that his son¡¯s condition had improved, his attitude became much better, ¡°Where did you get this talisman?¡±


    ¡°Master, Master Mo was afraid that these two masters would affect the Young Master, so she left a talisman for me. He told me to pay attention to the Young Master¡¯s condition at all times. She said that if the masters didn¡¯t do a good job, I would look for her again,¡± Fu Man quickly said.


    Prince Ning Bei immediately stood up and stared at the two masters, suppressing his displeasure.


    He could hear the meaning in Fu Man¡¯s words.


    It was nothing more than... These two people had pushed Master Mo away.


    However, when Prince Ning Bei thought about Master Mo, he could not figure out what that person looked like, so he felt a little guilty.


    That Master Mo was a woman, and she was not too old, so he thought that she probably did not have much ability, so he looked down on her a little.


    He secretly felt a little guilty. This son of his was already in a life-and-death situation, yet he was still so reckless¡­


    ¡°Since the master left the talisman, can you tell me where she went? Is she still willing toe back?¡± After saying that, Prince Ning Bei sighed again, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll go and invite her myself. If this master can cure my son, so what if I lower my head?!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, please wait. The master isn¡¯t that arrogant. She just said that it would take a long time, so she went to wait at the inn outside. I¡¯ll go and invite her now. It won¡¯t be long before Master Moes,¡± Fu Man immediately said.


    ¡°Okay, then quickly go and invite her! Get my carriage!¡± Prince Ning Bei was serious.


    However, he did not treat the other two masters coldly because of that.


    These two people were also capable. Otherwise, his son would not have reacted because of that ritual just now.


    It was just that their abilities were slightlycking.


    ¡°The two masters have worked hard. The side rooms are ready. Masters, go and rest first. If there¡¯s a needter, I will have to ask the two of you toe,¡± Prince Ning Bei had learned his lesson.


    If that Master Mo could not do it, perhaps the three masters working together would have more strength in numbers?!


    The two masters looked a little better now. Yuan Changzi also felt a little ashamed.


    He looked at the talisman with the corner of his eye and was shocked.


    This talisman... was not simple.


    If one did not have some skill, one would not be able to inscribe it.


    Inscribing a talisman was different from drawing a painting. The talisman had to be done in one stroke and one¡¯s state of mind had to be calm andposed. Otherwise, even if it was inscribed ording to the pattern, it would not have any effect.


    That Master Mo was actually able to give such a high quality talisman. From the looks of it, he¡­ judged too quickly?!

 Chapter 407 - The Vengeful Spirit is Upset

    <h4>Chapter 407: The Vengeful Spirit is Upset</h4>


    Yuan Changzi¡¯s heart was a little flustered.


    The person he had offended was not a big shot¡­ nor was she the disciple of a big shot¡­


    However, he was also really aggrieved. He had never heard of a Taoist master with the surname Mo in the capital. Even if it was a famous Taoist master outside, they would usually have heard of it. After thinking about it, the surname Mo¡­


    Yuan Changzi¡¯s heart suddenly jolted.


    Mo?


    Mo Lingzi?


    Yuan Changzi¡¯s expression was strange for a moment. Then, he did not say anything. He silently wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked rather pitiful.


    The monk nced at him to express hisfort. Then, he knocked on the wooden fish and walked away.


    Xie Qiao was at the inn. She had a meal and even took a nap. Only then did she hear someone calling at the door. The steward¡¯s head was covered in sweat, with an adoring smile, he said, ¡°Master Mo, I knew you¡¯re the best! Our master is looking for you now. He said he woulde to pick you up personally, but he has to be with the Young Master, so he ordered me toe. Is it convenient for you now?¡±


    The steward was quite sharp-tongued.


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯m in good spirits now.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± the steward smirked, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a carriage for you. My Master is Prince Ning Bei. To show his respect, although he hasn¡¯te, his exclusive carriage is waiting downstairs¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Since she had epted the payment, she would not trouble anyone.


    However, the king¡¯s carriage was indeed great.


    There were soft cotton pillows and fragrance inside. The smell was not very strong, and it was quite refreshing. There was even a maidservant kneeling next to her, who helped to refill the tea at any time.


    When she left, she was dejected. When she came back, she was quite valued and was directly weed in by Prince Ning Bei and his wife.


    ¡°Master Mo, it was all my fault earlier. I hope you can forgive me,¡± the king did not have much dignity now.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. People in the world are like that,¡± Xie Qiao said matter-of-factly.


    In the past, when she was in the Taoist temple, she would also be looked down upon.


    Prince Ning Bei heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°That talisman of yours is really useful. My son looks much better after using it, and his breathing is more stable than before. I even found a doctor to look at him earlier. The doctor said that if this goes on, he will recover¡­


    ¡°So, Master, do you still have the talisman?¡± He added.


    Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°Even if I do, we can¡¯t use it. We can¡¯t let the Young Heir live with this talisman forever, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t know¡­ if he can be cured,¡± Prince Ning Bei probed.


    If he could not be cured, even if he had to wear this talisman every day, he had to keep his son alive!


    In his life, he had only given birth to two children. That b*stard¡¯s eldest son¡­ was only for the sake of carrying on the family line.


    Although he was also very outstanding, he just did not like him. He was not like his youngest son that he truly doted on.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Xie Qiao said. Then, she looked around and found that Yuan Changzi was also there, but the monk was gone.


    Yuan Changzi met her gaze and looked to the side guiltily.


    ¡°The evil energy is stronger now. That vengeful spirit is unhappy,¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    Yuan Changzi¡¯s expression was strange.


    He knew that the vengeful spirit had fought with him for nothing. Although he had won, his authority had been challenged, so of course it would be upset.


    However, this Master Mo was a little strange. It was as if she could see the vengeful spirit.


    Thinking of that, Yuan Changzi frowned. He had cultivated for so many years and had yet to open his third eye. asionally, when he needed something, he would only use the help of cow tears or some dharma instruments. Could it be that this Master Mo was so young and couldmunicate with both worlds?

 Chapter 408 - From the Soil

    <h4>Chapter 408: From the Soil</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yuan Changzi carefully observed.


    Xie Qiao turned to the couple and asked, ¡°When did he get sick? Did hee into contact with anything before he got sick?¡±


    ¡°We set off in September before the New Year. He caught a cold on the road in October. My son¡¯s food and clothes were all taken care of by the granny. The Princess and I took it very seriously. Even if it was a gift from someone else, we would only give it to our son after the doctor had checked it. So... There was nothing special.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart sank when she heard that.


    .


    Some vengeful spirits were more magnanimous and easy to find.


    However, there were also some that would be hidden in some artifacts. Usually, there was nothing special about them. At most, the dark energy would be a little heavier.


    However, there were quite a lot of things that had heavy dark energy in the world.


    Xie Qiao thought as her gaze suddenly fell on the.


    The was new. There was a pair of copper hooks on it. They did not look old, but Xie Qiao had a vague feeling that something was wrong. She pointed at the thing and said, ¡°Can you take that thing down and let me have a look?¡±


    Prince Ning Bei did not understand, but he sent a maidservant to take it down.


    Xie Qiao touched it and sighed, ¡°This... is an old thing. It should have been dug out from the soil. Although it¡¯s been reused, it contains bad luck. The prince is young and is sick. It¡¯s best not to use it,¡± Xie Qiao put the thing aside.


    ¡°From the soil?!¡± The princess eximed.


    She was on the verge of copse.


    She only checked if there was anything poisonous in the house!


    ¡°Did this thing harm my son?!¡± The princess said in shock and anger.


    ¡°No, but it¡¯d also have some influence on the Young Heir,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    With that said, the princess made up her mind, ¡°Men, bring the Young Heir¡¯s box over!¡±


    If a mosquito hook had such a great influence, then what about the other things?!


    When the Young Heir was sick, he could not go out to y, so he yed with some small toys at home. If there were problems with those things, what would have happened to him?!


    Sure enough, it did not take long for the things to be carried up.


    It was a big box full of Chinese rings and books.


    Yuan Changzi walked over as well, ¡°This porcin doll isn¡¯t right either. It should also be from the soil.¡±


    Children loved to y with y sculptures, but the Young Heir¡¯s toys were naturally much cleaner. They were all made of copper or porcin. These little dolls had different postures and looked quite cute.


    However, this thing had once been buried under the soil. No matter how clean it was, there would still be some unsightly dirt attached to it.


    Although it was not clean, there were no vengeful spirits in it.


    The other things were not much of a problem.


    However, these porcin dolls were enough to make Prince Ning Bei angry.


    ¡°Where did these thingse from?¡± The king asked angrily.


    ¡°The steward... bought them from the streets after the Young Heir came to the capital. It was all to give the Young Heir something to y with,¡± the maidservant said fearfully.


    Prince Ning Bei gritted his teeth.


    He had to investigate thoroughly! If someone intentionally used these things to harm his son, he would definitely tear that person into pieces!


    ¡°These are not the most important things,¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    ¡°I-I have something to say,¡± The little errand boy beside the Young Heir suddenly knelt, ¡°Earlier, the master mentioned something that the Young Heir came into contact with. I-I know of an item...¡±


    ¡°What item?¡± Prince Ning Bei quickly asked.


    The errand boy was especially nervous, ¡°On the way here, the Eldest Young Master somehow got a golden top. That Item¡¯s structure is very special. You can y with it on the table. With a light tap of the small rope, it actually makes a jingling sound inside...¡±

 Chapter 409 - Kill or Behead Them As You Wish

    <h4>Chapter 409: Kill or Behead Them As You Wish</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°The Young Heir likes that top very much. He k-knew that the Princess doesn¡¯t like the Young Heir epting the Eldest Young Master¡¯s things, so he secretly ys with it...¡± the errand boy was about to cry.


    The princess¡¯ expression was gloomy, ¡°Where is it?!¡±


    The errand boy carefullyy under the bed. Then, he took out a small box from the bottom and gently opened it.


    When Xie Qiao and Yuan Changzi saw it, their expressions changed greatly.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly it!¡± The two said together.


    Yuan Changzi saw a thick evil energy.. Apart from that, Xie Qiao also saw the vengeful spirits that instantly got out of the golden top.


    There was actually more than one vengeful spirit.


    There were seven or eight.


    However, they were not alone. They seemed to have fused together. Those heads changed from time to time, looking particrly frightening.


    These vengeful spirits were actually ten-year-old children.


    They stared at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was grave. She immediately took out her copper coin sword.


    The doors and windows suddenly began to p non-stop.


    Although the Prince Ning Bei couple knew that it was useless, they still protected the Young Heir on the bed.


    ¡°Little fellows, since you guys died early, why didn¡¯t you guys reincarnate obediently? Why did you stay in this mortal world to harm others?!¡± Xie Qiao said angrily.


    ¡°Round drum,e and hit it.¡±


    ¡°Bang bang, bang bang.¡±


    ¡°The inside of the head is empty.¡±


    ¡°The inside of the belly had turned into straw.¡±


    ¡°Father, Mother, pick up the ax. The red flowers are blooming.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A strange voice rang in Xie Qiao¡¯s ears.


    They kept singing and jumping. In a short while, the seven or eight heads rolled toward Xie Qiao. Their heads were covered in blood, and their eyes were wide open.


    Xie Qiao had goosebumps.


    ¡°The stars in the sky adapt to changes, expel evil and bind demons, protect your life. Live forever, the three souls. Your soul will never fall! Now hear mymand!¡± Xie Qiao immediately took out a talisman and struck out.


    In an instant, the strange song became much fainter.


    Then, Xie Qiao started to fight with the heads.


    Prince Ning Bei and the others could not see those evil things. They could only see that Master Mo Chusheng was holding a copper coin sword and striking out with a talisman continuously. The talisman would suddenly burst into mes, and the surrounding sounds would not stop.


    It looked very scary, but... it seemed to be a little more powerful than that master and the talisman from before.


    Yuan Changzi looked at the Seven Star Formation under her feet and his heart trembled.


    This Master Mo... definitely had the ability to remain calm in the face of danger.


    The outsiders would watch the show, while the experts would watch the skill.


    The master¡¯s sword technique was at the pinnacle of perfection. Every step she took was in formation. Only then could the power of the talisman be maximized!


    Amazing. He did not expect that Mo Lingzi, who had offended people everywhere, would have such a... disciple.


    He did not know whether this person was a disciple or a junior sister. In any case, she was definitely in the same sect as Mo Lingzi.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao had already firmly restrained the vengeful spirits.


    A strange smell came from the air, as if something had been burnt.


    ¡°You all lost your lives at such a young age, and I feel sorry for you. Don¡¯t worry, after I capture you guys, I will help you get rid of your resentment and let you go through reincarnation at peace, okay?!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to be reincarnated! We don¡¯t want to be reincarnated!¡±


    They would have parents again after reincarnation. They would be tortured again!


    Xie Qiao knew that most young vengeful spirits would have some pitiful past.


    ¡°The person you want to harm this time is the Young Heir. His father is Prince Ning Bei. If you have any grievances, you can get Prince Ning Bei to im justice for you. If your parents havemitted a crime, you can kill or behead them as you wish!¡± Xie Qiao added.

 Chapter 410 - They Were Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 410: They Were Wrong</h4>


    However, as soon as Xie Qiao said that, those vengeful spirits revealed a confused expression.


    ¡®Father, Mother¡­


    ¡®Even if you guys were wrong, how could I let others kill you?¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill my Mother, she¡­ only wants me to be a genius¡­¡± One of the vengeful spirits actually cried.


    She wanted him to be a genius, so when he was disobedient, he was beaten and starved, and his mother never hugged him. She always wanted him to read, to be a child prodigy, and not to be a disgrace to his family and father¡­


    They were all children. When they were bad, they were really bad. However, when they were sad, they were truly pitiful.


    ¡°Father chopped me to death. He used an axe to chop me to death¡­ Sister, what did I do wrong?! What did I do wrong?!¡± Another spirit said. After that, blood and tears flowed from his eyes. His anger and resentment soared to the sky. Xie Qiao almost could not hold it in.


    Her body could not take it anymore.


    ¡°They were wrong. As parents, they should love and take care of their children. They should guide and educate you. If they didn¡¯t do it, they¡¯re guilty. If you tell me who they are, if they¡¯re still alive, Prince Ning Bei can sentence them to a crime. If they¡¯re dead, I can summon a ghoul and pull them out of the ground to avenge you!¡±


    Xie Qiao said again.


    However, it was not so easy to summon a ghoul.


    She had to find something that was rted to the ghoul, or go to the person¡¯s grave and use some dharma instruments and talismans to exin the person¡¯s identity. They also had to exin how long it would take to summon the ghoul.


    Moreover, if she really summoned the ghoul, she could not use it to do evil things. Otherwise, with her fate, she would probably have to bid farewell to her family.


    The vengeful spirit fell silent for a moment.


    He did not speak, but he did not resist anymore.


    The vengeful spirit that had been hacked to death should be the leader. Now that he had calmed down, his strength was much weaker.


    Xie Qiao immediately took action and captured the vengeful spirits.


    The moment she put them into the bottle, she heard a voice, ¡°Sister, I want a good Father and Mother¡­¡±


    At that moment, Xie Qiao¡¯s hand trembled.


    ¡°Master?¡± Prince Ning Bei looked at her suspiciously, ¡°Have you subdued it?¡±


    The words that the master said earlier were quite scary, but at that moment, Prince Ning Bei and the others chose to forget about it.


    ¡°I have,¡± Xie Qiao adjusted her state of mind and picked up the golden top, ¡°I want to take this thing with me. It has been holding the vengeful spirits for too long, so I need to get rid of the bad luck.¡±


    When the bad luck was gone, she could melt the gold and use it as a dharma instrument.


    ¡°Master, please go ahead,¡± Prince Ning Bei did not care about that and said, ¡°I wonder¡­ What evil thing was it? I heard that it wants to ask me to im justice. If he lets my son gopletely, I will do it immediately!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a couple of children who have been wronged by their parents. They must have seen that the Young Heir was favored, so they were jealous and wanted to take him away. But with their ability, it should be easy for them to take the Young Heir away. It shouldn¡¯t take so long. I think¡­ seeing how much you two love the young prince, they must¡¯ve gone soft.¡±


    However, since they had already be vengeful spirits, it was easy for them to drive themselves into a dead end.


    Even if they were soft-hearted, they would not back down.


    ¡°I see,¡± After saying that, Prince Ning Bei quickly went to look at his son.


    The Young Heir was still weak, but they could feel that the son¡¯s breathing was bing calmer. As they looked at him, the Young Heir actually snorted, ¡°Hungry¡­ Mother¡­ I¡¯m hungry¡­ I¡¯m so hungry¡­¡±


    As soon as the voice was heard, the princess was so happy that she cried, ¡°Quickly get someone to bring the porridge over!¡±


    ¡°We still need to get a doctor. The evil has been removed, but he needs to consume the medicine,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.

 Chapter 411 - Magic Elixir

    <h4>Chapter 411: Magic Elixir</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At that moment, Prince Ning Bei had almost taken Xie Qiao¡¯s words as an imperial edict. He immediately sent the imperial doctor over to take a look.


    Yuan Changzi looked at Xie Qiao with an even stranger gaze.


    This person really did not seem to be Mo Lingzi¡¯s disciple.


    That Mo Lingzi was also a rather famous Taoist master 20 years ago. He had oncee to the capital and had even done a great deed. Unfortunately, what he said was not likable and he had offended many people. Even though he was very powerful, he was still chased out of the capital in the end.


    He thought¡­


    That he had died long ago.


    .


    However, at that time, Mo Lingzi did not have any disciples, so could this person be Mo Lingzi¡¯s disciple?


    This Mo Lingzi was not great himself, but his ability to take in disciples was quite impressive.


    Look at this Taoist master. She had a carefree and rxed demeanor, and she seemed to be quite unfathomable. Her cultivation was also quite profound, and she was able to defeat him with just one move.


    Xie Qiao also noticed that Yuan Changzi had been sizing her up.


    She turned around and red at him. Then, she pretended not to have done anything and sat down to take a sip of tea.


    The doctor checked the Young Heir¡¯s pulse. He was shocked after checking.


    To be honest, the king had been in such a hurry earlier that he had thought the Young Heir was really going to die. However, now that he looked at his pulse, it seemed to be a little stronger. Hisplexion was also not bad. His symptoms were actually not as terrible as before?!


    What kind of magic elixir did he use?


    ¡°The Young Heir¡¯s illness has improved. I will prescribe a few more mild medicines to nourish him. He should be able to recover, but...¡± thinking of the Young Heir¡¯s condition from before, the doctor did not dare to be too full of himself, ¡°This illness is trickle. Wait for it to be cured patiently.¡±


    Prince Ning Bei was not in a hurry at that moment. As long as his son¡¯s life was saved, he would take his time to take care of him. His request was not high either!


    The princess looked at her son with heartache.


    Over the years, many people hadughed at her for giving birth at such an old age, but she did not care. She only cared about her son. As long as she was alive, she would protect her son!


    ¡°Your Highness, should we investigate the golden top and the things in the soil?¡± The princess asked her husband.


    Prince Ning Bei really loved his wife. Even though they were both in their 60s, their rtionship was deeper than when they were young.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear. I will definitely find out the truth about the two unearthed items. As for this golden top...¡± Prince Ning Bei¡¯s expression was slightly cold as he said to the steward, ¡°Get the Eldest Young Master over!¡±


    He knew that if his son was killed, the most suspicious people would be his concubine and his eldest son.


    However, he had investigated everything he could over the past few days. The items used by his son did not contain any poison. His concubine was also living in seclusion and did not dare to go near the courtyard. As for his eldest son, his attitude was still decent and he did not see anything wrong with him.


    Therefore, he had always been kind to the eldest son.


    However, the golden top was given to the Young Heir by the eldest son.


    He had to think about it and ask more questions!


    ¡°Could you please stay in the courtyard and rest for a day or two? I¡¯m still worried about my son¡¯s illness,¡± Prince Ning Bei added.


    Xie Qiao hesitated for a moment.


    She was supposed to go to the academy today, but she took a leave of absence for the sake of the money. If she did not go tomorrow... Old Master Lu might have a problem with it.


    However, since she had already epted the job, she had to give the after-sale guarantee.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xie Qiao nodded slightly and said indifferently.


    Hearing that, Prince Ning Bei let out a sigh of relief, ¡°If you need anything, just order Fu Man to do it. This guy does things well and will definitely satisfy your needs.¡±


    Beside him, Steward Fu Man wasughing in his heart.


    Reward, he would definitely be rewarded!


    Thest time he went to look for the master, he had just bought a stack of Fortune Talismans. Look, did his wish note true now?!

 Chapter 412 - Could Not Mess up the Relationship

    <h4>Chapter 412: Could Not Mess up the Rtionship</h4>


    Prince Ning Bei immediately arranged for a room and then nced at Yuan Changzi. Seeing that this person did not seem to have any intention of leaving, he arranged for another room.


    As for the monk¡­


    He had also rested in the guest room for a while. Now that he realized that Master Mo did not need any help, he took the initiative to leave.


    Yuan Changzi stayed behind shamelessly.


    While Xie Qiao went back to her room to rest, he stayed outside. He neither knocked on the door nor left.


    Xie Qiao stayed in her room to rest. She definitely did not take the initiative to speak.


    She had expended a lot of energy earlier, and there were also some wandering souls in this courtyard. At that moment, they were watching her nearby.


    They were ready to take her at any time.


    However, when the wandering souls approached, the rooster pped its wings and chased after them.


    Chirp, chirp, chirp.


    The house was in chaos, and not long after, the wandering souls were scared away.


    Yuan Changzi only heard the rooster¡¯s movements inside, and a strange expression appeared on his face.


    She must be Mo Lingzi¡¯s disciple. They were all so¡­ special.


    Logically speaking, when she saw him waiting outside, she should have gone out to speak to him. However, she was actually ying with that rooster. Yes, that rooster was also powerful. It was filled with pure Yang energy, and it was alive.


    That rooster¡¯s Yang energy was more vigorous than that of a normal rooster. It could drive away evil spirits. It must have been fed with some special things since it was young to be able to achieve what it had today.


    Only Mo Lingzi¡¯s disciples would raise such a pet.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was pale, and cold sweat kept dripping down. She was so tired that she even took a few pills with her.


    However, she could not get angry at the vengeful spirits this time. For the sake of these vengeful spirits¡¯ next lives, she had to work hard to umte more good karma for them.


    Usually, she would only umte good karma and blessings for herself. Even if she captured vengeful spirits, at most, she would only help them eliminate their resentments. However, the little ones were different.


    They had harmed others.


    Even if she wiped away their resentments, they would still have to repay the debt of evil doings they did. Even if they could be reincarnated as human beings in their next lives, presumably¡­ it would be impossible for them to have good parents.


    Xie Qiao thought once their auras were clean, she would let them run errands in the death shop and do more good deeds. Perhaps they would be able to redeem themselves. Even if they were unable to be like this Young Heir in their next life and meet parents who loved them so much, hopefully they would not be abused, and that it would be good for them to live a stable life.


    Xie Qiao exhaled and felt groggy.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    After about an hour, Yuan Changzi could not wait any longer and knocked on the door.


    He was quite patient. After standing for so long, he did not feel tired at all.


    Xie Qiao opened the door.


    Yuan Changzi smiled embarrassedly, ¡°I was lucky enough to see Master Mo¡¯s ability earlier, so I came here to ask for your advice¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was calm.


    Yuan Changzi saw that she was not in good spirits, but her expression was a little stiff. He did not know why, but when he thought of his previous guess, he could not help but ask, ¡°Do you know Mo Lingzi?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my mas¡­¡± Xie Qiao paused, ¡°Senior brother.¡±


    Yes, she was her own senior uncle.


    That was right, she could not mess up the rtionship.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t hear that Mo Lingzi had a junior sister¡­¡± Yuan Changzi was a little puzzled, ¡°I¡¯ve met Mo Lingzi before. He was the only sessor of the Water Moon Temple, and his master had passed away long ago. You¡­¡±


    Where did shee from?


    ¡°His long-lost junior sister,¡± Xie Qiao was serious, ¡°Many years ago¡­ ahem, a master fell off a cliff and was saved by my grandmother. In order to repay my grandmother, ahem¡­ he made me acknowledge him as my master. After the master taught me many skills, he left. Later, when I came out of the mountain, my master had passed away, so I relied on my senior brother¡­ ahem¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao was full of nonsense.

 Chapter 413 - 3: Acknowledging A Master

    <h4>Chapter 413: Acknowledging A Master</h4>


    Yuan Changzi was skeptical. He thought something was wrong, but he could not tell what it was.


    After all, this Taoist Master Mo looked very decent and spoke slowly. She looked very convincing.


    ¡°How is Senior Mo Lingzi¡¯s health now?¡± Yuan Changzi asked politely.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Yuan Changzi was a little embarrassed. Looking at this Mo Chusheng in front of him, he did not know what to say. After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°This humble one is from the Yuxu Temple. Could you please leave your address so that we can discuss Taoist techniques together in the future¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Fortune Pavilion on the Eastern Street is mine. If you need anything, you can look for Shopkeeper Chang,¡± Xie Qiao said concisely. Then, she covered her mouth and coughed deeply twice, looking a little weak, ¡°If the Yuxu Temple is farther away¡­ the price might be a little higher. If there¡¯s nothing urgent, I usually only take jobs in the city¡­¡±


    Yuan Changzi revealed a shocked look.


    Why did she need to collect money when they were just getting to know each other and talk about Taoist techniques?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Qiao did not feel that there was something wrong with her, ¡°Master, didn¡¯t youe here for the high reward?¡±


    She had to collect money just because she had to break a sweat. Was she wrong?


    Yuan Changzi smacked his lips.


    That was true¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m usually busy. If not for the money, I naturally don¡¯t want to wander around. It¡¯s tiring. Why torture myself?¡± Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, why don¡¯t you take a rest? I¡¯m still a little tired. I need to rest for a while.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were still a little resentful, as if she disliked this person for disturbing her rest.


    It had been a long time since Yuan Changzi was so embarrassed.


    He quickly left.


    Xie Qiao closed the door directly. After that, she threw himself on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s really strange. Why does her face not seem to match her bones?¡± Yuan Changzi suddenly remembered.


    No wonder he had always thought that this Master Mo was a liar.


    It was because her face was not very lucky.


    However, there was nothing wrong with looking at this face. However, a person¡¯s fate had to be seen in many aspects, such as bones, palm, voice, and even spirit. Earlier, Mo Chusheng¡¯s face was also a face of wealth and honor, however, it was as if someone else¡¯s face had been put on another person¡¯s body. There was a strange feeling all over her body!


    However, as Taoists, they all had calm and unperturbed temperaments. How could there be such a person who hid her head and revealed her tail?


    It was really strange.


    Yuan Changzhi could not figure it out.


    On the other hand, the Young Heir¡¯s situation was getting better and better.


    The princess personally fed the Young Heir and he actually ate an entire bowl of porridge. It was much better than before. Moreover, after eating the porridge, he could already open his eyes slightly and say a few more words.


    Such a huge change made the princess cry with joy, and she looked much more energetic now.


    She was also secretly grateful toward Mo Chusheng.


    ¡°Earlier, I saw that she was a female Taoist master and thought that she didn¡¯t have any abilities. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so powerful. Your Highness, I was thinking of inviting Master Mo over and bing our son¡¯s master. She can teach him some Taoist techniques and also cultivate one¡¯s body and mind¡­¡± the old princess¡¯s voice was calm, however, one could feel her anticipation.


    ¡°As per your wish. However, this expert usually has an inheritance and would not take in disciples easily. We still have to ask politely. If she¡¯s not willing, we can¡¯t force it. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know where her Taoist temple is. I should go and give some incense money,¡± Prince Ning Bei said in all seriousness.


    The princess still hoped that this expert could take in a disciple.


    Even if it was just an in-name disciple, it would do too.


    She was truly worried about this matter. She initially thought that the evil people in this world would only poison and frame people. She did not expect that there was such an evil method.


    Even if it was not done by an evil person, her son would always encounter some idents in his lifetime. What if he encountered evil again in the future?


    With an expert by his side, it would be much more reassuring.


    Just as she was thinking, someone from the outside said, ¡°The Eldest Young Master is here.¡±

 Chapter 414 - What Was Your Intentions

    <h4>Chapter 414: What Was Your Intentions</h4>


    The princess¡¯ originally worried expression instantly turned cold.


    Prince Ning Bei was the same. With a sullen expression, he said, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    It was the eldest son of Prince Ning Bei, Zhao Xuzhi.


    He was born a decent man, and he was extremely handsome.


    As the Prince was old, he had never taken a wife. In order to avoid attracting too much attention, the royal family¡¯s descendants often got marriedte. Now, Zhao Xuzhi was already 18 or 19 years old, but he did not have a wife.


    Zhao Xuzhi received permission to enter his younger brother¡¯s courtyard.


    He wore a ck robe and his phoenix-like eyes were alluring. He looked somewhat simr to the Crown Prince, but he looked gentle and reserved. He did not look like the Crown Prince. He was cold but he looked rather charismatic.


    Prince Ning Bei looked at his outstanding son and had a veryplicated feeling.


    After all, he was his son. It was naturally impossible for him to not have the slightest bit of love. However, a b*stard son was a b*stard son. It was absolutely impossible for him to surpass the son of the wife.


    Back then, he did not have a wife. Although he was prepared to ask the eldest son to be the Crown Prince, he wanted to wait for his destiny toe.


    However, he did not expect that he could give birth to another son.


    ¡°Greetings, Father and Mother,¡± Zhao Xuzhi was very respectful.


    Prince Ning Bei did not look too good. He did not ask him to get up. Instead, he said, ¡°Yuzhi¡¯s illness has improved. The doctor said that as long as he takes good care of himself, he might be able to return to how he was in the past in two to three months.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Second Brother has been lying in bed for the past few days and he has suffered a lot. As a big brother, my heart is aching and I couldn¡¯t sleep or eat well,¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face immediately revealed a look of surprise.


    Prince Ning Bei had been observing his reaction.


    At that moment, seeing that his surprise did not seem to be fake, his expression became a little better.


    ¡°Today, I found a few masters and found the thing that harmed your brother. That thing has been taken away by the masters, but I heard that it was a gift from you¡­¡±


    As soon as Prince Ning Bei finished speaking, Zhao Xuzhi looked at him in shock and muttered, ¡°I-I gave it to him? B-But everything that I gave him was e-examined by the imperial doctors?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t poison, but there was something dirty in it,¡± Prince Ning Bei did not say much and only said, ¡°Do you still remember that golden top? Where did you get it? Why did you give it to Yuzhi? What¡­ intention did you have?!¡±


    At the end of his sentence, Prince Ning Bei looked a little cold and heartless.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s heart instantly turned cold.


    ¡°Golden top¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi muttered and immediately prostrated on the ground, ¡°I should be given a death sentence! On the way here, I saw that Second Brother was always unhappy and felt that the journey was boring, so I wanted to find something fun for him. At that time, I happened to pass by a small city and there was a pawn shop. I went in to take a look and immediately fell in love with the golden top. After I brought it back, I casually said that he picked it up on the way back. Second Brother also said that I was lucky. The two of us even went to the forest to take a stroll and yed a game of finding treasures¡­


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that there was something wrong with the golden top!¡± Zhao Xuzhi lowered his head.


    His entire body was trembling, and he looked both scared and pitiful.


    Her own son looked so humble and timid, making Prince Ning Bei feel a little ufortable.


    Princess snorted coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you all that anything given to the Young Heir has to go through me. Why didn¡¯t you listen?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told Second Brother¡­ I t-thought that Mother already knew¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s voice was trembling, and it seemed like he was still crying.

 Chapter 415 - Thank You with 10,000 Taels of Gold

    <h4>Chapter 415: Thank You with 10,000 Taels of Gold</h4>


    The princess could only sulk when Zhao Xuzhi said that. She could not me him for anything.


    This thing was given to her son, and her son did intend to hide it. The b*stard son looked so pitiful and innocent, so she did not know where to vent her anger.


    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Prince Ning Bei asked calmly.


    ¡°I swear that if I have the intention to harm my Second Brother, I will die without aplete body!¡± Zhao Xuzhi immediately knelt and pointed to the sky.


    When he raised his head, there were still traces of tears on his face and his eyes were red.


    Prince Ning Bei sighed, ¡°Forget it. Since you have no intention to harm him, I won¡¯t hold it against you. However, don¡¯t do this again in the future. After you go back, meditate and copy the seventh volume of the world norm a hundred times.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi immediately responded without the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.


    The seventh volume of the world norm was about brotherhood.


    ¡°Go,¡± Prince Ning Bei said again.


    Zhao Xuzhi immediately kowtowed and retreated.


    His head hit the ground with a thud. It looked as if he was expressing his innocence.


    The princess was not that unforgiving. It was just that Zhao Xuzhi had identally harmed her son. She felt a little disgusted, but seeing him like that, her heart softened a little and she did not say anything more.


    Zhao Xuzhi left the courtyard in a sorry state.


    His forehead was red and his face was still filled with grief and self-me.


    It was not until he got into the carriage outside that his gaze immediately changed.


    He clenched his fists slightly and was about to smash the carriage frame. However, when he wanted to do that, he recalled that there might be people watching from the outside in secret, so he held it in.


    He thought about what had happened before.


    On the way back to the capital, Zhao Yuzhi was a little impatient. As the elder brother, he was like a ve. He had to y with the Young Heir and even protect his safety.


    It was indeed unintentional.


    He took a fancy to the top at first sight. With his understanding of Zhao Yuzhi, he would definitely like it very much. As his elder brother, he had to curry favor with his younger brother. At that time, he secretly thought it was sarcastic.


    When he bought it, the pawnshop attendant secretly said something to him.


    He said that this thing was dirty. It must have been something buried with a wealthy child. It had been dug up. If it was to be given to the child to y with, he had to be careful.


    It was just a top.


    That was what he thought at that time.


    However, he did not expect that from then on, his younger brother would really be ill. He could not even afford to get sick.


    He had thought about it a lot. He had thought about taking back the golden top, but after hesitating a few times, he decided to leave it as it was.


    It was not his fault. He just thought it was impossible for such a strange thing to exist in the world? How could a top kill a person?


    He clearly had good intentions.


    Zhao Xuzhi endured his emotions and his gaze was a little malicious.


    ¡°Find out which master saved my Second Brother. When you return, prepare a generous gift. I will personally thank him,¡± Zhao Xuzhi finally said to the person serving him outside.


    Xie Qiao stayed in the courtyard for three days.


    However, there were also people who sent a message to the Xie family saying that Xie Qiao was out with Mo Chusheng.


    Xie Pinggang was a big-hearted person and did not ask about it at all.


    Before she left, Prince Ning Bei invited her over. In front of her were a lot of¡­ gold.


    The gold was sparkling.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face immediately tensed up. She did not appear to be too eager. She did not even look at the gold. She looked like an expert who treated money like dirt!


    ¡°I told you earlier that if you save my son, I¡¯ll give you 10,000 taels of gold,¡± Prince Ning Bei was very serious.


    Xie Qiao was also serious, ¡°Although life cannot be measured by money, it¡¯s inappropriate to give such an expensive gift. ording to the market price, just pay me¡­ 5,000 taels of silver.¡±


    That was the price for capturing a vengeful spirit, and it was indeed correct.


    Earlier, the Young Heir¡¯s guards had received a hundred taels of gold as well.


    She could only charge for 5,000 taels of silver for the vengeful spirits around the Young Heir, and that was under the premise that the Prince Ning Bei was wealthy. It would not be good for her if she asked for more.

 Chapter 416 - The Child and I are Not Fated

    <h4>Chapter 416: The Child and I are Not Fated</h4>


    Xie Qiao endured the pain and did not look at the gold on the ground. Her gaze was wandering outside and her smile was generous. She looked like an otherworldly expert.


    Prince Ning Bei was very surprised. He did not expect this master to be so different. There was so much gold in front of her and she did not even look at it!


    She was indeed an expert!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been crude. How about this? I¡¯m willing to donate the rest of the gold to your Taoist temple to build golden statues for the gods,¡± Prince Ning Bei said.


    Xie Qiao felt a sharp pain in her heart.


    The Taoist temple was not here!


    It was far away!


    ¡°If Your Highness has such intentions, you can donate some gold and silver in the name of the Water Moon Temple in Yunjin and do some good deeds. I will only take 5,000 taels of silver. I won¡¯t force you to donate the rest,¡± Xie Qiao insisted.


    It was her silver.


    Xie Qiao sighed softly.


    Prince Ning Bei misunderstood Xie Qiao¡¯s sigh and felt a little ashamed in an instant.


    How could this true master who helped the world care about the golden statues?


    Look at this master, she was actually thinking about the people of the world! She was truly a kind person!


    ¡°You¡¯ve taught me something,¡± Prince Ning Bei said with admiration, then he said, ¡°My son can sit up and talk to the Princess today. The imperial doctor also said that the situation has improved a lot, but I still have one more thing to ask of you, Master.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, Your Highness,¡± Xie Qiao said politely.


    ¡°After I return to the capital this time, I will not go to the fiefdom for the time being. The Emperor also intends to let me retire in the capital. I only have two sons. My Eldest Son is already old, but this child¡­ After this matter, I¡¯m worried about him. If he can make you his master, that would be the best,¡± Prince Ning Bei added.


    ¡°Making me his master?¡± Even Xie Qiao, who had always been calm, was shocked when she heard that.


    Prince Ningbei¡¯s Young Heir was extremely precious. As long as he did not rebel, he would be able to do whatever he wanted for the rest of his life!


    With such a status, he wanted to make her his master?


    His taste¡­ was great.


    However, when he thought about her own status¡­


    Xie Qiao thought it was inappropriate.


    Not only was she Mo Chusheng, she was also Xie Qiao. If her identity was identally exposed one day, Prince Ningbei would feel that he had been deceived. By then, it would not be good for the Xie family.


    ¡°This child and I¡­ are not fated to be master and disciple, the moment Xie Qiao opened her mouth, she drove the subject into a dead end.


    Prince Ning Bei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°What¡­¡±


    He had thought that this master would make some requests¡­


    Now that she had said that, how could he continue to speak?


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been used to wandering around, and I can¡¯t control the child. If Your Highness is worried that the child will encounter such a thing in the future, you can just look for me at the Fortune Pavilion,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    When Prince Ning Bei heard that, he thought it was a great pity.


    However, he could not force the master to take in a disciple, so he could only let the master leave.


    Nevertheless, he remembered the name of the Fortune Pavilion in his heart.


    To him, the life of his son was more important than anything else. How could such a small amount of moneypare to such a great favor?


    Xie Qiao left the courtyard and brought Da Xiong back to the Fortune Pavilion first.


    She had only returned to the Fortune Pavilion for two hours when an honored guest came to visit. This honored guest was the eldest son of Prince Ning Bei¡¯s concubine.


    The news had spread so quickly. It was obvious that this person had been secretly inquiring about the news.


    There was also a ce to entertain guests on the first floor. At that moment, Shopkeeper Chang served tea, and the eldest son of the concubine appeared and gave her a generous gift.


    This generous gift¡­


    It was actually a silver silk horsetail whisk with a golden handle!


    No one knew where it was bought from, but it looked extremely rare!


    However, although the item was rare, it was nothingpared to the 10,000 taels of gold. Therefore, Xie Qiao¡¯s mentality was strong, and her face did not change at all. She looked at the horsetail whisk indifferently with a wide and gentle smile.

 Chapter 417 - I’ll Give You A Couple of Words

    <h4>Chapter 417: I¡¯ll Give You A Couple of Words</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao also took a careful look at Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s appearance.


    A person¡¯s appearance could not determine their entire life. However, with her abilities, she could tell that this person¡¯s fate had changed recently.


    King Ning Bei was the Emperor¡¯s cousin. He would only be demoted after three generations. Hence, the Crown Prince would inherit the throne in the future.


    The fate of a b*stard son was not as bright as that of a legitimate son. However, after all, he was a descendant of the imperial family. How could his fate be terrible?


    Based on the current situation, Zhao Xuzhi would probably be conferred the title of Commandery Prince in the future.


    Especially since Prince Ning Bei had few heirs, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s position as Commandery Prince was almost in the bag..


    There were some princes in the royal family. There were many concubines and many sons. In such a situation, other than the eldest son inheriting the title of king, the other children who were lucky and capable might be able to obtain the position of Commandery Prince. However, if they were not capable, they could only be given some insignificant titles and be some low-ranking officials.


    In terms of noble charisma, the person in front of her had some. However, he now had some dark energy.


    Perhaps... it had something to do with that dirty thing.


    Xie Qiao drank her tea slowly.


    Zhao Xuzhi did not expect that this master was actually a woman.


    ¡°I heard that Master saved my Second Brother, so I came to thank you. I don¡¯t know what Master likes, so I bought some random things. I hope that Master doesn¡¯t mind,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said.


    Xie Qiao looked at his eyes and smiled, ¡°Young master¡¯s eyes are a little simr to someone.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi was stunned, ¡°Are you talking about the Crown Prince?¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So Master Mo has also met the Crown Prince,¡± Zhao Xuzhi looked very gentle and amiable, ¡°Someone mentioned it before that the Emperor specially asked to see me because of my looks. It¡¯s a fortune to look simr to the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°When you speak like that... you don¡¯t look like him. There are stars in the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes, but it¡¯s as if there¡¯s a ck wind blowing in your eyes. You look gloomy,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    Zhao Xuzhi was stunned.


    He put on a fake smile.


    Xie Qiao only thought he looked a little simr to the Crown Prince when she met his eyes.


    After all, they were both surnamed Zhao and they were from the same ancestors. It was inevitable that they looked simr, but now she could not see any simrities.


    People said that the Crown Prince had a cold and cruel personality. Whoever he targeted would be finished. However, in reality, she had interacted with the Crown Prince so many times and could feel that the Crown Prince¡¯s coldness was mostly directed at people who were not that sensible.


    The Crown Prince was generous and benevolent. He had a magnanimous heart, which was why he looked good.


    ¡°Master saved my brother. From now on, you will be my benefactor. In the future, I will also have to visit Master more often,¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face was sincere, but his smile was a little creepy.


    ¡°Seeing that you have given such a generous gift, I¡¯ll give you a couple of words,¡± Xie Qiao took the horsetail whisk.


    Then, she dipped it into the tea and wrote on the table, ¡°Greed leads to no good. If you¡¯re content, you will grow old and prosper.¡±


    It was obvious that this person was intelligent. If he was content with what he had, he would keep what he had and put in all his effort. In the future, he might be able to be a king by relying on his own abilities.


    It was terrible to only focus on what was in his father¡¯s hands.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words were written quite clearly.


    Zhao Xuzhi looked at it and smiled, ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Master. However, have you performed divination on your own fate?¡±


    ¡°No, I have not. Those who are involved in the matter are confused and can¡¯t see clearly,¡± Xie Qiao was very calm.


    ¡°Since Master is so capable, you¡¯re naturally a wealthy and noble person. Why don¡¯t you have any confidence in yourself?¡± Zhao Xuzhi joked, ¡°I came to see Master today with sincerity. Master doesn¡¯t need to tell me these useless things. What I want to know is... is my brother really okay? Will he no longer suffer and free from disaster in the future?¡±

 Chapter 418 - The Biggest Obstacle

    <h4>Chapter 418: The Biggest Obstacle</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s words, she smiled faintly, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in this world who can live a life without pain or disaster. However, since Eldest Young Master wants to know, I would say that the Youngest Young Master has passed through a great cmity and his life will be much smoother in the future.¡±


    When Zhao Xuzhi heard that, he nodded.


    He understood that there were some people who did not have to do anything, and the best would be given to them, such as the Emperor to the Crown Prince, or the father to his second brother.


    For some people, if they fought, it would prove that they were greedy and they might not even have a good ending!


    He was thetter.


    However, how was he worse than Zhao Yuzhi?


    He started reading at the age of three and was called a child prodigy at the age of seven. Everyone said that in this world, his ability to learn was only slightly behind the Crown Prince.


    At that time, he wouldpare himself with the Crown Prince. He also thought that the only person in this world that he couldpete with was the Crown Prince.


    However, before the Crown Prince couldpete with him, there was a Young Heir in the family!


    Zhao Yuzhi was born a prince. From then on, when others looked at him, they would never say that he was the only son of Prince Ning Bei. Instead, they would call him the eldest son of the concubine!


    The word ¡®concubine¡¯ was like a huge mountain crashing down on him, denying all of his talents and abilities.


    Zhao Xuzhi sneered at that moment.


    ¡°Thank you for rifying my doubts today, Master,¡± as Zhao Xuzhi spoke, he stood up. His gaze was still the same as before. It was not sharp, and it could even be said to be gentle, ¡°No matter what, I still have to thank you for saving my Second Brother¡¯s life.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he took his leave.


    As soon as he left Xie Qiao¡¯s Fortune Pavilion of, Zhao Xuzhi said to his confidant, ¡°Secretly guard the Fortune Pavilion and see who she interacts with.¡±


    Mo Chusheng¡­ Her name was very familiar. He had been wondering if he had heard it somewhere in the past two days.


    When she mentioned the Crown Prince, he suddenly remembered.


    Back then, Xiao Yurong and the Crown Prince had gone through the ceremony to acknowledge a master. He happened to be in the capital. At that time, he was upset and wanted to acknowledge Li Shiyan as his master just like the Crown Prince did. However, he was rejected.


    At that time, Li Shiyan said that he had a disciple, Mo Chusheng, who was very picky. The disciple he chose had to be liked by the eldest disciple.


    When he heard that, he thought it was ironic.


    Mo Chusheng had never met Xiao Yurong and the Crown Prince. How would he know that she would like them?


    However, the old master was really weird. He just pretended to smile and said, ¡°She can tell people¡¯s fortune. Looks are born from the heart. I see that the Crown Prince and Xiao Yurong are good-looking. I think they have a good heart.¡±


    However, his appearance was not bad either. Moreover, since he was young, there were people who said that he looked a little like the Crown Prince!


    When he was young, the Crown Prince¡¯s arms were perfect, and his personality was gentle and amiable. He also learned from the Crown Prince in everything he did and received all sorts ofpliments.


    Therefore, he could not understand why the Crown Prince could be his disciple, but he could not?


    Li Shiyan saw that he was persistent, but he picked on him from within. He said that if the Crown Prince was rejected, he would ept him wholeheartedly. Even if he was unwilling, he would only read and learn more. It was not like he would pester him like that. He even said¡­


    He was far from Mo Chusheng and was not suitable to be senior sister and junior brother.


    Mo Chusheng was a person that he had never met before, yet she had already be the biggest obstacle to him.


    In those few days, the princess gave birth to a baby boy. He failed to be a disciple and became aughingstock.


    Zhao Xuzhi smiled sarcastically.


    Li Shiyan loved this disciple, so he naturally would not do anything to Mo Chusheng.


    However, Li Shiyan was very important.


    Out of his six disciples, other than Mo Chusheng, the rest were either in high positions or were well-known throughout the world. Now that he had made Mo Chusheng hold a grudge against him, he could only think of other ways to make Mo Chusheng be on his side.

 Chapter 419 - Creating Publicity

    <h4>Chapter 419: Creating Publicity</h4>


    He would not argue with a woman like Mo Chusheng about what happened that year.


    However, he wanted to prove that Li Shiyan was wrong.


    ¡­


    After sending Zhao Xuzhi away, Xie Qiao changed her clothes, put on her hat, and went home.


    However, just as she left, someone secretly reported to Zhao Xuzhi.


    ¡°You mean that the youngdy of the Xie family was also in the Fortune Pavilion earlier, and she left through the back door?¡± Zhao Xuzhi was a little puzzled.


    ¡°The master is still in the Fortune Pavilion and hasn¡¯te out yet. Only Young Lady Xie went back to the Xie family. Although she was wearing a hat, it was definitely her, as the servants in the Xie Residence called her youngdy,¡± said the servant.


    ¡°I just came to the capital and have never heard of Young Lady Xie¡¯s name before. Go and ask around. What¡¯s her background?¡± Zhao Xuzhi asked again.


    Could she be Mo Chusheng¡¯s disciple?


    It was easy to ask about Xie Qiao. It did not take long for the servant to find out the rumors about Xie Qiao and told Zhao Xuzhi.


    ¡°She¡¯s from a Taoist temple? Then she must be Mo Chusheng¡¯s disciple. This Young Lady Xie has a good life,¡± Zhao Xuzhi smiled.


    Mo Chusheng was indeed an ordinary Taoist master, but the connections behind her could not be underestimated.


    Li Shiyan was the number one schr in the world!


    He was an official in the imperial court when thete Emperor was around, and he was highly regarded. It was just that he did not like officialdom and insisted on leavingter. Otherwise, he would definitely be ranked as one of the Three Ducal Ministers.


    The current Emperor also respected Li Shiyan very much. Otherwise, he would not have let the Crown Prince take him as his master.


    It could be said that although Li Shiyan did not have many disciples, he had taught many people. The schrs in this world also respected him very much!


    If Xie Qiao was his grand-disciple, then with Li Shiyan¡¯s name and the protection of Xiao Yurong and the senior uncles of the Crown Prince, this Young Lady Xie could do whatever she wanted in the capital!


    However, the news did not spread.


    Even Mo Chusheng was reserved. Few people knew that she was Li Shiyan¡¯s eldest disciple.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie is studying at the Royal Academy?¡± Zhao Xuzhi asked.


    ¡°Yes, Eldest Young Master. Before the New Year, Young Lady Xie got eight first prizes. It¡¯s said that she¡¯s very talented, even smarter than Young Lady Dong.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi smiled, ¡°Those are just first prizes. You can¡¯t take that seriously. In the Royal Academy, Dean Xiao and Dean Sang are her backers. What¡¯s so surprising about creating publicity for her?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the capital for a long time. Look, with my talent, can I be a master?¡± Zhao Xuzhi asked the servant.


    ¡°Eldest Young Master may be young, but you¡¯re talented. Of course you can!¡± The servant continued to tter him.


    Zhao Xuzhi did not say anything else.


    He was already 18. When he returned to the capital this time, his father wanted him to go to the pce to get a position as a guard. In two or three years, he would move up and then find a good ce to be an envoy or a stable ce to be a provincial governor. If he did well, then he would be able to ask for an imperial decree to be conferred the title of king.


    He knew that with his status, as long as he did not make any mistakes in his life, if he was lucky, he could be conferred the title of king when he was old. Even if he was unlucky, he could be conferred the title after he died.


    However, the result of his life¡¯s hard work was only the starting point for his second brother.


    Zhao Xu had a n in mind.


    At his age, it was time for him to get a wife.


    He hade to the capital this time because he wanted to find a woman who was well-off and sensible.


    Aftering to the capital, his second brother¡¯s health wascking and he had thought that he would not be able to make it¡­ Therefore, the women that his mother had chosen for him were of a higher status or had a good reputation in the capital.


    However, at the moment, he was afraid that his earlier choices would not work out.

 Chapter 420 - Feud

    <h4>Chapter 420: Feud</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Xie family... Although their status was not high, Xie Qiao was Li Shiyan¡¯s grand-disciple. It was a good choice for him.


    Xie Qiao took a few days off. The next day, she immediately went to the academy to report her.


    However, as soon as she arrived at the academy, Mr. Lu called her over.


    The old man actually took out a bill directly.


    Xie Qiao took it and looked at it.. Her hand trembled, and her expression instantly became much more interesting.


    ¡°Sir, I took a leave of absence...¡± Xie Qiao wanted to cry, but no tears came out.


    She took a leave of absence for three days, and she was deducted 8,000 silver beans?!


    Old Master Lu stroked his beard with a face of decency, but his words were especially cruel, ¡°This academy has its rules. Ever since you entered the academy, you have taken leave of absence over and over again. Other than my ss, you have almost never attended any of the other sses. Therefore, all the teachers are somewhat upset.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not believe it.


    The academy had deliberately taken her silver beans.


    ¡°You have signed up for eight courses, but you have only attended three. As for the remaining five courses... you¡¯ll be deducted 5,000 silver beans from the examination fee,¡± Master Lu saw that she looked pitiful, he exined further, ¡°It¡¯s also because I find it troublesome, so the upper echelons wrote the deduction as 8,000 silver beans.¡±


    ¡°I only got a total of 8,000 silver beans in thest examination. Later on, when I went out to do charity, I spent almost all the silver beans...¡± Xie Qiao was dumbfounded.


    Earlier, she had more than 10,000 silver beans in her hand.


    It was quite expensive to go out of the city. She needed to buy some clothes and herbs, so she only had about 1,000 silver beans left. Later, she won the bet with Xia Yayun, so she became richer.


    These 6,000 silver beans looked like a lot, but it was nothing as there were many good stuff sold at the academy.


    Even cinnabars were avable, and they were of superior quality.


    She had bought some before, and the remaining 2,000 silver beans were to be used for her daily expenses, so there was no need to be worried.


    However, now, Master Lu had deducted 8,000 silver beans from her!


    Xie Qiao almost let out a breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable. The prize money for each exam is only 1,000 silver beans. If I didn¡¯t win first ce, would I have to pay for the exam?¡± Xie Qiao exhaled and tried to calm down.


    ¡°Of course. We set the questions, didn¡¯t we? It¡¯s reasonable to give it to the students who usually attend sses on time. But you... have never participated in the sses of those teachers. In order to show respect, you have to pay some fees. For instance, students from other academies in the capital who want to enter the library of the Royal Academy also have to pay. It¡¯s reasonable,¡± Master Lu exined.


    Xie Qiao could not smile.


    At that moment, all the silver beans had been spent, and she still owed 6,000 silver beans!


    How many books would she have to copy to pay it off?


    Xie Qiao waspletely listless.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be discouraged. The academy figured you had handed in a lot of silver beans, so they gave you a special treatment and promoted you to the Peony Courtyard for free...¡± Master Lu was quite regretful. It was rare for the Orchid Courtyard to have such an intelligent person.


    However, he did not decide that matter on his own.


    ¡°The Peony Courtyard...¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was stiff, and she sneered, ¡°Sir, just tell me directly, who did I offend?¡±


    Master Lu looked at her sympathetically.


    After a moment of hesitation, he said, ¡°Deputy dean, Teacher Qiu... his youngest daughter is the daughter-inw of the Zhou family, but she¡¯s not a direct descendant.¡±


    Master Lu only said that, and Xie Qiao understood.


    The Zhou family¡¯s mastermind was to be executed after autumn, and the rest were also exiled. Such a huge crime would usually implicate the three ns.


    It was quite a feud.

 Chapter 421 - The Pain of Losing A Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 421: The Pain of Losing A Daughter</h4>


    It was only the end of the new year, and the people of the Zhou family were already on their way out in exile. It was unknown how long Teacher Qiu¡¯s youngest daughter would live.


    After all, the road to exile was not an easy one.


    However, even so, she did not think she was at fault.


    The one at fault was Prince Consort Zhou. If she was guilty of exposing this sin to the public, she would still do it even if she would die.


    However, implicating the innocent was not what she wanted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Teacher Qiu is not that kind of person who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s right and wrong. After the youngdy of the Qiu family found out what the Zhou family had done, she was also in extreme pain. She was worried of implicating her family¡¯s reputation. Therefore, before she was exiled, she¡­ hanged herself and left behind an only son, who was not even ten years old. He isn¡¯t a direct descendant of the Zhou family. Teacher Qiu found some connections and left him in the capital.


    ¡°That child witnessed his mother¡¯s death with his own eyes and suffered quite a blow,¡± Master Lu added.


    Teacher Qiu was extremely distressed.


    The pain of losing a daughter was truly unbearable.


    Although he knew that Xie Pinggang was doing justice for the heavens by investigating this case, he could not help but feel somewhat depressed inside.


    ¡°Sir, my Eldest Brother and I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, this old man is not the kind of person who would beat around the bush. This Zhou family¡¯s big case is shocking. Your Eldest Brother avenged so many people¡¯s lives. You did the right thing, However, there are favor outside ofw. There are indeed innocent people in the Zhou family. Teacher Qiu¡¯s actions are not iprehensible,¡± Master Lu sighed, he then said, ¡°Teacher Qiu has several sons in his life, but he only had one daughter. He was very strict in teaching Young Lady Qiu. He raised her to be able to distinguish right from wrong, to be kind and righteous, and to see the world with justice.¡±


    It was precisely because she was so noble that she was so angry and decisive after discovering what the Zhou family did.


    The Qiu family had always had a good reputation. In fact, it was not that they could not let the Zhou family divorce the wife and save their daughter.


    Unfortunately, Young Lady Qiu felt that if she were to be constantly criticized by others in the future, she might as well die.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment, ¡°If it would make Teacher Qiu feel a little better that you deduct these silver beans or let me go to the Peony Courtyard¡­ then just do as you please.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s mood did not fluctuate as much as before.


    The Peony Courtyard or the Orchid Courtyard did not make much of a difference to her.


    As for those silver beans, they were originally just worldly possessions. She could earn them back by copying books.


    Her attitude was neither angry nor sad, and Master Lu was a little surprised.


    ¡°Teacher Qiu¡¯s decision is actually beneficial to you. Young Lady Xie, you are a brilliant schr. If you continue to stay in the Orchid Courtyard, no matter how many first-ce exams you achieve, it won¡¯t be as pleasant as being in the Peony Courtyard,¡± Master Lu said.


    Moreover, Xie Qiao¡¯s personality was too calm.


    She had gotten so many silver beans, but she had never been too happy. Now that she had lost so much, she still looked indifferent.


    Just like an old Taoist master.


    Thepetition in the Peony Courtyard was more intense.


    ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Sir,¡± Xie Qiao said simply, then got up and went back to the academy to pack her things.


    However, when she returned to the academy, he saw a child ring at her.


    And beside this child, there was a ghoul floating.


    In the academy, most ghouls did not dare toe in. After all, the Yang energy was strong, but the ghoul beside this child was very stubborn. It had always stayed by the side and was quite persistent.


    This ghoul was also somewhat weakened by the Yang Energy. If this continued, it mightpletely dissipate.


    ¡°That child¡­ has the surname Zhou. He has been standing there since he arrived earlier and hasn¡¯t spoken a word. It¡¯s really frightening,¡± Qin Liu tugged at Xie Qiao¡¯s clothes, ¡°He even went to the Begonia Courtyard two days ago and stared at your younger brother like that. Second Young Master Xie almost beat him up. Fortunately, someone stopped him.¡±

 Chapter 422 - Sharing Honor and Disgrace

    <h4>Chapter 422: Sharing Honor and Disgrace</h4>


    If Xie Pinghuai wanted to beat someone up, he would not care whether the other party was a child or not.


    It just so happened that Teacher Xiao¡¯s eldest disciple, Chu Jian, saw it and dragged Xie Pinghuai away. Otherwise¡­ This child surnamed Zhou might have to be bed-ridden for a while.


    ¡°Did he cause trouble for Xie Xi?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Qin Liu shook her head, ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°At least he has some sense. He knew not to bully girls,¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    Although Xie Xi was 13, she looked like she was 11 or 12. She was timid, and Xie Qiao did not want her to suffer.


    Xie Qiao looked outside.


    The ghoul¡¯s face was very pale, and his eyes were empty and somewhat sorrowful. He had been staying beside that Young Master Zhou and looked extremely weak.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment. When she saw that the young master of the Zhou family was still staring at her, she walked over directly.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at me,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was cold and straightforward, ¡°You hate my Eldest Brother for harming the Zhou family, right?¡±


    The eyes of that Young Master Zhou seemed to have fire in them, but they were also like the eyes of a little wolf cub, ring at her.


    ¡°What can you change by staring at me like that? You can stare at me for days, and I won¡¯t feel any pain or itch, and I won¡¯t have any losses. As for you, what you will lose is your future,¡± Xie Qiao said again, after thinking for a moment, she said softly, ¡°That¡¯s not right. Your future is already ruined.¡±


    Prince Consort Zhou had caused the death of more than a hundred people.


    No matter how pitiful the other members of the Zhou family were, they deserved their punishment.


    This Zhou family¡¯s kid was young and ignorant. At first, he was filled with hatred. The others might sympathize with him.


    However, if he continued to be so resentful and unwilling over a long period of time, it would only make others think that he did not know right from wrong.


    As for his future¡­


    It was indeed long gone.


    This person was saved by the Qiu family, but a criminal was still a criminal. Even if the world granted amnesty, it would not change the fact that his family was guilty.


    The Zhou family members could not sit for the imperial examination for three generations.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words undoubtedly pierced into this child¡¯s fragile heart.


    His eyes were red, and his initially fair and clean face was now somewhat malevolent and red. Unfortunately, he was too young and did not look scary at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The child ignored her.


    ¡°You hate us so much, but you don¡¯t even dare to tell your name. In the future, you will be a nobody. You can only hate us secretly, but my Eldest Brother and I will not even remember who you are,¡± Xie Qiao said cruelly.


    ¡°Zhou Kaiyun!¡± The child said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Good. Zhou Kaiyun, what did youe to me for? To exin your Mother¡¯s injustice?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°My Mother was innocent to begin with! W-We didn¡¯t know that he killed someone!¡± Zhou Kaiyun said angrily.


    Xie Qiao looked at him calmly.


    ¡°When your Mother married into the Zhou family, did she know that the Zhou family was prosperous? Did she know that the Zhou family was blessed with honor? Did she think that the Zhou family wouldst for generations?¡± Xie Qiao said word by word, her tone was serious. ¡°Your Mother must have known that, even your grandfather¡¯s family thought the Zhou family was pretty great. That¡¯s why they married her into the family.


    ¡°A woman getting married is like her second reincarnation. Your Mother¡­ was reincarnated into the wrong family.


    ¡°Between husband and wife, and within the family, we share life and death together, sharing honor and disgrace. Who doesn¡¯t know that your Mother has been wronged? Even my Father and Brother knew that. However, you are part of the Zhou family. Can you change that? How can the fact that Prince Consort Zhoumitted a crime be erased? If that¡¯s how thew works, no one can do anything about it. If you me the heavens and the people here, it will only add a few more stains to your Mother¡¯s name. She was such a noble person. Would she want you to do this?¡±


    As Xie Qiao spoke, he nced to the side.

 Chapter 423 - Never Raise Their Heads Again

    <h4>Chapter 423: Never Raise Their Heads Again</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ghoul caressed Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s head, looking sad and helpless.


    It seemed to be regretful at the same time.


    Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s tears fell hearing Xie Qiao¡¯s words. He curled his lips and wept, making Xie Qiao seem even more vicious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that I won¡¯t give you a chance to take revenge. If you have so much free time, there¡¯s no need for you to keep an eye on me here. Wait until nightfall. When you go home with my brother, my Eldest Brother will be waiting for you at home. If you want to take revenge, I can shut the door. You can even use a knife or a spear. I¡¯ll get him to stand there and let you attack him three times. If you can¡¯t kill him, then you¡¯re useless.. You¡¯ll stop doing such useless things in the future,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    As for her eldest brother... It did not matter.


    ¡°I will kill him!¡± Zhou Kaiyun was fierce like a toothless tiger.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was rxed, she did not care at all.


    Zhou Kaiyun ran away.


    However, the ghoul stayed.


    Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°The academy is full of Yang energy. If you don¡¯t want your soul to scatter, wait in my carriage.¡±


    Her voice was so soft that no one noticed it.


    The ghoul seemed to be confused. It raised its head and looked at Xie Qiao in confusion, ¡°Are you... talking to me?¡±


    ¡°There are no other souls here except for you,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was still calm, ¡°Stay outside. How dare youe here with such thin dark energy? Do you think it¡¯s not enough for you tomit suicide once? Do you want to do it again?¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she red at the soul and left.


    So what if Young Lady Qiu was dignified?


    Even if she had died, she would still be a member of the Zhou family, right? Would the stigma still not be washed away?


    Moreover, she still had a child.


    If she was from the Qiu family, if their rtionship was good, and her husband did not know about the murder, then she would just be exiled and go with him. So what if the Emperor was far away? So what if she was poor? With her husband and son by her side, she could just live as usual.


    If her husband was vicious, then it would be easier to deal with him. She would sign the letter of divorce and bring her son to live life.


    It was not necessarily bad to linger on at death¡¯s door.


    Once she was dead, she would be done with it. However, why did she still refuse to go down and hovered around in the human world? Was it not for the fact that there was someone she was worried about?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was a little fierce.


    However, this ghoul had been floating around for so long, and no one had been able to see her.


    Now that Xie Qiao suddenly spoke to her, she was very excited. Naturally, she listened to her obediently. She went outside to look for the Xie family¡¯s carriage and waited obediently inside.


    Inside Orchid Courtyard, everyone already knew that Xie Qiao was going to the Peony Courtyard.


    ¡°Master Lu is really too much. How could he let you go? It¡¯s rare for our Orchid Courtyard to have someone as smart as you. If you go to the Peony Courtyard in the future, won¡¯t our Orchid Courtyard lose again?¡± Someone could not help but say loudly.


    Their Orchid Courtyard was suffering.


    They had only suppressed the Peony Courtyard once, and in the future... They could never be able to raise their heads again!


    ¡°Sister Xie, can¡¯t you say more nice things to Master Lu? I don¡¯t want you to leave,¡± Qin Liu was the most upset.


    Xie Qiao smiled at her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can¡¯t stay in this academy for long. It¡¯s the same everywhere.¡±


    She was already 17. It was time for her to get married!


    Although it was hard to say who she would marry, she could not stay in the Xie family until she was 20, right?


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you go!¡± Qin Liu was a little stubborn, ¡°I¡¯m going to find the dean! The academy loves silver beans the most. I can pay silver beans to let you stay!¡±


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips twitched.


    It would be terrible, right?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Lady Xie. I didn¡¯t like you in the past, but now... Every time the teachers gave a lecture, if you were here, I would look at you and think that this lecture was quite interesting. So you can¡¯t leave. I¡¯m willing to pay silver beans too!¡± Another person also stood out.

 Chapter 424 - Waiting for Compliment

    <h4>Chapter 424: Waiting for Compliment</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked over.


    She¡­ did not recognize her.


    Yes, she had seen her before. She did not know her name, nor did she know that she had such an effect.


    The person¡¯s face turned red from Xie Qiao¡¯s stare, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t misunderstand. What I said you¡¯re interesting because¡­ you dozed off in Master Lu¡¯s ss, but when you dozed off, the brush in your hand¡­ would still move.¡±


    It was very interesting.


    When Xie Qiao dozed off, her head would be like a chicken pecking at rice. Her eyes were closed, but her hands would not stay idle.


    She secretly stretched her head out a few times and found out what Xie Qiao wrote was actually correct!


    She tried to learn this ability for a long time, but she could never learn it!


    ¡°I never dozed off,¡± Xie Qiao said with a serious face, ¡°I just shut my eyes to think.¡±


    That person could not help butugh.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, there are many talented girls in the Peony Courtyard. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re your type either,¡± Fang Muxue said, ¡°I would talk to the dean as well.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s temper was like a stillndscape painting in ss.


    As for the Peony Courtyard¡­


    The girls in the Peony Courtyard often gathered together to discuss poetry, songs, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They ate and used more than they did. It was not that the people in the Peony Courtyard were bad, but those people had been famous figures in the capital since they were young. They all had a bit of arrogance in their personalities.


    If Xie Qiao did not fight for herself there, she would actually cause a lot of trouble.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and talk to the dean together? Earlier, Meng Jifang offered money for Xie Qiao topete with Xia Yayun, right? Now, we could also offer silver beans and let Xie Qiao stay at Orchid Courtyard! Apart from that, ording to the rules, Xie Qiao could stay if she¡¯s willing, right?!¡± Feng Shuangshuang spoke too.


    With that said, many people agreed.


    Xie Qiao was a little surprised.


    When did she be so popr among these people?


    Qin Liu was over the moon, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I definitely won¡¯t let you go! There are so many people here. If Master Lu dares to refuse, I¡¯ll look for the dean!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were a little lost.


    Qin Liu was aggressive. She led a group of people and really went to Master Lu¡¯s courtyard.


    Xie Qiao was left behind. She looked innocent and a little loss.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, are you not feeling well?¡± Seeing her strange expression, the others in the room were a little nervous.


    Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little confused.¡±


    Meng Shuxiang stayed by Xie Qiao¡¯s side and pulled her to sit down, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still think that we hate you?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Xie Qiao said with a straight face.


    She knew that with her appearance and weak body, it was easy for women to hate her.


    Just like Pei Wanyue, when she firstid eyes on her, everything was wrong.


    Meng Shuxiang could not help butugh, ¡°I like you because you helped me before. As for the others¡­ Of course, they have their reasons.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Xie Qiao sat up straight and looked at Meng Shuxiang seriously, waiting for herpliment.


    ¡°Like what you¡¯re doing right now!¡± Meng Shuxiang covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Your expression is too interesting. Do you know that you always look¡­ like this¡­?¡±


    Meng Shuxiang thought for a moment and then put on a straight face, she imitated Xie Qiao, ¡°Like this. You¡¯re expressionless or you would asionally squeeze out a kind smile, just like an old man. Even when you look at Master Lu, it¡¯s the same! There were a few times when Master was scared of you. When I spoke to you, it was as if I was talking to an elder, and all of us were overjoyed.¡±


    Of course, they were all secretly talking about that.

 Chapter 425 - Abuse His Power to Avenge a Personal Grudge

    <h4>Chapter 425: Abuse His Power to Avenge a Personal Grudge</h4>


    Xie Qiao always had a feeling of being aloof from worldly affairs in the academy, which made people feel at ease.


    ¡°Even if a person like you goes to the Peony Courtyard, they will definitely like you immediately,¡± Meng Shuxiang told the truth.


    Xie Qiao only looked indifferent.


    ¡°You hadpeted with Dong Shiyun earlier, so I¡¯ll take her as an example. Dong Shiyun had only passed the top five examinations once. At that time¡­ she could be seen everywhere in the academy. The entire capital praised her continuously. That was where her title as the number one talent came from.¡±


    As Meng Shuxiang spoke, she snorted, ¡°It was just an examination. In her eyes, it¡¯s a standard to measure a person¡¯s qualities. In the past, the Peony Courtyard and the Orchid Courtyard had a good rtionship. It was also at that time that Dong Shiyun brought about a culture that made the two courtyards feel as if they were separated by mountains and seas. They were not willing to hang out.¡±


    Inparison, what about Xie Qiao?


    Eight first prizes.


    After the examination, she only asked Dong Shiyun and Qi Huai to apologize to her.


    She heard that Dong Shiyun had apologized to her at the Zhou Residence, but her attitude was probably terrible.


    However, they believed that if Xie Qiao lost, Xie Qiao would definitely abide by the agreement.


    Moreover, after the examination, Xie Qiao seemed to have forgotten about the first prizes that she achieved. She never mentioned it, nor did she show the slightest bit of arrogance in front of them. It waspletely the same as before!


    If someone asked for her advice, she would still answer their questions. Her words were like a sermon,ing slowly and unhurriedly. No matter how nervous she was, she would be able to calm down when she met her!


    If Xie Qiao went to the Peony Courtyard, there would indeed be many benefits.


    However, they thought Xie Qiao would find it too crowded.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao did not mention anything about the Qiu family.


    ¡°I can attend sses anywhere. You don¡¯t have to be so serious,¡± Xie Qiao actually felt warm inside.


    At the Taoist temple, except for Mo Lingzi, no one cared about her.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s the same everywhere, then we have topete with the Peony Courtyard for you!¡± Meng Shuxiang raised her eyebrows and smiled at her.


    Xie Qiao could not help but the corner of her lips twitch.


    Suddenly, she no longer wanted to go by Master Qiu¡¯s order.


    She had always kept her word. Since she had promised Master Lu that she would leave, she did not intend to go back on her word. But now, she wanted to do that.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart was restless.


    Qin Liu and the rest rushed into Master Lu¡¯s courtyard and began to give the silver beans.


    ¡°Master! Is 10,000 silver beans enough?! My Sister Xie doesn¡¯t want to leave at all. It was you who forced her. Xie Qiao belongs to everyone. We don¡¯t agree with that!¡± Qin Liu¡¯s brother was also a military official. She had the heroic charisma of a military official.


    Fang Muxue¡¯s face was slightly red, ¡°Master, we request for Xie Qiao to stay in the Orchid Courtyard¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, who wants Xie Qiao to leave? We know that Xie Qiao had a grudge with Dong Shiyun before, but now she¡¯s asked to transfer to the Peony Courtyard. Isn¡¯t this an intentional bully?¡± Feng Shuangshuang reacted quickly.


    The girls kept chattering non-stop.


    The master had a headache.


    He wiped away his cold sweat, ¡°I-I can¡¯t make the decision either.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean someone went past you and transferred Young Lady Xie away?! Who is it?!¡± Qin Liu grasped the main factor.


    It was as if she was going to eat that person up.


    Master Lu kept quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Master Qiu actually walked out from behind the screen.


    Everyone was startled, and then a little embarrassed, but they said, ¡°Master Qiu, Xie Qiao didn¡¯t propose to go to the Peony Courtyard. Even if you are the vice dean, you don¡¯t have the right to do so. Could it be¡­ that it¡¯s because you want to¡­ abuse your power to avenge a personal grudge?¡±

 Chapter 426 - Target

    <h4>Chapter 426: Target</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Qin Liu¡¯s attitude was a little stiff, but many people thought the same as she did.


    They also knew that Master Qiu¡¯s daughter was the daughter-inw of the Zhou family, while Xie Qiao¡¯s eldest brother was the one who exposed the Zhou family¡¯s big crime.


    It was normal for Master Qiu to hate everyone in the Xie family.


    Master Qiu did not seem angry, he looked at the crowd and said in a calm tone, ¡°Since Xie Qiao came to the Royal Academy, we have the responsibility to teach her. The atmosphere in the Orchid Courtyard is loose. It would be unfair for Xie Qiao¡¯s talent to stay there. The students in the Peony Courtyard are indeed smart and hardworking. What¡¯s wrong with letting her go?¡±


    The faces of the people from Orchid Courtyard turned slightly red.


    They also knew that the people in the Peony Courtyard were more outstanding.


    .


    ¡°But there are people in the Peony Courtyard who don¡¯t like Xie Qiao. Sister Xie didn¡¯t say she wanted to go there...¡± Qin Liu¡¯s voice was much softer.


    She also felt a little guilty.


    Xie Qiao was someone who achieved eight first prizes in examinations. Only the reputation of the Peony Courtyard could match her.


    However, she could not help but stubbornly think that many people in the Peony Courtyard were fierce. If Xie Qiao went there, there would be countless troubles!


    ¡°Are you doing this for her good? Young Lady Xie is so smart, but she doesn¡¯t know how to work harder. She has been in the academy for a few months, and she only attends Master Lu¡¯s sses every month. Do you think that¡¯s good for her?¡± Master Qiu¡¯s face was cold, ¡°In the past few years, the examination results of the Orchid Courtyard have been getting worse and worse. Now, there¡¯s only Xie Qiao. In my opinion, the Orchid Courtyard is not worthy of the reputation of the eight first prizes. If you want Xie Qiao to stay, all of you have topete with the Peony Courtyard.


    ¡°If you prove that your ability is not worse than the Peony Courtyard, then... Xie Qiao can stay.¡± Master Qiu added.


    Xie Qiao had just rushed over when she heard that sentence.


    She suddenly came to a realization.


    This Master Qiu was stirring trouble with the Orchid Courtyard!


    And she was simply a chess piece used to oppress the students of the Orchid Courtyard!


    If she went to the Peony Courtyard today, this old man would probably say that the Orchid Courtyard was a group of trash and that those who had good results in the examination would immediately leave!


    If that was the case, regardless of whether they were men or women, the atmosphere of a struggle between the two courtyards would be stirred up in the entire academy.


    The Peony Courtyard might look down on the Orchid Courtyard even more, and the people of the Orchid Courtyard... would also be fired up with fighting spirit!


    With this thought, it was no wonder that Master Lu would agree to let her go.


    The women¡¯s academy had always been dull, and the teachers had low requirements for women, but the men¡¯s academy was different. Every student studied here for the sake of their future!


    However, over the years, the Peony Courtyard had be very famous. Over time, the other courtyards had gotten used to having the Peony Courtyard as the leader!


    Thepetition between the two courtyards had be less and less. Even after the Orchid Courtyard lost to Peony Courtyard, they felt it was only right!


    It was indeed not a good thing.


    There were five courtyards in each ranking. The students of Begonia Courtyard and Snowball Bush Courtyard were younger, but the people of the remaining three courtyards were not too different in age. Indeed, they should not be willing to be beaten and admit defeat.


    This Master Qiu had used personal grudges to make the students of the Royal Academypete with each other. This kind of behavior was definitely clear and tacitly acknowledged by the dean and the other people in charge of the academy.


    From the perspective of the academy, Master Qiu¡¯s action could be considered as sacrificing himself for others.


    However, Xie Qiao felt quite wronged at this moment.


    How did she be a target?!


    Moreover, if she really went to the Peony Courtyard, she would probably be the public enemy of all the students of Orchid Courtyard!


    This Master Qiu was really shrewd. He could even think of such a sinister yet decent method!

 Chapter 427 - Should Be Different From Others

    <h4>Chapter 427: Should Be Different From Others</h4>


    At that moment, Xie Qiao could not help but show some respect for this Master Qiu!


    Not only could he avenge his personal grudges, he could also let the students of the Royal Academy rise to a higher level. Nobody else had this kind of ability.


    ¡°Master Qiu, I won¡¯t go to the Peony Courtyard,¡± after Xie Qiao arrived, she refused directly.


    Master Qiu was not surprised, ¡°You¡¯ve already promised Master Lu before, so you are now a member of the Peony Courtyard. Just like what I said earlier, if you want to stay, then the Orchid Courtyard must be better than the Peony Courtyard.¡±


    Master Qiu said, then he looked at the people from the Orchid Courtyard, ¡°It¡¯s not that I look down on all of you, but you guys have been cking for a long time. With peers like you, no matter how talented Xie Qiao is, sooner orter she will be the same as all of you, mediocre and unremarkable!


    ¡°No matter how many first prizes are achieved in the Orchid Courtyard, the Orchid Courtyard will always be a ce for a group of useless people,¡± Master Qiu said.


    Once these words were said, everyone from Orchid Courtyard was furious.


    ¡°Master Qiu! Our talents are indeed slightly inferior, but it doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯repletely useless?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so what if they are from Peony Courtyard? They¡¯re outstanding because it was unfair from the start. All the talented women in the world have gone there, what can we do?!¡±


    Xie Qiao could not help but sigh when she heard that.


    All the students had lost from the beginning


    ¡°Unfair?¡± Master Qiuughed sarcastically, the voice with some vicissitudes of life continued, ¡°All of you entered the academy around the age of ten. The things taught by the academy are the same. They became talented not by relying on the masters of the Peony Courtyard, but by themselves. Why are you not convinced?


    ¡°You all think that I¡¯m doing this to seek personal revenge. That¡¯s great. In the academy, my words still carry some weight. In the next examination, if half of the students from the Orchid Courtyard have results higher than the person who scores the lowest from Peony Courtyard, then Xie Qiao will be left to her own will. In addition, I will also apologize to you students from the Orchid Courtyard. However, if the Peony Courtyard is still far ahead, then the Orchid Courtyard¡­


    ¡°In the future, students from Orchid Courtyard will have to lower their heads and stay away from the students from Peony Courtyard,¡± Master Qiu added.


    Even Xie Qiao, who had always been calm, could not help but feel a little angry when she heard that.


    When Master Qiu said that, he made her¡­ a troublemaker.


    In these two courtyards, no matter who won or lost in the end, she, who caused this fight, would be targeted by a portion of people.


    At that moment, the people from the Orchid Courtyard were a little listless.


    They did not expect Master Qiu to make such a decision.


    However, they could not fight back at all.


    The errand boy from the courtyard chased them out, but he did not chase Xie Qiao out.


    After the others had left, Xie Qiao looked at Master Qiu and smiled, ¡°Master Qiu is really good at scheming.¡±


    Master Qiu sat down and poured a cup of tea for her.


    ¡°I know you are a smart person,¡± Master Qiu said, ¡°The smart people in this world have to bear more things than the average people, right?¡±


    ¡°But once your decision is made, once the people of Orchid Courtyard lose, every time they lower their heads and bow to the Peony Courtyard students in the future, they will bear a grudge against me,¡± Xie Qiao also calmly sat over.


    ¡°When your father dared to lead his troops as a bandit during the chaos at the border, was he afraid of being insulted and med by the Emperor? At that time, your eldest brother was only a low-ranking official, an eighth-grade official, but he dared to expose the Emperor¡¯s son-inw¡¯s crime. Was he worried that he would be hated by others?¡± Master Qiu was very straightforward, after exchanging a nce with her, he actually smiled, ¡°Since you have such a father and brother, you should be different from others.¡±

 Chapter 428 - Good and Evil

    <h4>Chapter 428: Good and Evil</h4>


    If not for the fact that this old man looked decent, Xie Qiao would have poured a cup of tea on his forehead.


    ¡°I admit that this matter is unfair to you. However, our Royal Academy needs such a reason to uplift these students. Young Lady Xie is the only person in the female academy who has won eight first prizes consecutively. If this matter falls on you, it would also be a test for you.


    ¡°The Royal Academy is cruel to all students. This ce is supposed to be a ce to nurture tigers, wolves, and fierce beasts.¡±


    However, in the past, these little brats were almost raised like rabbits.


    All the students of the Peony Courtyard were very arrogant. They were always looking up. They did not know that there was always someone better than them.


    All the students of the Orchid Courtyard were at ease. They never thought of climbing up!


    Since there was some animosity between the two academies, it would be better to let this animosity grow even greater.


    By forcing these little brats to fight each other, only then could their sharp ws grow.


    As for Xie Qiao¡­


    As a member of the Orchid Courtyard, she had the ability of the students from the Peony Courtyard. The fight between the others would certainly have nothing to do with her. She would not be motivated.


    So she was made the target that caused the fight.


    Xie Qiao had met her opponent.


    She stared at Master Qiu.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I would quit school directly?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie is not the kind of person who runs away in the face of trouble,¡± Master Qiu was quite straightforward, ¡°This time, Young Lady Xie has suffered some grievances. The academy willpensate you.¡±


    ¡°Whatpensation? Deducting¡­¡± Xie Qiao covered her mouth and coughed twice before speaking, ¡°Is deducting my silver beanspensation?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. The silver beans¡­ is just a way to motivate you kids to copy more books. If you have too many silver beans, the academy will naturally find a way to spend them so that you can continue to earn,¡± Master Qiu did not hide that from her, ¡°But the academy deducts the silver beans for a reason. We wouldn¡¯t do it as we wish. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve taken leave repeatedly.


    ¡°As for the realpensation¡­¡± Master Qiu looked at Xie Qiao with a smile, ¡°Sometimes, what you can see with your eyes can¡¯tpare to what you can¡¯t see with a favor.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that the academy owes me a favor from now on?¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly, ¡°There are many people who owe me favors in this world, the Royal Academy isn¡¯t that important.¡±


    Master Qiu could not help but roll his eyes at her.


    ¡°For your Xie family, it¡¯s a life-saving talisman,¡± Master Qiu snorted, ¡°With your father¡¯s and your brother¡¯s temper, it¡¯s easy for them to offend people. If one day they offend a noble, no one can save them. However, the Royal Academy will protect them. What do you think of that?¡±


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment, ¡°Isn¡¯t this favor a little too big? It doesn¡¯t seem like something Master Qiu would do.¡±


    If the academy wanted to provoke a fight between the two courtyards, there were many ways.


    It was not necessary for her to be the chess piece.


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m eager to see your family fall?¡± Master Qiu sneered.


    Xie Qiao did not think that way and said, ¡°Master, it doesn¡¯t have to be like this.¡±


    ¡°Once the matter of the Zhou familyes out, who doesn¡¯t think that I will fight to the death with your family? If I don¡¯t do anything, I won¡¯t be able to exin it to my wife, children, and grandchildren. But if I do that insidious thing, My Qiu family would be guilty!


    ¡°This method is the best. I will only harm you this time. What I owe you is not a favor, but conscience,¡± Master Qiu exhaled.


    He was sad. His beloved daughter was gone.


    However, he knew that the Zhou family was wrong. What the Xie family did was right.


    Even if he knew about the Zhou family, he would not hesitate to seek justice for the deaths of more than a hundred people.


    However, there was more than just good and evil in the world.


    Only when he took action could his wife and children put down their resentment toward the Xie family and vent their pent-up anger.

 Chapter 429 - Nothing Venture, Nothing Have

    <h4>Chapter 429: Nothing Venture, Nothing Have</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment.


    Master Qiu¡¯s offer was actually quite attractive.


    She was not that worried about her eldest big brother, but her father was a fool. He would not even know that he had offended someone. He even needed her to personally guide him in matters such as getting promoted and getting rich.


    If one day he really offended a noble, if Master Qiu was willing to help plead for him, her father¡¯s impulsive crime would not be a problem at all.


    The Xie family had too few connections, and they did not have many personal rtionships.


    Although Master Qiu was only a vice dean, he had his own disciples. Moreover, this old man had been an official at the Hanlin Academy when he was young.


    .


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, aren¡¯t you curious about how much potential the students of Orchid Courtyard have?¡± Old Man Qiu added.


    ¡°I am,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    It was indeed quite interesting to watch others fight to the death.


    Unfortunately, if the Orchid Courtyard lost, her good connections would be gone in a short time.


    Who would like a person who made them bow their heads?


    ¡°I have seen Young Lady Xie¡¯s exam papers earlier, you did really well. I believe that if you can give some pointers, your Orchid Courtyard will have some chance of winning,¡± said Master Qiu.


    ¡°The results of the next exam will be posted on the notice board outside the academy. Everyone can see it. Whether the Orchid Courtyard can turn things around will depend on this,¡± Master Qiu was extremely shrewd.


    ¡°If they can really turn things around, your Xie family will benefit immensely,¡± Master Qiu added.


    Nothing venture, nothing have.


    The parents of the students of Orchid Courtyard also wished for their children to be sessful. If Xie Qiao guided all of them, those people would naturally remember it.


    Xie Qiao sighed in a muffled voice.


    ¡°Dean, do you know that my health iscking?¡± Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°If I¡¯m so angry that I lose my life, then our families will really have a feud.¡±


    Master Qiu¡¯s beard moved.


    ¡°Forget it. For the sake of Master Qiu¡¯s sincere exnation, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Regardless of whether she agreed or not, Orchid Courtyard and Peony Courtyard would definitely have a ¡°fight¡± .


    In that case, she would take on the title of stirring up trouble in exchange for the protectioning from Master Qiu or the academy¡¯s future. The deal was pretty good.


    Master Qiu had actually forgotten that Xie Qiao wascking in health.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao stood up shakily.


    As if she could be blown by the wind at any time, her heart suddenly tightened.


    If she was angered to death¡­


    Master Qiu¡¯s old face was solemn, and he looked a lot more nervous.


    Xie Qiao held her chest and walked out with a pale face.


    When the others saw her like that, they thought she was being bullied, and they looked a little angry.


    ¡°Master Qiu is really a viin! He has lived for so many years, and he still dares to bully a child like you!¡± Qin Liu was very angry, and she added in a low voice, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Xie Qiao raised her hand at her, ¡°Respect your teacher.¡±


    Qin Liu stuck out her tongue.


    Xie Qiao could not bear to hide the matter from Qin Liu, so she told her about it.


    After listening to it, Qin Liu was stunned.


    ¡°Master Qiu is really a fox. Xie Qiao, you¡¯re so miserable. You¡¯ve be a trouble stirrer because of your good looks,¡± Qin Liu looked at Xie Qiao sympathetically.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as the people from the Orchid Courtyard can win, it will be fine. As for the opinions of the students of Peony Courtyard, I don¡¯t care,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Win?! It¡¯s too difficult!¡± Qin Liu did not seem to have much confidence.


    Xie Qiao suddenly understood why there was no teacher in the academy to stop this matter.


    Look, this was the current situation of all the students from the Orchid Courtyard.


    They had no confidence at all, as if they were born dumber than the Peony Courtyard¡¯s people.


    ¡°Are you willing to lower your head and bow when you see people from the Peony Courtyard in the future?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Qin Liu shook her head.


    ¡°Then try hard,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Qin Liu did not have that much fighting spirit, but if the Orchid Courtyard won, Xie Qiao did not have to go to the Peony Courtyard. For this, she had to work hard no matter what!

 Chapter 430 - Resentment

    <h4>Chapter 430: Resentment</h4>


    The academy¡¯s decision was made known to all the students in less than half a day.


    The people from the Peony Courtyard could not help but scoff.


    It was almost certain that from now on, when these people from the Orchid Courtyard saw them, they had to lower their heads and be obedient.


    However, the people from the Orchid Courtyard were in a mess at this moment.


    They were feeling shame, anger, upset, dissatisfaction and me.


    The people in Xie Qiao¡¯s ss treated her the same as always. They did not hold any resentment toward her, but the people in the other sses were different.


    They had been implicated by Xie Qiao for nothing, and now they hated her to death.


    Just because she got eight first prizes, she was going to be transferred to the Peony Courtyard. The Peony Courtyard was so good, why not just go there?!


    They even caused a big ruckus with the teachers!


    Great, she did not have to go to the Peony Courtyard anymore, but she had implicated everyone from the Orchid Courtyard topete with the Peony Courtyard!


    ¡°Xie Qiao, why don¡¯t you go to the Peony Courtyard?! Could it be that the Peony Courtyard has wronged you?!¡± Some people directly barged in front of Xie Qiao and scolded her.


    ¡°If you people from ss Sun want to lower yourselves in the future, that¡¯s your business. Why must you drag us down with you?!¡± Someone said.


    Most of the people who spoke were from ss Kun and ss Moon from the Orchid Courtyard.


    The students from ss A, B, C, and D did note from powerful families, so they did not dare to make a ruckus here.


    There were fewer women, but on the men¡¯s side, there were several students from each Orchid Courtyard.


    As men, they were embarrassed to insult Xie Qiao directly, but they also felt uneasy. At that moment, there were many people who came to watch the show.


    ¡°Why do I have to go to the Peony Courtyard?¡± Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°The teachers in the Peony Courtyard are as talented as the teachers in our courtyard, and the courses they teach are no different. What¡¯s the difference where I am?¡±


    ¡°But the people in the Peony Courtyard are all talented! Isn¡¯t that more suitable for you?!¡± What he meant was that he hoped Xie Qiao would take the initiative to go there herself.


    Then, thispetition should be avoided, right?


    ¡°The people from the Orchid Courtyard aren¡¯t bad either?¡± Xie Qiao narrowed her eyes, ¡°Could it be that you all feel that you¡¯re not good enough?¡±


    Hearing these words, the people on the opposite side gritted their teeth.


    Of course, they were not good enough, but¡­ it would definitely be impossible for them to admit it directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bigpetition. We still have a few months to prepare. The content of the examination would be what the teachers have taught. The people of Orchid Courtyard are neither fools nor idiots. How could we not be able to defeat the Peony Courtyard? Do you want to admit that you are inferior to others for the rest of your life?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Xie Qiao looked at these little girls sympathetically.


    She had been schemed against by the academy, so there was nothing she could do.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie is right. I think¡­ we can give it a try. The Peony Courtyard has always looked down on us before. If we also look down on ourselves, then we¡¯ve already lowered ourselves to the dust without having to lower our heads,¡± Fang Muxue stood out.


    ¡°To be able to enter the Orchid Courtyard, it proves that we are all extremely outstanding. Why are we afraid of the Peony Courtyard?! Look at those people with their noses up. Are you happy with them? Of course, if you¡¯re happy with their attitude, pretend as if I did not say anything. I believe that you guys wouldn¡¯t feel ufortable lowering your heads and bowing to them since you have no problem with their attitude,¡± Qin Liu spoke too.


    ¡°Xie Qiao is also from the Orchid Courtyard. If she could defeat the Peony Courtyard, why can¡¯t we?¡±


    In Xie Qiao¡¯s ss, everyone was full of vigor at that moment.


    Xie Qiao had already won once, so they had some confidence.


    When the other people from the Orchid Courtyard heard that, they could not bring themselves to admit that they were weak.


    All of them gritted their teeth, feeling upset and hot-blooded.


    Who did not know that the Peony Courtyard looked down on them?! However, was it not because they were afraid that they would not be able topete with them?!

 Chapter 431 - Fate Has Brought Us Together

    <h4>Chapter 431: Fate Has Brought Us Together</h4>


    Xie Qiao and her ssmates were so confident that they made those troublemakers look like tigers who had lost their teeth.


    No one was willing to admit that they were weak.


    Hence, they could only swallow their words of me.


    Xie Qiao looked at her cute ssmates and liked them a lot more now.


    After chasing away those people who came to stir trouble, Fang Muxue said with a cowardly face, ¡°What did I say earlier? I can¡¯t believe I actually said that I want to try to cpete with the Peony Courtyard¡­


    ¡°But¡­ what you said makes sense. I have long disliked them! Who said that we have to be inferior to them?!¡±


    Fang Muxue took a deep breath in.


    She was still a little flustered.


    Xie Qiao said weakly, ¡°We can study together¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Fang Muxue heard her and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to your house to study when I have no sses in the afternoon?¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips. What she meant was that they could discuss the topics that they did not understand at the academy.


    ¡°I want to go too, Xie Qiao. I¡¯ve wanted to visit your home for a long time, but I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t like it, so I didn¡¯t mention it,¡± Qin Liu also smirked.


    Xie Qiao always acted as if she did not know anyone very well, making them feel embarrassed to get too close to her.


    However, now, she took the initiative to suggest that.


    Those who were very curious about the Xie Residence stood up at that moment.


    Look at them¡­ There were 17 or 18 people who wanted to spare time to go to the Xie Residence!


    She could also see that among these people who wanted to go to the Xie Residence, only a few wanted to study. The rest wanted to know what the bandit¡¯sir¡­ looked like!


    Xie Qiao had never known that the bandit¡¯sir would be so popr.


    Helplessly, Xie Qiao agreed and set a time with them.


    She could not do it today because she had other things to do.


    In the afternoon, the two courtyards became even more crowded.


    On the side of the men¡¯s courtyards, a man from the Orchid Courtyard was humiliated by the people from the Peony Courtyard and vomited blood in anger directly.


    When Xie Qiao heard the news, she thought it was fishy.


    She suspected that the person who vomited blood was someone from the academy who came to stir up trouble.


    Sure enough, the people from the Orchid Courtyard had been bullied to such an extent. Their fighting spirit had soared to an unprecedented level. At that moment, most of them had already wanted to prove themselves. The atmosphere of the entire academy had changed in an instant. Even in the academy¡¯s canteen, people from the Orchid Courtyard could be seen burying their heads in their studies everywhere!


    For many years, there had never been such a grand scene of diligence!


    Xie Qiao had already seen quite a few teachers, all smiling like shrewd old foxes.


    Xie Qiao had escaped.


    Carrying her cloth bag, she boarded the carriage.


    In the carriage, the moment the ghoul saw hering, she immediately perked up.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­the Xie family¡¯s youngdy? Why can you see me?¡± Ms. Qiu was very surprised, but also a little scared, frowning slightly.


    Xie Qiao exhaled faintly and nced at Ms. Qiu from top to bottom. She said slowly, ¡°Fate has brought us together. You look like you don¡¯t want to be reincarnated. Why don¡¯t I solve this for you?¡±


    No matter how small a mosquito was, it was still meat. She was not picky when dealing with customers.


    Ms. Qiu looked at her suspiciously, ¡°Y-You¡¯re not thedy of the Xie family? Who are you? A monster?¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    That was why it was better to deal with clients that she was not familiar with.


    There would always be problems with those she was unfamiliar with but had some connections. These ghouls would also have many questions.


    ¡°I canmunicate with both worlds, do you understand?¡± Xie Qiao said simply.


    Her expression was unfathomable, but Ms. Qiu was very puzzled, ¡°I heard that Young Lady Xie is as gentle as jade,pletely different from Bandit Xie, but I¡¯ve never heard that you have such ability¡­¡±

 Chapter 432 - Regret

    <h4>Chapter 432: Regret</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Qiu looked at Xie Qiao curiously.


    When she was in the academy earlier, she felt pain all over her body and felt listless. She did not even look at her carefully. Now that she looked at her a few more times, she realized that this girl was really as the rumors said. She was really pretty.


    Her features were notcking in gentleness, but they were also somewhat intelligent. Sitting here, she was dignified and generous, but also somewhat charming and adorable.


    This was Bandit Xie¡¯s daughter?


    Ms. Qiu was quite curious.


    .


    However, as she thought about it, she sighed again. Unfortunately, she was already dead. Otherwise, she would be as warm as this girl.


    ¡°Do you want to chat with me, or do you want to talk about something practical?¡± Xie Qiao asked slowly.


    Ms. Qiu was inexplicably scared.


    She did not know why.


    She was brave when she was alive, but looking at Xie Qiao now, she felt that she was a person who should not be provoked. Also... She could not help but want to stay away from her. Her body was like¡­


    It was like she had something on her that she should not touch.


    ¡°C-Can you really help me?¡± Ms. Qiu was still confused.


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°But your wish should be reasonable. For instance, you can¡¯t ask me to raise your son for you, and you can¡¯t get me to give your son a good future. In short, it¡¯s best if it can bepleted in the near future. Don¡¯t take too long. After all... my health iscking. If it takes too long, I might die, and your wish will remain unanswered.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯repletely different from what I thought,¡± Ms. Qiu was a little stunned when she heard that.


    She thought that thisdy from the Xie family was either as rude as a bandit or as gentle and weak as the rumors said.


    However, her voice and expression was cold. She spoke slowly and calmly.


    Although she spoke slowly, her attitude was not gentle at all.


    Xie Qiao took out a small porcin bottle, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any wishes, I¡¯ll take you directly.¡±


    Ms. Qiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly waved, ¡°I hanged myself. Before I died... I already thought of many things, and I also left a letter for my parents and son.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still unwilling,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve cared about my reputation since I was young. When I taught my son, I also hoped that he would be an upright person, but I never thought that I would die a sinner one day,¡± Ms. Qiu said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you with this matter. Your crime is stipted by the Emperor and thew. Even if I restore your innocence using my connections, in the eyes of the world, you are still a member of the Zhou family, and you¡¯d still be guilty,¡± Xie Qiao was very straightforward.


    She would not agree to a wish that could not be fulfilled.


    ¡°I understand. The innocence that I wanted has already been destroyed by those evil people of the Zhou family. Marrying into the Zhou family... was my own choice. I admit it,¡± Ms. Qiu nodded, the corners of her lips revealed some disappointment.


    Xie Qiao looked out of the carriage window. She was not in a hurry, she just waited.


    The streets were very lively. There were people talking everywhere, and there were also... floating souls everywhere.


    Many souls did not even know that they were already dead. They lived like living people.


    ¡°You can always stay by your son¡¯s side, but people have their own rules, and souls would have their own rules. Look at those souls that refused to leave. Their descendants won¡¯t have a good life,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was harmonious, ¡°Even if you want to stay in the human world, it¡¯s best for you to go far away. Oh right, you also have to manage your emotions well. Don¡¯t be a vengeful spirit. It¡¯d be fine if a vengeful spirit did notmit a sin, but if it did, there would be retribution.¡±


    Xie Qiao said it casually, treating it as a casual chat.


    However, after hearing those words, Ms. Qiu¡¯s expression changed.


    She did not want to leave indeed, she wanted to see her son.


    After she died, she regretted it.

 Chapter 433 - Repay Them in My Next Life

    <h4>Chapter 433: Repay Them in My Next Life</h4>


    When Ms. Qiu was alive, she could not stand being judged by others. She could not stand being a sinner. She kept thinking that her body was filthy. It was so filthy that she could not stand it. It made her want to die immediately.


    However, she was wrong.


    The moment before she died, her son saw her.


    That fearful gaze made her heart ache, causing her endless pain.


    Her son was only ten. The night before, he told her not to be afraid. Her son was braver than her, but she chose to abandon him!


    So now, she wanted to apany her son and stay by his side forever.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I apany him without hurting him?¡± Ms. Qiu asked with a trembling voice, ¡°I want to protect my son. It doesn¡¯t matter even if I can never be reincarnated. I can even disappear into thin air. All I want is to protect him for ten years.¡±


    Ten yearster, his son would get married and have a family.


    When he grew up, he would be braver than how he was now.


    ¡°Is this your wish?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ms. Qiu nodded.


    ¡°Do you know how much effort your parents put in for you? Have you ever thought that they would do anything for you?¡± Xie Qiao asked, ¡°You only think about what you owe your son, have you ever thought about what you owe others?¡±


    Ms. Qiu trembled.


    She did not dare to think about her parents.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll repay them in my next life¡­¡± Ms. Qiu was extremely humble.


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°In your next life¡­ that¡¯s far away.¡±


    Who knew if she could return?


    ¡°As a parent, and as someone who lost their child, they hope that their child can be reincarnated safely into a good family in the next life. If you choose to stay for ten years and use up your own fortune and virtue to protect your son, that would be stabbing a knife into your parents¡¯ hearts. Do you understand?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    How could Ms. Qiu not understand?


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, please¡­ Don¡¯t tell my parents¡­¡± Ms. Qiu immediately said.


    ¡°Some parents care about their children to the extent that they can understand each other telepathically. Whether you¡¯re doing well or not, they might sense it. There¡¯s no need for others to tell them,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude remained the same.


    Ms. Qiu covered her face and cried bitterly.


    Xie Qiao was indifferent.


    She had seen too many things like this.


    Sometimes, she thought her father and brother had a pretty good attitude. They knew that she could die at any time, but they still looked calm. Even if she really died, they would be able to think things through and would not dwell on it.


    ¡°My son is young¡­ allow me to be selfish onest time. Please help me inform my Father. Tell him that his daughter is unfilial. I hope that my parents are well. Don¡¯t be sad for their daughter.¡±


    Ms. Qiu¡¯s soul knelt and bowed to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Okay, if you insist, I will do that for you,¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while and said.


    Ms. Qiu felt better now.


    Xie Qiao mentioned Ms. Qiu¡¯s parents because she wanted to tell her that this was thew of the world. They would owe each other and no one would be able to repay them.


    If she could figure it out, she would be reincarnated. It was better than being a ghoul.


    A ghoul that was stupid enough to go to the academy.


    If she floated around as she wished, she would vanish sooner orter.


    Xie Qiao put her away for the time being.


    When she saw Master Qiuter, she would tell him about the matter. Then, she would find a dharma instrument like a jade pendant and seal her inside so that Zhou Kaiyun could bring her along.


    There was a connection between mother and son. If Zhou Kaiyun kept the jade, he would keep her as well. If Zhou Kaiyun was really in danger, the soul in the dharma instrument could indeed y a role.


    However, ten years was so long. The possibility of idents happening in the future was high.


    For instance, if Zhou Kaiyun went astray, the jade he kept would also have some evil nature. It would not be good for Ms. Qiu either, and she would lose a lot of good karma.

 Chapter 434 - Gone

    <h4>Chapter 434: Gone</h4>


    However, Xie Qiao had already said what she wanted to say. Since Ms. Qiu was still adamant about it, it was up to her.


    Xie Qiao went home one step at a time, and Xie Pinghuai came back with Zhou Kaiyun.


    The two of them kept a straight face, and they almost fought.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I¡¯ve sent him here. So, am I going to the Lin Residence?¡± Xie Pinghuai said to Xie Qiao.


    His injured hand was still hanging on his chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for you toe home. Aren¡¯t you going to stay home for a night?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a smile.


    When Xie Pinghuai heard that, his expression was a little ufortable, ¡°No, Aunt¡­ said that she doesn¡¯t have a son when she¡¯s already old and insisted that I apany her. She made me eat her cooking. It¡¯s so annoying.¡±


    Xie Qiao curved her lips slightly, ¡°Is Aunt¡¯s cooking good?¡±


    ¡°It tastes terrible. It¡¯s just stewed bones. I want to throw up every time I eat it!¡±


    These words were true.


    Xie Qiao could not help but be amused.


    It seemed that Lin Yaxiang was quite capable. How long had it been? She had already suppressed this kid¡¯s temper.


    Xie Pinghuai, was a pushover. Now that he had hurt his arm, it was indeed a time for him to be cared for. This aunt of the Lin family could take advantage of the situation and rece Ms. Lu.


    Xie Pinghuai felt awkward under Xie Qiao¡¯s stare. He did not dare to look at her. Instead, he red at Zhou Kaiyun and ran away.


    What a childish kid.


    Zhou Kaiyun snorted and sat in the courtyard, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. I¡¯ll wait for Xie Pinggang here!¡±


    ¡°Not bad. You have a powerful imposing manner. I hope you can keep it up,¡± Xie Qiao nodded her head in praise. Then, she asked the steward to bring a table and chair over.


    She was also sitting in the courtyard, but with a brush in her hand, she was reading while writing some notes, looking rxed and at ease.


    After sitting for a while, some servants were worried that she would be frozen, so they brought a few screens to block the wind for her.


    Zhou Kaiyun looked at himself¡­


    Sitting on the ground, he looked very embarrassed, like the shrew who was quarreling on the street and squatting on the ground¡­


    Zhou Kaiyun stood up with a blushed face.


    He was still young, so he stood properly.


    The wind was cold, and he was shaking.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it,e and sit by my side. There¡¯s a brazier here,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Zhou Kaiyun snorted, ¡°No need!¡±


    He was here to kill!


    ¡°Do you mean what you said? When hees, you¡¯ll close the door and no one else is allowed to help. He will let me attack him three times!¡± Zhou Kaiyun said again.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was gentle, ¡°If you think that you can¡¯t kill him within three attacks, I will let you attack him a few more times.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me!¡± Zhou Kaiyun gritted his teeth.


    He would definitely chop off his head with one attack!


    Xie Qiao smiled and did not mind. She looked at the book in her hand and asionally muttered a few sentences. The tone of her reading the book was slow and melodious. It was very pleasant to listen to.


    Zhou Kaiyun was in a daze the entire time.


    When his mother was alive, she loved to read to him.


    However, his mother was dead! Gone, she was gone forever!


    At that moment, the ghost of Ms. Qiu was not there, and Xie Qiao did not let her out.


    It was because that ghost had been harmed in the academy, and she had to be put away to recuperate.


    Xie Qiao waited patiently. In a while, she got people to serve snacks. They tasted very good, and there was even some steam and fragranceing from them. They were so delicious that the rascal could not stop gulping.


    ¡°Do you want some? It¡¯s very sweet,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Zhou Kaiyun almost cried.


    His mother was dead. No one would care about what kind of snacks he liked to eat anymore!


    However, this Xie Qiao was still bullying him!


    He did not care about those lousy snacks. It was not like he had never eaten them before!

 Chapter 435 - Praise You Immensely

    <h4>Chapter 435: Praise You Immensely</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After all, he was only a teenager and did not have much patience.


    He was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot.


    Xie Qiao could still hear the sound of him sniffling, but she remained indifferent and doing her own thing slowly.


    Even the steward thought the youngdy was ruthless.


    Finally, after waiting for approximately two hours, Xie Pinggang returned.


    He was wearing a fur cloak, which made him look even stronger. He was worn from his travels, and there was no expression on his face, but it was as if he was angry. It was scary to look at him.


    After entering the courtyard, he was stunned when he saw the screen and the unfamiliar kid..


    ¡°Are you... a new servant?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°What can he do when he¡¯s so small? Didn¡¯t I tell you before? You have to choose someone who is tall and sturdy. I can kill him with one finger since he¡¯s so tiny. What do you expect him to do? Protect me?¡±


    The steward secretly jolted.


    Zhou Kaiyun was so scared that his face stiffened.


    T-This person was Xie Pinggang.


    He was his e-enemy¡­


    He gulped. It was as if there was a huge rock tied to his feet. He could not move, nor could he move the rock away. He just stood there like a fool.


    ¡°Young Master, this is not a servant. The youngdy brought him home. He said... he wants to chop you to death,¡± the steward whispered.


    ¡°Chop me to death?¡± Xie Pinggang was amused when he heard that. He walked to Zhou Kaiyun in big strides. His body was almost bent to ny degrees. One of his hands pressed on Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s head, and the other pinched his chin, ¡°You want to chop me to death? Fine, you have some guts. Tell me, what do I owe you? Do you have a case that I haven¡¯t solved or a sinner that I sent to the execution ground?¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun was speechless.


    He did not speak, his whole body was trembling.


    Xie Qiao put down her brush.


    ¡°His mother is the daughter-inw of the Zhou family, she¡¯s not a direct descendant. However, she was also implicated in the Zhou family¡¯s big crime. His father was sent to exile, and his mother, Ms. Qiu, hanged herself,¡± Xie Qiao saw that Zhou Kaiyun did not speak, so she spoke on his behalf.


    When she said that, Xie Pinggang snorted and let go of this person, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re from the Zhou family.¡±


    ¡°I promised him that he can attack you a few timester with our de. If he chops you to death, I won¡¯t pursue the matter,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Pinggang did not care that Xie Qiao decided his life and death so simply.


    ¡°Those old thieves of the Zhou family hope that many of me die. If you can fulfill their wishes, and if the Zhou family can return to the capital in the future, they will definitely praise you immensely,¡± Xie Pinggangughed sarcastically, ¡°But little thief, my head is not something that you can take just because you want to. I¡¯m just afraid that you won¡¯t even be able to pick up my de.¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun seemed to be frozen at that moment.


    He was still trembling, there was nothing else that he could do.


    He had never been so afraid before.


    I-It turned out that the son of Bandit Xie, that bad guy, looked like that.


    H-He was like Yaksha of Asura, like a devil puppet of the King of Hell. The way he looked at him was so fierce that it seemed like he wanted to kill him.


    ¡®Mom, I¡¯m so scared¡­¡¯


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Xie Pinggang was quite patient, ¡°I must say, why can¡¯t you just live your life since you survived? Why must youe here to seek death? If you can¡¯t kill meter, do you know what will happen to you?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Zhou Kaiyun was so scared that he was almost out of breath.


    Xie Pinggang called the steward, ¡°Alright, go get me my de. You¡¯re lucky. I just sharpened it. Hold it harder, don¡¯t hesitate. Otherwise, there will be flesh stuck on it if you fail to sever me. It¡¯s ugly if I have a piece of flesh dangling on me.¡±

 Chapter 436 - Torture

    <h4>Chapter 436: Torture</h4>


    Xie Pinggang looked impatient. How would the steward dare to dissuade him? He immediately brought the de over.


    Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s whole body trembled. He looked extremely pitiful.


    Not long after, the de was fetched.


    It was taller than Zhou Kaiyun. Xie Pinggang threw the hilt to Zhou Kaiyun, ¡°Take it, kid!¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun sat on the ground, the hilt pressed on his body directly. He held the hilt. He looked persistent and pitiful. He did not have the courage to stand up.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Lift this thing up, hold it tight. Come, swing it at my neck,¡± as Xie Pinggang spoke, he took off his cloak and pulled his clothes, revealing his thick neck.


    Zhou Kaiyun pursed his lips.


    He began to twitch.


    Xie Pinggang looked at this kid¡¯s behavior and chuckled, ¡°Is it that you can¡¯t reach me? Alright, I¡¯ll lie down. Is this enough?¡±


    As he spoke, Xie Pinggang rolled on the ground and stretched his head out, waiting for Zhou Kaiyun to take action.


    ¡°I¡¯ll count to ten. If you still don¡¯t take action, I¡¯ll get impatient. If you can¡¯t kill me, then it¡¯ll be my turn to teach you a lesson,¡± Xie Pinggang said faintly. His voice was like the King of Hell who was urging his soul, ¡°One¡­¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s heart trembled. He grabbed therge de, and his hands trembled non-stop.


    In the end, he realized that he could not lift the de at all!


    It was so heavy. He tried his best to grab it, but even with his trembling hands, he could only lift the de a little bit off the ground.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t use the de, you can use your hands. Pinch me,¡± Xie Pinggang looked at his pitiful expression and said disdainfully, ¡°Five, six¡­¡±


    With a thud, the de fell to the ground.


    Zhou Kaiyun looked at the person in front of him. He was lying there, but he did not dare to walk over.


    That person¡­


    Was scary, very scary!


    He sobbed and sobbed, snot and tears were flowing on his face.


    ¡°Ten,¡± Xie Pinggang stood up.


    ¡°I gave you a chance,¡± Xie Pinggang mocked, then he raised his foot and stepped forward, tugging at Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s clothes, ¡°You want to kill someone with your cowardice? Not to mention a person, even if I¡¯m a chick, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the ability to do it!¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s body trembled a little too much.


    He looked like he was scared out of his wits.


    Xie Qiao did not stop him.


    This child needed to be taught a lesson. He would not grow up until he suffered a little.


    With a p, Xie Pinggang directly pped Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s butt.


    ¡°Wa¡­¡± Zhou Kaiyun cried out.


    ¡°Oh, so you speak? You had been quiet, so I thought you couldn¡¯t speak,¡± Xie Pinggang said as he took off his shoes. He took it and pped Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s butt again.


    One after another, he hit Zhou Kaiyun more than 20 times.


    Zhou Kaiyun was gasping for breath and wailed loudly.


    The Xie Residence¡¯s door was knocked open and Master Qiu rushed in with his men. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw his grandson lying on the ground crying.


    His legs were weak.


    Xie Pinggang was about to speak when Xie Qiao stopped him and walked over with a smile, ¡°Master, you came at the right time. Please take this child back.¡±


    Master Qiu staggered and walked to the child. He almost thought that the child was going to die.


    He checked Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s body with a trembling hand. When he did not find any wounds, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°H-How can you torture him?¡± Master Qiu¡¯s voice trembled.


    Behind him was the Qiu family¡¯s guard.


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°If my Eldest Brother wanted torture him, Young Master Zhou would not be so high spirited now.¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun hugged Master Qiu tightly at that moment, afraid that he would be beaten up again soon.


    Xie Pinggang snorted, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. If you can,e at me together.¡±

 Chapter 437 - Live His Life Obediently

    <h4>Chapter 437: Live His Life Obediently</h4>


    Master Qiu¡¯s old face trembled.


    ¡°This child is still young. He¡¯s a little insensible. He shouldn¡¯t havee knocking on our door like this. But in the end¡­ he¡¯s just a child. H-How can you do that¡­¡± Master Qiu could not believe that a man like Xie Pinggang actually had a problem with a child.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled, ¡°He came knocking on our door himself. Moreover, I didn¡¯t bully him. He didn¡¯t dare to chop me with a de. Since I¡¯m not dead, I¡¯ll have to teach him a good lesson.


    ¡°I work on cases at the criminal division. Right now, I¡¯m just beating his butt. If he¡¯s still insensible when he grows up, then we¡¯ll be executing him by then.¡± After Xie Pinggang finished speaking, his gaze swept across Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s face. That nce scared Zhou Kaiyun so much that he held back his breath, and his face turned red.


    Master Qiu¡¯s heart ached terribly.


    A schr meeting a soldier, it was hard to reason with him. Not to mention there was nothing to be reasoned with to begin with.


    No matter how angry he was, he had always been a person who only reasoned and would not fight. He was theplete opposite of Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡±


    Boorish man¡­


    Master Qiu was also a little speechless.


    Xie Qiao looked at Zhou Kaiyun with a faint smile and asked, ¡°Young Master Zhou, you were the one who wanted to kill someone. Now, let me ask you one more question in front of your grandfather. In the future, do you still want to seek revenge on my Eldest Brother?¡±


    Zhou Kaiyun wailed again, ¡°No, no¡­ No¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, will you stare at me, my Younger Brother and Younger Sister in the future?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Zhou Kaiyun was very cooperative.


    He did not want to say anything, but the man stared at him.


    He did not dare to do it again.


    ¡°Great. In that case, you admit that you were wrong, right? A man should own up to his mistakes, so you should apologize to me,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness, ¡°I was scared by your stare when I was in the academy.¡±


    Master Qiu¡¯s heart trembled.


    Why did he feel that this little girl was taking revenge on him¡­


    How could this girl be scared?


    Master Qiu was about to say something, but his grandson opened his mouth and said, ¡°I was wrong, I know I was wrong¡­ Don¡¯t hit me, don¡¯t hit me¡­¡±


    Master Qiu felt that his heart was about to split open.


    Look at how this boorish man scared his grandson!


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Xie Qiao had a kind look on her face. ¡°What a good child. Come, have a bite of the snack.¡±


    Xie Qiao took a piece of snack and handed it over.


    She had a kind and amiable look on her face. She even reached out and touched Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Grandpa, Grandpa! I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Zhou Kaiyun suddenly squeezed himself into Master Qiu¡¯s arms.


    Xie Qiao chuckled, ¡°This child is so timid. Don¡¯t worry. We siblings don¡¯t eat people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not certain,¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    Master Qiu listened to the brother and sister going back and forth. He felt suffocated, and his old face tensed up.


    He picked up his grandson with his old bones.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, I know the Zhou family is guilty, but the child is innocent¡­¡± Master Qiu looked very helpless.


    He was able to transfer Xie Qiao away in the academy because he was the dean. However, here, his identity as the dean was useless.


    ¡°The Dean thinks that the two of us are bullying him?¡± Xie Qiao was not angry, ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s better to let him hold a grudge or wake him up? Look, isn¡¯t he obedient now? In the future, he will neither cause trouble nor stir up a ruckus. He will live his life obediently. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

 Chapter 438 - Senior Aunty

    <h4>Chapter 438: Senior Aunty</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was telling Master Qiu that Zhou Kaiyun was no longer a noble person. He was only a criminal.


    Unless he could make a contribution that could remove that crime, he could only live an ordinary life.


    It was best for an ordinary person not to have such resentment in his heart.


    ¡°Will the world give in to him just because he looks pitiful? Should he vent his resentment on others just because his mother passed away? This isn¡¯t right, Dean.


    ¡°You think he¡¯s innocent because he was implicated by the Zhou family. Dare I ask, this kid dare not do anything in front of my Eldest Brother, but he red at me and my Younger Brother at the academy. Isn¡¯t he also implicating the innocent?¡± Xie Qiao liked to reason.


    Master Qiu was shocked.


    .


    Xie Qiao... was right.


    This child had always felt wronged, but he had never thought that Xie Qiao was only Xie Pinggang¡¯s sister. She was not the one who exposed the big crime. What he did at the academy earlier... was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not teaching him well,¡± Master Qiu sighed.


    Looking at the child again, he did not know whether the Xie siblings were right or wrong.


    The child had not cried like that since his mother had passed away. He always red at people in a creepy manner, unlike today, he was crying, shouting, and scared.


    The doctor said that it was easy to get sick if one was depressed. If one had pent-up emotions, it would be better to vent them out.


    With that said, the Xie siblings could be considered to have untied a knot in the child¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Today¡¯s matter was caused by the child¡¯s rashness. I¡¯ll pay a visit to apologize another day,¡± Master Qiu said. He looked much older and stood up tiredly, preparing to leave.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, Master Qiu, my... Senior Aunty is looking for you about something,¡± Xie Qiao lowered her head slightly and said softly.


    Xie Pinggang and Master Qiu looked at her with puzzled expressions.


    ¡°Your Senior Aunty?¡± Xie Pinggang was stunned for a moment. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°That... Taoist master?¡±


    Xie Pinggang knew that Xie Qiao could see ghouls, and he also knew that she often hung out with that Taoist master. However, why was this Taoist master looking for Master Qiu?


    ¡°Master Qiu, my Senior Aunty canmunicate with both worlds,¡± Xie Qiao said simply.


    Master Qiu did not think of his daughter. However, since Young Lady Xie had spoken, it would not be appropriate if he did not meet her since he was already here.


    He nodded in agreement.


    Zhou Kaiyun cried until he fell asleep. Master Qiu then asked someone to carry him back to the carriage.


    He was waiting in the main hall.


    ¡°Your Senior Aunty is staying in our house? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned.


    ¡°She just happened to be here. Senior Aunty Mo wille over in a while. I... might have to run some errands for her. Eldest Brother will help me entertain Senior Aunty,¡± Xie Qiao braced herself and said.


    After saying that, she returned to her own courtyard, changed into Mo Chusheng¡¯s clothes, and put on a simple makeup on her face.


    About an hourter, she showed up.


    Xie Pinggang asked someone to serve tea.


    He knew Mo Chusheng. Recently, he had also been going to the Fortune Pavilion. Mo Chusheng was the owner of Fortune Pavilion.


    When Master Qiu saw Mo Chusheng, he was very polite.


    ¡°May I know why is Master looking for me?¡± Master Qiu¡¯s mood had already calmed down at that moment.


    Xie Qiao had an unfathomable expression on her face, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s for your daughter.¡±


    ¡°My daughter?¡± Master Qiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°Master, my daughter has already passed away. I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying...¡±


    ¡°Although your daughter has passed away, she still has somest wishes. This penniless priest is fated to meet her, so I¡¯m here to fulfill her wishes,¡± Xie Qiao added.

 Chapter 439 - This Life and the Next Life

    <h4>Chapter 439: This Life and the Next Life</h4>


    Xie Pinggang had been staring at Mo Chusheng the whole time.


    This senior aunty of Xie Qiao was not young, but her figure and hair looked very young. Moreover, her voice¡­ was somewhat familiar.


    When Master Qiu heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, he stood up immediately, ¡°Master, can you be more clear?¡±


    ¡°So this is what happened. After Lady Qiu hanged herself, she¡¯s unwilling to ept her death and refused to reincarnate. If a ghoul often lingered around her son, it would be bad for the child, so she asked this penniless master¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao exined the situation in detail.


    She also exined the request about the ten years.


    Master Qiu¡¯s pair of old hands, which were like withered twigs, were unable to lift the teacup.


    They were trembling non-stop.


    His eyes were faintly red.


    ¡°Master, you mean that my daughter¡­ wants to protect Yun¡¯er for ten years¡­ T-Then what kind of damage will these ten years do to her? Will she be unable to reincarnate in the future?¡± Master Qiu asked with a trembling voice.


    This matter was inconceivable.


    However, he knew that there were many experts in this world.


    Moreover, this matter concerned his daughter. Even if it was fake, he would rather be deceived.


    ¡°This penniless master can get a dharma instrument and keep her inside. This dharma instrument canst for ten years. After ten years, you can send this to a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple to reincarnate her. If she no longer has any obsession, then she can naturally leave,¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°However, regardless of whether a human or a soul, I¡¯m afraid everyone would be greedy. Since she¡¯s asking for ten years now, ten yearster, she might want another ten years.


    ¡°If her obsession is still there, then she can only be a wandering soul. Of course, if Zhou Yunkai¡¯s thoughts are evil in the future and he has viciousness in his heart, it would also affect this dharma instrument. Even if your daughter really has a next life, her fate may not be too great,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    If she were to be tainted with a human life, then the soul in the jade would also have to bear this karma. That would be even worse.


    Xie Qiao stayed honest and told Master Qiu about this matter in detail.


    Master Qiu had no choice but to believe it.


    His heart was in pain.


    That was his daughter. In terms of selfishness, he naturally hoped that his daughter would reincarnate now and live a good life in the next life.


    However¡­ He knew his daughter¡¯s temper.


    Master Qiu was silent for a long time.


    ¡°She said that she would repay me and her mother for raising her in the next life?¡± Master Qiu sighed and asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°She has already lived such a chaotic life in this life, what¡¯s there to think about in the next life?¡± Master Qiu forced a smile, ¡°I can¡¯t stop her love for her son even if I wanted to. Since that¡¯s the case, let her be.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Master Qiu¡¯s voice changed as he raised his head to look at Xie Qiao.


    His gaze trembled slightly, but it was filled with sincerity as he said to her, ¡°Master, I don¡¯t know how much my daughter will have to pay to stay by his side for ten years. As her father, I hope that I can bear some of the burden for her. Back then, the marriage with the Zhou family¡­ was decided by me. I¡¯m the one who let her down. Do you think you can let me suffer on behalf of my daughter?¡±


    Would it harm good karma or reduce her good fortune? Would it be possible?


    ¡°This is her own matter. How can you take her ce?¡± Xie Qiao was very calm. She could not help but want to cover her mouth and cough twice. However, she was afraid that Xie Pinggang would expose her disguise, so she held it in. She held her breath for a moment and rxed a little, then, she said, ¡°You can do some good deeds. It will be good enough to recover the good karma that you have lost.¡±


    Master Qiu was a good person to begin with.


    Upon hearing that, he immediately nodded, ¡°That¡¯s great. From now on, on the first and fifteenth day of the month, I will go to the Taoist temple to offer incense with my wife¡­¡±

 Chapter 440 - Contentment Is Bliss

    <h4>Chapter 440: Contentment Is Bliss</h4>


    Master Qiu usually had to teach, so he did not have much free time to do good deeds in person.


    The Taoist temple would raise money for charity every month, and they would often get off the mountain to help people. It would be convenient for him to go to the Taoist temple to pay the incense money.


    Moreover, he could also ask for the blessings from the gods.


    ¡°It can be done. It doesn¡¯t matter how many things you give, it only matters how sincere you are,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    With that, Xie Qiao took out a dharma instrument. She had just picked it out from the bamboo basket. It was a jade pendant, which was convenient for Zhou Kaiyun to wear.


    The quality of the jade was especially good.


    Jade had spiritual energy, and a good jade was great for spirits.


    ¡°This is it. Do you think this is okay? I have a few other styles here, and the patterns are all different. If you¡¯re not satisfied with this, I have more,¡± Xie Qiao put the item in front of Master Qiu.


    Master Qiu did not expect to be able to pick such an item.


    He took a look at the jade.


    He was a little surprised.


    The jade was carved into the shape of a cabbage, and above it¡­ there was a small spider, which looked very lifelike.


    ¡°I also have a good luck gourd, but I¡¯m afraid the child shouldn¡¯t wear it. He should wear something more humble, so I¡¯m suggesting this cabbage. The spider on it¡­ implies contentment is bliss. It¡¯s perfect for him,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Children¡¯s facial features would change, so Xie Qiao did not perform divination on Zhou Kaiyun¡¯s fortune.


    ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Master Qiu was very satisfied with the jade.


    He also hoped that his grandson would know contentment was bliss from now on.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re satisfied, I¡¯ll do a ritual,¡± Xie Qiao said simply.


    Finally, she released the soul from the porcin bottle.


    ¡°Father!¡± The ghoul said to Master Qiu as soon as it came out.


    Unfortunately, Master Qiu could not hear it. He just felt a little ufortable and could not help but feel sad.


    Seeing that Master Qiu could not see her, the ghoul remembered that she was already dead and shed two more tears. At that moment, Xie Qiao stuck a talisman on the jade and then chanted a spell at Ms. Qiu.


    Ms. Qiu felt her world spinning.


    She knew that she was going to be sealed in a dharma instrument.


    She nced at her father, felt guilty, and then disappeared without a trace.


    The jade¡­


    Master Qiu suddenly felt that this jade seemed to be a little fuller, and it was somewhat different from before.


    When he looked at the jade earlier, he only thought it was carved well and was somewhat stunning. However, at that moment, he felt like he had seen this thing somewhere and wanted to bring it home.


    ¡°My daughter¡­ is already inside?¡± Master Qiu asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The soul has entered the dharma instrument, so I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t be able to hear what you guys are saying since she has a muddle-head now. Therefore, treat this thing as ordinary jewelry,¡± Xie Qiao ced the item back into Master Qiu¡¯s hand, ¡°The auras of rtives are connected. Zhou Kaiyun can wear it, and so can the two elders.¡±


    Master Qiu forced a smile.


    He naturally would not fight with his grandson over this thing.


    Master Qiu stood up, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. That¡¯ll be 5,000 taels of silver.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s standard smile appeared.


    Master Qiu was stunned, which he then snapped back to his senses.


    This jade quality did not look bad. It could be sold for at least two to three thousand taels of silver. This master had even used a talisman, so she naturally had to charge more.


    ¡°I was in a hurry when I came out, so¡­ I didn¡¯t bring any money. Can I deliver it tomorrow?¡± Master Qiu was a little embarrassed.


    Xie Qiao smiled and said, ¡°Of course. Just give it to Shopkeeper Chang of the Fortune Pavilion on the Eastern Street.¡±


    Master Qiu heaved a sigh of relief and then left in a sorry state.


    Once the old master left, Xie Pinggang stared at her face a few more times and said, ¡°Master canmunicate with both worlds too? You can see ghouls? Can one buy this ability with money?¡±

 Chapter 441 - Missed You Very Much

    <h4>Chapter 441: Missed You Very Much</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was looking forward to it. If his eyes could see those who had died, then many cases at the criminal division could be solved!


    Xie Qiao looked at her eldest brother speechlessly.


    He actually thought seeing ghouls was a great thing!


    Those masters who had their third eye opened were not like her, who could see ghouls at any time and ce. Most of the masters could control themselves freely, and their daily lives would not be affected by ghouls!


    As for her, as long as she opened her eyes, she would see a variety of ghouls and monsters.


    ¡°Young Master Xie, just do your job obediently. Don¡¯t think about these unrealistic things,¡± Xie Qiao said bluntly.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he was quite surprised.


    This female Taoist master spoke very straightforwardly?


    ¡°You make a lot of money in this line of work,¡± Xie Pinggang said enviously again.


    Xie Qiao stared at him in puzzlement.


    Was it too much?!


    Yes, 5,000 taels of silvers was indeed a lot, but that piece of jade was already worth approximately 3,000 taels of silvers!


    She had to collect some money to inscribe talismans and chant spells, right?


    However, Xie Qiao believed that if her eldest brother knew that Mo Chusheng and she were the same person, he would immediately change his mind and say that the money she had collected was too little!


    Xie Qiao said helplessly, ¡°It is indeed very profitable, but unfortunately¡­ your younger sister¡¯s health iscking, so she still has to rely on you, her father and brother, to support her.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Xie Pinggang was only envious. If someone fought with him to support Xie Qiao, he would be secretly upset.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao did not dare to stay any longer, worried that Xie Pinggang would recognize her.


    She stood up and wanted to leave, but Xie Pinggang stopped her, ¡°Master, have a simple meal before you leave. My Sister asked me to treat you well.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s footsteps stiffened.


    ¡°Oh right, I invited the Crown Prince over for a meal today. Earlier, I mentioned you to His Highness. At that time, His Highness said that he¡¯s very familiar with you. Since that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t mind eating with himter, right?¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    Xie Qiao red at him.


    ¡°Why did you invite the Crown Prince over?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡°His Highness has been inviting me to the restaurant repeatedlytely. I have to return the favor,¡± Xie Pinggang said matter-of-factly.


    The Crown Prince was very approachable. He was even very concerned about Xie Pinggang in the criminal division. Every time he went out on business, His Highness would generously invite him to the restaurant to have a meal when Xie Pinggang was about to die from exhaustion.


    His Highness treated him sincerely and trusted him very much!


    ¡°I still have errands to run, so I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± Xie Qiao immediately stood up.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t go. I just happen to have some things I want to consult you on,¡± Xie Pinggang was very stubborn, ¡°My Sister¡¯s health iscking. Now that she has been following you around all day, I don¡¯t feel at ease. There are many things I want to know.¡±


    Xie Qiaoughed dryly.


    As expected, not long after, the sky was about to turn dark, and the Crown Prince actually came.


    Xie Qiao could not understand. As the Crown Prince, why was he alwaysing to the home of his subjects?


    However, Xie Qiao did not dare to say anything.


    When he saw the Crown Prince, Xie Qiao gave a profound smile, ¡°Junior brother, you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Junior brother?¡± Xie Pinggang was shocked, ¡°Master and His Highness, the Crown Prince, are actually from the same sect? His Highness¡¯ master is¡­ Old Master Li, right? In other words, you¡­ also learned from Old Master Li?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was a little incredulous.


    That was a Taoist master.


    However, Old Master Li was really¡­ a weirdo.


    The moment Zhao Xuanjing saw Xie Qiao, a mysterious smile appeared on the corner of his lips like a spring breeze, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen senior sister for a long time. I¡¯ve missed you very much.¡±


    Xie Qiao secretly rolled her eyes.


    Pfft, that was a lie. Just a few days ago, he told Xie Pinggang that Xie Qiao was a good sister!

 Chapter 442 - Touching

    <h4>Chapter 442: Touching</h4>


    Previously, Zhao Xuanjing praised Xie Qiao for being a good sister, but now he said she missed Mo Chusheng, this youngdy?


    Hmph.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face tensed up, ¡°Yes, after not seeing you for a few days, junior brother¡¯s demeanor has be more and more radiant. Unlike me, I age quickly, and my face is full of wrinkles.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing could sense her agitation all over her body.


    However, he pretended not to see it. He moved closer to her ear and said with a smile, ¡°Master always said that senior sister¡¯s beauty is unparalleled. In my heart, it is indeed so.¡±


    Xie Qiao gritted her teeth.


    No, she knew her own face. Mo Chusheng was much uglier than her, how could she be as beautiful as her?


    Xie Pinggang looked at the Crown Prince suspiciously, as if he was displeased with the Crown Prince¡¯s poor taste.


    Look at this Taoist master. Her hair was smooth and ck, but her face¡­ was ordinary and boring. What was there to look at?


    Her beauty was unparalleled? If that was the case, his sister was a goddess who had descended to the mortal world.


    The three of them sat down, and Xie Pinggang called for the dishes to be served.


    He even said sneakily, ¡°My Eldest Sister has a lot of good wine hidden in her courtyard. I found it with great difficulty, but she¡¯s not at home right now. I¡¯ll sneak out two jars and let the Crown Prince have a taste.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were filled with anger.


    Xie Pinggang, this pig, actually dared to steal her wine to drink?!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little terrible?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a faint smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. That girl is silly. She doesn¡¯t know how much wine she has brewed. It doesn¡¯t matter if she loses a few jars. Besides, isn¡¯t Your Highness here? Of course, I have to treat you with the best things,¡± Xie Pinggang was now ackey.


    If Xie Qiao caught him, he could push the me onto the Crown Prince.


    If the Crown Prince wanted to drink, what could he do?!


    Xie Pinggang cheerfully went to search for the wine.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart ached.


    Her wine!


    When she came to the capital from the Water Moon Temple, she did not bring many things. The wine was mostly brewed after she came to the capital, so there really was not much¡­


    The corners of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled down slightly, and her face was tense. She looked like a grasshopper that was tied to a rope. Her entire body was filled with anger, but she could not escape.


    She wanted to grab Xie Pinggang¡¯s head and hit it.


    ¡°Senior sister, you don¡¯t look well. What happened?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked despite knowing the answer.


    Xie Qiao forced a smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from Master for a long time. I¡¯m worried!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he has been travelling far away,¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s thin lips were smiling, and his eyes were gentle. His voice was charming, ¡°When Masteres back, ask him to preside over the marriage for the two of us. What do you think of that?¡±


    The tea cup in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand shook, ¡°Junior brother, you are still a child in my heart!¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo is also like a child in my heart. In this way, the two of us are equally young,¡± Zhao Xuanjing was thick-skinned.


    Xie Qiao turned her head away.


    ¡®My, my. You sure are flirty.¡¯


    Suddenly, Zhao Xuanjing actually pulled her hand over and ced it on his lower back, ¡°How about this? Senior sister is also well-versed in phrenology, right? Why don¡¯t you take a look at mine?¡±


    Xie Qiao felt she had to get rid of her hand.


    If she wanted to take a look, she would. Why was he touching her?


    Her face was flushing, but it was a pity that there was a thickyer of fake skin on the outside, so it could not be seen.


    She even looked like a calm, experienceddy now.


    ¡°No need. You are the Crown Prince. You have all the wealth and luck,¡± Xie Qiao withdrew her hand secretly, but it was clenched tightly. Xie Qiao raised her eyes and red at him, but he realized that his gaze was burning and passionate, and it would make one¡¯s heart race.


    ¡°Junior brother, are you really going to marry me?¡± Xie Qiao mustered her courage and asked in return. She did not want to be outdone, so she ced her small hand on his chin, ¡°Junior Brother¡¯s bones are really unparalleled in the world. I¡¯ve actually been coveting you for a long time¡­¡±

 Chapter 443 - Bite

    <h4>Chapter 443: Bite</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was flushing. She was caressing Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face.


    His skin was really good.


    His facial features, as if they were sculpted, were as strong as pine and cypress, unbreakable in the wind and rain, elegant in the world, and a gentleman in peace.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze was slightly distracted.


    The man in front of her seemed to be shocked by her boldness. The corners of his lips moved and froze for a second. A momentter, a low voice whispered in Xie Qiao¡¯s ear, ¡°Senior sister can savour me.¡±


    Fireworks exploded in Xie Qiao¡¯s mind.


    It was hot.


    She hurriedly withdrew her ws and then pped his other hand twice.


    ¡°You are not a fruit, why would I savor you?¡± Xie Qiao said with a straight face, ¡°Junior brother, I¡¯m a cultivator. There won¡¯t be a good ending between us. Just forget what you said earlier.¡±


    One should not covet the imperial family. If one was not careful, one would be exposed to the hardships of the human world.


    Xie Qiao felt a little ufortable and a little shy.


    ¡°Senior sister always goes back on her words. If there¡¯s something that I should forget about, it¡¯d be your identity as a cultivator,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said to himself, ¡°From now on, senior sister will be alone.¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Master that you seduced me with your beauty.¡±


    He made her say something that was absurd!


    ¡°If what senior sister said doesn¡¯t count, it¡¯s useless even if Masteres,¡± Zhao Xuanjing snorted, ¡°From now on, I will go to the Fortune Pavilion every month to look for you. If you aren¡¯t here, then I can onlye to the Xie Residence.¡±


    Xie Qiao felt that something was strange.


    She really had not seen this junior brother much.


    However, this person seemed to be very close to her. Did they really have such deep feelings for each other?


    Just as she was thinking, Xie Pinggang walked back with big strides, ¡°I¡¯ve dug it out! Your Highness, smell it. My Eldest Sister¡¯s wine is really fragrant!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled, ¡°Is that so? I only adore my senior sister. After smelling her for a long time, the other fragrances are nothing.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was stunned, ¡°Your Highness and Master Mo¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Xie Qiao quickly said.


    ¡°Minister Xie, Master arranged the marriage between Senior Sister Mo and I since we were young. Senior sister was not around earlier, so this matter was never mentioned. Now that I have finally found her, this marriage of mine is finally settled,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile.


    ¡°Really?¡± Xie Pinggang said when he heard that, ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness! Now that you mention it, Your Highness has been mentioning my Sister recently. Could it be that you also want to use my sister to inquire about Master Mo? I me my ignorance. I didn¡¯t know about this at that time and didn¡¯t realize it!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    He was just a flirt. How was he inquiring about anything?


    Xie Qiao snorted, ¡°Master has arranged more than one marriage for me.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°Who else?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Xie Qiao hesitated. She suddenly thought of Xiao Yurong, the nerd, ¡°First Junior Brother is a choice, but I¡¯m still waiting.¡±


    This identity could not be kept.


    There was no way to live if she offended two junior brothers at once.


    Xie Qiao had a headache.


    ¡°Xiao Yurong?¡± Zhao Xuanjing stopped calling him senior brother and called him by his name. He smiled faintly, ¡°First Senior Brother has been single for a long time. Why don¡¯t I go to my Father to ask for an imperial decree for you to marry him?¡±


    Xie Qiao was shocked and immediately chickened out, ¡°I¡¯m just talking nonsense.¡±


    If he asked for an imperial decree to marry him, it would be a disaster to hurt the youngdy if the two parties were not a match.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Senior Brother Xiao has a close rtionship with me. How can I disregard his wishes and make a decision without thinking?¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled, ¡°Senior sister, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Xie Qiao felt a chill run down her spine.


    He used to think that Mo Chusheng was a good person. After all, she was a senior sister and had prestige.


    However, now¡­ this puppy seemed to bite.

 Chapter 444 - Wonderful Person

    <h4>Chapter 444: Wonderful Person</h4>


    Xie Qiao felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, while Xie Pinggang opened the wine and took a sniff. He handed it to the Crown Prince as if he was presenting a treasure.


    It was a fruit wine. It smelled sweet and mellow, making people want to take a sip or two to taste it.


    Xie Qiao made such fine wine?


    Zhao Xuanjing did not say anything and tasted it.


    The wine was like a person. It was pure, elegant, and had a faint fragrance. It was like sweet dew, and he could not forget it.


    Unfortunately¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at Xie Pinggang with a faint gaze. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and took the wine cup in front of Xie Pinggang, he drank it in one gulp, ¡°As an elder brother, how can you be so terrible? From what I see, Minister Xie shouldn¡¯t drink this wine. Otherwise, when Young Lady Xie sees it, I don¡¯t know how much her heart would ache.¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes were like copper bells.


    He could not believe that his wine cup was emptied just like that?!


    ¡°I¡¯m her elder brother! What¡¯s there to feel heartbroken?!¡± Xie Pinggang felt sullen. Not only that, the Crown Prince did not put the wine back. How would it be different no matter who drank it? Could it be that his sister would not feel her heart ache if the Crown Prince drank the wine?!


    It would not kill her to have an aching heart. His sister would not live for long anyway. Now that she could still brew wine, he should taste a few more sips!


    Xie Pinggang was very upset and wanted to beat someone up.


    He could offend his superiors, but he could not offend the Crown Prince.


    His gaze was fixed on the wine jar.


    The Crown Prince ced the wine jar next to him, but he did not dare to reach out and take it.


    How awful.


    Xie Pinggang could not help but gulp. Then, he sighed faintly. That was the Crown Prince, the Emperor. He was a subject¡­ it did not matter if he let him have some.


    It was just a pity for his eldest sister¡¯s wine. Looking at the way the Crown Prince drank, it was like an ox drinking water. He was not sure if he was savoring it or not!


    Zhao Xuanjing did not seem to notice Xie Pinggang¡¯s gaze. As he drank, he said, ¡°Not bad, not bad. This is really good wine. Your younger sister is good at brewing wine andmunicating with both worlds. She¡¯s really a wonderful person.¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless.


    Xie Pinggang was speechless too.


    The siblings stared at each other. Xie Qiao sympathized with the pitiful officials like him, but at that moment, Xie Pinggang was envious of Master Mo, because the Crown Prince did not take the wine off her hand.


    ¡°Master, what does my sister do when she¡¯s out with you?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was very soft, ¡°She captures souls, releases souls, and umtes good karma. However, she isn¡¯t very capable. She only¡­ runs errands.¡±


    Xie Pinggang nodded, ¡°My sister¡¯s health¡­ Do you have any solution to that? If you need money, my Father and I will think of a way¡­¡±


    Judging from what happened in the Qiu family earlier, this Master Mo was probably greedy for money.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s hands paused slightly, and he listened attentively.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to save her,¡± Xie Qiao replied in a muffled voice.


    She could only umte good karma.


    As for how to know if she had umted enough good karma¡­ she could rely on her divination to see how long she could live. It was just that she could not divulge this heavenly secret, especially if she performed the divination herself. It would be more or less difficult for her to foresee this kind of thing, and she would also have to exhaust some fortune.


    Moreover, she could feel her own body.


    For instance, recently, other than the time when she had expended a lot of energy in the Prince¡¯s courtyard and was a little tired, she was fine the other times.


    Even her cough had lessened significantly, and she had not fainted for a long time.


    It was probably all thanks to the revtion of the Zhou family¡¯s big crime.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about my Sister either. Master came from the same Taoist temple as her, so I¡¯m sure you know a lot about her. If she likes anything, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to pay more attention to that. Thank you very much!¡± As he spoke, Xie Pinggang took a sip of ordinary wine, then, he put the bowl aside in disgust.

 Chapter 445 - Beauties

    <h4>Chapter 445: Beauties</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not expect her eldest brother to be so emotional, and she could not help but feel a little warm in her heart.


    However¡­ no matter how much he doted on her¡­


    He should not steal her wine!


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t your sister like this wine? First Young Master Xie, you even stole her wine. You¡¯ve no idea how long your sister will live, can¡¯t you give in to her a little more?¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    Xie Pinggang thought this master was quite meticulous. She had to defend Xie Qiao for such a small matter.


    ¡°Wine is wine, she is a person. It has nothing to do with her! My Sister is good in every way, but she¡¯s too stingy. She hid such good wine and did not let me drink it. She buried it under the ground, and the fragrance was stolen by the snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Isn¡¯t that a waste? Moreover, she¡¯s a little girl. She just needs to drink some flower tea. Wine should be drunk by men. If she doesn¡¯t take the initiative to give it to me, then I can only dig it myself!¡± Xie Pinggang looked like what he said made sense.


    Xie Qiao covered her chest.


    Sooner orter, she would be angered to death by her family.


    Was it a waste for a woman to drink wine? He deserved to be unable to find a wife!


    Xie Qiao silently rolled her eyes at him.


    It was not easy for her to brew that wine, and the quantity was not particrlyrge. If she allowed her eldest brother to drink it, it would probably be gone in half a month. How was she stingy?


    However, now, she could not exin it clearly.


    Poor Xie Qiao. Her image was originally perfect, but now in the eyes of the Crown Prince, it was greatly reduced.


    Xie Qiao felt a little pity in her heart.


    The Crown Prince had be a person who loved wine at that moment.


    One mouthful after another, it was actually a lot. He drank all the wine, not a single drop left.


    What was even more terrifying was that his expression did not change at all. He sat upright with a cold smile on the corner of his lips. His king-like bearing was not lost at all. He looked even more authoritative than before.


    ¡°I drank a little too much tonight. Can I stay in the residence?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, deep and maic. His eyes looked as if they were on fire. When he spoke, he was actually looking at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She almost thought that she had been exposed.


    ¡°This penniless master will leave now. I¡¯ll have to trouble Young Master Xie to take care of my junior brother!¡± Xie Qiao ran away immediately.


    Xie Pinggang looked at the Crown Prince and hesitated.


    He¡­


    Should he get a maidservant who was willing to spend the night¡­ to serve His Highness?


    Xie Pinggang thought as he led the Crown Prince to the courtyard to rest. In his heart, he admired the Crown Prince even more.


    This Crown Prince did not look as sturdy as him, but his alcohol tolerance was actually not inferior to his. Moreover¡­ His taste in wine¡­ was much better than his. He did not know how he developed it.


    Zhao Xuanjing took every step steadily. His tall and straight back stood proudly in the world as if the wine had no effect on him.


    After sending him back to the room, Xie Pinggang stood at the door for a while and then called the steward over, ¡°Is there anyone in our residence who is willing to climb up the socialdder? Choose a good-looking, sensible, and amiable person and send her to His Highness¡¯ room.¡±


    ¡°There really aren¡¯t any in our residence¡­¡± the steward was shocked when he heard that. He thought for a while and suddenly said, ¡°But¡­ I was going to tell you this. Early this morning, the Eldest Young Master of Prince Ning Bei¡¯s mansion sent two beauties. Do you think they can do it?¡±


    ¡°Beauties?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°Who¡¯s the Eldest Young Master who sent the gifts? Do I know him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never interacted with each other before. The Eldest Young Master¡¯s people said that they admired your charm, so they wanted to be on good terms with you. By the way, this old servant asked around and found out that the Eldest Young Master will be taking a job soon. This old servant is wondering if this job has something to do with you or the Old Master¡­¡± the steward thought and said.


    That was the only exnation.


    Xie Pinggang knew that Prince Ning Bei had only entered the capital in the past few months, so he really did not know him.


    ¡°Are thedies very beautiful? What kind of characters do they have? Our family doesn¡¯t do things that force people to be concubines. If they want to leave, that¡¯s fine. If they don¡¯t want to, bring them over and let me take a look first,¡± Xie Pinggang said.

 Chapter 446 - Innocent

    <h4>Chapter 446: Innocent</h4>


    After Ms. Lu left, the servants in the family were reced.


    The people that Xie Pinggang liked were either strong or honest. There were very few good-looking people. Moreover, after being scared by Xie Pinggang for so long, even if they wanted to butter him up in the beginning, the intention had long disappeared.


    How could they find a person who dared to be his concubine?


    The steward immediately went to call for people, and soon, the two youngdies arrived.


    One of them was weak and fragile, while the other was charming and seductive. They knelt on the ground and said to Xie Pinggang in a delicate voice, ¡°Your servant greets the First Young Master.¡±


    Xie Pinggang nodded slightly, ¡°Not bad, your looks are not bad. Why did the young master from Prince Ning Bei¡¯s family send the two of you here? To be my concubines?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re willing,¡± the two said again.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not willing,¡± Xie Pinggang snorted and asked again, ¡°What do you like about me?¡±


    The two women trembled in fear, but they said anyway, ¡°The First Young Master is valiant and heroic¡­¡±


    ¡°From your words, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re not sincere. How about this, I will give you three options. First, I will send you away. You can go wherever you want. Second, you can stay here and be a maidservant. All you have to do is to work hard. If you don¡¯t do it well, you will still have to get lost. The third option¡­ The Crown Prince is in the house and needs someone to serve him,¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    He did not feel that what he did was wrong.


    The Crown Prince was staying in his house. ording to the rules of the officials, they had to make his stayfortable.


    ¡°The C-Crown Prince?¡± The two youngdies were shocked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Pinggang nodded, ¡°These are three options. Hurry up and choose.¡±


    Was there a need to choose?


    The two youngdies revealed embarrassed expressions, ¡°W-We are willing to serve His Highness, the Crown Prince¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah, I knew that what you said earlier was a lie,¡± Xie Pinggang snorted and looked at them with disdain, ¡°Alright, go in and serve the Crown Prince well. If His Highness is not happy, I will chop you up.¡±


    The two of them were both happy and scared.


    Xie Pinggang was very straightforward. After sending them into the house, he immediately left with the steward.


    At that moment, the Crown Prince was lying on the bed, resting with his brows slightly furrowed.


    This Xie Pinggang was really a barbarian. He did not even get someone to send him some hangover soup.


    At that moment, someone walked into the room.


    The smell of fragrant powder woke him up immediately. He only saw that the two youngdies were disheveled and wanted to climb onto the bed!


    With a thud, Zhao Xuanjing kicked them off the bed.


    The two women immediately knelt beneath the bed, ¡°Your Highness, w-we¡¯re here to serve you¡­¡±


    ¡°Xie Pinggang, that b*stard, asked the two of you toe?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was cold.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the two quickly replied.


    Their thin clothes had even slipped off their shoulders, revealing their fair skin. Zhao Xuanjing sneered, ¡°You can¡¯t even get yourself a wife, yet you¡¯ve learned to entertain someone else. Get out!¡±


    Could that b*stard not use his brain?


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ I¡¯m innocent. I won¡¯t disgrace you¡­¡±One of them quickly climbed up and ced her hand on the Crown Prince¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Your hands are very beautiful. It¡¯s not bad to chop them off and give them to Minister Xie,¡± the Crown Prince¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°You want to enter the East Pce? You¡¯ll go in alive and dead when you leave. If you¡¯re willing, I can give your family a sum of money aspensation first.¡±


    That hand just froze there.


    The color on her face was instantly lost, and she turned pale, ¡°Your Highness, please spare my life!¡±


    The Crown Prince nced at these two people and suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°You two are servants of the Xie family?¡± Zhao Xuanjing reeked of alcohol. His body was slightly heavy, and there was a hint of displeasure in his sloppiness. He looked intimidating.

 Chapter 447 - Still Not Satisfied?

    <h4>Chapter 447: Still Not Satisfied?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    He had been to the Xie Residence twice. The maids and guards in the residence were almost the same, and their looks were very rough.


    These two were considered unusual in the Xie Residence. They did not seem like people that Xie Pinggang, that boorish man, would take a fancy to.


    ¡°W-We are from Prince Ning Bei¡¯s Residence. We only came today...¡± the youngdy said.


    Zhao Xuanjing rubbed between his eyebrows, ¡°Why did Prince Ning Bei¡¯s Residence send you guys to Xie Pinggang?¡±


    Prince Ning Bei was a loyal man. He should not be someone who would give away concubines..


    ¡°This humble one was originally with the side concubine. Eldest Young Master took us away. Then, w-we were arranged toe here,¡± the youngdy was very careful. Her voice was trembling, and her body was cold.


    When they were called over by Young Master Xie, they had specially changed into the most beautiful clothes. Of course, they were also the most frivolous and convenient.


    Now that they were kneeling on the ground, a gust of cold air came from beneath them, and they could not help but feel a chill.


    Moreover, the Crown Prince was furious¡­


    ¡°Zhao Xuzhi?¡± The Crown Princeughed faintly, ¡°What else did he tell you?¡±


    At that moment, the two youngdies had the thought of dying. The smell of alcohol around His Highness caused their minds to be fuzzy. When they heard this terrifying tone, they felt as if their souls were about to snap out of their body.


    ¡°His Highness, the Eldest Young Master only asked us to inquire about Young Lady Xie. He really didn¡¯t ask us to do anything else, much less harm His Highness!¡±


    They could not help but overthink it at that moment.


    Why was His Highness so angry?


    It must be because Xie Pinggang was His Highness¡¯ confidant. Perhaps Zhao Xuzhi fawned over the Xie family so much just to inquire about His Highness¡¯ whereabouts?!


    His Highness must have thought so!


    B-But it really was not the case¡­


    The two of them panicked at that moment, ¡°Your Highness, the E-Eldest Young Master told us to find out Young Lady Xie¡¯s preferences. When Young Lady Xie goes out, we¡¯ll send a message to him. So... Eldest Young Master must have only taken a fancy to thedy of the Xie family, which is why he put in so much effort. H-He wasn¡¯t thinking of buttering up Young Master Xie...¡±


    ¡°Only taken a fancy to thedy? Hah,¡± Zhao Xuanjing licked his lips and smiled.


    The two youngdies trembled and did not understand what His Highness meant.


    ¡°Send a message to say that Young Lady Xie will go to Yuefeng Restaurant at noon tomorrow,¡± Zhao Xuanjing rubbed his fingers. He did not look happy or angry, but it made people feel more uneasy.


    The two youngdies replied, ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°After sending the message, the two of you will go to Xie Pinggang. No matter what you do, I want to see Minister Xie in a terrible state,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    The two of them felt extremely regretful.


    They did not know that His Highness was so picky. If they had known earlier, they would have put more effort in Young Master Xie from the beginning!


    Great. Young Master Xie strongly believed that they were buttering him up, so how could he care about them now?


    And they had to make him suffer¡­


    Thinking of Young Master Xie¡¯s fierce look, they felt that they would not live long.


    ¡°Get out of here. Ask the steward to make some hangover soup,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    The two of them immediately got up from the ground when they heard that and ran out anxiously.


    The two of them were sensible. They first went to inform the steward, and then immediately went to the dog hole outside the wall ording to the Crown Prince¡¯s request. They left a letter. Before the sun rose tomorrow morning, someone would take the letter away.


    Meanwhile, Xie Pinggang was confused.


    ¡°Why did he chase the two of you out?¡± Xie Pinggang was puzzled.


    They were quite pretty. Why was he still not satisfied?

 Chapter 448 - Unforgettable

    <h4>Chapter 448: Unforgettable</h4>


    Xie Pinggang did not understand, but he was a big-hearted person. Forget it since the Crown Prince did not like them. After all, it waste. It would be terrible for him to go to the brothel and get a few more good-looking ones now.


    However, these two youngdies refused to leave.


    After delivering the letter, they stayed at the entrance of Xie Pinggang¡¯s courtyard, wanting to go in no matter what.


    Xie Pinggang refused to listen to them. He immediately threw them out of his courtyard. Once the door was locked, no one could enter. He just let them cry outside the courtyard. The sorrowful voices were like the howling of ghosts that came one after another. However, Xie Pinggang was able to sleep soundly and did not care at all.


    Was he worried? Not at all.


    After Xie Qiao returned, she went to bed. She did not know anything about these things.


    The next day, she went to the academy obediently and did not ask any more questions.


    In the afternoon, the Crown Prince sat in the Yuefeng Restaurant with Xie Pinggang behind him.


    ¡°Your Highness, is there really a serious criminal here?¡± Xie Pinggang was a little suspicious.


    There were more than ten guards in such a big restaurant. How dare a fugitivee here?


    ¡°I got the news that this fugitive booked this room. As long as someonees inter, no matter who it is, beat him to the ground first. Don¡¯t give him a chance to breathe, understand?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile and a cold gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Pinggang nodded.


    His Highness trusted him very much. When he went out today, he did not bring thatckey Zhou Weizong with him. He only asked Xie Pinggang to protect him at all times.


    So no matter what, he absolutely could not let that fugitive hurt the Crown Prince.


    Xie Pinggang thought for a moment and stood at the door.


    He had already told the waiter not toe close, so he did not have to worry about identally injuring the waiter.


    Zhao Xuanjing sipped his tea and a smile appeared on his face.


    Xie Pinggang looked ferocious. He nced at the tea in the Crown Prince¡¯s hand and onlyughed in his heart. This tea¡­ what was so good about it? His Highness seemed to be a little upset earlier, but now he was drinking tea and smiling?


    To him, tea was just leaves. If he ate it, the bitterness would be hard to swallow. Unless there was nothing to eat in a famine, he would not be willing to be a cow that ate grass.


    However, he thought that this was the difference between him and His Highness.


    The Crown Prince had a noble status and knew many things. Although he was not as strong as he was, he would not raise his voice and people did not dare to approach him.


    He was born with the charisma of a king.


    ¡°Your Highness, what kind of criminal is he? Which case is he in?¡± While waiting, Xie Pinggang could not help but ask.


    ¡°He hasmitted ten crimes,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said casually.


    ¡°Ten crimes?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    This fugitive was really bold. He had run away, but he dared toe back?


    Xie Pinggang became more serious, and he grasped the saber in his hand even more tightly, ¡°Your Highness, do you want me to execute him on the spot?¡±


    ¡°Execute him on the spot?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at his hand holding the saber, ¡°Minister Xie, put down the saber. I want to capture him alive. I have many things to ask him, so you only need to teach him a lesson first.¡±


    Xie Pinggang felt a little wasterful. He thought that the saber would see blood today.


    Helplessly, he put the saber on the stool.


    He continued to wait.


    After 15 minutes, the sound of footsteps came from the door.


    ¡°Brother Li, I know you¡¯re in there¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi pushed the door open and said.


    Zhao Xuanjing sneered. Zhao Xuzhi was quite good ating up with excuses. If Xie Qiao was sitting here, would Zhao Xuzhi tell Xie Qiao that he identally opened the wrong door and mistook the wrong person? And he would tell her that it was love at first sight, someone unforgettable in his life?!


    Zhao Xuanjing held the tea cup in his left hand. Thinking about it, he was upset. With a crack, the tea cup shattered.


    There were some stains on his body.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuzhi saw the man¡¯s figure and was stunned for a moment before he could react¡­


    With a thud, he felt pain on his body and he was smashed to the ground.

 Chapter 449 - Gentle Sorrow

    <h4>Chapter 449: Gentle Sorrow</h4>


    Xie Pinggang took action. His hammer-like fist smashed down on Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s body.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang, bang!¡± The fist collided with Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s body.


    Zhao Xuzhi could not help but wail.


    Xie Pinggang knew how to hurt a person without breaking their bones. He pressed all the strength in his body on the back of Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s waist, making it impossible for him to fight back.


    ¡°I-I am Prince Ning Bei¡¯s son!¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s fist was like hail. The storm was almost over, yet Zhao Xu only managed to utter these few words!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whose son you are¡­¡± Xie Pinggang punched Zhao Xuzhi in the face again. After that, he suddenly paused, ¡°Who? Whose son are you?¡±


    ¡°P-Prince Ning Bei¡­ He¡¯s my father¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi was bleeding at the corner of his mouth, and his whole body was limp as if he was going to die.


    Xie Pinggang stopped and frowned, ¡°Your Highness, you didn¡¯t tell me that this fugitive is a member of your royal family?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing stood up in surprise and looked at the person on the ground, puzzled, ¡°Xuzhi? Why are you here?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi was really confused at that moment. He only felt that his bones were about to fall apart, and there was not a single spot on his body that was perfectly fine!


    He was still on the ground, and the Crown Prince looked down at him. At that moment, he felt extremely clumsy, angry and embarrassed.


    ¡°Did I hit the wrong person?¡± Xie Pinggang knew that he had caused trouble.


    This was the son of Prince Ning Bei. Prince Ning Bei had only given birth to two children, he did not have many descendants. If he knew that he had beaten up Zhao Xuzhi, would he not fight with him to the death?


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s brain worked very quickly. When he realized that he had made a mistake, he immediately made a counter-usation, ¡°If you¡¯re the son of Prince Ning Bei, why would youe here? Could it be that you colluded with the fugitive? Or did youe to deliver a letter to the fugitive?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi spat a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°How would I, a descendent of a dignified prince, do that?!¡± Zhao Xuzhi struggled to stand up, looking angry and stubborn.


    ¡°Your Highness, I will only do as I¡¯m told. It¡¯s better for you to end this,¡± Xie Pinggang immediately knelt on one knee and cupped his fists.


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded slightly.


    If it weren¡¯t for this guy¡¯s unnecessary actionsst night, he would not have panicked like this today.


    However, looking at his pitiful appearance, it could be considered that he had been taught a lesson.


    He had the same mother as Xie Qiao. How could he not protect her?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Minister Xie. It¡¯s inevitable that there will be mistakes in capturing the suspect. Xuzhi has already barged in. I think that the fugitive must havee to attend the appointment. When he saw this scene, he was scared and ran away. Since he has already alerted the enemy, let¡¯s forget about today¡¯s arrangements¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    When Xie Pinggang heard the Crown Prince¡¯s words, he could not help but think that the Crown Prince¡¯s brain was working fast.


    Initially, he was going to suffer for beating up the son of Prince Ning Bei.


    However, when he said that, he turned the situation around. Now the son of Prince Ning Bei who was the one who dyed him from handling the case.


    Handling a case was a big matter. With a fugitive running away, many people might die!


    When he thought of that, Xie Pinggang was over the moon. He stood up and red at Zhao Xuzhi.


    Zhao Xuzhi wiped the blood off his face and felt pain all over his body, ¡°Your Highness, I-I didn¡¯t mean to intrude. Please forgive me, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Sigh,¡± The Crown Prince sighed, ¡°Xuzhi, how could you be so reckless? Did you know that we were supposed to catch a criminal today? Now¡­ I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to catch that criminal in the future.¡±


    At that moment, the Crown Prince¡¯s expression was very gentle and even a little sorrow.


    Xie Pinggang had never seen the Crown Prince like this.


    In the past, the Crown Prince was always cold and quiet, but he treated his rtives from the Zhao family much gentler!

 Chapter 450 - Someone Who Is Not to Be Trifled With

    <h4>Chapter 450: Someone Who Is Not to Be Trifled With</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Crown Prince¡¯s face was filled with regret, as if he was feeling sorry for themon people. That look of his made people fail to help but feel a little guilty.


    ¡°Your Highness, it was me who didn¡¯t see clearly earlier and that I didn¡¯t know him, that¡¯s why... I made a mistake. Your Highness, Don¡¯t me yourself. I will definitely do my best in the future to capture him!¡± Xie Pinggang said in all seriousness.


    He had always been so conscientious and responsible when it came to official matters.


    Zhao Xuzhi felt aggrieved.


    He had been beaten up for no reason, but in the end? He even had to beg for forgiveness!


    .


    The Crown Prince was clearly concerned about him, but could he ept this concern? Not at all!


    ¡°Please punish me, Your Highness,¡± Zhao Xuzhi knelt and said honestly.


    If he did not admit defeat, and when his father heard about it, it would make him seem like he was useless and ruined such a big event just by going out!


    However, the person here should be the youngdy of the Xie family. Why were the Crown Prince and Xie Pinggang here instead?!


    ¡°Xuzhi, you are my cousin. Although you made a mistake, how can I me you? Hurry up and get up. Although Minister Xie offended you earlier, he didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I specifically instructed him to capture the escaped criminal once he shows up... Fortunately, Minister Xie put down his saber. Otherwise, Prince Ning Bei¡¯s family would have lost another person,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said softly. When Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s gazended on the saber, he felt a chill down his neck.


    This Xie Pinggang was a boorish man and was extremely vicious.


    He had long heard that he was as fierce as a beast. When investigating a case, no matter who was found, even if it was a royal family member, he would not show any mercy!


    If Xie Pinggang had used his saber today¡­


    He would probably have been beheaded!


    Zhao Xuzhi did not look too good.


    The Crown Prince smiled, ¡°Since things havee to this, it¡¯s useless to make up for it. I see that your injuries are quite terrible. Quickly go to the medicine shop and find a doctor to look at you. When you go back, don¡¯t mention this to Prince Ning Bei so that he won¡¯t me you.¡±


    The Crown Prince was extremely considerate.


    What else could Zhao Xuzhi Say?


    He could not say anything.


    ¡°I will leave now,¡± he was honest and respectful. His elegant and gentle demeanor looked like a joke because of the wounds on his body.


    He gritted his teeth and looked angry. He bent his back and looked like he was in pain.


    The Crown Prince looked at Zhao Xuzhi through the window. His face was cold.


    ¡°Your Highness, is this guy alright?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Zhao Xuzhi had neither been conferred the title of Commandery Prince nor an official position, so even if Xie Pinggang offended him a little, it would not be a problem.


    ¡°Minister Xie has offended someone who is not to be trifled with,¡± the Crown Prince smiled faintly.


    ¡°Not to be trifled with? Him? I think he¡¯s not too shabby. He¡¯s amiable and didn¡¯t make a fuss,¡± Xie Pinggang was a little puzzled.


    The Crown Prince smiled but did not say anything.


    If it was someone else who was interested in Xie Qiao, he would not have acted like that. It was only because Zhao Xuzhi was different.


    He remembered that when he was young, he heard that there was someone in the royal family who looked like him. Furthermore, he was talented and had a docile personality. He was quite happy about that. He got his father to invite him to the pce for a banquet while he observed him in private.


    At that time, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s people were indeed sensible.


    However, behind their backs, they pushed a son of the royal family who entered the pce with them into the water.


    It was only because his father had praised the other person a few times that made him so overbearing.


    Although the person who was pushed into the water was a member of the royal family, in terms of kinship, he was naturally inferior to Prince Ning Bei. Therefore, after he fell into the water, he did notin and went home obediently.


    Other people were not aware of that, but Zhao Xuanjing saw it clearly.

 Chapter 451 - Accompanying a Prince Was Like Accompanying a Tiger

    <h4>Chapter 451: Apanying a Prince Was Like Apanying a Tiger</h4>


    At that time, Zhao Xuzhi was the only son of Prince Ning Bei.


    No one dared to offend him. Even the Crown Prince had to treat Zhao Xuzhi as if he were his own royal brothers in order to show respect to Prince Ning Bei.


    Later on, at the ceremony, Zhao Xuzhi asked his master to take him in as a disciple, but he was rejected.


    The people he sent to observe him secretly found that Zhao Xuzhi had trampled Xiao Yurong¡¯s turtle to death.


    Later on, Zhao Xuzhi was no longer the only son.


    In just one night, the arrogance in him waspletely hidden.


    His bearing and personality were bing more and more simr to his. Because of his rtionship with Zhao Xuzhi, every year at the family banquet, as long as Prince Ning Bei was in the capital, his father would let Prince Ning Bei take his two sons with him. His father kept Zhao Xuzhi in mind.


    Moreover, after the ident with his right hand, Zhao Xuzhi became famous for his right-hand calligraphy a yearter. Every time he entered the pce, he would show off his perfect right hand. Whether it was writing, painting, or dancing with a sword, he was very good at them.


    It reminded his father of the past. Hemented that it was a pity. Because of him, he took care of Zhao Xuzhi a little more.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuanjing felt quite happy when he saw his sorry state.


    ¡°Minister Xie, what do you think he looks like now?¡± The Crown Prince pointed at his back and asked Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang looked at him and hesitated, ¡°Can I be honest?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to hide in front of me,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    ¡°Like a b*stard,¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly, ¡°But the punch I threw at his abdomen might be too heavy, so he couldn¡¯t straighten his back¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, Minister Xie, remember not to be with a b*stard,¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today. Go back early and memorize the military books. Oh right, remember to send those two women back to Prince Ning Bei. Be a little more above board and say that I don¡¯t like them.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was not really foolish. Otherwise, how could he solve the case at the criminal division?


    Looking at the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes earlier, he almost guessed that he was taking revenge for his own personal grudge.


    However, he did not expect that the Crown Prince would hold a grudge. He was so angry just because of the two youngdies that Zhao Xuzhi had sent him!


    Moreover¡­


    Zhao Xuzhi had given Xie Pinggang the two youngdies, and he had sent them to the Crown Prince¡¯s courtyard. Could the Crown Prince also be¡­ holding a grudge?


    Indeed, apanying a prince was like apanying a tiger.


    Xie Pinggang thought it was quite difficult for him. It seemed that in the future, not only would he have to read military books, he would also have to remember the Crown Prince¡¯s preferences. He would have to think about it more so that he would not be the next person who would be beaten up.


    After he returned, Xie Pinggang immediately packed up the two youngdies and sent them away.


    He then thought about how the Crown Prince liked Xie Qiao¡¯s wine. Taking advantage of Xie Qiao¡¯s absence at home since she was at the academy, he barged into her courtyard and dug up ten jars of wine to send them to the Crown Prince to apologize.


    Chun Er was so angry that she cried.


    Xie Qiao was still unaware at that moment. When she found out, she would cry as well.


    ¡­


    At Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence, the two youngdies were sent back openly. Their clothes were disheveled and their eyes were swollen from crying. Anyone who saw them could not help but sigh.


    The people sent back by the Xie family had even left a message, implicating the Crown Prince. In that case, they had no choice but to inform the prince and the princess.


    After Prince Ning Bei heard the steward¡¯s report, he was a little stunned, ¡°You said that these two people¡­ were sent to Xie Pinggang by Xuzhi, and Xie Pinggang sent them to the Crown Prince. Did the Crown Prince dislike them and send them back?¡±


    The steward nodded, ¡°The Xie family¡­ said so. The Crown Prince said that he doesn¡¯t like them. He asked us to keep them for our own use.¡±


    Hearing that, Prince Ning Bei said in fury, ¡°I don¡¯t like them either!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± The princess quickly calmed him down.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Eldest Young Master?!¡± Prince Ning Bei asked again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Young Master returned injured, but he just returned to the house not long ago¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Prince Ning Bei went to look for him personally. His youngest son could get out of bed now, so he had moved over from the other courtyard.


    Of course, the small courtyard where he lived was airtight, so there would not be any idents happening.


    Prince Ning Bei brought the two youngdies to his eldest son¡¯s courtyard. When he opened the door and saw his swollen face, he was shocked.


    ¡°Why did you send Xie Pinggang youngdies? My house is peaceful, and I¡¯ve never liked these things. Don¡¯t you know that? Where did you learn to be so frivolous?¡±

 Chapter 452 - Deep Feelings

    <h4>Chapter 452: Deep Feelings</h4>


    Prince Ning Bei was furious, but Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s heart turned cold.


    He had been beaten up so badly by a man, yet his father only cared about that insignificant matter?


    When his brother was sick, his father stayed in the courtyard, taking care of him where he did not even have time to change his clothes. Now that it was his turn, he was so cold and indifferent, just because he was a b*stard?!


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face was gloomy. However, at that moment, it was masked by his face that was full of wounds.


    ¡°Father, I only want to be on good terms with Xie Pinggang. I don¡¯t have any other intentions. I have never thought of using Xie Pinggang to butter up the Crown Prince!¡± Zhao Xuzhi still expressed his stance.


    ¡°I do believe that you don¡¯t want to butter up the Crown Prince. After all¡­¡± Prince Ning Bei looked at him deeply, ¡°You¡¯ve been arrogant since you were a child. How could you be willing to lower yourself whenpared to the Crown Prince? But it¡¯s a fact that the Xie family is on good terms with the Crown Prince. What exactly are you trying to do by provoking the Xie family for no reason?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s heart trembled when he heard those words.


    ¡°Xie Pinggang is quite talented. Can¡¯t I have a close rtionship with him for a long time?¡± Zhao Xuzhi continued to speak stubbornly.


    A mocking smile appeared on Prince Ning Bei¡¯s old face.


    ¡°In the capital, the people who want to be on good terms with the Xie family¡­ go out and ask. How many families can there be? That Xie Pinggang has a fierce reputation and is fearless of anything. As for you, you have always been reserved and steady. Why would you praise him so much?¡± Prince Ning Bei asked.


    Zhao Xuzhi was silent for a moment.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say whether your feelings for Xie Pinggang are real or fake. Giving youngdies away isn¡¯t what I, a Prince, would do! Are you insulting others or yourself? What more, that person Xie Pinggang, sent these two beauties to the Crown Prince. What do you think the Crown Prince would say?!¡±


    ¡°The Crown Prince?!¡± Zhao Xuzhi was startled.


    The two youngdies he sent, they went to the Crown Prince?


    If so, was today¡¯s capture of the fugitive true or¡­


    Zhao Xuzhi clenched his fists.


    When he thought of the Crown Prince¡¯s attitude toward him, he realized he had been fooled.


    The Crown Prince was cold and aloof. When had he ever been so friendly? Moreover, he had always been ruthless. If he had really dyed the Crown Prince from catching the fugitive today, why would the Crown Prince raise him up so high and put him down so gently?


    When he thought of that, Zhao Xuzhi could not help butugh at himself.


    He did not understand why the Crown Prince would be so furious and humiliate him when they were just two youngdies!


    If his actions were taken as a sign of good will, he should have treated him with courtesy. However, the Crown Prince had actually allowed Xie Pinggang to beat him up!


    That Xie Pinggang looked like an idiot at first nce. It seemed like he did not know what was going on at all.


    Xie Pinggang felt terrible when the Crown Prince acted like that. Naturally, he could not befriend Xie Pinggang now.


    Was the Crown Prince trying to get rid of him and stay far away from the Crown Prince¡¯s men?


    Zhao Xuzhi kept scheming in his heart.


    Meanwhile, Prince Ning Bei looked at Zhao Xuzhi with even more disappointment.


    ¡°Xuzhi, you imitate the Crown Prince all the time just to make the Emperor happy and look up to you. However, the Crown Prince¡¯s nature is strong. If you continue to cause trouble, I can only send you back to your fiefdom so that you won¡¯t implicate my residence!¡± Prince Ning Bei added.


    Zhao Xuzhi held back his anger.


    Was his father worried that he would implicate the residence or his second brother?!


    ¡°Father, I¡­ did not deliberately provoke the Crown Prince. It¡¯s r-really¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi knelt on the ground and grabbed the nket on the ground with both hands. He gritted his teeth, in the end, he said, ¡°I met the Xie family¡¯s eldest daughter once by chance. She¡¯s extremely beautiful and elegant. I¡­ have deep feelings for her. I also heard that Xie Pinggang of the Xie family is in charge. That¡¯s why¡­ I sent him the youngdies.¡±

 Chapter 453 - Misunderstood

    <h4>Chapter 453: Misunderstood</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    That was indeed what he meant.


    Xie Pinggang was such a mischievous person. He thought that he must be a person who was greedy for sex and money, so he gave him the youngdies and asked around about the First Lady Xie. If she was not too shabby, he could ask his father to make the betrothal.


    However, he did not expect that Xie Pinggang would actually send the youngdies to the Crown Prince.


    That fool. He actually did not like such beauties and gave them to the Crown Prince. Did the Crown Prince want any women?! Did he care about the people he sent?!


    ¡°You... took a liking to the eldest daughter of the Xie family?¡± Prince Ning Bei could not believe it..


    He had thought that his son would have high standards and would be eyeing the direct daughter of the Marquis family. He had never expected that he actually took a fancy of Xie Niushan¡¯s family.


    It was not that Xie Niushan was bad, but this person was more uncouth. The aristocratic families in the capital looked down on him.


    Prince Ning Bei thought for a while and said, ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve heard that the daughter of the Xie family is very smart, but I¡¯ve also heard that she is not in good health. Although Xie Pinggang is rough, he loves his sister very much. If you really like this girl, then you can only marry her and take her as your wife.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Zhao Xuzhi nodded immediately, ¡°But I only saw her from afar and she knows nothing about me, so... I am going to the academy to be a tutor...¡±


    ¡°In the Royal Academy, men and women are not allowed to have secret rtionships, and secret marriage is prohibited. If you really want to go, you have to be well-behaved and not cross the line. Also...¡± Prince Ning Bei looked at his son, ¡°Although the Emperor has praised you many times for your talent, you are still young. Even if you were to be a tutor, I¡¯m afraid you would only be able to teach some calligraphy and painting. The rest¡­ just forget about it.¡±


    He knew his son¡¯s abilities. When he was young, he was indeed intelligent and diligent.


    However,pared to the Crown Prince who had been smart since young, he was reallycking by a lot.


    When the Crown Prince was young, he almost had a photographic memory. Even so, he had never been arrogant andcent. He had heard from the grand tutor at that time that the Crown Prince would get up every day when it was still dark. He would read, practice calligraphy and martial arts, never cking off. His intelligence was rarely seen in the world.


    His son was only slightly better than the average person.


    At his age, if he was really a tutor who taught people to read, he would still be a littlecking.


    Zhao Xuzhi did not like to hear that, as if he was really useless.


    However, he had to nod to agree, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I know what I am good at.¡±


    ¡°Even if you like that Young Lady Xie, you shouldn¡¯t use this method. If that Xie Pinggang really marries his sister to you because of those two youngdies, would you be happy?¡± Prince Ning Bei was still quite upset.


    It was a good thing that his son had a youngdy he wanted to marry. However, when he thought about what his son had done, he could not help but worry.


    ¡°I know my mistake,¡± Zhao Xuzhi was still kneeling.


    ¡°Who hurt you?¡± Prince Ning Bei asked.


    Zhao Xuzhi was silent for a moment, ¡°It was the Crown Prince. I think the Crown Prince must have misunderstood. He thought that I bribed Xie Pinggang and wanted to learn about his whereabouts...¡±


    ¡°The Crown Prince is not as petty as you think. From my point of view, he knows that what you did was inappropriate, so he wanted to teach you a lesson. You must be careful in the future,¡± Prince Ning Bei did not think that the Crown Prince did something wrong.


    There were many events when youngdies were sent to officials, but the royal family really did not like this kind of behavior.


    Women... were weak, but they could do too many things.


    Moreover, Xuzhi had never done this kind of thing before. Him suddenly doing that made one think that he had gone astray. It was no wonder the Crown Prince taught him a lesson.

 Chapter 454 - Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

    <h4>Chapter 454: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover</h4>


    Zhao Xuzhi was not surprised by Prince Ning Bei¡¯s reaction. His heart was already cold, but he felt that he was not important enough. That was why his father did not care about him being beaten.


    As for the two youngdies, Prince Ning Bei had already sent them away.


    That day, Prince Ning Bei used his connections to send Zhao Xuzhi to the academy.


    It was not that Prince Ning Bei did not care about the injury on Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face, but it was not easy for students or teachers to enter the Royal Academy.


    His son was young and it would be difficult for him to be a tutor. The New Year had just passed and there was a high possibility that there would be a vacancy in the academy.


    Since his son wanted to get to know the youngdy and there was a rare vacancy, he naturally had to act quickly.


    As for his face¡­


    There was a lot of good medicine in the residence. He should be able to recover in a few days.


    After the formalities, Zhao Xuzhi could go to the academy to report in the afternoon.


    He wore a silver mask and looked more mysterious. After resting for the whole morning, he could finally straighten his back. His appearance in the academy immediately caused a lot ofmotion.


    There were many schrs in the academy.


    However, in terms of looks, the Crown Prince was the best-looking. Compared to the Crown Prince, the others did not look as handsome. Among the nobles in the capital, the eldest son of Prince Ning Bei was the one who looked simr to the Crown Prince.


    Now, this person actually came to the capital and became a teacher of calligraphy and painting.


    However, the crowd did not understand why Zhao Xuzhi had to hide his good-looking face.


    ¡°A few years ago, everyone called him the young Royal Highness. Although he¡¯s no longer that, he would still be a Commandery Prince sooner orter. He has a noble status and looks good. His character is better and he is gentle and warm. He would never make things difficult for others. I didn¡¯t expect that he woulde to our academy instead of going to the pce for a job,¡± Qin Liu was very excited, her eyes were shining.


    Xie Qiao had interacted with Zhao Xuzhi before. When she saw Qin Liu like that, she said, ¡°You should never judge a book by its cover. You can¡¯t assume that he¡¯s good because he looks good.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? He looks good and has a good heart. Takest year¡¯s incident as an example. When Prince Ning Bei brought his men into the capital, there was a man who was bullying a woman by the street. Prince Ning Bei didn¡¯t even show his face. Only Zhao Xuzhi took action and taught that man a lesson!¡± Qin Liu praised.


    Xie Qiao smiled.


    He sounded like a good person.


    However¡­


    Xie Qiao was suddenly stunned.


    She took out the records from the death shop from her school bag and flipped through a few pages. He saw a ghoul¡¯s wish that she had recently written down.


    Xie Qiao remembered that ghoul and he had only registered with her during the New Year.


    That male ghoul looked righteous and had a nice face. It was just that his luck was a little bad.


    His wife¡¯s love for her family was a little too deep. She had actually given the silvers that she was going to send her son to school to her gambling brother.


    The man was obviously ufortable with that, but his wife did not care.


    In his worry, the husband went to find his wife to settle the score.


    The two of them fought on the street. His wife was weak, causing many people to sympathize with her. There was even a nobleman who came to speak up for his wife¡­


    The noble called for the guards and locked him up in prison for a month.


    After he came out, his neighbors criticized him. Even if he did nothing wrong, he became the one who was at fault.


    Most importantly, the man¡¯s son died.


    The child was seven years old. He thought he could go to school, but it was all for naught. His mother did not care, his father was in prison, and he wasughed at by his friends. He could not take it anymore and jumped into a well to kill himself.


    Of course, with such a mother, the child¡¯s living environment would be terrible.


    It was his pent-up emotions that caused him to jump into the well.


    His son died, and his wife refused to return to her home. He had no ce to vent his anger, so he slit his throat and killed himself, bing a wandering soul.

 Chapter 455 - The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 455: The Truth</h4>


    This wronged male ghoul did not know who the noble was. Hisst wish was to find the noble and let him know the whole story.


    A lowlymoner did not dare to take revenge.


    He just wanted to let the noble know that he had made a mistake.


    At that time, Xie Qiao thought this matter was not easy to handle. After all, the capital was filled with nobles and it would be really difficult to find him.


    She did not expect¡­


    Xie Qiao guessed that it should be Zhao Xuzhi. After all, the matter matched with the time.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Qin Liu looked puzzled.


    ¡°This is¡­ Something to record the wishes of others,¡± Xie Qiao closed the book, ¡°It¡¯s used by Taoist masters.¡±


    Qin Liu knew that Xie Qiao was very familiar with the matters of yin and yang. She thought for a while and asked, ¡°Is it rted to Zhao Xuzhi?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the story that you just told. The man in the story was actually the one who got hurt. Because of Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s involvement, the man was imprisoned for a month. After he was released, his son died and his wife hid. He also had to be criticized by others. He was in extreme pain.¡±


    He was in so much pain that he could not die in peace.


    Qin Liu was very surprised, ¡°It can¡¯t be? Didn¡¯t Zhao Xuzhi investigate before he did that?¡±


    She had only heard the rumors, so she naturally thought that the man who bullied the woman was a bad person.


    ¡°With his status, it¡¯s naturally very easy for him to find out about this small matter, but what if he didn¡¯t want to investigate at all?¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°Finding out the truth isn¡¯t something that can be done in a short time. If he immediately dealt with that man, he would receive everyone¡¯s praise, so he chose thetter.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words definitely did not malign him.


    That ghoul had also said that he had exined to that nobleman at that time.


    However, that nobleman said, ¡°Regardless of the reason, it is wrong for you to humiliate a woman like this.¡±


    With just that sentence, it was unknown how many women would fall in love with him.


    It also made that man¡¯s exnation be weak.


    ¡°That man is too pitiful,¡± The light in Qin Liu¡¯s eyes instantly disappeared, ¡°You¡¯ve no idea that many people say that he¡¯s a rare good man because of this matter. Many women in the capital wish to marry him. I didn¡¯t expect him to be terrible.¡±


    Qin Liu felt she had been deceived.


    It was because she had already matured, her family would consider arranging a marriage for her.


    Naturally, they had to look for a man in the capital.


    Although they came to the academy to attend sses, they were still a distance away from the men¡¯s academy. Therefore, their impression of men depended on the words of others.


    ¡°I originally thought that it would be great if he could be our teacher. Now¡­¡± Qin Liu quickly put her palms together, ¡°God bless me. I still prefer that old master with the long beard.¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled.


    ¡°He just came to the academy and he¡¯s a man. He should be teaching at the Begonia Courtyard for men. In the future, he will be promoted ording to his ability, right?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    However, as soon as she said that, a youngdy rushed in. She looked excited and tried to suppress her emotions. She said in a low and shy voice, ¡°Zhao Xuzhi is our teacher in the Orchid Courtyard!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked up in confusion.


    What she was worried of really came true.


    However, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s age and identity were indeed not suitable for the women¡¯s academy. Why¡­


    ¡°Do we have calligraphy or painting ss in the afternoon?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°No, but the new teacher has to greet us. We will definitely see him in a while,¡± Qin Liu no longer felt surprised.


    Would it just be a self-introduction?


    Xie Qiao was not afraid. She was confident¡­ Mo Chusheng¡¯s disguise was wless. Unless he had a pair of eyes that he saw through things, even if her father was here, he would not be able to recognize her!

 Chapter 456 - Beating You up by Accident

    <h4>Chapter 456: Beating You up by ident</h4>


    Not long after, Master Lu came over with some people.


    Xie Qiao saw a face full of silver light at the entrance. The mask gave her a fright, and there were many young girls at the bottom who showed a shy expression.


    It had to be said that there was a sense of heroism on his body when this man wore a mask.


    ¡°The previous master of calligraphy and painting has gone to the men¡¯s academy. This is the new Master Zhao, and he will be teaching everyone in the future. Today, Master Zhao will first give everyone homework to understand your abilities and standards,¡± said Master Lu .


    Zhao Xuzhi saw Xie Qiao at a nce.


    Before he came, he had already asked someone to draw a portrait. He knew that Xie Qiao was very beautiful.


    However, he did not expect that the real person was even more beautiful than the portrait.


    After Master Lu finished speaking, he left. Once he left, Zhao Xuzhi looked at everyone and said with a deep smile in his voice, ¡°This is my first time teaching at the academy. If I don¡¯t do many things well, please forgive me,dies.¡±


    The youngdies were quite shy.


    Zhao Xuzhi was the one who did not look like a teacher the most.


    When other teachers showed, no matter how old they were, whether they were male or female, they would all look like an old stubborn man. However, Master Zhao was really different. He was much gentler.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to assign too much for the first ss, so¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi looked at them, ¡°Let¡¯s use one of the girls as the topic to write a poem or a painting. As for this candidate¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi lowered his head and looked at the list of students in his hand as if he was calling out the name unintentionally, ¡°Who is Young Lady Xie Qiao? Let¡¯s use this girl as the topic.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was full of doubt and her brows furrowed slightly.


    The others were also stunned.


    It was not that there were no girls who wrote poems or paint, but the gentlemen from earlier had mostly used the women from legends or famous people as examples.


    Using their ssmate as the topic?


    For some reason, they thought it was a little strange.


    Moreover, Master Zhao was a man, and he was still young. It was indeed inappropriate for him to arrange such a task.


    However, when they thought about what Zhao Xuzhi said earlier, they thought they were overthinking.


    It was Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s first time being a teacher, so it was normal for him to not understand some things.


    ¡°A woman¡¯s reputation is important. I think that although you are a teacher, you are also a man. It is inappropriate to use that as a topic,¡± the Crown Prince suddenly said as he stood outside the door.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at Zhao Xuzhi grimly.


    It seemed that the beating in the morning was too light.


    It had only been half a day, but he was still alive and kicking. He even came to the academy.


    ¡°Your Highness is wise. I don¡¯t want to be judged by others,¡± Xie Qiao stood up and bowed to thank him.


    Zhao Xuzhi panicked when he heard the Crown Prince¡¯s voice. Then, he turned around stiffly and looked at the Crown Prince¡¯s bearing. A malicious expression shed under the mask.


    It was the Crown Prince again.


    It was as if he was haunting him today. It was really annoying!


    ¡°Why is Your Highness Here?¡± Zhao Xuzhi asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­ had nothing to do, so I just wandered around. I heard that you came to be a teacher, and I identally beat you up today. I was afraid that you would leave a scar on your face, so I brought you some ointment.¡± As he spoke, Zhao Xuanjing took out a small porcin bottle.


    When everyone heard that, they came to a realization.


    No wonder Zhao Xuzhi was wearing a mask!


    All of a sudden, the mystery disappeared and was reced by curiosity about Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s beating.


    What was the reason for the Crown Prince to beat him?


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Zhao Xuzhi could not take it anymore, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m the teacher and I¡¯m assigning the girls their homework. If there¡¯s anything, we can talk about itter, alright?!¡±


    It was the academy. As a teacher, he could at least make some requests.

 Chapter 457 - You’re Not Worthy

    <h4>Chapter 457: You¡¯re Not Worthy</h4>


    The Crown Prince looked at him with a faint smile, he seemed to be very patient, ¡°I¡¯m really surprised that you came to be a teacher. I didn¡¯t expect that a person who could only imitate my style in the early years would grow to such an extent now. Xuzhi, it¡¯s not easy to be a teacher. Do you have enough ability?¡±


    Xie Qiao thought the Crown Prince was being¡­


    A jerk now, which was rather cute.


    When did he be a stinging bee that chased after people?


    Was he not throwing Zhao Xuzhi a cold nket now?!


    No, he had already done that. Now, he was torturing Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Your Highness, even the Emperor often praises me for beingparable to a master in calligraphy and painting,¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s entire body was filled with resistance.


    His heart was filled with anger. Every time the Crown Prince appeared, he would be a weakling who could not fight back at all!


    ¡°My Father is not proficient in calligraphy and painting. Even if you were to paint an animal, he would praise the beautiful scenery in the painting. How could he take it seriously?¡± The Crown Prince sneered again.


    He leaned against the door and fiddled with the pendant on his waist. There was a smile at the corner of his mouth, his gaze was cold and filled with disdain. He appeared¡­ extremely evil.


    That was right, everyone could feel the Crown Prince¡¯s hostility toward Zhao Xuzhi.


    It was obvious.


    ¡°Your Highness, what are you trying to say? Could it be that you think that I¡¯m not even worthy of being a teacher?¡± Zhao Xuzhi was furious.


    The Crown Prince raised his feet and walked in, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    He raised his head and smiled. He had an expression that said, ¡®What can you do to me?¡¯


    Zhao Xuzhi was almost angered to death.


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded.


    What were these two cousins¡­ doing?


    When did the Crown Prince be so childish? At that moment, he looked as if he had a deep grudge with Zhao Xuzhi.


    ¡°What did I do wrong to make Your Highness humiliate me like this?¡± Zhao Xuzhi clenched his fists.


    The Crown Prince stopped smiling, his attitude became more serious, ¡°You don¡¯t know who the teachers of the women¡¯s academy are? You need to be over 40 years old or a woman. If you are a man below 40 years old, you need to be upright and well-known. Do you think you¡¯re worthy? With your mere ability, how dare you bribe the overseer to transfer you here? What are your intentions?¡±


    He knew that Prince Ning Bei had helped with the connection, but the overseer had arranged for him to go to the men¡¯s academy.


    After Zhao Xuzhi came, he gave him a thousand taels of silvers in exchange toe here instead!


    Why was he angry? If Zhao Xuzhi was righteous, he could still give Prince Ning Bei some face!


    ¡°My reputation is wless!¡± Zhao Xuzhi stood there stiffly.


    ¡°You have terrible character to be offering bribes,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said coldly, ¡°Moreover, you want to be a teacher with your talent? You¡¯re not worthy. You don¡¯t need to say anything. I will exin it to your Father personally. Pack your things and leave the academy.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi did not expect Zhao Xuanjing to be so ruthless.


    He had humiliated him twice in one day.


    Now, in front of so many people, he felt that his self-esteem was trampled on the ground and he could not turn over.


    ¡°Your Highness said that I¡¯m not talented enough. I¡¯m not convinced,¡± Zhao Xuzhi refused to leave.


    If he did not prove his ability, then¡­ How could he maintain his stance in the capital in the future?


    The Crown Princeughed, ¡°I gave you a chance. Since you¡¯re not willing to ept it, don¡¯t me me for making you feel ashamed.¡± After the Crown Prince finished speaking, Zhou Weizong took out three paintings and threw them in front of Zhao Xuzhi, ¡°These three paintings were made by three students from Orchid Courtyard. Look, which one can youpare to?¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s disdain was written all over his face.

 Chapter 458 - A Huge Drama

    <h4>Chapter 458: A Huge Drama</h4>


    Zhao Xuzhi took the paintings and saw that they were three pictures of orchids.


    They were extremely beautiful. The orchids were as light as a young girl. One of the pictures was soft and gentle, and the color was vibrant. The fragrance of the picture seemed toe to one¡¯s face. The other painting was sharp, and the ink swirled and outlined the shape of the picture. It was as if it was made by nature. Another picture was vivid, and there was a cliff, the rocks were uneven, and a blue sparrow looked down from above. It was as if one had entered the painting and seen the interest with their own eyes.


    Zhao Xuzhi was stunned for a moment.


    His hand that was holding onto the painting tightened.


    He rarely painted flowers and birds. The reason being theyout was too small, he did not like it.


    He painted more mountains and rivers, and it was majestic.


    However, he also admitted that these three orchids were very good. They were about the same level as the flower and bird paintings that he asionally painted.


    ¡°Your Highness clearly knows that I love mountains and rivers the most. Are you making things difficult for me by showing me these flowers and birds? Also¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s temper rose, ¡°Your Highness said that these three paintings were painted by the students from Orchid Courtyard. Is that it?¡±


    Although Zhao Xuanjing was the Crown Prince, he should not insult him like that.


    His father was Prince Ning Bei, the Emperor¡¯s cousin!


    As for the Crown Prince¡­


    Zhao Xuzhi secretly sneered. Today, he was the Crown Prince, but he might not be tomorrow!


    No matter how ipetent he was, Zhao Xuzhi could still be a Commandery Prince in the future. However, what about the Crown Prince? Since ancient times, how many of the crippled Crown Princes had a good ending?


    They were either imprisoned or killed long ago. They might not even have a descendant!


    Right now, the Crown Prince was more honorable than him, but in a few more years, things would be different!


    ¡°It seems that you admit that your paintings of flowers and birds are not as good as these three?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. He was so domineering that he was like a solitary eagle. Everything in front of him had be his prey.


    ¡°The flowers and birds that I usually paint are not many. They are slightly stronger than these three. I¡¯m extremely good atndscape paintings, and thedies should be slightlycking inndscape painting. It¡¯s perfect for me to teach them. I knew that the previous teacher¡¯s teachings in Orchid Courtyard were notprehensive, so I took the initiative toe here to fill the gap,¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s aura also rose.


    There was a fierce glint in his eyes, and his back was straight. He did not give in to any of his words.


    The Crown Prince sat directly on the teacher¡¯s seat. He was cold and proud, cool and slender, dignified and stern, as well as resolute.


    At that moment, thedies of Orchid Courtyard had copsed and their hearts were in a tremor.


    What¡­ kind of big drama was ying today?!


    The two people who were like spiritual jade were going to start a fight in their academy?


    They were so nervous.


    They were also inexplicably excited.


    The Crown Prince was as bright as the moon, shining and radiant, irreceable.


    However, Zhao Xuzhi was not bad either. He was as beautiful as the stars and had a different appearance.


    The Crown Prince sat there quietly, making people feel quitefortable. He was indeed more dignified and magnanimous than Zhao Xuzhi.


    asionally, when his gaze swept past them, he was calm and indifferent. He did not seem to have any sense of overstepping his boundaries. As for Zhao Xuzhi¡­


    The words he said to them earlier sounded a little impetuous. Although they felt that he was very handsome and touching, they were all well-mannered youngdies. They knew that as a teacher, he should not be affected so easily.


    ¡°You and I have our own opinions. If you go on, it will only add to the joke. Since you are good at painting mountains and rivers, then you can invite anyone among these students. The two of you can paint on the spot. Xiao Yurong cane andment on it. If you can¡¯tpare, then you will leave obediently. Is that okay?¡± The Crown Prince started to stir up trouble.


    Zhao Xuzhi snorted, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then¡­ who should we choose?¡± The Crown Prince smiled faintly.

 Chapter 459 - In the Bag

    <h4>Chapter 459: In the Bag</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Crown Prince nced at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°You seem to have selected Young Lady Xie earlier. Would you like her topete with you?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s words were warm and gentle, ¡°Young Lady Xie, would you like to?¡±


    If Xie Qiao was an ordinary Taoist master, he would not have asked her to paint.


    However, she¡­


    Was Li Shiyan¡¯s eldest disciple.


    She was his eldest senior sister.


    Li Shiyan, the number one schr in the world, was his teacher!


    He was proficient in all kinds of arts, including ying the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but he was also an extremely picky person. If Xie Qiao was not talented, he would never have epted her as a disciple, let alone as his first disciple!


    Moreover, over the years, he had heard his teacher praise her a lot. He said that Mo Chusheng¡¯s painting skills were extraordinary even if she only painted a bug. He also said that her painting style was flexible and that she was extremely good at both her left and right hands. She could even do two things at once.


    In short, from his teacher¡¯s words, Mo Chusheng could be said to be unrivaled and stand out alone.


    At that moment, everyone looked at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao did not attend many calligraphy and painting lessons. Earlier on, she had indeed done well in the calligraphy and painting examination, but it was all theoretical knowledge.


    She rarely handed in her calligraphy and painting homework. It seemed that her health was not good and she did not have the energy.


    At that moment, it might be a little difficult for her to do so in front of everyone.


    ¡°If I win, he won¡¯t be able to be a teacher?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was very gentle as she asked slowly.


    When she said that, many people thought Xie Qiao did not want topete with Zhao Xuzhi and did not want them to leave either.


    However, they were not surprised. After all, Master Zhao was young and good-looking. It would be much more interesting to have him as their teacher.


    Zhao Xuzhi was delighted when he heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Lady Xie. I started learning painting when I was five years old. Since I dared to be your teacher, I naturally have the ability to do so.¡±


    There was a cold gleam in the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes and he snorted lightly. There was a hint of murderous anger in hisziness.


    Xie Qiao stood up and looked nonchnt, ¡°Then I¡¯llpete with you.¡±


    If she won, Zhao Xuzhi would get lost. It was not bad.


    Zhao Xuzhi was in a good mood.


    It seemed like he was going to be her teacher.


    And Xie Qiao was in the bag as well.


    This girl probably had a good impression of him. She looked pretty good. Although her father and brother were bandits, Xie Pinggang had a bright future and would not drag him down.


    In particr, she and Mo Chusheng might still be master and disciple. Hence, Mo Chusheng would have to treat him a little more politely in the future.


    Mo Chusheng was an expert. If such a person could be taken under him, in the future... it would be much more convenient no matter what he did.


    Moreover, since Xie Qiao was familiar with Mo Chusheng, she should have the ability tomunicate with both worlds.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuzhi felt much more rxed.


    She was no longer as upset as before.


    The Crown Prince ordered people to prepare the drawing paper. He also ordered people to arrange two big tables for them to paint.


    ¡°This time, we will use the mountains and rivers as the theme. The two of you will have toplete within two hours,¡± the Crown Prince said concisely.


    Xie Qiao was obedient and did not say much. She sat down on her seat and began to think.


    The Water Moon Temple was in the middle of the mountain, and it was from a high vantage point. Usually, in the temple, one could see the scenery of the mountains, the clouds and fog, and the greenke. It was so beautiful that it was beyond imagination.


    She had painted a lot of these mountains and waters.


    However, Yun Wei¡¯s fame was what she used to make money, so she should not expose that.


    Therefore, she had to restrain her best painting skills.


    Fortunately, when she used Yun Wei¡¯s name to paint, she did not paint much of the mountains and waters. Even if she did, it was only a small painting. Now, she just had to restrain herself a little, and it should not be obvious.


    Xie Qiao started painting.

 Chapter 460 - Lie

    <h4>Chapter 460: Lie</h4>


    Beside her, Zhao Xuzhi was already in the flow of painting. He would send paintings to the Emperor every year, so he was familiar with theyout of thendscape. At that moment, he did not think it was difficult at all.


    Moreover, his opponent was a little girl like Xie Qiao.


    Not only that, she wanted him to continue being a teacher. The things she would paintter would probably be very unsatisfactory.


    However, it was the first time he was painting in front of these students. He had to show his ability.


    He had given his all.


    The Crown Prince was sitting there calmly. There was a piece of paper in front of him. Since he had nothing to do, he was also writing and drawing for fun.


    As he was there, everyone else sat down obediently. They did not say much and did not move. They quietly waited for the time to end.


    Scattered, connected, uneven, far and near, high and low, real and fake¡­


    Zhao Xuzhi was in the zone. His brush and ink were flowing freely and he looked extremely handsome.


    People could not help but look at him.


    Inparison, Xie Qiao¡¯s actions were normal and she did not have any exaggerated movements. It was as if she would die from exhaustion if she moved too much. Most of the time, she would sit and paint. She would only get up asionally to add a few strokes.


    However, everyone thought the Crown Prince must have made a mistake this time.


    Since he did not want Zhao Xuzhi to be a teacher, he might as well use his identity as the Crown Prince to chase him away. He might as well be more direct.


    Now that he had made such a move, if he were to go back on his word after the results were out, he would be criticized.


    He was waiting until he was about to fall asleep.


    After a long time, the overseer rang the gong, ¡°There¡¯s still 15 minutes left.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi, on the other hand, stopped painting, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    His voice was light and had a hint of a smile. He raised his hands in a confident manner. He put down the brush and ink and blew lightly at the paper. He was very confident.


    On the other hand, Xie Qiao was still painting.


    She was still maintaining her speed.


    After a while, she finished the painting. The overseer next to her carefully brought the painting to the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince did not look at it carefully. He only said, ¡°Xuzhi, I will give you another chance. Are you sure that your ability is better than Young Lady Xie¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, why are you stalling? If I can¡¯t evenpare myself to a little girl, how would I be able to present my paintings to the Emperor in the future?¡± As Zhao Xuzhi finished speaking, he thought his words were inappropriate, then he turned back to look at Xie Qiao and said, ¡°Young Lady Xie¡¯s painting must be very good. It¡¯s just that the little girl doesn¡¯t know much about mountains and rivers, so it¡¯s inevitable that you would be a little inadequate. I believe that if you draw flowers and birds, the things in Young Lady Xie¡¯s paintings will definitely be vivid and lively.¡±


    Xie Qiao was expressionless.


    She did not like to hear that lie.


    The Crown Princeughed and said, ¡°Well, since Xuzhi is so confident, then please invite Xiao Yurong over!¡±


    Although Zhao Xuzhi thought that Xiao Yurong must be on the same level as the Crown Prince, if there was a big difference in standards, even Xiao Yurong would not dare to talk nonsense and lie, right?


    Therefore, he agreed without any objections.


    Not long after, the painting dried up and Xiao Yurong arrived.


    He was wearing a white robe. He looked like a weak schr.


    He looked at the Crown Prince helplessly, ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re not done with the chess game yet¡­¡±


    ¡°After this, I will y three games with you. I can¡¯t y more than that,¡± the Crown Prince said frankly.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s spirit was lifted after he heard that. He straightened his body and said, ¡°Okay, bring it over. Let me have a look.¡±


    Then, the two paintings were presented to Xiao Yurong. He looked at them and said frankly, ¡°Do you need me toment on this? This one is the winner.¡±


    He pointed at one of them.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie has won,¡± the overseer immediately said.


    However, as soon as the result was out, Zhao Xuzhiughed in anger.

 Chapter 461 - Petty

    <h4>Chapter 461: Petty</h4>


    How could Xiao Yurong lie in front of him like that?


    Xiao Yurong was fortunate that people out there said that he was a noble and virtuous person. He did not expect him to be such a suck-up!


    The Crown Prince must have sent a message to him first. That was why he was so shameless to tell such a lie!


    The others were half-believing and half-doubting.


    Since Xie Qiao got eight first prizes earlier, it would be reasonable if she was good atndscape painting.


    However, they had never thought that she would be able to beat Zhao Xuzhi.


    It was because Zhao Xuzhi had been praised by the Emperor several times. His reputation was especially well-known.


    ¡°Your Highness, in order to chase me away, you actually did such a disgraceful thing with Master Xiao. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much?¡± Zhao Xuzhi snorted, ¡°How can my painting be worse than Young Lady Xie¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me?¡± Xie Qiao said gently when she heard that. Then, she frowned, ¡°My painting is very good.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi was stunned, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡±


    ¡°But you lost and you¡¯re unwilling to own up to it. It¡¯s immoral,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    She did not want to talk to him anymore.


    Fortunately, Zhao Xuzhi was wearing a mask. Otherwise, people could see his changed expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as petty as you think. If your painting is good, even if the Crown Prince puts a knife on my neck, I will not insult you,¡± Xiao Yurong was very upset, ¡°Show it to everyone. You can see it at a nce. There is no need to argue.¡±


    The two overseers immediately did as they were told.


    They aimed the painting at Zhao Xuzhi and the students.


    When they saw it, everyone¡¯s heart tightened and they could not help but sigh.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s painting was very good. It was really good.


    There were mountains and water. The artistic conception between the mountains and water was pretty good. It could be said that it was a mountainndscape, a simple and quietndscape. It was a good painting.


    However, his painting was very restricted, just like most of thendscape paintings out there. There was almost nothing special about it. One could only say that his skill was mature and he was pretty talented.


    As for the other painting¡­


    It had a deste atmosphere, clear clouds, sharp edges, and delicate ink techniques¡­


    Most importantly, the artistic conception of this painting was really rare!


    It was simple and elegant, the water and sky blended into one with the same color. It was warm and quiet, and the grass and trees were lush. The outline of the ink was dyed with a bit of immortal aura, which made this painting so beautiful that people could not take their eyes off it. Their hearts were peaceful, as if they had seen a famous immortal mountain.


    There was almost no need topete. It was obvious to tell who was the winner at a nce.


    Zhao Xuzhi waspletely stunned.


    ¡°Impossible, this painting¡­¡± Zhao Xuzhi was just about to say that this painting could not have been made by Xie Qiao.


    However, he remembered that this painting had never left his eyes.


    So¡­ without a doubt, Xie Qiao won, and it was beautiful and straightforward. Compared to her painting, his painting actually looked very tacky.


    The others were silent.


    Qin Liu secretly covered her mouth and looked at Xie Qiao with excitement and admiration.


    Zhao Xuzhi thought of what Xie Qiao had said at the beginning¡­


    ¡°If I win, he won¡¯t be able to be a teacher anymore?¡±


    He thought Xie Qiao was worried, but he did not expect¡­


    She was trying so hard because¡­ she did not want him to stay? Why was that?!


    Zhao Xu¡¯s face waspletely flushed. At that moment, the mask gave him somefort.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, we¡¯re sorry to trouble you topete with him,¡± The Crown Prince felt his heart ache as he looked at Zhao Xuzhi, ¡°Young Lady Xie¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. She¡¯s put in so much effort. Don¡¯t go back on your words. It¡¯d be a waste of Young Lady Xie¡¯s effort. I¡¯m going to give your painting to my Father so that he can see how you¡¯ve wasted your years.¡±

 Chapter 462 - The Half-Immortal’s Painting Was Otherworldly!

    <h4>Chapter 462: The Half-Immortal¡¯s Painting Was Otherworldly!</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing said something first, but Xiao Yurong thought it was a pity.


    He was about to ask Young Lady Xie to give up the painting, but the Crown Prince beat him to it.


    However, this painting¡­


    The style was simr to his master¡¯s. It was elegant and full of grace.


    Zhao Xuzhi had lost all his face.


    ¡°Your Highness, I will remember your humiliation today,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said and left in a sorry state.


    The Crown Prince heard that and said softly, ¡°You don¡¯t know respect and inferiority, how can you be worthy of the position of the Commandery Prince? It seems that you need to be properly educated.¡±


    Although Zhao Xuzhi stood up and left, he heard that too.


    His body stiffened.


    If one day, the Crown Prince ascended the throne, there would be no ce for him to stand!


    Zhao Xuzhi was secretly resentful, while Xie Qiao was frowning as she looked at her own painting. She was a little reluctant to part with it. If this painting was painted under Yun Wei¡¯s name, it would be worth a lot of money. However, she was Xie Qiao now, so she could only sell it for a hundred taels of silver at most?


    Poor thing. She had put in a lot of effort.


    It was even taken away by the Crown Prince.


    ¡°I won¡¯t take Young Lady Xie¡¯s painting for free. It seems that you weren¡¯t giving your best, so I¡¯ll give you a lower price. How about 2,000 taels of silver?¡± The Crown Prince said again, as if he understood what she was thinking.


    When they first met, she asked him to pay just to speak.


    Now that she had painted such arge painting, if he did not pay, this Half-immortal Xie would hold a grudge against him for ten years. No, perhaps even longer.


    ¡°Okay.¡± As expected, Xie Qiao answered straightforwardly and cheerfully.


    The Crown Prince smiled and rolled up the painting. He carried it casually.


    As for Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s painting... He had promised to show it to his father... he tossed it in Zhou Weizong¡¯s arms with disgust.


    Zhou Weizong looked innocent.


    He wanted to hold Half-immortal Xie¡¯s painting too!


    Did the half-immortal really see the immortal mountain? Otherwise, how could she paint it?!


    Sigh, it was better to be the Crown Prince. He could give away many of the half-immortal¡¯s talismans, but he could not let go of the half-immortal¡¯s painting.


    Xiao Yurong was not in a hurry to leave. He looked at Xie Qiao and said, ¡°You are very talented. I want to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?¡±


    This little girl was a genius.


    It was amazing that she could paint such a great painting at such a young age.


    Moreover, she was someone that his eldest senior sister had to take care of.


    Taking in a disciple would be great.


    The others could not help but exim in surprise.


    Xiao Yurong was different from Zhao Xuzhi. He had real talent and was the second disciple of Li Shiyan. Taking her as a disciple was equivalent to bing Li Shiyan¡¯s grand-disciple. He could give some pointers casually, and it would be enough for others to benefit for a lifetime!


    Xie Qiao was so lucky!


    Xiao Yurong rarely took in disciples. After so long, he only had one disciple. Xie Qiao¡¯s younger brother, Xie Pinghuai, was just a boy who would grind ink for him!


    Envious! They were really envious!


    Xiao Yurong was also a little upset. If only his senior sister had asked him to take Xie Qiao as his disciple in the first ce.


    Xie Pinghuai was a blockhead. His temper had improved a little recently.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was also dumbfounded.


    If she agreed now, she believed that when her master returned, he would expel Xiao Yurong from the sect!


    Xiao Yurong was still looking at her with clear eyes. It was obvious that he would be a good master.


    However, Xie Qiaoughed dryly and then shook her head, ¡°Master Xiao, I¡­ already have a master, so...¡±


    Xiao Yurong was a little disappointed when he heard that, but he did not take it to heart, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s a pity. Your painting has great spiritual energy. I¡¯m sure your master is also an expert.. I wonder who he is? I will pay a visit to him and ask for his advice personally.¡±

 Chapter 463 - A Different Bandit’s Lair

    <h4>Chapter 463: A Different Bandit¡¯s Lair</h4>


    Xiao Yurong was serious. Xie Qiao was trying to hide her identity, ¡°My master is traveling all over the world. I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    She smiled politely.


    Xiao Yurong was even more disappointed.


    However, he did not show it on his face. He remembered that he still had to y chess with the Crown Prince, so he left in a hurry.


    The other people in the Orchid Courtyard looked at Xie Qiao with mixed feelings.


    It was Xiao Yurong!


    They wanted to take Xie Qiao as a disciple, but she refused?!


    They could not help but feel a bit of respect toward her.


    Master Li¡¯s eldest disciple had always been secretive. Only his second disciple, Xiao Yurong, was famous. He was obsessed with academics and was really a nerd. Those who could be praised or acknowledged by him must have great literary talent.


    Xie Qiao being praised by him meant that even the people from the Peony Courtyard could notpare to her talent!


    Who said that the people from the Orchid Courtyard were inferior to the Peony Courtyard?!


    Was Xie Qiao not continuously inflicting heavy damage on the Peony Courtyard? A few years ago, Dong Shiyun had asked Master Xiao toment on her poems. In the end, Master Xiaomented that it was nonsense!


    However, Xie Qiao was different!


    It could be said that at that moment, Xie Qiao ignited everyone¡¯s fighting spirit.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s body was weak and short-lived, but she was able to practice such an experienced paint technique. As for them, their bodies were healthy. Why could they not work hard and suppress those who looked down on them?!


    Many people¡¯s mentality had changed.


    And today, they had also agreed to go to Xie Qiao¡¯s residence to review their homework.


    Now, they were even more serious.


    Xie Qiao was so amazing. If they did not pay enough attention to their homework, inparison, they would feel ashamed of themselves.


    So after school, the youngdies who went to Xie Qiao¡¯s residence became very serious. They carefully selected a course, and everyone learned from each other.


    The Xie Residence had never entertained so many guests, and the steward could not help but feel proud.


    The first youngdy was still the best!


    Unlike the old master and the first young master, who were extremely unpopr, they did not even dare toe over, let alone guests!


    In order to entertain these guests well, the steward called Chun Er, who was beside Xie Qiao, over. In the kitchen, they carefully curated and made many exquisite desserts.


    Fang Muxue and the others were actually prepared to be neglected.


    After all, everyone out there said that the Xie family was a den of bandits, so there should not be any way that they would treat the guests.


    However, when they entered, they realized that it waspletely different from what people out there said.


    In fact, the Xie Residence was actually better than their own residence.


    Each of the guards had their own duties. Each of them looked mighty and majestic, and they felt very safe. They did not have to worry about bandits entering the residence. The maidservant was also very obedient and treated all the guests with the same respect. The steward was warm, he served tea and desserts. Everything was taken into consideration.


    If the bandits¡¯ir looked like this, they would probably want to be captured into the mountain stronghold.


    What they liked even more was Xie Qiao¡¯s way of teaching.


    There were many things that they did not understand. However, whenever they asked Xie Qiao for advice, she could almost grasp the whole idea. She exined the questions clearly, and it made them feel as if the fog had been cleared up, their minds instantly bing much clearer.


    Almost everyone liked the feeling ofing to the Xie Residence.


    It was rxing, pleasant, and even rewarding.


    However, Xie Qiao could not spare time to tutor them every evening. So in the end, they discussed with each other. Before the next big examination, they would gather in the afternoon every seven days. If there were any questions on weekdays, they would solve them in the academy.

 Chapter 464 - Lucky Star

    <h4>Chapter 464: Lucky Star</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s reputation had risen not only in the Orchid Courtyard, but in the entire academy.


    She was the disciple that Master Xiao had begged but could not get. In the eyes of others, she was much more powerful than Chu Jian, the official disciple.


    After all, Chu Jian could only acknowledge a master with a piece of jade! It waspletely different from Xie Qiao!


    Initially, no one thought that Xie Pinghuai would seed in acknowledging a master.


    However, it was different now. Almost everyone could not help but encourage Xie Pinghuai when they saw him.


    ¡°Second Young Master Xie, you and Xie Qiao are blood-rted siblings. I believe that your talent should be about the same. As long as you settle down and work hard, Master Xiao will definitely agree to ept you as his disciple!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai had heard such encouragement countless times today.


    He was so scared that he did not dare to go to the academy.


    Something was wrong with his schoolmates!


    The good and the bad, they had told him all!


    Previously, they were the ones who said that he was useless. Now, they were the ones who praised his intelligence!


    What was worse was that even the old geezer, Master Xiao, actually called him over. With a face full of persuasion, he asked, ¡°Have you received any pointers from your sister at home?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was dumbfounded, and then he shook his head hard.


    ¡°That sister of yours is extremely intelligent. You should learn more from her.¡± Master Xiao¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°You¡¯ve been grinding ink for me for some time now. What do you think about that?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was dumb, and he was very confused.


    What else could he think about grinding the ink? He just wanted to chop this Master Xiao to death, nothing else¡­


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai met Master Xiao¡¯s expectant gaze and gulped. After thinking for a moment, he said hesitantly, ¡°Grinding ink¡­ is very tiring? You can¡¯t rush it. You have to grind it slowly, or else¡­ it will get dirty¡­¡±


    He was nervous.


    This master would not take out that thorny ferule to hit him again, right?!


    This vicious schr deserved to not be an official!


    ¡°You are right.¡± Master Xiao finally said, ¡°Although it is a simple task, it¡¯s a great practice. I hope that you will do things like grinding ink in the future. Don¡¯t be impatient and rash. Do it slowly.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai thought Xiao Yurong was a little scary today.


    Master Xiao looked at him.


    Then he was a little speechless.


    If it was Chu Jian¡¯s brain, he would have immediately grasped the meaning and knelt to acknowledge him as his master. However, this kid¡­ did not understand at all?


    There were benefits to being silly and naive. It was not entirely useless!


    ¡°Pick a day to acknowledge me as your master. Your Father isn¡¯t around, and your Eldest Brother is busy. There¡¯s no need to be too fussy about the ceremony. Just kneel and pass me a cup of tea whenever you see fit,¡± Master Xiao sighed.


    ¡°Ah? Acknowledge you as my master?¡± Xie Pinghuai subconsciously replied. After he reacted, he quickly ran to the table and immediately brought over a cup of tea. With a thud, he knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Master, drink the tea!¡±


    He had to be quick. What if this Master Xiao went back on his word?!


    The veins on Master Xiao¡¯s forehead twitched.


    He controlled his temper and drank the tea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t show off. In the future, you have to respect your master and treat your fellow disciples with kindness. If you make a mistake, your master will be even stricter than before!¡± Master Xiao added.


    Xie Pinghuai curled his lips and nodded with an unwilling expression.


    He had been sullen for so long. Now that he had acknowledged him as his master, how could he not let him show off?


    Forget it. Even if he showed off, others would think that it was because of his eldest sister¡¯s blessing that he was able to achieve his dreams¡­


    However¡­


    It was his eldest sister¡¯s credit to begin with!


    His eldest sister was really his lucky star. Although it was very painful to acknowledge him as his master, it still looked good on his dignity!

 Chapter 465 - Come to Stir Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 465: Come to Stir Trouble</h4>


    After Xie Pinghuai sessfully became Master Xiao¡¯s disciple, the reputation of the Xie family rose again.


    No one dared to look down on the children of the Xie family anymore.


    The extremely fierce and unreasonable Xie Pinggang was now a sixth-grade official. The foolish dog-walking and bird-teasing Xie Pinghuai became Master Xiao¡¯s disciple. The two men in the family now had a bright future!


    ¡­


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was apanied by a ghoul. Using Mo Chusheng¡¯s identity, she handed over the invitation to the Prince¡¯s residence.


    She hade to stir trouble.


    The male ghoul looked somewhat muddle-headed. When he was a ghoul, he was even more absent-minded than when he was a human. When he looked at this high-door courtyard, his face was filled with fear.


    ¡°Master, is the n-noble¡¯s home?¡± The male ghoul was a little afraid.


    He had lived for so long and had never dared to pass by such a high-ss courtyard.


    ¡°He¡¯s the eldest young master of this family,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    The male ghoul¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation.


    He was not a wandering soul of his own free will. He also wanted to reincarnate and start afresh. However, the resentment he had before his death had not subsided. He could not leave even if he wanted to. He could only watch helplessly as his wife spread the news to others, saying that he was a useless piece of trash who hit women.


    He was weak when he was alive, but he could not do anything now that he was dead.


    Only this master kept him, giving him a ce to stay.


    He did not have to suffer so much.


    Steward Fu Man came out personally and weed Xie Qiao in.


    ¡°Master Mo, our Princess knew that you wereing, so she specially waited in the hall. Today, the Young Heir is more energetic. You came at the right time. Please check if there¡¯s anything wrong around our Young Heir¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly.


    Walking into the hall, the Princess also warmly stood up to wee the guest.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since west met. Master has be more otherworldly than before,¡± the Princess said kindly.


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°The Princess has also be more energetic.¡±


    The Princess was already sixty years old. When she saw her earlier, she looked very tired and seemed much older. It was different this time, she looked different. She was full of energy, and there seemed to be fewer wrinkles on her face. She looked like she was only forty or fifty years old.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Master who saved my son. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve gone with him,¡± the Princess sighed, ¡°Is there anything wrong with my son that Master specially came today?¡±


    The Princess was a little nervous again.


    Xie Qiao then looked at the Young Heir.


    The Young Heir was also looking at her.


    This Young Heir was only about ten years old. He looked very thin, but he was quite obedient. He walked in front of Xie Qiao and said, ¡°You saved me. Mother said that I have to be respectful and filial to you in the future.¡±


    Xie Qiao could not help butugh. He was a little brat.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with his body. He looks great. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xie Qiao smiled. Seeing how cute the child was, she took out a small copper bell, ¡°It¡¯s not anything valuable, but it¡¯s a dharma instrument. If anything filthy touches the Young Heir frequently in the future, this bell¡­ will ring.¡±


    The bell¡¯s sensing ability was not particrly good.


    However, it was also Xie Qiao¡¯s doing on purpose.


    After all, there were too many ghouls in this world. If it was to ring when he encountered a ghoul, then the Young Heir would be scared out of his wits.


    Now, unless that ghoul was always following him, or if the Young Heir always carried something bad with him, only would the bell respond.


    The Princess was very happy and quickly took it. Without the slightest doubt, she immediately put it on the Young Heir¡¯s wrist.


    Also, she discovered that Master Mo also had a bell on her wrist.


    However, it was made of gold.


    ¡°I came here today for your other son,¡± Xie Qiao added at that moment.

 Chapter 466 - Killed Someone

    <h4>Chapter 466: Killed Someone</h4>


    Zhao Xuzhi was the son of a concubine. Naturally, he was also the son of the Princess. There was nothing wrong with that.


    ¡°Xuzhi?¡± The Princess was a little confused, ¡°Master, have you seen Xuzhi? What¡¯s wrong with him? Could it be that¡­ he also touched something that he shouldn¡¯t have?¡±


    The Princess was still a little worried at that moment.


    Although she did not like the son of a concubine, she knew that her husband had done a lot for her.


    As a Prince, he was only willing to take in concubines when he was 40 and had no children. It was the deepest love he could show.


    Furthermore, other than the concubine and the son, there was no one else in the residence. Even after giving birth to a child, the Prince did not favor that woman again.


    Just because of that, as long as the son of the concubine did not harm her son, she would be able to treat Zhao Xuzhi generously.


    Other than the position of Young Heir that belonged to her son, she would try her best to satisfy whatever the b*stard wanted.


    For instance, the master he hired for his fief, the dignity that he valued, it could be said that no other b*stards in the royal family had a morefortable life than Zhao Xuzhi.


    At the very least, the b*stards of other families were not allowed to enter the pce.


    As for her, every time there was a banquet in the pce, she had always intended to praise Zhao Xuzhi.


    The Princess was still a little upset about the golden top incident, but when she thought about how the b*stard had done it unintentionally, she could only forget it since he was punished or scolded.


    She also found out that the dirty things in her son¡¯s room had nothing to do with Zhao Xuzhi.


    It was a small toy that a steward in the residence had bought at a low price from someone else to reward her son.


    The Princess looked at Xie Qiao with concern.


    Xie Qiao said, ¡°This time, I¡¯m here for amoner.¡±


    The Princess was puzzled.


    ¡°A few months ago, when your family entered the capital, Zhao Xuzhi helped a woman and punished her husband. Are you aware of that?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The Princess nodded, ¡°I know. At that time, this child was kind enough to do a good deed. His father was quite pleased when he saw that, so he didn¡¯t stop him. After that, this matter even spread in the capital. Everyone said that this child was kind and benevolent.¡±


    At that moment, the ghoul beside Xie Qiao became more agitated.


    His eyes were red with tears of blood.


    Kind and benevolent. Due to his benevolence, his son was gone!


    If he had not been locked up by this nobleman, his son would not have been helpless, bullied, and despised. He would not have killed himself!


    Moreover¡­


    When he quarreled with his wife, he had already thought of divorcing her. After all, that woman had taken his son¡¯s education fund. He could not bear it and was not going to continue living with that woman!


    Initially, as long as he divorced his wife and took care of his son wholeheartedly in the future, everything would be fine!


    It was because of that noble¡¯s so-called kindness that he lost everything!


    The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became.


    Xie Qiao took a look and hurriedly took out a slightly bigger copper bell from her Taoist robe. She shook it at the ghoul and chanted some incantations before the ghoul calmed down a little.


    ¡°Zhao Xuzhi indirectly killed that man and his son. Today, I¡¯m here to seek an exnation for that man,¡± Xie Qiao said bluntly.


    That was why she liked her identity as a Taoist master.


    She did not have to hide when she worked.


    If she were Xie Qiao now, she would not be able to do it.


    When the Princess heard that, she was extremely shocked, ¡°Killed someone? How could it be? Wasn¡¯t Xuzhi there to do good deeds?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he didn¡¯t investigate properly. The woman who was insulted in the street actually stole the family¡¯s silver to help her gambling brother. After the man was caught, his sonmitted suicide. When he went back, he was criticized by others, so he followed in his son¡¯s footsteps. However, he had resentment and couldn¡¯t be reincarnated, so this poor master wanted to seek an exnation for him in order for him to reincarnate in peace.¡±

 Chapter 467 - Not on Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 467: Not on Purpose</h4>


    The Princess looked at Xie Qiao in shock. She never thought that Zhao Xuzhi would do such a good thing and harm someone to this extent¡­


    ¡°What¡­ Master, have you investigated it thoroughly? Xuzhi is pretty careful when ites to things like this. When he was in the fief, his reputation was pretty good. He knew how to handle cases at the age of 13 or 14. How could he¡­ not investigate properly?¡± The Princess was really puzzled.


    ¡°Of course, we have found out the truth. It¡¯s his fault,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    She would not believe the words of the ghoul just like that. Before she came, she had gone to the ghoul¡¯s neighbors to find out more.


    Before the ghoul died, people had indeed pointed fingers at him. However, those close to him were very sympathetic to his suffering. As she was wearing a Taoist robe when she went, there were people who asked her to help release the souls of the father and son.


    As for the wife of the ghoul, after he died, the woman sold the little bit ofnd left in the family and spoke ill of her own man everywhere she went.


    She said that this man liked to secretly beat his wife and child at home, and she described herself as an extremely innocent woman.


    She had some money in her hands, and her reputation would not be too bad in the future, so¡­


    It would not be long before this person married again and started her new life.


    The Princess was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Master, please wait a moment. I will get someone to call that child over now.¡±


    The Princess was secretly a little angry.


    She had thought that Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s actions were rtively trustworthy, but she did not expect him to cause such a mess when they had just arrived in the capital.


    The other party was amoner. If she insisted on not admitting this matter, then the victimized family would not be able to do anything to Zhao Xuzhi.


    It was just that she and the Prince had been offering incense and worshipping Buddha since they were young. She had always believed that it was because she had not umted enough good karma that she was unable to conceive a child. Later on, she had been kind to others for many years. She was close to 50 years old and had been given a good child by the heavens. It was clear that it was useful to have good intentions.


    Moreover, now that the master hade personally, if she did not take it seriously, she was afraid that retribution would fall on her own child.


    The Princess immediately asked the steward to get Zhao Xuzhi over.


    On the other side, the Young Heir was sitting obediently. He raised his head to look at Xie Qiao and asked, ¡°Did Eldest Brother do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Qiao snorted lightly.


    ¡°Eldest Brother hasn¡¯t been very happytely. Perhaps he didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± the Young Heir said again.


    Xie Qiao turned her head to look at him, ¡°Doing something wrong is wrong. It has nothing to do with intentional or unintentional. Little fellow, do you understand?¡±


    The Young Heir seemed to be a little afraid of her. When he heard her words, he nodded cowardly.


    ¡°Then¡­ You can see ghosts, right?¡± The Young Heir could not help but ask again.


    His mother had said that it was because this master saw there was something dirty on him that she was able to save him.


    ¡°It¡¯s called being able tomunicate with both worlds,¡± Xie Qiao corrected him.


    The Young Heir thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll give you money. Can you help me ask the ghosts where did my Snowball go?¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t be rude,¡± The Princess immediately stopped him, then, she exined for her son, ¡°Snowball was a little fox that I picked up on the way to the capital. It was snow-white all over and was really beautiful. However, when we arrived at the capital, my son was seriously ill and he lived in the courtyard, so he didn¡¯t have the energy to y with that little thing. Suddenly, one day, it disappeared without a trace. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t find it. There were so many people out there when the little fox left the residence. I¡¯m afraid that it didn¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°Was it lost in the residence?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Yes. After all, that fox was picked up from the outside. I was afraid that it was a little dirty and would aggravate my son¡¯s condition, so I didn¡¯t bring it to the courtyard,¡± The Princess nodded.


    That little fox was very understanding. It stayed in the main courtyard every day and rarely ran around.

 Chapter 468 - Even More Uncomfortable Now

    <h4>Chapter 468: Even More Ufortable Now</h4>


    Finding the fox was not difficult for Xie Qiao. Now that she hade to the residence and asked the Princess to hand over Zhao Xuzhi, it was only right for her to return the favor.


    Therefore, she nodded gently, ¡°I will help you find the fox after I talk to your Eldest Brother.¡±


    The Young Heir was much happier now.


    Xie Qiao looked at the Young Heir and suddenly understood why Prince Ning Bei doted on his young son so much.


    Zhao Xuzhi had been the only son for many years, and Prince Ning Bei was not a heartless person. Logically speaking, as the eldest son, Zhao Xuzhi should be doted on first, and Prince Ning Bei should have valued him more.


    However, now, it was clear who was more likable, the eldest son or the youngest son.


    This Young Heir looked cute, had a lively and obedient personality, and was indeed more likable.


    ¡°My b*stard son has suffered a blow. If he knew that he had caused the death of someone, he would probably be very upset. Master, look, this matter has already developed to this stage. If Xuzhi sincerely admits his mistake, will this matter be settled?¡± The Princess thought for a moment and said.


    She was also helpless. The b*stard son of her family hadmitted a crime, but his initial intention was still good.


    Her husband had few children to begin with, so she could not make Zhao Xuzhi lose his life over this matter, right?


    The Princess also knew that her idea was a little selfish, but what she said was the truth.


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°Everything depends on sincerity. If he¡¯s sincere and sends this ghoul to reincarnation, then it¡¯s not a big problem. But if he doesn¡¯t care about this matter, I can¡¯t say what the consequences will be.¡±


    The ghoul had a grievance to begin with, and this grievance could not be understood. If she forcefully sent it to reincarnation, she would consume a lot of energy, and it would not be beneficial to the ghoul himself!


    She could only do her best to resolve the ghoul¡¯s wish.


    When the Princess heard that, she heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll have to trouble Master to tell that¡­ ghoul that I¡¯ll definitely take good care of him in the future. If he still has any wishes, we will definitely do their best to help him achieve them.¡±


    At this moment, when the male ghoul heard that, his expression became much better.


    He did not seem to think that the Princess would be so easy to talk to.


    ¡°As long as he apologizes to me sincerely, I¡¯ll let go of the resentment in my heart. I won¡¯t make things difficult for them,¡± the male ghoul said to Xie Qiao with some embarrassment.


    Who would not want to be reincarnated early? There was no point in staying in this world and wandering around.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    What she was worried about now was that Zhao Xuzhi would not be able to convince this ghoul.


    After a while, Zhao Xuzhi arrived.


    He looked a little gloomy. Most of the wounds on his face had been healed and only a few traces were left. At that moment, when he saw the Princess, he looked a lot colder and gave a simple bow, ¡°This child greets mother.¡±


    The Princess sighed when she saw his change.


    It was terrible for this child to fight with anyone. If he insisted on fighting with the Crown Prince, would he not be looking for trouble for himself?


    ¡°Today, Master Mo came over and said that you caused the death of someone earlier. That person is unable to reincarnate and is very pitiful. That¡¯s why he asked you to cooperate so that Master could help him eliminate his grievance.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi raised his head and stared at Mo Chusheng, ¡°When did I hurt someone?¡±


    Xie Qiao told him about the incident with the male ghoul again.


    After Zhao Xuzhi heard it, he was silent for a moment, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve offended you. I shouldn¡¯t have stood up for that woman. I¡¯ll definitely pay more attention in the future to avoid implicating the innocent.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    At that moment, the ghoul was confused for a moment.


    The apology was very straightforward. He should be very happy, but for some reason, he felt ufortable. He felt even more ufortable now.

 Chapter 469 - Compensation

    <h4>Chapter 469: Compensation</h4>


    The ghoul stared at him with a gloomy face.


    A cold wind blew in the surroundings, and there wereyers of grievous energy, almost swallowing Zhao Xuzhi alive.


    Xie Qiao did not care about Zhao Xuzhi, but the ghoul was pitiful. If he was not careful and became a vengeful spirit, then he would be even worse off.


    One had to know that when a vengeful spirit had their grievous energy removed, they would also feel some pain.


    It was better to try to avoid this ghoul from thinking too much.


    ¡°Eldest Young Master, if you want to do good deeds in the future, will you investigate thoroughly before taking action?¡± Xie Qiao asked aggressively.


    Zhao Xuzhi clenched his fists slightly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve said it. This matter is my fault. Master Mo, do you think that I should apologize to that person?¡±


    He was the son of a Prince, yet he had to apologize to amoner father and son, or even pay with his life?


    Was Mo Chusheng a fool?!


    She actually came to him for this kind of matter.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s looked at her grimly.


    He knew that Mo Chusheng was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister. The Crown Prince was such a despicable person. He must have deliberately asked Mo Chusheng here and embarrass him, right?!


    ¡°Pay with your life? In this poor master¡¯s opinion, I should¡¯ve asked you to pay with your life. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t do it,¡± Xie Qiaoughed, ¡°I¡¯m just asking if you will make the same mistake again in the future.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s gaze was cold.


    It was as if he was looking at a dead person.


    Xie Qiao was not afraid of him and continued to sit upright like a bell.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Zhao Xuzhi gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°I need you to do something. I will get a memorial tablet and perform a ceremony. If you are sincere, kowtow four times and tell me what you want to say. That will do.¡±


    The Princess also thought this matter was rather difficult.


    Logically speaking, since the father and son had both died, kowtowing was something that should be done. However, Zhao Xuzhi¡­ had always been arrogant and was probably unwilling.


    ¡°You want me to kowtow to a memorial tablet?¡± Zhao Xuzhi suddenlyughed coldly, ¡°Master Mo, are you mistaken? That person is just amoner!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re also amoner. You have neither an official position nor a noble title. There¡¯s nothing wrong with asking you to kowtow,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    The male ghoul nodded.


    He just wanted Zhao Xuzhi to show his sincerity. If this noble nodded in agreement, he would not have to kowtow.


    Zhao Xuzhiughed, ¡°Master Mo, you¡¯re funny. I will never agree to kowtow. I can kowtow to the heavens, the Emperor and my parents, but not to others.¡±


    Moreover, that person was just a useless and unruly person.


    ¡°Also, Master Mo, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I didn¡¯t kill that person. Speaking of which, I only locked him up for a month so that he wouldn¡¯t be so impulsive and irritable in the future. Furthermore, what if he hurt someone when he was impulsive? Or perhaps, if I hadn¡¯t locked him up that day, he would¡¯ve killed that woman in his fury.¡±


    After Zhao Xuzhi finished speaking, he thought he was reasonable, ¡°I understand that Master Mo is kind. However, he¡¯s already dead. What¡¯s the point of pursuing this? If Master Mo really wants to be calctive, how about this? I¡¯ll give a hundred taels of silver to his rtives and friends aspensation. Is that alright?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi felt he had shown Mo Chusheng a lot of face.


    A hundred taels of silver was a huge sum of money to an ordinary family.


    If that would not do, it could only be said that the ghoul was too greedy!


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face was filled with disdain.


    The Princess was upset, ¡°Xuzhi, how could you say that to the Master? Apologize to her, now!¡±


    At that moment, Zhao Xuzhi seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, he had been standing straight the entire time, ¡°That person¡¯s luck is bad. Who can he me? As a man, he couldn¡¯t even discipline his wife properly, and evenmitted suicide cowardly after the incident. In my opinion, it was a waste of effort for the master to defend this person. Could it be that this person will get a master to repay you in his next life?¡±

 Chapter 470 - Peck Him!

    <h4>Chapter 470: Peck Him!</h4>


    When the Princess heard that, she immediately stood up in anger.


    Master Mo was her son¡¯s savior and she had to treat her with respect. This brat was actually so arrogant and insensible today!


    Xie Qiao sighed.


    In the end, he had failed.


    She thought if Zhao Xuzhi could tolerate it and really kowtow in front of the memorial tablet, even if he was unwilling, the resentment of this ghoul would be resolved.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Xuzhi seemed to be much more irritable now.


    At that moment, the more irritable one¡­ was next to her.


    When that ghoul heard Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s words, it was obvious that he had suffered quite a bit of trigger. His eyes turned ck, and in that instant, his resentment became even more intense.


    Xie Qiao immediately said, ¡°Kid, do you know why I¡¯m here today?¡±


    The Princess and Zhao Xuzhi looked at her in surprise.


    Especially the Princess. When she heard the master¡¯s impetuous voice, she was even more shocked.


    Why did that sage-like master suddenly¡­ be so fierce?


    Xie Qiao stood up and wiped her small hands on her clothes. She exhaled and suddenly, she rushed forward and pped Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face.


    Zhao Xuzhi was very tall, and Xie Qiao almost jumped up.


    She had been consuming many supplements recently, so she was very energetic. It was not a problem for her to hit someone!


    After all, she had practiced swordsmanship since she was young. She was not a weak little girl.


    After Xie Qiao was done with the p, she took two deep breaths and rolled up her sleeves. Thinking of Da Xiong, she quickly called out, ¡°Peck him!¡±


    When Xie Qiao charged, Da Xiong¡¯s wings had already begun to p violently.


    When it heard the word ¡°peck¡±, it stretched its head and pounced on Zhao Xuzhi.


    Zhao Xuzhi had also practiced martial arts.


    He was very difficult to deal with.


    After Xie Qiao hit him twice when he was not paying attention, she quickly retreated. With a pale face, she panted and covered her chest, looking as if she was going to die of exhaustion.


    The Princess was scared silly. When she saw Zhao Xuzhi fighting with the rooster, she quickly called for help. ¡°Quick, quickly separate them!¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t kill Master¡¯s rooster!¡¯


    This rooster seemed to be psychic. Earlier, when Mo Chusheng was performing the ritual, the rooster was at the side. It was aggressive and terrifying.


    Did she feel sorry for Zhao Xuzhi?


    To be honest, the Princess really could not put on an act right now.


    After all, he was not her own son. It was good enough that she did not mistreat him.


    Furthermore, this child had clearly done something wrong and refused to admit it. What he said to the master earlier was indeed too much and he deserved to be beaten up.


    What the master had done was definitely right. Even if she had beaten him, she had a reason.


    In any case, this child absolutely should not hurt the master and the master¡¯s rooster.


    The people outside immediately rushed in. The young master was entangled by a rooster and he was going to tear it apart.


    The Princess saw that and could not help but say, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt that rooster!¡±


    The room was filled with dust and feathers flying everywhere.


    It was also Xie Qiao¡¯s fault. Aftering to the capital, she did not raise many pets. Otherwise, today, Da Xiong would not have to work so hard. It would be much easier if all of them attacked together.


    Xie Qiao leaned against the back of the chair. She did not look good.


    The Princess was even more anxious.


    The Young Heir had already been taken away by the maidservant. He had never seen such an exciting scene.


    Very soon, Zhao Xuzhi was pulled away.


    His hair was messy and his face was dirty.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s fury was monstrous. It was as if he wanted to kill someone with a saber. When Xie Qiao saw him like that, she said fiercely, ¡°Why are you staring at me? If you continue staring, this penniless master will dig out your eyeballs¡­ Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    The Princess was dumbfounded.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she looked at the ghoul again. As expected, the ghoul had calmed down at that moment.


    ¡°Thank you, Master, for upholding justice for me¡­ I made you worried earlier¡­¡± The male ghoul was very apologetic.

 Chapter 471 - The Wicked Will Be Tortured by the Wicked

    <h4>Chapter 471: The Wicked Will Be Tortured by the Wicked</h4>


    He had just figured it out.


    There were good and bad people in this world. This noble was good to his wife, but bad to him.


    The noble had looked down on him secretly. No matter how much he apologized, it would not change the difference in status and the inequality.


    If the noble truly felt guilty, there was no need for the master to say anything. This person would bear everything himself, which the ghoul would be happy about¡­


    Why was there a need to rush?


    Right now, the master was so tired that she had to work so hard.


    With the master helping him to vent his anger, he felt much better.


    ¡°Enough, this is enough. I¡¯m willing to reincarnate now,¡± the male ghoul said again.


    His aura instantly became purer, and he did not look as angry and agitated as before.


    ¡°What about your wife? Do you need to teach her a lesson?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly spoke.


    She looked somewhere with a talisman in her hand and muttered softly. No one else knew what she was saying, but the ghoul could hear her words clearly.


    ¡°No need. Thank you, Master. I think¡­ The wicked will be tortured by the wicked. Her younger brother is not a good person. If she¡¯s willing to be sucked dry by that person, she will suffer more than I did in the future.¡± The male ghoul had thought it through.


    He understood that his brother-inw would be a blood-sucking worm for the rest of his life. It was impossible for him to get rid of him.


    As for his wife, she was willing to be fooled for the rest of her life. She would live for others until she died.


    However, if everything became clear to her one day¡­


    She would regret it.


    She would regret losing her husband and child. She would regret missing out on the good days that she should have had. By then, she would also suffer for the rest of her life. She would never be free.


    Thinking of that, the male ghoul looked even lighter.


    That bit of resentment was all gone.


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. She took out a porcin bottle and put away his soul.


    ¡°Master?¡± The Princess¡¯ face was full of concern. She immediately got someone to pass her a cup of tea.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand trembled as she took the cup of tea. After taking two sips, she lifted her head to look at the Princess and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of the Princess. I wonder¡­ if you have any ginseng tea? That would be better than this one.¡±


    The Princess was surprised. She nodded and immediately got someone to prepare it.


    Xie Qiao thought her life was difficult.


    She could hit someone, but she would be tired. She had no choice. Her body was weak.


    It was hard for her to catch her breath.


    Da Xiong was also resting. Xie Qiao took out a small packet of dried worms and ced it in front of it, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Zhao Xu was burning with anger.


    It was as if it wanted to swallow her up.


    Da Xiong began to eat the dried worms. It was full of energy and still had the ability to fight. Xie Qiao coughed twice and started to put on airs, to which she said to Zhao Xuzhi, ¡°C-Child, why are you so¡­ Cough¡­ So insensible? I¡¯m an elder, how can youy your hands on me?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi wanted to hit her, but he was not as fast as she was.


    Moreover, she ran away after hitting him and did not suffer any losses.


    Xie Qiao thought her ability had improved since he had the upper hand against Zhao Xuzhi.


    If she had full energy one day, she would definitely be able to beat Zhao Xuzhi to the ground without panting!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s mind was running wild, but her face was full of grief and sorrow, and she looked unfathomable.


    ¡°You humiliated me!¡± Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s voice was hoarse and filled with anger.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Xie Qiao continued to cough, ¡°So what if I hit you? It¡¯s just like, cough cough¡­ how you bullied that man. Wasn¡¯t he also unable to do anything? You¡¯re allowed to bully others, but they¡¯re not allowed to fight back? I-I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯m here to im justice on behalf of that person today.¡±

 Chapter 472 - What Master Mo Did Was Right

    <h4>Chapter 472: What Master Mo Did Was Right</h4>


    The Princess thought this Master Mo was too approachable.


    See, she was willing to risk her life for amoner.


    She was indeed a kind person!


    It was also fortunate that she had such a kind person that her son¡¯s illness could be cured!


    ¡°It was only a p to you. It was still considered light,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Zhao Xuzhi should be d that herbat ability was not that powerful.


    Hmph.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s gaze was sinister, causing the Princess to be stunned. She had never seen Zhao Xuzhi like this before.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him, ¡°Alright, the matter is over. You¡­ cough, cough, leave. Don¡¯t be a hindrance and an eyesore in front of this penniless master.¡±


    Xie Qiao was not polite at all.


    She was Mo Chusheng.


    She had a backer.


    She was not afraid!


    The Princess was also worried that Zhao Xuzhi would get angry and start stirring troubles again. She hurriedly said, ¡°Quickly leave and rest. You¡¯ve caused the death of someone. Master Mo is only helping you to get rid of your sinful debt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    If she did not stop that ghoul from turning into a vengeful spirit, who would be punishedter?


    Would it not be Zhao Xuzhi?


    Although it could make Zhao Xuzhi more miserable, but¡­ it would never be as pitiful as that male ghoul, so the price was too high. She just could not bear it.


    Zhao Xuzhi felt that he had been really unlucky recently. He had been repeatedly reprimanded by his father and the Princess, and he had even been bullied by the Crown Prince. Now that there was Mo Chusheng, she actually rode on his neck and pulled his hair!


    Zhao Xuzhi suddenly felt that he was too weak.


    If he had already been conferred the title of Commandery Prince, who would not treat him with a little respect?!


    At that moment, that gaze coldly nced at Mo Chusheng before he flung his sleeves and left.


    Initially, he had wanted to butter up this Mo Chusheng, but that thought waspletely gone now. He would definitely make Mo Chusheng pay!


    Xie Qiao did not seem to see Zhao Xuzhi leave in anger.


    Moreover, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s embarrassed and angry expression seemed to be¡­ something she was used to.


    How many times had it been?


    Xie Qiao was calm.


    ¡°Sorry for making a fool out of myself, Princess,¡± Xie Qiao looked at the Princess gratefully.


    If the Princess treated her as a troublemaker and chased her out, then she would definitely not be able to fight against that vicious man.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t make a fool out of yourself, but Master¡¯s actions did give me a fright.¡± The Princess had a kind look on her face, ¡°However, Master has her reasons for doing this. How can a mortal like me understand?¡±


    As she grew older, her faith grew stronger.


    In the past, she had often gone to the temple to offer incense. However, in the future, she had to respect both Buddhism and Taoism.


    Of course, she respected Master Mo even more.


    In this world, there were very few people who were as powerful as Master Mo!


    The Princess looked at Xie Qiao with a very gentle gaze. She did not look angry at all. She even asked with concern, ¡°Is Master¡¯s healthcking?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a tiny problem. I can¡¯t get angry,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°Master has a kind heart. That¡¯s why you were so angry because of amoner¡­ I feel really guilty,¡± the Princess sighed.


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    The Princess could be considered a kind-hearted person. Take this royal residence for example. Compared to the Zhou family, it was really much cleaner. There were almost no ghouls.


    Speaking of ghouls, Xie Qiao remembered the matter she had promised the Young Heir.


    After resting for a while, she stood up and said, ¡°I want to take a look at this residence so that I can find the fox for the Young Heir. Would it be troublesome?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± the Princess immediately nodded.


    She quickly found a maidservant and apanied Xie Qiao to walk around.

 Chapter 473 - The Fox

    <h4>Chapter 473: The Fox</h4>


    This courtyard of the imperial residence was much more majestic than the other side of the courtyard. With every few steps, one could almost meet a servant.


    However, no matter how clean a ce was, there would still be some ghouls floating around. Therefore, Xie Qiao found a ghoul and asked her questions.


    Of course, in order to prevent herself from seeming too strange and scary, Xie Qiao would asionally show some signs of opening the third eye. After that, she would mumble, which could also make the people of the imperial residence be surprised but not scared.


    ¡°Have you seen a white fox?¡± Xie Qiao asked as soon as she met the ghoul.


    The ghoul in front of her looked at her Taoist robe and then pretended to be calm, ¡°I¡¯m in charge of sweeping this area. I didn¡¯t see it.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at the broom in her hand.


    How diligent and dedicated was she to her job that she would even use the broom after she died?


    ¡°But you can ask Sister Zi Zhu. She¡¯s the only one who can get close to the main courtyard. She knows everything. It¡¯s just that the sun is shining right now. Sister Zi Zhu should be resting in her room,¡± the ghoul said again.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and nodded, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Are you the master from the death shop?¡± The little ghoul asked again.


    ¡°Yes, do you want your soul to be released?¡± Xie Qiao started her business talk.


    The ghoul shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave yet. My Mother is still alive. I want to wait for her.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not say anything else.


    This ghoul did not have any resentment. She just had some concerns. It was not necessary for her to send her away.


    After bidding farewell to this ghoul, Xie Qiao said to the maidservant, ¡°Is there a person called Zi Zhu in the residence?¡±


    That living maidservant was quite bold, and she also respected this master very much. She quickly said, ¡°Zi Zhu? ¡°I think¡­ I heard my Mother mention¡­ Oh, I remember now. Zi Zhu was the maidservant who apanied the Princess. The Princess liked her very much, and she said that her hairstyle was the best¡­ It¡¯s just that Granny Zi Zhu has been gone for many years¡­¡±


    The maidservant thought for a moment and snapped her fingers, ¡°It should be no less than thirty-five years, right? As for the specifics, I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Where did Zi Zhu live when she was alive? Bring me to take a look,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The maidservant knew about that because Zi Zhu was very special.


    It was said that she grew up with the Princess when they were young. Later on, the Princess came with the maidservant when she was married. The Princess treated her very well and gave her a house with a small courtyard. After she passed away from illness, the house remained empty.


    As the Princess had said that she could bring the master around, she directly led the master to Zi Zhu¡¯s former residence.


    Xie Qiao pushed open the door and entered. Dust blew against her face and she immediately covered her face and retreated.


    After the dust settled down, she saw many spider webs. The interior was dirty.


    However, there was indeed a ghoul inside. When it heard themotion, it immediately stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s long past time to clean up. All these years, without me around, you new girls are gettingzier andzier,¡± Zi Zhu said, when she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s Taoist robe, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Could it be that my residence attracts souls? I even brought a Taoist master over. I don¡¯t know what kind of trouble has happened this time.¡±


    Xie Qiao let the maidservant leave.


    Then, she walked into the house.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a soul yourself?¡± Xie Qiao said slowly, ¡°Have you seen the fox raised by your Young Master?¡±


    Zi Zhu was stunned for a moment, and then she became excited, ¡°You, a Taoist master, have such great abilities? You can actually talk to me?!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked up at her.


    Her eyes were calm, and Zi Zhu unexpectedly calmed down, ¡°The fox¡­ I know about the fox. Young Master loved it. I thought when Young Master recovers, he would y with it, so I followed it when I had nothing to do¡­ However¡­¡±

 Chapter 474 - Such a Wicked Woman

    <h4>Chapter 474: Such a Wicked Woman</h4>


    When Zi Zhu said that, dense anger appeared on her face.


    ¡°That b*tch, did she think that she could surpass her master just because she gave birth to a child? In her dreams. She can only use underhanded tricks behind her back! She couldn¡¯t do anything to the Young Master, so she vented her anger on Snowball. She really wanted to tear it apart!¡±


    Xie Qiao understood when she heard that.


    ¡°Is the fox dead?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Not yet!¡± Zi Zhu said angrily. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, ¡°Can you save the little fox? That b*tch locked the little fox in a cab. Once night falls, she will take it out and torture it. I don¡¯t know how long it willst¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Zi Zhu was delighted.


    Then, she looked at her with aplicated gaze, ¡°Master, a-are you here to capture me¡­?


    ¡°Sigh, so be it. I¡¯ll ept it if I can save the little fox before I leave,¡± Zi Zhu said.


    ¡°What¡¯s your wish?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Wish?¡± Zi Zhu looked outside in confusion, thinking about the decades that she had been foolishly guarding, a trace of sadness rose in her heart, ¡°I-I did something wrong and caused the Princess to be unable to give birth for decades. I¡¯ll have to trouble master to tell her about this and say that I¡¯ve let her down. Also¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose that time. It was all because of her cousin. She was jealous of master and used me to drug her. By the time I found out, it was already toote¡­¡±


    The cousin and her husband were not on good terms, and everyone knew that the Prince and the Princess were deeply in love.


    Who would not envy the Princess for having such a good husband?


    At that time, the cousin came to the residence as a guest and saw that her hair was beautiful, so she gave her a hair care prescription.


    She used it diligently. It smelled good, and her hair was dark and silky.


    At that time, she had to groom the Princess every day, so she used the prescription she made.


    Later on, the Princess was unable to give birth to any children.


    One day, she saw her cousin looking at the Princess with a vicious gaze. Only then did she think something was wrong. She went to question the cousin whether there was something wrong with the prescription.


    However, it was something that she had personally given to the Princess.


    She was shocked, afraid, and guilty. She did not know what to do. Perhaps she had been too worried, that night, she fell ill. Later on, the fever did not subside and she died.


    This matter was kept in the bottom of her heart.


    She could only watch as the Princess missed her after her passing and used up the rest of the prescription.


    Every time she thought of her, she med herself more and more.


    She thought that the Princess would never have a child in her life. She saw the Prince take in a concubine with her own eyes and the Princess secretly cried. She wished she could die ten thousand times.


    Fortunately, the heavens pitied her and finally gave her a son.


    Zi Zhu exined these things to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao agreed to that.


    It was easy for her to make money off the royal residence. There were several cases in session.


    After finding out where the fox was, Xie Qiao went straight to the Princess. After thinking for a moment, she said in a low voice, ¡°In order to prevent that fox from being moved, I hope that the Princess¡­ will act abruptly.¡±


    The Princess was truly shocked.


    The fox was still alive?


    Xie Qiao told the Princess the location.


    The Princess was even more shocked, ¡°It¡¯s her? Why can¡¯t she even let go of an animal?¡±


    The Princess was furious.


    She immediately brought her men over. The side concubine was currentlyforting Zhao Xuzhi. Who knew that the Princess would barge in directly? Before she could say anything, the Princess had someone remove the big lock on the cab in the inner room and carry the little fox out.


    ¡°How could I tolerate such a wicked woman like you?! When the Prince returns, I will give you a pair of scissors and send you to the temple to cultivate!¡± The Princess said.


    She had never been so angry.


    Although it was not worth doing that just for a fox, it was a life after all!


    What would happen if her son fell into the hands of that wicked woman one day?!

 Chapter 475 - Fortune-telling

    <h4>Chapter 475: Fortune-telling</h4>


    Xie Qiao was forced to watch a fight scene at home. At that moment, she was quite confused. She did not expect despite the Princess being old, she was still so fierce.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡­


    Ha, another unfortunate incident happened. How pitiful.


    Xie Qiao grinned at Zhao Xuzhi.


    Zhao Xuzhi and his mother were left behind directly. Without giving them a chance, the Princess immediately brought the fox to see the doctor.


    The poor little fox had almost all of its fur plucked out. It was shivering and was skinny.


    The Princess did not dare to let her sone over to see the fox, worried that the child would be scared.


    It was gettingte, so Xie Qiao did not stay. Seeing the Princess¡¯ worried face, she simply told her everything.


    The Princess looked at her in a daze.


    She had experienced too much that day!


    Seeing the sage-like Master Mo hitting someone, the little fox being abused, and now she was telling her that she could not give birth for decades because¡­ she had been harmed?


    And the cousin who harmed her had died long ago!


    The Princess suddenly felt a headache.


    She was angry and wanted to cry, her old face trembling.


    It had been so many years. Many people had mocked her for being a hen that could noty eggs. Many people had said that she took the position of Princess but did not fulfill her duties. When she finally gave birth to a child, what did others say?


    They said that she had only borne a child when she was so old. Some people even suspected that the child was not given birth by her at all¡­


    She had suffered too much over these years.


    When she was young, she could not understand why she was infertile!


    Now, it was clear. It was finally clear!


    She was holding a grudge for no reason!


    ¡°Master Mo¡­ Please send Zi Zhu away. I don¡¯t me her, but I can¡¯t forgive her,¡± the Princess sighed, her eyes were bloodshot, ¡°Thank you Master for exining to me.¡±


    Zi Zhu was loyal, she knew that.


    However, Zi Zhu had the chance to tell her, but she did not do it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who answered your question, but I¡¯ll tell her,¡± Xie Qiao did not say much. She was exhausted today, so she did not have much strength left in her body.


    Xie Qiao left the royal residence and took¡­ four souls along the way.


    In addition to the male ghoul from before, there were two other ghouls that had been tamed by Zi Zhu all these years. They thought it was meaningless for them to stay, so they asked the sisters to leave together.


    Xie Qiao ced the porcin bottles that contained the foul souls at the Fortune Pavilion.


    She decided to stay at the Fortune Pavilion for the night


    The next morning, Xie Qiao first took care of the business at the Fortune Pavilion. The main purpose was to perform divination for the customers.


    The Fortune Pavilion initially only sold talismans and expelled evil spirits. However, due to its good reputationtely, even the royal residence had personally brought gifts over to thank them, so the reputation was boosted.


    There were often ordinary people who came in to have their fortune told.


    If Xie Qiao was here, it would be convenient for them to do it.


    However, it was also due to her mysterious appearance that more and more people came to look for her to read their fortune.


    The moment the door opened today, Shopkeeper Chang was surrounded. When they heard that Master Mo was here, excitement appeared on the faces of the people in the queue.


    ording to the old rules, after queuing up, the shopkeeper would draw a number and then choose three people among them.


    The first two people were alright, they only asked about household problems. It was nothing more than consulting about marriage and the future.


    However, the third person¡­


    When he arrived at thepartment, Xie Qiao¡¯s expression became a little more indifferent.


    It was Xie Mangshan.


    Xie Mangshan looked left and right as he walked in. Then, he nced at Xie Qiao and found that it was a female Taoist master. His brows furrowed for a moment, but he took his seat. He took out his birth details and ced it on the table and said, ¡°Master, please take a look for me. Let¡¯s see which day is more suitable for the marriage that will benefit the woman¡¯s family.¡±

 Chapter 476 - Disaster After Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 476: Disaster After Disaster</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not say anything. She only picked up the birth details and looked at it.


    When she looked at it, her gaze turned colder.


    The names and birth details were written clearly. Xie Pinggang¡¯s birth details were on one side, while Jia Huan¡¯s was on the other.


    There had been no news from the olddy and the rest these days. She thought that they had given up. She did not expect the olddy to be so direct. She had even arranged her eldest brother¡¯s marriage.


    Xie Qiao was not angry. Instead, she started to calcte seriously.


    There was nothing special about Jia Huan¡¯s birth details. Her life was not tough enough.


    ¡°Are you sure that these birth details are correct?¡± Xie Qiao asked seriously.


    Xie Mangshan was stunned. ¡°Of course. These birth details belong to my nephew. His father isn¡¯t home, so the marriage will be decided by me and the olddy. What is it, Master? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°There is a problem, and it is a big problem,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness, ¡°This man¡¯s fate is not bad, but he¡¯s notpatible with this woman. If the two of them were to get married, it could be said that it would be a coincidence, but it would also be a mistake. If they were to get married, the couple¡¯s marriage would be short, and it would bring disaster to others. The couple would have conflicts from time to time for the lightest consequence. They would encounter evil, and they would be separated by life and death if it¡¯s serious. As for the question you asked earlier, if it is beneficial to the woman¡¯s family¡­


    ¡°I dare to say that if the two of them were to get married, the woman¡¯s rtives would definitely not be able to gather their wealth easily. As for this woman, she would not be able to live until old. She would be alone and lonely, and she would feel lost and suffer from disasters¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao did not say anything nice.


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s face turned grim when he heard that.


    What Xie Qiao said was notpletely fake.


    Her elder brother had a fate of loneliness. Now that his fate had not been resolved and evil energy still lingered around, he was destined to not be able to marry. However, if someone forcefully arranged a wife for him¡­


    She dared to say that if it was serious, this woman would not be able to live past the night of their wedding night. If it was light, even if she was alive, she would be suppressed to death sooner orter.


    Even if they really became husband and wife, they would definitely not be able to reconcile.


    ¡°Impossible! Do you know what you, a Taoist master, is talking about?! Everyone asked that I shoulde to you because you¡¯re very effective, but you did not say a single nice word! We are here to celebrate a wedding. Who would seek misfortune like you?!¡± Xie Mangshan was immediately enraged.


    He was also a little flustered. After all, Xie Pinggang was very scary. He might really be able to kill someone.


    Xie Qiao smiled profoundly, ¡°I can see that the birth details you showed you are notpatible with each other. One of them is willing to get married, while the other doesn¡¯t. So I told you the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask someone else.¡±


    If it was someone else, they might say that this man¡¯s life was too tough and that he would torture his wife.


    Xie Mangshan immediately became listless.


    It would cost money to get someone to look at the marriage. The reason why he found Master Mo was because people said that her words were always true.


    He also wanted to ask properly. After all, they were meddling with Xie Pinggang¡¯s life. He was worried that something might happen.


    Now¡­


    Xie Mangshan was a little scared.


    This Master Mo could even see that it was a one-sided wish. It was clear that she had real abilities!


    He had spent a lot of effort to find out about Xie Pinggang¡¯s birth details from Ms. Lu. Jia Huan had already sent the wedding invitation over. He only needed to wait for her to look at the birth details to exchange for the wedding invitation and set a date for the wedding. Then, he could send Jia Huan directly to Xie Pinggang¡¯s house.


    It was reasonable for the elders to make the decision!


    However, what should he do now?


    What if the wedding was sessful and there were really many disasters?!


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll read your fortune for you. How about that? I see that yourbe is dark, your eyes are lifeless, your lips are cracked, your tongue is charred, and your primordial spirit is scattered. Everything will not go well these days. It must be a great omen of disaster?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze was deep. She frowned slightly and said with aplicated expression with abination of concern, shock, and trouble.

 Chapter 477 - This Matter

    <h4>Chapter 477: This Matter</h4>


    Xie Qiao was very intimidating. After Xie Mangshan heard what she said, he first frowned and then became furious.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s early in the morning. Don¡¯t say anything bad. I¡¯ve been doing well recently. What¡¯s with this omen that you¡¯re talking about?¡± Xie Mangshan was very upset.


    Xie Qiao looked at him with a smile.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re an official, right?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was rxed, ¡°However, I¡¯m afraid that your position as an official isn¡¯t high. Moreover, there will definitely be changes within three days. If you don¡¯t believe me,e and look for me here in three days.¡±


    Xie Mangshan looked at her in shock, his heart somewhat uneasy.


    He was indeed an official. Although he was only a low-ranking official responsible for supervising the people serving the army and did not even have a rank, in the eyes of ordinary people, his status was very valuable.


    Could it be that he would really encounter a disaster recently?


    Xie Mangshan was half-convinced and half-doubtful.


    There was a duration to Xie Qiao¡¯s fortune-telling. At that moment, 15 minutes had just passed when the shopkeeper knocked on the door and led him out.


    Apart from the money to consult for marriage, he did not pay any extra silver.


    Master Mo was not greedy for his money, which made him even more uneasy.


    The shopkeeper looked at the troubled Xie Mangshan and then at the owner suspiciously.


    For a long time, almost all the customers who came in had left with great satisfaction. There were very few people who were so upset.


    Moreover, when an ordinary person listened to the consultation from his owner, they would no longer be confused and hesitant.


    How could this person be the opposite?


    ¡°In three days, this person will definitelye again. Don¡¯t stop him when the timees,¡± Xie Qiao instructed Shopkeeper Chang.


    Shopkeeper Chang was a little puzzled, but he still nodded in agreement.


    Xie Qiao returned to the back door, got into the carriage, took off her curtain hat, and went to the academy to attend sses.


    When she returned home at night, he invited Xie Pinggang over.


    ¡°I heard that you made a lot of friends in the academy? Not bad, better than those two little ones. They¡¯ve been in the academy for so long, not to mention a friend, they can¡¯t even bring home a fly!¡± Xie Pinggang was full of disdain.


    His stupid father was right about something.


    Even if Xie Qiao was an idiot, she could still be the pride of the Xie family just because of her appearance. Moreover, this wretched girl was quite powerful.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, you¡¯re not much better,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    After the Zhou family¡¯s big case, Xie Pinggang was almost the King of Hell in the eyes of others.


    Xie Pinggang also admitted that he was the same as the two little ones. They were not very popr. At that moment, he was just casually saying just for the fun of it.


    Xie Pinggang sat down.


    On the stone table in the courtyard, Xie Qiao poured a ss of wine and looked at him with a smile on her face.


    Xie Pinggang stared at the wine and looked a little ufortable.


    Did this girl find out that he had almost stolen all of her wine?


    ¡°Eldest Brother, find a reason to remove uncle¡¯s official position,¡± Xie Qiao said straightforwardly.


    Xie Pinggang heaved a sigh of relief.


    So it was about this matter.


    ¡°Okay, I have been thinking about this recently. Our Father got him this job earlier. I wonder how he is doing. I think he probably has a restless character. We should investigate it carefully so as not to drag down our family¡¯s reputation,¡± Xie Pinggang nodded.


    ¡°Take care of it in three days, okay?¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xie Pinggang took it seriously, ¡°But why are you suddenly asking about him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Senior Aunty. She met Xie Mangshan today with your birth details and looked for her to consult about your marriage,¡± Xie Qiao said very calmly, ¡°Eldest Brother¡¯s birth details¡­ should only be known by our own family, right? We¡¯re not familiar with Uncle¡¯s family. They shouldn¡¯t have specially remembered your birthday¡­¡±

 Chapter 478 - A Gentleman

    <h4>Chapter 478: A Gentleman</h4>


    Xie Qiao spoke slowly as if she was chatting. However, Xie Pinggang understood the meaning behind her words. The anger inside of him grew stronger and stronger.


    ¡°That old biddy really thinks that we are a bank! They must¡¯ve gotten the birth details from Ms. Lu. She¡­ is quite bold,¡± Xie Pinggang snorted.


    However, after he cursed, he did not have any other reaction.


    ¡°The wife that she wants to give me is that¡­¡± Xie Pinggang could not remember the name of that person, so he reconstructed his sentence, ¡°That fake cousin?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°That old biddy doesn¡¯t have good taste either. Since she wants to get me a wife, can¡¯t she find a better one?¡±


    He did not like that cousin who appeared out of nowhere.


    Xie Qiao became curious when she heard that.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, in your eyes, what kind of wife¡­ is a better wife?¡± Xie Qiao thought she could find a sister-inw in the future from her brother¡¯s opinion.


    Xie Pinggang frowned and thought for a while.


    A momentter, he said in all seriousness, ¡°She would have a tender look and doesn¡¯t look like those rough old men with a body full of hair. She has to be sensible and shouldn¡¯t cry all the time. She doesn¡¯t talk much and all day long¡­ She has to be strong and healthy. Don¡¯t be like our Mother and Lin Erniang, who entered the Gates of Hell after giving birth to a child.¡±


    Other than those¡­


    There was nothing else.


    More or less, he just needed someone to pass time with.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    A body full of hair?!


    Xie Qiao looked horrified. At that moment, she looked at her eldest brother with aplicated expression. She thought even if one day he managed to break this fate, the person that he found¡­ would be a fair-skinned man at most!


    The reputation of the Xie family¡­ would probably be terrible in the future¡­


    Xie Qiao gulped a mouthful of tea to calm herself down.


    ¡°I have low expectations. Unlike you, I¡¯ve been searching for so long and still can¡¯t find a decent person. Oh right, I will bring you to meet someone in a few days. If you think that person is suitable, we will set a date,¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly said.


    Xie Qiao almost choked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time, the man that I have taken a fancy to will definitely satisfy you. He¡¯s handsome aside, he looks shy, and also a schr. He¡¯s a serious son. He¡¯s about 20 years old now, a little older. However, he has no wife, no children, and not even a concubine,¡± Xie Pinggang was very proud, ¡°This person is extremely talented and has a strong body. He is just a little pitiful without parents.¡±


    Xie Pinggang spoke very carefully. Then, he suddenly thought of something and took out a portrait.


    He was convinced that Xie Qiao would not have any negative things to say this time.


    In the portrait, there was indeed a very handsome man.


    Xie Qiao looked over and found that this person¡¯s eyebrows were great. They were as delicate as a crescent moon, and he had a refined spirit.


    These eyebrows were the eyes of a king, a seedling of courage, and a face of pride. This person must be intelligent, knowledgeable, and smart. If he passed the examination, he would definitely reach the moon. He would be a wise and wealthy man.


    ¡°This person is great, but he¡¯s a little poor¡­¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly added.


    Xie Qiao frowned, ¡°He¡­ is poor?¡±


    It should not be?


    This person had a good appearance, but he was still young. Although he did not have muchnd, he should be able to livefortably with servants.


    ¡°He¡¯s so poor that he sells his skills at a brothel. He writes good poems,¡± Xie Pinggang added, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He knows everything about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Even when he¡¯s selling his skills, he would only sell some poems to thosedies. I secretly observed him a few times. He¡¯s a gentleman. When he entered the brothel, he didn¡¯t let anyone get close to him. He¡¯s a decent man.¡±

 Chapter 479 - Coward

    <h4>Chapter 479: Coward</h4>


    To Xie Pinggang, he did not care too much about this man going to a brothel. Moreover, in his opinion, this man was not married, and he did not do anything out of the ordinary. That was good enough.


    Of course, if he continued to do this after marriage, then he would have to break his legs.


    He really could not find a better candidate at the moment.


    The news of Xie Qiao¡¯s short life had long spread. How could such a decent family marry a person who would not live long?


    This man only had some shorings in terms of wealth. He was really good in other aspects. Whether it was his character, literary talent, or even his looks, there was nothing wrong with him.


    He thought that if he really took a fancy to him, the Xie family would help take care of him in the future.


    If he worked hard, he might even be able to be the top scorer in the examination in the future.


    ¡°How is it? Do you want to meet him?¡± Xie Pinggang looked expectant.


    Xie Qiao looked at the person¡¯s face and thought about what her Eldest Brother said. She nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with Eldest Brother¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    She did not understand how a person with such a face could be poor!


    She had to understand it!


    Xie Pinggang was overjoyed.


    Finally, there was someone decent that Xie Qiao did not reject!


    As long as Xie Qiao took a liking to him, he would wait for the old man toe home and immediately organize the wedding. After the wedding was done, he would think of ways to kill that old biddy. In this way, the other two children in the family would have to mourn for three years!


    Xie Pinggang was in an extremely good mood. Xie Qiao kept the portrait. When she saw her eldest brother¡¯s smug look, she could not help but say, ¡°Eldest Brother, is there a rat in our house? This rat even stole wine. More than half of the wine I brewed is gone!¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face stiffened.


    He dug out the wine and sent them to the Crown Prince.


    There was no other way. The Crown Prince liked it. As his subordinate, he naturally wanted to satisfy the Crown Prince¡¯s appetite as much as possible¡­


    ¡°Eldest Brother, do you know how much silver my jar of wine is worth?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Silver?¡± Xie Pinggang said guiltily, then he said, ¡°Eldest Sister, we¡¯re siblings of the same mother, why do we have to divide it so clearly? Dividing our belongings¡­ is going to create a distance between us! Alright, I¡¯ve drunk all of the wine. If you really want to drink it, I will buy it for you.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Pinggang immediately got up and hurriedly walked away.


    This mischievous girl was shrewd. His stupid father had offended her before, and then he was cursed with bad luck.


    He estimated that this girl had some means of bringing her rtives bad luck. If he stayed here now, he might have to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps.


    It was better to hide for a while!


    Xie Qiao wanted to vent her anger, but Xie Pinggang was such a coward.


    She and her brother were from the same mother and were both smart people. It seemed that¡­ he had inherited his mother, Ms. Peng¡¯s intelligence. However, he looked like his father.


    Xie Pinggang had always paid attention to what Xie Qiao said.


    After receiving her instructions, he went to investigate Xie Mangshan¡¯s work the next day.


    This investigation made him furious.


    He thought Xie Mangshan might not be a total fool, but he did not expect this man to be so greedy to the point of courting death!


    He was mainly responsible for supervising the people¡¯s military service. The people under his supervision were actually suffering terribly. Xie Mangshan would arrange for those who could offer him benefits to be in a more rxed station. If the people¡¯s family was poor and could not afford to give any benefits¡­ it was inevitable that they would be oppressed by him.


    Xie Pinggang initially thought Xie Mangshan should know the severity of the situation.


    He never expected that he would actually dare to do such a thing.


    Fortunately, Xie Mangshan did not have the courage to do so earlier. He only started to collect bribes this year, so the number of victims was not particrly high.


    Xie Pinggang immediately spoke to someone and got Xie Mangshan fired from his position.

 Chapter 480 - Calamity

    <h4>Chapter 480: Cmity</h4>


    Apart from targeting Xie Mangshan, Xie Pinggang thought about it and started to investigate the situation of the people serving in the army.


    He discovered that over the years, quite a number of people had died due to their job.


    In other words, many of the supervisors in charge of supervising the people serving in the army had received bribes, treated them differently, and even mistreated the people who could not afford to offer benefits!


    Xie Pinggang slowly found evidence for these situations.


    He was very clear that Xie Mangshan¡¯s official position was obtained through his father¡¯s connections. Now that he had harmed many people, the Xie family had to bear a part of the responsibility.


    He epted the mistake.


    However, it would take time to find evidence. At that moment, Xie Mangshan had already received the news.


    Xie Pinggang was not a fool. In order to avoid alerting the enemy, he acted in private and did not let Xie Mangshan know that it was him who did it.


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s mind was filled with Master Mo¡¯s words.


    It came true!


    It had not even been three days and his official position was gone!


    His be was dark¡­ There would be a cmitying?!


    Xie Mangshan was really panicking.


    This Master Mo was an unworldly expert and was very famous. She was on good terms with nobles, and she did not recognize him in the past, so it was even more impossible for her to target him. Therefore, Master Mo simply predicted about him losing his official position!


    Xie Mangshan could not think of what Master Mo would covet him for.


    In terms of money¡­ it was said that a piece of broken wood in the Fortune Pavilion could be sold at a hundred taels of silver!


    He was just a nobody. Why would the master lie to him?


    Thinking of this, Xie Mangshan could not wait any longer and immediately went to the Fortune Pavilion.


    Unfortunately, on the first day, Master Mo was not around.


    On the second day, she was still not around.


    Now that he had no more work to do, he simply stayed at the Fortune Pavilion and waited untilte. Shopkeeper Chang listened to Xie Qiao¡¯s order and let people in, ignoring him.


    After five or six days, Xie Qiao finally appeared.


    Xie Mangshan had changed.


    After a few days, his beard had grown a little longer, and his face was slightly more beaten. He looked much older.


    ¡°Master!¡± With a thud, Xie Mangshan directly knelt.


    He tugged at Xie Qiao¡¯s Taoist robe, ¡°Master, save me! I listened to you and temporarily forbade them from getting married, but this official position of mine¡­ is gone. A-Am I going to face a great cmity? I have a feeling that I won¡¯t be able to live much longer these days!¡±


    This misfortune really made one¡¯s teeth clench after drinking cold water.


    On the first day of packing up and leaving, he actually choked while eating. If he had not patted his chest a few more times, he might have choked to death!


    ¡°These few days, even when I was walking, someone would identally bump into me. Also, when I opened the door, I was pushed back by the door and almost choked. Yesterday morning, bird droppings fell on my head. Oh right, most importantly, on the way to the Fortune Pavilion today, I was almost trampled by a horse¡¯s hoof!¡±


    One after another, it was as if the heavens had decided to kill him!


    Xie Mangshan told the master everything that had happened to him in the past few days.


    Xie Qiao smiled mysteriously.


    His misfortune had nothing to do with his be turning dark at all. The reason being she was only spewing nonsense that time.


    However, as long as he believed that his luck was bad, even the slightest incident would be magnified.


    The longer it took, the more bad things would happen to him.


    Not only that, a timid person like him would definitely be in a daze due to this, and he would feel uneasy. As a result, the probability of an ident happening would be higher.


    ¡°Your luck is bad. If you don¡¯t remove the evil energy in your body, even if you can pull through, you won¡¯t have a good life¡­¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    That was true.


    A person¡¯s appearance could determine many things. For instance, right now, Xie Mangshan was flustered and his spirit was unstable. The dark energy and evil energy woulde to him easily, so he would continue to have bad luck.


    Moreover¡­


    Xie Qiao made some predictions and found that he had indeed met with a cmity!

 Chapter 481 - A Financial Loss May Prevent Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 481: A Financial Loss May Prevent Disaster</h4>


    Previously, when Xie Qiao looked at him, the cmity had yet to appear. However, a variable had recently appeared, and this variable¡­


    Xie Qiao thought that it should be on her.


    She thought for a moment.


    Recently, she had only mentioned Xie Mangshan¡¯s situation to her eldest brother. In that case, Xie Mangshan¡¯s cmity must have something to do with her eldest brother.


    ¡°Master! I beg you to help me solve this cmity quickly!¡± Xie Mangshan¡¯s expression changed.


    He was initially a nobody. One day, he had made a fortune by relying on Xie Niushan¡¯s fame. He had been lucky, so he did not have to worry about food.


    There were many benefactors around each of them.


    To Xie Mangshan, Xie Niushan was actually his benefactor.


    However, this benefactor¡¯s aura was getting further and further away. He was afraid that it would disappear.


    ¡°This cmity isn¡¯t easy to solve¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you usually do good deeds?¡±


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s face stiffened, ¡°I-I don¡¯t like to do good deeds¡­¡±


    At that moment, how could he dare to lie?


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s even worse,¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips and shook her head, looking as if he could not be salvaged, ¡°If you umte more good karma on a daily basis, even if you encounter a great cmity, this cmity will be reduced significantly. However, since you don¡¯t have that, then this cmity might get even stronger.¡±


    Xie Qiao was full of nonsense.


    She knew a thing or two about being a scammer!


    ¡°Master, what should I do?!¡± Xie Mangshan said impatiently.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m also helpless,¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    ¡°Master, I have silver! Isn¡¯t there a saying that goes, a financial loss may prevent disaster?!¡± Xie Mangshan suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°How much do you think the cmity is worth? Even if I sell my house andnd, I will also make up for this cmity!¡±


    What could be more important than his own life?!


    He suffered during his childhood, he was poor and destitute. These few years, he suddenly had a good life, but he was not enjoying it!


    ¡°Good man, you must know that silver is not omnipotent,¡± Xie Qiao took a breath, ¡°But¡­ I see that you are sincere indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! I am!¡± Xie Mangshan¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t get rid of this cmity. I have predicted for you. If you can really pay a sufficient price, then your life can be saved. As for the rest, after this cmity is over, you can take it slowly,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    However, it ignited Xie Mangshan¡¯s hope.


    ¡°Great! Save my life, you must save my life!¡± Xie Mangshan¡¯s face was covered in sweat.


    ¡°I predicted your situation and found that your family¡¯s wealth is not from an honest source. That¡¯s how your current situation is created. If you want to change all of this, it depends on whether you are sincere or not,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    When Xie Mangshan heard that, his heart jolted.


    The master was too urate!


    Yes, he did not earn the family¡¯s wealth on his own at all!


    The house was bought by his second brother. The food in the house was all given by his second brother¡¯s family.


    It was just that his second brother did not give enough this year. He always thought the silver was not enough to spend, so he thought of other ways¡­


    Did he suffer retribution?


    He regretted it.


    ¡°Master, feel free to say it. As long as you can save my life, I¡¯m willing to do anything!¡± Xie Mangshan said.


    ¡°If you have sincere intention, this evil will be resolved,¡± Xie Qiao said solemnly, ¡°If you want to expel the evil, then you need to return everything that doesn¡¯t belong to you as much as possible. Remember, other than what you have already spent, you cannot leave a single copper or a single cent. Of course, if you are unwilling, you can also leave a little something behind. However¡­ the cmity will get worse because of this little bit that you left behind. Do you understand?¡±


    When Xie Mangshan heard that, it felt like a bolt from the blue.

 Chapter 482 - Benefactor and Villain

    <h4>Chapter 482: Benefactor and Viin</h4>


    Xie Mangshan was stunned and his heart ached.


    It was not easy for him to be wealthy, but now, he was going to give all his wealth away?! How would he be able to live in the future?!


    He stood rooted to the ground, struggling in his heart.


    After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°Master¡­ Can I get my Third Brother to keep them for me?¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°No, you have a benefactor and a viin in your life. I have checked carefully. The benefactor¡¯s help to you is almost gone, and the viin in your life is as bright as the mid-day sun. Your family¡¯s wealth must be distributed to the benefactor. If you give it to the viin, then after this cmity, you will have nothing left. You will be miserable!¡±


    It was like thunder ringing in his ears.


    The image of a benefactor and a viin automatically appeared in Xie Mangshan¡¯s head.


    A benefactor, that must be Xie Niushan.


    After all, he was the reason why he was rich.


    Who was the viin? Could it be his third brother?


    Once this thought came out, it could no longer be dismissed. He thought carefully and thought what the master said made sense.


    His third brother was a greedy person. If he gave all his property to his third brother, when the cmity was over, his third brother would definitely take them and not return them, right?!


    Yes, the viin, it had to be him!


    ¡°If I give it to the benefactor, can the benefactor return it to me in the future?¡± Xie Mangshan asked pitifully.


    Xie Qiao calcted with her fingers, ¡°This tribtion of yours will go on for a period of time, but once it ispletely over, as long as you stay close to the benefactor by your side, you can still rise again.¡±


    Xie Mangshan understood.


    His second brother¡¯s heart was cold now. When he returned the money, he would show his second brother that to him, money was not as important as family. Only then would his second brother be able to change his mind and treat him better than before!


    ¡°Master, then¡­ will the wealth that the viin stole also affect me? Oh right, why did that viin not suffer retribution when we both did bad things?!¡± The more Xie Mangshan thought about it, the more upset he became.


    They both took the silver from his second brother, so why did his third brother not suffer at all?!


    ¡°You guys have the same mother, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked mysteriously.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Xie Mangshan hurriedly nodded. Master was a true god!


    ¡°Sometimes, siblings would bring good fortune to each other, and sometimes, they would bring bad luck to each other. After all, your luck and fortunee from the same mother,¡± Xie Qiao said with a serious face, ¡°However, I see that this benefactor and you share the same fate, which is why he helps with your wealth. Unfortunately, this person is sometimes close and sometimes far from you¡­


    ¡°The reason this viin didn¡¯t suffer is because you bear the burden all to yourself.¡±


    Xie Mangshan kept nodding.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth was dry from talking, and she hurriedly drank a mouthful of tea.


    ¡°Master, from what you mean, that viin and I are of the same family, so it¡¯s impossible for me to be sincere alone. We must do our best to return the unjust wealth that we obtained together, so that the evil spirit can bepletely dispelled?¡± Xie Mangshan asked with a frown.


    ¡°You can say that, but if you do that, this viin will hold a grudge against you,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Mangshan tried his best to think.


    After thinking for a while, he nodded solemnly, ¡°Master, I understand. I will definitely do as you say when I return. Oh right, how much for the divination session?¡±


    Was it not just returning the silver?


    It was for his second brother. Since his second brother was wealthy, he would definitely return it to him in the future!


    ¡°We¡¯re fated to meet, there¡¯s no need to pay me for the divination. Moreover, we aren¡¯t born with golds and silvers, nor can we bring them along with us after death. This humble master does not care about these things. I only hope you will have a smooth life, peace, and happiness,¡± Xie Qiao said with a profound and kind expression. She even tapped the horsetail whisk even on Xie Mangshan¡¯s head.


    There was no w in her act.

 Chapter 483 - Husband and Wife

    <h4>Chapter 483: Husband and Wife</h4>


    Xie Mangshan walked out of Fortune Pavilion in a daze. His tired eyes were filled with determination.


    He could not die. He had not lived long enough. He absolutely could not die!


    When he returned home, his wife was waiting for him.


    ¡°Where have you been the past few days? The children and I have been worried to death. Also, my Mother hase to question you again today. They asked if you¡¯re done with the wedding invitation. The happy event should be held soon,¡± Ms. Jia said unhappily.


    The earlier she got her niece to marry Xie Pinggang, the earlier she would get the benefits!


    She did not care about the betrothal gift anymore. In the future, when Huan¡¯er married Xie Pinggang and gave birth to a child, she would be able to make up for it!


    Ms. Jia could imagine herself counting the money. At that moment, there were sparks in her eyes.


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s face was gloomy. When he heard that, he immediately red at Ms. Jia, ¡°What are you rushing me for?!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Jia was shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder Xie Pinggang looks down on her. She¡¯s a 17 or 18-year-olddy, and she¡¯s rushing to enter someone¡¯s room. She can¡¯t wait for even a moment. How is she a virgin? Even thedies at the brothel aren¡¯t as impatient as her!¡± Xie Mangshan was currently upset, and all sorts of unpleasant words came out.


    Ms. Jia only heard the word ¡°brothel¡± .


    Baring her fangs and brandishing her ws, she pounced forward, ¡°You went to the brothel, didn¡¯t you?! You went to see those b*tches again! What did you promise me? You have no conscience. Now that you¡¯re wealthy, you don¡¯t even see me as your official wife anymore! Don¡¯t you remember who was by your side when you suffered in the countryside back then?!¡±


    ¡°You sure are one to say. When I was suffering in the countryside back then, you were even poorer than I was. If you weren¡¯t with me, could you have married a government official? If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have what you have today!¡± Xie Mangshan snorted.


    Ms. Jia choked. She did not know how to respond.


    After thinking for a while, she said with tears on her face, ¡°How can Ipare to those people out there? Whether you¡¯re wealthy or poor, I will be with you. Those people out there only covet our family¡¯s wealth!¡±


    Having said that, Xie Mangshan just went with the topic.


    ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t covet my money?¡± Xie Mangshan said.


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re a married couple!¡± Jia felt really wronged.


    This man of hers must have drunk so much out there today that he was throwing a tantrum at home now!


    However, she did not dare to provoke her man. He was wealthy, he had money. He said that he could get himself a concubine. If she did not have any children, he would have abandoned his wife long ago!


    ¡°Okay, give me the title deed and the jewelry you kept in the box one by one. Put them in a box for me to see,¡± Xie Mangshan said.


    Ms. Jia did not think too much about it.


    No one loved money more than her man.


    Besides, the man kept the money of the family. The money she hid was not much.


    ¡°Give me the private money you saved! Also, give me the children¡¯s money as well. I¡¯ll count how much there is,¡± Xie Mangshan added.


    When he said that, Ms. Jia was puzzled, ¡°What do you want the children¡¯s money for?¡±


    ¡°I know a person who wants to start a big business. The money in his hands may not be enough. We¡¯ll give all the money and divide it when they make money in the future! Remember, take out as much as you can. The more you give now, the more you will get in the future,¡± Xie Mangshan added.


    He also felt sorry for the money, but he thought that his second brother was actually not too shabby.


    After he went through with the cmity, his second brother would definitely return the money to him. He might even subsidize him a little bit more. In this way, it was the same as doing business. Only by investing first could there be a big return.

 Chapter 484 - The Dog Came Back With a Bone in Its Mouth

    <h4>Chapter 484: The Dog Came Back With a Bone in Its Mouth</h4>


    Ms. Jia had always regarded her husband as her god, and she did not understand business matters. Naturally, she would do whatever her husband said.


    She immediately went to make arrangements.


    Xie Mangshan stared at the olddy¡¯s house.


    The title deed andnd deed of this house were written in the olddy¡¯s name. In addition, she also had a box with some valuables in it.


    Her legs had not recovered yet, and she did not like going out. It would not be easy for him to take that box out.


    That viin, his third brother¡­


    There were more things in his house.


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s face was gloomy.


    He could not die. No matter what, he had to protect his life!


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s mind spun. The next day, he simply went to an inconspicuous small medicine shop and bought some sleeping pills. These things were essible. The people at the brothel he frequented often used them. It was very safe.


    After buying the pills, he bought wine and some dishes at the restaurant.


    He invited everyone and ate in the big courtyard.


    He had told his family about his dismissal, but no one was worried about it. After all, they believed Xie Niushan would send things over in the future. They would not have to worry about food.


    Moreover, Xie Mangshan was happy to treat them. It seemed that he had closed a big deal.


    The two brothers chatted happily.


    They were drunk after all the food and wine.


    Xie Mangshan quickly carried everyone into the room and began to search for things in the house.


    He had also gone through the jewelry, gold, silver, and title deeds in the olddy¡¯s room. He put everything that was worth some silver in a big box by him.


    What made him even angrier was his third brother¡¯s house.


    He had more money than he did!


    There were more than a thousand taels for silver notes alone!


    Where did all that silvere from? It must have been secretly given by that olddy!


    When Xie Mangshan thought of his doom, he no longer cared about how he was going to live in the future. All of a sudden, he cleaned up all the furnishings. Then, he went outside and called for people to carry these things out. He also asked those people who he had arranged in advance toe in. They took the olddy¡¯s hand and made a handprint. Xie Mangshan personally signed and sold the house.


    He quickly tidied up everything and rushed toward the Xie Residence.


    The Xie family¡¯s steward felt that the world had changed.


    Their family was bing more and more popr. Not only did the first youngdy make friends at the academy, now even people from the old house that she did not like brought gifts?!


    What were these big boxes filled with?


    Xie Mangshan put the boxes down, ¡°My Second Brother is not at home, right? When hees back, tell him that these are his eldest brother¡¯s sincerity. Compared to my money, naturally, my Second Brother is most important. I was reckless before¡­¡±


    As he said that, Xie Mangshan wiped away his tears, ¡°You must show Second Brother my sincerity, okay? Now I¡¯ve sold everything that I can sell at home! You must tell Second Brother that!¡±


    The steward looked at the boxes and suddenly felt a little afraid.


    Could it be that some poison had been sent here?


    How did this Master Xie be so terrifying?


    ¡°Master¡­ W-What do you mean?¡± The steward was still very confused.


    ¡°I have nowhere else to go. These were given to me by Second Brother back then. I¡¯ve practically emptied my house¡­¡± Xie Mangshan felt sad just thinking about it.


    The steward was speechless, and he went forward to check.


    Oh my, they were all property!


    In the past, the rtionship had always been one-sided. Who would have thought that the dog came back with a bone in its mouth today?!

 Chapter 485 - Has Her Mouth Been Consecrated?

    <h4>Chapter 485: Has Her Mouth Been Consecrated?</h4>


    The steward was extremely excited.


    He quickly got someone to bring the items into the courtyard. Then, he looked at the old man and thought for a moment, ¡°Do you want toe in and have a cup of tea before you leave?¡±


    Xie Mangshan subconsciously wanted to walk in.


    Then, he suddenly remembered that he was currently in a bad situation. The master had said that since he wanted to save his life, he had to be sincere. Moreover, he could not take advantage of that benefactor¡­


    ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯m just here to deliver something. I¡¯ll leave now¡­¡± Xie Mangshan waved and looked at the boxes reluctantly.


    He looked back three times after taking one step.


    He did that until he could no longer see them.


    The steward was going out of his mind. He first checked all the boxes and checked the financial records.


    Not long after, Xie Qiao returned from the academy. The steward excitedly handed the list to Xie Qiao, ¡°Young Lady, I don¡¯t know what happened to this old master, but he actually sent all his assets here today! Look, they¡¯re all here!¡±


    However, the old master¡¯s family really could spend. After giving them so much, only 20-30% remained!


    The family had a ledger. As the steward, he had a clear understanding of the previous ounts.


    When Ms. Lu was around, every Chinese New Year, Qing Ming Festival, Mid-autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and Winter Clothes Festival, they would send things and silver to the old house.


    In total, the silver spent on the old house was no less than 6,000 taels of silver each year!


    That excluded some of the things in the house, such as the items in the old master¡¯s iron box that were worth an unknown amount.


    The old master and the others had moved to the capital for four to five years.


    In total, almost 30,000 taels of silver were gone.


    Oh right, that house was not included.


    Now¡­


    Xie Qiao looked at the ledger and her eyelids twitched.


    That house should have been sold as there was a contract in the box to sell the house. It was also written on it that the house was sold for 4,800 taels of silver.


    It should have been sold at a cheap price. After all, the house her father bought for the olddy was big and the location was pretty good.


    Excluding the money from the house, there was still 4,300 taels of silver in it. The rest were cloth, jewelry, furnishings, bedding,mps, furniture and other misceneous items.


    She could not believe it. How did this family manage to give out so much money?


    Fortunately, she got all these things back.


    Xie Qiao did not expect it to be so smooth.


    ¡°Young Lady, what do you think is wrong with this old master? He even said many strange things. He was so weird and scary,¡± the steward sighed.


    He could not believe that man would send money over!


    Was he a fool?


    Xie Qiao raised her head with a serious expression and smiled proudly, ¡°Maybe¡­ he¡¯s afraid of retribution.¡±


    The steward was speechless, he did not understand.


    Not only did the steward not understand, when Xie Pinggang returned, he was confused too.


    He had thought about secretly getting that family to leave and return the money at the same time!


    However he had never expected that day toe so suddenly!


    ¡°Xie Mangshan¡­ Could it be that he has a conscience now?¡± Xie Pinggang touched those misceneous items. He was quite surprised.


    Although they were initially from his family, they had obtained them for nothing now.


    How could he not be happy?


    There were no outsiders present, so Xie Qiao said, ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ my Senior Aunty. She lied to Xie Mangshan and said that he was about to face a great cmity. He did this to save himself from the cmity. Moreover¡­ he thinks that our Father will return the silver to him in the future because our Father is his benefactor.¡±


    Xie Qiao was proud.


    How could her eldest brother, who only knew how to steal wine, understand her ability?


    ¡°She coaxed him with just a few words? Has your Senior Aunty¡¯s mouth been consecrated?! Let her perform divination on me. I want that too,¡± Xie Pinggang was excited.

 Chapter 486 - A Bunch of Trash

    <h4>Chapter 486: A Bunch of Trash</h4>


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang really admired Mo Chusheng immensely.


    She was simply an immortal-like woman. Ordinary mortals could notpare to her!


    ¡°Eldest Brother, don¡¯t assume that these things are easy to do, and don¡¯t assume that Uncle is really foolish,¡± Xie Qiao had a serious look on her face, ¡°Firstly, Uncle¡¯s bad luck came true. After that, I¡­ Senior Aunty was able to set up traps step by step for him to fall into!


    ¡°To him, my Senior Aunty doesn¡¯t know our family and has nothing to do with him. Therefore, he thought there was no reason for Mo Chusheng to lie to him. Furthermore, my Senior Aunty has a good reputation. He could find out that Mo Chusheng is not an ordinary person just by asking around. Therefore, he would naturally believe my Senior Aunty¡¯s words.¡±


    Xie Qiao was very happy. Her small face was so happy that it was blushing.


    Was it easy to be a scammer?


    No, it was not easy at all.


    First of all, she had to be able to control her temper and understand the thoughts and character of this victim!


    She knew that Xie Mangshan was afraid of death, and she also knew that he was conceited.


    In Xie Mangshan¡¯s heart, her father, Xie Niushan, was actually not the General Xie who drove away the barbarians in an awe-inspiring manner. In his eyes, her father was still the younger brother that he could push around like before!


    That year, just because he was able to make her father go all the way to fetch water and even abandon him to the barbarians, it proved that in his eyes, Xie Niushan was very foolish and easy to control.


    And for so many years, her father had never disappointed Xie Mangshan.


    Even if he became a bandit, he would still send him food.


    Mo Chusheng only needed to tell him that Xie Niushan was his benefactor to make him believe even more firmly that Xie Niushan would return what he had lost in the future, and it would even be multiplied by a few times!


    It was all because that foolish father had been too indulgent with Xie Mangshan, which was why he was able to sessfully take the money back.


    Of course, the loss was still great.


    After giving so many benefits, they were only left with this little bit.


    ¡°What are you happy about? It¡¯s not like you got the money back,¡± Xie Pinggang poked Xie Qiao¡¯s forehead, ¡°The both of you learned Taoism, butpared to Master Mo, how can you be so far behind?!¡±


    Xie Qiao red at him angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you re at me. Master Mo is amazing, you should learn more from her!¡± After Xie Pinggang finished speaking, he sighed, ¡°We have too many useless people at home. Look at you, what¡¯s the use of studying? You can¡¯t evenpare to that scammer who performs divination and deceives people.¡±


    His younger siblings were all useless.


    Xie Qiao had useless health, Xie Pinghuai was useless in his actions, and Xie Xi¡¯s brain was useless.


    Each and every one of them had swill flowing in their bodies instead of blood.


    Xie Qiao was so furious that she was out of breath.


    Xie Pinggang looked at her unconvinced expression, and his whole body was filled with joy.


    ¡°Return my wine money!¡± Xie Qiao shouted directly.


    The shout shocked even the steward and the others.


    The first youngdy¡­ had always been a calm andposed person, but now she was forced into such a state. The first young master was really guilty!


    It was one thing to bully outsiders, but how could he bully his own sister?!


    The steward and servants could not help but look at Xie Qiao with heartache.


    The first youngdy¡¯s health was so poor, please do not kill herself with anger.


    Xie Pinggang stood in front of one of the boxes and pulled out an earring from it. He threw it into Xie Qiao¡¯s hand, ¡°Here, the money for the wine. That¡¯s it. Someone, move these things to the storeroom in my courtyard!¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    T-That jerk!


    Xie Qiao was so angry that her heart ached. She covered her chest and coughed. Her small face instantly turned red.


    Xie Pinggang was shocked when he saw that. He quickly reached out and stuffed the stack of banknotes into Xie Qiao¡¯s hands, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just some money? Why are you panicking? I will have to pay for your dowry eventually!¡±

 Chapter 487 - Fight Between Siblings

    <h4>Chapter 487: Fight Between Siblings</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Xie Pinggang heard Xie Qiao¡¯s coughing, he thought she was going to cough her heart out. It was really scary.


    He did not mean to bully her¡­


    Fine, he just wanted to bully her. Looking at her angry face, it was quite pleasant.


    However, not to this extent, right?


    She was really petty as ady. If she was like that, how could she get married in the future?!


    Besides, he was so poor now. Seeing this girl was about to get married, he had to save up for the dowry? Otherwise, how would he have his dignity as the eldest brother?


    Xie Pinggang was disgusted.


    However, he frowned and gave her all the silver notes. He wanted to pat her back to help her breathe better with his big hand. He raised it and saw his heavy bear paw, he put it down again.


    He did not know how to control his strength, so he did not want to kill her with one p.


    ¡®Oh my, she¡¯s so weak and her body is so small. She might not be able to have children even if she marries someone. What should I do?¡¯


    Xie Pinggang was worried.


    Xie Qiao took the silver notes and coughed twice. Then, she said weakly, ¡°E-Eldest Brother... I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to die...¡±


    Xie Pinggang was frightened, ¡°Don¡¯t, you haven¡¯t had children yet...¡±


    ¡°Before I die... I want to see Eldest Brother get married... Cough, cough!¡± Xie Qiao looked pitiful.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he felt helpless, ¡°I want that too, but it isn¡¯t something that you can do just because you want to. That Jia Huan is too ugly, I don¡¯t want her.¡±


    Xie Qiao stared at him.


    That was not what she meant.


    She just wanted Xie Pinggang to take the matter seriously and treat girls more gently!


    However, it was fine. He was so cruel to his own sister, he must be fierce to outsiders! Would he not be harming someone else if he married ady?!


    Xie Qiao suddenly felt like giving up.


    Her cough instantly stopped.


    She put the silver notes into her pocket, ¡°You gave me the silver notes. You can move the rest. Everyone who sees it will have a share. Thinking of taking all of them to yourself? That¡¯s not possible!¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao snorted at Xie Pinggang and turned around to go back to her courtyard.


    Xie Pinggang looked at her back and came back to his senses.


    Was she pretending earlier?!


    She had trouble breathing. She looked like she was going to die instantly. So she was pretending?


    Xie Pinggang cursed and kicked a slightly old box.


    ¡°This useless girl, I actually lost to her?!¡± Xie Pinggang was unconvinced.


    They both had the same mother. He was a dignified man, but he was actually slightly inferior now? It was all his fault for being too soft-hearted. Hmph, it was a pity that he could not hang this darn girl up and give her a good beating!


    If only he could beat her up like how he treated Xie Pinghuai, how great would that be?!


    Xie Qiao took a total of 6,000 taels of silver notes.


    Anotherrge sum of money was added to the small treasury.


    Thinking about what Xie Pinggang had said earlier, he asked Chun Er to prepare two small boxes. Then, she took out 4,000 taels of silver and put 2,000 in each box.


    His younger brother and sister were already 13 this year, and they would be able to start a family in a few years.


    It was useless to count on her biological father.


    She could not give her younger brother and sister love since she could not stay close to them, but she had enough money. If she saved up from now on, in a few years, there should be... quite a lot of money in these boxes, right?


    Xie Qiao put away the two boxes in all seriousness.


    She took a nap, while on Xie Mangshan¡¯s side, the world had copsed.


    The house had been sold, and they were only given three days to move.


    In reality, there was not much to move. Xie Mangshan had practically emptied out all his belongings, leaving behind only some very worthless daily necessities.


    When they woke up, the whole house was filled with people, staring at each other in a daze.


    At first, they did not think much of it, but when they returned to their courtyard one by one, the screams almost deafened their neighbors.

 Chapter 488 - The Villain in His Life

    <h4>Chapter 488: The Viin in His Life</h4>


    The olddy looked at the empty box and copsed to the ground. Her mind was ringing, and she felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head, almost knocking her over.


    ¡°Thief! There was a thief!¡± The olddy shouted.


    On the other side, Ms. Jia, Ms. Xin and all of the children rushed out.


    Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin looked at each other, and then burst into tears at the same time, ¡°T-The silver notes that I worked so hard to gather are gone! All of them are gone! The silver that I saved from m-my son to get married is gone!¡±


    As if someone had died, the entire courtyard was filled with wails.


    Xie Congshan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was ferocious as he hurriedly said, ¡°Report to the authorities! Report to the authorities immediately!¡±


    Xie Mangshan just happened to arrive.


    When he heard that, his expression was calm, ¡°Report to the authorities for what? If you lost your things, so be it. They¡¯lle back in the future. Let¡¯s have a good night¡¯s sleep. Tomorrow morning, get up and pack your things. We¡¯re moving out.¡±


    When he said that, everyone¡¯s cries stopped.


    Move out?


    Why would they move out?


    ¡°It was you?! Eldest Brother, was it you? It was no wonder you suddenly bought so much good wine and food. Did you drug all of us?!¡± Xie Congshan said angrily.


    No wonder. It was still early in the morning before, but now, when he opened his eyes, the sky was already dark!


    Xie Mangshan looked at his younger brother who was angrily criticizing him, and all he could think of was what the master had said.


    He was the viin in his life.


    See, he had not told him where the silver went yet, and now he looked like he was going to eat him up. If he knew what he had done, would he not use a de to chop him up?


    ¡°Third Brother, why are you so angry? I did take all the silver. Didn¡¯t I drug you guys because I was worried that you guys would be upset? Don¡¯t worry, the silver and these belongings are not gone. They are all in Second Brother¡¯s house. In a few days, he will return them to us,¡± Xie Mangshan said very calmly.


    However, everyone was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Why did you give them to Second Brother?! He¡¯s wealthy, why does he need us?! Eldest Brother, are you out of your mind? Why are you doing this? The house is empty. What do we eat and wear now?!¡± Xie Congshan was really on the verge of breaking down.


    When he looked at his house earlier, almost everything in the box was gone!


    Not only the silver, his few decent clothes and shoes too were gone!


    Now, he was only left with this set of decent clothes!


    What would he do when he went out in the future? What would he do when he met his friends?! Moreover, his son was already engaged. Without money, how could he get married?!


    ¡°What do you know?! I¡¯m about to face a cmity. I¡¯m spending money to avoid the cmity. I didn¡¯t give the things to anyone else. What are you worried about since I gave them to Second Brother?¡± Xie Mangshan was exhausted. He had been busy all day. It was not easy for him to move so many things, right?


    ¡°Alright, stop talking. Go to bed early. I¡¯ve sold this house. We will move out in three days,¡± Xie Mangshan stopped talking and walked into his house.


    Ms. Xin seemed to have gone insane. She suddenly stood up and pounced on Xie Mangshan, ¡°I¡¯ll fight you! Give me back my silver! Give me back my silver!¡±


    ¡°Pa!¡± Xie Mangshan pped her to the ground.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say where the silver went?! If you continue to stir trouble, I¡¯ll make my Mother divorce you!¡± After Xie Mangshan finished speaking, he thought about his mother. After hesitating for a moment, he went to help the olddy back into the house, ¡°Mother, I have no choice. Let me exin.¡±


    The olddy was stunned. Her lips trembled as she allowed her eldest son to bring her into the house.


    ¡°Mother, a Master predicted my future. There will be a great cmitying. If I don¡¯t lose the money, I will die!¡±

 Chapter 489 - Did You Leave Any Behind?

    <h4>Chapter 489: Did You Leave Any Behind?</h4>


    The olddy stared at her eldest son in shock.


    ¡°Y-You gave all the silver to your Second Brother because of that Master¡¯s nonsense?!¡± The olddy could not believe it. How could her son, who had always been smart, be so muddle-headed?


    Xie Mangshan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense! That Master¡¯s fortune-telling is especially urate, and she¡¯s the Prince¡¯s honored guest! Everyone in that area knows that even the Prince¡¯s steward personally came to give her a thank-you gift! Also, Mother¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I lose my job? Before I lost it, the Master had already predicted it for me, but I didn¡¯t believe it that time! She even predicted that I have a benefactor in my life and said that our family¡¯s money did note the right way. That¡¯s how I attracted the cmity! What she said isn¡¯t wrong at all! These few days, my luck was indeed bad. I was unlucky everywhere I went. I begged the Master for a long time before she was willing to help me remove the cmity!


    ¡°And¡­ Mother, the Master didn¡¯t take a single copper coin from me. If she really wanted my money, would she make me return the money to the benefactor? Wouldn¡¯t she ask me to give it to her directly?¡± Xie Mangshan added.


    Xie Mangshan believed that the master would never deceive him.


    What was there to lie about? And now, the master did not receive any benefits from him!


    They were fated to meet, that was all.


    The olddy listened to her son¡¯s words and waspletely stunned.


    Was the master really that urate?


    ¡°B-But we can¡¯t give all our silver to your Second Brother! Don¡¯t you know what kind of character that wretched girl from his family is? He¡¯s spoiling her. If she makes noise, will your Second Brother still return the silver to us?!¡±


    The olddy hurriedly said.


    These few days, Xie Mangshan had not thought of Xie Qiao at all.


    ¡°When Second Brotheres back, I will have a chat with him after the cmity. Now that I have given all my money to them, perhaps he¡¯d think that I¡¯m not greedy for his money and treat me even better!¡± Xie Mangshan had almost lost his ability to think.


    After giving away so much money and belongings, his own mind was muddled.


    ¡°No! Go and get it back now!¡± The olddy was very persistent.


    That was not a small sum of money. It was the entire family¡¯s wealth!


    ¡°Mother!¡± Xie Mangshan roared, ¡°Do you want me to die? I can¡¯t go and get it! No one is allowed to go until the cmity has passed!¡±


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s face was full of anger, and the olddy was shocked.


    Xie Mangshan knew that his mother doted on him the most. After saying that, he knelt on the ground and cried bitterly. He kept saying that he did not want to die.


    The olddy had given birth to many children in her life, but the one she doted on the most was her eldest son.


    In her eyes, her eldest son was the most sensible, capable, and filial. He would support her in the future.


    Naturally, she did not want anything to happen to her eldest son.


    ¡°The Master you mentioned¡­ Take me to her¡­¡± the olddy said again.


    ¡°Mother, this Master is usually very busy. She¡¯s rarely at the shop. You have no idea. asionally, when she¡¯s around, she only sees three people a day. But every morning, there are more than a hundred people waiting in line! I was there every day for the past few days and witnessed it with my own eyes! And you really don¡¯t have to worry. She¡¯s different from the scammer who set up the stall on the street. Her shop is on Eastern Street, and the shop on Eastern Street is very expensive. Would such a wealthy person deceive me?¡± Xie Mangshan exined.


    The olddy had a natural trust in her eldest son.


    When she heard that her eldest son was so confident, she felt a little better.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you were doing this? You even drugged me¡­¡± The olddy calmed herself down, ¡°Don¡¯t me your Third Brother for being angry. It wasn¡¯t easy for us to get what we had. What are we going to eat after you sent everything away¡­¡±


    At this point, the olddy¡¯s expression changed, ¡°How much money do we have left? Did you leave any behind?¡±

 Chapter 490 - Time for Payback

    <h4>Chapter 490: Time for Payback</h4>


    The olddy was a little worried.


    She was old and her body was not in good shape. She really could not bear the pain. Moreover, her legs fractured. She needed to consume more bone soup to heal.


    ¡°Master said that if I was not sincere and held the belongings in my hands, the cmity would be much bigger¡­¡± Xie Mangshan frowned.


    When the olddy heard that, she could not take it and fainted.


    As for the others, they wished they could drag Xie Mangshan over and interrogate him thoroughly.


    However, Xie Mangshan had the most authority in the family over the years. The entire family only dared to cry at that moment.


    After crying for the entire night, the olddy woke up and called everyone over.


    ¡°A-All of you are not allowed to me my eldest son. All of you w-will go to your house to pack your things and see how much money you can gather¡­ Also¡­ First and Second Daughter-inw, go to your mother¡¯s house to get some money back,¡± the olddy added.


    All these years, she had given those two families many benefits. Now that the family was in trouble, they had to pay for it.


    Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin were upset.


    Especially Ms. Xin, she said immediately, ¡°Eldest Brother took all the silver from our house and now he wants me to go to my Mother to borrow more. I can¡¯t bring myself to do that! If my Mother asks what happened, what should I say?!¡±


    When the olddy heard that, she smashed a shoe horn on Ms. Xin¡¯s face.


    ¡°He took the silver for the sake of our future! We¡¯ll get the money back! Your family has taken so much from us, can¡¯t they return some now? Go and ask for the money immediately. If you don¡¯t get any, don¡¯te back! In the future, no matter how wealthy my family is, it has nothing to do with you!¡± The olddy said angrily.


    When she said that, Ms. Xin immediately became listless.


    Now, they could not say anything.


    Although the family¡¯s money was gone, the rtionship between the family and Xie Niushan was still there¡­


    At that moment, the entire family was ming Xie Mangshan. However, due to Xie Mangshan¡¯s solemn vow, they did not dare to say anything more.


    They obediently followed the olddy¡¯s order.


    Little did they know that the olddy was secretly ufortable. However, her eldest son was her backbone. Now, other than listening to her eldest son, she had no other choice.


    The whole family packed their things.


    Only a few small pieces of silver were found.


    In the end, the entire family¡¯s jewelry and silver pieces added up to only about 80 taels of silver!


    The amount was a lot for the Xie family in the past, but the olddy and the rest were used to spending moneyvishly.


    For an ordinary farmer, 80 taels of silver was enough to be spent for a lifetime, but for the olddy¡­


    No matter how frugal she was, she could only spend for a month!


    There were so many people in the house¡­


    The olddy¡¯s hands trembled as she wrapped the silver.


    Xie Mangshan stared at the silver.


    However, he did not make a move. He knew that if he did not even keep this silver, they would not be able to eat for their next meal.


    He thought his sincerity should be enough. With only this little bit left, they should be fine¡­


    Three dayster, the people came to collect the house. Only then did the whole family move out slowly.


    Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin tried their best, and they only got 50 taels of silver from their families.


    The olddy asked Xie Congshan to rent a cheap courtyard.


    The courtyard was iparable to the one that Xie Niushan had bought. Not only was the house shabby, it was small. With so many people crowded inside, it was very ufortable.


    The whole family was counting on Xie Mangshan to get the money back as soon as possible.

 Chapter 491 - Looks Different

    <h4>Chapter 491: Looks Different</h4>


    Ms. Jia did not feel at ease now that she had borrowed money from her family. She began to urge the olddy to marry Jia Huan to Xie Pinggang as soon as possible.


    However, Xie Mangshan had thrown away the wedding invitation a long time ago.


    ¡°She can¡¯t do it. The Master said that that girl doesn¡¯t get along with Pinggang. If she marries him, it would be bad for her family. She even said that her maiden family would not amass wealth. Our family¡­¡± Xie Mangshan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Ms. Jia is her aunt. She can be considered half of her maiden family, right? It won¡¯t do.¡±


    He had a good rtionship with Ms. Jia. If he did not treat the Jia family well, then it would be terrible for him as well.


    The moment the olddy heard the word ¡®master¡¯, she felt her mind ringing.


    ¡°But this matter has long been settled. We agreed that Jia Huan would marry him. Now that we¡¯re going back on our words, the Jia family would be upset. And now we owe them money¡­¡± The olddy was worried about too many things at that moment.


    ¡°Who gets them the opportunity to move to the capital? We¡¯ve only borrowed 50 taels of silver now. What makes them think they have the right to demand anything?¡± Xie Mangshan had a look of disdain.


    It was only 50 taels of silver. When he was rich, he once went to a restaurant and bought people a meal. It was only one table, and he had already spent that amount of money!


    Only the Jia family that had not seen the world would be so reluctant to part with their money.


    ¡°When will this cmity pass?¡± The olddy asked again.


    There had to be a time limit, right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Master in the next few days to see if it has been resolved. We¡¯ll talk about it when the timees,¡± Xie Mangshan was even more worried.


    Now, he did not dare to go out simply. He was worried that he would be struck by that cmity and he would lose his poor life just like that.


    The olddy sighed faintly. She was filled with helplessness and grievance.


    She did not eat anything good the past few days. There was little meat, and they were nd¡­


    She only hoped that the master could solve the cmity soon. She also hoped that her second son woulde back as soon as possible. Otherwise¡­ it would not be easy to take back the things from Xie Pinggang and Xie Qiao!


    At that moment, the ¡°master¡± was sitting at a regr teahouse.


    She was wearing a veiled hat to show her modesty.


    She was wearing the simplest blue outerwear. Although it looked proper, it was much lighter than what she wore during the new year.


    Xie Qiao was upstairs, looking down from above. She tilted her head slightly and could see the situation below.


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang was sitting below and waiting for someone.


    Not long after, a schr walked over. He respectfully bowed to Xie Pinggang and cupped his hands before sitting down.


    From Xie Qiao¡¯s direction, she could see the man¡¯s face clearly.


    However¡­


    ¡°Young Lady, what¡¯s wrong?¡± It was rare for Chun Er to be out with Xie Qiao, so she was very excited.


    Especially when she knew that the first youngdy was checking someone out.


    ¡°This person looks different from the portrait,¡± Xie Qiao ced the portrait in front of her.


    Chun Er stared at the portrait and then looked at the person below. She looked confused, ¡°It¡¯s the same person, no?¡±


    The face and the nose, was it not the same person?


    The portrait was pretty good.


    Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°Look carefully. In this portrait, this man¡¯s nose bridge is tall and straight, clean and spotless. Look at that person again. Isn¡¯t his nose bridge a little short? His nose is shorter than the portrait.¡±


    Chun Er shook her head in confusion.


    She could not tell.


    ¡°His nose isn¡¯t particrly short, but looking at his facial features, it upies an inappropriate position. His appearance is bad luck to him. It looks like a face that will never be wealthy. Even though he has a good bone structure, it still can¡¯t change his bad luck,¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    To put it simply, although this nose of his was not ugly, it coincidentally did not match this face.


    It was like¡­


    A dog crawling into a yard full of orchids. No matter how good the image was, the dog would still destroy the garden.

 Chapter 492 - Taken A Fancy to Him!

    <h4>Chapter 492: Taken A Fancy to Him!</h4>


    With a single nce, Xie Qiao understood why this person was so poor.


    ¡°Perhaps the artist didn¡¯t paint him carefully enough,¡± Chun Er said.


    In reality, she still could not tell what the difference was¡­


    Could it be that there was something wrong with her eyes?! Chun Er wanted to cry, but no tears came out.


    ¡°Something¡¯s still not right,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s brows furrowed, and she looked like she was in a difficult position, ¡°My Eldest Brother said that this person has literary talent. I saw the portrait and indeed, he does have literary talent, but this person is different in real life. Although he looks good, his physiognomy is quite terrible, and he definitely doesn¡¯t look intelligent or talented.¡±


    Xie Qiao was very conflicted.


    Her eldest brother might be wrong, this person had neither talent nor money.


    However, why was it so coincidental that the talent matched her brother¡¯s description based on the portrait?


    Xie Qiao could not understand.


    She could not understand and felt very ufortable. Her entire body was giving off a strange feeling.


    When Chun Er saw Xie Qiao frowning so much, she could not help but sigh, ¡°Young Lady, you shouldn¡¯t think too much. Since he doesn¡¯t look good, we won¡¯t look at him anymore.¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Something was wrong. She did not feelfortable not knowing if her eldest brother had been deceived or if there was something wrong with the portrait.


    Xie Qiao stared in that direction in a daze. Xie Pinggang took some time to look up. When he saw Xie Qiao turn toward that direction, he was overjoyed.


    She must have taken a fancy to him!


    Great! The matter could finally be settled!


    Xie Pinggang was over the moon. The more he looked at the person in front of him, the more he liked him.


    After chatting with him for a while, Xie Pinggang quickly went upstairs and sat in front of Xie Qiao. He asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? Does this person look good?¡±


    ¡°Eldest Brother, you were lying when you said that he¡¯s very talented, right?¡± Xie Qiao frowned and asked.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned, ¡°What? He wrote many poems. I heard that they sell his poetry books in the bookstore. He¡¯s somewhat famous!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He doesn¡¯t have any talent!¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and looked down. He saw the man¡¯s hand holding the cup.


    At this distance, although she could not see the man¡¯s expression clearly, she could see the appearance of his hand clearly.


    ¡°His palm is thin, and the bones around it protrude. This is a tilted fate. People with such palms are usually lowly and uneducated,¡± Xie Qiao spoke first.


    Unfortunately, she could not see the lines on his palms.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pair of hands, how can you tell all that?¡± Xie Pinggang did not believe it.


    Xie Qiao snorted, she nced at his hands, ¡°One can also see the characteristics of a person from their fingers. People with long and slender fingers are usually smarter. People with thick fingers live longer. People with thin fingers are more dull. They look like weaklings. As for the color of hands¡­ Those that are slightly yellow and smooth is the sign of wealth, and it¡¯s the opposite when the palms are dark and thin. Those that are slightly green and smooth are more loyal and kind. People with fair and clean skin are more rxed¡­¡±


    Of course, these things were not fixed. She would have to look at the person as a whole.


    Moreover, there were also differences in the lines on the palms. That was even moreplicated.


    Xie Pinggang looked at his hands.


    It was rosy. How could she see any other colors?


    ¡°Big Brother, look at that person¡¯s nails and then look at yours. What¡¯s the difference?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said.


    Xie Pinggang was confused. He nced at them and said, ¡°His hands are quite fair¡­¡±


    ¡°You told me that he¡¯s talented, very talented. However, most of the talented people are proud and ambitious. The fingernails are rted to liver qi. A person who is ambitious has hard fingernails. If the fingernails are short and soft, then this person is timid and is incapable of doing anything. He would start something and not finish it.¡±


    Her eldest brother¡¯s fingernails were harder, his personality was upright and determined.

 Chapter 493 - Good Luck Is Coming

    <h4>Chapter 493: Good Luck Is Coming</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang was confused.


    Xie Qiao said again, ¡°His fingernails are quite clean, but didn¡¯t you see that they¡¯re cracked? This person... loves to bite his nails, so he¡¯s still suspicious. Look at the back of his hands. His bones are deep and tendons protrude. He has many worries and little joy. His bones are hard and thin, and his veins are shallow andrge. He¡¯s muddle-headed, and he¡¯s lonely, poor, foolish, and ignorant.¡±


    He was talented?


    That was absolutely impossible.


    It was possible that this suspicious and timid person was talented, unless he had enough advantages in other aspects, such as his family background, his parents, and other congenital conditions. It would still be fine.


    However, this person¡¯s loneliness and poverty were obvious. It could be seen that his congenital conditions were terrible.


    In this situation, no matter what, he could not be the kind of person that her eldest brother said he was. He was not confident enough at all!


    ¡°Did you stare at him earlier because he... has terrible physiognomy?¡± Xie Pinggang looked at her in all seriousness.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, all the good things you said are in this portrait. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡± Xie Qiao pointed at the portrait, ¡°If this is a living person in the portrait, then he is really like what you said. He¡¯s a rich schr.¡±


    Xie Pinggang looked at the portrait, ¡°Isn¡¯t this him? There¡¯s no difference!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference!¡± Xie Qiao was very stubborn.


    ¡®It¡¯s just that a pig like you can¡¯t tell the difference!¡¯


    Xie Qiao put the portrait away. After thinking for a moment, she asked, ¡°Where did this portraite from?¡±


    ¡°I snatched it from the schr¡¯s inn,¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s tone was a little ufortable.


    Seeing Xie Qiao staring at her, he exined, ¡°That day, I went to the schr¡¯s inn for a drink. I wanted to see if there were any suitable schrs there. With a nce, I saw that this person looked good, so I took off the portrait and chatted with him.¡±


    ¡°The schr¡¯s inn?¡± Xie Qiao was surprised.


    She knew that the schr¡¯s inn was where schrs loved to live.


    The imperial examination will be held in a few days. There should be quite a number of students from other ces that frequented the schr¡¯s inn. It was said that the schr¡¯s inn would even draw portraits of some talented students and hang them on the wall.


    ¡°The schr¡¯s inn wouldn¡¯t simply draw portraits of students, right?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly asked.


    ¡°It seems so. Those who are painted are people who havepeted in the schr¡¯s inn and have their talent acknowledged by the people there,¡± Xie Pinggang nodded.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression changed.


    Looking at the person below, she asked her eldest brother, ¡°Did he say that he will participate in the imperial examination in spring this year?¡±


    ¡°I asked and said he will, but...¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a moment, ¡°This person is quite different from the schrs I have seen. When other schrs mention the imperial examination, they will be more nervous or show some worry. He is quite calm, and... At this time, most schrs are not willing to be out and about.¡±


    Even if a person was very confident, when faced with such a big event like the imperial examination, it was impossible for him to act as if nothing had happened.


    After listening to Xie Qiao¡¯s analysis earlier, Xie Pinggang thought it was a little strange.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, let me read your fortune,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said with a serious expression.


    Xie Pinggang sat up straight.


    Xie Qiao took out a few copper coins on the spot. The tea cup shook with a loud thud and was ced on the table. Then, she closed her eyes and memorized the ce and the coin¡¯s side. After going back and forth a few times, her expression became serious.


    Xie Pinggang was scared stiff by her weird look.


    ¡°Hurry up. The one below is waiting for me,¡± Xie Pinggang urged.


    Soon, Xie Qiao said, ¡°Eldest Brother¡¯s good luck ising.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xie Pinggang was confused.


    Xie Qiao looked at the person below, ¡°There must be litigation in front of you. Eldest Brother, you¡¯re facing a variable. Do you dare to take it?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was speechless. He thought this girl was out of her mind and she should be gotten rid of.


    What kind of nonsense was that?

 Chapter 494 - Tear Your Belly Open

    <h4>Chapter 494: Tear Your Belly Open</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was having a headache. Chun Er, who was standing by the side, was also very confused.


    Xie Qiao said straightforwardly, ¡°Eldest Brother, walk down from here. When you see that man, grab his arms and tie him up. Bring him to the criminal division. You¡¯ll see what happens within two days.¡±


    Xie Pinggang almost hit Xie Qiao¡¯s head when he heard that, ¡°I brought you here today to look at this man. You want me to bring him to the criminal division?! What crime did hemit?¡±


    ¡°I suspect that he pretended to be a schr. Eldest Brother, this is a serious crime, right?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    A graduate was a reserve official that could start working when necessary.


    Xie Pinggang frowned, ¡°You made this assumption based on your deduction earlier?¡±


    ¡°Those are enough proof. If you look at his hands again¡­¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    Xie Pinggang almost spat out a mouthful of blood.


    She wanted him to look at his hands again?!


    What¡¯s so good about a man¡¯s hands?!


    However, thinking of that, Xie Pinggang still looked over.


    He looked and stared hard, trying to see anything different.


    Maybe Xie Qiao had said too much, but now Xie Pinggang really thought¡­ It was a little strange.


    ¡°This person¡¯s hands don¡¯t seem to belong to a schr,¡± Xie Pinggang muttered to himself, then he took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ve seen a schr¡¯s hands before. As they hold a brush all year round, the shape of their hands would change slightly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I suspect that there¡¯s something wrong with his identity. It makes sense,¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    After all, his eldest brother was a member of the criminal division, so he was not a fool.


    ¡°But if you nder a schr, especially before the imperial examination, it would be serious,¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was grim.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said that this is an opportunity,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone became a little softer.


    Xie Pinggang realized that this girl was very fickle-minded.


    When he was analyzing everything earlier, Xie Qiao was like a hedgehog, raising all of her thorns. Her eyes were shining with a sharp gleam, and her aura was a little scary. However, at that moment, she instantly became like a harmless, fluffy little rabbit.


    ¡°Let me think about it,¡± Xie Pinggang was a little hesitant.


    ¡°Hurry up! The man below is waiting for you,¡± Xie Qiao repeated what Xie Pinggang said earlier.


    Xie Pinggang clenched his fist and almost swung it over.


    He tried hard to think of the times he met that man below. He was trying to recall if there was anything wrong with him.


    As he thought about that, his face became more and more solemn.


    In the end, he stood up and wanted to go downstairs.


    Step by step, he approached the man and walked behind him. His hand was ced on his shoulder. Then, he actually pulled out a soft whip from his chest pocket, grabbed the person¡¯s neck, and dragged him out!


    ¡°The First Young Master r-really captured him?¡± Chun Er was stunned.


    ¡°You have to believe me. Good luck ising, Eldest Brother,¡± Xie Qiao raised her brows.


    How was she bringing lethal fate to her family?


    Look, was Xie Pinggang not living a prosperous life now?


    That person had his neck tied, so he could only follow Xie Pinggang. He struggled along the way. Due to his fame, people quickly recognized him.


    Xie Pinggang took the man to the criminal division. Someone beat the drum for the hearing.


    The schr was called Wen Lancheng.


    Zhao Xuanjing soon learned that Xie Pinggang had caught a schr. When he arrived at the criminal division, there were many people protesting due to dissatisfaction.


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang had tied him up. There was a torture instrument in front of him, ready to take him at any time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve suspected that you don¡¯t look like a schr since earlier. Are you going to confess? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll tear your belly open,¡± Xie Pinggang was very fierce.

 Chapter 495 - Why Are You Trembling

    <h4>Chapter 495: Why Are You Trembling</h4>


    Just as Xie Pinggang was about to be sentenced, his superior arrived.


    Looking at the person that Xie Pinggang had arrested, he was furious, ¡°Xie Pinggang! Do you know who you have arrested?! This person is going to take the examination soon!¡±


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I arrested him. I suspect that he is an imposter!¡± Xie Pinggang was calm.


    He had already caught him. No matter what, he had to get a ruling.


    If he was wronged, he would have his head severed.


    Moreover, since he dared to capture him, it was definitely not only because of what Xie Qiao said, but also because he had thought of many odd things.


    For instance, the first time they met was at a brothel. At that time, Wen Lancheng gave his new poem to thedies. Thedies looked at him with admiration and asked him what the poem meant. What did he tell them?


    The expression on his face when he exined it was like¡­


    It was like when he was reading the poem out loud from memory!


    It was not vivid at all, and there were asional pauses!


    He had seen other schrs recite their poems. Each and every one of them was as if they had taken aphrodisiacs. They talked endlessly, full of confidence!


    Even if they were very reserved, there would be a hint of madness in their eyes.


    This person was obviously different from other schrs!


    Also, when they drank together earlier, this man had asked someone to serve a pot of tea.


    The tea scalded his hand. Other than the pain, he did not show the slightest sign of worry¡­


    The imperial examination wasing up in a few days. A normal schr would attach great importance to his hands, but he did not care at all. The weather was cold, and his hands were so cold that they were red. He did not even know where to hide¡­


    In such a situation¡­


    Coupled with the issues that Xie Qiao had mentioned, that was why he dared to capture him.


    However, it was useless to say these things out loud. It was just his one-sided opinion. The superior would only think that he was crazy.


    ¡°Quickly release him. Do you know how chaotic it is out there now? Do you want to be taken to the imperial court tomorrow?!¡± The superior asked again.


    He did not dare to provoke Xie Pinggang. After all, he had the Crown Prince backing him.


    Just as he thought of the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince came.


    He stepped into the torture room with his gold-threaded ck boots. He nced at Xie Pinggang and asked, ¡°What crime did this personmit?¡±


    Xie Pinggang restrained himself in front of the Crown Prince, ¡°Your Highness, this person¡¯s behavior is different from ordinary schrs, so I captured him and interrogated him.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    Then, he looked at Wen Lancheng in front of him and said, ¡°Mountains far away, with chaotic clouds surrounding it. Green Mountain at dawn¡­ Tell me what¡¯s the second part of the poem.¡±


    After a long time, the tied man said nothing.


    ¡°Recite the third chapter of the Literature Collection,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said again.


    The person across from him still said nothing. He opened his mouth, but he looked like he could not bring himself to say it.


    Zhao Xuanjing snorted, ¡°Great. Minister Xie has good judgement. Interrogate this person thoroughly. Even if he isn¡¯t pretending, he must be a fraud in the exam room. If he doesn¡¯t give an exnation within two hours, chop off these fingers one by one and feed them to him. If he is still alive two dayster, chop off his head, stuff it in his stomach, then throw him to the wolves.¡±


    The official¡¯s face trembled.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Xie Pinggang replied excitedly.


    He was thinking of getting someone to bring a few books so that this man could recite them!


    The Crown Prince was brilliant. He could ask questions without any books. Amazing!


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The official was in a difficult position.


    ¡°Why are you trembling? With me here, I will protect you all,¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was calm as he nced at the criminal.

 Chapter 496 - Bringing Disaster to the Country and the People

    <h4>Chapter 496: Bringing Disaster to the Country and the People</h4>


    Once the matter of the graduate was out, those who had long disliked the Crown Prince began to take action.


    Some entered the pce, and some filledints.


    They were busy.


    Of course, Xie Pinggang was also one of those who were beingined.


    Early the next morning, Zhao Xuanjing was immediately wanted at the pce, along with Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang was a low-ranking official of the sixth grade, so he was not qualified to enter the imperial court at all. It was his first time there.


    He knelt in front of the imperial court and upied the space of two people by himself. He did not cower and knelt neatly. When he bowed, he was full of energy and did not show the slightest bit of guilt.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this Xie Pinggang captured that graduate without any reason. It¡¯s a pity that the graduate has to go to the examination alone. He has no father, mother, and brother. If it wasn¡¯t for his talent that has impressed many, even if this person died in the criminal division, no one would stand up for him!¡± A minister stood out, ¡°Your Majesty, please im justice for Wen Lancheng! Clear his name and punish the culprit severely!¡±


    ¡°This graduate is the pir of the country. How can he be humiliated like this? Your Majesty, Xie Pinggang is a bandit and is not fit to be an official. Your Majesty, please take him down and restore peace to the court!¡±


    ¡°The Crown Prince is the foundation of the country. How can he associate with such a vulgar and reckless person? If he allowed this person to surround and capture the graduate today, wouldn¡¯t he shake the entire Qianyuan tomorrow? His Highness has lost his virtue. He should reflect on himself!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Once these words were said, arge group of people below knelt.


    ¡°We agree.¡±


    The voices were loud.


    Xie Pinggang looked at this scene and was quite shocked.


    Was the Crown Prince so annoying? When they said that they were going to remove him from his position, these officials did not have such a big reaction. The moment the Crown Prince was mentioned, their buttocks were lifted so high from the kneel that they were going to piece into the sky.


    The Emperor¡¯s face was gloomy and he was extremely upset.


    These officials wished that they could stare at the Crown Prince all day long and question his every move!


    The moment the Crown Prince showed the slightest bit of inappropriateness, they would immediately be like a swarm of bees that came out of their nest, buzzing and making a racket!


    A bunch of dogs were moring to depose the Crown Prince again!


    Saying that the Crown Prince had lost his virtue, only asking him to reflect on himself? It sounded appropriate, but once he nodded and agreed, after a few days of self-reflection, these dogs would ask to execute the next step.


    The Emperor¡¯s face was grim, ¡°Crown Prince, what do you say?¡±


    He, the Crown Prince, was good at everything, but he did not know how to win people¡¯s hearts. That was why he was attacked by so many people!


    He really wished that he could r-remove all of them!


    Zhao Xuanjing stepped forward, his face like a spring breeze. He looked neither hurried nor slow. Seeing that, the Emperor felt much better, and his tone became gentler, ¡°Did that Wen Lancheng say something rebellious? A little graduate dares to do this. He deserves to be yed alive!¡±


    The faces of the ministers twitched a few times.


    They almost broke down.


    Wen Lancheng did not do anything!


    The Emperor could not be trying to force the crime on Wen Lancheng, right?


    It was too terrifying.


    In ancient times, there were vicious concubines who brought disaster to the country, but now there was the Crown Prince who brought disaster to the people!


    Zhao Xuanjing took out a confession from his pocket and asked a eunuch to pass it to the Emperor¡¯s table.


    ¡°Father, take a look. Minister Xie didn¡¯t catch Wen Lancheng, but Huang Song. He was just a craftsman who made paper art,¡± the Crown Prince said warmly.


    ¡°Impossible. Many people saw him. It was Wen Lancheng himself!¡± The people on the Fourth Prince¡¯s side were triggered.


    However, he was still young and was still studying. He could not see the loyalty of his people at all.


    Xie Pinggang said bluntly, ¡°The Crown Prince and I interrogated him through the night. We have investigated it clearly. This person, Huang Song, met Wen Lancheng by chance one day. The two of them looked almost identical. They were like old friends at first sight! Therefore, they had frequent interactions. However, Huang Song coveted Wen Lancheng¡¯s property, so he tied him up and took over his property!¡±

 Chapter 497 - No Fortune in His Fate

    <h4>Chapter 497: No Fortune in His Fate</h4>


    Yesterday¡¯s scare was very effective. Even before the punishment, Huang Song had alreadye clean.


    Although Wen Lancheng¡¯s parents had both died, there was much family business left behind.


    He and his errand boy went to the capital to take the examination. They stayed at the schr¡¯s inn first. After buying a mansion, they moved out and invited Huang Song to stay for a long time.


    Huang Song thought the two of them looked the same and their backgrounds were equally pitiful. However, Wen Lancheng had a wealthy family and was talented. Hemented that the heavens were unfair. With jealousy, he tied him up. Initially, he wanted to kill him, but during the act of murder, there was a fire in the mansion. In a hurry, he escaped with Wen Lancheng. The errand boy was burned to death.


    The reason why he brought Wen Lancheng was because the fire had burned other property. If Wen Lancheng died, the possibility of him disguising himself would be low. He would be as poor as before!


    He tied Wen Lancheng up in the paper craft store.


    Every day, he forced Wen Lancheng to write lyrics and songs and sell them to bookstores or brothels. He became slightly famous and received some money.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Wen Lancheng has been saved, but he has been locked up for too long. His health iscking, so he¡¯s resting at the criminal division at the moment. When the imperial examinationes, he should be able to sit for it!¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    Huang Song was unlucky.


    There was no fortune in his fate.


    Just as he was about to disguised into Wen Lancheng, Wen Lancheng¡¯s house was destroyed and his belongings were burned.


    Furthermore, Wen Lancheng was shocked and started to get sick.


    However, even if this talented person was sick, his writing skills were better than the average person¡¯s.


    Huang Song used the money he earned and spent more than half of it to buy medicine for Wen Lancheng. He was afraid that after he died, he would lose his money generator.


    Moreover, it was not easy to pretend to be a schr. He had to buy ink, paper, inkstone, and books. His clothes had to be decent. Therefore, Huang Song sold many poems, but he was still¡­ very poor!


    After Xie Pinggang finished speaking, the ministers were all dumbfounded.


    That graduate who was caught¡­ was an imposter?!


    The Crown Prince and Xie Pinggang did not humiliate the graduate, but¡­ they saved Wen Lancheng?!


    That was impossible, right?


    However, it was difficult to fake this matter. Wen Lancheng was taking the imperial examination¡­ In a few days, he will appear in front of everyone!


    The ministers who were speaking with conviction were about to faint.


    It was over.


    What did they say earlier?! They said that the Crown Prince indulged Xie Pinggang and insulted the graduate. He could not differentiate right from wrong and did not understand ck from white. They even asked the Crown Prince to reflect on himself?!


    Everyone reacted quickly. They could not be med by the Emperor. They immediately admitted their mistakes, ¡°Your subjects deserve to die!¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s gaze scanned through the group of wretched fools below. The more he looked, the more he despised them.


    ¡°All of you know that the Crown Prince is the foundation of the country, but why do you always want to crumble the foundation?! You guys didn¡¯t even investigate the matter of the graduate. One after another, theints piled up like snowkes, all for the sake of embarrassing the Crown Prince?! From what I see, all of you want to shake the foundation of the Qianyuan empire!¡±


    The Emperor was furious.


    Therge group of dejected people below did not even dare to say anything.


    The Emperor was really upset.


    Before the Crown Prince turned twelve, all the civil and military officials did not have any objection to him being the Crown Prince. Everyone in the world thought it was a good choice for him to be the Crown Prince.


    However, ever since his arm was injured, it was no longer the same.


    They could not see the Crown Prince¡¯s intelligence, nor could they care about his abilities. They only focused on the problem with his arm and turned a blind eye to everything else!


    However, it was just slightly inconvenient for his son to move his arm around. How was be crippled?


    Moreover, even if he was crippled, it was because he wanted to save his father. Why would a pure and filial person, setting an example for the world, not be the Crown Prince?!

 Chapter 498 - Alone

    <h4>Chapter 498: Alone</h4>


    The Emperor tossed theints on the floor of the imperial court.


    It looked like he was very angry.


    Following that, the Emperor began to criticize them one by one.


    Some had their sry deducted, some were demoted. Naturally, the punishment could not be too harsh.


    At that moment, the Emperor wanted to promote the Crown Prince¡¯s people.


    However, looking around, there were not many members on the Crown Prince¡¯s team.


    The Crown Prince was good at everything, but he did not like to rope in the courtiers. Other than a few old courtiers who knew his intentions, there were not many people who would speak up for the Crown Prince.


    Other than the useless officials in the East Pce, the Crown Prince¡¯s trusted aides were only his personal guards.


    Those guards were initially selected by the Crown Prince from the aristocratic families, so they should have some connections. However, the Crown Prince was too direct, and the guards he selected were mostly marginal figures in the aristocratic families.


    As such, the favors that were given to him were useless.


    In addition, the Crown Prince had a stubborn temper that he would not tolerate anything¡­


    Over the years, he had often gone out to handle cases. He had handled countless big cases, and at the same time, he had also defeated countless ministers.


    Now, these ministers looked at him, and they were all afraid that they would be criticized by the Crown Prince¡­


    If that was the case, who would dare to get close to him?


    He had not even be the Emperor yet, and he was already alone¡­


    The Emperor sighed.


    He had tried to persuade him many times, but after his son¡¯s arm was injured, he did not have any other hobbies. He was always offending people. What else could the Emperor do?


    The Emperor was worried. As he was worried, he saw Xie Pinggang.


    Then, he was stunned for a moment. Subsequently, a hint of joy appeared on his old face.


    Could it be that the Crown Prince¡­ was enlightened?


    Was this not his trusted aide? And he was even personally groomed by the Crown Prince himself¡­


    Thus, the Emperor looked at Xie Pinggang as if he was looking at his daughter-inw. He was thinking about whether he could move this man¡¯s position a little higher.


    However, he knew the situation of the Zhou family¡¯s big crime. His official position could be said to have just been decided. If it was changed so quickly, it would be inappropriate¡­


    The Emperor felt pity.


    If he could not be awarded an official position, then he would give him something else. He should let people know that if they followed the Crown Prince, they would win the Emperor¡¯s heart. There would be many benefits.


    Reward, reward, reward!


    Xie Pinggang did not say much. He only briefly described Huang Song¡¯s case. However, when he came out of the pce¡­ There were many eunuchs following behind him. They carried the Emperor¡¯s rewards all the way back to the Xie Residence.


    The news spread very quickly.


    Many people in the academy also heard that Xie Pinggang had been rewarded.


    Xie Qiao was very popr now. Therefore, when the Emperor¡¯s gifts arrived, it did not take long for her ssmates to send her gifts.


    There were also some people who were watching and felt jealous at the moment.


    Even if they could not befriend this person, they should not offend her. So many people gave her gifts. If they did not interact with each other, if there was any evidence in Xie Pinggang¡¯s hands in the future, would it not be a death sentence?!


    Thus, on the second day, Xie Qiao received gifts until her hands were sore.


    She did not even have time to go to ss.


    The steward was going out of his mind.


    ¡°Young Lady, there¡¯s finally something in our storeroom!¡± The steward¡¯s tears flowed down his face, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle! Miracle!¡±


    Xie Qiaoughed dryly.


    Was it really that miserable?


    ¡°This old servant has already registered the items. Now that we have received so many gifts, we will have to return the favor in the future. Sigh¡­¡± the steward sighed. It would be even better if they kept receiving gifts and did not have to return any.


    Fortunately, not every family could give what the Emperor rewarded the first young master. The other people only gave them small gifts.


    No matter what, it was a win for their family.

 Chapter 499 - Keeping Them to Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 499: Keeping Them to Yourself</h4>


    The Xie family received some gifts. In order to express her gratitude to her ssmates, Xie Qiao invited them over.


    They were all young people, so it was very lively.


    Xie Pinggang was very tactful. He knew that he had a scary reputation, so he stayed far away.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s side was filled with happy events, but it was a different story on Xie Mangshan¡¯s side.


    The hundred taels of silver was simply not enough to spend. More than half was spent on renting the courtyard, and the people in this family had not changed from living a luxurious life. They had to eat meat and snacks every day.


    Even though the olddy deliberately controlled the expenses of the family, there were just too many things that they needed to spend on.


    Moreover, Xie Congshan still had to work, so it was inevitable that he would consume some of the money to eat out with his friends.


    As the silver became less and less, he could only tighten his clothes and eat less.


    Xie Congshan¡¯s expression became grimmer and grimmer.


    After enduring for a few days, he finally went to the Xie Residence.


    The steward was very polite and weed him in. Xie Congshan looked left and right before finally sitting in the hall. He said to the steward, ¡°I have something important to speak to Pinggang about. Get him to see me. If Xie Qiao is here, she cane as well.¡±


    No matter what, someone who could make a decision muste.


    The steward smiled and said, ¡°Third Master, my First Young Master is interrogating prisoners at the criminal division. The First Young Lady is even busier. The academy has many courses and she can¡¯t leave just yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, since both of them are not here, I will say it directly. Go and get the things that my Eldest Brother brought over the other day. I want to bring them home,¡± Xie Congshan said again.


    The steward had already guessed his purpose of visit.


    At that moment, he was not surprised at all when he heard that. He even said with a smile, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand what Third Master means¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending to be a fool! My Eldest Brother is a fool, but I¡¯m not. Hurry up and return the items. Otherwise, I¡¯ll stir a ruckus here!¡± Xie Congshan clenched his teeth and said.


    His son¡¯s wedding date had been set. If he did not have the silver, what would he do if the wedding did not work out?!


    The steward smiled.


    ¡°Third Master, unless our First Young Master or First Young Lady agrees, as a servant, I don¡¯t have the right to move the things in the house out.¡±


    ¡°Those are my things!¡± Xie Congshan panicked when he heard that.


    ¡°First Young Master said that if those things entered our house, they belong to us. I think Third Master is very clear about this, right?¡± The steward was still very stubborn.


    Xie Congshan was extremely furious.


    However, what could he do?! He came here alone. Even if he tried to snatch it, he would not have the ability to do that!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t return the things to me, I will go to the administrative office to sue you guys! If Xie Pinggang isn¡¯t afraid of losing his dignity, he can keep the things!¡± When Xie Congshan thought of his belongings, his heart ached so much that he could not sleep. Recently, he had lost a lot of weight!


    ¡°Third Master, what do you want to sue them for? Those things were initially given to you by our family. If First Master returns it, our family will think of his good deeds. However, if you sue us because of this, it won¡¯t make sense. Moreover¡­ to tell you the truth, our First Young Master recently received the Emperor¡¯spliment. There are many people sending us gifts one after another. Do we have to return them?¡± The steward said in all seriousness.


    Xie Congshan clenched his fists, ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re not going to return them?! Didn¡¯t my Eldest Brother tell you to keep them for the time being?! You¡¯re keeping them to yourself?!¡±


    Xie Congshan had been holding on to hope for the past few days. Now that he heard the steward say that, he felt the blood in his body had stopped flowing.

 Chapter 500 - Debt Collection

    <h4>Chapter 500: Debt Collection</h4>


    Xie Pinggang had told the steward a long time ago, so the steward was very calm at the moment.


    ¡°Our First Young Master said that when our Master became an official back then, he thought of his family back home, so he brought you guys to the capital. He was worried that you would not be able to adapt to life here, so he specially lent a house and money for you guys to live in and spend. Now that years have passed, all of you have settled down in the capital. It¡¯s indeed time to pay back the things that you borrowed back then.


    ¡°Of course, our First Young Master also said that you would not be able to pay back so much money. Since we¡¯re all rtives, you¡¯ll just pay back whatever you have. We won¡¯t be calctive,¡± the steward added.


    Xie Congshan felt a chill run down his spine.


    That b*stard Xie Pinggang was really heartless!


    He knew it! He knew that Xie Pinggang would not be so kind!


    His Eldest Brother was really out of his mind. He actually sent his family fortune to such a bandit. What happened now? It was a one-way trip!


    Xie Congshan was really panicking at that moment. He did not dare to imagine how he would live without his family¡¯s belongings. Thoughts were running through his head for a while, then he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t give me the things, I-I will hit my head against the door and die! I am Xie Niushan¡¯s biological brother! If I die here, none of you will live in peace!¡±


    When he said that, the steward was amused.


    It was ridiculous that he stirred such a ruckus just to get the things back!


    The steward looked at Xie Congshan with disdain.


    Xie Congshan had been doing well in the past few years. Very few people looked down on him like that.


    ¡°First Young Master also said that there are many people who want to die here. If you want to die, then go ahead and kill yourself. Don¡¯t forget to get someone here and collect your body!¡± The steward said again.


    These words were really said by Xie Pinggang.


    However, the First Young Master thought that the person who woulde crying and begging for death would be the olddy. Who knew that it would actually be a man, Xie Congshan!


    After saying these words, Xie Congshan¡¯s face turned ashen. He mustered his courage and with a thud, he smashed the tea cup in front of him.


    The steward raised his eyebrows.


    Compared to the things that Xie Mangshan had sent over previously, this tiny loss was bearable.


    Xie Congshan stayed at the Xie Residence and waited for a while. No one cared about him, so he had no choice but to leave.


    When he returned to the rented courtyard, Xie Congshan was full ofints.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I went to Second Brother¡¯s house earlier. I didn¡¯t even see the owner of the house. He got a steward to send me away! You said that Second Brother would return the money to us, but now, I¡¯ve drunk a belly full of tea. I didn¡¯t even see a piece of snack, let alone silver!¡± Xie Congshan¡¯s eyes were red, he was really crying.


    Money, his money¡­.


    That was not just ten or a hundred taels of silver. His own private property worth more than a thousand taels of silver!


    ¡°You went to collect the debt?!¡± Xie Mangshan suddenly stood up. ¡°Who told you to do that?! Are you wishing for my death?!¡±


    The cmity had not passed yet!


    Early in the morning, he heard crows calling outside. It was the time for bad luck!


    ¡°Eldest Brother!¡± You are muddle-headed. How could there be any cmity? Our family was initially fine. Ever since you met that Master, we have been in a mess. You were deceived by that Master! I don¡¯t care. Either you go to Second Brother¡¯s house and get the silver back, or you ask that Master topensate me with the silver. You must pay me back! O-Or I¡¯ll sue you for theft!¡± Xie Congshan was angry. He pointed at Xie Mangshan and cursed.


    Xie Mangshan listened andughed sarcastically.


    He really was a viin in his life.


    How many times had he emphasized this over the past few days? If his cmity was not solved, he might die. However, what did Xie Congshan do?


    Compared to his life, his third brother¡¯s mind was filled with money!

 Chapter 501 - The Calamity Has Come

    <h4>Chapter 501: The Cmity Has Come</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Mangshan looked at Xie Congshan with a much colder gaze.


    At that moment, someone from the Jia family ran over with a flustered expression. When he saw Xie Mangshan, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Did someonee to investigate you? I heard that someone was arrested at the ce where you used to work! They said that they had epted bribes and even killed many. They will be convicted!¡±


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s expression changed, ¡°Who are they arresting?!¡±


    ¡°They arrested onest night. They said he has the surname Li. In the morning and noon, they caught two more! I don¡¯t know what their names are. I heard that the authorities are still investigating!¡± The Jia family¡¯s brother-inw added.


    Xie Mangshan seemed to have his blood instantly sucked dry. His entire body seemed to have frozen.


    Cmity, the cmity hade!


    ¡°Brother-inw, how much bribes did you ept? Will you be arrested? I heard that Li received a lot of money and will be beheaded!¡± His brother-inw said again.


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s brain was not functioning right now.


    How much money did he ept? At that moment, he actually could not remember at all¡­


    He knew that Li had been the supervisor for many years. Many of them called him Master Li in private, and they even heard that he had someone backing him. Now, he had been arrested as well¡­


    W-What about him? Would it be his turn too?!


    Xie Mangshan gulped hard. The sweat on his face kept dripping, and his entire body became a little weak.


    His hand gripped the door frame, and he looked like he was about to copse.


    He tried his best to calm down and think about how much bribes he had epted.


    He had only started to ept bribes this year, so he should not have epted much..


    Themoner did not have much money. Those who had money would work hard, so every time he took care of amoner, he would get a hundred cash or a couple of copper coins for those who were poor.


    Of course, he was in charge of quite a number of people. In that small area, there were about 20 people.


    On average, every day... he would only make one tael of silver, which was enough for a drink.


    Xie Mangshan was really scared, and his legs could not help but tremble.


    When that brother-inw of the Jia family saw him like that, he knew that the matter was definitely serious, so he stammered and said, ¡°Brother-inw, look at my family now. We¡¯re having a hard time. You both agreed to marry my daughter to Xie Pinggang, but this matter hasn¡¯t been settled yet. That 50 taels of silver... Can you return it to me first?¡±


    Xie Mangshan red at him, ¡°Get lost! Get out!¡±


    He was scared to death right now. This man from the Jia family actually had the nerve to ask him for money!


    ¡°Brother-inw, it¡¯s really difficult for us. Moving to the capital costs so much, but our family has no farms andnds. We need money for food and water. We saved very hard for the 50 taels of silver. My Sister said that the money will be returned. When the timees, we¡¯ll double it. That¡¯s why we...¡± The brother-inw Jia was uncertain, ¡°Now that you¡¯re involved in this matter, what if you get caught and your family¡¯s assets are confiscated?¡±


    ¡°What money?! Our family¡¯s money has been taken by my Eldest Brother and sent to my Second Brother. It¡¯s all gone!¡± Xie Congshan added.


    ¡°Oh right! Brother-inw, why don¡¯t you just beg Master Xie? Are you worried that Master Xie won¡¯t be able to handle this little trouble?¡± The man from the Jia family immediately added.


    With that said, a glimmer of hope appeared in Xie Mangshan¡¯s eyes.


    With an idea in mind, his brother-inw temporarily held back from asking for money.


    He knew that it would be difficult for him to obtain the money if he wanted to collect the debt at this time.


    After his brother-inw brought the news and left, Xie Mangshan felt uneasy. He kept his eyes on the door, afraid that someone would capture him in the next moment.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, what the Master said...¡± Xie Congshan was a little uncertain.


    Was there really a cmity?


    The fortune teller was actually so urate?!

 Chapter 502 - Cruel to His Own Family

    <h4>Chapter 502: Cruel to His Own Family</h4>


    Xie Congshan¡¯s words had sessfully gotten Xie Mangshan¡¯s attention.


    He red at the other party with a venomous gaze, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. This cmity of mine could have been resolved! It¡¯s all because you went to collect the debt today. I¡¯m no longer sincere in the heavens¡¯ eyes!¡±


    When Xie Congshan heard that, his face flushed with anger.


    However, Xie Mangshan was currently worried and afraid. He did not know where his anger was directed to. The more he looked at Xie Congshan, the more he hated him.


    Why was there no news that the soldiers wanted to arrest him before?!


    It just so happened that at that moment, when his third brother went to collect the debt that the news immediately arrived!


    Who brought this bad luck?!


    The master was right. He was the viin in his life. It was caused by him!


    Xie Congshan could not believe that he was being med just like that. Of course, he was also secretly angry.


    However, he had never won against his eldest brother in the past few decades. Now that he met his eldest brother¡¯s angry eyes, he could not refute. The pent-up anger was hidden in the bottom of his heart. He was extremely sullen.


    That night, the two brothers could not sleep.


    Early the next morning, Xie Mangshan went to the criminal division to look for someone.


    He looked humbly at Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Nephew¡­¡± Xie Mangshan was much older now, and he looked pitiful.


    After being scared for so long, he was still alive. One could say that he had a pretty strong body.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled, ¡°Uncle? Why are you looking for me? Oh, let me guess, is it because of the crime youmitted earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡± Xie Mangshan heard it and quickly nodded.


    Xie Pinggang sneered, ¡°What does Uncle want me to do? Do you want me to inform the officials and ask them not to arrest you, or do you want me to arrest you personally?¡±


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s heart raced. At that moment, his legs were weak, he almost knelt for Xie Pinggang, ¡°Nephew! I didn¡¯t ept many bribes! Besides, everyone else is greedy too. Please help me. I promise that I¡¯ll be honest in the future. No matter what job I have, I won¡¯t be greedy anymore!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that after I saved you, I have to pave the way for the rest of your life for you?¡± Xie Pinggang thought the person in front of him seemed to take him as a fool.


    ¡°Pinggang, I-I¡¯ll kneel to you, alright?!¡± As he said that, Xie Mangshan really bent his knees.


    ¡°If you want me to lose my life, just say it,¡± even though he said that, Xie Pinggang calmly epted the kneel, ¡°You don¡¯t have any gold under your knees. Even if you kneel to the end of time, it¡¯s worthless to me!¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do in order for you to help me?!¡± Xie Mangshan was a little desperate at the moment.


    ¡°Help you? Why should I do that? I even want to tell you that I was the one who exposed you. I handed the evidence to the Crown Prince the day before yesterday and then arrested a group of people. For this, the Crown Prince even specially rewarded me.¡± Xie Pinggang had a smug look on his face.


    These were all his achievements. As he umted his credit, he would be promoted quickly in the future.


    His ability to stab people in the back was getting better and better.


    However, who could say that he was wrong?


    These supervisors were getting out of line, and they dared to ept bribes!


    Those people who did not offer bribes had to be tortured. As a result, quite a number of people actually died.


    Since he was dishonest, he deserved what happened to him!


    When Xie Mangshan heard that, his entire body trembled, ¡°H-How could you do this?! I¡¯m your uncle! Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by the heavens?!¡±


    How could there be such a heartless person in this world who was cruel to his own family?!


    ¡°I punished my rtive out of righteousness. With such a precedent, who would dare toy a hand on me in the future?!¡± Xie Pinggang looked extremely cold.

 Chapter 503 - Pay

    <h4>Chapter 503: Pay</h4>


    Xie Mangshan could not believe what he had just heard. At that moment, he felt as if there was a gleam pierced into his back. He felt terrible.


    He trembled as he pointed at Xie Pinggang, ¡°W-When your father returns, aren¡¯t you afraid that he will beat you to death?!¡±


    ¡°My Father? Do you think that my Father will help you? Let¡¯s wait and see. My Father should return to the city in a few days. If you are lucky, you might even be able to see him before you are locked up in prison.¡± Xie Pinggang did not hide anything.


    When he heard that Xie Niushan was about to return, Xie Mangshan¡¯s heart was filled with hope.


    However, Xie Pinggang was not ready to let him go.


    ¡°Seeing that we are rtives, I will tell you directly. ording to the amount of bribes you epted, you¡¯ll escape death penalty. However, you¡¯ve epted bribes after all. There will still be punishment.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was calm, ¡°You will be imprisoned for a few years.¡±


    The amount of bribes that Xie Mangshan epted was indeed the least among those people. In addition, he had already packed up and left a while ago, so the impact was slightly less.


    The bribes he epted did not exceed 50 taels of silver.


    In addition, he was timid. Although they treated the people who served the corvee differently, he did not dare to go too far. Therefore, there were no deaths under his hands.


    Xie Mangshan was also Xie Niushan¡¯s biological brother. He could be excused by being fined.


    However, Xie Pinggang was not willing.


    Xie Mangshan did not have the chance to do anything worse. If Xie Qiao had not asked him to fire him, he would have epted bribes for a few more years. He would have be even worse!


    He could either pay silver ording to thew or be imprisoned. The imprisonment would be at least three years so that he would not forget his mistakes!


    Xie Mangshan¡¯s lips trembled.


    ¡°C-Can I spend money to absolve my crimes?!¡± Xie Mangshan asked anxiously.


    ¡°Sure, do you have any silver?¡± The corner of Xie Pinggang¡¯s mouth curled up, ¡°If you have enough silver, you¡¯ll escape imprisonment after being beaten up. But Uncle, I heard that you sold your house? Oh my, what kind of good deed did you do with your silver?¡±


    ¡°I gave you all my silver!¡± Xie Mangshan said angrily.


    ¡°Those silver? Those are mine to begin with,¡± Xie Pinggang flicked his hand, he looked impatient. He looked just like a great viin, ¡°Go home and collect them. Paying ten times the amount of silver in order to pay off the penalty of going to jail. If you don¡¯t bring the silver within three days, the official will enter your house to arrest you. Don¡¯t me me. It was all your own doing.¡±


    The reason why Xie Pinggang was able to decide all of this was because he had single-handedly exposed this case.


    It would not matter if Xie Mangshan was arrested or not.


    However, he did not know that when he heard he would lose ten times the amount of silver. He was already in despair.


    If he did not have silver, where would he get the silver?!


    He had returned all of it to his second brother¡¯s family! This Xie Pinggang. Even after taking their things, he still refused to admit his debt!


    However, Xie Mangshan did not dare to take the belongings back. It was because at that moment, he trusted Master Mo¡¯s words even more. Although prison was tough, it was still better than being beheaded!


    If he had not given those treasures away earlier, would he have been arrested and sentenced to death just like Old Li and the others?


    Thinking of this, Xie Mangshan felt a little fortunate.


    He was not a fool. Since this matter was handled by Xie Pinggang, he could almost decide the severity of his punishment! He had sent all the gold and silver back to his second brother¡¯s house, so Xie Pinggang epted the benefits and did not kill him!


    At least his death was averted¡­


    The remaining cmity¡­


    Ten times the bribes he epted, that would be five hundred taels of silver¡­


    Could it be that¡­ someone in his family had hidden so much silver that the cmity was notpletely solved?!


    Who was it?! Who hid the silver?!


    Thinking of this, Xie Mangshan went home furiously to settle the score.

 Chapter 504 - Give it to Me!

    <h4>Chapter 504: Give it to Me!</h4>


    Xie Mangshan was now at the end of his rope. His thoughts had already reached a dead end and he could not get out.


    After returning to the small courtyard, he immediately lost his temper, especially at Xie Congshan. He insisted that he take out his silver.


    Xie Congshan had silver indeed.


    He was traumatized from being poor. Even after he became wealthy, he would always secretly carry some silver notes with him just in case.


    However, he was also afraid that he would lose the silver notes if he kept them with him. Therefore, there were not many silver notes hiding in his clothes. There was a total of 200 taels of silver. Later on, when the olddy asked everyone to gather their money, he was not willing to give these silver notes.


    These few days, he spent some more and was only left with 150 taels of silver.


    He knew his eldest brother¡¯s position in this family. Once he took out these silver notes, it would be a gone case. He would never be able to get them back.


    Therefore, he did not tell anyone about these silver notes.


    He held onto them tightly.


    Other than Xie Congshan, everyone else was the same.


    They more or less had some private belongings hidden on them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told all of you to give me your silver notes! Speak up! Did any of you secretly keep it?! Hand it over!¡± At that moment, Xie Mangshan was like a madman.


    Ms. Jia and the others were frightened.


    Xie Mangshan started to smash things.


    When he saw Ms. Jia¡¯s panicked expression, he immediately came to a realization.


    This woman was also hiding money behind his back!


    He walked over and started to beat her up. How could she withstand that? She took out her private belongings after being beaten up twice.


    It was not much, there were more than thirty taels of silver.


    However, Xie Mangshan found hope.


    His son and daughter might have some, the olddy too. Then there was his third brother¡­


    Yes, his third brother, he definitely had money!


    Five hundred taels of silver, he would definitely be able to gather that!


    As long as he could gather the fine, he would get a few beatings at most. He would just have to endure it, and in the future, good fortune woulde!


    Xie Mangshan looked at the crowd with a burning gaze. Even the olddy shivered and subconsciously covered her clothes. When Xie Mangshan saw that, he did not care about his dignity anymore and went forward to take the olddy¡¯s things.


    ¡°Mother, give me the silver! Pinggang said that if I don¡¯t get 500 taels of silver, I will have to go to jail! Do you want me to go to jail? If I go to jail, who will support you? In the entire family, I am the only one who is filial to you!¡± Xie Mangshan said as he took her belongings.


    The olddy felt sorry for her son. When she heard that, she took out her private belongings with tears in her eyes.


    She was trembling. She was also hiding her private belongings in her clothes. There was one hundred taels of silver.


    In fact, she had been hiding the one hundred taels of silver for a long time.


    When she first arrived in the capital, she was very poor. There was 1,000 taels of silver among the gifts Xie Niushan sent.


    She was extremely excited. She was afraid that she would run out of money, so she sewed one of the silver notes into her favorite and most expensive clothes.


    Later on, she lost interest in the most decent clothes she had. She kept it under the box and forgot about it.


    Xie Mangshan had sold many things, and all of her beautiful and expensive clothes were gone.


    Only then did she take out the previous clothes and recalled the money hidden inside.


    She thought that she would save it for her retirement.


    After Xie Mangshan robbed the olddy of her money, he looked at the others.


    ¡°Mother, Second Brother ising back soon. When hees back, we will definitely have a good life! Do you still remember? It must have been nearly 30 years ago, right? Back then, Second Brother was very obedient. There was not enough water in the house. Ms. Jia had just married into the family and wanted to take a bath. We got him to fetch water. Without saying anything, he set off. Later on, he was caught by the barbarians. He betrayed the entire vige and brought the barbarians to rob the vigers. Everyone wanted him gone, and so did we. He didn¡¯t me us and left very quickly. You see, he¡¯s loyal to his core. He will not watch me suffer!¡±

 Chapter 505 - No Polite Fiction Is Needed When We’re a Family

    <h4>Chapter 505: No Polite Fiction Is Needed When We¡¯re a Family</h4>


    Too many things have happened recently. Xie Mangshan had no idea why he would encounter such a big cmity all of a sudden.


    First, his livelihood was gone, then he encountered unfortunate events one after another. Now he was going to be arrested and sent to prison.


    He was afraid that he would die in prison.


    The olddy recalled the past.


    There was indeed no guilt. After all, back then, their family was humiliated because Xie Niushan led the barbarians to rob the vige.


    However, Xie Niushan was indeed the most obedient among her few children at that time. He would agree no matter what they asked him to do. He was even more sensible than that old ox in the vige.


    Thinking back to the past, after so many years, even if he became a bandit or an official, he would still be polite to her.


    Thinking about it, the olddy¡¯s expression became much better, ¡°Son, your Eldest Brother is in great trouble now. As a brother, you must do your best to help him. Now that Second Brother is not here, when he returns and sees you two acting like this, won¡¯t he beughing at you? How much silver do you have in your hands? When your Second Brotheres back, I¡¯ll go over personally. We¡¯ll return the amount of silver we¡¯ve taken from you today. No polite fiction is needed when we¡¯re a family, right?¡±


    Xie Mangshan heaved a sigh of relief.


    As long as his mother spoke, this matter would not be a big problem.


    ¡°Mother, are you sure that Second Brother would return us the money? Even Second Brother¡¯s steward looks down on me! I have a feeling that he won¡¯t care about us in the future,¡± Xie Congshan added.


    If he really cared about them, how would the steward dare to be so arrogant?!


    Look at how polite and respectful the former steward, Yuan Rong was to them?


    The steward of the wealthy family always acted ording to the master¡¯s behavior!


    ¡°I gave birth to your Second Brother. How can I not know his character? He¡¯s just stubborn and soft-hearted. I think as long as it has nothing to do with that girl Xie Qiao, your Second Brother will definitely agree.¡± The olddy¡¯s mind suddenly became much clearer, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for him toe back. We have to take back all the money and belongings that we gave.¡±


    The olddy had already made up her mind.


    Even if she died, she had to get the things back!


    That wretched girl Xie Qiao was not young. Now, she must be¡­ sixteen or seventeen? If anything happened to this olddy, his son would have to mourn for three years. During these three years, he could not be an official or there must not be any weddings in the family!


    After three years, Xie Qiao will be old!


    Therefore, no matter what, Xie Niushan would not dare to do anything to her!


    The confidence of the olddy boosted. When Xie Congshan saw that, he had a sense of confidence too.


    Even if he was extremely unwilling, now that he saw Xie Mangshan acting like a madman, he did not dare to disobey.


    He took out the silver.


    One hundred and fifty taels of silver.


    Following that, Ms. Xin and the younger generation of the family took out some more one after another, adding another 80 taels of silver.


    However, with all the money they had left, they were still short of 40 taels of silver!


    ¡°Third Brother, go and borrow some from your friends. My livelihood is gone, and you still have your job. You can pay them back in the future,¡± Xie Mangshan said matter-of-factly.


    Xie Congshan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t even have our wages, what will we eat and drink in the future?!¡± Xie Congshan could not bring himself to borrow money.


    ¡°Son! Go and borrow 50 taels of silver. Give 40 taels of silver to your Eldest Brother for the fine. We will spend the remaining ten taels of silver wisely. It¡¯s enough!¡± The olddy said after thinking for a moment.


    She looked at the women at home.


    Before her second son came back, they would try their best to endure it.


    If they really could not endure it, then she could only¡­ marry the women off.

 Chapter 506 - This Place Is Bad for You

    <h4>Chapter 506: This ce Is Bad for You</h4>


    The olddy was mainly staring at the first daughter-inw¡¯s daughter, Xie Chun.


    She also had a younger daughter. She had followed them to the capital and was always staying in after the divorce.


    She had met with many matchmakers before, but they had not been able to reach an agreement. She was afraid that it would be difficult to arrange a marriage within this short period of time.


    However, the first daughter-inw¡¯s daughter, Chun¡¯er, was not much younger than Xie Qiao. There were many who had taken a liking to her before, and they had given many betrothal gifts. The third daughter-inw¡¯s daughter, Zhu¡¯er, was already 13. It was a little too early to marry¡­


    Ms. Jia understood the olddy. When she saw the olddy¡¯s gaze, they hurriedly pulled Xie Chun behind her.


    If they were to talk about marriage now, they would definitely not look for a good family!


    Xie Congshan was really helpless. However, he had already given so much money. A little bit more made no difference.


    He obediently went out to borrow more.


    Currently, the imperial examination was going on out there.


    The entire capital was filled with a sense of tranquility.


    At the academy, ss had been suspended at the men¡¯s courtyard, while the women¡¯s courtyard was busy. However, since the teachers were more concerned about the important matter at the imperial examination, they decided to take a break after two days of sses.


    As soon as Xie Qiao was free, she headed to the Fortune Pavilion to deal with the souls of the dead.


    Perhaps it was because of the imperial examination that the souls of the schrs had be quite resentful recently.


    The Yang energy in the examination hall was quite strong. Before the imperial examination was held, evil was expelled. However, there were some spirits whose resentment was too strong, so they could still blend in.


    If one met a schr who did not have enough willpower, they would be easily influenced by the spirit. It was hard to say whether they would lose their mind or get sick.


    There were quite a number of people who would get sick in the examination hall every year. At this time, the doctors in the city were so busy that they had to stay at the medicine shop.


    The business at Xie Qiao¡¯s shop was especially good. There were many people who wanted her to read fortunes, and most of them were asking about the future prospects of the examinees in their families.


    However, Xie Qiao would only see three people a day.


    Except for the person she was fated to meet¡­ Xie Mangshan.


    Xie Mangshan had already paid the fine. At that moment, his entire face was covered in dust and dirt, and he looked like he had low energy.


    ¡°Master Mo, your predictions are really urate. Earlier, I almost¡­ Sigh, let¡¯s not talk about it. Now that my family¡¯s wealth is gone, I feel really terrible. Can you read my fortune for me? When will my wealth return?¡± Xie Mangshan looked like he had aged ten years. He looked like an old man.


    Xie Qiao looked at him.


    ¡°Your great cmity has indeed passed. Although there are some losses and injuries, your life is not in danger, there¡¯s¡­ no more wealth in your fate. You will have to rely on yourself for the rest of your life. If you want to stay alive, you need to return to your hometown. This ce is bad for you,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Mangshan was stunned.


    ¡°Go back?¡± Go back to his hometown? What for? To do farming?!


    Impossible, absolutely impossible!


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that my Second Brother ising back. When hees back, I¡¯ll be as rich and noble as before!¡± Xie Mangshan said hurriedly.


    Xie Qiao smiled mysteriously, ¡°It¡¯s possible if you want to be rich and noble. If you want something that doesn¡¯t belong to you, you have to trade it with your life. Are you willing to do that?¡±


    Of course he was not willing!


    Although Xie Mangshan trusted Mo Chusheng, when he thought of his money, he would not give up until he personally saw his second brother.


    He started to dawdle, and his walking posture was extremely strange.


    He had paid the fine, but he had also been beaten up 20 times. It was not a big deal, but it was rather humiliating.


    Once Xie Mangshan left, the next customer came in.


    It was an old man who was slightly older than Xie Mangshan. This old man was dressed in luxurious clothes, so he shoulde from a noble family.


    He should have been mentally prepared beforeing, so when he saw her now, he was respectful and polite, ¡°I heard from His Highness that Master Mo¡¯s cultivation is profound. Today, I came here¡­ to ask for your help.¡±

 Chapter 507 - His Descendants are Doing Terribly

    <h4>Chapter 507: His Descendants are Doing Terribly</h4>


    Although the old man was old, he had a face of good fortune.


    He had long eyebrows that stretched to his temples. His earlobes were long, and his eyes were like rings. His flesh and bones were strong, and his features were extremely supple. He should be a broad-minded and talented person. He would definitely be able to be a supreme official and be respected at the temples.


    If he was a supreme official, he would definitely be one of the three chancellors.


    However, the three chancellors did not seem to be that old, so¡­


    The person in front of her was probably the imperial tutor Li Mi, who had long retired.


    Li Mi had some rtions with the Empress¡¯ family. The two families were considered inws, but the Empress¡¯ family had declined, and there were not many people in the imperial court who were respected. As for the Li family¡­


    Logically speaking, Imperial Tutor Li should be a great minister, and his children and grandchildren should also be living a prosperous life. However, in reality, the Li family was about to be driven out of the center of power.


    ¡°Imperial Tutor Li, may I know why you are here?¡± Xie Qiao asked directly.


    The old man looked at her in surprise, ¡°My door has been closed to visitors all these years. I heard that you¡¯ve just entered the capital not long ago. How could you recognize me?¡±


    ¡°I only guessed.¡± Xie Qiao was simple and straightforward.


    The Imperial Tutor Li smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a skill that you can predict things. This way, this old man will feel more at ease.


    ¡°The reason I look for Master is¡­¡±


    ¡°Your descendants,¡± before the imperial tutor could finish, Xie Qiao added on.


    The imperial tutor was stunned. He forced a smile and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s white qi on yourugh lines. It should be that your descendants have suffered a lot, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    The imperial tutor¡¯s expression changed significantly, ¡°That¡¯s right. To tell you the truth, Master, this old man¡¯s family had a series of funerals earlier. Most of my descendants are dead. Now¡­ I can finally catch my breath. However, everything is still not going well!


    ¡°In my life, I have a total of six sons. They were initially very healthy, but almost 20 years ago, these children left me one after another. Firstly, my Eldest Son died of an illness when he was an official. Then my Second Son was killed by a triggered horse out there! My Third Son was drunk for a day and couldn¡¯t wake up. My Fourth and Fifth Sons are fine now, but they are my illegitimate children¡­ The Youngest Son of my first wife has been doing nothing all this time. He has only been a minor official, and has always lived a careful life. However, his health iscking, and he often gets sick.¡±


    The youngest son was not no longer young.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, I can bear with it. However, in these years, other than my sons, even my grandsons have not been living very well.


    ¡°The Eldest Son¡¯s orphan is already 30 this year. He was originally talented, but his luck was not good enough. Now, he¡¯s working as a minor county magistrate in another city. My Second Son¡¯s orphan is not young either. However, after taking the examinations for so many years, he¡¯s still a graduate under the guidance of a master. Now that the imperial examination ising up, he should be taking the examination too. Who knew that before he entered the examination hall, his hand was injured, so he can only wait for another three years!


    ¡°My Third Son has already lost all of his children, and the two b*stards are doing well. However, the children in the family are a little profligate. My Youngest Grandson¡­ is the child of my Sixth Son, and is considered the most promising one. He¡¯s only 17. A few days ago, for some unknown reason, he suddenly became obsessed with strange things. He even wanted to visit famous mountains and great rivers to look for traces of immortals!¡±


    Imperial Tutor Li was so angry that his entire body was trembling.


    Even Xie Qiao could feel the sorrow in the old man¡¯s heart.


    He had worked hard all his life to make the family prosper, but who would have thought that before he died of old age, his children and grandchildren would already be dying.


    His children were supposed to be flourishing, but half of his sons had died, and only one son remained.


    He could be expecting the achievements of his grandsons, but one of them was only a minor official, and the other had failed many times. Thest one had hopes of revitalizing the family, but he was deviating from the path.


    The old man must be open-minded. That was why he was still alive.

 Chapter 508 - Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 508: Immortal</h4>


    Li Mi used to be one of the three chancellors, but now he could not even handle his descendants. The resentment in his heart was probably heavy.


    ¡°Set a date. I need to go to your residence to take a look. If I can¡¯t find anything, I need to look at your ancestral grave. Where is it? If the journey is too far, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work,¡± said Xie Qiao.


    She did not like to travel far, so it was really ufortable to wander around.


    ¡°The location of the ancestor¡¯s grave isn¡¯t too far.It will take three to five days. What do you think?¡± Elder Li became even more polite.


    Three to five days?


    Xie Qiao thought about it and finally nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nowadays, the carriage moved slowly. Three to five days was indeed not considered far.


    Elder Li let out a sigh of relief, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else to do in my residence recently. If it¡¯s convenient for you, you cane any time.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    Xie Qiao was going to make a trip to the Li Residence before the results of the imperial examination were released.


    It would be best if it could be resolved. If she still had to go to the ancestral grave, she would have to wait a little longer.


    After all, with the release of the results, quite a number of schrs would seek death, and quite a number of ghouls would stir trouble.


    Two dayster, Xie Qiao went to the Li Residence for the appointment.


    The Li family¡¯s residence was bestowed by the Emperor. It was iparably grand at a great location.


    Elder Li personally invited her in. He called all the descendants of the family over.


    The people in the family actually had good looks. Perhaps there were some minor problems, but it did not affect their wealthy fate. In fact¡­


    Elder Li¡¯s youngest son actually had excellent looks. Even if he could notpare to Elder Li, the extremely talented official, he should not be an ordinary, mediocre, and useless person who only relied on the protection of his elders¡­


    ¡°Grandfather, you asked us toe here today because of this¡­ Taoist master?¡± Someone said disdainfully while Xie Qiao was taking her seat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be presumptuous!¡± Elder Li was immediately furious when he heard that. He said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Master Mo, this is my Youngest Grandson. He¡¯s 17 or 18 now. He was very sensible two years ago, but now¡­ He¡¯s bing more and more reckless!¡±


    The youngest grandson was better than the grandchildren of the illegitimate family. He was not a good-for-nothing, and he never bullied others with his power, nor did he do anything ridiculous.


    However¡­


    Elder Li could not even scold him.


    He had been very attentive to the education of his children and grandchildren all these years. He was not the kind of person who indulged the younger generation, nor was he a stubborn old man. Somehow, his children turned out to be like this!


    Elder Li was very distressed.


    Now that he was still alive, the students from the imperial court could still take care of his children and grandchildren for his sake. What if he died?!


    In less than ten years after he left, his family would definitely fall!


    That was not what he wanted to see!


    Xie Qiao nced at this grandson of the Li family.


    He was quite good-looking and had a good appearance.


    Li Qingyu red at Xie Qiao, ¡°Grandfather, how could there be a true expert in the mortal world? If she really had the ability, how would she be just an insignificant Taoist master?¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled.


    ¡°This child is quite a trouble,¡± Xie Qiao sighed and then looked at Elder Li, ¡°It¡¯s indeed very hard for you to teach such a descendant¡­¡±


    Li Qingyu¡¯s eyes widened as he was rendered speechless.


    Elder Li sighed, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t argue with him, Master.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, why did you invite such a chatan here?¡± Li Qingyu was quite upset, ¡°Is it because I said that I wanted to go on a trip that made you unhappy? But Grandfather, I¡¯ve been dreaming of finding an immortal. Why can¡¯t you just let me go?¡±


    Elder Li looked like he had just eaten a dead fly. He tried to force a smile, but he could not.


    ¡°Dreaming of an immortal?¡± Xie Qiao listened and smiled slightly, ¡°Is this immortal¡­ a woman wearing a feather coat?¡±

 Chapter 509 - Talking in His Sleep in Broad Daylight

    <h4>Chapter 509: Talking in His Sleep in Broad Daylight</h4>


    Xie Qiao smiled. Her voice was like the sound of a stream, slow and pleasant to the ear.


    Li Qingyu, who was across from her, widened his eyes when he heard what she said, ¡°H-How did you know?!¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and did not say a word.


    Elder Li was also surprised. He could not help but recall Prince Ning Bei¡¯s words.


    Prince Ning Bei said that this master was proficient inmunicating with both worlds, and was much more powerful than the experts from the Yuxu Temple outside the city. He had to treat her with respect.


    At the time, he thought it was a little exaggerated, but now, she managed to guess the immortal in his grandson¡¯s dream directly. She was indeed powerful!


    Xie Qiao did not guess the appearance of the immortal. She said that because the immortal was hovering next to Li Qingyu.


    Her pale face seemed to have been painted with ayer of pink. Her cherry red lips looked as if she had just drunk fresh blood. Her eyes were without pupils, her long hair fluttered in the wind, and her feet were suspended in the air. Her body was initially covered in a white feather coat, but for some reason, it was stained with a lot of blood.


    Her fingernails often brushed a strand of Li Qingyu¡¯s hair.


    Tsk, what an immortal.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze seemed to be indiscernible as she looked to the side. She smiled, but her smile did not reach the bottom of her eyes. It made people feel uneasy.


    Li Qingyu¡¯s face shed with a hint of uneasiness, ¡°What exactly are you looking at?¡±


    Xie Qiao held the tea cup and drank faintly, ¡°Junior, don¡¯t be scared.¡±


    Li Qingyu was suddenly so furious that his heart ached.


    Where did such a master who deserved a beatinge from?


    Elder Li saw Xie Qiao¡¯s reaction. He was very worried.


    Could the master have seen something evil?


    Elder Li thought for a moment and asked the others to leave first. When the room was empty, he carefully asked, ¡°Master Mo, is there anything wrong with my grandson?¡±


    ¡°How long has he been like this?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°I asked the errand boy. He said that he had been reading about strange things for more than a year. It was only because he became more and more obsessed recently that he told me he wants to travel,¡± the old man added.


    It wasmon for schrs to travel.


    The number one schr in the world, Li Shiyan, was often nowhere to be found.


    However, when the great schrs traveled, it was to broaden their vision. He was different. He was looking for immortals?!


    Where did the immortalse from? He was talking in his sleep in broad daylight!


    ¡°Your grandson¡¯s problem¡­ is not too serious. Fortunately, his body is strong. Although some of his Yang energy has been taken away, it will be replenished in the future,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Taken away?!¡± The old man almost slipped from his chair.


    ¡°Who did you have his Yang energy taken away?! Nonsense!¡± Li Qingyu, who had been eavesdropping outside, kicked open the door and rushed in. He pointed at Xie Qiao and said angrily.


    Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°You, no?¡±


    Li Qingyu¡¯s face was flushed and he was furious.


    He was embarrassed and angry. He wanted to chase this master who had appeared out of nowhere immediately!


    ¡°You devil who spews nonsense. You should be dragged out and burned alive!¡± He became angry from embarrassment.


    ¡°Master, can you tell me more?¡± Elder Li asked persistently as if he had not heard what his grandson had said.


    ¡°He touched something that he shouldn¡¯t. That thing is a vengeful spirit. It has been with him for a long time, and it is very persistent. The night is full of dark energy. Young Master Li is affected by it, and he may be able to see some traces of the vengeful spirit. His reality is blurred by his dreams, resulting in what happened to him now.


    ¡°After being influenced by the vengeful spirit for a long time, his temperament will naturally change, especially when it is a vengeful spirit. The vengeful spirit¡¯s resentment will naturally enter his body, and that will make him more stubborn and irritable,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    When Elder Li heard that, the doubts he had were instantly resolved.


    His eldest son¡¯s health wascking, so he had stayed by his side to raise this grandson.


    He was very modest and well-behaved during the first two years, but he had changed throughout the past two years.


    Sometimes he would boast arrogant lies, and the way he spoke and did things was as if he was a different person.

 Chapter 510 - Better to Just Get the Pain Over With Rather Than Prolong the Agony

    <h4>Chapter 510: Better to Just Get the Pain Over With Rather Than Prolong the Agony</h4>


    Elder Li was both worried and happy at the same time.


    He was worried that the vengeful spirit would be difficult to deal with, but he was happy that his grandson had not been taught incorrectly, but had been influenced by something filthy!


    Li Qingyu was embarrassed and angry at being criticized, ¡°Grandfather!¡±


    ¡°What can I do to make my grandson return to the way he used to be?¡± Elder Li hurriedly asked Xie Qiao.


    When Li Qingyu heard that, his anger froze on his face and he almost could not catch his breath.


    What did he mean? Did his grandfather think that he was not doing well?


    ¡°Why would you listen to this old woman? Grandfather, I¡¯m doing very well. I just want to go out for a walk. Why are you so stubborn? Moreover, I really dreamed of an immortal. She¡¯s wless and beautiful! She lives on a celestial mountain. We had an agreement!¡±


    Elder Li shook his head.


    Sigh. This child was really bewitched by an immortal.


    Xie Qiao could not help but smile.


    In the past, she had also met people who were bewitched by vengeful spirits. However, most of them were perverted old men. It was the first time she had seen such a young man experiencing that.


    After all, young people had strong Yang energy. No vengeful spirits would be so persistent to be holding onto such a rock that was full of Yang energy. Who would have thought that she would meet one now.


    It took one or two years of effort to coax this kid into such a state.


    If she left him alone¡­


    Every vengeful spirit had different goals. This one might have wanted to tour the famous mountains and rivers with Li Qingyu, to spend eternity with him.


    Xie Qiao smiled. That smile alone pierced Li Qingyu¡¯s heart.


    Why was this old witch looking at him like that?!


    ¡°Master¡­ If you need anything, just say it¡­¡± Elder Li said in all seriousness.


    ¡°Tie him up first,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The vengeful spirit had been following Li Qingyu all this time. It was probably because of its obsession. It could not be separated from him. She had to act quickly to prevent this spirit from escaping.


    Elder Li was stunned for a moment before she immediately called for help.


    Li Qingyu¡¯s reaction was quick. As soon as he heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, he turned around and ran out of the room.


    ¡°Quick! Quickly capture Fifth Young Master!¡± Elder Li hurriedly shouted.


    The Li family lived together, and they had few descendants. Including the children of his illegitimate children, Li Qingyu was ranked fifth and the youngest.


    He had been practicing literature and martial arts since he was young. At that moment, he was jumping up and down like a monkey. The servants did not dare to be ruthless and could only chase after him.


    The courtyard was filled with a foul atmosphere. It was chaotic and scary.


    Elder Li was disgraced, but he had already lost his dignity, so there was nothing to worry about. He simply ran into the courtyard and made arrangements. ¡°Bring the broom over. If he runs out, no matter what, stop him immediately. Do not hold back!¡±


    If he ran out and did not return, what would he do?


    The master had said that his grandson had something filthy around him, so he naturally could not stay rational.


    Elder Li had always been highly respected. Now that he was shouting at the top of his lungs, he had also scared the entire family quite badly.


    However, it was very effective.


    In a short while, Li Qingyu was like a moth, being pressed down on the ground by several big brooms.


    ¡°Hurry up and tie him up.¡±


    How could Elder Li not feel sorry for him? However, when he thought of the changes his grandson had undergone the past two years, his heart turned even colder.


    This child was bing more and more disrespectful to his parents and elders. Now, he was even making a fuss about running away from home. If he was not treated properly, he might really run away in the future. He might die out there, and his grandfather might not even find out about that!


    It would be better to just get the pain over with rather than prolong the agony!


    Someone brought a hemp rope immediately and tied Li Qingyu up like a dumpling.


    Xie Qiao was secretly amused.


    Li Qingyu red at Xie Qiao with resentment, ¡°You old witch! It¡¯s all your fault. What grudge do I have with you? You¡¯re so vicious. You deserve to be a Taoist master for the rest of your life!¡±

 Chapter 511 - I Really Like Him

    <h4>Chapter 511: I Really Like Him</h4>


    His voice was loud, and he looked very unwilling.


    Xie Qiao was very curious as to how such a violent person looked before he was affected by the vengeful spirit. He was able to make the old master so merciless as to personally tie him up.


    At that moment, once he was tied up, the vengeful spirit next to him was faintly emitting tck energy.


    She whispered into Li Qingyu¡¯s ear, and evil energy lingered around his body slowly. Li Qingyu struggled but could not move, and his face became much gloomier. He shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°Let go of me, Grandfather! If you don¡¯t let go of me, I¡¯ll kill myself¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao stepped forward and took out a piece of broken wood from somewhere and stuffed it into Li Qingyu¡¯s mouth.


    Elder Li looked and gave Master Mo a look of approval.


    What did his grandson just say?


    What did he want to do? He wanted to kill himself by biting his tongue?!


    Muddle-headed!


    Elder Li was also worried that his grandson¡¯s matter would affect his reputation in the future. After tying Li Qingyu up, he got all the servants to leave. At that moment, only the direct descendants were left in the courtyard.


    Imperial Tutor Li regarded the descendants of the concubine with great importance.


    In his eyes, although the b*stards were also his children, they were not from the same mother after all. Unless they were very virtuous, it was inevitable that they would be treated differently. Rather than waiting for the brothers to fall out with each other, it was better to separate them properly from the beginning.


    All the children of the Li family had to be taught by the madam. The concubine was not allowed to get involved. The education of the b*stards was equivalent to that of the direct descendants. However, in daily life, their etiquette and rules had to be strictly observed. The descendants were treated differently based on ranking.


    In Elder Li¡¯s eyes, this was a major event that the b*stards were not allowed to get involved in.


    It was a pity that his own b*stards were well-mannered, but the sons of the b*stards were somewhat ignorant.


    They were only more obedient in his presence.


    At that moment, Li Qingyu could only stare at her.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Elder Li looked at her.


    Xie Qiao took a breath and stared at the ghoul. Just as she was about to speak, the steward rushed over and whispered something into Elder Li¡¯s ear. Elder Li looked at him in surprise and then hurriedly said, ¡°Master, please go ahead. There¡¯s a guest in the house. I need to see him.¡±


    Then, without waiting for Xie Qiao to nod, he left in a hurry.


    It was unknown who the honored guest was.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me? Look at what you¡¯ve done to this fine young master¡­¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at the vengeful spirit.


    Li Qingyu was dumbfounded.


    Who was this old witch talking to?


    ¡°I really like him!¡± The vengeful spirit¡¯s eyes rolled as she roared.


    ¡°Liar. If you like him, why do you have to harm him? I can see that you don¡¯t have much resentment in you. At most, you only have some obsession. Why don¡¯t you let him off and reincarnate obediently¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment, ¡°Look, he¡¯s only 17 or 18 this year. If you leave, you might be able to reincarnate in three years. By then, the age difference between the two of you won¡¯t be too big¡­¡±


    Li Qingyu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, ¡°Old witch, who are you trying to scare?! Quit putting up an act. I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡±


    Xie Qiao hit him on the head with her horsetail whisk, ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    Li Qingyu was so angry that he struggled twice, but to no avail.


    ¡°After I leave, he will soon get married and have children. How would he remember me?!¡± The vengeful spirit said again.


    Xie Qiao also saw through it.


    This spirit was obsessed with Li Qingyu, and she often entered his dreams. Her initially not very strong abilities had declined even more now. Other than roaring to scare people, she could only influence Li Qingyu. It was not of much use to others.

 Chapter 512 - Love and Romance

    <h4>Chapter 512: Love and Romance</h4>


    However, the vengeful spirit had been around Li Qingyu for too long. If she did not take the initiative to withdraw her resentment, even if she did, it would have a lot of impact on Li Qingyu.


    If it was mild, he would be sick for some time. If it was serious, his soul might leave his body and he might be a little retarded.


    Xie Qiao was anxious.


    A vengeful spirit that was tainted with love was the most unreasonable.


    ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± Xie Qiao muttered softly, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on? Why did you fall for this kid? He¡¯s not that good-looking.¡±


    Xie Qiao sat on the ground and asked slowly.


    Li Qingyu was angry.


    What was this old witch doing? She was even chatting?!


    However, the question was, who was she talking to?!


    Li Qingyu was furious. His entire body was restless. He felt like he could not control his temper, so he simply vented it out. His eyes were bloodshot and looked very scary.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao was sitting on the clean ground.


    She sat with her legs crossed and muttered, ¡°Why did you urge him to run away from home?¡±


    ¡°He arranged a marriage this year!¡± The vengeful spirit was indignant, as if she had been betrayed.


    Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°But have you thought about it? If a person like him, who has achieved nothing, runs away, how will he survive? Will he survive by selling calligraphy and paintings or his skills? He¡¯s a dignified young master, and¡­ He is muddle-headed and neurotic now. He spends his days chasing after immortals and gods. If he travels, he would go to those mountains, rivers, and inds. Who knows, he might be a beggar, living in the wild and dirty¡­¡±


    The vengeful spirit¡¯s resentment rose again.


    ¡°You are stopping me from being with him!¡± The vengeful spirit said viciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, that is right. As the saying goes, humans and ghouls can never be together. It¡¯s useless for you to be stubborn,¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Unless you kill him earlier than he¡¯s supposed to die, then the two of you will be wandering souls. That¡¯s a different story.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s toote to do it now. With me here, you won¡¯t be able to take his life,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she sat down to rest.


    They were in a stalemate. The vengeful spirit had a pained expression on her face and looked rather aggrieved.


    Not long after, Elder Li arrived, followed by¡­


    Xie Qiao lowered her head to look at herself.


    She sat on the ground and lost some of her unfathomable demeanor. Immediately, she felt a little embarrassed. She quickly got up from the ground and flicked her clothes in a seemingly carefree manner, ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    She raised her head and lifted her chest with a calm expression.


    ¡°So Master Mo is Li Shiyan¡¯s eldest disciple. I didn¡¯t know that, nor did I expect it.¡± Elder Li was really surprised.


    The wise disciple that Li Shiyan often talked about was actually a Taoist master!


    ¡°What was Senior Sister doing earlier? Do you need my help?¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled.


    ¡°No need. Junior Brother, you should stay far away. I¡¯m very good at handling things, but the ghoul over there is quite ¡°powerful¡±. Be careful not to hurt yourself.¡± Xie Qiao had a heroic look on her face.


    The ¡°powerful¡± ghoul looked at Li Qingyu, stretched out her hand, and caressed his face. From time to time, she would show an infatuated and pained expression.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to act so affectionate. Love and romance require mutual consent. Does Li Qingyu know you?¡± Xie Qiao could not bear to look at her like that, ¡°Your appearance in his dreams doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    In the dreams, the vengeful spirit was like an immortal. Even if she was ugly, she was still somewhat attractive.


    ¡°How could he not recognize me? Almost two years ago, I came to the Li Residence to celebrate Elder Li¡¯s birthday with the ss teacher. He saw me!¡± The vengeful spirit said quickly.


    That year, Elder Li¡¯s birthday was three days long.


    She lived in the pear garden and wore this feathered dress to practice her dance.


    When she saw Li Qingyu, she was surprised and fell onto the ground. He was very kind. He helped her up,forted her and they chatted for a little bit!

 Chapter 513 - Don’t Remember

    <h4>Chapter 513: Don¡¯t Remember</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    She had never seen such a gentle person. He had a noble status, but he was patient enough tofort her.


    There seemed to be stars in his eyes. Beside him, there was a garden full of pear blossoms. At that moment, she was sure that he was the best young master in the world.


    ¡°He must remember me. Back then, I danced for him under the trees!¡± The vengeful spirit¡¯s voice became hurried.


    ¡°Oh, but... did you ask him?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    The vengeful spirit was stunned.


    No, of course not.


    It was the first time she entered a dream. Her obsession was too deep, so she only created the scene of a pear blossom tree. It was only for a short moment. After waking up, he told the errand boy that he dreamed of the pear blossom immortal yesterday.


    Since then, she thought that since he liked the immortal, then she would be his immortal from now on.


    The vengeful spirit was silent.


    ¡°You came to the Li Residence to perform a dance. As the host, he treated you slightly better, but it doesn¡¯t mean that he has feelings for you. Since you didn¡¯t ask him, isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to ruin him?¡± Xie Qiao asked, ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m here to solve the problem for the Li family today. I have to capture you. Why don¡¯t I ask him for you?¡±


    The vengeful spirit could also feel the aura of the Taoist master in front of her that made her afraid.


    She hesitated and nodded.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao took the broken piece of wood from Li Qingyu¡¯s mouth.


    She said to Li Qingyu, ¡°Young Master Li, do you still remember the woman who performed a dance in the pear garden almost two years ago?¡±


    When she asked that question, the old master was stunned.


    ¡°That b*stard!¡± The old master gritted his teeth as he thought of something.


    Xie Qiao turned to look at him, ¡°Elder Li, do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°A little over a year ago, there was indeed ady who entered the residence. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old and she danced quite well. The grandson of my Fourth Wife wanted to take her in as a concubine for 200 taels of silver. When the ss head saw the money, he signed the contract.¡± The old master was also rather guilty when he thought of this matter, ¡°I thought it was consensual, but I didn¡¯t expect that thedy was so intense that shemitted suicide that night she was made a concubine.¡±


    After the incident, he felt guilty and inquired about thedy¡¯s background.


    He learned that thedy was an orphan, she had no rtives other than the ss head. Therefore, even if he wanted to make up for it, he could not.


    He destroyed the contract and buried it properly.


    He also remembered that thedy was wearing a feathered coat at that time. He had no idea where the knife came from, but she sliced her neck. Blood spilled everywhere, and her white clothes were dyed red.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that thedy was unwilling. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have let that fool do such a thing to force the innocent,¡± Elder Li added.


    At that time, that fool did not ruin the girl¡¯s innocence.


    The Li family had strict discipline. Even if that fool wanted to take a concubine, he would not dare to force it.


    He had specially gone to ask the ss head, asking him to check if the girl was willing.


    In the end, the ss head insisted that thedy was very happy about marrying into the family to be a concubine, so the matter was settled.


    At that moment, Li Qingyu was still angry and did not have much rationality. When he heard Xie Qiao¡¯s question, he could only sneer, ¡°Whatdy? What do you, this old witch, take me for?!¡±


    This madness was quite simr to losing one¡¯s mind.


    When Li Qingyu said that, the aura of the vengeful spirit seemed to freeze.


    ¡°Young Master Li... So... you don¡¯t remember me?¡± Her voice was soft and had a hint of sadness. Two streams of tears flowed down from her eyes.


    ¡°Li Qingyu, think carefully. Do you remember ady dressed in white who danced for you in the pear garden?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°No!¡± Li Qingyu was very straightforward.

 Chapter 514 - Could Not Hurt Him

    <h4>Chapter 514: Could Not Hurt Him</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Li Qingyu¡¯s voice was firm and filled with disgust.


    His expression was especially irritating.


    Xie Qiao could not tell whether his words were true or not, because Li Qingyu had been affected by the vengeful spirit for almost two years.


    The resentment and evil energy would make him irritable and annoyed, but it could also make him have other... reactions.


    For instance, it was possible to forget some things.


    After all, it was inevitable that something would go wrong if a person¡¯s mind was often in a negative state.


    The vengeful spirit¡¯s arms fell weakly.


    ¡°I often enter his dreams, but I¡¯m not powerful enough. Every dream couldn¡¯tst long. We never talk much, but he often sees me. In the past year or so, he has never... called out my name...¡±


    She remembered that when she was alive, she told Li Qingyu that her name was Yue Li.


    He could not remember anything¡­


    ¡°He does have an immortal in his heart now, but since you liked him in the past, you should know that if this goes on, he will decline more and more. One day, he will be like a vengeful spirit, baring his fangs, brandishing his ws and losing his mind. By then, everyone will know that this grandson of the Li family is a hot-tempered lunatic who should not be provoked,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    That was not a lie.


    If she had been an ordinary ghoul, it would have been fine. Even if she had followed him frequently, the impact would have been smaller.


    However, she was a resentful spirit. How could an ordinary person withstand the resentment and evil energy?


    It was also because Li Qingyu¡¯s will was quite firm. Thus, up until now, he had only been unable to control his emotions and his personality had changed.


    In the long run, this personality would be more deeply ingrained. When that time came, even if the vengeful spirit left, he would not be able to change back!


    The old master watched as Master Mo spoke to the air. He was a little flustered.


    However, for the sake of his grandson, he patiently copied Master Mo and spoke in that direction, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s my family that has let you down. It¡¯s just that the dead cannot be brought back to life. Why are you so stubborn? If you like Qingyu... Look, if I put you into my Li family¡¯s genealogy book as his wife, can you let him go?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at the old master in surprise.


    The move was quite ruthless.


    ¡°Li Qingyu, what did you call my senior sister?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly asked.


    ¡°Old witch!¡± Li Qingyu did not lose his guts.


    When Zhao Xuanjing heard that, he grinned sinisterly, ¡°Why should we keep such an unrepentant and disrespectful person? Seeing that he¡¯s also crippled, Senior Sister Mo, why don¡¯t we take action directly and capture this vengeful spirit forcefully? As for Li Qingyu... Oh right, if that¡¯s the case, what will happen to him?¡±


    ¡°Dementia?¡± Xie Qiao tilted her head and said.


    ¡°Oh, so he¡¯ll still be alive... That¡¯s great. If he has dementia, he should be able to keep his mouth shut.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at Li Qingyu with a cold gaze.


    When he said that, the vengeful spirit was furious. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡±


    ¡°If I want to capture you, you¡¯ll inevitably implicate him. Think about it yourself,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The vengeful spirit was trembling.


    Why were they stopping her from staying by Li Qingyu¡¯s side?!


    However, at the same time that she was feeling resentful, she saw Li Qingyu¡¯s angry and bloodshot eyes. Her heart trembled.


    Such a gentle boy had be like this¡­


    Forget it, forget it.


    The vengeful spirit¡¯s evil energy suddenly extinguished significantly. She looked at Li Qingyu with a nk and sorrowful face. She looked at him with reluctance.


    She just wanted to be with him, but in the end, she could not.


    She could not hurt him.

 Chapter 515 - Unparalleled in the World

    <h4>Chapter 515: Unparalleled in the World</h4>


    Once the evil energy in Li Qingyu¡¯s body dissipated, it would be easier for Xie Qiao to carry out the task. She picked up the Taoist sanqing bell and blew on the talisman in her hand, guiding the vengeful spirit to capture her.


    Once the vengeful spirit disappeared, Li Qingyu¡¯s gaze froze for a few moments.


    He seemed to be in a daze.


    He suddenly fainted.


    The old master was shocked and quickly looked at Xie Qiao. Sheforted him, ¡°There¡¯s no rush, there¡¯s no rush. His spirit is unstable. He just needs to recuperate.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out a talisman and stuffed it into Li Qingyu¡¯s clothes.


    The old master quickly got someone to help Li Qingyu into the house.


    Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing entered the hall one after the other and sat down.


    Xie Qiao had said a lot earlier and her mouth was dry. She proceeded to drink tea. Li Qingyu¡¯s condition was still uncertain, so she naturally could not leave in a hurry. Moreover, she would have to take a good look at the Li Residence.


    ¡°When I see His Highness recently, you don¡¯t seem to have any ghouls around you¡­¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Did the trick from before actually work?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing heard that and smiled. ¡°What trick from before?¡±


    ¡°You using the descendants of those ghouls to scare them¡­¡± As Xie Qiao spoke, she suddenly remembered that she was Mo Chusheng!


    Mo Chusheng!


    That was arranged when he was with Xie Qiao. Mo Chusheng should not have known that!


    Xie Qiao quickly came up with an excuse. ¡°I heard from that beautifuldy from the Xie family¡­ It¡¯s so strange. Those ghouls didn¡¯t dare toe and see me¡­ I guess it must be because I¡¯m so capable that they¡¯re afraid of me¡­¡±


    Hehehe..


    Xie Qiao felt especially guilty. She lowered her head and looked at the swirling tea leaves in the tea cup with a guilty conscience.


    It was easy for problems to arise when one had too many identities.


    Especially when one was tired from work, one¡¯s mind would go muddled and one would almost be exposed!


    ¡°Senior Sister is unparalleled in the world. She can even capture the vengeful spirits. Those ghouls are naturally not a problem to her. It¡¯s normal for them to be afraid of seeing you,¡± Zhao Xuanjing boasted.


    Of course, that method he used would not work every time.


    A few days ago, he went to the Yuxu Temple and asked a Taoist master to get some cow tears and talismans. He saw the ghouls behind him.


    He decided to keep the most powerful ones with him while setting some rules.


    They were just ghouls. When they were alive, they were themon people of Qianyuan.


    What was the difference if they died? They were just a few more invisible guards.


    He would pick a few capable ones and get them to stay by his side to protect him. They would make sure that the other ghouls would not get close to him. If he did not want them to follow him, he only needed to inform them.


    The method had been working well recently.


    The reason why he did not ask Xie Qiao to do this¡­ Naturally, it was to avoid losing his dignity.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was being ttered by the Crown Prince, and she felt a little proud in her heart.


    She did not change her expression and looked at him kindly. ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t worry. Since you knew the two masters, Young Lady Xie and I, that tiny problem of yours will be solved sooner orter.¡±


    Others naturally did not know about Xie Qiao¡¯s identity, but the Crown Prince had known about it long ago.


    ¡°Senior Sister is right.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was surprisingly good-natured.


    ¡°Why are you here again? Is there something you need from Elder Li?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s for you. Didn¡¯t I tell Senior Sister before? Every once in a while, the two of us will meet to cultivate our rtionship, which will also be convenient in the future¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing wanted to say something, but he hesitated. Xie Qiao snorted and red at him. ¡°You¡¯re so mischievous when you¡¯re so young. Can¡¯t you see how old I am? I can even be your aunt! If I got married when I was 16 or 17, I would have many children and grandchildren now! Don¡¯t fool around.¡±


    Xie Qiao suddenly behaving like an elder was like a pot of strong wine, making Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s head spin.

 Chapter 516 - Lost His Manners

    <h4>Chapter 516: Lost His Manners</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was serious with a serious face on.


    Zhao Xuanjing sighed and looked at her. He said straightforwardly, ¡°Senior Sister is really unwilling? Can you tell me what¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother is perfect. If you were 20 years younger, we would be happy in a rtionship! But... Time will nevere back...¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was melodious and sounded quite pleasant.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhao Xuanjing raised his eyebrows and smiled mockingly. ¡°Senior Sister is right. After listening to what you said, I also feel that I was too obsessed with what Master asked me to do before...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°Elder sister is like a mother. Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you help me connect with Young Lady Xie?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s breathing stopped and she raised her head to re at him.


    Shameless! He was rejected after confessing his feelings, and now he was asking her to introduce someone else?! He should not be a jerk!


    No, that was not right¡­


    The Crown Prince was not such a fickle person¡­


    Could it be¡­


    Xie Qiao hurriedly touched her face.


    The fake skin was still there, and the makeup was intact. The Crown Prince should not have recognized her.


    However, when she carefully thought about the Crown Prince¡¯s attitude toward her during this period of time, she thought it was a little strange.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao felt guilty and worried. Her expression was even more solemn than when she saw the ghoul. She frowned, as if she had encountered a great disaster.


    The old master had juste over from his grandson¡¯s courtyard. When he saw Master Mo¡¯s bitter and hateful look, he was shocked. ¡°Master, is my grandson alright?!¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Li Qingyu was fine, but she was not!


    The old master heaved a sigh of relief.


    Xie Qiao thought that was how a normal person would look at Mo Chusheng. Unlike the Crown Prince, who would always say strange things and tease her on purpose¡­


    O-On purpose?!


    Xie Qiao looked at Zhao Xuanjing with her round eyes. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Do you... know something that you shouldn¡¯t know?¡±


    The old master was confused.


    ¡°Senior Sister has a secret? Tell me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was still calm.


    Xie Qiao had a spection, but she was afraid that she was wrong. In order to prevent herself from being deceived, she said, ¡°No matter what Junior Brother knows, you are not allowed to tell others. You know very well that I am very capable. Those who know too much will die early.¡±


    She even threatened him.


    Her fierce appearance made her look like a little sheep.


    When Elder Li heard Master Mo¡¯s words, he instantly trembled. The Crown Prince¡¯s aunt was his daughter-inw. After all, he was also an elder. However, in front of the Crown Prince, no matter how high his seniority was, he still had to lower his head and be respectful.


    Meanwhile, this Master Mo in front of him was truly skilled and bold. She actually threatened the Crown Prince.


    Yet, the Crown Prince actually looked very happy¡­


    This was just ridiculous


    Elder Li secretly observed the reactions of Master Mo and the Crown Prince. At that moment, he did not know what to say. After a moment, he had a simple discussion with the Crown Prince about the matters at the imperial court.


    After talking for approximately two hours, Elder Li ordered the meal to be served.


    Not long after the meal, Li Qingyu finally woke up.


    The three of them went to look at him together.


    Li Qingyu felt as if he had been in a long and somewhat realistic dream. After opening his eyes, he felt that his head seemed to have be much clearer.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er?!¡± The old master called out with great concern.


    Li Qingyu quickly stood up. ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    Elder Li was startled when he saw his behavior. ¡°Great, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re awake... Do you still remember what happened earlier?¡±


    What happened earlier?


    Li Qingyu was startled. When he saw Xie Qiao, he subconsciously frowned. ¡°Old witch... Master Mo? Why did I faint?¡±


    After he said that, he was stunned for a moment.


    What was wrong with him?


    He actually wanted to scold someone earlier! He almost lost his manners in front of his grandfather!

 Chapter 517 - Rude

    <h4>Chapter 517: Rude</h4>


    Li Qingyu was vexed for a moment. Then, he suddenly remembered that he¡­ had said those criticisms before?


    His expression changed, and he looked a little conflicted.


    Had he been too indulgent in the past two years?


    When Elder Li heard his grandson address Master Mo, he was ted. ¡°Child, you¡¯ve finallye to your senses!¡±


    Li Qingyu could not help but feel a little guilty, ¡°I¡¯ve made Grandfather worried. Previously¡­ There were some things that I had been suppressing in my heart and had a hard time with myself. I don¡¯t know what happened today, but I suddenly became enlightened as if I¡¯ve seen it through. In the future¡­ I won¡¯t let you worry anymore.¡±


    He remembered that over the past year, he had always lost his temper involuntarily. He did not have much patience with his elders either.


    He even thought of running away from home.


    He thought that if he left the Li Residence, he would be able to forget what had happened in the past. However, now that he thought about it, he thought he was being foolish.


    Xie Qiao saw his expression and was curious. ¡°Young Master Li, what do you mean by the things that you said?¡±


    Li Qingyu¡¯s expression froze.


    The old master looked at him in shock. ¡°Do you¡­ like that dancingdy¡­?¡±


    Li Qingyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the mention of thatdy.


    ¡°Grandfather, some things are in the past. I will definitely listen to you in the future,¡± Li Qingyu did not say it directly.


    More than a year ago, he first saw Yue Li practicing dancing under the trees. Thatdy was very beautiful and he was indeed beginning to fall for her.


    At that time, he was not even 16. He was too young. Moreover, he knew that although his family had declined a little, as a grandson, he could not have anything to do with a dancingdy.


    Therefore, he only had his admiration in his heart.


    He thought that when Yue Li left, he would ask the steward to reward her with more silver. If she could redeem herself and be an ordinary citizen from then on, it would be the best help for her.


    However, he did not expect that before Yue Li could leave, she would die in the Li Residence.


    He knew that Yue Li had a secret liking for him.


    That was why she would rathermit suicide than living unwillingly.


    However, when he learned of Yue Li¡¯s death, he was filled with only fear. He was afraid that his grandfather would find out that Yue Li liked him. He was afraid that the Li family would have a bad reputation, so he pretended not to care about her death.


    He had been taught by his grandfather since he was young. He knew that he was responsible for the prosperity of the family. Therefore, even though he was sad for Yue Li, he could not help but have these selfish thoughts.


    Thedy who made him fall in love for the first time had died, and he did not even have the courage to pay her respects.


    This little bit of guilt suppressed him, making him unable to breathe.


    Not long after Yue Li left, he began to dream.


    He dreamed of pear blossoms all over the trees, and he dreamed of Yue Li dancing.


    The guilt in his heart grew. It grew so heavy that he did not dare to admit that thedy in his dream was Yue Li. When he woke up, he began to paint the pear blossom immortal.


    He did not know if it was because he was under too much pressure. At first, he could still remember Yue Li, butter, he only had the pear blossom immortal in his heart.


    A few days ago, he even thought of going to look for the immortal¡­


    Now that he thought about it, he was really obsessed. Yue Li had already passed away for close to two years. In fact, he only had a little bit of affection for her. Why could he not figure it out? Why was he evenining to everyone in the family over that matter?


    Li Qingyu scratched his head.


    ¡°Master Mo, I was being rude to you before¡­ I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Li Qingyu said to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a child. There will always be times when you rebel. At this stage, you really won¡¯t listen to words that make sense,¡± Xie Qiao said with a look of understanding. After she finished speaking, she even nced at the Crown Prince with hidden meaning underlying.

 Chapter 518 - Call Me That Again

    <h4>Chapter 518: Call Me That Again</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled helplessly. He knew that Xie Qiao was criticizing him while pointing at someone else.


    ¡°Senior Sister is right. Elder Li should understand that. In the future, if you encounter such a situation again, just follow what was done earlier, which is to tie him up. Then, you can just press him to the ground and beat him up,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile. He cooperated seamlessly with Xie Qiao.


    Elder Li thought Master Mo did not mean that.


    Xie Qiao was feeling guilty now.


    She was not sure if she should continue to pretend in front of Zhao Xuanjing.


    If she had already been discovered¡­


    She did not dare to think about it.


    After all, she had said many things as his eldest senior sister. If he had seen her true color long ago, would it not be embarrassing?!


    In her life, she could lose everything, but she could not lose her dignity.


    She was an expert. If an expert¡¯s true color was exposed and was caught by someone, would her reputation not be ruined?


    Xie Qiao had many thoughts in her mind right now.


    As Li Qingyu stayed awake, more and more things appeared in his head. He thought of many things.


    Other than the foolish things he had often done in the past year, there was also the conversation Master Mo had with the air. She had said many things that he could not understand at that time.


    ¡°Master Mo, was there really a ghoul next to me? Was it¡­ her?¡± Li Qingyu asked.


    ¡°Yes. When Qingming Festivales, you can go to the Fortune Pavilion and personally send her away,¡± Xie Qiao said frankly. ¡°But now that she has resentment, she can¡¯t be released. If she misbehaves again, I¡¯ll have a lot of work to do again.¡±


    Obviously, Li Qingyu¡¯s mind was clear now.


    Even though Xie Qiao did not see the sign that the ghoul wanted to marry Li Qingyu, if the ghoul wanted to do something exciting and the fondness remained, it would increase the difficulty of Xie Qiao¡¯s work. Who would Xie Qiao vent her exhaustion from all the work by then?


    Li Qingyu did not say anything but respectfully bowed to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Mo¡­I feel sorry for her. Is there anything else I can do for her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can burn things and do some good deeds for her. In addition, your Grandfather has agreed to put her name in your family¡¯s genealogy book, making her your wife. You must do what you promised the spirit, or else it will harm your karma,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I will not break my promise.¡± Li Qingyu did not refuse.


    He owed that girl.


    If he had stood up and stopped his third brother when he found out that he was going to make her his concubine, this would not have happened.


    Xie Qiao was not used to Li Qingyu¡¯s sudden politeness.


    ¡°You¡­¡± She looked at him hesitantly. ¡°Can you call me an old witch again?¡±


    Li Qingyu blushed. ¡°I was being rude. I have to thank Master Mo for waking me up by hitting me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, when did I hit you?¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°A child shouldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    Yes, she did not hit him directly.


    However, she made his grandfather to get someone to throw him to the ground.


    It was impossible to say that Li Qingyu did not have any temper at the moment. In fact, he was still a little irritated, but he could suppress it. Especially now, in front of outsiders, he knew that he could not lose the Li family¡¯s dignity.


    The sudden change of his temper had made him seem uninteresting. Xie Qiao was rather bored at the moment.


    ¡°Old Master, let me take a look at your house again,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Elder Li immediately nodded when he heard that. He personally led Xie Qiao and walked through the courtyards.


    He had six sons. Even though half of them were gone, other than the three concubines who had lost their children, he had descendants with other concubines. Therefore, Xie Qiao had to take a look at every courtyard.


    The Li Residence was so big that it would take more than two hours to walk through it.

 Chapter 519 - Weak

    <h4>Chapter 519: Weak</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    With the Crown Prince by her side, Xie Qiao was afraid that she would really be exposed. Therefore, even though she was tired, she still forced herself to hold on. She did not dare to sit down and rest. After about an hour, she looked terrible.


    Usually, even when she performed the ritual, she would try her best to give herself a chance to catch her breath. Even in front of a ghoul, she would rest whenever she could. She would never mistreat herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± The Crown Prince suddenly stopped. ¡°Bring some refreshments and tea over.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡± The old master was a little confused.


    This ce... was the most remote location in the entire house. There was no scenery at all¡­


    ¡°Why not?!¡± The Crown Prince frowned. ¡°Then get someone to bring a pnquin over.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. It¡¯s my mistake. Your Highness is a noble person, how could I trouble Your Highness to work so hard¡­? Men, bring the refreshments over quickly,¡± Elder Li immediately said.


    Elder Li sent someone to do it right away. Then, seeing the unhappy look on the Crown Prince¡¯s face, he immediately looked left and right. His gaze fell on a big rock by the side of the path, and he carefully asked, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t you sit on the rock and rest?¡±


    He had only been summoned to the imperial court asionally these years.


    He had also heard that the Crown Prince was not popr in the imperial court. The Li family was on the Crown Prince¡¯s side at the beginning. After all, his son had married the Crown Prince¡¯s aunt from another family.


    However, the Crown Prince would not butter up anyone. He was cold to everyone. Even when the Li family took the initiative to express their goodwill, he had always been indifferent. He treated the Li family the same as other families. As such, he naturally would not lower himself and stick close to them.


    Gradually, he did not have much contact with the Crown Prince anymore.


    He was quite surprised that the Crown Prince took the initiative to visit him today.


    He thought that this kid had been enlightened, but he did not expect that... he still had the same temper as a few years ago!


    However, the old master felt quite at ease when he saw him like that.


    After all, the Crown Prince was the foundation of the country. If he only knew how to rope in the courtiers to y politics andpete with the Fourth Prince, then the imperial court would really be in chaos.


    Zhao Xuanjing walked to the rock straightforwardly. He took off his coat and put it on the rock. ¡°Take a seat, Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Xie Qiao had a determined look on her face.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips curved into a cold and arrogant arc when he heard that. Hisplicated and light gaze met hers. At that moment, Xie Qiao¡¯s guilt peaked. She had lost her toughness, and she sneakily avoided his gaze. She still wanted to endure for a while longer.


    Unfortunately, her body was useless.


    It was weak.


    She took small steps twice and finally moved to the side of the rock. She sat down gently. She did not dare to look around, as if she did not have the confidence, so she looked at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m old. My body is useless...¡±


    The old master had a feeling that this master was taunting him again.


    He was already in his seventies.


    Though old, he was strong. How could he be useless?


    Zhao Xuanjing also stood in ce and snorted. He looked odd and quite scary.


    Elder Li had also watched the Crown Prince grow up. Now that he saw the Crown Prince so respectful to Master Mo, he was very surprised.


    Who said that the Crown Prince was cold-hearted? Look, was he not being quite gentle to his senior sister of the same sect?


    ¡°Master, have you seen anything wrong along the way?¡± The old master bent and looked down at her, with some anticipation in his eyes.


    ¡°Your residence upies the three auspicious forms of vitality, health, and longevity. There are no major problems. Although there are some ces in the house that are not in good feng shui, they haven¡¯t formed a powerful killing formation. There¡¯s only one thing that needs to be changed, which is the two small ponds in the mansion. These ponds can either bepletely opened up and merged into one, or the passage should be blocked for the water to flow in and out. This is called the teary eye.. It¡¯s elegant, but there is a lot of grief.

 Chapter 520 - The Fire Murder Case

    <h4>Chapter 520: The Fire Murder Case</h4>


    The teary eye indeed had some influence, but the feng shui of the entire Li Residence was wellid out, so this problem was minor.


    She concluded a justification after reading the fortunes of others over the years.


    The clients who had spent money did not want to hear the im that ¡°nothing is wrong¡±.


    They had already found a master to do the division, so naturally, they already had doubts in their hearts. She had to give them something.


    More or less, she had to tell them that something was wrong and then solve it for them. This way, they would feel better inside. Otherwise, they would still be paranoid and feel that something was wrong with their home.


    ¡°The ponds?¡± Elder Li heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll immediately get the steward to get someone to block the source of water.¡±


    Back then, in order to make it convenient to clean the pond, they had specially left a small drainage channel between the two ponds.


    In this way, when one side of the pond was full, the water would flow to the other side. Bamboo pipes were ced at the entrance of the small channel. When the water flowed, it was very elegant and interesting.


    ¡°This is the only problem in this house. After the imperial examination, I will free up some time and go to the ancestral grave to take a look,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Elder Li immediately nodded.


    ¡°My family¡¯s ancestral grave was once a treasurend of feng shui that was chosen by a wandering master. After the grave was moved, my official career has indeed been smooth sailing all these years. There are rarely any major disasters, and all these years, it has not been touched¡­¡± Elder Li could not understand how an ancestral grave that had never been touched would suddenly affect the future generations.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only find out after I take a look at it,¡± Xie Qiao said concisely.


    Feng shui also had a ¡°shelf life¡±.


    Hoping that the feng shui would protect the 18 generations and remain prosperous? That was impossible!


    It was inevitable that the peak would decline.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the grave, Elder Li?¡± The Crown Prince asked.


    ¡°Not far. It¡¯s in Xun County,¡± Elder Li quickly replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed quite a coincidence. There¡¯s a big case at the criminal division. They¡¯re going to Xun County to investigate it. When the timees, I¡¯ll go with Senior Sister.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s clothes were thin, but his words were firm.


    Xie Qiao widened her eyes.


    How could it be such a coincidence?!


    It must be a lie?!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just leave this case to others? Why do they need you to personally solve the crime, Crown Prince?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were full of suspicion.


    She did not believe it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fire murder case. This case has been sealed for a few years. I¡¯m afraid those fools won¡¯t handle it properly.


    ¡°If Senior Sister is interested, I¡¯ll get someone to send the case file to the Fortune Pavilionter. You can learn about it at any time.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not feel guilty at all. There was always a sense of righteousness in him.


    ¡°Fire murder?¡± The old master smiled when he heard about the case. ¡°This case is indeed quite old, isn¡¯t it? I was born in Xun County. When I heard about this case back then, I paid quite a bit of attention to it. Who knew that the murderer was never found.¡±


    After counting, this case should have been more than ten years old.


    It was said that there was an old temple on the outskirts of Xun County. The temple was small, and it could shelter the passing schrs from wind and rain.


    However, there was one year when a graduate passed by that ce. He saw fire floating in the middle of the temple. The fire surrounded a person who was hanging from a beam. There were old Buddha statues around him. The eyes of those Buddha statues were shining with a cold, green light. It looked very scary.


    Some people said that the person had done many evil deeds and was taken in by the Buddha.


    The case was never solved.


    Then, three yearster, another person was killed.


    Therefore, the local government guarded the ce on the eve of the imperial examination to prevent other schrs from entering and staying there.


    Nothing happened again since then.


    ¡°Why? Did someone die at the temple this year?¡± Elder Li could not help but ask again.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± The Crown Prince said very little when he spoke to Elder Li.

 Chapter 521 - Worshiping the Noble in the East

    <h4>Chapter 521: Worshiping the Noble in the East</h4>


    Elder Li sighed. ¡°These students have been studying hard for ten to 20 years, but they died on the road. They are truly wronged. If Your Highness can solve this case, it will be a meritorious deed.¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded slightly and then turned his head to look at Xie Qiao.


    It was as if he was telling her that it was really a coincidence.


    Even Elder Li knew about this case, so it could not be fake.


    Moreover, Elder Li would have to go with her, so it was not impossible for Zhao Xuanjing to go along.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything more.


    After resting for a while, the tea and snacks arrived. After replenishing their strength, they left.


    When they left the Li Residence, Elder Li did not forget to ask someone to prepare the reward, which was very generous.


    After Zhao Xuanjing rode a horse to escort Xie Qiao back to the Fortune Pavilion. The sky had turned dark.


    ¡°Get someone to deliver the Xun County fire case file to me,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said to Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong had been pissed since a long time ago.


    ¡®The Crown Prince is asking me to work again?! Does he think I don¡¯t do enough every day?!¡¯


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao rested at the Fortune Pavilion directly.


    A few dayster, exhausted schrs walked out of the examination venue one after another.


    Xie Qiao sat in the teahouse near the path that those schrs would definitely pass, watching many ghouls wander around.


    She lit up the soul-summoning incense in the private room, muttering to herself.


    Some spirits had been locked up in the examination venue for a few days. Like the schrs, they had taken three examinations there. Aftering out, they were as muddle-headed as living people. Now that they smelled the incense, they could not help but wander toward Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao took this opportunity to capture everything she could.


    It was only the first wave.


    After the results were released, there would definitely be some spirits who could not bear to leave.


    Xie Qiao had not been idle for the past few days.


    She had less time to return to the Xie Residence, but her harvest was fruitful. At the Fortune Pavilion, there were many more ghouls waiting to be reincarnated during the Qingming Festival.


    ¡­


    The day before the results were released, Xie Niushan had returned.


    The steward ran all the way to the Fortune Pavilion and requested Mo Chusheng to pass on this news to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Niushan had returned after defeating the bandits. He had to report to his superiors before he could return home.


    His biological father had left for such a long time before returning. Naturally, Xie Qiao had to wait for him obediently.


    Other than Xie Qiao, the Lin family had alsoe over.


    They were all waiting for Xie Niushan¡¯s return.


    At that moment, Xie Niushan was summoned to the pce.


    The Emperor looked down at this bandit general who did not have an outstanding appearance and had a background that could not be seen in the light. He had mixed feelings.


    ¡°I heard that after you set off, you kowtowed to the east every time you reached a high ce. Why is that?¡± The Emperor asked even though he knew the answer.


    Xie Niushan was a bandit after all. Even if he used this person, how could he be at ease?


    Hence, he nted spies around Xie Niushan, reporting every action of Xie Niushan to him.


    These few years, Xie Niushan could be considered honest, but he did not have much respect for the royal family.


    However, this time, when he sent out troops, Xie Niushan often kowtowed toward the east, extremely reverent and pious.


    What was there in the east?


    Naturally, it was the imperial city.


    Even the soldiers were moved by his loyalty. When Xie Niushan knelt and kowtowed, they also followed obediently.


    This news had long reached his ears.


    At that moment, Xie Niushan was confused. Although he went to suppress the bandits, it was not a big deal. Why did the Emperor want to see him?


    He even had to ask such an odd question¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m just kneeling and kowtowing to the noble. The noble will bless my travel to be smooth-sailing,¡± Xie Niushan said very honestly.


    The Emperor nodded.


    Who was the noble?


    Needless to say, it was the Emperor.

 Chapter 522 - Congratulations?

    <h4>Chapter 522: Congrattions?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Emperor spoke and casually asked a few more questions about Xie Niushan¡¯s daily life.


    Xie Niushan spoke his mind. He would not have bothered to take the credit if he did not put in the effort. In reality, it was no different from the information the Emperor had received earlier.


    He was also more satisfied with this bandit general now.


    Although he did note from a good family background, he was a loyal and brave person. He did not like to boast.


    He was much better than many ministers who only knew how to talk big.


    The Emperor was happy and promoted Xie Niushan.


    ording to the contributions of Xie Niushan and the barbarian leaders, when they first recruited him, they should have given him the position of a general. However, the Emperor was worried that this person was not honest enough, so he suppressed him.


    Now that he found that Xie Niushan was so respectful, he was much happier. ¡°Minister Xie, you have made great contributions and are loyal. I¡¯m very pleased to promote you to a general!¡±


    Xie Niushan was a little confused.


    Promoted?


    H-How was he loyal?


    Xie Niushan was quite confused, but he still kowtowed to express his gratitude.


    He knew that his words would offend others, so in front of the Emperor, as long as the other party did not ask, he would not take the initiative to speak. Although the Emperor thought that he was honest, he thought Xie Niushan was rather boring. After rewarding him with praise, he asked him to leave.


    Xie Niushan was still a little confused. He looked for the eunuch who was quite respected around the Emperor and asked, ¡°Why did the Emperor promote me?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s because of your loyalty?¡± The eunuch could not help but admire him.


    This Xie Niushan was quite honest, but the things he did were quite sneaky!


    He ran all the way out to suppress the bandits, but he actually did not forget to tter the Emperor!


    He had heard that he had to kowtow every time he reached a high ce. If they counted, he had kowtowed more than a hundred times!


    If he were the Emperor, he would not be able to help but promote this bandit as well!


    Xie Niushan thought the eunuch¡¯s smile was strange.


    However, a promotion was a good thing.


    Although he was a small general earlier, he did not manage many people. The barracks he was in were quite terrible. There were many old, weak, and disabled people. If he went to the battlefield, they would definitely be used as the cannon fodders. However, this front army was different. They would charge forward to defend the capital. They would do important things.


    The Emperor was quite polite and gave him such a great position.


    Moreover, his rank was promoted. He was now a third-grade general!


    If he could have a noble title, that would be even better!


    Xie Niushan was ted. The eunuch looked at him and hesitated. He asked, ¡°General Xie, I heard that you... have married three wives. May I ask... which one do you like the most?¡±


    Xie Niushan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the eunuch.


    Was there something wrong with this eunuch?


    The eunuch was terrified by his stare and quickly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just asking.¡±


    Xie Niushan thought today was a little strange.


    Just like when he entered the city gate, the people around him were quite polite when they looked at him.


    Also, before the Emperor saw him, he also saw other officials. Those people actually congratted him!


    It was strange. What was there to congratte him about? Now, someone was asking him which wife he liked the most¡­


    Could it be¡­


    That Ms. Lu had returned while he was not home?! Or that his own mother had married another wife for him?!


    Thinking of that, Xie Niushan panicked.


    He ignored the eunuch and walked faster and faster.


    At that moment, the Xie family had been waiting for a long time.


    Grandfather Lin and Aunt Lin had the most serious expressions on their faces. They did not look like they were to be trifled with.


    ¡°Grandfather Lin, if you need a hoe or a saber... just say it. Although he¡¯s my Father, he stole your daughter.. If you want revenge, I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.

 Chapter 523 - What’s the Difference

    <h4>Chapter 523: What¡¯s the Difference</h4>


    Old Master Lin was quite resentful. If he could really kill Xie Niushan, he would definitely not hesitate.


    However, the truth was that Xie Niushan was his grandchildren¡¯s biological father!


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s all in the past. As long as he takes good care of the children, let bygones be bygones. This old man doesn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore.¡± Old Master Lin took a deep breath. When he said these words, his voice trembled slightly.


    How could he not feel resentment in his heart?!


    However, now that he had Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi as his grandchildren, he could no longer vent his resentment.


    Furthermore, Old Master Lin knew what Xie Qiao said was just to make him feel better.


    His family was just an ordinary family. They had no official status and no money. Even if he had a blood feud with Xie Niushan, what could he do?


    Revenge? He wanted his entire family to be killed?


    Thinking about it, Old Master Lin said, ¡°First Young Lady is kind-hearted and has taken good care of us during this period of time. You got Huai¡¯er and Xi¡¯er to interact more with our family. But in the future¡­ I don¡¯t know if your Father will tolerate us judging by his temper¡­ Now, although I have some resentment in my heart, that resentment cannot bepared to worry.¡±


    Rather than wanting to kill Xie Niushan, he was more worried that Xie Niushan would look down on the Lin family and not allow the two children to interact with them.


    ¡°My Younger Brother and Sister are all grown up. They are filial to their elders. It¡¯s their own business to interact with their younger cousins. Right now, I can¡¯t make the decision, and neither can my Father,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Pinggang nodded at the side.


    He did not talk much at the moment.


    He was mainly worried that he would scare people when he opened his mouth.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, the members of the Lin family could not help but nce at Xie Pinghuai.


    Xie Xi was still alright. She especially liked to stay with the Lin family. At the Lin Residence, everyone would take care of her. From time to time, they woulde over and chat with her a little more. As a result, she was indeed much livelier with the Lin family than when she was somewhere else.


    However, Xie Pinghuai was different. He had always been awkward.


    At that moment, Xie Pinghuai felt the gaze of others, he pursed her lips. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Aren¡¯t you my biological Grandfather? If my Mother was still alive, she wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore you, right? Now that my Mother is no longer around, I feel wronged¡­ I¡¯ll just make do with visiting your family more often¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang wanted to punch him.


    Could he talk nicely if he wanted to go to the Lin Residence?! He was so sarcastic that he deserved a beating!


    Xie Pinghuai buried his neck in fear after being red at by Xie Pinggang. Then, he immediately moved behind Lin Yaxiang and said, ¡°A-Aunt, look at my Eldest Brother. He¡¯s angry at me¡­¡±


    He got himself a backer.


    ¡°He¡¯s your biological brother. Why are you afraid of him?¡± Lin Yaxiang looked at Xie Pinghuai lovingly. ¡°Could it be that you can¡¯t beat him?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai nodded slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young. It¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t beat him now. You should learn martial arts. Maybe one day, you¡¯ll be able to beat your brother to the ground.¡± Lin Yaxiang smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Xie Pinghuai shook his head directly.


    This aunt was good at everything, but she was too blind to believe in him!


    His eldest brother was as strong as an ox, how could he fight him?


    He could casually lift him up and throw him. Fighting with him was like hitting an egg against a stone!


    ¡°How can you be so unconfident? Don¡¯t you want to see how your Eldest Brother will be defeated by you?¡± Lin Yaxiang¡¯s words were quite wicked, it was as if Xie Pinggang was a nobody, ¡°You and your Eldest Brother are from the same Father. Look at the First Young Lady. She¡¯s extremely beautiful. It can be seen that your Eldest Brother¡¯s Mother was a beautiful woman. Therefore, your Eldest Brother must havepletely inherited your Father¡¯s strengths. And you¡­ are also your Father¡¯s child. What¡¯s the difference?¡±

 Chapter 524 - Dotes on Him

    <h4>Chapter 524: Dotes on Him</h4>


    Lin Yaxiang held Xie Pinghuai in her arms.


    When Xie Pinghuai heard that, he was a little hesitant, but he could not help but imagine what it would be like to defeat his eldest brother.


    When he thought about it, he was quite excited.


    Xie Pinggang only snorted coldly and did not refute her.


    Xie Qiao thought Lin Yaxiang was indeed a smart person. Although her words offended his eldest brother in every way, in reality, she had figured out that his eldest brother hated him for failing to live up to his expectations. She also knew that Xie Pinghuai was a person who would take persuasion rather than force.


    She illustrated the image and gave him another round of encouragement. She looked at him with anticipation and trust. With such an attitude, Xie Pinghuai could not refuse at all.


    ¡°What you said is very reasonable.¡± Xie Pinghuai nodded in all seriousness.


    They had the same father. He was now young, so he was a little skinny and shortpared to his eldest brother. However, it would be hard to say when he grew further!


    He remembered that his eldest brother had suddenly grown taller when he was 16 or 17. Perhaps¡­


    He could even be taller than his eldest brother!


    ¡°I¡¯ve delivered babies for other families all these years and have seen many children. In terms of talent in martial arts, my Pinghuai is definitely one in 10,000. If you be a general one day, you will definitely be awe-inspiring and admirable. Your Mother in heaven will also be overjoyed. If your official position is even higher than your eldest brother¡¯s, then in the future, won¡¯t everyone in this family¡­ have to listen to you?¡± Lin Yaxiang said and felt quite happy.


    It was as if she could see Xie Pinghuai all grown up.


    ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re too good at bragging. Look at my small size now. Do you think I¡¯ll be a great general? That¡¯s still a long way to go. However, I can¡¯t be a great general, but when I grow up, I¡¯ll at least have an official position, right? If I do well¡­ it¡¯s indeed possible for me to surpass Eldest Brother.¡± Xie Pinghuai thought, and he felt good all over his body.


    Being an official was not something that could be done by whoever with the biggest fist!


    What did eldest brother have? He did not have a backer.


    He was different. Xiao Yurong was his master!


    Many teachers in the academy would look up to him when they saw him now!


    Xie Pinghuai was a little smug. He even had the guts to make a face at Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°I believe in you,¡± Lin Yaxiang said with a smile. After saying that, she looked at Xie Pinggang, she asked, ¡°Does First Young Master know a good martial arts master? Look, this child has such ambition. It¡¯s really amazing. My Lin family is justmoners, and we don¡¯t know any martial arts masters. Don¡¯t dy him for nothing. Although there are martial arts masters at the academy, they have only taught him for a short period of time. I think we should hire one to the house.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned. ¡°I don¡¯t want a martial arts master!¡±


    It was very tiring to learn martial arts!


    Lin Yaxiang was surprised. ¡°Why? Could it be that¡­ what you said earlier¡­ was all a lie to me?¡±


    Lin Yaxiang looked very sad. She was obviously a straightforward person, but now she had to pretend to be a weak victim. She clutched her chest and felt a great blow.


    When Xie Qiao saw her acting skills, she did not even dare to take a second look.


    It was rather scary.


    Xie Pinghuai was really amazing. He had managed to suppress Aunt Lin¡¯s fiery temper to the point that she looked like a weak and loving mother!


    Xie Pinghuai felt awkward.


    He was most afraid of Aunt Lin behaving like that.


    After all, Aunt Lin treated him quite well. She would personally cook whatever he wanted to eat. She would also sew the clothes he wore. Even Ms. Lu¡­ had never been this good to him.


    Xie Pinghuai was not someone who did not know what was good for him. He also knew that although Ms. Lu loved him, she did not care about anything other than giving him money. When he was cold and hungry, Ms. Lu hardly asked about it.


    Unlike his aunt, who loved him like his own mother.

 Chapter 525 - Helping Each Other

    <h4>Chapter 525: Helping Each Other</h4>


    Seeing Aunt Lin so sad, Xie Pinghuai felt uneasy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you! Who¡¯s lying to you? Isn¡¯t it just a martial arts master? Fine, we¡¯ll hire one, but it¡¯s too expensive. I don¡¯t want to spend Eldest Brother¡¯s money. Your family is so poor. It¡¯s too expensive to hire a martial arts master!¡± Xie Pinghuai said shamelessly.


    If they were poor, then there was nothing they could do, right?


    ¡°As long as you are studious, I will hire one for you even if I have to exhaust my family¡¯s wealth. Don¡¯t worry about money.¡± Aunt Lin was overjoyed when she heard that.


    Hiring a martial arts master was indeed expensive, but would she not be able to think of a way?


    She knew how to deliver babies, and her methods were quite good. She heard that the wealthy families in the capital pay a lot of money. She put in more effort to see if she could get business from the wealthy families. As long as the mother was healthy and the child was delivered, the money would naturallye.


    The Lin family had initially nned to stay in the capital for a month. However, now that they were spending time with the two children, they could not bear to leave.


    Grandpa Lin was skilled in medicine. Now that he was traveling through the streets every day as a doctor, he wanted to save money for two years and open a small medicine shop.


    The other two sons-inw of the Lin family were also hard working people.


    As long as there were no pests in the house, they would not have to worry about living a hard life. Sooner orter, they would be popr.


    How would Xie Qiao dare to let the Lin family bear Xie Pinghuai¡¯s expenses?


    After thinking for a moment, she was about to speak when Lin Yaxiang looked at her. She smiled and said, ¡°Young Lady, I know that you are kind-hearted. It¡¯s just that my family¡¯s status is very different from your family¡¯s. If you often help me, my family won¡¯t have enough confidence. In the future, even if wee and go, we can only look up to others. It¡¯s not what we want.


    ¡°Both families should be equal. Now that we are short of money, we will think of our own ways. This way, in the future, when ites to matters involving the two children, we will have the right to speak up, right?¡± Lin Yaxiang added.


    The Lin family could not send the children to the Royal Academy like the Xie family did.


    However, it was not impossible for them to hire a martial arts master.


    ¡°You are right.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°However, since we¡¯re family, it¡¯s only right for us to take care of each other. Earlier on, my Eldest Brother received the Emperor¡¯s reward, so he has more gold and silver in his hands. If he keeps the money, he and my Father will run out of it sooner orter. Therefore, we¡¯re going to buy some shops and rent them out with the money.¡±


    Lin Yaxiang looked at Xie Qiao, not quite understanding what she meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for anyone who rents the shops. However, Grandpa Lin¡¯s medical skills are excellent, and he has two uncles to help him. It¡¯s better to open a medicine shop directly. My shop¡¯s location is quite good, and there are many residential houses around it. It would be best if we open a medicine shop,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Since they were renting, the Lin family would have to pay.


    Moreover, the rent would not be too little.


    Lin Yaxiang was a little hesitant. ¡°Thank you, Young Lady. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have that much money to rent a shop right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll sign the contract and start renting at the beginning of the year for the first three years. You¡¯ll pay the rent at the end of the year. What do you think?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    In this way, as long as the business of this medicine shop was good and there were no major issues, they would definitely be able to pay the rent at the end of the year. It was equivalent to giving the shop to them for free in advance.


    Lin Yaxiang blushed.


    It was indeed a good opportunity, but she thought it would be terrible if she epted the kindness of the Xie family.


    Lin Yaxiang still shook her head. ¡°Thank you, Young Lady. I know that you have good intentions, but regarding the money¡­ I will think of a way. If I earn enough rent, we¡¯ll talk about it. I will have to trouble you when that timees.¡±


    Lin Yaxiang was very polite.


    Although she was an elder, she knew that Xie Qiao was the first wife¡¯s daughter. It was a courtesy for Xie Qiao to call her aunt. She could not really treat herself as an elder.

 Chapter 526 - Poor Relatives

    <h4>Chapter 526: Poor Rtives</h4>


    Xie Qiao secretly felt more respect for Lin Yaxiang when she said that.


    ¡°Aunt, my Eldest Sister has a lot of money. If she¡¯s willing to help you, why don¡¯t you ept it?¡± Xie Pinghuai had a puzzled look on his face.


    How could she not ept the benefits in front of her? Was she a fool?


    At that moment, Lin Yaxiang thought her decision was the right one.


    Xie Pinghuai was spoiled by Ms. Lu. He would always take what others gave him as a matter of course.


    If she, his aunt, did the same, then she would not have the right to teach Xie Pinghuai in the future.


    ¡°Do you believe me, child? Don¡¯t think that your aunt is poor now. As long as I am willing to work harder, the money in my hands will be more abundant.¡± Lin Yaxiang was quite calm.


    Xie Pinghuai did not believe her.


    Ms. Lu had said before that it was impossible for a family like the Lin family to make a lot of money.


    They were poor rtives.


    He liked the Lin family, but he had never denied this fact.


    Lin Yaxiang was so determined that Xie Qiao stopped persuading her.


    She wanted to help the Lin family so that Grandpa Lin and the others would feel more at ease. However, Lin family¡¯s reaction was educational to Xie Pinghuai. Moreover, such rtives were more precious.


    Even Xie Pinggang¡¯s attitude toward the Lin family became more amiable at that moment.


    As they spoke, Xie Niushan finally returned.


    He strode in as if he had something urgent to attend to. When he saw the room full of people, his gaze finallynded on Lin Yaxiang.


    The person in charge of the Lin family, besides Old Master Lin, was Lin Yaxiang, the eldest daughter. Hence, even though she was sitting in the guest seat, she was more eye-catching. With Xie Pinghuai standing behind her, it was difficult for Xie Niushan not to think too much about it.


    He asked, ¡°Is this the new wife that my Mother married for me?¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was stunned.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± She immediately wanted to exin.


    ¡°She¡¯s not bad looking. Although her clothes are a little shabby, she looks like she¡¯s thrifty and can manage the household. But she doesn¡¯t look gentle and sensible?¡± Xie Niushan was a little unsettled.


    He liked a gentle person.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s words were like firecrackers.


    The firecrackers exploded before anyone could react.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yaxiang¡¯s face turned red with anger. She actually stood up and pped his face. ¡°You pervert. A bandit¡¯s habit dies hard!¡±


    The p stunned everyone.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Well done!


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned!


    What kind of person was his father?! He was an unreasonable man. Was that a p on his face?! That was his father¡¯s dignity!


    It was over. His aunt was going to die!


    Xie Pinghuai thought a lot. He did not know where he found the courage to rush out and block Lin Yaxiang. He looked at his father and said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t mess around. This is my Mother¡¯s sister! Y-You can¡¯t hit her¡­¡±


    What sister?


    Xie Niushan could not react.


    However, he was really upset. This woman had some guts. She actually dared to hit him! She deserved to be taught a lesson!


    ¡°Huai¡¯er, get out of the way. What am I afraid of him for?!¡± Lin Yaxiang initially had a problem with Xie Niushan. She could tolerate him, but what did he say earlier?


    He said that she was his newly married wife, and he was even picky and insulted her!


    Lin Yaxiang pushed Xie Pinghuai away, waited for Xie Niushan to speak, ¡°You shameless bandit. Other than those dirty thoughts, what else do you have?! In front of your father-inw and children, yo¡¯re actually so shameless and spouting nonsense. My Sister was such a gentle and sensible person, yet she was destroyed by your hands!¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up the tea cup beside her and smashed it directly on Xie Niushan¡¯s head.

 Chapter 527 - The New Wife that My Mother Married for Me!

    <h4>Chapter 527: The New Wife that My Mother Married for Me!</h4>


    The warm tea and the green tea leaves stuck on Xie Niushan¡¯s forehead just like that.


    He was furious.


    He was about to raise his hand to hit someone, but just as he did, Xie Qiao suddenly eximed, ¡°Father¡­ A-Are you going to kill someone in front of your daughter¡­? Eldest Brother, Father is so scary¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao covered her face, then she buried her body and curled up on the chair.


    The corner of Xie Pinggang¡¯s lips twitched.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s sobbing did not stop. It drowned Xie Niushan¡¯s head.


    He immediately chickened out.


    What was he afraid of?


    He was not afraid of anything, but facing his daughter, he was really scared. He admitted that.


    Unwilling to give up, he withdrew his hand and snorted. He wiped the thing on his forehead and said angrily, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my daughter, would I have spared you?¡±


    ¡°As a dignified General Xie, you would naturally want to kill or slice a lowly person like me!¡± Lin Yaxiang was extremely disgusted by Xie Niushan.


    Although her younger sister was not as beautiful as an immortal, she was a precious thing from a small family. She had once asked her younger sister what kind of person she wanted to marry in the future. What did her younger sister say?


    She said that she liked people who were good-looking and literate.


    However, this Xie Niushan in front of her was like an ox, a mountain!


    He was not good-looking. He was fierce and stupid!


    Her younger sister was ruined by such a person!


    She married him and died early. How could Lin Yaxiang not be angry?!


    Xie Niushan was also holding back his anger. As he listened to Lin Yaxiang¡¯s angry rebuke, his daughter behind him was ¡°scared to tears.¡± He was extremely upset.


    ¡°Eldest Daughter, why are you crying? I just came back. Can¡¯t you celebrate a little bit?¡± Although Xie Niushan was upset, he did not dare to speak loudly to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I can. But Father, can you be gentler?¡± Xie Qiao was like a little rabbit at that moment, and she sounded obedient.


    Xie Pinggang suddenly thought it was rather strange.


    A person who could see ghouls all day would be scared to this extent by her own father?


    How could she be so crafty?


    Xie Pinggang had a look of disdain on his face. He was a person with guts. Even in times of crisis, he would never be like his good-for-nothing sister who would put on such a pitiful show.


    It was scary and embarrassing.


    Xie Niushan let out a breath and said in a softer voice, ¡°Alright, stop crying.¡±


    She cried until felt as if his heart had been cut by a knife. He felt very ufortable.


    He was not the only one who felt ufortable. Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi were also quite distressed.


    These two children were not really dumb. They knew that their eldest sister would pretend to cry, but she was also really weak. When they saw her crying, regardless of whether it was real or fake, they could not help but worry.


    They were still young, and they were too naive.


    Xie Qiao raised her head and took a sip of tea. ¡°Father, if you have anything to say, sit down and talk properly. Also¡­ the person you offended is Lin Erniang¡¯s biological sister, the Lin family¡¯s eldest aunt. The elder beside her is Lin Erniang¡¯s father. It wouldn¡¯t be too much to ask you to call him Father.¡±


    Who?


    Xie Niushan recalled.


    That was right. Before they left, he had sent someone to bring the Lin family over.


    He had actually forgotten such a huge matter!


    Xie Niushan patted his head and thought his reaction was a little slow.


    Now, he could understand why this shrew-like woman was so aggressive. Immediately, he said in a very magnanimous manner, ¡°So it¡¯s Eldest Aunt. Sorry for offending you. I¡¯ve never seen you before. Today, the people out there have been congratting me. I thought that my Mother had married another wife for me. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    He apologized straightforwardly, but he did not seem sincere at all.


    Everyone from the Lin family looked terrible.


    They knew that Xie Niushan was a nonsensical person, but they did not expect this person to be so¡­ unique!

 Chapter 528 - Unable to Turn Over A New Leaf

    <h4>Chapter 528: Unable to Turn Over A New Leaf</h4>


    The entire Lin family was suppressing their anger.


    Xie Pinggang could not stand it any longer. ¡°You wish. If that old biddy dared to get me a Mother, then you¡¯d have to mourn her now that you¡¯re back.¡±


    Xie Niushan rolled his eyes at his son.


    It had been so long since theyst met, yet this son was still so inconsiderate!


    ¡°Father, when you married Second Mother back then, you didn¡¯t inform Grandpa Lin. This isn¡¯t appropriate.¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly and spoke slowly. Then, she went forward and stuffed a cup of tea into Xie Niushan¡¯s hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ make it up now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Niushan was stunned.


    Xie Qiao smiled gently. ¡°As a son-inw, it¡¯s not too much for you to toast your Father-inw with a cup of tea, right?¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao looked at her eldest brother. ¡°Eldest Brother, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Xie Pinggang nodded unconditionally. ¡°Father, you should do that in front of our family.¡±


    Xie Niushan felt like he was being ostracized.


    How long had he been out for? Why had all of them changed so much after he returned?


    To make him toast to this old man?


    Ms. Lin¡¯s biological father?


    He could do that.


    He walked forward and handed over the tea in his hand. ¡°Father-inw, drink it!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart felt as if it had been struck by an earthquake, and she nearly cursed out loud.


    When Xie Niushan had married that woman, he did not ask for anyone¡¯s consent. Now that he had met this old man, forget it if he remorsed and apologize, but he¡­ ask his father-inw to drink it?


    Drink it yourself! If she were Old Master Lin, she would really be so pissed that she would vomit blood!


    Old Master Lin looked like he was close to vomiting blood. He looked terrible, and he looked as if he really wanted to vent his anger.


    ¡°Father! You should kneel and be respectful!¡± Xie Qiao frowned, she looked very upset. ¡°Were you like this to my biological grandfather back then? Lin Erniang gave birth to a pair of children for you. If you¡¯re so cold and don¡¯t know how to respect her family, your children will look down on you in the future!¡±


    Xie Qiao was really upset.


    She did not feel sorry for Ms. Lin, nor did she feel sorry for the Lin family.


    Her mother was Ms. Peng and had nothing to do with these people. She just wanted her biological father¡­ to be a human being.


    He was too wicked. In his next life, he would be a dog or a cow. He would not be able to turn over a new leaf!


    Back then, Xie Niushan was naturally respectful to his father-inw. Not only did he have to kneel, he would have to be beaten and punished. He could do nothing about it. After all, Xie Qiao¡¯s grandfather was the previous generation¡¯s bandit chief.


    Even if Xie Niushan wanted to throw a tantrum, he did not have the guts.


    However, before Xie Niushan went to the bandit mountain stronghold, he could be considered honest and foolish. After going to the mountain stronghold, his personality was infinitely close to that of his first father-inw.


    He was almost not considered a son-inw. The degree of simrity was almost as close as that of his own son.


    Now that he saw Xie Qiao was angry, he could not understand why.


    Through Xie Qiao¡¯s cold and upset look, Xie Niushan¡¯s mind suddenly recalled the appearance of Ms. Peng.


    He almost forgot.


    Once he thought of Ms. Peng, he actually knelt with a thud. He was magnanimous as he handed over the tea again. ¡°Father-inw, please drink the tea!¡±


    Xie Qiao did not expect his biological father to be so straightforward.


    She finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    Seeing him kneel, Old Master Lin felt a lot better.


    ¡°When you married my daughter, did you treat her well?¡± Old Master Lin was not in a hurry to take the tea, but he asked instead.


    ¡°How could I not be good to her? She was a delicate and gentle woman. I didn¡¯t dote on her enough. Don¡¯t worry, I neither hit nor scolded her back then. After she married me, although she did not smile often, she had only cried a few times.¡± Xie Niushan was telling the truth.

 Chapter 529 - It’s Possible that You Become the Princess Consort!

    <h4>Chapter 529: It¡¯s Possible that You Be the Princess Consort!</h4>


    Back then, Xie Niushan really liked Ms. Lin.


    She was gentle. When she spoke, she was like a mosquito. Her voice was so soft that it was charming.


    It was a pity that her life was short. Otherwise, he would have promised to bring her to the capital to be the wife of an official. How would he have married that spendthrift, Ms. Lu?


    ¡°What he said is true,¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    Old Master Lin sighed.


    After all, his daughter was blessed. After marrying such a person, if he doted on her and loved her, it would not matter if he was a bandit. However, she passed away after giving birth to the children.


    Old Master Lin reached out and took the tea. He drank it.


    Only then did Xie Niushan get up.


    He was still thinking about Ms. Peng. When he thought about Ms. Peng, he took two more nces at Lin Yaxiang.


    This sister-inw of his had Ms. Peng¡¯s character back then, but she was not as good-looking as histe wife.


    ¡°We came all the way here today, firstly to wee General Xie home, and secondly to meet him. We¡¯re families of inws, so we should know what each other looks like. Now that we¡¯ve met, we won¡¯t stay any longer. If anything happens in the future, it¡¯ll be convenient for the Young Master and the Young Lady to visit.¡± The old man¡¯s heart was filled with mixed feelings. After saying that, he stood up and was about to leave.


    Xie Qiao knew that this old man needed some time to calm down.


    Thus, she happily stood up to send off the guests.


    After a while, everyone left. Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi stayed behind today.


    Xie Niushan was confused. He muttered, ¡°This Lin family¡¯s Eldest Aunt is quite shrewd.¡±


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t talk about my Aunt Lin. She¡¯s amazing!¡± Xie Pinghuai was upset.


    Xie Niushan pursed his lips. Who would he harm to have said a few words?


    He would just keep quiet, then. What was the big deal? She was not an immortal anyway, so he did not care!


    ¡°I¡¯ve juste home. I don¡¯t know what happened at home. Why are all the people outside congratting me? What did you guys do?¡± Xie Niushan asked.


    ¡°It should be about Eldest Brother¡¯s promotion. They know that you don¡¯t know what happened yet, so they just want to congratte you,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°I know about the promotion, don¡¯t I? Didn¡¯t he get promoted before I left?¡± Xie Niushan could not understand.


    ¡°He¡¯s been promoted again.¡± Xie Qiao beamed. ¡°Eldest Brother is now a sixth-grade official, and his position at the criminal division is no longer the same as before.¡±


    After saying this, Xie Niushan¡¯s old face trembled. ¡°I went for a trip and spent so much effort to get promoted. How did you get promoted again in the blink of an eye? A sixth-grade official. Did you give the Emperor immortal pills?!¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not look at him.


    As his father, he was jealous of his son. Did he have no shame?


    ¡°Thanks to my Eldest Sister, I picked up a big case for nothing. More than a hundred people died in that case, so the superiors rewarded me.¡± Xie Pinggang was very honest.


    He was pretty great. He had solved many cases at the criminal division.


    However, the cases were small, unlike the big case of the Zhou family, which had shocked the world.


    ¡°Father, you said that your position is different now. Did you also get promoted?¡± Although Xie Qiao asked that, she already knew.


    Before her father left, she had predicted it.


    ¡°Of course. Your Father is now a front military general. In the past, the title of general was just to coax people. Now, this is what proper military power is. If there¡¯s any war in the future, I can speak up in the imperial court. If I make a meritorious contribution, I might even be conferred a noble title!¡± Xie Niushan had good expectations at that moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Xie Pinggang was also in a good mood.


    ¡°With our Father¡¯s official position shifted, it will be easier for you to get a husband. If you are in good health, it¡¯s possible that you¡­ can be the Princess Consort!¡± Xie Pinggang sighed.

 Chapter 530 - Successful!

    <h4>Chapter 530: Sessful!</h4>


    His father was no longer a general with a misceneous title. Being promoted to the rank of a front general represented not only an increase in sry and rank, but also the Emperor¡¯s attitude toward him!


    Not everyone could go to the front military camp.


    Now that his father had gained the Emperor¡¯s trust, he was able to take up this position!


    Xie Pinggang knew that his sister liked the Crown Prince¡¯s looks. That was why he said that.


    ¡°My daughter, do you want to be the Princess Consort?¡± Xie Niushan asked directly.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is good-looking. I just want to take a few more nces at him.¡± Xie Qiao snorted.


    Yes, she also wanted to be the empress dowager. Was that something that could be done just because she wanted to?


    Xie Niushan thought his daughter looked like a flower. What kind of man was not worthy of her?


    Now that he heard her praising the Crown Prince for being good-looking, he took it more seriously, ¡°This Crown Prince isn¡¯t someone that you can marry just because you want to¡­ How about this? Your Father, I, can speak up now. I¡¯ll suggest it to the Emperor some other day. Perhaps the Emperor will give his blessing since the Crown Prince can¡¯t find a wife?¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°Perhaps the Emperor might also think that you, a bandit, actually dare to ask the Crown Prince to be his son-inw. This is simply outrageous! If he gets angry, he might take your head directly.¡±


    Xie Niushan felt a chill on his neck.


    That was true.


    It was difficult to guess what the old Emperor had in mind.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you inquire about the Crown Prince¡¯s movements. Can you work with that?¡± Xie Niushan was still persistent.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Father, we¡¯ll talk about thister.¡±


    ¡°I see that you look much better than before. Have you looked for a doctor?¡± Xie Niushan changed the topic as he spoke, and he even became much more attentive.


    Of course, Xie Qiao did not know that he had only thought of Ms. Peng, so he felt guilty and afraid.


    With this fear, he had to pay more attention to his own daughter.


    Xie Pinggang reacted as well, ¡°I don¡¯t think I heard you cough today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve gotten better recently.¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips and nodded.


    How could she not feel good? After capturing so many ghouls and doing countless good deeds, she was indeed a little tired, but her spirit was indeed getting better and better.


    Xie Niushan was very happy. ¡°Looks like our family is going to be sessful. See, happy things are happening one after another! Oh right, I even received a reward. In addition to the silver that I got out there, my family is finally doing well!¡±


    How could he not be able to support a little girl like Xie Qiao now?


    Xie Niushan got a reward of 1,000 taels of silver. However, when he went out, he brought 3,000 to 4,000 taels of silver back.


    He was a bandit himself. Of course, he knew where this bandit liked to hide their silver. When he went to exterminate the bandits, he could plunder theirirpletely.


    The bandit¡¯s mountain stronghold that was surrounded and exterminated by soldiers was on a big scale. The treasures inside were obviously not limited to these.


    The other silver, money, and belongings were handed over to the imperial court. As for what Xie Niushan had obtained, he actually had to share it with hisrades. He was the master, so he could get at least 2,000 taels of silver.


    The amount of money was already a lot.


    It wasparable to the annual ie of some businesses.


    The Xie family had been able to make a fortune back then. The family had so many possessions, and it was mainly because of the barbarians.


    Xie Qiao indeed did notck money now.


    She had made a lot of money on her own. If she wanted his father to take care of her, it was only to spite him.


    Now that she saw her father being so smug, she could not help but say, ¡°Father, now that you are back, I believe that it won¡¯t be long before First Uncle gets the letter. If you care about your brotherhood, then I¡¯m afraid that the silver in your hands won¡¯t be able tost long. You will have to give it away again.¡±

 Chapter 531 - Private Money

    <h4>Chapter 531: Private Money</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan snorted when he heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your uncle is indeed greedy, but he also wants his dignity. All these years, it was me and Ms. Lu who sent the silver to him. When did I ever ask him toe and take the silver?¡± Xie Niushan shook his head.


    How would his eldest brothere to his door?


    Unless the family was so broke that they had nothing to eat!


    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll make a bet with Father. If he pays a visit within two days, then all the money that Father earned will go to... Xi¡¯er. If he doesn¡¯t pay us a visit, I¡¯ll give you 10,000 taels of silver!¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    ¡°Ten thousand taels of silver?¡± Xie Niushan said with disdain, ¡°You have 10,000 taels of silver?¡±


    He did not even have that much silver!


    Xie Qiao was wealthy.


    The Fortune Pavilion was not built for free. Now that Master Mo¡¯s reputation was great, fortune-telling required money. Sometimes talismans and dharma instruments were involved, and the price was not cheap either. Even if she could only sell one asionally, the ie was pretty great.


    In addition to the previous big clients like Prince Ning Bei and the Li family, as well as themission given by those ghouls, they were a big sum¡­


    That excluded the betrothal gifts and dowry she had saved for her younger siblings.


    She indeed had 10,000 taels of silver.


    ¡°I do have the silver, but I can¡¯t tell you how it came about. Father, just tell me. Do you dare to take the bet?¡± Xie Qiao said gently.


    Her expression looked too harmless at the moment.


    In Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes, she was like a kitten.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯m your father. In this world, my words are the most effective. You are just a little girl. How long have you known your uncle? I know his temper better than you do!¡± Xie Niushan was very proud.


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled up.


    She got him.


    ¡°All of you are my witnesses,¡± Xie Qiao said to her eldest brother, younger brother and younger sister.


    There was a reason why the money would be given to Xie Xi.


    When Ms. Lu was around, Xie Xi was really poor. That was why she had a stingy personality. She thought since Xie Xi loved money so much, it would not be a problem for her to manage the money in the family.


    Managing the ounts would also be an advantage. If she could carry it forward, she would be a good housekeeper in the future.


    Moreover, she had a lot of money in her hands. When she looked at the money given by others, it did not seem that rare anymore.


    What Xie Qiao had was private money. The source... was not right. If she wanted Xie Xi to take care of the ounts, she naturally had to take care of the money his biological father earned.


    Xie Niushan always kept his word, so Xie Qiao did not have to worry about him cheating.


    On the other hand, Xie Xi was quite confused at that moment.


    After Xie Niushan went back to his room to rest, Xie Xi looked at Xie Qiao and carefully asked, ¡°The money that I manage¡­ will always be lost.¡±


    She could not find her own silver.


    ¡°How much did you lose? Do you remember?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Xie Xi thought for a while and said, ¡°Three hundred taels of silver. I can¡¯t find it.¡±


    Xie Qiao was quite surprised. ¡°This isn¡¯t a small amount, is it? Did Ms. Lu give you so much silver back then?¡±


    Xie Xi shook her head.


    ¡°I¡­ earned it myself.¡± Xie Xi was quite embarrassed. ¡°Now... I still have 900 silver notes.¡±


    She spoke slowly. asionally, she sounded like a mute, but she was very clear.


    However, Xie Qiao waspletely dumbfounded.


    She checked the ount book. When Ms, Lu was around, she said that she gave Xie Xi 20 taels of silver as allowance every month. However, in reality, these 20 taels of silver included many things¡­


    For instance, Xie Xi¡¯s daily snacks and some jewelry. Many times, Ms. Lu would buy some trinkets and give them to Xie Xi.. However, in reality, the money was not taken from the public ount. Instead, it was deducted from Xie Xi¡¯s monthly allowance!

 Chapter 532 - Rich

    <h4>Chapter 532: Rich</h4>


    In other words, Xie Xi¡¯s real monthly allowance was only approximately two to five taels of silver!


    Even if she saved it for a year, she would only have a few dozen taels of silver. When she went to the old house during the Winter Clothes Festival, Xie Xi did earn some money, but it should not be this much, right?


    Xie Qiao thought she needed to re-examine this sister of hers.


    Xie Xi lowered her head even more under Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze, looking very nervous. She squeezed the handkerchief in her hand and said nothing.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, I thought it was already good enough for you to have 200 taels of silver in your hand. I didn¡¯t expect you to have saved so much money. In that case, it would be even more appropriate if you were in charge of our family¡¯s silver.¡± Xie Qiao looked at Xie Xi with a very gentle gaze.


    She really liked this sister of hers.


    She was obedient and cute.


    ¡°I will lose it.¡± Xie Xi was very conflicted.


    Where did she hide all her silver?


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s lost. We have a father. He will earn more.¡± Xie Qiao was very calm as she pushed the responsibility onto the old man. ¡°However, can you tell me how you saved up such an amount of silver?¡±


    If Xie Xi was unwilling to tell her, Xie Qiao would not continue to ask.


    However, it was very obvious that in Xie Xi¡¯s eyes, other than the location of the silver, nothing else could be considered a secret.


    ¡°I got it from Brother? Also, I sell handkerchiefs.¡± Xie Xi was coy.


    Xie Qiao looked confused. ¡°Handkerchiefs?¡±


    Xie Qiao simply looked at Xie Xi¡¯s maidservant.


    That maidservant and Xie Xi¡¯s temper were quite simr. They were both very careful. She said, ¡°Our Young Lady gave me silver. I got my Brother to rent a courtyard out there, there are a few seamstresses living there. Every month, the Young Lady would get them to embroider some handkerchiefs and send them to the academy to be sold.¡±


    With that said, Xie Qiao understood and was even more shocked.


    Students at the academy used quite a lot of handkerchiefs. After all, there were often incidents where the inkstone was overturned.


    The academy also had small shops that sold handkerchiefs that were purchased with silver beans.


    Those silver beans were hard to earn, but if Xie Xi had prepared some brand-new and beautiful handkerchiefs, even if they were more expensive than those sold out there, as long as it cost silver and not the silver beans from the academy, they would be willing to buy them!


    Xie Qiao was convinced.


    What she did not only solved the urgent matters for those girls, but also made her money.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xie Qiao wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she could only say, ¡°Very good, very smart.¡±


    What was wrong with making money?


    Xie Xi was embarrassed and blushed slightly.


    ¡°After our Father admits defeat, you will be in charge of the money and our family¡¯s businesses. Our father is an official, so we can¡¯t do any big business with the shops. But the matters of renting and the farms are quiteplicated. You should learn more,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Qiao said slowly, her voice was very calm.


    Xie Xi was a little hesitant at first, but when she met Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes, she nodded firmly.


    Her father would definitely lose.


    She would be rich.


    The next day, before Xie Niushan lost, the steward and others had already surrounded Xie Xi and started to exin the family business¡¯ situation to her.


    The Xie family currently had five shops, and three of them had just received rent during the New Year. However, the family expenses were huge, so almost all of the rent was used to settle the ounts. Other than his and his brother¡¯s private money, they only had a few thousand taels of silver. Inparison to those hundred-year-old aristocratic families, it was naturally iparable.


    When Xie Niushan saw that the steward had already determined that he was going to lose, he felt depressed.


    His eldest brother had nevere to ask for money before, right? Why was this steward so sure?

 Chapter 533 - After Suffering Comes Happiness

    <h4>Chapter 533: After Suffering Comes Happiness</h4>


    Xie Niushan could not understand. He was very angry and had been upset the whole morning.


    Looking at the steward¡¯s happy face, he was secretly angry. ¡®What are you holding in your hand? Do you think that I will definitely lose?¡¯


    Although it was a bet with his daughter and he should not be so calctive, this family of scoundrels did not take him seriously, right?!


    ¡°Master, what the First Young Lady said is right.¡± The steward was respectful, but in his heart, he also thought Xie Niushan was a fool.


    Fortunately, the first youngdy was in charge now. Otherwise, how could he have any family wealth? He would have given all of the wealth away!


    ¡°Nonsense, my words are better than that girl¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, someone from the door came over. ¡°Master, the First Master and the Old Madam are here.¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Why did they have toe here at this time?


    Xie Niushan felt that something was not right. Was there something going on¡­ that he did not know about?


    Now that everyone was here, he could not chase them out. It would look like he was being shameless, so he nodded and said, ¡°Invite them in.¡±


    The steward could not help but sigh.


    ¡®Master, don¡¯t be a burden.¡¯


    At that moment, the olddy was leaning on her walking stick, with Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan by her side.


    The three of them were dressed shabbily, and their faces looked terrible. They looked a little haggard, especially the olddy and Xie Mangshan. They had actually lost a lot of weight.


    This time, they were very polite when they entered. Even when they were facing the servant at the door, they were smiling and extremely humble!


    It was true that these days have not been easy!


    Ever since they paid the fine, the house had beenpletely empty.


    Xie Congshan borrowed 50 taels of silver from someone out there. The family used the remaining ten taels of silver.


    However, there were many people in the family.


    It was true that there were elders and children. Once again, they had gone from extravagance to frugality. They did not even dare to eat meat every day. As a result, the children of the family were upset. They were always fighting and making a mess!


    The ten taels of silver were spent extremely quickly. Two days ago, it was gone. They were thinking of marrying off the first son¡¯s daughter Chun¡¯er and exchanging it for some money to make ends meet.


    However, who knew that the family that initially valued Xie Chun¡¯er would only be willing to pay ten taels of silver as a betrothal gift when they saw that they were in trouble!


    What was ten taels of silver enough for?


    Back then, the olddy did not approve of the marriage when they said that they would give a hundred taels of silver!


    It was also because the child of that family had indeed taken a liking to Xie Chun¡¯er. Otherwise, they would not be willing to marry her into their family even if they were only giving ten taels of silver.


    Xie Mangshan and the others had also been bargaining for the past two days.


    As they discussed, Xie Niushan returned.


    Hope was here!


    At that moment, the eyes of the three of them were emitting a burning desire. They looked like hungry wolves.


    As they walked all the way to the hall, they saw the person they had missed for a long time.


    The olddy was in tears. ¡°My son! You¡¯re finally back?!¡±


    Xie Niushan was shocked.


    Firstly, his mother¡¯s voice sounded like she was crying. It was really scary. Secondly¡­ After living for so many decades, this was the first time he had heard his mother missing him so much!


    Although it was quite strange, Xie Niushan was already old. Other than being shocked, he did not feel anything else.


    However, he was quite curious. What¡­ was going on?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you behaving like this?¡± Xie Niushan was very direct.


    ¡°Son, you have to help me. I¡¯ve suffered so much in my life. Since I came to the capital with you, after sufferinges happiness. But now, I¡¯ve lost all my assets. I¡¯m so hungry that my chest is sticking to my back!¡±

 Chapter 534 - Wouldn’t Dare to Do That

    <h4>Chapter 534: Wouldn¡¯t Dare to Do That</h4>


    The olddy was really crying. She wiped her tears and sat in the hall,ining. She was so pitiful.


    Xie Mangshan and Xie Congshan were the same. Their eyes were red.


    Xie Niushan had never seen them like that. His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat. He was even more curious now.


    ¡°Has the price of food out there increased? That shouldn¡¯t be. Even if the price has increased, you would still afford to eat, right?¡± Xie Niushan sat there happily.


    I had already given all of you my treasures, yet you still went back on your words!


    Xie Niushan looked at his two brothers, feeling a little pleased in his heart.


    ¡°Niushan, you still don¡¯t know? Earlier on, a Master performed divination for your Eldest Brother and said that there would be a cmity. In order to avoid the cmity, your Eldest Brother sent all the money everyone in our family possessed to you! Later on, he didn¡¯t avoid the cmity and he was fined 500 taels of silver. Now, the family has 150 taels of silver in debt. The creditores to our house everyday. If you still don¡¯t pay it back, we can only sell the daughters!¡± The olddy cried.


    ¡°You gave them to me?¡± Xie Niushan was stunned.


    He really did not know about that.


    ¡°How much silver was it?¡± Xie Niushan asked curiously.


    ¡°The wealth adds up to nearly 10,000 taels of silver!¡± Xie Mangshan looked a lot more stunned.


    Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°My treasures are worth a lot of money. Is that all your family¡¯s wealth adds up to? Who are you kidding? Besides, are you a fool, Eldest Brother? How can you believe the words of a Master? Don¡¯t you think I don¡¯t know your character of treating wealth like your life?¡±


    Xie Niushan was upset.


    Even if he was a fool, he could understand why they were here.


    They really wanted money!


    He actually lost the bet!


    ¡°It¡¯s true! The Master¡¯s words came true. That¡¯s why I¡¯m returning the money to you! Second Brother, I really don¡¯t have any money now. I won¡¯t borrow anything from you. You just need to return what I gave you before!¡± Xie Mangshan said anxiously.


    Xie Niushan curled his lips. ¡°Impossible, you¡¯re pretending to be poor with me.¡±


    Any of his treasures would be sold for several thousand taels of silver.


    His family assets were at least 50,000 taels of silver, and that excluded the gifts he and Ms. Lu had given them over the years.


    If that was included, how much would that be?


    He would be even richer than them!


    Xie Mangshan was secretly dying!


    ¡°Second Son! If you don¡¯t believe in your Eldest Brother, don¡¯t you believe in me? Look at me, my legs are hurt, and I haven¡¯t had proper replenishment. My hair has turned much whiter, can¡¯t you tell?¡± The olddy cried, ¡°Second Son, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to give birth to you back then, and I almost died in childbirth. How could you bear to see me in such a difficult situation?¡±


    The olddy had never been so pitiful.


    Honestly, she really did not want to continue living that miserable life for even a moment!


    It was fine if she had lived a miserable life in her hometown in the past, but now that she hade to the capital and be rich, how could she allow herself to eat bran and vegetables everyday, living a life that even livestock were unwilling to live?


    Absolutely not!


    The olddy¡¯s eyes were filled with pleading.


    Xie Niushan frowned.


    With this kind of behavior, he was afraid that what she said might be true, but that was too foolish. She had already given back the silver that she had obtained, right?


    ¡°Where¡¯s the silver?¡± Xie Niushan asked the steward.


    The steward replied honestly, ¡°The First Young Master andFirst Young Lady are keeping the money. If you want it, you can look for them. But¡­ Third Master hade earlier. At that time, the two masters had already instructed that the money that has entered the house should never be taken out again. If anyone dares to give the wealth away, the person will be chased out of the Xie Residence¡­ Master, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that.¡±

 Chapter 535 - Why Don’t You Do it Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 535: Why Don¡¯t You Do it Yourself</h4>


    After the steward finished speaking, he buried his head and looked very timid. However, he could not help but mutter secretly.


    He did not know whether this master was a fool or not. His own family did not have much money, yet he still wanted to subsidize the group of blood-sucking parasites outside.


    ¡°Second Brother! You are an elder. How can you let your children manipte you? You can¡¯t just listen to whatever that girl says! Don¡¯t you think that if it wasn¡¯t for Ms. Peng abducting you back then, wouldn¡¯t the rtionship between you and your brother be deeper than it is now? At my age, I only want my children to be sensible. You can¡¯t just ignore me,¡± the olddy could not help but cry.


    Xie Niushan thought of Ms. Peng yesterday. He was anxious.


    At that moment, the olddy mentioned Ms. Peng again, and Xie Niushan¡¯s old face tensed up.


    Ms. Peng was his wife.


    He could not be considered to have been abducted to the mountain stronghold. After all, his family could not amodate him back then, and he wanted to settle down somewhere. Thus, when he was robbed, he was willing to follow them. When he arrived at the mountain stronghold, everyone treated him well.


    He was strong and was capable of working. He had the guts, he was not afraid of death. Thus, the chief took a liking to him at a nce, and got him to be with Ms. Peng.


    Ms. Peng was beautiful, but she was also very fierce. A slight re at him almost crushed his soul.


    However, in his heart, he really respected his wife and father-inw.


    In fact, he missed them very much.


    If he could be honest, the days he spent in the mountain stronghold were much happier than the days he spent in the vige.


    Moreover, in the vige, it was Xie Mangshan who had asked him to fetch water. When the barbarians came, he did not even inform him. That was why he was caught by the barbarians.


    If he wanted to live, he had to lead the way for the barbarians. Even if he did not lead the way for them, all families¡¯ belongings would still be taken away.


    Those people knew that very well, but they still med him for the barbarians going into the vige.


    It was as if he was the one who had lured the barbarians there.


    No one could tolerate him. His elder brother and sister-inw were alsoining at that time. They said they could not take him in.


    Even his mother looked at him with disdain.


    However, these things were gradually forgotten after he went to the mountain stronghold. He was a big-hearted person instead of a petty person. Therefore, since he had the ability to be filial to his mother, he would spend the money. It did not matter to him.


    However, he was upset at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you a lot of money. Now that I can¡¯t control it, what does it have to do with me? Thest time I went to your house, I asked them to return the treasures to me, and they were reluctant!¡± Xie Niushan remembered it!


    When he thought of his treasures, he could not help but feel a pain in his heart!


    ¡°At that time, we really didn¡¯t know what treasure you were talking about. Moreover¡­ the things that Ms. Lu gave back then were sold. Not a single one was left!¡± Xie Mangshan quickly said.


    ¡°You guys sure are quick to sell the treasures that were given to you.¡± Xie Niushan snorted, ¡°Regarding this matter, I can¡¯t help you guys. My family is also extremely poor. A few days ago, when I went out, the money I made wasn¡¯t even enough to support my daughter. Now that the money has fallen into her hands, you want me to take it? You really want to upset me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡®If you have the ability, why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡¯


    He was not the vanguard of the battle. He would lose his dignity if he spoke to his daughter about it.


    The olddy and the other two were shocked.


    ¡°I-In your heart, your mother isn¡¯t as good as that girl? Son, I¡¯m the one who gave birth to you!¡± The olddy said anxiously.


    There should be a limit to how much one loved his daughter, right?!


    Could he not see his own mother¡¯s pitiful look?

 Chapter 536 - Worldly Possessions

    <h4>Chapter 536: Worldly Possessions</h4>


    The olddy looked at Xie Niushan in disbelief, feeling as if she had suffered a heavy blow to her heart.


    Xie Niushan was rather calm. ¡°That definitely can¡¯t bepared to it. That wretched girl is my child.¡±


    She was even Ms. Peng¡¯s daughter!


    When Ms. Peng was pregnant, he had a feeling that it would definitely be a daughter.


    He clearly remembered how careful he was back then. He could ignore others, but not this daughter. If she was upset or angered to death, how could he face Ms. Peng in the future?


    When Ms. Peng died, she said that he could do whatever he wanted in the future!


    He could marry as many wives as he wanted, but he should not cheat, as she thought it was disgusting. He could have as many children as he wanted, but he could not abuse her daughter. Otherwise, she would die with a grievance.


    After Xie Qiao was born, he was really prepared to dote on her.


    However, did he not have a choice but to send her away due to her fate that was lethal to her family?


    Of course, although he sent her away, he had also paid money back then. That old Taoist master was quite reasonable. He thought the person should be better than him in teaching his daughter.


    Therefore, he left the wretched girl out there and did not care too much.


    With his temper, not caring too much meant that he was being kind.


    However, the olddy could not understand that.


    At that moment, she knew that she could notpare with that girl Xie Qiao. Since her second son doted on his daughter so much, if she continued topete with her, she would not be able to get any money.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to dote on her. In the future, your Eldest Brother, Youngest Brother, and I will dote on her. Isn¡¯t that great? Now that we don¡¯t have enough food at home and your financial status is stable, you¡¯re the only promising one in our family. Other than you, who else can help us?¡± The olddy said.


    Xie Niushan was extremely annoyed by them.


    He mumbled to himself. It was too noisy.


    ¡°How much silver did you owe?¡± Xie Niushan asked.


    The steward¡¯s heart jolted when he heard that.


    The olddy was about to say 150 taels of silver, however, she changed her mind. ¡°One hundred and fifty taels of silver in cash, but our house is gone. We¡¯re about to be chased out. There¡¯s also no food at home. Many of them are on credit. Your Third Brother¡¯s child is about to get married, so the silver is also gone¡­¡±


    Xie Niushan was even more annoyed now.


    How much silver would that be?


    However, his mother¡¯s constant crying was annoying.


    ¡°Here you are¡­¡± just as he was about to conclude the number, Xie Qiao walked out with Xie Xi.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He saw Xie Qiao clutching her chest. She looked very weak, and her expression was terrible. He did not know if she was angry again.


    However, what could have angered her?


    Needless to say, it must be caused by his mother who was right in front of him.


    ¡°Father wants to spend money? Do you have any silver?¡± Xie Qiao entered the door and asked gently.


    Only then did Xie Niushan remember that he had lost a bet, and all the silver would have to go to Xie Xi.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no money.¡± Xie Niushan felt that his pocket was empty. ¡°The money of the family is under the Second Daughter¡¯s control. I have no money for you.¡±


    The olddy stared at the two sisters who had suddenly appeared. She was so angry that she was about to go out of her mind.


    Her son had relented earlier!


    The two sisters had actually appeared out of nowhere!


    ¡°Xi¡¯er is so young. Can she manage the silver? Stop with your joke¡­¡± The olddy¡¯s face was stiff, and the gaze she gave Xie Xi was somewhat sinister.


    ¡°It¡¯s just silver. Xi¡¯er is the Second Young Lady of the Xie family. Even if she doesn¡¯t manage it well, she will only lose some worldly possessions. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s words were even more infuriating.


    The olddy wanted to vomit blood.


    Just silver? Worldly possessions?


    If she did not want it, then she could give it to her! She would ept just any amount!

 Chapter 537 - If You Don’t Want to Live, Then Go to Hell

    <h4>Chapter 537: If You Don¡¯t Want to Live, Then Go to Hell</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The olddy was furious. She really hated Xie Qiao to her core!


    However, Xie Qiao seemed to not see that. She sat down with Xie Xi. She looked calm and amiable. Those who did not know would think that she was a quiet youngdy who knew nothing.


    ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯re a wealthy man. As long as you give us a little, we will have enough to eat! We don¡¯t want much... How about... three thousand taels of silver? What do you think?¡± The olddy said.


    She had already taken a step back.


    The silver that her eldest son had sent back was more than that!


    Xie Niushan frowned.


    Not much? Oh, please!


    He worked hard out there, but he had only earned 2,000 to 3,000 taels of silver. If he gave it away, what would his family eat in the future? If he had to rely on his children to support him, how would he have the right to say anything in the future?


    ¡°Xi¡¯er is in charge of all the silver.¡± Xie Niushan looked at his mother and felt a little soft-hearted. He said, ¡°If Xi¡¯er is willing to give less, that¡¯s fine too.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Xi shook her head.


    Since the silver was in her charge, other than the necessary expenses of the family, she could not spend it casually!


    Not a single cent of the silver in the ount could be missed!


    ¡°Father, there¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips. ¡°You rmended Uncle¡¯s job, right? He has really caused a lot of suffering.¡±


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he was stunned. ¡°How did he cause suffering?¡±


    ¡°Uncle is very powerful. He thinks that the money he made was too little, so he actually profited from the people. A few days ago, Eldest Brother investigated the case and arrested a group of people. There were even a few people who were sentenced to having their belongings confiscated and exiled. Although Uncle didn¡¯t make much, that didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to continue taking advantage of the situation. If he was only exposed a few more yearster, I¡¯m afraid that there would be a deathwsuit.¡± Xie Qiao continued toin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only received some bribes this year. Everyone else did that too, no?!¡± Xie Mangshan quickly said.


    What was the big deal?


    He had only earned a few dozen taels of silver, then what happened? For this matter, he lost 500 taels of silver and was even beaten up!


    However, at that moment, when Xie Niushan heard that, he immediately stood up. With a thud, he kicked Xie Mangshan in the chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something, brat!¡± Xie Niushan was furious, ¡°What did I say when I got you that job?! If you want to make money, you can do it, but you¡¯ll have to walk the path of righteousness. You¡¯re so daring now, is it? You treat my words as nothing and don¡¯t remember any of it?!¡±


    As he said that, Xie Niushan thought that one kick was not enough, so he kicked again with a bang.


    Xie Mangshan was rolling on the ground!


    ¡°He¡¯s your Eldest Brother!¡± The olddy was shocked.


    ¡°Bah! I¡¯ll beat him up even if he¡¯s my ancestor because he deserves it!¡± Xie Niushan was especially ruthless.


    He was a generous person, he was reasonable.


    When he was a bandit, he could do things that bandits did. However, when he became an official, he had to tuck his tail between his legs and behave himself!


    In the imperial city, the eyes of the Emperor were wide open. There were also many people who thought he was unworthy of being an official. They wanted nothing more than to immediately chase him out of the imperial city. If anyone were to find out that this brat was epting bribes or that Xie Mangshan had killed someone, who would be the unlucky one by then?!


    His entire family would have to cover him!


    ¡°You still have the guts toe to me and ask for money. You sure are daring! The three of you, get the hell out of here. In the future, if anyone dares to use my name to bully others, I will kill you!¡±


    Asking for silver? You wished!


    The olddy was shocked. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to live anymore...¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to live, then go to hell!¡± Xie Niushan was in a rage.. When he was angry, he did not care who was in front of him.

 Chapter 538 - So Annoying

    <h4>Chapter 538: So Annoying</h4>


    It was impossible to say that Xie Niushan had deep feelings for the olddy.


    Xie Niushan was willing to give the olddy money in the past because he was her mother. Even if he had no feelings, they were family. He was now a normal person and was no longer a bandit. He had to be like an ordinary person and show some respect to his elders.


    At that time, he had plenty of money. Even if he gave some to the olddy, his family would still be quite well-to-do and there would not be any problems.


    However, it was different now.


    Xie Mangshan was courting death and wanted to implicate him.


    He had severed so many barbarians¡¯ heads andid out such a clean path on the battlefield. If it was ruined by this idiot Xie Mangshan, he would not be able to die in peace!


    The olddy was so frightened by Xie Niushan that her entire body trembled. ¡°Y-You are unfilial¡­ I am your mother. I-If I die, you will have to mourn for me. Your sons and daughters will have to stay home and can not get married¡­¡±


    When he said that, Xie Niushan frowned.


    That was true.


    His poor daughter¡¯s health wascking. He had gotten her to the capital to find a husband for her and to bear children.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ve been feeling much better recently. Even if I have to wait for three years, I can still do it.¡± Xie Qiao was very calm.


    Getting married was a goal, but it was not all she had.


    It was indeed great to find a man who was pleasing to the eye and to experience love. However, if it was not there, she would not force it. It was also not bad to be a Taoist master.


    Moreover, she was currently 17. Three yearster, she would only be 20.


    By then, her body would be healthy enough to get married and have children, right?


    Marriage could not be forced. If it was forced, nothing good woulde out of it.


    Just let nature take its course.


    Xie Qiao always blocked a path when the olddy needed it. The olddy almost wanted to kill her. ¡°Son, do you really not care about the rtionship between mother and son?¡±


    Xie Niushan said righteously, ¡°Don¡¯t give me such empty words. I have not mistreated you all these years. It¡¯s all your own fault for not leading a good life. What has it got to do with me? Besides, I¡¯ve already exined the situation at home to you. I don¡¯t have any silver! Take Xie Mangshan and get out while I haven¡¯t lost myself. From now on, you¡¯re not allowed toe in again!¡±


    He did not believe that a person with limbs would starve to death?


    In the past, it was a habit!


    When Xie Niushan was ruthless, he was also very straightforward. Xie Qiao had already seen this side of him when Ms. Lu was still around.


    The olddy was still unwilling to leave. She actually knelt, grabbed Xie Niushan¡¯s leg, and began to cry.


    Xie Niushan immediately called the servants over. ¡°Bring them out!¡±


    So annoying!


    Xie Niushan was very ruthless. At that moment, Xie Congshan was dumbfounded. He felt that his life would be ruined by his mother and brother.


    A load of debt. Fifty taels of silver from his father-inw and 50 taels from his friends. Who would return this money?


    It was all because they said that his second brother would give the silver back. What happened now?


    There was nothing, and the connection was cut!


    Xie Congshan¡¯s eyes were a little gloomy.


    However, he did not dare to vent his anger on Xie Niushan.


    When the three of them were chased out of the door, Xie Congshan did not know where he got the courage to kick the weak Xie Mangshan. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you sell your children and wife. You have to pay me back a hundred taels of silver. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you suffer!¡±


    He only wanted the money. Once he paid off his debt, he would stay far away from his eldest brother!


    This jinx really made him suffer!


    Xie Congshan still had a job, but it was only 30 to 40 taels of silver a month. In the eyes of ordinary people, the sry was already a lot, but to pay off a hundred taels of silver, it would take several years without food.

 Chapter 539 - Plucking the Hair from A Tiger’s He

    <h4>Chapter 539: Plucking the Hair from A Tiger¡¯s Head</h4>


    The two brothers hadpletely fallen out.


    The moment they left, Xie Niushan finally had his peace. He said to Xie Qiao, ¡°You little girl is too smart. Even I¡¯ve been tricked by you!¡±


    She had long known about Xie Mangshan¡¯s matter, which was why she had made the bet!


    Now, all the money in the family was gone!


    Xie Niushan looked at his two daughters.


    His imposing manner was also gone.


    He did not dare to provoke the eldest one. As for the younger one, she was just a tiny little girl. She was a timid person to begin with, so he was not afraid of her either.


    He sighed.


    His son was still the best. He could beat him up whenever he wanted to.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, has your second brother been well-behaved recently?¡± Xie Niushan could not help but ask.


    Xie Pinggang was now older, so it was not easy for him to do anything to him. He took advantage of the fact that the younger one was not able to resist now and bullied him for a few years. He felt happy in his heart.


    Xie Xi¡¯s bright eyes looked at Xie Niushan, and then she nodded solemnly. ¡°Second Brother is very obedient.¡±


    Much more obedient than before.


    Xie Niushan sighed. ¡°If that kid bullies you, remember to tell me. Father will teach him a lesson for you.¡±


    Xie Xi felt that it was strange.


    She lowered his head, said nothing, and ignored him.


    Xie Niushan initially thought that this house was quiet. However, the peace did notst long. Someone came from outside. It was actually a troupe. They said that they heard that he had returned from the bandit suppression, so they came specially to celebrate.


    In addition, they had arranged three ys for him to watch.


    Xie Niushan had just returned to the capital. He would rest for a few days. Therefore, he had nothing to do at home. Now that Xie Xi was in charge of money, if he wanted to go out for a drink, he would not be able to. It was rare for an opera troupe toe to his door for free, he could not refuse them no matter what.


    He invited them in.


    The opera troupe set up a stage in the courtyard.


    In the evening, they were going to start performing. There were three ys for Xie Niushan to choose from.


    Xie Niushan did not know much. Although he could read, he did not know much. There was a lot of content in the ys, so how could he read them? He had to choose ording to the name.


    These three ys were ¡°The Tender Love of A Heroine¡±, ¡°The Jade Beauty¡± and ¡°The Grown-up Daughter¡±.


    The names were strange.


    Xie Qiao had heard a little bit about the bet out there.


    However, when she saw the names of these three ys, she had goosebumps all over her body.


    She did not know how Ms. Lu would feel if she saw ¡°The Grown-up Daughter¡±.


    However, it was no wonder. No matter her mother or Lin Erniang, they were very young and flirtatious when they married her father. When Ms. Lu got married, she was indeed much older.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of these ys before? Did they just rise up in the capital recently?¡± Xie Niushan was confused. He really did not understand, so he turned to ask the leader, ¡°What are they about?¡±


    The leader was quite brave.


    He was actually not afraid of this Xie Niushan.


    Of course, he was actually arranged by a few gambling dens. There were a few fighters in this troupe. If something really went wrong, Xie Niushan could not have killed them.


    ¡°¡±The Tender Love of A Heroine¡± tells the story of a very fierce woman who kidnapped a man and returned home to inherit the family business. Speaking of which, that woman¡¯s body is big, and she has a fierce look. No one in this world knows how sincere this man is toward this woman¡­ The second y also tells the story of this man. Later on, he married a farmer¡¯s daughter from a small family. He doted on her very much. Thest one¡­ was still this man¡­ After losing two wives, he married a merchant¡¯s daughter, an old woman¡­¡±


    The leader¡¯s gaze was burning.


    He was plucking the hair from a tiger¡¯s head. How could he not be excited?


    Xie Niushan heard the underlying meaning.


    The man was him, right?! What ¡°The Tender Love of A Heroine¡±, ¡°The Jade Beauty¡± and ¡°The Grown-up Daughter¡±? Were they not talking about Ms. Peng, Ms. Lin, and Ms. Lu, that spendthrift?!

 Chapter 540 - Misinterpreted

    <h4>Chapter 540: Misinterpreted</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan thought something was wrong with the leader.


    Why was he using his marriages on those ys for no reason?


    ¡°Master Xie, today¡¯s y won¡¯t be a waste of your time. You can choose one of them. When you¡¯re done, we have an invitation to three restaurants. If you take this invitation, you can go to any of them this year. Your bill will be discounted by 50%. At the restaurant, you can choose the best wine of your choice,¡± the leader said with a smile.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was almost certain that her father was going to take the bait.


    The people who bet on her father must also know that her father, Xie Niushan, loved drinking.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a benefit?¡± Sure enough, Xie Niushan became interested.


    Was it not just watching the y? What was the big deal?


    ¡°Of course. However, for these three ys, you have to pick which one you like best and be sincere about it. After you choose it, we will perform the y for you three times a day for three days. You have to make sure that you don¡¯t leave your seat.¡±


    Xie Niushan thought something was strange.


    In this day and age, there were people who would force the audience to watch a y?


    However, it was really hard to resist when he got to choose the wine and the food was half-priced¡­


    Xie Niushan looked at the three ys.


    His hand involuntarily wanted to reach out to the ¡°The Jade Beauty¡± y, but before his hand fell, he pointed at ¡°The Tender Love of A Heroine¡± next to it. ¡°This one.¡±


    The leader was a little surprised. ¡°Are you sure? Do you want to watch the show between you and the first madam?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Perform it well. I¡¯d like to see what you guys have written!¡± Xie Niushan said.


    He noticed that the leader said that Ms. Peng was huge and that she was iparably fierce!


    The leader acknowledged his choice.


    Then, he began to order people to get ready.


    After a while, the actor went on stage. Once she went on stage, Xie Niushan almost lost control!


    The person who was thick and fat with ugly make-up on her face was Ms. Peng?!


    Xie Niushan¡¯s face was gloomy.


    The leader was somewhat unable to tell whether Xie Niushan was in love with or hate Ms. Peng...


    Forget it that the actor¡¯s make-up was ugly. After Xie Niushan watched it three times, the anger in his body started to rise.


    It was not for other reasons, but because these people actually described Ms. Peng as a terrifying monster that was like a tiger!


    That was right, his wife¡¯s temper was quite terrible, and she would often threaten to cut him with her de, but that was because she cared about him? She had said that so many times, but not once had she really struck him!


    Not only that, after getting married, it was not like what was said in this y, where he was bullied and oppressed. His wife treated him with both ferocity and gentleness!


    His wife was born as a bandit, so her clothes were a little rough. She often dressed like a man, and asionally, it was hard to tell whether she was a man or a woman. However, even if she was a man, his wife was still a good-looking one. Back then, that waist of hers was something he could not let go off, so how could she¡­


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart was filled with anger.


    The leader was anxious.


    They had spoken to many people to inquire about this content.


    Among those people, there were also some who had stayed with Xie Niushan in the bandit mountain stronghold. They all said that Ms. Peng was fierce, and that ¡°tiger¡± and ¡°Yaksha¡± were not enough to describe her!


    Therefore, they hade up with such an image!


    It should be very close to the truth¡­


    However, the leader did not know that back then, Ms. Peng was the young master, the young master who was doted on by the old master. That prestige was even above the old master! She was well-versed in martial arts and was fierce, so no one dared to provoke her. No matter how good-looking she was, her impression in the mountain stronghold would not remain on the surface. Instead, there would be lingering fear in their hearts¡­


    Moreover, to the bandits, describing Ms. Peng as a tiger and a Yaksha was actually... considered apliment.


    Most importantly, they wanted to describe Ms. Peng as heroic, and no one couldpare to her.


    Unfortunately, at that moment, it waspletely misinterpreted.

 Chapter 541 - Arrangements Before Passing

    <h4>Chapter 541: Arrangements Before Passing</h4>


    It was also because everyone had a rigid prejudice against Ms. Peng¡¯s appearance. Therefore, when they inquired about it, they mainly asked about her character and actions, which resulted in this scene.


    ¡°Master Xie, what do you think¡­ of this y?¡± The leader had a look of anticipation.


    There were already people at the side who were prepared to write down Xie Niushan¡¯s words.


    What he said would be the basis for judging the bet!


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xie Niushan squeezed out one word.


    ¡°What?¡± The leader was stunned.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xie Niushan repeated, ¡°What¡¯s this performance? Where¡¯s Ms. Peng?!¡±


    After saying that, Xie Niushan flung his sleeves angrily and left.


    Leaving the leader standing there awkwardly.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, I wonder¡­ What does Master Xie mean by that? Does he like the y or not? What does he think of your mother?¡± The leader thought it would be hard to exin.


    ¡°Leader, do you think¡­ that the actor you found could give birth to a girl like me?¡± Xie Qiao was all smiles, but at that moment, she did not particrly like this leader.


    Her mother, Ms. Peng, though she was a little rude, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world.


    The leader understood with that said!


    So¡­ that Tiger Peng was not ugly?


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get someone else to perform tomorrow¡­ However, I wonder if you can give me some pointers. Is there anything else that was wrong?¡± The leader¡¯s courage wasmendable.


    The y would definitely spread to the outside world, so Xie Qiao did not mind saying a few more words at that moment.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve never met my mother, I know that my Father should be very respectful to her. Besides, although my Mother was brave to the outside world, in front of my Father, she might have a tender side. Also¡­ my Grandfather values my Father very much. He practically treats my Father as his own son¡­¡±


    With such a rtionship, how could Xie Niushan be wronged?


    However, the leader had put in a lot of effort. There should be some real events in this y.


    It was just that they were a little biased in her mother¡¯s character setting.


    The leader was very sensible and recorded everything down.


    The next day, he came again. This time, he really found a beautifuldy.


    The leader initially thought getting a beauty for the y was a little inappropriate, but when he thought of Young Lady Xie¡¯s appearance, he should not get an ugly one.


    In addition, the content of this y was slightly altered. The image of Ms. Peng instantly changed from a tiger and Yaksha to a chivalrous and tender woman.


    At first, if it was not for the restaurant¡¯s free service offer, Xie Niushan really did not want to watch it. However, for the sake of money, he endured it in the end.


    However, when he saw it this time, Xie Niushan was a little lost in thought.


    His wife had passed for seventeen years.


    Xie Niushan looked very quiet.


    He did not speak either. His expression was neither happy nor angry, and no one could understand what he was thinking.


    This time, four words aside, Xie Niushan did not even leave a single word.


    Xie Qiao only smiled and did not say anything else.


    Many years ago, she sent a letter to her father and brother. At that time, Xie Niushan wanted to marry Ms. Lu.. Back then, she was a little curious as to why her brother did not care about her father¡¯s new marriage, so she asked a few more questions in the letter.


    What her brother said was that before her mother passed away, she had made arrangements.


    At that time, her father was still young. It would be unfair for him to mourn for her for the rest of his life. She would just let him go as long as he knew his limits.


    Her father was a big-hearted person. Since his wife had agreed to it, he did not feel any pressure at all about whether he should remarry or get another wife.


    He was an honest person.


    At that moment, she reckoned that her father missed her mother.

 Chapter 542 - Speaking the Truth When One is Drunk

    <h4>Chapter 542: Speaking the Truth When One is Drunk</h4>


    Xie Niushan had the temper of an animal and he was heartless.


    At that moment, he was indeed reminiscing about the past, but it was only a matter of a quarter of an hour.


    After a short silence, he continued to rest happily. He drank, ate, and practiced his broadsword without staying idle.


    On the next day, he watched the y as usual. His expression did not reveal any joy or anger. It was as if he was looking at someone else¡¯s matter. There was no reaction at all.


    His ability to adapt was iparable.


    No matter what, it was a fact that he had chosen Ms. Peng.


    After thest day of the y, Xie Niushan received the invitation. He did not stay idle for a moment and immediately went to the ounts to get money.


    The monthly allowance that Xie Xi had set for Xie Niushan was 50 taels of silver per month. It was more than half less of what he was given when Ms. Lu was around!


    However, he did not say anything. He spent as much as he could.


    Xie Niushan went to the restaurant, and a group of people came. There were many people in the restaurant who came to propose a toast. One jar after another, he soon became dizzy.


    ¡°Master Xie?¡± The person next to him called out.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Niushan shook his head.


    ¡°Which wife do you think was the best?¡± Someone asked.


    Everyone listened carefully, afraid that they would miss it.


    Xie Niushan was stunned, but he did not seem to bepletely irrational. His expression was conflicted, as if he felt that the custom in the capital had really changed!


    It was strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Xie Niushan was very fierce.


    Everyone present was shocked. Theyughed dryly and said, ¡°I heard that Ms. Lin was pretty. You loved her very much back then. She must be your favorite wife, right?¡±


    ¡°No, Master Xie, it¡¯s Ms. Lu, right? Although Ms. Lu and you are divorced, her family is still considered wealthy. She has also helped you raise your children. When you married her back then, you must have truly admired her, right?¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s dazed eyes were wandering off now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about that spendthrift woman. She¡¯s bad luck!¡± Xie Niushan snorted.


    ¡°Spendthrift woman? Who? But did Ms. Lin ever let you down?¡± The person next to him quickly added.


    Xie Niushan was upset. He stood up unsteadily and directly kicked the table. ¡°Are you someone who can talk about my woman?¡±


    With that said, everyone understood.


    That spendthrift woman was definitely not Ms. Lin. She should be Ms. Lu.


    Alright, Ms. Lu was definitely not his favorite.


    Since they had already divorced, there was naturally no rtionship at all.


    ¡°Master Xie, I heard that Ms. Peng was a shrew. Do you have a special dislike for her?¡± One of the people who was seeking death asked.


    Xie Niushan frowned and his mouth reeked of alcohol. ¡°Can you repeat that for me?!¡±


    That person was shocked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they say¡­ Master Xie, weren¡¯t you kidnapped to the mountain stronghold back then? I-It must be because that woman was so fierce that she couldn¡¯t find a husband, that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Bam! Xie Niushan hit the man.


    The man was almost kicked downstairs. Fortunately, the people next to him reacted quickly and were well-prepared, so they saved him.


    Xie Niushan red at the group of people with a fierce look. ¡°I¡¯ve long seen that you dogs have bad intentions! Tell me! Did the neighboring vige send you here?!¡±


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Was he really drunk?


    ¡°Go back and tell the headblock that he¡¯d never be able to take my wife from me. Who said that I was forced into a corner?! I¡¯m happy! You guys are just jealous that I have a wife!¡± Xie Niushan said fiercely, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous my wife is beautiful! She¡¯s mine!¡±


    Xie Niushan mumbled.


    However, everyone understood him.


    Looking at how protective he was, it was obvious that her favorite wife was Ms. Peng!


    However, who was this headblock? Could it be that someone had fought with Master Xie for Ms. Peng back then? If that was the case, how was Ms. Peng really a Yaksha?

 Chapter 543 - All Your Fault

    <h4>Chapter 543: All Your Fault</h4>


    No matter what, the bet that had been going on for many days finally came to an end.


    In order to prevent Xie Niushan from killing people in his rage, everyone ran fast. Before they left, they even locked Xie Niushan in a room in the restaurant.


    As soon as they left, Xie Niushan grunted.


    Who was headblock?


    It would make sense if they turned it around!


    ¡°This bunch of blockheads!¡±


    Xie Niushan no longer looked like he was drunk. The smell of alcohol still lingered on his body, but his feet were stable. It was fun to visit a random ce.


    Before he came, he asked the steward to get a person nobody was familiar with to the gambling den and bet 45 taels of silver.


    This bunch of blockheads. Was he not the one who had the final say over which wife he cared for the most? How could they gamble on such a thing? They were fools to do that.


    It was a pity that the money Xi¡¯er had given him was too little. Otherwise, he could have earned a little more.


    However, he could not bet too much. Betting at this ce would attract attention. If the amount was too high, the gambling den would be upset about it.


    The odds for Ms. Peng were high. If he ced a bet of 45 taels of silver, he could get 180 taels of silver. Even after deducting the gambling den¡¯smission, he could still get 150 taels of silver.


    He finally had some money in his private savings. As for the sum of money, he naturally could not let the two girls know about it.


    Oh right, he even got the invitation to another restaurant.


    The more Xie Niushan thought about it, the happier he became.


    At that moment, the bet at the gambling dens had been finalized.


    Most of the people who ced their bets on Ms. Lin had lost a lot. The people who ced their bets on Ms. Peng had made a fortune.


    In the courtyard near the Royal Academy, Ms. Lu¡¯s face turned pale when she heard the news.


    ¡°Mother, do you still hope to be Xie Niushan¡¯s sweetheart? What a joke.¡± Pei Wanyue was a lot more straightforward now. ¡°Ms. Peng gave him the family business, and Ms. Lin was getting married for the first time. Moreover, they were young and beautiful. What do you have? An old face?¡±


    When Ms. Lu heard that, she was so angry that her hands trembled. ¡°You wretched girl! It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault. That¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t be an official¡¯s wife.¡± Pei Wanyue smiled sarcastically.


    Ms. Lu wanted to cry but there were no tears.


    She thought after leaving the Xie family, she would have her daughter by her side. No matter how hard life was, she would be fearless. However, she did not expect her daughter to be like that!


    Back then, she had taken quite a lot of money and possessions from the Xie family. If she spent it sparingly, she would be able to use it for the rest of her life.


    When she bought the shop, her daughter could not stop crying. She said she might as well stayed in Liaozhou instead ofing to the capital. Her daughter cried so much that her heart ached for her, so she made the decision to hand over all the money from the shop to her.


    She also thought when her daughter grew up, she would indeed learn to be a housekeeper.


    However, she did not expect that when she bought the shop, her name would be written on the title deed of the house, and all the money in the family would be in her hands. After that, her daughter changed.


    She asionally wanted to eat bird¡¯s nest, but her daughter thought it a waste of money.


    Her daughter sold all of the clothes and jewelry that she had brought over from the Xie family earlier. There were only one or two sets left!


    She said that she was old, and no one would be willing to look at her even if she was dressed in fancy clothes!


    Her daughter was sensible and considerate in the past, but now¡­


    It was as if she was already a burden. Every now and then, she would look at her with disgust.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart turned cold.


    At that moment, she was upset. Pei Wanyue looked at her and said sarcastically, ¡°At the end of the day, Mother, you are the one who is not capable enough. You have been married for so many years and you can¡¯t even bear a child. If you had a son, would you have been kicked out of the family?


    ¡°When I came to the capital, what did you tell me? You said that the two younger ones in the family would already be on your side, but in the end? That Xie Pinghuai wasn¡¯t even willing to give up a piece of white jade to make discipleship! You were chased out for so long, and he didn¡¯t evene to see you. Ugh. You were just treated as an old nanny for no reason. You¡¯re useless now, so naturally you¡¯re being gotten rid of.¡±

 Chapter 544 - Marriage Fraud

    <h4>Chapter 544: Marriage Fraud</h4>


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s words were so hurtful that Ms. Lu could hardly breathe.


    ¡°Have you lost all your private money?¡± Pei Wanyue asked in disdain.


    Ms. Lu felt a lump in her throat and tears fell from her eyes.


    Previously, Xie Niushan¡¯s wager had spread like wildfire. When she heard it, she panicked and could not help but ce her bets. Now, she had lost everything. She did not have much money to begin with and now, she did not have any left.


    When she heard her daughter¡¯s words, she felt as if she had just made the situation worse. Her entire body felt extremely cold.


    ¡°Yue¡¯er, how did you be like this?¡± Ms. Lu was puzzled.


    ¡°Mother, is there any use in saying all this?¡± Pei Wanyue snorted. ¡°You should stop thinking about the Xie family. If you want to be rich, you still have to rely on me.¡±


    Ms. Lu was silent for a moment.


    If it was in the past, she would have believed her. However, she was grateful enough that her daughter was not stepping on her bones andughing at her.


    She truly regretted it.


    Back then when she was with Xie Niushan, she did not have any hard days. Now that she had moved out, she really did not have a single day where she could livefortably.


    Especially now that she knew that the wife that Xie Niushan cared about the most in his heart was Ms. Peng, it was as if a piece of her heart was missing.


    Ms. Lu was not the only one who felt ufortable.


    Xie Mangshan and the others were the same.


    How would Ms. Jia and Ms. Xin stopining since they failed to get the silver back? They wanted to fight to the death with the olddy.


    At that moment, the only thing in the olddy¡¯s mind was the words of her second son asking her to die.


    She did not have much energy left.


    Xie Mangshan recalled what the master said. If he wanted to be safe, he had to return to his old home.


    However, he was really unwilling.


    Although Xie Congshan still had a job, it was not much better.


    His future inws were waiting for money. The two families were having a wedding. Now that there was no news, the Cao family was upset.


    They went to their house.


    ¡°I doted on my daughter. In the past, although your family didn¡¯t have much money to make a living, you were still Master Xie¡¯s rtives. They would not mistreat my daughter. But now, you are in debt and were chased out by Master Xie. How are you going to marry my daughter?¡± Madam Cao looked like she was stirring trouble.


    In the room, Xie Congshan was silent.


    ¡°My Daughter¡¯s engagement is canceled, so be it. But you ruined my Son! We initially agreed that you would introduce Young Lady Xie to my son, but there¡¯s no sign of her? My Son canceled the engagement for the sake of Young Lady Xie. This is how you repay us?!¡± The Cao family was more concerned about this matter.


    Their son¡¯s engagement had been carefully decided, but now, for the sake of an empty promise, the marriage was destroyed!


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Xie Congshan¡¯s face was also cold. ¡°My family doesn¡¯t have any money. You can take whatever you can.¡±


    ¡°Compensate us with a daughter-inw. Otherwise¡­ Xie, don¡¯t even think about staying on this street. Just wait to be despised by others!¡± The Cao family had been making vinegar for generations and had some family businesses!


    It was impossible to make the Xie family unable to survive in the capital, but it was possible to influence the people on the streets nearby!


    ¡°My Daughter is still young¡­¡± Xie Congshan said.


    ¡°Bah! Who wants this useless thing from your family! Back then, we agreed to marry Young Lady Xie, so it has to be her!¡± The madam from the Cao family looked at Xie Congshan with disdain.


    Xie Congshan frowned.


    He could not decide on Xie Qiao¡¯s marriage.


    However¡­


    Xie Congshan raised his head and looked at the people from the Cao family. He went all out. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll agree to it! Go home and wait for my news!¡±


    ¡°Okay, if you can¡¯t arrange for my son to marry Young Lady Xie, then I¡¯ll go to the administrative office and sue you for marriage fraud, ruining my daughter¡¯s reputation!¡± The madam from the Cao family said again.


    The Xie familymitted marriage fraud indeed. They had agreed to the conditions back then, but now none of them did it as promised!

 Chapter 545 - Vent His Anger

    <h4>Chapter 545: Vent His Anger</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At that moment, Xie Congshan and the Cao family had finished their discussion. When he came out of the house and saw the chaotic scene outside, his eyes shed with gloominess.


    The Xie family¡¯s eldest son was also discussing the wedding, but it was to marry off their daughter.


    Xie Mangshan was still unwilling to return to his hometown.


    Therefore, he had made an agreement with someone else at that moment. He would send his daughter over with ten taels of silver as betrothal gifts and a roll of bedding.


    Xie Chun was crying. Previously, Ms. Jia had felt sorry for her daughter, but now that she thought about the situation at home, she thought ten taels of silver was quite a big sum.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me Father and Mother for being ruthless. Although they didn¡¯t give you a dowry, this family is the best. They have farms,nds, and businesses. Based on our family¡¯s current situation, if it wasn¡¯t for that child taking a fancy to you, you wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to have such a good marriage...¡± Ms. Jia sighed.


    She was telling the truth.


    Xie Chun knew that she was climbing up the socialdder now, but when she thought of the past and looked at the present, she could not help but feel wronged.


    It was all Xie Qiao¡¯s fault. Her family was still fine before Xie Qiao came to the capital!


    Xie Chun felt resentful, but a few dayster, she still married him obediently. The wedding was rushed because the Xie family really did not have any money left. They were worried that things would change, so they organized the wedding so quickly.


    On the morning of the wedding, Xie Congshan had been waiting in front of the Xie Residence.


    After waiting for an hour, he finally saw Xie Qiao.


    He quickly went forward.


    He rubbed his hands and said with an honest face, ¡°Niece, today is the wedding. Chun¡¯er, that girl, got married. I thought that your father helped us a lot back then. Now, even if the rtionship is gone, we¡¯d still like to invite all of you to the wedding...¡±


    Xie Qiao was a little surprised.


    A normal family would stay for at least a year from the engagement to the wedding, right?


    Xie Mangshan was really anxious. In just three to five days, he had sent her away.


    Was he marrying his daughter? In such a short period of time, they did not even go through with the entire ritual. Anyone who knew that would think that he was selling his daughter.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to go. I have things to do.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was indifferent. She did not bother with Xie Congshan.


    Some people were like dog skin ster. As soon as she breathed a sigh of relief, the person might stick close to her.


    So it was better to stay far away.


    Xie Congshan was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve let Second Brother down. It makes sense for you and your father to me us... I¡¯m extremely regretful now, but there¡¯s nothing I can do for you...¡±


    Xie Congshan looked guilty, but Xie Qiao still did not have any reaction. She even let the curtain down and got the coachman to go.


    Xie Congshan was thrown to the side of the street directly. Looking at the departing carriage, He snorted lightly.


    This girl really had no conscience at all.


    She did not even give her own uncle a second look. She did not even have the slightest respect.


    Since that was the case, she should not me him for being ruthless as an uncle.


    He had not been in the capital for nothing all these years. In the past few days, he had also secretly inquired about her. Now that Xie Qiao did not have any sses at the academy, her daily schedule was simple. She would go to the Fortune Pavilion on the Eastern Street.


    Fortune Pavilion...


    Previously, he believed that his eldest brother¡¯s luck was bad, but now¡­


    Needless to say, it must have been Xie Qiao, that wretched girl, who had teamed up with outsiders to deceive them. Now that his second brother had been promoted and happy, as his brother, he owed a huge debt instead?


    Just wait, he would definitely find an opportunity to vent his anger!


    At that moment, Xie Qiao was sitting in the carriage. There was an obedient ghoul next to her.


    ¡°Master, your uncle isn¡¯t a good person. After you left, he was staring at you from behind.. His gaze was especially terrifying!¡± The ghoul said obsequiously.

 Chapter 546 - He Wants to Harm You

    <h4>Chapter 546: He Wants to Harm You</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ghoul had been pestering Xie Qiao for several days, and he did not want to be reincarnated. When he was alive, he was a schr, but he had only achieved half of his goal. He did not know where he had read some fairy tales, and all he wanted was to live forever.


    This ghoul was much more persistent than that young master of the Li family. After going astray, he had mostly read books about cultivation and martial arts. Of course, most of them were made up by others, and were of no use at all.


    He refined pills on his own and blew himself up.


    The explosion turned him into a bloody mess, which was really terrible to look at. Therefore, every time he approached Xie Qiao, she despised him very much.


    Even though he was a different species, Xie Qiao felt she could still smell the bloody strench on his body because his flesh opened up.


    This ghoul had actually gotten what he wanted.


    After bing a ghoul, as long as he paid more attention to himself and did not make any big mistakes, not bing a resentful ghoul, and maintaining his obsession, he could wander for a long time.


    It could also be considered as... ¡°immortality¡±.


    However, he wanted a flying sword.


    He did not have the money to buy it, so he begged Xie Qiao to carve one for him and burn it for free.


    It was unfortunate that the master disliked his ugly appearance and ignored him.


    Now that he had a rare chance to show his usefulness, the ghoul immediately ryed Xie Congshan¡¯s expression.


    There was a reason why Xie Qiao was stingy.


    There were many ghouls who did not want to reincarnate. If she made an exception and allowed this ghoul to fulfill those trivial wishes, other ghouls woulde looking for her in the future.


    Her time was mostly used to deal with those ghouls who had obsessions but needed to reincarnate.


    Otherwise, she would not have enough time.


    Xie Qiao did not speak. The ghoul had an aggrieved look on his face, and his expression was cracked into pieces. He blew a cold breath, thought for a moment, and wandered out of Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage.


    The master¡¯s uncle was definitely a bad person. He had to follow him all the time. If he solved the master¡¯s problem, then he would be rewarded, right?!


    The ghoul was very serious. A cloud of blood-like ghoul hovered to Xie Congshan¡¯s side just like that.


    It red at him.


    Xie Congshan felt his body turn cold for some reason.


    However, he did not think too much and followed his original n.


    After Xie Qiao entered the Fortune Pavilion, she changed into a new set of clothes and went out as Mo Chusheng to fulfil the wishes of the ghouls. These wishes were very simple. Most of them were small matters like passing on messages to family members. Every day, she could handle many of them.


    In the afternoon, she returned to the Fortune Pavilion. Before she left, she changed back into her clothes and prepared to go home.


    ¡°Master, Master!¡± The ghoul hovered over again. ¡°The coachman in your carriage has changed!¡±


    Xie Qiao turned to look at him. ¡°Xie Congshan did this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. He knocked the coachman out and tied him up when he went to the restroom. He changed into the coachman¡¯s clothes and waited for you in the carriage with his face covered.¡± The ghoul was excited. ¡°Oh, right. He went to an alley today. He seemed to have found a doctor and bought some medicine. The medicine is definitely bad!¡±


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and walked out calmly.


    When she reached the door, he saw Xie Congshan. However, he had a pretty great disguise, only that his face was covered with a cloth.


    ¡°Young Lady, I was identally stung by a wasp earlier... My face has swollen terribly. After taking some medicine, my throat is damaged, so...¡± Xie Congshan¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    His figure and size were indeed very simr to her coachman.


    At that moment, he had his head lowered and his throat pinched. If she did not think too much about it, she might be deceived.


    Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    They got into the carriage.


    ¡°Eh? Master! Your uncle wants to harm you!¡± The ghoul was panicking.. He hovered directly to the window and stretched his head to look inside.

 Chapter 547 - Who is More Vicious

    <h4>Chapter 547: Who is More Vicious</h4>


    How could one avoid a thief when the thief had been plotting against her for a long time?


    Xie Qiao did as her uncle wished so that he would stop what he was doing. She wanted to see what Xie Congshan was really up to.


    After she got into the carriage, Xie Congshan¡¯s face was a little nervous. He tightened his grip on the reins and whipped lightly. He set off.


    He was quite brave.


    Xie Qiao sat in the carriage. The ghoul did not stay idle. He kept telling her where the carriage was going.


    From the Eastern Street, they went all the way to an alley near the city gate. The houses nearby were a little shabby, but there were quite a few residents. When they reached the entrance of a house, the carriage stopped. Only then did Xie Congshan lift the curtain. ¡°Young Lady, we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Why did Third Uncle bring me here?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a smile, her voice innocent.


    Xie Congshan¡¯s hands trembled, and he immediately calmed down. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go in.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go in?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, don¡¯t force me to do it. I got you a good family today. Young Master Cao in there is your future husband. When you leave, leave a love token behind. When you go home, exin to your father that you want to marry him. That¡¯s it. If not¡­¡±


    Xie Congshan sneered, ¡°This ce is very messy. There are all kinds of people in there. If you¡¯re not willing, I will knock you out with a stick. I will show others what this rich youngdy is like.¡±


    Xie Congshan was fearless.


    All girls valued their reputation. He had already made an agreement with the son of the Cao family to keep this girl¡¯s undergarment, hairpin, ring or handkerchief. If Xie Qiao dared to take revenge in the future, he would be waiting for her reputation to be ruined.


    This wretched girl forced him to do this.


    Xie Qiao nodded. When she came, the ghoul had already told her what kind of families were in the alleys nearby.


    There were many brothels in the area. There were also many gambling dens and taverns.


    There were many fierce peopleing and going in this area.


    In addition, Xie Qiao was dizzy from watching the wandering ghouls in the area.


    ¡°Since you know this ce is chaotic, why did youe here? If anything really happened, I wouldn¡¯t be able to save you, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    When Xie Congshan heard that, he felt Xie Qiao was a fool.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Get off the carriage. That young master of the Cao family is also a good-looking person. You, this girl, are so strange and vicious. It¡¯s unfortunate that Young Master Cao has to marry you!¡± Xie Congshan said impatiently.


    In his opinion, Xie Qiao had a bad temper. She did not value family ties and was a stingy person. Her only advantage was that she was good-looking.


    That young master of the Cao family had a lot of wealth. He was well-read and literate. He also had a great skill in making vinegar. If this skill was passed down, he would be wealthy for generations.


    If not for the fact that his own daughter was too young, how would he let Xie Qiao off so easily?


    Xie Qiao sat down and took out a small crossbow.


    Xie Congshan frowned. He was indeed shocked.


    ¡°Third Uncle, do you know what¡¯s around here?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was light as she looked behind Xie Congshan, ¡°This area is filled with dark energy. There are men who died of fatigue, women who have fallen into the dust and suffered hardships, as well as children who have starved to death. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Xie Congshan was afraid that there was something wrong with Xie Qiao¡¯s mind. It was one thing for her to bring a crossbow when she was out, but she actually said such strange words!


    ¡°Are you trying to kill someone? Xie Qiao, I¡¯m your elder. If you dare to attack me, even if you escape, someone will find out. When the timees, you¡¯ll suffer as well.¡± Xie Congshan was fearless.


    ¡°You are right. So, this crossbow won¡¯t be used to kill you.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.

 Chapter 548 - Hag

    <h4>Chapter 548: Hag</h4>


    As Xie Qiao spoke, she suddenly waved her other sleeve in front of Xie Congshan.


    Instantly, a white powder was released. Xie Congshan did not notice it and he breathed in the powder.


    The crossbow was only used to divert his attention.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips. ¡°You bought medicine, can¡¯t I purchase some self-defense powder as well? Third Uncle, I¡¯ll show you something fun today.¡±


    Xie Congshan choked and coughed twice before he was done. He felt dizzy and almost lost his bnce.


    A cool sensation came from his eyelids before he fainted.


    Xie Qiao stretched her hand and rubbed something on his eyelids.


    Then, he saw Xie Qiao take out two talismans and mumbled. With a puff, the talismans floated in the air and burned.


    Xie Qiao took out a water pouch and a white porcin bowl from the bamboo basket. After the talismans burned, the ashes fell directly into the bowl and turned into talisman water.


    Xie Congshan had already fallen to the ground.


    There was no one around. Xie Qiao got off the carriage and poured the talisman water into his mouth.


    After doing all that, Xie Qiao rummaged through Xie Congshan¡¯s body and indeed found a small medicine bag. She did not know what kind of medicine it was, but she guessed that it was something bad. After thinking for a moment, she picked up the medicine bag and dragged Xie Congshan into the small courtyard.


    The courtyard should have been rented by Xie Congshan, and this person should have been extremely poor. Otherwise, he would not have chosen such a remote and rotten ce.


    A person walked out of the house hearing themotion.


    It should be that Young Master Cao.


    He looked¡­ rather delicate. He was a little chubby, he looked fair and tender. If one only looked at his face, he looked rather harmless.


    Never judge a book by its cover. He would rather be an animal than a man.


    Seeing that Xie Qiao had dragged Xie Congshan in, Young Master Cao was shocked. ¡°Y-You¡¯re Young Lady Xie? What did you do to Third Uncle Xie?¡±


    Xie Qiao sneered. ¡°I killed him.¡±


    In an instant, Young Master Cao¡¯s face paled.


    Xie Qiao raised her crossbow, aimed at Young Master Cao, and approached him step by step.


    That Young Master Cao was so scared that he fell to the ground and retreated on his butt. He was so scared that he was out of his mind. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to¡­. I was just obeying my parents¡­ P-Please spare me, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do it again¡­¡±


    Good-for-nothing.


    With this merely ability, he dared to harm others.


    ¡°Do you know what my Father does?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Young Master Cao nodded.


    Xie Qiao put down her crossbow. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. I¡¯ll leave this Xie Congshan to you. Tonight, the two of you are to stay here and are not allowed to go anywhere. If I find out that you secretly ran away, I¡¯ll have my Father hang you alive and cut you into pieces.¡±


    Young Master Cao gulped.


    Third Uncle Xie was so good at lying!


    He clearly said that the first daughter of the Xie family was a beautiful and graceful youngdy, but this person in front of him¡­ How was she what he described?


    She was clearly a hag!


    She got him to stay with a dead person!


    ¡°My people are watching this area. Remember, be a good boy.¡± After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she shot a nce at Young Master Cao and left the courtyard directly. She closed the door and returned to the carriage.


    Earlier, she had wiped some cow tears on Xie Congshan¡¯s eyelids.


    It was not much, but enough for him to admire the ghouls for the next few days.


    Xie Qiao looked at the small bottle containing the cow tears with heartache and sighed.


    It was not easy to obtain those cow tears. They were tears of an old cow that had worked hard for its entire life before it died. They could only be obtained together with some other things. She had not saved much in the past ten years. Usually, she would try to use them sparingly.


    Now that she had used them on Xie Congshan, the effect had to be satisfactory.

 Chapter 549 - Scared Out of His Wits

    <h4>Chapter 549: Scared Out of His Wits</h4>


    Xie Qiao sat in the carriage and shook the soul-summoning bell in her hand. When she saw that the dark energy around her was getting stronger and stronger, she thought it was about time.


    Now that the coachman was gone, Xie Qiao did not panic. She put on her hat and rode the carriage away leisurely.


    Not long after, Xie Congshan woke up in the small courtyard.


    Young Master Cao thought that the person was dead and wished that he could stay far away from him. However, this person suddenly stood up, scaring him out of his wits and causing him to shriek loudly.


    Xie Congshan opened his eyes wide in shock, and then¡­


    ¡°Ahh!¡± He fell back to the ground!


    He started crawling!


    What were these things?!


    T-There were dead souls?!


    In front of him, a red-clothed female spirit walked over with her head in her hands. That head stuck out her tongue and blinked. Then, she hovered around Xie Congshan.


    He only felt that something had suddenly touched his feet.


    He looked down and saw a pale-faced child stretching his hand and pulling at his ankle. The child said in a childish voice, ¡°y with me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, get lost! Get lost!¡± Xie Congshan was so scared that he was trembling.


    Among Xie Qiao¡¯s two talismans, one could summon souls, and the other was a supplementary talisman that couldmunicate with both worlds.


    Coupled with the cow tears, Xie Congshan could naturally experience the world of the dead.


    If she could not even deal with Xie Congshan, how would she dare to dig up dead bodies all by herself?


    Xie Qiao could already imagine Xie Congshan¡¯s clumsy appearance.


    He was covered in sweat. He crawled from the entrance into the courtyard, but the ghouls did not let him go.


    The mischievous ghouls seemed to have found a fun toy. They jumped up and down, performing all kinds of impossible movements in front of him. Some pulled out their tongues, and some pulled out their own eyeballs, they also showed off the festering skin and organs all over their bodies¡­


    All of them were surrounding Xie Congshan.


    These spirits were only doing what they usually liked to do. It was just that in the past, living people could not see them.


    Xie Congshan had really gone mad. He closed his eyes, but for some reason, he could still hear their voices!


    At that moment, Young Master Cao was also quite frightened.


    Third Uncle Xie had lost his mind!


    He crawled around on the ground and kept saying that there was something dirty here. Sometimes they scratched his back, and sometimes they scratched his legs. It was so scary!


    Xie Congshan saw Young Master Cao and hurriedly rushed over. ¡°Save me, save me! D-Do you see them? They¡¯reing, they¡¯reing. Ahh¡­¡±


    Young Master Cao was also frightened to tears.


    Father, mother, what was wrong with Third Uncle Xie?


    Or could it be that¡­ there really were¡­


    Xie Congshan struggled for a long time before finally hiding under the bed in the house. He hugged his head and shivered. His face was pale and his entire body was limp.


    Young Master Cao was not much better, but he did not dare to leave. He only dared to guard Xie Congshan.


    Xie Congshan wanted to run too, but when he went out, he realized that it was pitch ck outside. There were only more ghouls!


    When they saw him, it was as if they saw a piece of delicious meat. They all pounced on him.


    Right now, the courtyard was filled with ghouls. There were so many of them!


    He finally snapped.


    At that moment, the talisman water and the cow tears were the most effective.


    Early the next morning, Young Master Cao ran out as he was scared out of his wits. When he returned to the Cao Residence, he immediately fell seriously ill and almost lost his life. When he came back to life, his mind was filled with the image of those ghouls that Xie Congshan had described.


    He became paranoid and timid like a mouse. He was ming his parents.


    If it were not for them, he would not have suffered like this!


    The talisman water and cow tears in Xie Congshan¡¯s body were still effective the next day.

 Chapter 550 - Saviors

    <h4>Chapter 550: Saviors</h4>


    The sky was bright, and Xie Congshan had already gone to the main street. With every few steps, he could see the ghouls. In addition to the talisman water he drank, those ghouls could not help but hover toward him.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over, don¡¯te over! Go away, go away!


    ¡°Don¡¯t bite me, don¡¯t bite me¡­¡±


    Xie Congshan crawled from the street to the end of the alley. His hair was disheveled, and his body was covered in blood. His face was dirty, and a few pieces of his clothes were torn.


    He stumbled and shouted on the street, which annoyed the pedestrians. When he met a few people with bad temper, they gave him a good beating.


    He hit his head and was even more confused now.


    Xie Congshan had really gone mad.


    Xie Mangshan was initially going to stay in the capital, but when he saw Xie Congshan¡¯s fate, he was scared out of his wits. That night, he ran away with his son and wife without bringing the olddy with them.


    In the past, the olddy could still do some work and help the family with some burdens. However, the olddy¡¯s legs were weak now and she wanted to eat meat everyday. She was bing more and morezy and useless. Moreover, the journey back would be so long. With the olddy, who knew what would happen on the way back¡­


    In any case, the olddy would not die if she stayed in the capital.


    It was different for him. The capital was bad luck for him!


    The moment the olddy woke up, her eldest son had run away, her third son had gone mad. She was a little lost.


    She used to treat her first daughter-inw well and was very picky about her third daughter-inw.


    Now that the eldest son had gotten rid of her, Ms. Xin found this mother-inw to be an eyesore no matter how she looked at her. In addition, she had to take care of this crazy man, so she was even more indifferent to the olddy.


    The olddy could not bear the pain anymore. Not long after, she went to look for Xie Niushan again.


    Xie Niushan could not watch the olddy die with his own eyes, but it was impossible for him to support the olddy at home. After all, his children would not be happy about it. After thinking about it, he sent her to a vige.


    At the vige, as long as she worked, she would be fed.


    It was simr to when they were at the old house.


    If it was in the past, the olddy would definitely be upset. However, it was no longer possible now. It was better to live in the vige than to suffer under the hands of her daughter-inw!


    Of course, these were the things to be discussed in the future.


    Now, after Xie Qiao had vented her anger, she was preparing to head to Xun County.


    Just as she left, someone sent an invitation to the Xie Residence. They paid a solemn visit and even sent many thank-you gifts.


    The person who came was Wen Lancheng, the new top scorer of this year¡¯s examination.


    Unfortunately, not to mention Xie Qiao, even Xie Pinggang was not home. Only Xie Niushan was left.


    At that moment, he looked at this rather good-looking schr in front of him with a confused expression.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve visited earlier. It¡¯s just that the imperial examination was dyed for so many days. Fortunately, I did not let down Young Master Xie and Young Lady Xie for saving my life. I was appointed as the top scorer by the Emperor and entered the Hanlin Academy. In the future, if there¡¯s anything that I can help you with, I will definitely help¡­¡± Wen Lancheng said politely. There was gratitude on his face.


    Xie Niushan scratched his head. ¡°My son and daughter saved you?¡±


    Why did he not know about that?


    No one told him about it either!


    Xie Niushan thought it was a great loss for him to leave the capital. He had not participated in any of the major and minor matters of the family!


    ¡°Back then, someone impersonated me and I almost missed the imperial examination. Not only that, I almost lost my life. Fortunately, Young Master Xie tried to matchmake Huang Song who impersonated me and Young Lady Xie¡­ I heard it was Young Lady Xie¡¯s pair of sharp eyes that saw through him. That was why Young Master Xie went forward to arrest them¡­¡± Wen Lancheng exined briefly.


    He had three saviors.


    The Crown Prince, Xie Pinggang and Xie Qiao.


    The one he was most grateful for was naturally Young Lady Xie.


    If Young Lady Xie had not discovered the problem first, Young Master Xie would not have looked into it and the Crown Prince would not have imed justice for him.

 Chapter 551 - Dance with Your Saber

    <h4>Chapter 551: Dance with Your Saber</h4>


    When Wen Lancheng was first rescued, he had already wanted to pay them a visit.


    However, at that time, he was just an insignificant graduate. If he came, others would think that he was trying to curry favor with the Xie family.


    Hence, he held it back.


    Now that he had obtained the title of the top schr, His Majesty valued him very much. Now that he came again, it was also a show of respect for the Xie family.


    ¡°My daughter has such sharp eyes?¡± Xie Niushan was always out of the picture. He thought about it and said, ¡°The imposter you mentioned met with my daughter¡­ Is he going to marry her?¡±


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s face was slightly blushing. ¡°Master Xie, please don¡¯t be angry. Only the siblings and you know about this matter. I didn¡¯t tell anyone else. In addition, I also know that Young Master Xie really liked my talent and wanted to set me up with her. So today, there¡¯s one more thing¡­


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t have much assets now, my future is pretty great. I-If Master Xie doesn¡¯t mind, I¡¯m willing to marry her,¡± Wen Lancheng said nervously.


    He came here today to test the waters.


    If the Xie family agreed, he would go back and look for a matchmaker to discuss it formally.


    As this matter was still uncertain, even if Master Xie rejected him, it would not affect Young Lady Xie much.


    Young Lady Xie¡­


    He did not know what she looked like.


    However, he believed that Young Lady Xie was meticulous and smart. She must be a good woman that was hard toe by.


    When Wen Lancheng thought of that, his ears were red. Xie Niushan could not sit still when he saw him like that.


    This kid was here to trick his daughter?!


    He was really not pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°You can¡¯t marry her just because you want to. My daughter, even if you want to marry her, you have to please me first!¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s face was cold.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Wen Lancheng nodded immediately, ¡°I don¡¯t have parents or siblings, it¡¯s indeed difficult for a lone ranger to support himself. However, my parents left some money andnd in my hometown, I still have them. My family took good care of me, so I¡¯m notpletely without rtives¡­¡±


    Wen Lancheng felt guilty.


    Young Lady Xie was such a good person, and his conditions were indeed not worthy of her.


    He was only a top schr, but without Young Lady Xie, he would have lost his life.


    ¡°Do you know how to drink?¡± Xie Niushan asked.


    Wen Lancheng shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. I-I can only drink one cup.¡±


    ¡°What about fighting?¡± Xie Niushan frowned.


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s expression became even worse. ¡°I¡¯ve never learned martial arts, b-but if anything happens to Young Lady Xie, I¡¯ll protect her even if I have to risk my life!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t even know martial arts, how are you going to protect her? Won¡¯t we all die together in the end?¡± Xie Niushan said disdainfully, ¡°I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Now that my daughter isn¡¯t home, what about you¡­ wait for her toe home and visitter. By then¡­ Dance with your saber. I think it¡¯s a great idea. We¡¯ll see what my daughter thinks.¡±


    Wen Lancheng wiped the sweat off his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡± Xie Niushan was fierce.


    ¡°Of course I do. When I go home, I¡¯ll definitely learn that!¡± Wen Lancheng hurriedly said in surprise.


    After saying that, Xie Niushan nodded.


    Although he was a little fair and tender, he was still quite obedient.


    Xie Qiao had no idea that Xie Niushan had found some fun by himself.


    At that moment, she sat in the carriage gloomily. Xie Pinggang was riding a horse to protect her outside.


    ¡°Master Mo, didn¡¯t my Sistere with you? Where¡¯s she? Why didn¡¯t I see her?¡± Xie Pinggang asked with a suspicious look.

 Chapter 552 - Wanting to Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with the Sun

    <h4>Chapter 552: Wanting to Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with the Sun</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Mo Chusheng also wanted to know where Xie Qiao had gone!


    ...


    Xie Qiao did not lift the curtain. She looked at her face in the mirror and sighed faintly.


    ¡°I need someone to take care of my shop, so I got Young Lady Xie to stay in the shop. The little girl¡¯s health iscking, so how can I get her to run around?¡± Xie Qiao said helplessly.


    Xie Pinggang smiled. ¡°My Eldest Sister¡¯s body is very strange. She was dying a few days ago, but she has been much better recently. She even coughs less now. I don¡¯t know what miracle medicine she took.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    Eldest brother only saw the front that she put on, but not the burden she had been carrying secretly!


    ¡°Young Master Xie, go and protect the Crown Prince. I don¡¯t need anyone here,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    Xie Pinggang was still standing at the side when he heard that. He smiled and said, ¡°Master Mo and His Highness are indeed fellow disciples. You guys say the same thing.¡±


    Xie Qiaoughed dryly.


    Did the Crown Prince know that she was Xie Qiao?!


    Out of so many people who could have protected her, he had to arrange her eldest brother toe?!


    Was he trying to taunt her?


    ¡°Master Mo, I heard that your fortune-telling is very urate? Can you tell when my Eldest Sister will be married? Is it the right time for marriage?¡± Xie Pinggang became talkative.


    He thought this Master Mo was family. After eating, drinking and walking together, they could chat more.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything.


    Xie Pinggang sighed.


    It seemed that her eldest sister¡¯s marriage was difficult.


    Xie Qiao sat in the carriage. She had nothing to do, so he took out a piece of wood and carved a flying sword for the ghoul that had helped her previously.


    The ghoul probably felt bored staying in the capital, so it followed her. Sometimes it hovered around, and sometimes it sat on the roof of the carriage. It enjoyed the scenery along the way and told Xie Qiao about the situation around it.


    The Li family did not bring many people on this trip. Besides Elder Li and his grandson, Li Qingyu, the rest were servants. There were about 20 of them. It was enough.


    Zhao Xuanjing brought even fewer people. Including Xie Pinggang, there were only six people.


    ¡°Master, there are other people ahead of us. They seem toe from a powerful background.¡± The ghoul¡¯s voice came from above through the sedan chair.


    Master did not like his face. She said that he was too ugly when he died, so his spirit was ugly.


    There was nothing he could do. At that time, the furnace had exploded, so it was normal for his body to break into pieces.


    ¡°This is the official road. It¡¯s normal for people toe and go,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Pinggang frowned outside.


    What was Master Mo mumbling in the sedan chair?


    ¡°No, I heard them mention the Crown Prince... Oh right, the person in the lead is quite good-looking, but he¡¯s much gloomier than the Crown Prince. He¡¯s a little younger,¡± the ghoul said.


    With that said, Xie Qiao thought of someone.


    It could not be Zhao Xuzhi, right?


    She remembered that back at the Prince¡¯s residence, she had fulfilled the ghoul¡¯s wish and beaten up Zhao Xuzhi. Later on... The Princess also found out that the prince¡¯s side concubine had secretly hidden the Young Heir¡¯s little fox. The mother and son should have suffered quite a blow.


    This man was released so quickly?


    ¡°What did he say about the Crown Prince?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°I think he said he would definitely solve the fire murder case before the Crown Prince did...¡± The ghoul thought for a moment and then said while leaning against the roof of the carriage.


    With that said, Xie Qiao was certain that this person was Zhao Xuzhi.


    Other than Zhao Xuzhi, nobody would not be so stubborn as topete with the Crown Prince.


    However, she really could not understand Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s way of thinking. Although he was a rtive of the Emperor, he was still different from the Crown Prince, right?


    He thought too highly of himself and wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.

 Chapter 553 - Divination?

    <h4>Chapter 553: Divination?</h4>


    Xie Qiao closed her eyes slightly. She was not in a hurry to tell the Crown Prince about that.


    There was no need.


    If Zhao Xuzhi had the ability to solve this case, it would be his ability. Moreover, with the Crown Prince¡¯s magnanimity, he probably would notpete with him. The two of them were on the same level. Even if he solved the case, it would be for the Crown Prince¡¯s subjects to seek justice.


    After traveling for a day, they spent the night in the suburbs.


    The day spent in the shaky sedan chair made Xie Qiao lose her spirit. Her face was also stiff. With ayer of makeup, she looked intimidating.


    ¡°Qingyu, go and see if Master needs anything. Take care of her.¡± Elder Li watched from afar. After thinking for a while, he pushed his grandson out.


    Master Mo was very capable. ording to Prince Ning Bei, he had wanted the Young Heir to take her as his master, but it was a pity that they were not fated.


    He did not know about his grandson¡¯s fate.


    Li Qingyu was a little embarrassed, but he still did as he was told. He carried some fruits in his hands and walked over to Xie Qiao.


    The carriage was too small. Xie Qiao sat under the tree and breathed in the fresh air.


    Li Qingyu said respectfully, ¡°Master Mo, eat some food. The cooks are preparing the food diligently. It will be served soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Qiao nodded indifferently.


    Li Qingyu was a little embarrassed. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Master, I heard from my grandfather that you are Master Li¡¯s eldest disciple? Then you must know a lot, right?¡±


    ¡°Just so-so,¡± after Xie Qiao said that, she took a bite of the pear.


    It was quite sweet.


    Li Qingyu was a little conflicted. This Master Mo was a little too quiet. Would an ordinary elder like her not give a few pointers when she saw this junior?


    The task that his grandfather gave him was very difficult.


    ¡°Master, can you perform divination for this humble one?¡± Li Qingyu went all out and continued to shamelessly curry favor with her.


    Only then did Xie Qiao raise her head to look at him, and then she nodded. ¡°Go¡­ get me fifty pieces of weed.¡±


    Xie Qiao pointed nearby. Li Qingyu was a little puzzled, but he still obediently followed her instructions. In a short while, he brought arge pile of weed.


    It could be used to perform division for him.


    ¡°What would you want me to look at?¡± Xie Qiao said casually.


    ¡°I want to know whether the trip will be a sessful one,¡± Li Qingyu said quickly. He was finally relieved. It was not easy to get the master to talk to him a little more.


    Xie Qiao took out one weed and fiddled with the remaining ones.


    Li Qingyu squatted next to her with a serious and honest face.


    After a long while, Xie Qiao said, ¡°There¡¯s a bad omen. You¡¯re doomed.¡± She looked at Li Qingyu sympathetically.


    That was it?


    Why was she so fierce? Why did she not tell him in detail?


    He looked at Xie Qiao, but Xie Qiao closed her eyes and said nothing more. He was stumped. ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Li Qingyu was dumbfounded. He had just called out when a figure came over from the side. He sat down, took out a silver ingot and ced it in front of Xie Qiao. ¡°Senior Sister, I would like a divination about marriage.¡±


    Xie Qiao finally opened her half-closed eyes. She reached out with her small hand and put the silver ingot into her embrace.


    Then, she lowered her head to y with the weed. After a while, she said, ¡°A desperate person will have his wish granted. It¡¯s a good sign. Your Highness¡¯ marriage will be perfect. The woman will ovee the strong by applying soft methods. She¡¯s gentle and beautiful, and together, the both of you will live happily for a long time.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled and took out another silver ingot. ¡°Thank you for your exnation, Senior Sister. This is your reward.¡±


    Since it was a good sign, there would naturally be more reward.


    Xie Qiao took it calmly. ¡°Your Highness, do you want to perform divination on this trip as well? I just did it for this kid and it isn¡¯t very good. I¡¯m afraid it will be rainy for the next few days.¡±

 Chapter 554 - A Perfect Match

    <h4>Chapter 554: A Perfect Match</h4>


    Rainy?


    Li Qingyu raised his head to look into the sky.


    It was a little dark now, but there was no wind around and he did not feel stuffy. How could it rain in such good weather?


    Moreover¡­ should he pay the master some money now?


    ¡°No need. I think everything will be good this time.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were in a trance as he looked at Xie Qiao. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Senior Sister is my spell of good fortune.¡±


    Li Qingyu thought he heard wrong.


    His Highness¡­ What did he mean? Why did he sound sarcastic?


    Zhao Xuanjing turned his head again, still rxed and a bitzy. He said to Li Qingyu, ¡°Don¡¯t you even have a cash?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Li Qingyu was stunned.


    ¡°I heard that people who are about to die shouldn¡¯t be charged divination money, right? Could it be that this kid is already so miserable now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked a bit indifferent.


    Before Xie Qiao could speak, Li Qingyu understood what he meant.


    Divination required money!


    He hurriedly took out some money from his pocket. After digging for a long time, he still could find a single cash.


    He was the direct grandson of the Li family. He had an errand boy following him when he went out, so why would he need money in his pocket?


    After searching for a long time, he gritted his teeth and took off the jade pendant on him. He handed it to Xie Qiao shakily.


    ¡°Take the jade back. Ask your grandfather for money,¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned and said with disdain.


    This foolish kid, how could he give away the jade casually?


    Had he not heard that jade brought good luck, one should cherish jade and one should keep their body pure like a piece of jade?


    The Crown Prince criticized Li Qingyu. He hurriedly took a few steps back and walked away in a panic.


    ¡°When this kid was possessed, he was actually more straightforward. Look at him now. He¡¯s as soft as a rabbit. This man still has to learn from Xie Pinggang. He seems to have a strong character, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked like he was unfathomable, but the words he said were quite harsh.


    Li Qingyu did not hear it, but Xie Qiao agreed with him.


    Although Li Qingyu called her an old witch earlier, he looked quite energetic.


    It was different now. His behavior was rigid and he did things ording to the rules. Now that he was out here, there was no fun at all.


    Xie Qiao said nothing. Zhao Xuanjing asked someone toe over and build a fire nearby.


    The mes burned, and the bright light danced.


    Xie Qiao leaned against a tree. She was covered in a fur cloak and shrunk into a tiny ball.


    Under the warm light of the fire, she was in a daze. After a while, she could not help but yawn and squint, wanting to sleep.


    Zhao Xuanjing sat across from her. He looked energetic. He was wearing a ck riding suit with ck patterns and a purple-gold crown on his head. His eyebrows were like ink paintings, he looked elegant. Sitting there, he looked like a tiger and dragon. He was both firm and gentle, looking very handsome.


    Especially when there was not a group of ghouls behind him, it was hard to look away.


    Xie Qiao fell asleep as she watched.


    Zhao Xuanjing then changed to a morefortable position.


    Early in the morning, the wind rose.


    Li Qingyu had wanted to pay the divination money since midnightst night, but when he came back, he dared not approach Xie Qiao when he saw the scene.


    The Crown Prince looked at the fire and Master Mo, who was sleeping. It was extremely quiet, and he was only seven or eight steps away from Master Mo when he was scared away by the cold re from the Crown Prince.


    It was strange. Master Mo was already in her thirties or forties, but he actually thought she was a perfect match for the Crown Prince!


    In terms of age, she could already be the Crown Prince¡¯s mother, no?!


    ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t you feel that the Crown Prince treats Master Mo very differently?¡± Li Qingyu was quite worried. ¡°The position of Princess Consort is still vacant¡­¡±


    Elder Li was not a fool. He had long seen through it!

 Chapter 555 - The Ghouls are Coming

    <h4>Chapter 555: The Ghouls are Coming</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Elder Li was able to retire sessfully because he had the ability and discernment.


    If the Crown Prince really decided that this Master Mo to be the Princess Consort, how would his opinion even matter?


    As long as he was not a country-wrecking temptress, he did not think it would be a big problem!


    Moreover, it was quite good to marry a good wife and choose a good one. One¡¯s appearance would not bring disaster to the Emperor. It was pretty great.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is a man of good fortune. You can do whatever he asks you to do. You just have to show some respect to Master Mo. Don¡¯t care about other things. The Li family doesn¡¯t have the right to question the Crown Prince¡¯s marriage.¡± Elder Li was very clear about his family¡¯s situation.


    Li Qingyu replied, ¡°Grandfather,st night... the Master told my fortune. He said there¡¯s a bad omen...¡±


    Elder Li¡¯s heart jolted when he heard that.


    ¡°What else did she say?¡±


    ¡°The Master also said that it would be cloudy and rainy for the next few days. I saw that although there was a gust of wind this morning, the weather is fine. I wonder if she made a mistake in her divination.¡± Li Qingyu was a little puzzled.


    He thought that perhaps the master could capture spirits, but it was possible that she was not very proficient in divination.


    He felt better to be thinking that.


    However, as he was speaking, Li Qingyu felt a light breeze blowing over, as if a drizzle hadnded on his face.


    Li Qingyu¡¯s heart turned cold, as he felt that something bad was about to happen.


    Was It really raining?


    ¡°With Master Mo with us, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem even if there¡¯s a great disaster. If it¡¯s really a life-threatening situation, Master Mo should be able to help.¡± Although Elder Li felt sorry for his grandson, he knew that Master Mo¡¯s actions should be reliable.


    Li Qingyu forced a smile.


    He had a feeling that Master Mo was taking revenge for her own personal grudge. Who asked him to be so iprehensible and called her an old witch?


    The spring rain was continuous. Although it was a little cold, it did not have much of an impact. Xie Qiao entered the carriage. The wind and rain could not touch her, so it was quitefortable.


    However, not long after they left, the bell in Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage rang.


    ¡°Master, Master, a spirit ising over!¡± The ghoul in the carriage looked nervous, as if someone was trying to take his favorite thing.


    Xie Qiao had already sensed it.


    The iing ghoul seemed to be wandering around in this group. At first, it smelled the dragon energy on the Crown Prince¡¯s body and could not help but approach him. However, just as it went forward, a few ghouls riding on horses appeared behind the group!


    They looked at it grimly.


    It was scared, so it quickly moved away.


    ¡°The horses that the Crown Prince burned for us are really not bad. It¡¯s amazing. These little ghouls don¡¯t dare topete with us at all!¡±


    ¡°We have to be more obedient these few days. Have you seen that Master? She can capture spirits. All is good, let¡¯s not approach His Highness!¡±


    ¡°Tsk. When I was alive, I wanted to be an official. I didn¡¯t expect it toe true after I died. The Crown Prince has good taste. Now, I can be considered a mighty and majestic dead general, right?¡±


    A few ghouls muttered to themselves. After chasing the little spirit away from the Crown Prince¡¯s side, they kept a distance from him and followed him from behind.


    The horses they were riding... Xie Qiao recognized them.


    They should have been something that were bought from her Fortune Pavilion, something that was specially to be burned for the dead.


    She had suddenly sold a lot of it a while ago, but she did not expect that they were bought by the Crown Prince!


    Xie Qiao looked behind the window and saw that the spirits riding on horses had left. Only then did she sit down steadily.


    Not long after, an ignorant spirit entered her carriage.


    This spirit was a woman, about 30 years old. When the woman entered the carriage and saw the snacks on the carriage, she sniffed. A white mist rose from the snacks and she ate them all.


    The food eaten by the ghoul was tasteless.


    ¡°A ghoul that starved to death?¡± Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows and said faintly.

 Chapter 556 - Give Us Something to Eat

    <h4>Chapter 556: Give Us Something to Eat</h4>


    The ghoul shuddered in fear.


    Her round eyes stared at Xie Qiao warily. ¡°You¡¯re talking to me?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fate that we meet. What do you wish for?¡± Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul and asked again. Her attitude was actually quite good.


    It was also because this ghoul was sensible. Although she was wandering around, she did not deliberately scare her. She was just a little skinny. She did not look any different from an ordinary person. At the very least, it was much better than the dead spirit sitting on the roof of the carriage.


    The spirit was silent for a moment. Then, her figure shed and she actually ran away.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    She looked the most kind and gentle. Why was this starving spirit so timid?


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and snorted.


    The spirit that approached her actually flew away. If the news was to spread, her master would lose his dignity.


    However, she could not force the matter of sending the spirit back to reincarnation. Otherwise, she would definitely capture the ghoul and ask her why she had run away!


    Xie Qiao was a little upset. However, not long after, a chilly wind blew in the surroundings.


    It was already raining outside. When the chilly wind came, the raindrops seemed to have be much bigger. The grass around rustled and the leaves pped together!


    Such a hugemotion gave Xie Qiao a fright.


    When she looked outside again, she was even more stunned.


    She only saw that the ghoul that had escaped earlier had returned!


    Not only had she returned, there were 20 to 30 ghouls following behind her. All of them were women.


    Their feet did not touch the ground. Their hair was disheveled, and their faces were like skeletons. The dark energy that filled the sky enveloped them. Some of the ghouls inside even made strange noises, giving one goosebumps.


    Xie Qiao grabbed the handrail of the carriage, and her face turned pale.


    Xie Pinggang was standing guard outside. Suddenly, he saw that the weather had turned bad, and he frowned. At that moment, he heard Master Mo say, ¡°Stop the carriage!¡±


    Master Mo¡¯s voice was urgent, as if something had happened.


    Xie Pinggang immediately asked the team to stop.


    As soon as the team stopped, the sand and rocks under their feet blew up. Many people narrowed their eyes because of the dust. A moment ago, it was drizzling, but now, as if the raindrops had turned into ice shards from the blowing of wind, the raindrops hurt their faces.


    Xie Qiao got off with an umbre in hand.


    She was thin and looked very fragile.


    What was even stranger was that she suddenly stopped after taking a few steps west. She stood there motionlessly, as if she was still talking about something¡­


    Coupled with the gloomy weather, everyone could not help but feel a chill inside of them when they saw that.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s back and walked over.


    ¡°You can see us. C-Can you give us something to eat?¡± Those ghouls actually knelt. After saying that, they even faintly emitted a thick resentment.


    Although there was resentment, they had not be vengeful spirits yet.


    ¡°Did all of you starve to death?¡± Xie Qiao was a little puzzled. There were too many of them.


    There were 20 to 30 spirits here. Some people would leave immediately after they died and would not stay in the world at all. With so many spirits in front of them, if they were to calcte ording to the ratio, how many people would really die?


    They had never heard of any major disaster here.


    Although there had been a disasterst year, the imperial court had intervened. The impact of this disaster was not particrly great, and there had not been such arge-scale death.


    ¡°Master, we haven¡¯t eaten for so long. asionally, we could onlye out for a day to eat. We are really¡­ hungry. I beg you, Master, please give us some food!¡±


    ¡°Master, please give us some food¡­¡±


    All of them cried out.


    ¡°Where did all of youe from?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Something was wrong with these ghouls.

 Chapter 557 - Deal with It

    <h4>Chapter 557: Deal with It</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words as soon as she came over. He was stunned for a moment.


    Then, he calmly reached out and took the umbre in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand, holding it for her.


    When she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s grave expression, he could not help but doubt what Xie Qiao saw.


    ¡°All of you starved to death. No matter how much food you have, you won¡¯t be full.¡± Xie Qiao was helpless. Even if she brought the granary over, she would not be able to fulfill these ghoul¡¯s wishes.


    When she said that, some of the ghouls revealed sorrowful expressions.


    There were also a few who went out of their minds.


    Their faces were suffused with ck energy. They hovered into the air and opened their bloody mouths.


    Their bony figures became even more terrifying. Their mouths looked as if they had been torn from their faces. Their appearances were terrifying and scary.


    Xie Qiao had always had some fear toward ghouls, especially these very frightening ones. If she saw too many of them, she would have nightmares.


    Her face turned pale, and she hurriedly took out talismans to protect herself.


    These starving ghouls could also hurt people. After being entangled by them, they would develop symptoms of anorexia or gluttony. They would either starve to death or eat so much that they died.


    Xie Qiao took out her peach wood sword and threw out a few talismans. She muttered, ¡°Calling out to the Jade Maiden, capture the bad luck... Divine Masters kill, don¡¯t avoid the powerful ones... Kill the evil spirits first, then kill the light in the dark! Hear mymand!¡±


    Many pieces of talismans hit those slightly vengeful spirits directly.


    In an instant, Xie Qiao heard a few ferocious screams, and then many spirits were beaten back.


    Xie Qiao saw the female spirit who came first and asked, ¡°Where did all of youe from? Why did you starve to death?!¡±


    The female spirit trembled twice, and she quickly said, ¡°Master, please spare our lives... W-We don¡¯t know what happened either... We only remember that a nobleman asked us to help him, and we were brought there blindfolded. As we walked, we suddenly heard a rumbling sound. When we opened our eyes again, the surroundings were pitch ck, and there was nothing around us. We starved to death just like that... After we died, we were all locked in a ce and could note out. asionally, we could go outside and eat something, but when evening came, we would be sucked back...¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she frowned and was a little worried.


    Today...


    Xie Qiao did some divinations. It was a cloudy day today, and it was the time when dark energy flourished and Yang energy declined.


    If she guessed correctly, these ghouls must havee from a dark energy grave!


    She could not send these ghouls away.


    They were trapped in one ce. If they did not find the ce where they were trapped, the energy required to collect these ghouls would be several times more than the normal amount of energy.


    Her body could not keep up.


    ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember very clearly. Every time, we would suddenlye out and go back... I only remember that there¡¯s water and trees nearby...¡±


    There was water and trees¡­


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Okay, you guys be good and follow the convoy. There should be some food in the convoy. Although it¡¯s not enough to eat, you can more or less fill your tummy.¡±


    As soon as they heard that there was food, these ghouls immediately became obedient and nodded continuously.


    Zhao Xuanjing probably guessed something from Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    There were ghouls, and they were starving spirits that could not eat their fill. There were quite a number of them.


    In addition, Xie Qiao could not capture them, so it was more troublesome.


    These guys became obedient, but Xie Qiao had a headache. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to go first.. I need to look for the grave and deal with it.¡±

 Chapter 558 - Evil Things

    <h4>Chapter 558: Evil Things</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Seeing her sad face, Zhao Xuanjing was a little worried. ¡°Are these ghouls difficult to deal with?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems that they were locked in the grave and starved to death. Besides, so many of them are still in the grave and can¡¯te out. They have be ghouls and can¡¯t be reincarnated. There must be an evil formation around the grave, which prevents them from reincarnating. Now that I¡¯ve met them, it¡¯s not good for my cultivation... if I don¡¯t take care of them.¡±


    She had the ability to capture spirits. If she did not do anything when she saw it, it would be harmful to her good karma.


    It was not easy for her body to recover. She might suffer again.


    With her health, she could not do anything about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll apany you to look at it. Although we¡¯re here for the fire murder case, if you see other cases, you can¡¯t sit back and do nothing. ording to what you said, someone ignored thew and buried living people with him. That¡¯s a big crime.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze was like a deep pool, Xie Qiao¡¯s straight body was like a pine tree as he stood by the side. It was as if he was encircled by him, and her sense of security increased.


    There were many rules in the Qianyuan dynasty that were quite humane.


    The previous dynasty¡¯s emperor even buried concubines with him, but the practice waspletely gone in the Qianyuan dynasty.


    Whether it was ordinary people or nobles, they could only be buried with artifacts. Those rich and noble families would at most bury some dolls, ceramics, and y sculptures, but they would not dare to bury living people recklessly.


    Even servants were not allowed.


    Of course, this was clearly forbidden. In private, some families might even buy some worthless servants to bury in the grave to apany the dead.


    If they were not discovered, then no one would care about them.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s behavior earlier was strange. At that moment, the servants in the Li family¡¯s team were all scared out of their wits.


    All of them looked at Xie Qiao with fear in their eyes.


    However, they were not afraid of Xie Qiao. They were afraid of the surrounding environment.


    It was obvious that the master was doing something!


    There must be something evil around here!


    The Crown Prince had Elder Li pass down the order to ce all the edible things in the team into a carriage.


    The carriage continued forward.


    Xie Qiao did not dare to look at the food carriage anymore.


    It was because there were many starving spirits squeezed in and out of the carriage. In order to take that mouthful of food, the spirits were squeezed until they were deformed!


    How terrifying.


    The carriage coachman¡¯s old face froze, and his entire body could not help but tremble.


    There was definitely something evil on this carriage.


    Something was wrong. Not only did the carriage window ring every now and then, the curtains were also fluttering in the wind. It just felt gloomy and scary. What was even worse was that Master Mo had given him a talisman to wear.


    What was the meaning of that?! Did that not mean that there was something strange in his carriage?!


    The people who traveled with the carriage this time were more courageous, but even so, they were still a little afraid.


    Xie Qiao asked the ghoul that had been killed by the explosion to help. He looked around and saw that there was a source of water with a strong evil energy.


    Although the ghoul that had been killed by the explosion only had one wish, it did not mind having a few more flying swords or cool clothes. Therefore, it could not wait for Master Mo to give him more tasks.


    When evening came, the spirits really disappeared.


    One by one, they hovered somewhere like wooden figures. They were so fast that the convoy could not keep up, but fortunately, they had the ghoul that exploded to guide them.


    Xie Qiao immediately led the convoy in that direction.


    Elder Li did not stop them and followed Xie Qiao¡¯s arrangements.


    After traveling for more than two hours, Xie Qiao could already see the evil energy faintly rising in the distance, so she immediately got the convoy to stop.


    It was inappropriate to get too close to that ce at night.. She would see what to do during the day.

 Chapter 559 - Suppress Before Rising

    <h4>Chapter 559: Suppress Before Rising</h4>


    It waste at night, and the rain was still falling. There were no stars in the sky.


    Xie Qiao tried her best to rest well.


    The next morning, she started to walk toward the grave.


    She was alone. After taking a few steps forward, Zhao Xuanjing came with six guards, including Xie Pinggang. Li Qingyu jogged forward with two servants next to them.


    ¡°Master¡­ My Grandfather asked me to learn from you¡­¡± Li Qingyu wanted to cry but had no tears.


    He really did not want toe!


    He was not blind. The grave in the low-lyingnd not far away gave people a strange feeling. It was as if it was in the fog, hazy and gloomy!


    It was definitely not a good ce that made the master so serious!


    However, his grandfather said that they would need the master¡¯s help to take a look at their graveter. Now that he had expressed his sincerity in advance, it would make the master happy!


    ¡°Your Highness, do you really want toe with me? If anything were to happen, you might lose your life.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise.


    The moment he got closer, the clouds above the grave changed slightly, as if there were two waves of energies confronting each other.


    The Emperor and the Crown Prince both had a special kind of energy. It could be called dragon energy, son of heaven energy or emperor energy.


    There were many kinds of son of heaven energies. They were mostly five colors, such as green, red, white, yellow, and ck. In the morning and evening, they were like strong clouds supporting the sun. The clouds and mist were different in shape, but they definitely had an awe-inspiring wind.


    Although the Crown Prince¡¯s position was not very stable, he was still the foundation of the country. Now that they had encountered this evil formation, the two energies would definitely sh.


    It was beneficial to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Your expression tells me that you can¡¯t wait for me to leave with you.¡± Zhao Xuanjingughed. ¡°Cut the nonsense. Let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    Xie Qiao grinned.


    What had she not seen before? The grave was not that terrifying.


    Was this not because¡­ there were so many people that she had to disy the demeanor of a master?


    It was called suppress before rising. Now that they were afraid, they would naturally worship her when they saw that she had easily resolved the evil formation!


    ¡°Follow behind me. There¡¯s indeed something wrong with the grave below. You can¡¯t step on it recklessly. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have bad luck for a while if you¡¯re contaminated with evil energy.¡± As she spoke, Xie Qiao raised her head and looked at them. Then, she walked out with her bamboo basket with a pained expression. She took out a stack of talismans and a few small bells, giving them the items one by one. ¡°Keep them. If the talismans are torn, ring the bell. Otherwise, I won¡¯t bother if something happens.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing put the things in his arms calmly. ¡°Do as¡­ Master Mo said.¡±


    The group of people behaved like a bunch of cowards.


    They listened to him obediently.


    Xie Qiao then started to walk toward the dark.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with the trees nted on both sides?¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt a little ufortable after following her.


    The cold wind blew on their faces, making them panic.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°You¡¯re quite talented. We¡¯ve just walked down from above. Think about it. What does the shape of the trees on both sides look like?¡±


    ¡°Sword tip?¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and answered.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, the sword tip is pointing at the grave. The spirits in this grave can¡¯t escape even if they want to. They even got so many living people to be buried with them. I¡¯m afraid the owner of this grave couldn¡¯t stand it .¡±


    Xie Qiao pointed at the slightly raised mound, ¡°The mountain and water are pressing down. It¡¯s mainly to kill the madam. The middle of the grave is destroyed first. All the wives are harmed. I¡¯m afraid that the owner of this grave has already lost all his wives and concubines. Even if they have descendants, they would have a slim chance of survival. I don¡¯t know what that feng shui master did. He¡¯s too ruthless.¡±

 Chapter 560 - Should Not Be Touched

    <h4>Chapter 560: Should Not Be Touched</h4>


    The shape and location of the grave were targeted at the owner¡¯s wife and concubines, especially the madam.


    After a while, Xie Qiao walked up to the grave and saw the gravestone. Besides the owner¡¯s identity, there were also the owner¡¯s life achievements.


    He was actually an official.


    Approximately 20 years ago, he was the county magistrate of Xun County.


    ¡°A few days ago, I checked the county records of Xun County and found this person. He¡¯s Pang Xiyuan. He was born in the Pang family of Yongjiang. He had a powerful family background and was an official in Xun County. He was quite talented and had a great appearance. His wife was also a descendant of a big family. It could be considered a marriage alliance between the two families. His concubines¡­¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a moment, ¡°There were many. I remember a famous one. She was a singer of Yongjiang. She went after him from thousands of kilometers away and it was the talk of the town.¡±


    This man had many wives, concubines, and children.


    There were many people on the gravestone, including the wives and children.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, do you know how Pang Xiyuan¡¯s family is now?¡± Xie Qiao asked Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°How would I know? I just thought this man was the first county magistrate when the fire murder case happened, so I took a second look.¡±


    Xie Qiao called Xie Pinggang ¡°eldest brother¡± quickly, but before he could react, he thought of something else.


    ¡°Pang Xiyuan died of a sudden illness. This person¡¯s talent was pretty great, and my Father once expressed his regret. His family¡­ I once came to Xun County, and the Pang family had long fallen. Everyone in the family had already died one after another. Three years ago, I heard someone mention that the Pang family had a daughter from a concubine who was brought up by an old steward,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added, and he looked at Xie Qiao with a smile.


    Zhao Xuanjing stared at Xie Qiao. She recalled that she had called Xie Pinggang ¡°eldest brother¡± earlier, and she felt guilty.


    Seeing that Xie Pinggang did not seem to notice, she put on a surprised expression and looked away from the inscription.


    Pang Xiyuan had been dead for 11 or 12 years. How old was Zhao Xuanjing at that time? How could he still remember such a thing?


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled at her. Xie Qiao could feel his proud gaze.


    Xie Qiao raised her head slightly. ¡°My memory is not bad.¡±


    It was nothing worse than his, what was there to gloat about?


    Zhao Xuanjing was helpless. He looked left and right and felt that the ground beneath his feet was wet with a disgusting smell.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao hesitated for a moment. ¡°This Pang Xiyuan must¡¯ve be a vengeful spirit. He¡¯s just trapped inside and can¡¯t get out. The other spirits that starved to death in there are all women. The dark energy is stronger and can nourish Pang Xiyuan¡¯s souls, so he¡¯s much more powerful than the other spirits¡­


    ¡°If I want to send the spirits for reincarnation, I have to set up a formation. I might not be able to do that with a normal formation, but since all of you are men and have strong Yang energy, if you can stand in a few positions and suppress them for me, my chances of winning will be higher,¡± Xie Qiao said honestly.


    Xie Qiao said that because she was afraid that these people would think something was wrong and run away in fear.


    It was easy to handle the Crown Prince¡¯s people, but Li Qingyu¡­ He was so young, he might not be able to take it.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    Li Qingyu was timid, but he would take orders obediently.


    Xie Qiao took out apass to check the position. Just as she was about to arrange for people, rustling sounds came from behind. She turned around and saw an old man walking over with a young girl who was about 17 or 18 years old.


    The girl immediately rushed over. ¡°Who are you?! What are you doing in front of my father¡¯s grave?!¡±


    Well, the descendant of the owner of the grave had arrived.


    It was probably not going to be easy to handle this matter.


    The girl was quite good-looking. At that moment, she was very aggressive and red at Xie Qiao¡­ who was holding apass, as if she had seen the enemy who had killed her father.


    Xie Qiao knew that she was in the wrong.


    What should one not touch the most in this world?


    It was someone¡¯s wife, family wealth, and¡­ ancestral burial ground.


    ¡°Young Lady Pang, let me exin. I¡¯m a Taoist master, and I can get rid of evil. There¡¯s something wrong with your family¡¯s grave, I need to perform a ritual,¡± Xie Qiao tried to say kindly.

 Chapter 561 - One Wife, Thirteen Concubines

    <h4>Chapter 561: One Wife, Thirteen Concubines</h4>


    Young Lady Pang was still angry. She suddenly rushed forward and pushed Xie Qiao back.


    ¡°I know there¡¯s something wrong with the grave. Don¡¯t worry about it! Get lost!¡± The girl shouted.


    This sudden push made Xie Qiao stagger. Zhao Xuanjing quickly held her up.


    ¡°You know there¡¯s something wrong with the grave?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked with a frown.


    Young Lady Pang¡¯s face was solemn, but she was stunned when she looked up at Zhao Xuanjing.


    Her expression instantly changed, and her rage disappeared. She became hesitant. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, everyone said something¡¯s wrong¡­ But so many people havee to look at it, yet nothing that can be done. People will die, and if someone dies, they¡¯d me me¡­¡±


    With that said, Xie Qiao understood.


    ¡°It must be because the evil energy that¡¯s too strong. Ordinary feng shui masters can¡¯t handle it, and they would even lose their lives,¡± Xie Qiao said to Zhao Xuanjing.


    The old man also walked over and pulled Young Lady Pang to the side. Then, he said to Zhao Xuanjing, ¡°Looking at your extraordinary background, I wonder¡­ if you are going to perform a ritual? This ce has nothing to do with you. Forget it¡­¡±


    ¡°The evil energy here is too strong. I don¡¯t like it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said casually.


    Xie Qiao was also helpless. After all, she was meddling in other people¡¯s business.


    After thinking for a moment, she said to this person, ¡°The feng shui formation in this ce will definitely harm the wives and children. If I leave it alone, the evil energy will be stronger and stronger, and the impact will be even greater in the future.¡±


    The resentment of the vengeful spirits would grow stronger as they were imprisoned for a longer period of time. Moreover, there were many other spirits that were about to be vengeful spirits.


    When the resentful energy gathered, it would definitely cause great harm.


    The old man sighed. ¡°I was Master¡¯s steward. After he passed away, Madam and the other concubines also met with mishaps. In the entire Pang family, only the Young Lady is left. I have been protecting the Young Lady throughout her life. When Madam left, someone in the residence sensed that there was something wrong with this grave. However, the feng shui master had disappeared long ago, and the masters we foundter were not skilled enough. A few of them met with mishaps. Since then, no one has been willing toe. Taoist master, are you¡­ confident? If not, it¡¯s better for you to leave early. You¡¯re not from the Pang family. It¡¯s not good for you to stay here for too long.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that the feng shui master plotted against the family?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a frown.


    ¡°Did feng shui master ask your Madam to be buried with living people?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked with a cold face.


    The steward¡¯s expression changed at the mention of being buried with living people.


    Young Lady Pang was also shocked. ¡°What do you mean by being buried with living people?!¡±


    Xie Pinggang raised his broadsword and ced it on the steward¡¯s neck. ¡°Tell me the truth! Where did you get these people? How many were there in total?!¡±


    Xie Qiao did not stop him.


    Since the steward had stayed with the Pang family for so long, he must have been involved in this matter.


    Even if he were to kill him immediately, there would be no regret.


    The steward was frightened by Xie Pinggang and immediately knelt on the ground, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business! It was Madam who did it!


    ¡°M-My Master was flirtatious¡­ he had countless confidants. He married Madam more than 20 years ago and took concubines every year for several years. W-When he left, he had a wife and 13 concubines¡­¡±


    Pang Xiyuan was fond of women, but he was also lustful of emotions.


    All the famous local women had be his prey.


    He did not force them, nor did he humiliate them. He had only relied on his own talent and appearance to make all the women to be his concubines willingly.


    Among the 13 concubines, there were the beautiful daughters of merchants, the famous local talenteddies, and the singers who came after him from thousands of kilometers away¡­


    He was very good at disciplining women. These women of all kinds actually enjoyed themselves in his residence.

 Chapter 562 - Even More Diligent Than An Old Ox

    <h4>Chapter 562: Even More Diligent Than An Old Ox</h4>


    After taking in the 13 concubines, Pang Xiyuan did not stop attracting women around him.


    One year, a merchant brought his wife to settle down in Xun County. The wife was beautiful and one in a million.


    The merchant came from a wealthy family. The couple had the opportunity to meet the county magistrate at that time, who was Pang Xiyuan.


    Pang Xiyuan fell in love with the merchant¡¯s wife at first sight.


    From then on, he met her by chance and seduced her many times. In the end, they spent the night together.


    The merchant saved the woman from someone else. After betraying her husband, she felt deeply guilty and could not sleep or eat well. She hanged herself and died.


    After the woman¡¯s death, Pang Xiyuan fell ill not long after.


    A feng shui master came to Xun County. That master was very mysterious and his divinations were extremely urate. The madam trusted him fully and asked him to find a feng shui treasurednd to bury Pang Xiyuan.


    The feng shui master said that if she wanted to be rich and powerful in the future, she must learn from the Emperor and bury her husband with someone else!


    The madam was vicious, in which she agreed to him.


    Xun County was not far from the capital. Every year, there were many people who escaped and passed by.


    He found some women who had no family and no friends. In the middle of the night, he secretly moved them into the grave and sealed it.


    ¡°After the burial, the feng shui master disappeared. Later on, a few women in the family met with idents one after the other. They thought there must be something wrong with the grave. They found someone to look at it and found out that the grave was extremely evil. They immediately checked it out and found out that the merchant surnamed Yue had given all his family¡¯s wealth to the Master, which was why the Master was behind it¡­¡±


    The old man looked pitiful.


    ¡°When we found out the truth, that merchant hadn¡¯t escaped yet. He said that he wanted to see the Pang family fall until not a family member was left¡­ Sigh, now, only Young Lady is left in the family,¡± the old man said.


    They had also reported the case, but it was rather strange, so it was difficult to convict that merchant.


    In addition, they could not tell the public about the burial.


    They could only tolerate it.


    After hearing the old man¡¯s words, Xie Qiao felt no sympathy for the members of the Pang family.


    The Pang family would lose as many people as they lost.


    The wife and concubines of the Pang family looked innocent, but in fact¡­ they knew about the matter.


    ¡°How many members of the Pang family knew about the matter?¡± Xie Pinggang asked while holding his broadsword.


    A trace of blood appeared on the old man¡¯s neck. After feeling the pain, he quickly said, ¡°Madam and the 13 concubines¡­ They all knew about it. They didn¡¯t stop Master because they loved him very much¡­¡±


    Other than the madam and concubines, the older children in the family also knew about it.


    ¡°But the Young Lady didn¡¯t know about it! ¡°S-She wasn¡¯t given birth by Madam or the 13 concubines. She was given birth by a maidservant. S-So she wasn¡¯t favored. At that time, outsiders didn¡¯t know that she existed¡­¡± The old man said again.


    ¡°You should be d that you weren¡¯t favored. Otherwise, there would be one more person who has died now.¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    There were 33 people who died.


    They included the wife, concubines, and children of the Pang family.


    It was a rather big number.


    When Pang Xiyuan died, he was still quite young.


    He sure was fertile. Some of the concubines must have given birth to two children within three years? Even an old ox was not as diligent as him!


    At that moment, Young Lady Pang was no longer fuming with anger. ¡°C-Can you change the evil energy around this grave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ you are, after all, a descendant of the Pang family. Even if this evil energy does not target you directly, it still has some influence,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    This Young Lady Pang¡¯s luck would not be too great.


    Young Lady Pang¡¯s eyes reddened as she nodded. ¡°I know, I¡¯ve always been¡­ quite unlucky.¡±


    Now that the Pang family business was long gone, and she had no connection with her hometown in Yongjiang, she was an orphan who relied on the old steward to support her. She was 17 or 18, and still no one cared about her.

 Chapter 563 - Peace for the Dead, Good Fortune for the Living

    <h4>Chapter 563: Peace for the Dead, Good Fortune for the Living</h4>


    Now that all the members of the Pang family had died, it was useless to dwell on who was innocent and who deserved to die.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re Young Lady Pang, then¡­ After we get rid of the evil spirits, we will reveal the grave and dig out the bones of the living martyrs for another burial. Do you agree with that?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Young Lady Pang was stunned for a moment. ¡°Another burial? C-Can¡¯t we just get rid of the evil spirits?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at her faintly, her gaze calm and unhurried. She said, ¡°If you want someone else to be buried with your father, just move that wife and thirteen concubines over. The women in this grave are not rted to you, so you should have let them go a long time ago.¡±


    A living person being buried with others was usually to show off the power of the owner of the grave.


    If the feng shui was good, and one¡¯s identity and fortune could be suppressed, then perhaps they would be able to¡­ bring good fortune to their descendants.


    However, this kind of thing was, after all, harmful to one¡¯s karma. If onecked karma here, one would not know where to return the favor.


    ¡°The Pang family buried living people for personal use and flouted thew. They should have dealt a heavy blow. Seeing that the mastermind was dead, you should be punished to atone on behalf of your parents to personally move the graves of the victims,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said coldly, not knowing how to take pity on the youngdy.


    Young Lady Pang¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± The old man was a bit nervous when he heard that.


    ¡°I¡¯m an official of the criminal division,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said shamelessly.


    The master and servant did not dare to resist.


    The criminal division was in charge of serious crimes in the world. It was much more powerful than the ordinary administrative office.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not want to target Young Lady Pang. After all, she was young and should not have known anything at that time. However, this person¡¯s attitude was not right. Since she knew that living people were buried with her father, she should have said that she would move the people out immediately. However, she was still hesitating.


    She was also a vicious person.


    Young Lady Pang looked quite aggrieved. ¡°I¡¯m just a little scared¡­¡±


    All these years, those Taoist masters had said that there was something very scary in this grave. She thought that it was fine to get rid of the evil spirits, but this grave¡­ she could not move it.


    However, she had to now.


    ¡°This grave must be moved. The dark energy and humidity here are too heavy. The underground coffin must have been destroyed long ago. It¡¯s better to move the bones in it into a small mound than this ce.¡± Xie Qiao saw that this girl was young, so she did not mind saying a few more words.


    Young Lady Pang nodded, feeling wronged.


    She did not have much money. If she could move the grave anywhere at all, that would be fine.


    Since the descendant of the grave owner had agreed, Xie Qiao began to prepare.


    After checking the location, Xie Qiao took out a few stones.


    The colors of the stones were not quite the same. They were minerals from different ces. There was bluestone from the northeast, red stone from the southeast, white stone, ck stone, and yellow stone from the southwest, northwest, and central regions.


    These five stones were the five elements of the earth. They could kill the demons and bring peace to the dead and good fortune to the living.


    After that was done, Xie Qiao asked the men who were full of Yang energy to stand in the Yin position.


    She looked at the grave and held a talisman. She murmured an incantation.


    ¡°Five stars in eight positions, blessed by the gods. The longevity stars are on the left, and the white stars are on the right. They are ready, the guardian stars will guard them to avoid any trouble! Hear mymand!¡±


    The old white g beside the grave was suddenly blown into pieces by the wind.


    Above the grave, a small tornado appeared, as if it was going to blow Xie Qiao away.


    Young Lady Pang¡¯s expression was terrible.


    Those Taoist masters who hade before could also chant spells.


    After chanting, the wind and rocks around them would indeed blow, but it would not be long before these Taoist masters would vomit blood or fall, and they would always suffer terrible consequences!


    This female Taoist master would probably be the same as those before, right?!

 Chapter 564 - So Ugly

    <h4>Chapter 564: So Ugly</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Young Lady Pang hid at the back and said nothing.


    When the others saw this scene, their expressions became grave, especially Li Qingyu, who instantly felt his legs go weak.


    However, what they saw was actually different from what Xie Qiao saw.


    They saw the wind, rocks, and the fallen leaves¡­


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao¡­


    Saw a ghoul crawling out of the grave¡­


    The ghoul¡¯s hair was disheveled, and his face could not be seen clearly. Xie Qiao could only see the color of his lips... His body was hunched, and he let out a sharp and disgusting sound, like a wild beast. Xie Qiao could not help but feel some resistance.


    Pssh, his bodypletely appeared on the ground.


    The five element stones around him seemed to have gathered into a five-colored ray of light that reflected on the vengeful spirit¡¯s body, making a sizzling sound.


    His neck twisted a little.


    Xie Qiao was so scared that her hands were shaking.


    It was Pang Xiyuan...


    I-It was¡­ Pang Xiyuan?! That talented and very handsome county magistrate?!


    It was so ugly Xie Qiao could not help but want to throw up!


    Of course, Xie Qiao knew that since this person¡­ was a vengeful spirit, the appearance of his spirit was naturally slightly different from when he was alive. For instance... the ckness on his face, the wet and sticky stench all over his body¡­ His appearance must have been affected by this wend.


    However, nobody could tell that he used to be good-looking now.


    She only felt that even her soul was disgusted by him.


    Xie Qiao thought Pang Xiyuan definitely did not die of illness. Look at the green and ck energy all over his body, as well as the color of his dark purple lips. He was definitely poisoned to death!


    It was just that when he was about to die, no one noticed it!


    Who did it?


    There was no need to guess. It was definitely that merchant with the surname Yue!


    Xie Qiao sympathized with that merchant who had his wife stolen, but she hated that he had implicated the innocents and caused so many women to starve to death in the grave.


    At that moment, looking at this disgusting spirit that was emitting smoke and resentment, she wanted to cry but had no tears.


    She really did not like doing this job!


    Xie Qiao had a mournful look on her face. Even through makeup, one could see her seriousness.


    However, in the eyes of others, Master Mo was not disgusted by him, but was afraid.


    The things in this grave must be extremely powerful!


    Xie Qiao was worried that her eyes would suffer. At that moment, she immediately took out a few more powerful talismans. Not only that, the things in the bamboo basket were actually taken out and ced in a circle around herself.


    Tai Sui bone, twelve essences, seven or eight kinds of spices for removing impurities, cinnabar, realgar, dog blood¡­


    She took out everything that could be used.


    She looked as if she was facing a great enemy.


    ¡°Your smell... is very fragrant...¡± the ghoul¡¯s voice was hoarse as he crawled toward Xie Qiao step by step.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± He was so dirty!


    Xie Qiao hurriedly shouted. Then, the cinnabar brush mixed with dog blood was thrown out with a thud, and it hit the center of his brows!


    Smoke rose from the center of the vengeful spirit¡¯s brows.


    It was like the sound of a fire, it was crackling.


    At that moment, the vengeful spirit¡¯s body was still flowing with a kind of pus-like green juice. Bit by bit, it spread toward Xie Qiao¡¯s feet.


    It was getting closer and closer.


    Xie Qiao was about to jump.


    She hated such a disgusting vengeful spirit!


    Xie Qiao took out a Rain and Snow Talisman as soon as she could. She pointed to the eight trigrams and hurriedly began to chant, ¡°The east is facing the minister, vast and boundless. The five grains are fertilized, the grass and trees are blossoming... The cold wind is freezing the sea... It¡¯s covered with jade flowers. Hear mymand!¡±


    Once she started to chant, the pus under her feet froze.


    Xie Qiao trembled for a moment, and she finally heaved a sigh of relief secretly.


    However, ordinary people would not be able to see this.. They only felt that the surroundings seemed to have gotten colder again.

 Chapter 565 - Top-notch Blood

    <h4>Chapter 565: Top-notch Blood</h4>


    They looked at Xie Qiao who seemed to be very busy, but they had no idea what she saw.


    At that moment, the vengeful spirit across from them saw Xie Qiao¡¯s action and sneered, ¡°You have some skills¡­¡±


    This Taoist master¡¯s fragrance was really strange. She was very young and fragrant. Her face must be fake. Her figure was really good, and her appearance must be pretty too¡­


    ¡°Come and apany me. I will definitely dote on you the most¡­¡± The vengeful spirit opened his purple lips and said.


    ¡°Get the f*ck off!¡± Xie Qiao could not help but curse.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips twitched.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes widened.


    Li Qingyu gulped hard.


    The voice of the vengeful spirit echoed in her ears, and it was somewhat charming. Xie Qiao immediately chanted the Heart Cleansing Sutra. Then, she took out a coin-sword and the Taoist sanqing bell. With a blow from her mouth, the talisman fire burned in the air.


    She took out the most powerful talismans and struck them out.


    A moment ago, the vengeful spirit was still acting flirtatious, but at the next moment, his whole body was malevolent, and he was screaming and wailing!


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t you think¡­ The sound of the wind is a bit strange?¡± Xie Pinggang still found it quite strange.


    He had never seen such a scene before!


    ¡°What Master Mo heard is probably not the sound of the wind.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were rather deep, and there was a bit of heartache in them.


    Xie Qiao had be a master at such a young age. Doing things that other Taoist masters could not do seemed magnificent, but how would others know about the hardships?


    It was a terrible thing to be able to see ghouls.


    Previously, when he went to the Yuxu Temple to have cow tears on his eyelids. He had also seen ghouls once. He really¡­ did not want to see them again.


    Some ghouls were simr to living people, but most of them had terrifying looks and stubborn personalities. They came and went without a trace and would suddenly appear before his eyes. What was revealed might not be their face, but it could also be the internal organs.


    Who could bear to see such a scene every day?


    ¡°Tsk, Master, you¡¯re quite impressive. My Eldest Sister can see spirits too, but she doesn¡¯t know anything. She¡¯s so scared by spirits that she cried,¡± Xie Pinggang said with disdain.


    However, after he finished speaking, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    He turned his head and saw that the Crown Prince was looking at him sinisterly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say much, lest I dy the Master¡¯s business.¡± Xie Pinggang knew when to shut up.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought about what the Taoist master had said at the Yuxu Temple.


    He was a member of the royal family, and he had a dragon bloodline. Even an ordinary breath of energy gave off the dragon bloodline. The ghouls in the world both liked and feared this dragon energy.


    The so-called liking was because if they could absorb a little bit of dragon energy, they might be able to change their fate of reincarnating in their next life or the fortune of their descendants.


    The reason they were afraid was because if the dragon energy was too rich, they would definitely not be able to possess him.


    His father would definitely not be contaminated by these evil things because he had sufficient dragon energy.


    As for him, it was because his own energy wascking that he was an exception. Otherwise, the evil spirits would not dare to linger around him at all¡­


    At that time, the Taoist master said that if he was in danger, he could try using his fresh blood. The energy contained in this bloodline was definitely much purer than other blood.


    He had tried it once before, but it was useless. Now¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s anxious and disdainful look. He suddenly took out his dagger and shed his hand.


    Xie Qiao turned her head abruptly.


    Top-notch blood! It was much better than dog blood!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    She quickly squatted down to get a porcin bottle and threw it over. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any¡­¡±

 Chapter 566 - Hang in There!

    <h4>Chapter 566: Hang in There!</h4>


    After saying that, Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment. Then, she coughed dryly and immediately returned to her unfathomable appearance.


    Sheposed herself and said slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t waste it. Your blood is precious. It¡¯s a waste to use it to fight this vengeful spirit. P-Put it away. Quick, p-put it away¡­¡±


    In one breath, she almost suffocated herself to death.


    She was already grinding her teeth when she was finishing her sentence.


    With her terrible health, she could not be impatient or angry.


    Xie Qiao tried to slow down her breath.


    Then, she smiled at Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s direction.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s hand that was holding the porcin bottle trembled. His mind waspletely upied by what Xie Qiao said just now.


    She was Xie Qiao, the real Xie Qiao.


    Expert Mo Chusheng, the world¡¯s most gentle and lovely eldest senior sister? Please¡­


    She was Xie Niushan¡¯s daughter, Xie Pinggang¡¯s younger sister of the same mother. From the looks of it, this identity was the most urate one.


    Zhao Xuanjing let out a faint breath and pointed the porcin bottle at his wound, watching the blood drip in.


    Xie Qiao¡­ was really¡­


    Cute that she was irresistible.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s pile of talismans was useful enough. At that moment, the vengeful spirit was already wailing.


    Xie Qiao quickly went to where Zhao Xuanjing was and looked at the blood on the ground with a regretful expression. Then, she rubbed her peach wood sword hard on the ground and stained it quite a bit. Only then did she smile in satisfaction.


    Then, she cast another spell and struck the peach wood sword directly.


    The vengeful spirit almost dissipated.


    Xie Qiao was extremely weak, so she quickly put away the vengeful spirit.


    Although she could also beat the vengeful spirit into ashes directly, her task was to capture the spirits to send them to reincarnation. Unless there were some special circumstances, she would directly make those spirits disappear.


    As for the oue of this vengeful spirit¡­


    She could not be bothered to purify it and forcefully sent it away.


    When it reached hell, the vengeful spirit would still be tainted with the evil energy of many innocent souls¡­ She estimated that it would be impossible for him to reincarnate in his next life and have many wives and concubines.


    As soon as this vengeful spirit was taken away, the other souls in the cemetery seemed to have lost their restrictions and appeared immediately.


    Xie Qiao was very busy.


    One by one, she took them all in.


    These ghouls had long been fed up with the suffering of being vengeful spirits. They had to starve every day and never had enough to eat. It was too tiring, and they could not wait to be reincarnated immediately. Therefore, not a single spirit rejected Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s consumption was increasing. She mumbled, while her entire body could not help but break out in cold sweat.


    There were too many ghouls.


    It was so tiring.


    Hang in there, hang in there.


    Seeing that thest ghoul was captured in her pouch, Xie Qiao finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright, now all that¡¯s left to do is to dig the grave¡­¡±


    Thud.


    Xie Qiao fell.


    Xie Pinggang was shocked. However, at that moment, the Crown Prince beside him had already dashed out. The moment she fell, he lifted her up by the waist!


    Xie Pinggang was confused. Why was this master¡¯s body the same as his eldest sister¡¯s? She fainted just like that?


    Too pitiful!


    ¡°Zhou Weizong, bring some people and dig up the grave. Clean up the bones of the martyrs and wait for Master Mo to wake up. As for the owner of the grave¡­ just bury him somewhere that¡¯s pointing toward the sun,¡± Zhao Xuanjing instructed.


    With that, he carried Xie Qiao and walked back in big strides.


    Not long after, he sent her back to the carriage. The carriage was big enough. Although it was a little stuffy, it was raining after all, so she could not lie outside.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s makeup was a little off.


    She was in a deep sleep, even thunder noise could not wake her up. Her entire body was limp and weak, as if she was dead.

 Chapter 567 - Flawless

    <h4>Chapter 567: wless</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had trouble breathing. Zhao Xuanjing had noticed that long ago.


    No matter what she did, she would always hold her breath. She had to finish what she started. Every time, she would exhaust all of her ability and energy before she would give up.


    She was stubborn, but she was so kind that it made people unable to be angry at her.


    Zhao Xuanjing ced his palm on her forehead.


    She did not have a fever. She was probably just exhausted.


    The doctor was with her, but he did not dare to get Xie Qiao to take the medicine. After all, her health wascking, and she had already taken other medicine. If the effects of the medicine were to sh, she would be in big trouble.


    Moreover, she had been trying so hard to hide her identity every day. Now that her makeup was so bad, she would be pissed if she found out that she was exposed.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and looked around in the carriage.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Master Mo¡¯s bamboo basket?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Soon, the bamboo basket was delivered.


    The things inside were not very heavy, and the bamboo basket was well woven. It was light and durable. The things inside were messy and there was everything, but most of them were talismans, cinnabar, some bottles and jars.


    He did not touch them randomly, but only found the things for makeup.


    After thinking for a while, he cleaned Xie Qiao¡¯s face, and then drew Mo Chusheng¡¯s disguise on her face one stroke at a time.


    It was quite difficult.


    Zhao Xuanjing was sweating.


    After drawing for two hours, he thought it was perfect.


    ¡­


    When Xie Qiao fainted, a beggar on the street in Xun County suddenly spat a mouthful of blood.


    He had been wandering the streets for many years, and the ce he frequented the most was the Pang family¡¯s old house. Now that the old house had been reced, there was only one member of the Pang family left¡­


    His name was Yue Zhongxing, and his wife was Liu Qiaonu.


    When the formation was activated, someone had to bear the consequences. He had to bear the consequences.


    Now that the formation had been destroyed, it had naturally backfired on him.


    He knew that he had implicated the innocents, but in this world, who would remember that he had been innocently implicated by Pang Xiyuan?!


    His wife was just a servant initially, and he was the one who had redeemed her. He was the one who had brought his wife away from her hometown. They were initially living harmoniously and happily. If not for Pang Xiyuan splitting them up, they would have had a child by now¡­


    However, it was enough.


    Did he not have many concubines? He got his wife and concubines to go to hell.


    After Yue Zhongxing spat a mouthful of blood, he closed his eyes forever.


    Good karma wascking, who knew what his next life would be like? Perhaps he would have to suffer and pay for his sins?


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao fell asleep, and the Crown Prince¡¯s men dug up the grave.


    The bones inside were all decent. They did not stack up and fall, but they could still be separated. They were removed one by one and wiped clean.


    As for Pang Xiyuan¡¯s, he was casually buried and an extremely simple monument was erected with wood.


    Elder Li looked at the number of people who had died and was shocked.


    He could only wait for Xie Qiao to wake up patiently so that he could arrange for the burial.


    The convoy went to Xun County first and stored the bones in a temporary funeral home.


    Xie Qiao slept for a whole day and night. When she woke up, her mind was in a daze. Fortunately, she was notpletely out of it and quickly touched her face.


    Although her makeup was waterproof, it could not be soaked in the rain for too long!


    Could it be that... she had been exposed?!


    However, when she touched her face, it was strange. Her makeup was fine and it did not smudge at all!


    She picked up the mirror to check, Xie Qiao was shocked by her superb makeup skill.


    Look, it was wless!

 Chapter 568 - Gift of Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 568: Gift of Gratitude</h4>


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. She looked around and realized that she had already arrived at the inn.


    No wonder she felt sofortable sleeping.


    After washing up, Xie Qiao went downstairs.


    ¡°Master Zhao, where are the bones?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s address had changed since they were not in the capital.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze fell on her face for a moment. Then, as if nothing had happened, he said, ¡°They are in the funeral home. Someone is watching over them.¡±


    With Xie Qiao¡¯s character, he was afraid that she would have to do everything herself.


    Since the bones had been dug out, she might have to find a ce with good feng shui to bury them.


    Sure enough, Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll buy some thingster and hire some people. Although it won¡¯t be a grand funeral, there should be coffins at least.¡±


    Xie Qiao was extremely responsible to her clients.


    Although these starving souls did not have money to pay, they would give a lot of good karma.


    With so many dead bodies, it was indeed the most appropriate to leave them at the funeral home temporarily.


    Xun County was Elder Li¡¯s hometown. As soon as he came back, Elder Li went back to the family to exin things, leaving Li Qingyu and a group of people to be ordered around by Xie Qiao.


    Li Qingyu looked at Xie Qiao with respect.


    She asked him to arrange for people to buy coffins. He agreed without having anyints.


    ¡°Master Mo, Young Lady Pang followed us back to the county and said she wanted to thank you,¡± Li Qingyu said obediently.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Then, she tidied her clothes and sat in front of the table.


    Young Lady Pang arrived very quickly. When she saw Xie Qiao, she immediately went forward. With a face full of gratitude, she said, ¡°Master Mo, I¡¯ve really troubled you with my Father¡¯s grave. Earlier, I thought that you were just like the other masters, a bunch of useless people. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve offended you so much. Please don¡¯t me me.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded and then said seriously, ¡°The other masters are also kind-hearted. The term ¡°useless people¡± is too much.¡±


    Most of the other Taoist masters who could see that there was something wrong with the grave had real abilities.


    The Pang family had fallen. They had no power or money. The only reason they were willing to solve the problem for the Pang family was because they were worried that the grave would be a big problem in the future!


    They were all experts. How would they distinguish between nobility and inferiority?


    Young Lady Pang was stunned for a moment, and her face turned slightly red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Mo. Actually, I didn¡¯t mean to smear their names. It¡¯s just that because of them, I¡¯ve been stabbed in the back all these years¡­ It¡¯s all thanks to you¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to thank me?¡±


    She sat up straight, and she looked like she was ready to ept a gift of gratitude.


    Even if there was no gift, it did not matter. She would love to hear somepliments.


    However¡­ She did not really like this kind of ttery, where thepliment was based on someone else¡¯s misery.


    Young Lady Pang¡¯s face was blushing. ¡°Thank you, Master Mo. My family is poor, so there¡¯s nothing I can give to thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡± Xie Qiao was not exactly disappointed. She had already guessed it.


    It was just that she thought this girl was a sweet-talker.


    ¡°Master, since you can c-capture spirits, can you tell my fortune for me? My luck isn¡¯t good. No matter what I do, it won¡¯t go well¡­¡± Young Lady Pang said again.


    She was not young anymore. If her fate did not change, what if she had to be a singledy for the rest of her life?


    ¡°The predestined fate is indeed fixed, but the acquired fate is still in your hands. I can¡¯t change it. As for fate¡­ It depends on you.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    How could one change such an illusory thing so easily?


    Even if she could change it, the price she had to pay was not something that ordinary people could afford. Just like the evil formation, she would have to pay the price to get the result she wanted!

 Chapter 569 - It’s All My Fault

    <h4>Chapter 569: It¡¯s All My Fault</h4>


    Young Lady Pang bit her lip, looking somewhat unwilling.


    ¡°Master Mo, I don¡¯t have any money now. If I have money in the future, I will definitely make it up to you,¡± Young Lady Pang added with a burning gaze.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she smiled. ¡°I don¡¯tck your money either. Let¡¯s put it this way, Young Lady Pang, what kind of person do you think you are?¡±


    Young Lady Pang must have felt that her bad luck in her life must be because of that grave.


    That grave took up a portion of it.


    However, her personality yed a more important role.


    Take her eyes as an example.


    Eyes were like the sun and moon in the sky. They had to be bright and beautiful. They were ck and white, and they shone brightly. The eyes had to be upright. They were neither up, down, nor nted, and they should look straight. This made a person at peace and her life smooth.


    Young Lady Pang also had beautiful eyes.


    However, her gaze was uncertain. Although it was full of vigor, her gaze was sharp and piercing.


    When she interacted with others, how could others liked her if she kept using such a gaze to stare and scrutinize them?


    As such, if she was unpopr, her luck would naturally be bad as well.


    Now that Pang Xiyuan¡¯s grave was moved, she might be lucky for a while. However, due to her shoring, no matter how good her luck was, she was afraid that she would not be able to catch hold of it.


    In the end, it was all her fault.


    Young Lady Pang opened her mouth and seemed to have thought of something. She looked a little shy, ¡°I am indeed not a good person, but I have never done anything evil. Why am I so unlucky? Everyone else is fine¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao only smiled faintly, ¡°If you¡¯re just here to thank me, then you may leave now. I have received your kindness.¡±


    Young Lady Pang was a little conflicted. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Master Mo, can I follow you? It¡¯ll be great to learn from you and run errands for you. Is that okay with you?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at her in surprise.


    ¡®Is that okay?


    ¡®Of course not.¡¯


    The Water Moon Temple had only one disciple. The junior brothers in the temple were merely people from the secr world. They were not considered to be the sect disciples!


    Even if she wanted to take in disciples in the future, she could not choose them randomly. In addition, she could not simply teach them her own abilities.


    Not to mention others, just take Pang Xiyuan¡¯s grave as an example. That feng shui master must be a scheming and vicious person. With such abilities, who knew how many people he would harm?


    Therefore, to choose a disciple, even if it was just an anonymous apprentice, the first condition was that she must be kind and have principles.


    Li Qingyu was a little dumbfounded. He did not expect Young Lady Pang to be so impolite.


    His grandfather wanted him to acknowledge Xie Qiao as his master!


    However, before he could say it, this youngdy came out of nowhere and beat him to it.


    Young Lady Pang looked a little nervous and her eyes were uncertain. She kept ncing at someone randomly.


    ¡°Do you want to acknowledge me as your master, or do you want something else?¡± Xie Qiao said straightforwardly. ¡°I won¡¯t change your luck, take you as my disciple, or even arrange a marriage for you. Is that clear enough?¡±


    Young Lady Pang¡¯s face turned pale when she heard that. She suddenly raised her head and looked in Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s direction.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuanjing was drinking tea.


    He did not seem to notice it.


    Young Lady Pang felt embarrassed and suddenly ran out with her face covered.


    Xie Qiao was still sitting calmly. Li Qingyu was a little surprised. His gaze moved a few times as Young Lady Pang left, and then he could not help but gulp.


    He thought it was better not to think about bing a disciple.


    Firstly, this ability to capture ghouls was really not suitable for him. Secondly, Master Mo probably did not think much of him.


    ¡°It must be you who was being flirtatious,¡± Zhao Xuanjing took the lead to speak and said to Li Qingyu disdainfully.


    Li Qingyu pointed at himself in surprise. ¡°Me? She was clearly¡­¡±


    Looking at His Highness!


    Halfway through his sentence, Li Qingyu swallowed his words.


    ¡°Yes, it was me. When I saw Young Lady Pang earlier, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her. She must¡¯ve thought that I had feelings for her, so¡­ Master Mo, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Li Qingyu felt aggrieved.

 Chapter 570 - In Front of or Behind A Temple

    <h4>Chapter 570: In Front of or Behind A Temple</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao listened to Li Qingyu¡¯s self-depraved confession and thought this man was too cowardly.


    ¡°You should learn from Zhao Xuzhi. That guy is much more promising than you. He has never been afraid of the Crown Prince,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    Zhao Xuzhi?


    Li Qingyu knew him. Moreover, he and Zhao Xuzhi were good friends thest time when Prince Ning Bei came to the capital.


    It was just that he hardly went out these two years, so the rtionship between them had declined.


    However, what was wrong with Zhao Xuzhi? What did Master Mo Mean?


    Li Qingyu looked puzzled. Zhao Xuanjing brought Xie Pinggang to the Xun County administrative office to do some official business.


    It did not take long for the Li family to buy the coffins and the items that Xie Qiao needed.


    The burial location did not need to be too far away.


    The feng shui treasurednd that Xie Qiao chose was not too far away from the Li family¡¯s ancestral grave. There were many graves nearby. In general, it was a good location.


    There were some rituals to build new graves, such as cutting mountains and grass. However, the situation of these martyrs was quite special. With or without rtives present, everything was simplified.


    After burying these people, Xie Qiao followed Elder Li to the Li family¡¯s ancestral grave.


    The Li family was indeed arge family. The location of the ancestral grave was indeed great. Although there was no mountain nearby, if one looked at it from the map, it was actually in a terrain where it was surrounded by mountains and rivers.


    This excellent grave usually had mountains and rivers intersecting and yin and yang fusing together.


    The best one had a water source.


    There was a stream of water not far from the Li family¡¯s grave. Although the mountain was important to the grave, the water could determine the fate of the grave.


    This ce gathered water and blocked wind away. It was a good ce.


    Xie Qiao went to the source of the water to take a look.


    When the water flowed, it was clear and quiet. There was no problem.


    The water source was not too much or too little. There was also no rancid smell, too much mud, or even too rushed.


    ¡°Master?¡± Elder Li had been following behind Xie Qiao. He looked very nervous.


    Xie Qiao lowered her head to dig the soil. The quality of the soil was not bad, and there were no rocks or mud. She also got the birth date or death date of every person in the grave, which was great for this location.


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with this grave, but it¡¯s also possible that the coffin position inside isn¡¯t right.¡± Xie Qiao looked quite conflicted. ¡°Let me take a look again.¡±


    As she spoke, Xie Qiao looked around and walked to a high ce.


    From afar, Xie Qiao realized that something was wrong.


    She called Elder Li over and pointed at a small ck figure in the distance. ¡°What¡¯s that ce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a run-down temple,¡± Elder Li said. After thinking for a moment, he added, ¡°That should be the temple where the fire murder case happened.¡±


    Xie Qiao let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate to build a grave in front of or behind a temple. If we have to build it, we definitely can¡¯t bury them in such a grand manner. It was originally good feng shui, but with that temple, everything¡¯s wrong.¡±


    It was not that they could not bury the bodies, but she had to look at the feng shui separately. She could not use her usual methods.


    ¡°This temple should¡¯ve been built for 20 years, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Elder Li immediately called over an old county deputy who was very familiar with local affairs. ¡°How long has that temple been built?¡±


    He remembered that when his family¡¯s grave was built, there was not even a temple.


    ¡°It has indeed been built for 20 years, right?¡± The old county deputy said respectfully.


    When Elder Li heard that, his pupils constricted slightly. ¡°Master, in that case, the problem with my family¡¯s grave is...¡±


    ¡°This temple definitely has an impact, but the impact shouldn¡¯t be so great, so.... I suspect that there is still something wrong in there that needs to be checked out,¡± Xie Qiao added.

 Chapter 571 - What’s that Black Thing?

    <h4>Chapter 571: What¡¯s that ck Thing?</h4>


    The fire murder should have happened 15 years ago, and the decline of the Li family¡¯s descendants had begun 20 years ago.


    This temple was built exactly 20 years ago.


    There were no viges or towns nearby, and there were no official roads or paths nearby. It was really strange that there was a temple here out of nowhere, and it did not seem to be particrly big. The location¡­


    Xie Qiao used thepass to check¡­


    The location was not right either. It just happened to collide with the grave. It was too coincidental.


    Xie Qiao lifted her foot and walked over.


    Elder Li was aggressive as he stepped forward with his grandson, especially the old master. It was as if he had found the murderer of his son. His aura was very terrifying.


    The temple was not far away.


    When Xie Qiao arrived, he found that Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Pinggang were also there.


    The temple was very small. There was a courtyard inside with an incense altar, followed by the inner hall. The inside of the room was a little dark, with Buddha and Bodhisattva statues ced inside.


    There were many spider webs in the temple, and there was a thickyer of dust. It was almost impossible to see the original color of the Buddha statues.


    This ce was so strange that even schrs who asionally passed by would not dare toe here¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, why did the schre here to stay? There are no official roads or paths nearby, right?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that every year during the imperial examinations in spring and autumn, there are many people rushing to the capital to take the examinations. It¡¯s inevitable that some schrs would not recognize the roads and identally walk into this neighborhood. Staying in the temple is better than staying in the wilderness. At the very least, it can shelter them from the wind and rain,¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and said.


    The old county deputy looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Zhao Xuanjing noticed it. ¡°Does the old man have anything to say? Feel free to say it.¡±


    The old county deputy hesitated for a moment before he spoke, ¡°Before the case happened¡­ There was once a drunk gambler who wandered the streets. He identally passed by this ce and was struck to death by lightning at the temple. The vigers searched for a long time before they found this person¡­ After that, there were rumors that this temple was protected by a god. Vicious people would definitely be punished by heaven if they came here. At that time, some vigers also came to worship the god. However, it was really far away and there was no temple attendant inside. The temple was always dirty and messy, so not long after, no one came again¡­


    ¡°Although the temple has be empty, it is still well-known. Many schrs are sincere people who do not care about the long distance and only seek the blessings of Bodhisattva¡­¡± The old county deputy added.


    Everyone understood what he meant.


    The reason why some schrs died in the temple and were seen by another schr and believed that the Bodhisattva¡¯s spirit showed itself here!


    When they came to stay, they made a wish as well!


    However, the temple was remote, and there were hardly anyone who prayed here. If word got out, it would be a joke. To the public, they would just say that they were just passing by!


    Li Qingyu and Xie Pinggang had already searched the area thoroughly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen such a run-down temple before. There¡¯s nothing special about it.¡± Xie Pinggang covered his nose in disgust when he sniffed the smell of dust.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it either.¡± Li Qingyu shook his head.


    Xie Qiao looked around and returned to the outside of the temple.


    She had some experience in fighting evil spirits. She tried to look at the matter in someone else¡¯s shoes. If she was a bad person and wanted to target the Li family, she would¡­


    Xie Qiao pointed to the two sides and the top of the que and saw some evil things.


    ¡°Eldest¡­¡± Xie Qiao subconsciously wanted to call Xie Pinggang. She opened her mouth and remembered her identity. She then said, ¡°Sir, pleasee forward and take a look. What¡¯s that ck thing?¡±

 Chapter 572 - The Same Basket

    <h4>Chapter 572: The Same Basket</h4>


    Xie Pinggang stepped forward. He was tall, so he could easily touch the thing above him.


    ¡°Be gentle. It looks a little sharp to me. Don¡¯t cut your hand,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Xie Pinggang turned his head and looked at her with a strange expression.


    Was this master not being a little too gentle?


    ¡°I¡¯m not made of y. How could my hand be cut so easily?¡± Xie Pinggang looked disgusted.


    This master was gentle, but was she looking down on him or something?


    He was a man. Was he that delicate?


    He was not his eldest sister who could be blown away by the wind!


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    Li Qingyu¡¯s heart raced. He could not help but nce at the Crown Prince.


    ¡®Tsk, the emotions involved are veryplicated. The Crown Prince is very gentle to Master Mo, but Master Mo seemed to treat Xie Pinggang differently. Look at that gaze, she was extremely concerned!


    ¡®It¡¯s a pity that His Highness didn¡¯t see it. Otherwise, he would be jealous, right?¡¯


    Xie Pinggang touched it and tugged twice. Then, he frowned. ¡°A sharp weapon made of iron. There¡¯s some rust on it.¡±


    He dusted his hands. They were stained with a lot of rust.


    ¡°Three sharp weapons. It looks simple, but in reality, whenbined with this temple and facing the grave over there, it is like three evil des. Moreover, this temple has been built for more than 20 years, and there¡¯s only ayer of rust. The entire sharp weapon has not corroded. It can be seen¡­ that this thing is also an evil instrument. It should¡¯ve been buried in ancient corpses and stained with evil energy,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    It was just like those dharma instruments that had been consecrated in front of the gods.


    The effect was theplete opposite.


    When Xie Qiao said that, Elder Li immediately felt a chill run down his spine.


    He kept thinking about who he had offended back then that caused such a big trouble and caused half of her sons to die!


    Xie Qiao took out a talisman and handed it to Xie Pinggang.


    Then, she said, ¡°Thank you, Master Xie. Please tear it down. I¡¯ll bring it backter and take care of the bad luck. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be good no matter where I put it.¡±


    She had weak strength, so she could not do it herself.


    Xie Pinggang was very straightforward. He directly removed the beam above.


    With that, Xie Qiao faintly smelled a rotten stench.


    She rubbed her nose, but she could not see anything wrong. In addition, she did not see any ghouls in this temple¡­


    Where did the smelle from?


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Can you get me a dog? A pure ck dog would be best.¡±


    Her nose was only slightly more sensitive than the average person¡¯s, not as sensitive as a dog¡¯s.


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately asked Zhou Weizong to find one on a horse.


    Although there were no viges nearby, it would not take long to see people when one was on a horseback. Therefore, in less than an hour and a half, Zhou Weizong came back with a big puppy in his arms¡­ that was about four to five months old.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t find a big ck dog, only this one. It¡¯s a little small, but I thought that since Master Mo is only using it to drain blood, there shouldn¡¯t be any difference.¡± Zhou Yuzong was quite embarrassed.


    Xie Qiao snorted.


    The dog was so cute, who said she was going to drain its blood!


    She just liked ck dogs, it was to ward off evil.


    Xie Qiao carried the dog off the horse. Perhaps because Zhou Weizong rode too fast, the dog was a little confused and did not know what to do.


    It looked very pitiful.


    Xie Qiao put it down and took out a piece of jerky from her bamboo basket.


    ¡°Master Mo, why do you have everything in your bamboo basket¡­?¡± Zhou Weizong looked at the bamboo basket and suddenly found it very familiar. ¡°Also¡­ Half-immortal Xie seems to have the same basket¡­¡±

 Chapter 573 - Something’s Wrong with the Buddha Statues

    <h4>Chapter 573: Something¡¯s Wrong with the Buddha Statues</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhou Weizong realized that sometimes he could not distinguish between Master Mo and Half-immortal Xie¡­


    The reason being the two people¡¯s behavior was too simr.


    However, they both studied Taoism and came from the same Taoist temple, so it was normal for them to be the same.


    ¡°I gave Young Lady Xie her basket. Is there a problem?¡± Mo Chusheng looked calm and said faintly, ¡°The things in the basket only look like a lot... They have to be changed every morning.¡±


    They were all kinds of talismans, cinnabar, and other things that were necessary, as well as the crossbow and protective medicine.


    The things that could be changed were some sundries or slightly heavy items.


    After getting up every morning to do a divination, one would probably know what kind of things to bring out.


    Moreover, although her bamboo basket looked heavy, the material was actually soft and light. In addition, there was a soft board that could bear collisions at the bottom. If she could not carry it, it could be dragged on the ground, but it would look terrible.


    Zhou Weizong immediately shut his mouth after being criticized out of nowhere.


    Master Mo¡¯s temper was much worse than Half-immortal Xie¡¯s!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand touched the ck dog¡¯s head. The shivering puppy soon calmed down and ate obediently.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re full, go and find something for me...¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief.


    The master was good in every way. She would asionally say strange words, which was quite scary.


    This dog was an animal. Could it understand humannguage?


    The scene was quiet and harmonious.


    Everyone obediently found a ce to sit down and wait.


    At that moment, Xie Pinggang had removed the three iron weapons.


    Xie Qiao ced the items in front of the ck dog¡¯s nose. ¡°Go and find something that smells simr...¡±


    The ck dog rubbed itself against Xie Qiao¡¯s palm, then shook its head and sniffed around.


    Li Qingyu and the others were stunned.


    ¡°Master Mo... Why is this dog so obedient?! On the way here, this animal even bit me!¡± Zhou Weizong stretched out his hand to show Xie Qiao.


    Sure enough, there were teeth marks on his arm, but there was no blood, only some bruising.


    ¡°Master, can you teach me this skill? This junior has long wanted to raise two powerful wolfdogs. In the future, when we capture criminals, we can bring them with us. It will be magnificent and useful!¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly became respectful and did not boast about himself anymore.


    ¡°This is talent.¡± Xie Qiao grinned.


    At that moment, everyone seemed to have seen a god. This Master Mo¡¯s head was shining brightly under the setting sun!


    What a god!


    At that moment, everyone had already filled their stomachs. They started to look at the dog. The ck dog sniffed around and finally stopped moving.


    ¡°Woof Woof!¡±


    The brick at the bottom was made of bluestone, and it was quite smooth from being polished.


    ¡°Dig.¡± Xie Pinggang gritted his teeth and got people to pick up the tools to work.


    He pried open the brick and cleaned the soil slightly. He actually saw a wooden box.


    They took it out and looked at it.


    When they opened it, they saw another iron weapon and a small set of bones.


    The crowd fell silent. Those who were more timid felt that the surroundings were a bit cold and creepy.


    ¡°These are the bones of a baby who was about to be born.¡± Xie Qiao took a look, and her eyes were filled with pity. She sighed faintly. ¡°Elder Li, it¡¯s time for you to think about who your enemy is. He wants you to have no descendants. There are the three evil des, the baby¡¯s bones, and the Buddha statues...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Buddha statues?¡± Li Qingyu asked immediately.


    As if he felt that he was too eager, he immediately buried his head. ¡°Please give me some pointers, Master.¡±


    ¡°The expressions of these Buddha statues are not quite right,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said. ¡°Most Bodhisattvas and Buddhas looked kind and gentle. They make people feel calm and peaceful, but these Buddha statues have a fierce look in their eyes....¡±

 Chapter 574 - Still Useful

    <h4>Chapter 574: Still Useful</h4>


    As there was too much dust on these Buddha statues, if one did not look carefully, one would not be able to tell that there was something wrong with their expressions.


    Now that the Crown Prince had said that, everyone else focused their attention and took a look.


    They actually felt¡­ ufortable inside.


    It was as if they were being stared at by a very gloomy person, and they had goosebumps.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as Your Highness said.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I now suspect¡­ that the feng shui master who created all of this is the same person who directed the plotting of Pang Xiyuan¡¯s grave. However, most feng shui masters would not easily plot evil for the fear of the bacsh on themselves, so there was a mastermind who bribed him. This mastermind paid a certain price in order to aplish this matter.¡±


    ¡°Master Mo, ording to what you said, if this feng shui master wants to cast bad luck upon the person, then, won¡¯t that person be unable to escape?¡± Elder Li asked somewhat anxiously.


    ¡°It won¡¯t go that far. It still depends on whether the fortune is enough. For instance, your family¡­ When you were an imperial tutor, you probably did a lot of good deeds. You were upright, so it was hard for the evil energy to invade. Although some of your descendants were harmed, their roots weren¡¯t broken. Look at the Pang family again, where are they now?¡± Xie Qiao added.


    These words did not console the Li family.


    Although they were d that their descendants were not broken, they really could not be happy.


    It was too scary.


    ¡°Also, the ident at the grave and the construction of Pang Xiyuan¡¯s grave happened a few years ago. Even if the feng shui master found someone else to bear the karma, it would still take a lot of energy to set up such an evil formation. Therefore, he could not have done it too frequently. Otherwise, even if someone were to bear the responsibility, his own fate would be greatly affected,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    This kind of immoral person was bound to suffer and have bad luck in their lives.


    Elder Li¡¯s entire body trembled. It was unknown whether he was angry or sad.


    Xie Qiao put the wooden box containing the bones into her bamboo basket. There was a talisman stuck on it.


    Looking at the sky, Xie Qiao said, ¡°It¡¯s already dark. It¡¯s bad to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Master, are you saying that there will be something evil at night? Then¡­ is it possible that the ghouls are behind the fire murder?¡± Xie Pinggang quickly asked.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Even if there are ghouls, the mastermind must be a living person. If the ghouls kill people, they might die suddenly, from sickness, or even from an ident. The possibility ofmitting suicide from hanging is low.


    ¡°All I can say is that this ce has such a strong evil energy. If the person who came in harbored resentment, it would be very easy for the dark energy to use them tomit murder. As for the fire murder case¡­ This thing isn¡¯t difficult to exin. These Buddha statues have been mixed with bone powder. It¡¯s normal for them to emit light,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Her tone was indifferent, but every word she said made one¡¯s heart tremble uncontrobly.


    Looking at the Buddha statues again, they had goosebumps.


    The Crown Prince was still fine. He was someone who had seen ghouls and major crimes before.


    Xie Pinggang simplycked the nerves of fear, so he did not have much of a reaction.


    The others were different.


    There was more worry and fear in their eyes.


    ¡°Master Mo, why didn¡¯t you wait for the ghouls here toe out and destroy them?¡± Xie Pinggang looked puzzled.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say.¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Here¡­ There are 18 Buddha statues, an evil formation, and an infant¡¯s spirit. What do you know? You¡¯re only standing by the side¡­ What can¡¯t you help¡­?¡± Xie Qiao said with disdain.


    At this point, Xie Qiao nced at the Crown Prince and ttered him, ¡°Of course, Your Highness is different. Dragon blood can remove bad luck. He¡¯d still be useful.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips curled up, and he was slightly proud.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just fainted once before, and my body can¡¯t take it anymore. In the next two days, I¡¯lle during the day and weaken the evil energy a little. When I¡¯m fully prepared, I¡¯lle and wipe out the evil things Here!¡± Xie Qiao said with a straight face, raising her head and puffing out her chest. No one could see the fear inside of her.

 Chapter 575 - She’s So Childish

    <h4>Chapter 575: She¡¯s So Childish</h4>


    Xie Qiao was indeed a little scared this time.


    Just like Pang Xiyuan¡¯s spirit, the ghouls in this ce were probably terrible as well.


    They must have a terrifying appearance and aura. The others simply could not see the appearance of those things, unlike her, who had to watch those evil things pounce on her¡­


    The trauma that Pang Xiyuan had left on her lingered, so it was better to slow down.


    Xie Qiao carried the basket on her back and was about to leave.


    Elder Li¡¯s face was solemn, and he was about to leave with his men.


    However, just as Li Qingyu reached the entrance of the temple, the top of the gate that had been stripped of its beam suddenly copsed, and the old and worn-out wood smashed toward his head.


    With a thud, Xie Pinggang reacted quickly and kicked Li Qingyu away, avoiding the disaster.


    Xie Qiao turned around. ¡°Although you¡¯re experiencing bad luck, you still have a benefactor around. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Li Qingyu could not ept it.


    Xie Pinggang kicked his lower back. Now, he felt that his entire waist was numb. It was too painful!


    ¡°Master, can we get rid of the disaster?¡± Elder Li doted on his grandson.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just his bad luck. Suffering from some shock is nothing.¡±


    There was something wrong with the Li family¡¯s grave. Although the three evil weapons and the infant spirit¡¯s bones had been taken away, the temple was still there. The sh of fate was still there. As a member of the Li family, Li Qingyu was not like Elder Li, who was righteous and had a body that was invulnerable to all evil, it was normal for him to suffer a little.


    Elder Li sighed.


    As long as Li Qingyu could keep his life, it would be fine.


    Li Qingyu got up in a sorry state and found that his body was covered in the ck dog¡¯s feces¡­


    He had an extraordinary background. Since he was young, there was not even a speck of dust on his body. How could he have touched such a thing?!


    Immediately, he vomited.


    Xie Qiao was amused.


    After all, he was a man. How could he have such low tolerance?


    It would be beneficial for him to man up in the future if he suffered more.


    Xie Pinggang also snorted, with a look of disdain, he said, ¡°You¡¯re throwing up? Kid, you must be made of dough, right? Back then when the barbarians besieged the city wall, I even personally scooped up feces and smeared it on the city wall! Am I still not eating and drinking as usual? All I¡¯ve got to do is to wash my hands, no?¡±


    When the barbarians attacked the city in the beginning, they would sometimes use the aerialdder and shoot arrows. There were too few things that could be used in the city.


    They did not even let go of feces. Pails of feces were stuck on the wall, and the stench was unpleasant. It also increased the difficulty of the enemy¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Feces can fertilize the fields, Young Master Li. It¡¯s spring now, and it¡¯s a good time for nting. If you go to the viges and take a look, you will definitely see arge pile ofpost. Fruits and vegetables are grown on these things. What¡¯s wrong with that? Are you going to eat it?¡± Xie Qiao added with a smile.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at the brother and sister bullying him, and the corners of his lips could not help but curve.


    Xie Pinggang was a big, honest rock. What he said waspletely unintentional.


    Xie Qiao was different.


    She was very shrewd.


    She was quite great at teasing people.


    Li Qingyu vomited even more violently. Although Elder Li felt sorry for his grandson, he did not mind that these young people were fooling around.


    Moreover, if Xie Pinggang had not kicked Li Qingyu, his grandson¡¯s head would have been hit.


    After Li Qingyu vomited, he still had to follow the convoy.


    After walking for a while, he actually saw a field. Xie Qiao ran to him. She pointed at the pile of feces and smiled at him kindly.


    ¡°Your Highness, look at Master Mo. She¡¯s quite childish!¡± Xie Pinggang grinned at the Crown Prince.

 Chapter 576 - Retreat!

    <h4>Chapter 576: Retreat!</h4>


    Xie Pinggang thought Master Mo was different from other Taoist masters.


    Most of the Taoist masters in this world were quiet and reserved, or they were high and mighty, like immortals.


    When Master Mo was working, she was indeed unfathomable, making people afraid to approach her. However, on normal days, she was very strange.


    The Crown Prince did not speak much. At that moment, he turned his head to look at Xie Qiao.


    When he saw Li Qingyu looking at Xie Qiao with fear in his eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.


    This kid just could not stand being frightened.


    He wanted to make discipleship with such a character? In his dreams.


    ¡­


    On the way back, he met an old acquaintance.


    Zhao Xuzhi saw the Crown Prince. He jumped off the horse and walked to the front of the Crown Prince¡¯s carriage.


    Although he looked respectful, he actually had a disdainful smile on his face. ¡°I heard that Your Highness hase to Xun County to solve the case? I wonder if you have found any cause and effect?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at Zhao Xuzhi indifferently.


    ¡°It makes sense if Your Highness can¡¯t find out. This case has been around for a long time, and the dead body of the schr who was harmed has long been buried. It¡¯s not that Your Highness is¡­ ipetent,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said with a smile.


    ¡°Zhou Weizong,¡± Zhao Xuanjing called out with a cold face.


    Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was next to him, and he quickly responded.


    ¡°Teach him a lesson,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said calmly. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know how to speak, then cut out his tongue. I¡¯ll exin it to Prince Ning Bei myselfter. He¡¯ll definitely understand.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Zhou Weizong wanted to beat him up immediately.


    Zhao Xuzhi was not really foolish. Due to his restricted identity, he said honestly, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m now the warden of the Supervision Department. I heard about the shocking fire murder case in Xun County, so I came to investigate!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled.


    ¡°The torture chamber of the Supervision Department has always been empty. You¡¯re diligent and know that this is a good case.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not show any emotion on his face. His tone was indifferent, and he said, ¡°Since you got this job, then do your job well.¡±


    The Ministry of Justice, criminal division, and Supervision Department had torture chambers and the responsibility to investigate cases.


    The Ministry of Justice was in charge of a wide range of cases and had direct contact with the local administrative office. Most of the cases at the criminal division were unsolved cases and there were fewer misceneous affairs. As for the Supervision Department¡­


    Although there were torture chambers, their main responsibility was to supervise the hundreds of officials, so it was moreplicated.


    Due to the existence of the Ministry of Justice and the criminal division, the Supervision Department were not given major cases, so the torture chamber was empty.


    Unless there was a case that required the three departments to try, there was no need for it at all.


    There was an advantage of having the torture chamber empty. If one wanted to contribute, they could find some cases to investigate on their own. They had plenty of time.


    For instance, Zhao Xuzhi coulde all the way to Xun County to join in the fun.


    If he could really solve the fire murder case, it would make the Supervision Department¡¯s torture chamber proud. He would certainly be praised for his talent.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuzhi lowered his head and looked quite honest.


    ¡°Are you going to the temple at this hour?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Xuzhi nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate. You should leave.¡± Zhao Xuanjing decided directly. ¡°If you want to investigate the case, we¡¯ll talk about it during the day.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi gritted his teeth. ¡°Your Highness, this case happened at night. I think that if we go at night, we might have some clues that we can¡¯t see during the day.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi had quite a number of people with him. Other than the people transferred from the Supervision Department, there should also be people from Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence.


    ¡°Retreat.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was cold, making it impossible for anyone to reject him.


    Zhao Xuzhi was so angry that he was about to snap.


    The Crown Prince could not find anything on his own, yet he still managed to get his hands on him!

 Chapter 577 - Inquiry

    <h4>Chapter 577: Inquiry</h4>


    Zhao Xuzhi did not want to retreat. He had arrived a day earlier than the Crown Prince. He had already checked out the temple during the day and did not find anything suspicious.


    That was why he chose toe again at night.


    He was already halfway there and the Crown Prince was actually asking him to retreat?


    If he really retreated, would he not lose his dignity?


    However, on the surface, it would be terrible to go against the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s alreadyte. I¡¯ll rest here and wait for the day toe.¡± Zhao Xuzhi made an excuse.


    Zhao Xuanjing could see the restlessness in his eyes.


    However, he had legs. Unless they were severed on the spot, with Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s personality, he would not be able to stop him.


    However, seeing that Prince Ning Bei had worked hard for so many years, Zhao Xuanjing added, ¡°Master Mo has already gone to investigate. There are ghouls in there, and it¡¯ll be chaotic at night. If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better be obedient.¡±


    After saying that, if Zhao Xuzhi was still ignorant, then he could not me anyone else.


    When Zhao Xuzhi heard that Master Mo was here, he became nervous.


    ¡°Master Mo¡­ is here too?¡± Zhao Xuzhi asked, and then looked up.


    That master should be in one of the carriages.


    It was ridiculous. The people who had a grudge against him were all here.


    The Crown Prince, Xie Pinggang, and that pretentious Taoist master.


    Zhao Xuzhi nced at them and happened to see Li Qingyu, who had pulled the curtain of the carriage to get some air.


    He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Your Highness, I haven¡¯t seen Qingyu for a long time. I¡¯d like to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhao Xuzhi did not stop him.


    Zhao Xuzhi just wanted to talk to Li Qingyu about the case and get some information from him.


    Zhao Xuzhi was not used to Zhao Xuanjiang¡¯s rare kindness. He even suspected that the Crown Prince was setting up a trap for him to fall in.


    He was suspicious, but he still went to Li Qingyu¡¯s side.


    At that moment, Li Qingyu¡¯s expression was terrible. After seeing Zhao Xuzhi, he smiled politely to show courtesy. ¡°Brother Xuzhi, why are you here?¡±


    In the past, Li Qingyu used to call Zhao Xuzhi the young Royal Highness.


    Later, when the Heir was born, he could no longer call him that.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the fire murder case. I¡¯m now working at the Supervision Department,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said warmly, ¡°You¡¯ve juste back from the temple? How was it? Did you find any clues? You and I have been working diligently for this case. It¡¯s really difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find any clues. I was just scared.¡± Li Qingyu forced a smile. ¡°We found some evil things in the temple. Bones, iron weapons, and so on. The chilly wind inside is quite scary.¡±


    ¡°That temple is usually deserted. It has been abandoned for too long. It¡¯s normal for people to feel creepy.¡± Zhao Xuzhi smiled. ¡°As for those bones¡­ I¡¯ve been there before, but I didn¡¯t see them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hidden under the floor tiles. They¡¯re a baby¡¯s bones. They¡¯re not exactly small. There are also those Buddha statues. Master said that it should be mixed with bone powder, so they emit light.¡± Li Qingyu sighed.


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhao Xuzhi nodded. ¡°You came with Elder Li? The old master has been living in seclusion all these years. Why is it that this time¡­¡±


    He thought the Crown Prince did not like to rope in the courtiers?


    Or was it that now that the Fourth Prince was getting more and more sessful that he also wanted to fight for it?


    Li Qingyu could not say it directly. After all, it was not a glorious thing that something was wrong with the ancestral grave.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost Qingming Festival. My Grandfather thought that he hadn¡¯t visited the grave for a long time, so he brought me here to pay respects to the ancestors. It just so happened that he met the Crown Prince,¡± Li Qingyu exined.

 Chapter 578 - How Would Anything Happen?

    <h4>Chapter 578: How Would Anything Happen?</h4>


    Zhao Xuzhi was deep in thought.


    He thought something had happened to the Li family, which was why they had asked Master Mo to help. Moreover, Master Mo and the Crown Prince had a special rtionship, so they were in contact¡­


    He did not expect that they just happened to meet.


    ¡°Previously, my Younger Brother¡¯s health wascking, so we got Master Mo to exorcise the evil. My Father praised Master Mo very much, but she has a strange temper and doesn¡¯t get along with me.¡± Zhao Xuzhi sighed. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s because of the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡®It was your father who introduced Master Mo to us!¡¯


    Li Qingyu thought to himself secretly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s hard to exin. Perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯re quite simr, so he dislikes me. He even criticized me just now¡­ Although my Father is Prince Ning Bei, there are many princes in this world. If a b*stard like me doesn¡¯t have a noble title, in His Highness¡¯ eyes, I can be beaten and scolded.¡± Zhao Xuzhi sighed.


    When Li Qingyu heard that, he was so scared that he had goosebumps.


    ¡°You can¡¯t speak nonsense! His Highness is still here. If he heard this¡­¡± Li Qingyu wished he could cover Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Of course I trust you,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said.


    Li Qingyu¡¯s mouth was instantly stuffed.


    Believe in him?


    Believe that he would not snitch?


    However, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s words were inappropriate!


    ¡°His Highness is a kind and generous person. He hasn¡¯t lost his temper on the way here. Why would he care about such a small matter?¡± Li Qingyu quicklyforted him. After saying that, he could not help but look at Zhao Xuzhi again.


    He and Zhao Xuzhi often yed together when they were young. After they grew up, they saw each other less and less.


    Especially in the past two years, he had been stubborn and had a violent temper. He did not like going out, so he had not interacted with Zhao Xu Zhi for a long time.


    Now that he looked at him carefully¡­


    When he was young, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s expression and eyes were indeed very simr to the Crown Prince¡¯s.


    Now that he had grown up, it was almost impossible to tell how simr they were. Only the outline of their eyes were simr. They had almond-shaped eyes and were very good-looking.


    However, the look in his eyes was different, and they had quite different expressions.


    Moreover, Li Qingyu had to admit that Zhao Xuzhi was more feminine and soft. He was not like the Crown Prince. Although he was cold and indifferent, his aura was extraordinary.


    If one did not look closely, one would not be able to tell the simrities.


    Li Qingyu had grown up with Zhao Xuzhi. He also knew that when he was young, Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s status was noble. People often mentioned him for he was like the Crown Prince.


    Hence, Zhao Xuzhi had many habitual actions that he learned from the Crown Prince.


    It could be said that Zhao Xuzhi had stolen the Crown Prince¡¯s glory.


    In the past, he had stood on Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s side.


    However, things were different now. Master Mo was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister, and they were from the same sect. On the other hand, the Crown Prince had gone through many things together with them at the Pang family¡¯s grave.


    His respect for the Crown Prince was also much greater than before.


    Zhao Xuzhi did not seem to be happy with Li Qingyu speaking up for the Crown Prince.


    However, he did not retort directly. Instead, he said, ¡°I was nning to go to the temple at night to take a look, but I can¡¯t do it now. His Highness insisted on interfering and asked me to retreat with my men. We¡¯ll talk about it during the day.¡±


    Li Qingyu opened his mouth, and for a moment, the corners of his lips were a little dry. ¡°His Highness is doing this for your own good. Master said that there¡¯s something evil inside¡­¡±


    ¡°I brought many people with me. The temple isn¡¯t big, so how would anything happen?¡± Zhao Xuzhi shook his head.


    He was not there when Xie Qiao performed the ritual for his brother. The steward and the others were talking about it, but in reality, he did not see it, right?


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because you brought many people¡­ T-That¡¯s why His Highness didn¡¯t want you to take the risk, no?¡±

 Chapter 579 - Reading People’s Minds

    <h4>Chapter 579: Reading People¡¯s Minds</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Li Qingyu thought Zhao Xuzhi was being unreasonable.


    Although the Crown Prince had stopped him, he had told him the reason, right?


    It was better to believe it than not. If something really happened, as the eldest son of Prince Ning Bei, he would be protected by many people. Perhaps he would be fine, but what about the others?


    Would they not be pitiful if he really let them suffer?


    Ever since he had followed Master Mo and buried more than 30 sets of bones, Li Qingyu thought he valued human lives more.


    Even ordinary people, who were not as noble as them, one should not simply look down on the lives of others.


    Zhao Xuzhi frowned. ¡°It¡¯s been two years. Li Qingyu, you¡¯ve changed a lot.¡±


    Li Qingyu¡¯s eyes widened.


    H-He had changed?!


    Well, that did not make sense.


    ¡°Brother Xuzhi, for the sake of our past friendship, I really have to remind you that you can¡¯t go to that ce. It¡¯s too strange there...¡± Li Qingyu was still quite polite.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Zhao Xuzhi smiled. Nobody knew if he heard Li Qingyu or not.


    Since he did not get anything valuable out of him, Zhao Xuzhi took his leave shortly after.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s convoy set off.


    Before they left, Zhao Xuzhi had already asked his men to rest on the spot, as if they were going to stay here for the night.


    However, when the Crown Prince¡¯s convoy had leftpletely and was nowhere to be seen, Zhao Xuzhi stood up and said, ¡°All of you, get on your horses and go to the temple.¡±


    ¡°First Young Master, the Crown Prince¡¯s men just told us that the ce is evil and they don¡¯t want us to go therete at night...¡± The people below said immediately.


    Not only that, they even gave each of them a talisman and asked that they carry it with them.


    They had to listen to the Crown Prince¡¯s order. Although they found it strange, they still kept it obediently.


    However, they did not expect the first young master to be so persistent.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t searched it during the day. There are no clues at all. I thought perhaps the thief lived in the temple. When a schr passed by, he would secretly appear and kill him to steal the money,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said again.


    The others fell silent for a while.


    How could it be so coincidental that they would see the thief after being here for one night?


    The first young master was stubborn.


    They were all men, so they were not afraid.


    Since the first young master said so, they prepared themselves and got on their horses to set off.


    Zhao Xuzhi had his confidants by his side.


    ¡°First Young Master, are they our men? They were scared by the Crown Prince¡¯s words and didn¡¯t dare to move... They¡¯re not loyal to you. If they were really in danger, I¡¯m afraid they would abandon you and run away,¡± the guard said.


    ¡°I know. They were only following my Father¡¯s orders to take care of me,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said coldly.


    Earlier, because of Master Mo¡¯s instigation of the princess, his mother had been sent to a temple for cultivation.


    He begged hard, but his father did not forgive his mother.


    If he had not found an opportunity to obtain such a position, he would be on his way to the fiefdom now.


    He had to contribute something to make his father look at him in a new light.


    He wanted the Emperor to make him a Commandery Prince so that he could gain his own power. It would be great if he could join the Fourth Prince or Fifth Prince. In short, he could not let the Crown Prince ascend the throne smoothly.


    ¡°Just now, someone in the Crown Prince¡¯s team gave them something. It seemed to be some yellow paper. I don¡¯t know what it is... I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask,¡± the guard said again.


    ¡°No need to ask. It¡¯s just some talismans. That Master Mo always puts on an act. Even Father trusts her,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said.


    This Master Mo definitely had some ability, but she was mostly an expert in reading people¡¯s minds.

 Chapter 580 - Cold Candle

    <h4>Chapter 580: Cold Candle</h4>


    Zhao Xuzhi did not take the talismans to heart.


    Not long after, he arrived in front of the temple.


    Eventually, he saw the dpidated temple door and immediately frowned. ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t want me toe over. So you¡¯ve turned this temple into such a state. How is this an investigation? It¡¯s more like you¡¯re here to demolish the temple.¡±


    There was quite a lot of gravel at the door and the dpidated temple walls around it.


    Zhao Xuzhi walked over the ruins.


    The others tied up their horses and walked in with their water pouches and dry rations.


    Once they entered, they felt their bodies turn a little cold.


    They did not think too much about it.


    After all, this dpidated temple looked a little scary. It was normal for people to feel ufortable.


    Everyone went in. It was already dark. They lit torches and the temple was much brighter. They searched around and found nothing special.


    ¡°First Young Master, this ce doesn¡¯t look like anyone can hide here. Did we get it wrong?¡± Someone asked.


    Zhao Xuzhi also frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s look around. Maybe there¡¯s a secret passage¡­¡±


    The crowd felt helpless as they groped around on the Buddha statues.


    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew in!


    The torches in everyone¡¯s hands were extinguished at the same time!


    ¡°Oh no! This wind is really evil,¡± someone muttered and lit the torches again. However, for some reason, the torches just could not catch fire. It was as if they were soaked in water.


    The surroundings were pitch ck.


    Suddenly, a faint blue-green light shone from the inside of the Buddha statue.


    It jumped up and down.


    ¡°This is¡­ Ghouls¡¯ me¡­¡± Someone gulped and felt his entire body turn cold.


    With a thud, the strong wind actually closed the door of the inner hall. Everyone was anxious.


    ¡°First Young Master¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you scared of?¡± Zhao Xuzhi was very calm. ¡°There¡¯s bone powder in the Buddha statues. The me came from that. It¡¯s no big deal. See if you can light the torches again.¡±


    A group of men were afraid of that?


    They were really useless.


    Zhao Xuzhi thought after a few days, when his father was no longer angry, he would pay more money to train some loyal and capable guards.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s calmness made the guards feel much more at ease.


    However, the torches still could not be lit.


    They did not dare to move recklessly and sat on the ground.


    However, not long after they sat down, they seemed to hear a humming noise. They did not know where it came from.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the wind,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said.


    It was true. The wind was so strong outside. It might start to rain again. If there was a gap in the room, the wind would make a strange noise.


    Everyone ate their food. It tasted like wax.


    One of them could not help but look up at the Buddha statue above his head.


    He was stunned. Then, his gaze became a little dazed. He suddenly picked up his knife and shed at his own arm!


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Everyone was shocked.


    The person stood up stiffly. He was in a daze for a moment, and the knife in his hand fell to the ground. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I think I saw something lying here just now¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the Ghouls¡¯ me that was floating around him that was like a cold candle danced even more happily.


    Everyone felt extremely scared.


    They could not help but pick up their knives and shed at the fire.


    Zhao Xuzhi was also panicking.


    He felt a chill on the back of his neck as if something was crawling¡­

 Chapter 581 - He Knew How Important She Was Now?

    <h4>Chapter 581: He Knew How Important She Was Now?</h4>


    Psshh, there was a rustling sound under his feet. A strangemotion was heard.


    Many small snakes crawled out of nowhere and approached them.


    Zhao Xuzhi felt a pain at the back of his neck. He quickly touched it and pulled out a snake.


    In his panic, he threw it out and smashed it on the Buddha statue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡± Everyone shouted.


    However, the door was tightly shut and could not be opened no matter how hard they tried.


    One of them suddenly remembered the talisman that the Crown Prince¡¯s men had given him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take out the talisman and stick it on!¡±


    When he said that, everyone reacted and took out something while trembling. They pressed it on the door, and it was pasted perfectly.


    Then, with a light push, the door and windows were all opened!


    Everyone felt even more terrified and hurriedly dragged Zhao Xuzhi out.


    They almost did not dare to turn back. After they left the ruined temple, they got on their horses and fled. After running for about 15 minutes, they finally stopped.


    They were still in shock.


    ¡°First Young Master!¡± After they stopped, everyone looked at Zhao Xuzhi and the guard next to him. Both of their faces were a little purple, and they looked terrible!


    Zhao Xuzhi was in pain from the jolt. He clutched his neck and looked very weak. ¡°I was bitten by a snake¡­¡±


    When everyone heard that, they were very frightened.


    Fortunately, they knew that it was normal for idents to happen when they were out, so they brought some antidotes and quickly fed them to the two of them.


    The effects of the medicine were average, so it was not very effective.


    They could only move on to Xun County.


    Everyone could not help but think of the scene just now. They really thought it was extremely terrifying.


    They clearly did not see anything. Other than those floating Ghouls¡¯ mes, there were only a few small snakes. However, for some reason, in that temple, they were flustered and felt that something was wrong all over their bodies!


    It was as if¡­ they had been possessed!


    Moreover¡­


    All of them had talismans on them. Only the first young master and his confidants did not have any.


    Yet, only the two of them had been bitten.


    Could that be¡­ a coincidence?


    Apart from that, the door was just a normal door before. Why was it blocked and could not be opened? Once the talisman was pasted, it was opened instantly?


    All of them were in a sorry state. As soon as they reached Xun County, they immediately sent Zhao Xuzhi to see a doctor.


    The next morning, Xie Qiao heard about that.


    She smiled sarcastically.


    It was their fortune that ordinary people could not see the ghouls. Were they bitten by snakes?


    It was probably because of the ghouls that alerted the snakes, insects, rats, and ants around them.


    Xie Qiao was sure that it was difficult for Zhao Xuzhi to remove the venom from his body. He had to go to a real Buddhist or Taoist temple to get rid of the evil.


    He was lucky. His subordinates reacted quickly and knew to take him with them. Otherwise, even if he could fly into the sky, he would die there. When the coroner visited in the morning, he would conclude that Zhao Xuzhi had encountered a poisonous snake and was killed.


    ¡°Master¡­ is that ce so evil? Zhao Xuzhi didn¡¯t stay there for long and that happened to him?¡± Xie Pinggang was shocked.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a grin.


    He knew how important she was now?


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not afraid of things that I can see, but these things that are hidden in the dark¡­ No one knows when they will attack. It¡¯s really annoying.¡± Xie Pinggang frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. Your body is full of Yang energy, and you are with the Crown Prince. You are stronger than the people around Zhao Xuzhi,¡± Xie Qiao said and thought for a while, then she added, ¡°For instance, the graduate who witnessed the case for the first time. He did not die because he must have the stars protecting him. He has a kind heart, enough Yang energy and he has gathered good karma. Although he would be a little scared, it¡¯s not a big problem. He must be an official now, right?¡±

 Chapter 582 - Clues

    <h4>Chapter 582: Clues</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao looked at the Crown Prince and asked again.


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded slightly. ¡°He¡¯s now the provincial governor of Yuanzhou.¡±


    ¡°So the influence of ghouls varies from person to person. Some people are born with a tough character. Even if they stay there for a night, this ghoul can¡¯t do anything to him. Didn¡¯t you say that one of Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s subordinates even cut himself? I think that person¡¯s character is very weak and his mind is unstable. He was affected by the shock and the dark energy, so he cut himself,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    It was a better exnation.


    After all, they could not see the ghoul.


    If Xie Qiao guessed correctly, the ghoul must have held that person¡¯s hand to cut him with the knife.


    When Li Qingyu and the others heard that, they were d that they did not stay at the temple.


    Xie Pinggang did not mind. All these years, he had never seen anything strange, so... he guessed that he should be a person with a tough character.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuzhi was lying on the bed.


    The teeth marks on the back of his neck were obvious, and the color was really terrifying.


    He had already taken the antidote and cut the wound to draw blood a few times. He was fine now, but he did not have the strength to stand up.


    He had not expected that he would have such a bad start!


    The Crown Prince was definitelyughing at him!


    ¡°First Young Master, are we still investigating this case?¡± His subordinate asked.


    The people who hade with him were still in fear. Even though they had not seen anything evil in the temple, the atmosphere was really scary. How would they dare to go there again?


    They did not even dare to think about it.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s expression was ugly. ¡°Go where? Where else can I go now?!¡±


    He now suspected that it was the Crown Prince who released the poisonous snakes in the temple!


    The Crown Prince was really vicious. He knew that he had to investigate this case, but he deliberately stopped him. In fact, he had released so many snakes there that almost lost his life!


    Unfortunately, he had no evidence!


    ¡°Then... are we going back?¡± The subordinate wanted to cry, but he had no tears. He quickly asked again, carefully, afraid that he would make this man unhappy.


    Zhao Xuzhi felt unwell and indeed wanted to go back to the capital to look for the imperial physician.


    However, he was unwilling to ept it.


    The Crown Prince, Xie Pinggang, and the others were all here. If he left, it would be as if he had run away in a sorry state. He would really lose his dignity.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± Zhao Xuzhi insisted.


    His subordinate was helpless and could only agree.


    This was not the end. Zhao Xuzhi thought for a while and decided to get someone to go to the inn where the Crown Prince was staying. He booked a few rooms and moved them over there.


    He was, after all, the son of the imperial family. No matter how much the Crown Prince disliked him, he could not chase him away, right? Otherwise, if word got back to the capital, the imperial family would be the first to beining.


    Even if he could not solve the case, the Crown Prince might not be able to!


    ¡­


    At that moment, in the Crown Prince¡¯s room, the old steward of the Pang family took the initiative to look for him.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re here to investigate the fire murder case. This humble one¡­ knew some things. I don¡¯t know if it will help you,¡± the old man said respectfully.


    It was said that he was a big shot.


    Even Elder Li, who had gone home to offer sacrifices to his ancestors, was respectful to this person. His status must be unattainable.


    Zhao Xuanjing sat leisurely and nced at the old man. ¡°Why did you only tell me today?¡±


    It was not a secret that he was here to investigate the case. The old man had heard about it when he was at the Pang family¡¯s grave.


    If he really wanted to help, he would not have waited until now.


    ¡°This humble one has a favor to ask!¡± The old man knelt on the ground with a perturbed expression, ¡°I¡¯m old and have no children. I only have the Young Lady by my side. She¡¯s the master, and she¡¯s still young. I have not been well these two years and I don¡¯t know when I will leave her....¡±

 Chapter 583 - Poem

    <h4>Chapter 583: Poem</h4>


    The old steward¡¯s voice trembled slightly, and it sounded like he was crying.


    ¡°I only hope that before I die, I can sort out the rest of Young Lady¡¯s life¡­¡± The old man said.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Those who know and don¡¯t report are guilty.¡±


    The old man panicked. ¡°It¡¯s just me. The Young Lady doesn¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    What he meant was clear. Even if he knew it was a crime not to report it, it had nothing to do with Young Lady Pang.


    If the noble in front of him did not agree to his request, it meant that he knew it and did not report it. He admitted it. He was already on the verge of death, but this fire murder case might be buried forever.


    Zhao Xuanjing sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you haven¡¯t seen the torture at the criminal division.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face was cold, as if he had no sympathy, ¡°You said that your Young Lady didn¡¯t know, and I have to believe you? If she didn¡¯t know, I¡¯ll bring her to the criminal division and interrogate her properly.¡±


    The old man trembled when he heard that. ¡°I beg you to show mercy! My Young Lady is simple-minded. When she saw you that day, she had a crush on you. She just wanted you to keep her by your side. For you, y-you lose nothing¡­¡±


    If Zhao Xuanjing was just an ordinary official, he would not agree to make the Young Lady suffer for her life.


    However, he had identally overheard someone¡¯s conversation before and seemed to hear them mention ¡°Your Highness¡±.


    For someone to be called ¡°Your Highness¡±, there was no need to guess his identity¡­


    This person was very likely to be the Crown Prince.


    If he was the Crown Prince, even if she became his concubine, her position in the future would be extraordinary.


    ¡°Zhou Weizong, go and arrest that Young Lady Pang.¡± Zhao Xuanjing saw that the old man had no remorse, so he immediately made arrangements.


    ¡°Wait! Young Lady doesn¡¯t know! I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± The old steward felt bitter.


    He initially thought that there must be many women around this noble, just like histe master. If he had the chance to have another concubine, he would not refuse¡­


    His youngdy was not bad-looking either. Although she was not beautiful, she was very charming.


    Who would have thought¡­


    The old man prostrated on the ground. ¡°When this fire murder case happened back then, Master was still around. When he was handling the case, I waited on him by the side. Therefore, I knew some things that others didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Seeing that the noble was not persistent in arresting him, the old man heaved a sigh of relief.


    Then, he continued, ¡°The person who was hanged back then had the surname Nie and was called Nie Fei. He was from a foreignnd. Although he was a student from a humble family and had some talent,pared to the other graduates, he was¡­ ordinary.


    ¡°At that time, my Master investigated for a long time, but he didn¡¯t find any clues. That Nie Fei didn¡¯t have any enmity with anyone, and secondly, he had just settled down in Xun County not long ago. He really shouldn¡¯t have been found by his enemies¡­


    ¡°This case was shelved. My Master had always liked poems and songs. Suddenly, one day, Third Madam found a poem from a few years ago somewhere¡­


    ¡°When Master heard the poem, he sensed that something was wrong. He immediately looked at the case file and shouted¨CI see¡­ At that time, I thought that Master found the cause of the case, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t close the case.¡±


    After the old steward finished his humble words, his head almost hit into the ground.


    ¡°Do you still remember the poem?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°This little old man has thought about it carefully these past few days, but I can¡¯t remember thoroughly. I only remembered some residual powder¡­ Fragrance, and the moon soul¡¯s. I can¡¯t remember the rest..¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly.


    Since this poem could surprise Pang Xiyuan so much, then it was probably not popr. At least very few outsiders knew about it.


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately asked Zhou Weizong to check through all the major books.


    Especially the poetry collection from the year of Nie Fei¡¯s death, those had to be looked through carefully.

 Chapter 584 - Intimacy

    <h4>Chapter 584: Intimacy</h4>


    There were quite a number of new poetry collections every year, so they found arge pile.


    It would be impossible to count on Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong to read the books.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not flip through the books directly. Instead, he first looked at who wrote the poetry collection. In less than two hours, he actually found one among the hundreds of books in which one of the poems was written by Nie Fei.


    Then, he looked at the poem¡­


    ¡°Meet me by the Cold Star Creek in a few hours. I¡¯ll smell your fragrance right away. The jade is ice-cold and the clouds are shy. The moon turns into a soul on the wishful branch. In the remnant fragrance, I¡¯ll be deep in my dreams, and your love will linger in my heart.¡±


    This poem¡­


    Could not be considered good, but it seemed to be talking about a woman.


    At the end of the poem was written the date of writing. It was done by Nie Fei on the second night after he arrived in Xun County.


    Not long after that, Nie Fei should have heard that the temple was magical and he stayed outside.


    It was indeed a little strange.


    How could a person who rushed to the capital for the examination suddenly write such an ambiguous thing?


    Unless¡­ He had a sweetheart in Xun County, and¡­ he even slept with that woman.


    After Nie Fei¡¯s death, the government investigated everyone who had any contact with him. However, there was no woman who had any rtionship with Nie Fei recorded on the file.


    ¡°Your Highness, have you found anything?¡± Xie Qiao came over to join in the fun.


    Xie Pinggang said that the Crown Prince had sent people to find arge pile of books. Unfortunately, they could not understand the poems, and there was nothing they could do to help. They really felt bad that the Crown Prince had to suffer alone.


    As for her¡­


    She was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister.


    Perhaps she knew more poems than the Crown Prince, so they invited her over to take a look.


    Zhao Xuanjing showed the page to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Before Nie Fei died¡­ he met with a woman for¡­ some intimacy?¡±


    Look at this sentence, even the clouds were shy, and the moon turned into a soul¡­ The moon referred to that woman, right? If it was a straightforward trantion, it might be¡­


    The woman felt so good that her soul left her body¡­


    The fragrance turned into a lingering fragrance, and he fell into a dream in the blink of an eye¡­


    It must be the scene after intimacy?


    It was not that he could not write such poems on a normal day, but most schrs paid attention to their feelings when writing poems!


    He had traveled for so long. If he had not just experienced it, how could he have such feelings?


    Xie Qiao did not hold back when she spoke, and her eyes were clearly insinuating something. Zhao Xuanjing was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes moved away slightly, feeling a little ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that it won¡¯t be easy to find this woman¡­¡± Xie Qiao sighed. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°There are three victims in this case, and they¡¯re all schrs, right?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing gave her a look of approval.


    Then, the two of them searched together to see if the other two schrs had left any traces.


    Unfortunately, they found nothing after a while.


    ¡°Since Pang Xiyuan can judge the murderer by his poems, I¡¯m afraid he must have some understanding of the people depicted in this poem,¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and said to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.


    That was right.


    Unfortunately, Pang Xiyuan had died a long time ago, and there was only a master and servant left in the Pang family.


    ¡°Bring that old man here,¡± Zhao Xuanjing ordered again.


    Soon, the old man arrived.


    This man had a hunched body, and his face was full of wrinkles. As a servant, this man was absolutely loyal. The people in the family had all died, but he stayed behind to take good care of Young Lady Pang.


    ¡°Young Lady Pang¡¯s biological mother is just a maidservant?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly asked.


    The old man trembled when he heard that. Then, he quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. Our Young Lady¡¯s birth mother isn¡¯t from a good family. Master doesn¡¯t like her, so he didn¡¯t take her as a concubine¡­¡±

 Chapter 585 - Following Orders

    <h4>Chapter 585: Following Orders</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled. His smile was cold and distant, making people nervous.


    ¡°Pang Xiyuan doesn¡¯t care about anything. Among the concubines at home, some of them were other men¡¯s wives, and some were singers who had traveled thousands of kilometers to be with him. The title of concubine means nothing to him. It doesn¡¯t make sense that a woman who gave birth to his child is just a maidservant, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao realized that suddenly.


    It made sense.


    That Pang Xiyuan wasscivious and had to boast that he was affectionate. How could such a person sleep with another woman and give birth to a child without caring anything about it?


    It did not make sense.


    So, what the Crown Prince meant was, could it be that Young Lady Pang¡¯s biological mother was someone else?


    However, what did Young Lady Pang¡¯s biological mother have to do with this case?


    Could it be that the Crown Prince thought the reason why Pang Xiyuan knew the murderer but did not investigate further was because he had a close rtionship with the woman who once slept with Nie Fei?


    Thinking of that, although it sounded a little coincidental, Xie Qiao could not help but thought it made sense.


    When the old man heard what the Crown Prince said, his expression had already changed.


    Shock and anxiousness could not be suppressed on that sunken face.


    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s happened? Who is this Young Lady Pang¡¯s birth mother?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked the old man.


    The old man¡¯s legs trembled. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Zhao Xuanjing sneered. ¡°You were the one who knew about the incident of people being buried alive. ording to thew, I can have you arrested and punished right away. However, seeing that you¡¯re not young anymore and are loyal, I¡¯ll let you go.


    ¡°Now, if you¡¯re still don¡¯t speak honestly...¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were calm and deep. ¡°There are a hundred kinds of punishments at the criminal division that can make you beg for death.¡±


    Xie Qiao lowered her head.


    Sigh, this man was quite adorable when he was angry.


    Who would not like such a handsome man?


    Xie Qiao grinned slightly. She remembered that she had Mo Chusheng¡¯s face at the moment. She suddenly thought it was a pity.


    Xie Qiao was still the prettiest.


    She held her head with her hands. She was too embarrassed to keep staring at Zhao Xuanjing, so she looked at the old man.


    Then, she was a little surprised. ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t look like you have no children...¡±


    Although she had looked at the old man before, she did not look at him carefully. She just nced at him.


    After all, this old man was already so old. He might be living a lonely life. If she looked at him too much, she might even feel sympathy for him. She would be the one who would feel ufortable.


    Therefore, she hardly stared at others.


    Unless one was like the Crown Prince, who would make herfortable no matter how she looked at him¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing was also surprised. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°His nose bridge is straight, his ears are thick, so are his eyebrows. His philtrum is straight and deep. He must have a son,¡± Xie Qiao said firmly.


    The old man trembled even more at that moment, and even cold sweat broke out.


    ¡°You¡¯re so loyal to Young Lady Pang, I¡¯m afraid... someone is secretly asking you to do it?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze was deep and dark. ¡°Since you¡¯re a ve, the official ve registry will have a record of your origin and where you¡¯ve worked before. Now, even if you don¡¯t take the initiative to tell me, your identity will be exposed.¡±


    When the old man heard that, hepletely copsed, and his entire body went limp.


    ¡°T-This old man indeed has a son. A-All these years, I was just taking orders to take care of the Young Lady...¡±


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    There would be more clues since this person was willing to talk.


    They were close to solving the fire murder case.


    However, for some reason, she could not help but feel nervous, as if she was worried that Zhao Xuanjing would not be able to solve the case.


    She was worrying for nothing.

 Chapter 586 - Wrong Background

    <h4>Chapter 586: Wrong Background</h4>


    Xie Qiao narrowed her eyes, supported her head and listened carefully.


    The old man was nervous, and his voice was trembling. ¡°This old man¡­ came from the Bai family of Xun County. Our family is the incense maker. However, the previous family master passed away and only left a daughter, who is my master¡­


    ¡°As the only heir of the Bai family, Master is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. When she was 18, her husband married into the Bai family to carry on the family line.¡±


    The old man said a lot moreter on.


    The daughter of the Bai family was called Bai Qinxiang. The Bai family was in the incense business. Although it was a business family, it was a big family in Xun County and was quite famous.


    Although the Bai family was a big family, there were not many people who were willing to be the inws.


    Those who were talented were arrogant, those who had looks had no talent.


    No matter how hard they tried, they could not find a suitable one.


    When Bai Qinxiang¡¯s father was still alive, he arranged for a person who was average in every aspect.


    That son-inw was not ugly, but he was only mediocre. He was literate, but he did not know much. He could only assist Bai Qinxiang.


    Bai Qinxiang was raised as an heir since she was young. Her ability and talent was naturally not something that ordinary men couldpare to.


    She did notck anything and was outstanding in every way. However, she ended up marrying someone who was not outstanding at all. How could she be willing?


    Therefore, after the marriage, she got close to Pang Xiyuan.


    However, as the head of the Bai family, she already had a husband and a son. Therefore, it was impossible for her to be a concubine.


    The two of them only had asional contact in private. It was just that she happened to be pregnant.


    She and her husband rarely slept in the same room, so the time of pregnancy did not line up. She was afraid that others would gossip about her, so she secretly gave birth to the child. Then, she arranged for this old ve to be sent to the Pang family together with the child.


    Therefore, Young Lady Pang was a b*stard.


    This old ve had sons, daughters-inw, and even grandchildren in the Bai family. Naturally, he had to do as the Bai family master requested.


    However, the deaths of the members of the Pang family were very tragic. Bai Qinxiang was worried that she would be implicated, so she paid little attention to Young Lady Pang. In private, she did not take care of her. She only asked that this person not die.


    After all, this old man was a servant.


    At that moment, he did his best to tell her what he knew.


    ¡°Noble, my Master should not have anything to do with the fire murder case. My Master is the kindest. Every year in Xun County, the Bai family is the one among those who do the most good deeds. You can ask around¡­¡± The old man said carefully.


    He also felt a little regretful. If he had known earlier, he would have been good and said nothing.


    It was all because of the youngdy. She got hold of him and asked him a lot about the fire murder case. Later, when she learned about it, she asked him toe and talk to this noble.


    Who knew that this person did not appreciate his kindness at all, and even found out about the Bai family!


    How did he find out?


    How did he inexplicably remember to ask about the youngdy¡¯s background?


    The old man had a helpless expression.


    Zhao Xuanjing had someone take him away and guard him first.


    ¡°It seems that the person who had an affair with Nie Fei should be the current head of the Bai family, Bai Qinxiang.¡± Zhao Xuanjing guessed.


    In that poem, the word ¡°xiang¡± was mentioned repeatedly¡­


    It was a hint.


    Xie Qiao thought the same.


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately asked someone to prepare a carriage and to go to the Bai family to check it out. Xie Qiao had nothing to do at the inn, so she followed them.


    The Bai family was a big family in Xun County. It would not be easy for them to enter.


    However, Xie Pinggang held the investigation token from the criminal division. He could even enter the administrative office as he pleased. After all, the Bai family was a business family, so they naturally had to treat Xie Pinggang and the others politely.


    The head of the Bai family, Bai Qinxiang, personally came to wee them.

 Chapter 587 - What’s the Use of Having You

    <h4>Chapter 587: What¡¯s the Use of Having You</h4>


    Bai Qinxiang should be around 37 or 38 years old by now, but she looked like she was in her twenties. She wore a cloud-white dress and did not wear any makeup on her face, but she was still extremely beautiful.


    She had a refreshing fragrance on her body.


    As her name suggested, she was indeed a beauty.


    Although she was a businesswoman, there was really not a hint of greed on her. Her aura was almostparable to that of an immortal.


    Even Xie Qiao admired Pang Xiyuan. All of the people he was close to were so good-looking and talented.


    ¡°Sirs¡­ may I know what¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Qinxiang asked calmly after they entered the hall and served tea.


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m here for the case.¡± Xie Pinggang did not have any tender feelings for women at all.


    Bai Qinxiang frowned slightly when she saw Xie Pinggang.


    Disdain shed in her eyes.


    She must have found Xie Pinggang rude and unpleasant to the eye.


    ¡°There¡¯s no case to be investigated in the Bai family.¡± Bai Qinxiang was still cold and indifferent. ¡°If you want to investigate the case, bring the documents and people to search.¡±


    She was still neither happy nor angry. She was so cold that she could freeze.


    ¡°Madam Bai, do you know Nie Fei, Yu Zhaoxi, and Zhu Boyang?¡± Zhao Xuanjing took out the book directly. Heid it in front of Bai Qinxiang and said, ¡°Madam Bai, these three people died in a temple in the wild. Although you didn¡¯t kill them, you should be familiar with them.¡±


    Bai Qinxiang¡¯s calm expression finally changed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize them.¡± Her voice trembled, but she still denied it. ¡°The Bai family doesn¡¯t like to be friends with schrs.¡±


    ¡°You should at least recognize Pang Hanwei, right?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a faint smile.


    ¡°Tell me the truth! Otherwise, I¡¯ll bring you to the criminal division and torture you!¡± Xie Pinggang shouted fiercely at the right time.


    These two people really did not seem like men who would pity anyone at all. One was impulsive, while the other was calm. They were simply driving people to death.


    The truth about Miss Pang could not be concealed at all.


    After all, there was the testimony of that old man.


    At that moment, Bai Qinxiang¡¯s hands were tightly clenched together, she looked very nervous. ¡°Yes, Pang Hanwei is my daughter. So what? It was just a moment of impulse. Even if it¡¯s the crime of adultery¡­ I dare to admit. When my husband was still alive, he didn¡¯t mind that.¡±


    She would be punished for the crime. After all, it was indecent.


    However, the Bai family had money, and they could use money to atone for their crime.


    Therefore, it was not an issue for Bai Qinxiang.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of life and death. You can¡¯t deny it. Since you won¡¯t cooperate, then¡­ Someone, take her away!¡± Zhao Xuanjing said directly. After he finished, he looked at the people around Bai Qinxiang. ¡°If Bai Qinxiang is the prime culprit, your servants will be aplices. They will also be sentenced to death!¡±


    After he said that, two people turned pale.


    They knelt with a thud.


    ¡°Your Excellency, our Madam really didn¡¯t kill anyone. She just had a¡­ rtionship with those people!¡± The old woman next to her shouted immediately.


    She knew how powerful the criminal division was.


    She heard that people would die after they went in!


    Bai Qinxiang moved and she smashed the tea cup on the old woman¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re useless! What¡¯s the use of having you?!¡±


    ¡°Madam Bai, are you still not going to tell us?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked calmly.


    Bai Qinxiang looked a little unwilling, but she still spoke, ¡°Yes, I slept with those three people.¡±


    After saying that, her eyelids trembled slightly, and her eyes were red.


    ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± Xie Pinggang was thick-skinned. He looked at Bai Qinxiang¡¯s pitiful appearance, but he was not affected at all.


    Someone had already brought out brush and paper, recording every word that Bai Qinxiang said.

 Chapter 588 - Die A Devastating Death

    <h4>Chapter 588: Die A Devastating Death</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Bai Qinxiang felt embarrassed, but she knew that she could not hide from it.


    A few years ago, she thought that everything was over and that no one would die. However, she did not expect that someone would still have an ident during this year¡¯s imperial examination.


    Recently, she was always trembling with fear. She was truly afraid.


    ¡°My rtionship with my husband was bad. Back then, after I gave birth to a child with Pang Xiyuan, I became even more... unable to get along with my husband...


    ¡°That year, before the imperial examination, I saw Nie Fei in a restaurant, so I sent him a note and met him outside the city. It was a beautiful night, but not long after that, he died out there... I really don¡¯t know what happened. I heard that he hanged himself. I thought that maybe he was wronged, so I couldn¡¯t get over it...¡±


    After all, he was the man she liked, so she was in a bad mood at the time.


    She initially wanted to send some silver to Nie Fei¡¯s family, but the case had caused a stir. She was afraid that her actions would attract attention, so she pretended not to know anything.


    ¡°I admire schrs. They¡¯re good-looking and talented, so I paid more attention to them. Three yearster, during the imperial examination, I found a schr like before... I spent a night with him, and after that, he also died there...¡±


    Since then, she did not dare to do that anymore.


    Until some time ago, she was attracted to someone who looked very much like Pang Xiyuan.


    She thought that everything had ended long ago, but she did not expect the past to repeat itself.


    In fact, she had never stopped seeing men in the past few years. There were good-looking escorts in the vige. Although they were good-looking, they did not have much talent, so she did not go there often.


    She would only go out to rx asionally because she was really bored at home.


    Those three schrs were the best.


    After such a thing happened, Bai Qinxiang was not the most suspected, but her husband.


    ¡°Madam Bai, where¡¯s your husband?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°He died of illness two years ago.¡± Madam Bai¡¯s expression was indifferent. She did not show any sadness when she mentioned this matter.


    This person was flirtatious, but she was heartless.


    In fact, she and Pang Xiyuan were truly a match made in heaven.


    Since this son-inw of the Bai family was dead, it was impossible for him to be responsible for this year¡¯s murder case.


    So who could it be?


    Xie Qiao frowned and thought seriously. She looked outside and saw a 18 or 19-year-old man walking past quickly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your son?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Bai Qinxiang frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Why are you looking for my son?¡±


    ¡°Bring Young Master Bai here.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was very straightforward.


    This person had to be brought in front of him for questioning so that he would know if Bai Qinxiangmitted the crime.


    It was best to know where Bai Qinxiang was at the time of the crime and whether there were witnesses.


    Xie Pinggang did that immediately. Not long after, the man who had just revealed himself was brought over.


    Bai Qinxiang¡¯s son did not look like her, and he was not very good-looking.


    His eyes were puffy, his face was dull, and he looked like he would not have any child. This person... had kidney qi deficiency.


    Xie Qiao coughed dryly, and then looked at him a few more times.


    She frowned.


    This person was dark and gloomy. His abdomen was thin and narrow, and he was lonely and cold. His neck was thin and short. His philtrum was narrow in the middle and wide in the top. His nose was small and his spirit was weak. Hisplexion was green and dark, he looked like he would die a devastating death.


    This person¡¯s appearance was ordinary, and his aura was even worse. He was almostparable to a dead person.


    Moreover, he had a fierce look.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was serious. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Young Master Bai, did you kill Zhu Boyang?¡±


    As soon as she said that, everyone, including Zhao Xuanjing, looked at her in surprise.. They did not expect her to suddenlye to this conclusion.

 Chapter 589 - A Couple in Love

    <h4>Chapter 589: A Couple in Love</h4>


    Young Master Bai was not too old, so when he heard that, he was stunned. Then, he nodded and said, ¡°It was me.¡±


    These three simple words shocked the entire house.


    Bai Qinxiang pped her son. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Mother is panicking? So you¡¯re panicking for your son? Or perhaps, Mother is worried that after I left, no one will inherit the family business?


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. I heard some of it at the door just now. I thought that Mother is just looking for someone to be yourpany. I didn¡¯t expect that you would give birth to a daughter early on and give it away. In this way, the Bai family will have a sessor.¡± Young Master Bai¡¯s voice was sharp and weak.


    Bai Qinxiang¡¯s entire body trembled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t admit the crime that you didn¡¯t do!


    ¡°Sirs, my son is still young and not very sensible¡­¡±


    Halfway through her words, Young Master Baiughed.


    ¡°What is there to be sensible about?¡± Young Master Baiughed mockingly. ¡°When I was young, you and Nie Fei had an affair and sent each other notes. Father and I saw it with our own eyes, but we didn¡¯t stop you.


    ¡°I supposed that wasn¡¯t your first time doing such a thing, Mother. It¡¯d be futile even if we stopped you. After all, you don¡¯t have Father in your heart.


    ¡°At that time, Father took me with him and waited outside the city for the entire night. The two of you were in the wilderness, having the time of your lives in the horse carriage. Father held me in his arms and stared at me.¡±


    However, he did not understand at that time. Later on, he fell asleep in his father¡¯s arms.


    He only thought of it as going out to y.


    Three yearster, he grew up a little and was no longer so clueless.


    He went on a trip with his mother and met another schr.


    He told his father.


    And so, the schr died as well.


    He understood his father¡¯s resentment.


    The father and son were born ordinary and had no talent. Naturally, they were not worthy of his mother¡¯s attention.


    During those years, although his mother did not beat or scold his father, her revulsion was so cold that it chilled one¡¯s heart.


    If it was Pang Xiyuan, his father would be able to tolerate it because Pang Xiyuan had a family and his mother was the same. At most, the two of them would have a secret rtionship and there would definitely be no future.


    However, those schrs were different.


    That Nie Fei wrote a lewd poem the next day they met, and he was eager to tell the world that his mother had be his.


    ¡°Love encircles the milky way, reflecting the two hearts¡±¡­


    It had only been one night, yet that Nie Fei actually thought that he and his mother had hit it off and could live together in the future?!


    Bai Qinxiang opened her mouth in shock, unable to believe what she had just heard.


    Her face was pale and flushed, and it was difficult to distinguish between them. She pointed at her son, unable to speak.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate. The previous two were killed by my Father. He told me before he left.¡± Young Master Bai was very calm, ¡°He had almost died at the temple outside the city, so he knew that ce was evil. He used Mother¡¯s identity to send a message to them. After he tricked them into that ce, he strangled them to death and hung them up.¡±


    However, this was the first time that an ident had happened. Someone had mistakenly barged in.


    Fortunately, his father hid quickly, and the ce was filled with Ghouls¡¯ me, which attracted the schr¡¯s attention.


    His father liked the Buddha statues there.


    Unlike those merciful Buddha statues, they seemed to be examining the evil in the world, and their eyes were always fierce and frightening.


    After his father made it out of the temple alive, he had gone to a Taoist temple to eliminate his bad luck. He had bought something that could repel evil, and he had that thing with him now.


    He did not take it out, but Xie Qiao had already seen it.


    The jade pendant on his waist should be snow-white color. However, it was now stained with a bit of gloomy ck energy, so it was no longer effective.

 Chapter 590 - A Clever Person

    <h4>Chapter 590: A Clever Person</h4>


    This Young Master Bai confessed his crimes in an extremely straightforward manner. He exined everything that had happened to him and his father.


    The scene was so cold that it made one feel chill all over.


    Bai Qinxiang suddenly coughed. Then, she spat a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°My Father said that he wasn¡¯t good-looking, talented, or virtuous. He wasn¡¯t worthy of you, but he was unwilling. He was afraid that after he died, you would find someone else, especially that good-looking schr. From then on, your life would be perfect and you would definitely forget about him. If that was the case, he would be too pitiful.


    ¡°I felt the same way. That¡¯s why I did what Father didn¡¯t finish.


    ¡°A few days ago, a master came to Xunxian County to handle the case. I knew that I might not be able to make it through this time. That¡¯s why I put poison into the cup of tea that the servant gave you just now.


    ¡°In that case, mother wouldn¡¯t be left alone in this world.


    ¡°How great would that be?¡± Young Master Bai was still smiling.


    His voice was soft, and Bai Qinxiang clutched her stomach, rolling around in pain.


    Zhao Xuanjing called for a doctor.


    Of course, it was toote.


    In a short while, she was gone.


    Her eyes were wide open.


    A spirit floated out of her body. Xie Qiao wondered if she should put this spirit away herself, but it was rather straightforward. It had no obsession, and it was sent to hell directly. It was quite a pleasant feeling.


    Then, Young Master Bai smiled and said, ¡°I thought that if Mother and I were gone one day, no one would inherit the Bai family¡¯s property. But after thinking about it, I forgot about Pang Xiyuan¡¯s daughter.¡±


    He killed a schr and then his mother with his own hands. He had no right to control the hefty property of the family.


    He had to watch it fall into the hands of others.


    He was still unwilling.


    However, his father never cared about the family¡¯s wealth. He only cared about his mother.


    It was funny that in her eyes, his father was a vulgar person who was greedy for money.


    He did not resist and allowed Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong to tie him up.


    The entire Bai family was in a panic.


    This was not something the criminal division could handle. They immediately took him away.


    The fire murder case was very famous in Xun County. Many people had guessed that there were vengeful spirits there. Zhao Xuanjing had solved the case, and it did not take long for the news to spread.


    Everyone sighed.


    They could not believe that Madam Bai was actually so promiscuous in private when they thought she was pure and innocent.


    It was fine for her to give birth to Pang Xiyuan¡¯s son. After all, Pang Xiyuan was a womanizer. Few women could escape his seduction. However, what about the other schrs?


    If one were to call the Bai family¡¯s son-inw terrifying, he was also pitiful.


    Young Master Bai had already been sent to the local administrative office.


    Early the next morning, Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing were sitting downstairs eating when Young Lady Pang arrived in front of them in a hurry.


    She stared at Zhao Xuanjing with a burning gaze, and there was a hint of shyness and warmth in her eyes. ¡°T-Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Your Mother is dead, and you¡¯re thanking me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing chuckled.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand that was holding the chopsticks trembled.


    ¡°No¡­ A-Although she¡¯s my Mother, what she did made me feel ashamed. She was actually so licentious and unchaste. I won¡¯t acknowledge her as my Mother!¡± Pang Hanwei had a look of disdain.


    ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t acknowledge your Mother, but you acknowledge your family property? Young Lady Pang is a clever person.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not hold back his sarcasm. He was spot-on with hisment.


    Even Xie Qiao could not help but apud.


    When they saw Young Lady Pang earlier, she was wearing simple and in clothes. Today, she was wearing a new set of clothes with excellent materials.

 Chapter 591 - Drag Her Out and Beat Her Up

    <h4>Chapter 591: Drag Her Out and Beat Her Up</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Pang Hanwei actually had the time to buy clothes this early in the morning.


    Moreover, these clothes and jewelry did not seem cheap.


    She must have been taken to the Bai residencest night and changed into new clothes early in the morning to attract Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s attention.


    The Bai family was in a mess now, yet she still had the time to do that.


    Logically speaking, it was quite difficult for Young Lady Pang to inherit the family business since she was not in the genealogy book. However, they had recorded every word when they went to the Bai family to investigate the case.


    Madam Bai had acknowledged the child herself, so the words in the testimony could be used.


    The Bai family had no heir, so how could they care about whether it was a female b*stard or not?


    At that moment, Young Lady Pang¡¯s face was flushed red from Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s rebuke.


    However, she was a person with confidence.


    At that moment, she even sat down and said to Zhao Xuanjing, ¡°My Mother has let me down. I¡¯ve been living a hard life all these years, and now it can be considered aspensation for me.


    ¡°You... are my benefactor. I want to thank you for helping me. If you didn¡¯t investigate the case, my background would always be a mystery,¡± the youngdy added.


    Xie Qiao was obedient and said nothing.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly. ¡°You are too annoying. Get lost.¡±


    ¡°The Bai family is mine now. Even if I marry someone in the future, it will be the same, do you know that? I didn¡¯t sleepst night. The steward checked the ounts with mest night. The Bai family is really wealthy. The properties and assets are worth 400,000 to 500,000 taels of silver!¡± Pang Hanwei was getting more and more straightforward.


    With so much silver, even Xie Qiao wanted to marry her.


    Pang Hanwei had heard from the old steward that the person in front of her should be the Crown Prince of the current dynasty.


    She used to be lonely and alone. Indeed, she did not have the right to be close to such a noble person. However, now that she had so much property, she should be worthy, right?


    Although she was a merchant, she was not asking to be the legitimate wife, right?


    Moreover... As the Crown Prince, he should need money to win over people¡¯s hearts. Did she not just happen to satisfy his needs?


    Therefore, at that moment, Pang Hanwei looked very expectant.


    ¡°Four hundred thousand to 500,000 taels of silver? That¡¯s a lot.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was full of surprise, then, she slowly said, ¡°Earlier, Madam Bai obtained the ess to sell incense to the imperial pce. With that, the money would definitely roll in. However, in the future, it will be difficult for the Bai family to do that. Young Lady Pang, you should be careful with your money.¡±


    In this world, everyone sought fame and fortune.


    As the Bai family had a small connection with the imperial city, no matter what business the Bai family did, it would definitely be smooth sailing.


    Could it still flourish in the future?


    Madam Bai was promiscuous. The women of Xun County were ashamed of her, how would they be willing to buy her family¡¯s incense?


    Outsiders would also be acting ording to the wind. By losing the connection with the imperial pce, the incense made by the Bai family would probably rot in the warehouse.


    Even though 500,000 taels of silver was a lot, if the business copsed, the silver would be consumed very quickly.


    If she were Pang Hanwei, she would stay at home and settle the ounts. She would see which businesses were going to be cut off and be prepared to lose money.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been targeting me. Didn¡¯t they say that the six roots of sensations of monks are pure and clean? What¡¯s your attention to always staying by the Crown Prince¡¯s side at such an age?!¡± Pang Hanwei¡¯s words were quite vicious.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand froze, and she almost choked.


    ¡°p her 20 times.¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned and added, ¡°Drag her out and beat her up.¡±


    A b*stard dared to be so arrogant. She deserved to be taught a lesson.


    Zhou Weizong was an emotionless blockhead.. When he heard that, he immediately stood up and dragged Pang Hanwei out.

 Chapter 592 - Who Else Could it Be?

    <h4>Chapter 592: Who Else Could it Be?</h4>


    Xie Qiao was as quiet as a chick as she slowly picked up a piece of meat for herself.


    ¡°This youngdy really doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate human kindness. I helped her Father move his grave and worked on the case together. She has such godforsaken wealth, shouldn¡¯t I get the credit? Just a moment ago, she wanted to acknowledge me as her master. In the blink of an eye, she turned her back on me. Sigh.¡± The world was so scary.


    The youngdy was very fickle-minded.


    Xie Pinggang did not say anything for fear of disturbing the Crown Prince epting a concubine.


    It was quite a pity when he found out that the youngdy was dragged out. ¡°This youngdy is quite rich. Why can¡¯t you make her your concubine just to fulfill her wish?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Qiao turned their heads and red at him at the same time.


    ¡°I find her unlucky.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked gloomy and unhappy.


    ¡°Eldest¡­¡± Xie Qiao almost called the wrong name again and immediately changed her words. ¡°Master Xie, the Crown Prince is very honorable. If he took a concubine for money, whose loss would it be? Fortunately, the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t want to argue with you. Otherwise, he would sever your head for your words!¡±


    Xie Qiao was just joking with thest sentence to scare her pig-like eldest brother.


    Now that they were outside, the Crown Prince had already restrained his temper and did not argue with Pang Hanwei too much.


    If they were in the capital, how could Pang Hanwei only be pped 20 times?


    He just saw that the youngdy was arrogant and ignorant and could not be bothered to punish her severely.


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed.¡± Xie Pinggang admitted his mistake calmly. Then, he asked Xie Qiao, ¡°Master Mo, didn¡¯t you say that this woman¡¯s luck isn¡¯t good? I see that her luck isn¡¯t bad. She was initially an orphan, but in just one night, she became the head of the Bai family, sitting on a pile of wealth¡­ Could it be that her luck has changed?¡±


    Although Pang Hanwei¡¯s mother had died, there was no affection between the mother and daughter.


    To Pang Hanwei, was it not just a huge fortune falling from the sky and hitting her head directly?


    ¡°Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. What you see is fortune, but what I see is different,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    Looking at it from afar¡­ It might not be so.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s identity was not a secret. Now, everyone in Xun County knew that the person who solved the fire murder case was the honorable Crown Prince.


    This case seemed to be an ordinary murder case, but the people who were killed were three schrs.


    So now, the Crown Prince was ttered by many schrs.


    In the same inn, when Zhao Xuzhi heard about the Crown Prince, he got angry and felt his neck hurt even more.


    He was also here to solve the case.


    In the end, he did not have a good start, but the Crown Prince handled this matter easily.


    Was the gap between him and the Crown Prince that big?!


    ¡°That Young Lady Pang was pped 20 times in public. Her face was swollen and she cried badly. She was criticized¡­¡± The guard stood in front of Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s bed and said carefully.


    This guard was also very helpless.


    The first young master actually asked him to investigate the Crown Prince¡¯s whereabouts.


    How would he dare?


    So he just kept a distance and paid attention to the people around the Crown Prince.


    ¡°I heard that the Crown Prince is very special to Master Mo. You¡¯ve followed him for so long, have you noticed anything?¡± Zhao Xuzhi asked again.


    The guard was a little confused and shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    The way the Crown Prince looked at Master Mo was indeed very indulgent, but the two of them did not cross the line.


    Moreover, if it was not for Master Mo¡¯s talismans, their lives would have been in danger.


    The guard was very conflicted.


    ¡°That Pang Hanwei holds countless wealth in her hands, but the Crown Prince didn¡¯t even nce at it. He must have someone he likes, but there are no other women by his side. If that¡¯s the case¡­ If not Master Mo, who else could it be?¡± Zhao Xuzhi smiled sarcastically.

 Chapter 593 - Turning A Blind Eye

    <h4>Chapter 593: Turning A Blind Eye</h4>


    However, Zhao Xuzhi was shocked. The Crown Prince¡¯s taste was so unique.


    All these years, the Emperor and Empress had wanted to choose concubines for him many times, but they had never seeded once.


    It turned out he was a loyal man.


    Unfortunately, if the person he was interested in was the daughter of an official, it would naturally be a good thing. However, she was a Taoist master. It was fine that she a Taoist master, but she was so old. It was a different story.


    However, although Master Mo did not have the looks of an unparalleled beauty, her temperament was indeed very different. She was also someone who could charm people. Even his father respected Master Mo, so it was normal for the Crown Prince to be charmed.


    If this matter was spread, how would the Crown Prince still have any dignity?


    The position of Crown Prince, the foundation of the country, was charmed by a demon!


    How could Zhao Xuanjing be worthy of this position?


    Zhao Xuzhi grinned sinisterly.


    Immediately, he wrote a letter and sent it out by pigeon.


    After doing all that, Zhao Xuzhi thought for a while and forced himself out of the door. He changed into a set of white clothes and asked someone to prepare some gifts for the Bai family.


    He was dressed elegantly and imitated the Crown Prince¡¯s every move. He had 20% to 30% of resemnce.


    At that moment, Pang Hanwei was sobbing as she applied ointment. Her face was swollen like a puffer fish.


    Zhou Weizong was a martial arts practitioner. How could he be lenient when he was pped by the Crown Prince¡¯s orders?


    Of course, he used all his strength. Every p was as if he wished he could p Young Lady Pang to death.


    ¡°Young Lady, a person surnamed Zhao is here to look for you,¡± the old man beside Pang Hanwei said.


    The Bai residence was in a mess.


    The old steward who used to follow Madam Bai had a new steward who raised Pang Hanwei. One of them was favored, and the other had connections and power in the residence. Pang Hanwei had only been back for a day, and they were already at each other¡¯s throats.


    Unfortunately, Pang Hanwei still had many things to rely on Madam Bai¡¯s steward to guide her, so she could not lose any of them.


    ¡°Young Lady is now the head of the Bai family. It¡¯s only the first day, and you¡¯ve already been pped and thrown on the street. It¡¯s really terrible. Now is not the time to entertain guests. Young Lady, you¡¯d better reject him.¡± The old steward earnestly advised.


    Now, the entire Xun County was watching the Bai family!


    However, this new master was terrible. Instead of visiting the various shopkeepers of the Bai family¡¯s businesses first, she actually provoked a noble!


    ¡°Young Lady, that young master¡¯s surname is Zhao,¡± the old man reminded her.


    Zhao was the royal surname.


    Pang Hanwei touched her face. She decided to listen to the old man. She nodded. ¡°Of course I have to see him. Master Mo said that our incense business will fail. If I get the connection with the royal family, would our family still be worried about money?¡±


    As she spoke, Pang Hanwei put on a veil and went to meet the guest.


    Zhao Xuzhi waited for a while and finally saw Young Lady Pang walking over leisurely.


    The moment Pang Hanwei saw Zhao Xuzhi, she was stunned.


    When she went to meet the noble today, he happened to be eating. The way he held his cup and drank tea¡­ was the same as the person in front of her.


    Could it be that they were brothers?


    That person was the Crown Prince. What about this one? A prince?


    Pang Hanwei did not know the identity of the prince. However, when she saw Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s actions, which had the demeanor of the Crown Prince, and also had the same surname Zhao, she was secretly doubting.


    She heard that the royal family had a Fourth Prince¡­


    Could it be¡­


    Pang Hanwei¡¯s heart raced and she sat down shyly. ¡°Who are you, Young Master? I¡¯ve never seen you before.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Young Lady Pang was pped by the Crown Prince today. I feel guilty and I¡¯m here to apologize on behalf of the Crown Prince.¡± Zhao Xuzhi continued, ¡°The Crown Prince has not been lustful towards women all these years and he has Master Mo by his side. That¡¯s why he turned a blind eye to Young Lady Pang. Everyone knows how good you are.¡±

 Chapter 594 - Betrothal

    <h4>Chapter 594: Betrothal</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuzhi had a benevolent look on his face, which was quite intimidating.


    When Pang Hanwei heard that, she was a little confused. ¡°You mean... that Master Mo is the Crown Prince¡¯s¡­ favorite concubine or lover?!¡±


    That was impossible, right?!


    Although she had criticised Master Mo before, that was just out of anger!


    That was too terrifying. The master was already in her thirties or forties, and the Crown Prince was in his early twenties. The two of them were more than ten years apart!


    Pang Hanwei looked at Zhao Xuzhi in shock. She thought what he said might not be true.


    She had spoken to Master Mo before. Master Mo was indeed very cold and did not show any emotion toward her. However, she did not seem like a wild person and was rather serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m also very surprised by this matter. I¡¯ve already sent a message back to the capital. It won¡¯t be long before the Emperor finds out about this matter.¡± Zhao Xuzhi smiled. ¡°Young Lady Pang, the Crown Prince¡¯s right hand has long been crippled. Such a person will definitely not be able to ascend the throne in the future. I know that Young Lady Pang wants to find someone to rely on. What do you think of me?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi was very direct.


    Judging from her eyes, this Pang Hanwei should not be ugly.


    It would be quite pleasant to bring such a person home to be his concubine.


    Pang Hanwei was a little shy and asked, ¡°Are you the Fourth Prince?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s hand that was holding the teacup trembled and he shook his head. ¡°No, my Father is Prince Ning Bei.¡±


    ¡°Prince Ning Bei?¡± Pang Hanwei was a little disappointed. She thought there were princes everywhere in Xun County.


    The Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince hade. She did not expect that he was only the son of a prince.


    However, a prince¡¯s son was quite good. She used to be a daughter of a mistress who had no one to rely on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my parents, and I¡¯m now the head of the Bai family. Other people can¡¯t decide marriage, so I would have to make my own decision. Master Mo said that our family shouldn¡¯t be able to make a living with incense. I think that¡¯s true. However, if I marry you, you will help me, right? After all, in the future, all of my fortunes will be given to my children. Naturally, the more I make, the better.¡± Pang Hanwei was very organized now.


    She liked the Crown Prince because he was good-looking. It was really love at first sight.


    However, the Crown Prince did not like her. She knew that her status was not high and she only had some money.


    Since the Crown Prince had no interest in money, she did not stand a chance.


    Now that a Royal Highness had suddenly appeared... and he even took the initiative to express his goodwill, then she had to seize the opportunity.


    He was a rtive of the royal family. How could she have dared to covet him in the past?


    ¡°I can ask the Fourth Prince for help. As long as money is offered, it won¡¯t be a problem to do that,¡± Zhao Xuzhi said after thinking for a while.


    The Fourth Prince was always studying and attending sses. He did not care much about these trivial matters.


    However, the Meng family would help her with these matters. There were many people under the Fourth Prince who could help, so the matter of getting the Bai family to supply them incense would be simple.


    When Pang Hanwei heard that, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright. When I get the three-year contract, you can get someone to send me the betrothal gift.¡±


    Mourn for her mother? That would not happen.


    Her mother was so promiscuous that her reputation had deteriorated along with it. She had not even raised her for a day, so forget about mourning for her.


    Moreover, if she was mourning, it would take three years, right?


    After three years, would she not be an olddy? Who could she marry by then?


    Furthermore, there was no hurry to get married. Once they were engaged, they would be busy for a while. It would not be a big deal to get married after the mourning period.


    ¡°You want to be my wife?¡± Zhao Xuzhi saw that the youngdy¡¯s attitude was strange and frowned. ¡°Young Lady Pang, you¡¯re just a merchant. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate.¡±


    Not only was she a merchant, she was also an illegitimate daughter. If he really married such a person, he would lose his dignity.


    Being a concubine was different. Status was not important.


    Pang Hanwei was slightly stunned. Then, her swollen face turned red.. There was a hint of embarrassment and anger.

 Chapter 595 - Treat Her Well

    <h4>Chapter 595: Treat Her Well</h4>


    Pang Hanwei knew that it was not easy to marry into such a high-ss family.


    However, she thought that this person hade to her door so politely because he was interested in her family¡¯s wealth and wanted to marry her as his wife, no?!


    With her 500,000 taels of property, she could only buy her way into bing a concubine?


    If it was the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine, she would have epted it, but he was only the son of a Prince¡­


    Pang Hanwei tugged at her handkerchief.


    Alright, even if he was a prince¡¯s son, he was still unattainable¡­


    Now that this opportunity was ced in front of her, if she did not cherish it, who knew if there would be a better choice in the future?


    Could it be that she wanted to be like her own mother, marry an ordinary man and face that cowardly face all day long?


    ¡°I want to be an honored concubine.¡± Pang Hanwei agreed rather straightforwardly.


    When Zhao Xuzhi heard that, he smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Pang Hanwei straightened her back slightly and exined the process of taking her in as a concubine to Zhao Xuzhi. After that, she happily sent him off.


    When the old steward of the Bai residence heard that Pang Hanwei was going to be a concubine, he almost fainted.


    She wanted to be a concubine. Unless it was to be a concubine for the Emperor, it would be considered precious. Bing someone else¡¯s concubine¡­ Was that not the same as humiliating herself?!


    Yes, the son of a prince had said that he would arrange for the Bai family to supply the imperial pce incense, but would the Bai family not bepletely gone?!


    When the old master was alive, why did he want to get his daughter a husband?


    It was because he wanted the Bai family to live on!


    Now that the Bai family had a descendant, who would have thought that she would be so insensible as to really make the Bai family lose itsst descendant!


    The shopkeepers in the Bai family¡¯s businesses were mostly loyal people. They had all been groomed by the old master when he had built up the family.


    Initially, although Pang Hanwei¡¯s surname was not from the Bai family, she could change it. She had the blood of the Bai family in her body, and that was enough!


    However, who would have thought that she did not care about the family¡¯s legacy at all!


    Not long after Pang Hanwei spread the news that she was going to get married and be a concubine, the shopkeepers came to her door one by one.


    They advised her earnestly.


    ¡°In the past, everyone in Xun County pointed their fingers at me when they saw me. They said that I was bad luck, a bad omen. Now that I am lucky and have be the head of the Bai family, they¡¯re saying that my Mother was terrible and that I am just like her. In the future, even if I have a husband, I will not be able to live in peace. They will alwayse and nder me. Now that I am Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s concubine, I am also a member of the royal family. When the timees, who will dare to say anything?!¡± Pang Hanwei snorted slightly.


    She knew what she wanted.


    She had plenty of silver. With silver, Zhao Xuzhi would have to treat her well in the future!


    In the future, even if she gave birth to a son or a daughter, they would all be of the Zhao family¡¯s bloodline. She would be able to have her name in the genealogy book, right?


    No one else would be able to climb the royal family¡¯s tree!


    The shopkeepers were rendered speechless and their hearts turned cold.


    They were already suspicious of her, but now, they had second thoughts.


    Giving away the Bai family¡¯s wealth to someone else?


    All of this was the result of their hard work!


    The shopkeepers understood what was going on. When they went back, they did something big.


    Pang Hanwei did not know much about business matters. There were many people who had returned the incense. Many documents and contracts had to be signed by Pang Hanwei. She failed to see anything wrong and stamped them.


    In just a few days, half of the Bai family¡¯s property was gone.


    The property had been taken away by the shopkeepers. These shopkeepers had only been hired, they were not servants. Now that they had turned hostile, they were rude to Pang Hanwei.


    She was also a little dumbfounded. When she found out that the owners of several of her shops had changed, she waspletely stunned.


    However, how would she treasure the property she had obtained for nothing?


    Although her shops were gone, the Bai family still hadnds and silver. These things were enough to support her for a lifetime.

 Chapter 596 - Choose One of Two

    <h4>Chapter 596: Choose One of Two</h4>


    What happened at the Bai family had caused such a hugemotion that it was difficult for others not to know about it.


    Xie Qiao stayed in her room all day inscribing talismans, preparing to eliminate the ghouls in the temple. However, she had also heard many things about Pang Hanwei.


    Nevertheless, she was not surprised.


    During this period of time, it could be said that Pang Hanwei¡¯s luck was at its best.


    However, no matter how good a person¡¯s luck was, the things they had seen since young were too little.


    This opportunity was right in front of her, and she could not seize it.


    The Bai family had so much wealth. If she was more sensible and worked hard to hold it in her hands, even if she did not be a powerful person in this lifetime, she would not have to worry about three meals a day, and she would always be safe.


    Unfortunately, thisdy was raised by a servant.


    It was not that the servant was lowly, but the old man had been a servant since he was young. He had been like this for decades, and he would always carry a sense of inferiority in his bones. The child he raised indeed could not hold the mountain of gold and silver.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao calmed herself down and inscribed another one.


    Just as she put it away, Zhao Xuanjing knocked on the door.


    ¡°Zhao Xuzhi, that b*stard, sent a message to the Fourth Prince¡¯s people. There are a few ministers in the court who are investigating me.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s words seemed to be angry, but Xie Qiao did not see any anxiety on his face.


    ¡°Why are they investigating you for? Solving the case?¡± Xie Qiao teased.


    ¡°Saying that we¡¯re in a rtionship, saying that you charmed the Crown Prince, and that you¡¯re actually practising witchcraft,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said calmly.


    Those people behind the Fourth Prince were like mad dogs every time they had something on him, so the words they said were naturally more unpleasant.


    He was guessing other than those people who had neutral feelings about him in the court, there were two sides quarreling.


    One side was his father¡¯s old ministers, who also respected him very much, and the other side was the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince¡¯s external family.


    ¡°Me? Witchcraft?¡± Xie Qiao was upset.


    If she really was a witch, Zhao Xuzhi would have been dead long ago. How would he still be alive now?


    The feng shui master who tampered with Pang Xiyuan and the Li family¡¯s graves must be very capable, right? To be able to cause the deaths of all the members of a family, she had such abilities too!


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly tilted his head to look at her expression.


    Xie Qiao snorted and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not angry when others are. Who can I reason with when I¡¯m mad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. If you want, I¡¯ll marry you. It¡¯s legal, how would it be that you charmed me? If you don¡¯t want to¡­ I¡¯ll choose one of the officials¡¯ daughters. You¡¯ll be excused if I get married,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said shamelessly.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    She felt ufortable.


    She coveted this face and body. If her junior brother was married, she would not be able to look at him much. In the future, when she was scared by those ghouls, she would not have anything to please her eyes with.


    However, hearing him say that he would marry the daughter of an official, she was unhappy.


    ¡°Which family is she from?¡± Xie Qiao was depressed, but she still looked calm.


    ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned it to you several times. It¡¯s Xie Pinggang¡¯s sister, Young Lady Xie Qiao. What do you think?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked persistently with a burning gaze.


    This was not the first time Xie Qiao had heard that.


    ¡°Can¡¯t it be someone else? From what you say, it can be anyone else,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°Of course not. There¡¯s no one else besides Senior Sister and Young Lady Xie,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said in all seriousness.


    How long was this girl going to pretend?


    With that said, it was Xie Qiao¡¯s turn topete with him again.


    Xie Pinggang was just about toe over. He had just stepped half a foot in when he heard the Crown Prince¡¯s words. His eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Your Highness, is what you said just now true?! You¡¯re choosing between Master Mo and my Eldest Sister?!¡±

 Chapter 597 - Happy to Do So

    <h4>Chapter 597: Happy to Do So</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s loud voice really gave Xie Qiao a big fright.


    He paid no attention to that and hurriedly walked in. He knelt on one knee on the ground and cupped his fists with both hands. He looked like he was unstoppable. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, for your love! My Eldest Sister has always been fond of you, but I didn¡¯t dare to mention it because of the difference between heaven and earth. Now that Your Highness likes her too, it¡¯s better to get it done as soon as possible!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s temples throbbed.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s small face flushed, but it was not very obvious through the makeup.


    She had always... been fond of him?


    She was just admiring his face and figure, was she not?!


    ¡°Xie Pinggang, please behave.¡± Xie Qiao really could not stand it anymore.


    How pitiful was it to be in such a hurry to ask for a marriage?


    After all, she was an expert. One would have to beg her to marry her!


    ¡°Master Mo, I understand what you¡¯re saying. The Crown Prince is fond of you, and he doesn¡¯t have too much affection for my Eldest Sister. Our Xie family has little requirements. Moreover, Master Mo, you are also a kind person, so... If you want to be the princess consort, then we are willing to do that. A princess consort and a concubine, it¡¯s perfect. My Eldest Sister¡¯s health isn¡¯t good, so you just have to be a little more amodating...¡± Xie Pinggang was going all out..


    What was the point of holding back?


    His eldest sister¡¯s long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled!


    That girl kept muttering to herself, saying that the Crown Prince was good-looking in every way!


    One day, while he was practicing with his broadsword, he heard Xie Qiao muttering to herself, saying that the Crown Prince would definitely look cool if he wore a sword on his waist!


    She was already talking about his waist, what was there to be reserved about?


    Thinking of that, Xie Pinggang could not help but secretly look down.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s waist was indeed straight, full, and not thick.


    It was just right.


    No wonder his eldest sister liked it. If he were a woman, he would like it too.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zhao Xuanjing raised his voice and frowned so hard that a mosquito could be squashed.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled. ¡°Your Highness is mighty and majestic. I think my Eldest Sister is really blessed!¡±


    Xie Qiao wanted to raise her hand and hit him for buttering up the Crown Prince like that.


    This pig sold her just like that. Forget it. She was his biological sister after all. Why did he not fight for the position of princess consort for her?


    She had a short life. Was she not worthy of being a wife because of that?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s mind was full of wild thoughts. It was chaos. However, her face had always been calm andposed, like an old pine tree.


    Zhao Xuanjing was disgusted by Xie Pinggang¡¯s look, and he felt ufortable all over. ¡°Minister Xie, you should settle the marriage soon. If you stare at me again, be careful to not have your eyeballs dug out.¡±


    Xie Pinggangughed.


    It was just a peek, he would not be unscrupulous...


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make sure not to have my eyeballs dug out in the future!¡± Xie Pinggang was very respectful.


    He was so respectful that... It was a little irritating.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Pinggang like that and thought about the future... With such a brother-inw, he would be irritated quite often.


    ¡°Master Mo, please give me a straightforward answer.¡± Xie Pinggang had not forgotten about that, and his eyes were burning with excitement and eagerness.


    Xie Qiao felt helpless all over. ¡°Maybe your sister doesn¡¯t want to get married like this?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Pinggang asked at the same time.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and then she said with a profound expression, ¡°From what I see, the eldest daughter of the Xie family is a noble person...¡±


    Before she could finish, Xie Pinggang sneered. ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know my Sister. That girl... She stayed at the Taoist temple for a long time. She looks serious on the surface, but she¡¯s actually not picky at all. She is broad-minded and has a sense of affectation.. She would be happy to do so.¡±

 Chapter 598 - Never Let Her Down

    <h4>Chapter 598: Never Let Her Down</h4>


    Xie Qiao was a little flustered by Xie Pinggang¡¯s words.


    It was over. Her dignity was all gone!


    He was her biological brother. Indeed, only her biological brother would harm her like this!


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips slightly and looked like she was going to cry. Zhao Xuanjing looked at her posture and quickly said, ¡°Minister Xie, do you always nder Young Lady Xie to outsiders like this? Do you know how important a woman¡¯s reputation is? You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is not an outsider¡­¡± Xie Pinggang was honest.


    He did not really want to speak ill of his sister.


    He was worried for his sister. After all, the Crown Prince had to choose between two!


    He had to let the Crown Prince know that his sister was not someone who would be jealous, right?


    The Crown Prince was a big tree. It was not easy for him to lower a few branches and let his sister climb up to him. He absolutely could not let go of this opportunity.


    Look at the girl with the surname Pang. Did she not just volunteer herself ande before the Crown Prince to be his concubine?


    He had to take the initiative.


    Xie Qiao was so angry at Xie Pinggang that she felt her liver ache.


    ¡°Although the Xie family is not a well-known family, General Xie has made great contributions to the Qianyuan dynasty. Young Master Xie¡­ You¡¯ve also made contributions from time to time. As the eldest daughter of the Xie family, Young Lady Xie is gentle and beautiful. If I have the intention to ask her to marry me, I will ask my Father for an imperial decree. The fortune teller will dictate a good day and ce great importance on it. Minister Xie, you must not be so reckless and nder me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was being reasonable.


    Xie Qiao instantly felt at ease.


    That was more like it.


    Xie Pinggang listened and thought for a moment. He also thought what His Highness said made sense.


    It was just that he hade from a bandit mountain stronghold in the past and did not know so many rules.


    At that moment, a rare look of guilt appeared on his face. ¡°Then what should we talk about now?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s to show respect. We have to ask Young Lady Xie¡¯s opinion first. If she agrees, it¡¯s not toote for me to ask for my Father¡¯s permission.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was frank and polite, making Xie Pinggang feel that he was quite vulgar.


    However, he could not understand.


    Since he was so respectful, why did he choose one or the other?


    Xie Pinggang thought the Crown Prince was tooplicated. Like his eldest sister, they were too calctive that he could not handle them.


    ¡°Our Master arranged the marriage between Senior Sister Mo and I. We should respect that. If Senior Sister doesn¡¯t want to, we can break off the engagement and get married on our own,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xie Qiao was a little dazed by his words.


    She really did not know that she was engaged to the Crown Prince.


    Her master had gone on a trip. She did not know where he was, so she could not write to ask.


    ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t want to,¡± Xie Qiao quickly added.


    She was going to use Mo Chusheng¡¯s disguise to do official business. How could an expert be in a romantic rtionship?


    It would dy her from umting good karma.


    Zhao Xuanjing was reasonable. ¡°Great, now there must be gossip in the court. If the candidate for princess consort is still uncertain, it¡¯s really terrible for the stability of the country. So¡­ When I return, I¡¯ll tell Young Lady Xie about my feelings, but¡­ Senior Sister Mo, do you think Young Lady Xie will agree to it?¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    She did not know, do not ask her!


    The Crown Prince was not young anymore. It was impossible for him to never get married.


    Xie Qiao stared at the Crown Prince¡¯s face and thought for a moment. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Perhaps she will agree.¡±


    When she said that, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression that was initially tensed instantly melted like ice. It was as if he was bathed in the spring breeze. The warm smile in his eyes could not be hidden. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that would be amazing. If I get her, I will never let her down in my life!¡±


    Xie Qiao lowered her head, her heart wavering.


    Xie Pinggang still wanted to say something, but he was red at by the Crown Prince.


    At this time, it was better for his brother-inw to keep his mouth shut.


    Otherwise, Xie Qiao, a well-to-do youngdy, would bepared to the youngdy from the Pang family. It would be truly terrible!

 Chapter 599 - A Blessing, Not A Curse

    <h4>Chapter 599: A Blessing, Not A Curse</h4>


    After the Crown Prince and Xie Pinggang left, Xie Qiao stayed alone in the room. She held a cinnabar brush in her hand and prepared to continue inscribing the talisman.


    However, when she put down the brush, she paused for a moment. A talisman was destroyed.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and took out a copper coin to calcte her fate in marriage.


    She rarely did that for herself because she could not figure it out clearly.


    At this moment, she had nothing to do, so she decided to give it a try.


    After a round of deduction, it showed that she had a great fate in marriage. Xie Qiao felt a little more at ease.


    Then she thought about it and felt that¡­ Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s luck was great. It was so good that she really wanted to do some careful research. If this marriage was sessful, she could bepletely unrestrained in the future!


    Thinking of this, Xie Qiao still had some expectations.


    The Crown Prince was good at everything. Although he had a ghoul following him earlier, he even made that ghoul into his guard. It stayed far away and did not dare to get close. In this case, he really had no ws at all.


    Xie Qiao quickly adjusted her state of mind and did not dawdle anymore. She fell into a happy state.


    However, she did not indulge in that state for long.


    There was still a serious matter to be solved.


    The ghouls in the temple¡­ were really not easy to be gotten rid of.


    Forget it that it was a ce with dark energy, three people had died in it.


    During the day, there were no traces of ghouls, but some ghouls liked toe out after dark.


    The formation set up by the feng shui master should correspond to the time. At night, when it was the right time, the dark energy would be strong. If one could not withstand it, everything would be over.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao did not want to continue inscribing talismans, so she went out to buy something.


    Da Xiong did note along, so she could only buy an ordinary rooster.


    She also bought a cow, sheep, and pig. The ck dog from before was still there, so these were enough.


    These kinds of livestock were covered in enough human energy, so they would be a great help.


    She waited until the next afternoon. She left when she got almost everything ready.


    ¡°This temple was built for the Li family. The vengeful spirits raised by the evil energy inside will target the Li family members more. If Li Qingyu appears and blood is shed, the smell will definitely attract all the spirits. However¡­ it¡¯s quite dangerous,¡± Xie Qiao said to Elder Li.


    ¡°Is it life-threatening?¡± Elder Li frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯s too timid and will faint from fright. If he passes out and his soul is unstable, the possibility of an ident happening will be high.¡±


    Li Qingyu looked as if he was facing a great enemy at this moment.


    Hearing that, he said cautiously, ¡°Will everything be okay if I don¡¯t faint? Also, if I don¡¯t go, will It affect you capturing the spirits?¡±


    After what happened to Zhao Xuzhi, as a good friend, he went to visit him.


    Seeing that Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s neck had been bitten by a snake, it was really quite scary.


    He also secretly asked around about Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s subordinates.


    Those people said that it was the truth. They even said that if they did not have Master Mo¡¯s talismans with them, they might have been trapped in the temple and killed by the snake!


    Listen to what they said!


    How could he not be scared?


    How much food did he have to eat to grow so healthy? If he died, the Li family would suffer immensely!


    Li Qingyu felt like his soul was flying away before he headed there.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t go, but the ghouls hide themselves quite well. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to capture all of them.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were clear.


    Elder Li sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s my Li family¡¯s business. How can I let Master work hard alone?¡± Elder Li was very polite. ¡°Let this child go with you. If you need him to do anything, just say it. It¡¯s a blessing, not a curse. Even if it¡¯s a curse, we can¡¯t avoid it.¡±

 Chapter 600 - You Won’t Understand Even If I Told You

    <h4>Chapter 600: You Won¡¯t Understand Even If I Told You</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Why was Xie Qiao so polite and respectful to Elder Li? It was because this old man knew etiquette very well.


    He never doubted her abilities and obeyed her requests without causing any trouble.


    That way, she could get twice the result with half the effort.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Zhao Xuanjing leaned over. ¡°Am I useful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your usefulness is almost the same as Li Qingyu¡¯s.¡± Xie Qiao immediately nodded.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned. He did not like the word ¡°almost¡±.


    He was much better than this kid from the Li family.


    ¡°Even better.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while and gave a serious evaluation. She then dragged him over and said softly, ¡°Your Highness, you can summon ghouls, but ghouls can only smell you when they¡¯re by your side. They can¡¯t hurt you. So if you go, the ghouls in that ce won¡¯t hide themselves.


    ¡°However, nothing is certain. If you faint, the vengeful spirits might be able to take advantage of you. Also, you have to be more careful of things like snakes, insects, rats, and ants,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Judging by Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s situation, the vengeful spirits could even affect the things underground.


    Ghouls could not touch the Crown Prince, but the snakes, insects, rats, and ants could, right?


    He still had to be careful.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we prepared a lot of medicine these few days? It should be fine. I¡¯ll go with you so that I can be relieved,¡± the Crown Prince said again.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Those ghouls that follow you... You can bring them with you when the timees. In case I can¡¯t beat them alone, I can use the talisman to control the other ghouls that don¡¯t have an evil energy. Of course, I won¡¯t use them for nothing. I can burn some things for them for free.¡±


    Elder Li had to pay her more.


    She had really put in a lot of effort for his family¡¯s ancestral grave.


    The ancestral grave could not be moved directly. The evil energy had already existed for 20 years. If they did not deal with the temple properly, they could move the grave directly. It would just be treating the symptoms but not the root cause.


    The two of them had discussed it in private. Elder Li also knew that the Crown Prince was going.


    All the more reason to let Li Qingyu follow them.


    The Crown Prince was the Emperor, and he did not exploit his status here. How could he let the Crown Prince take the lead for him?


    Furthermore, Elder Li... was quite nervous.


    If anything happened to the Crown Prince, with the Emperor¡¯s love and protection for the Crown Prince, his entire Li family would probably have to pay with their lives.


    Elder Li had been very nervous. He could not stop sweating, it was dripping.


    These men were all pretty tough.


    They were also worried about the Crown Prince, so all of them followed him.


    In the evening, they arrived outside the temple.


    Xie Qiao was like a little girl picking mushrooms. She carried a small bamboo basket on her back and held an umbre in one hand. Then, she surrounded the temple and dug holes to bury the dharma instruments.


    She did not look like she was to get rid of evil spirits.


    Behind her stood one, two, three, four... The eight men were all dumbfounded and did not know what to do.


    Li Qingyu secretly looked at the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince was still calm enough. Everyone was equally embarrassed, but only the Crown Prince and the fearless and thick-skinned Xie Pinggang could be so calm.


    Unlike them, they felt both afraid and embarrassed.


    To let a woman like Master Mo work so hard for so long, while they... could not even understand what she was doing!


    Li Qingyu was too scared. At that moment, he cautiously asked Xie Qiao, ¡°Master, what are you doing? Can you tell me? I¡¯ll feel more at ease if you do.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t understand even if I told you, right? You might be even more scared.¡± Xie Qiao deliberately teased him.


    Li Qingyu felt his teeth turn cold.

 Chapter 601 - Is This Scary to You?

    <h4>Chapter 601: Is This Scary to You?</h4>


    Li Qingyu looked pitiful. Xie Qiao smiled at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re different from the others. When I activate this formationter, you won¡¯t even need the cow¡¯s tears. You¡¯ll definitely be able to see the evil things. When that happens¡­ you¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I-I will see them?!¡± Li Qingyu was on the verge of a breakdown.


    He thought that it would be the same as when he was at Pang Xiyuan¡¯s grave. Although he could sense that something was wrong around him, he did not see anything evil!


    ¡°You¡¯re a descendant of the Li family. They set up this for you. With my formation and your blood, it¡¯s normal for you to see them. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment. Worried that he could not take it anymore, she suddenly took out a brush and paper from her basket.


    A drizzle hit the umbre.


    Xie Qiao asked Xie Pinggang to hold it for her. Taking advantage of the fact that it was still quite bright outside, she quickly started drawing.


    ¡°Look, all ghouls look like this.¡± Xie Qiao quickly finished drawing and stuffed it into Li Qingyu¡¯s hand.


    Li Qingyu looked at it¡­


    ¡®Are you sure?


    ¡®Their faces and stomachs are rotten and they don¡¯t have all their limbs? Is that it?¡¯


    The drawing style was actually quite good¡­


    ¡°You have to remember this. If you faint, you¡¯ll be dead. Even Gods won¡¯t be able to save you by then! No matter what you see, you¡¯ll have to grit your teeth and endure it. Young man, believe in yourself. You can do it,¡± Xie Qiao said each word seriously and firmly.


    In reality¡­ it would be fine even if he fainted. Even if she could not capture the ghouls, she could still save Li Qingyu.


    However, she was worried that Li Qingyu would not care.


    Moreover, if he fainted, there would indeed be some trouble. Not only would she have to deal with the ghouls, she would also have to save Li Qingyu. She could not do two things at once.


    Li Qingyu gulped and nodded heavily.


    He could do it!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to perform the ceremony and activate the formation now! You guys stand in the position that I¡¯ve arranged just now.¡±


    They were standing in the seven-star position, but Li Qingyu was different.


    He was a bait. He was used to lure the ghouls.


    At the spot where Li Qingyu was standing, Xie Qiao picked up her knife at ease and cut his arm. In the next moment, fresh blood flowed out.


    Then, Xie Qiao started the ceremony and activated the formation. She walked in the seven-star sword steps. Holding the peach wood sword in her hand, she pointed at the direction of the stars and moon while muttering to herself.


    Li Qingyu had never seen such a scene.


    Different from those mysterious swindlers on the street, this Master Mo was like an immortal at this moment. Her strange steps also looked very special, making people lose themselves in it.


    Zhao Xuanjing vaguely saw¡­ the scene when Xie Qiao was dancing with the sword in the academy.


    However, it was more coherent and natural, and the momentum was also stronger.


    Xie Qiao really knew how tobine twopletely unrted things together, and she did it very smoothly.


    Once the formation was activated, the surrounding atmosphere changed.


    Li Qingyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He kept feeling the rustling under his feet, and his scalp suddenly went numb. He tried to muster his courage and looked down, only to see¡­ a handing from below!


    ¡°They¡¯re just severed arms and legs, severed arms and legs. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Li Qingyu clutched his chest and muttered.


    Those who had no idea what was happening would think that he had learned how to chant.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    There was another sound.


    Li Qingyu saw with his own eyes that something was floating out of the 18 Buddha statues!


    Oh my¡­


    Li Qingyu felt like his scalp was going to explode. At that moment, any small movement around him could scare him out of his wits!


    ¡°M-Master!¡± Li Qingyu stuttered and looked in the direction of Xie Qiao as if he was asking for help.


    However, what he saw was Master Mo¡¯s calm expression. She nced at him with an unfathomable expression and said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re indeed young and inexperienced. Is this scary to you?¡±

 Chapter 602 - The Master Who Can Summon Wind and Rain

    <h4>Chapter 602: The Master Who Can Summon Wind and Rain</h4>


    At this moment, Li Qingyu felt ashamed and could not suppress his fear. His admiration for Master Mo was like a torrential river that flowed endlessly.


    At this moment, it did not look good for the others.


    Indeed, there were many snakes, insects, rats, and ants on the ground.


    They gathered slowly.


    ¡°Moo¡­¡± The old cow that Xie Qiao had brought with her let out a cry. Its hooves stomped the ground anxiously. The rooster chased after the insects and asionally crowed.


    With the ck dog and a few other livestock crying, the evil energy in the formation weakened a little.


    Vengeful spirits floated out.


    What surprised Xie Qiao was that the vengeful spirits that floated out of the 18 Buddha statues were not very powerful. They only looked a little scary and eerie.


    The truly powerful ones were the vengeful spirits of the three schrs.


    After dying in this temple, they did not reincarnate. Instead, they were trapped. They were new spirits and were moreplete than the spirits in the Buddha statues. Therefore, they had perfectly fused with the evil energy, bing the vengeful spirits that controlled this ce.


    They had blood-red tongues, white eyes, and a pair of shriveled and slender ws.


    Their rotten scalps were hanging in the air, and their bodies were emitting a stench that was so terrible that it made one feel nauseous.


    Li Qingyu was dumbfounded.


    Master Mo¡­ lied!


    The real vengeful spirits were much more terrifying than the ones that Master Mo had drawn!


    His legs could not help but tremble. The fresh blood in his hand seemed to have frozen, and his entire body was cold.


    A vengeful spirit was charging at him.


    It was as if it wanted to swallow him whole.


    Xie Qiao held the peach wood sword in her hand and muttered an incantation. Suddenly, there was a p of thunder on the ground, and it struck the head of the vengeful spirit that was approaching Li Qingyu.


    In an instant, the ugly vengeful spirit was burnt to a crisp.


    As for Li Qingyu¡­ he was stupefied.


    M-Master could summon the wind and rain?!


    However, why did the others not react?


    Could it be that he was the only one who could see it?


    What should he do?


    Right now, he was actually unable to differentiate between what he saw, which was reality, and which was the scene that only he and the master could see!


    There was indeed thunder in the sky, but it was not summoned by Xie Qiao.


    It had been drizzling the past few days, so it was very normal for there to be asional thunder.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The three vengeful spirits let out a disgusting sound, and the other vengeful spirits behind them began to hover, baring their fangs and brandishing their ws at Li Qingyu.


    Li Qingyu was going to faint. Fortunately, the cut on his arm felt quite painful, reminding him over and over again to listen to the master¡¯s words.


    ¡°Seven affairs and eight spirits, the Grand Supreme chasing the evil away. Long-headed giant beasts, ten thousand souls have returned. Hear mymand, go!¡± Xie Qiao shouted again, and immediately after, the ghouls that followed Zhao Xuanjing around immediately rushed toward those vengeful spirits.


    ¡°W-Why can¡¯t you let us go even after we¡¯re dead¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very dark to be trapped here forever¡­ Come with me¡­ Let me eat you! Ha!¡±


    ¡°Kid, I¡¯ll teach you to read¡­ Recite with me¡­¡± The voice drifted far away.


    One of the vengeful spirits hovered next to Li Qingyu, grimacing and muttering, and even started to recite the Three Character ssic.


    Li Qingyu thought he never wanted to study again in his life.


    Being taught by the vengeful spirits was truly a terrible feeling!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s small hands did not stop as she chanted incantations continuously.


    Inside the formation, five bolts of lightning struck.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was filled with pain as she casted the incantation that was drawn by the Crown Prince¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Five Emperors and five dragons, send the lights and move the wind. Spread out and nourish thend, assis the God of Thunder. The fivekes and four seas, water gathers around the imperial court. You obey as the divine firmament talismanmands. Anyone who dares to go against it will not be tolerated by the lightning ax. Hear mymand!¡±


    As the incantation was casted, the scene inside the formation changed drastically!


    At that instant, Li Qingyu¡¯s eyes were blurry. What did he see?! A sparkly dragon?!


    ¡°Master! Look!¡± Li Qingyu was finally a little excited.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Please behave. It¡¯s all fake.¡±


    She only did that because she thought the Crown Prince¡¯s bloodplemented the Five Dragon Incantation!


    She was usually reluctant to use such a powerful incantation!

 Chapter 603

    <h4>Chapter 603: A Method to Treat His Illness</h4>


    Under the Five Dragon Incantation, lightning shed and thunder rumbled. With the help of the Seven Star Bagua Formation, a group of vengeful spirits hissed and howled.


    At this moment, even the spirits that hade to help were trembling with fear.


    They did not have any evil energy on them, so they were not targeted. However, the majesty was truly frightening, and they did not dare to move.


    The ghouls did not dare to move, nor did Li Qingyu.


    Before Master Mo¡¯s sparkly incantation appeared, he felt the ghouls touch his face, scratch his neck, and even stare at him to make him study.


    Since the incantation was casted¡­ he saw the ghouls staring at him malevolently.


    He gulped.


    His gaze shifted to the Crown Prince and Xie Pinggang outside.


    They really were in two different worlds. The ce was filled with blood and rain where he was, and it was peaceful outside the formation. They only had to deal with some snakes, insects, rats, and ants. It was not difficult at all!


    The both of them came to the temple together, so why was the difference so great?


    Why was he the only one who was scared?!


    Li Qingyu¡¯s eyes were red. He tried hard to grab his wound and his mind instantly became clearer.


    However, he was a little muddle-headed again. His mind was in a mess just now. What was he thinking about?


    On Xie Qiao¡¯s side, the situation had almost stabilized.


    ¡°Retrieve!¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was calm.


    She took out a soul-summoning banner and captured all those vengeful spirits inside.


    She was very straightforward.


    There was nothing left. The scene was quiet. As for Li Qingyu, he was dumbstruck and his face was pale.


    When the others saw that the wind around them was gone and that it was not as cold as before, they walked over from that direction.


    ¡°What happened just now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was very curious. Li Qingyu¡¯s expression was really interesting.


    ¡°Master, the dragon is gone¡­¡± Li Qingyu was confused.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly. ¡°That¡¯s the Five Dragon Incantation. It¡¯s a talisman inscribed with the Crown Prince¡¯s blood. There aren¡¯t many people in the world who can inscribe this talisman. I¡¯m talented, so I know a thing or two about it.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing had always wanted to ask Xie Qiao about something.


    ¡°I visited the Yuxu Temple. At that time, the Taoist master also said that my blood is good.¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and said it anyway. Seeing Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes wide open, he quickly asked, ¡°Why?¡± He quickly asked again, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ During the Winter Clothes Festival, I¡¯ve also stained your talisman with my blood. Why was it¡­ not useful at all?¡±


    ¡°Why did you go to the Yuxu Temple? Can¡¯t you talk to me about anything?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    What did he mean? Did he think that she was not good enough?


    Zhao Xuanjing felt guilty.


    Xie Qiao snorted. ¡°Whether this blood can be used depends on who uses it. Besides¡­ I¡¯ve done a lot of good things in the past few months and saved many people. My body has be more stable, so this blood is naturally purer than before.¡±


    If everyone could use blood to inscribe talismans, why would she be needed?


    In fact, the Crown Prince¡¯s blood was not very useful. It should only be a little stronger than before.


    However, with her Five Dragon Incantation, the dragon energy in this blood could be maximized.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done many good deeds in the past.¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned and was confused.


    Over the years, a lot of cases had been solved, and the people who benefited from it were countless.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment. ¡°As the Crown Prince, it¡¯s your duty to make decisions for the living and the well-being of the people. Therefore, even if you do a lot and receive little in return, it¡¯s different if you call the shots for the souls of the dead¡­ You get a lot of good karma, so it can make up for your shorings?¡±


    Xie Qiao could not be sure. After all, she had never seen such a situation before.


    However, in any case, it was also a method to treat the Crown Prince¡¯s illness!

 Chapter 604

    <h4>Chapter 604: Offended People</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought it should be useful for the Crown Prince to reincarnate the souls of the dead together with her.


    He could evenmand the souls to protect him. Would that not be impressive enough?!


    The Crown Prince¡¯s brows rxed. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t forget me, your junior brother when Senior Sister Mo deals with the spirits in the future.¡±


    ¡°S-Sure.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s feet swayed for a moment before she steadied herself and exhaled. ¡°I need to rest for a while.¡±


    The Five Dragon Incantation was indeed very powerful, but inscribing talismans and chanting incantations required a lot of mental energy. She had done a lot of good things recently, and her energy had be more and more abundant, so she did not faint. Otherwise¡­ she would have copsed again.


    ¡°There¡¯s a soft pillow in the carriage.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes revealed a bit of worry.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    She took the umbre and walked steadily to the carriage.


    Once she got to the carriage, she fell into a deep sleep.


    There was only one carriage, and it was brought to the courtyard of the temple. They could see it from the inside. There was no need to guard it specially. It was still raining outside, so Li Qingyu and the others could only stay in the house.


    The Crown Prince, Xie Pinggang, and the others were very calm. They found a good ce and rested immediately.


    However, Li Qingyu looked at this ce and was terrified.


    ¡°Did you really not see anything just now?¡± Li Qingyu was very careful. He did not dare to speak to the Crown Prince. The fierce Xie Pinggang was not a talkative person, so he could only talk to Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong looked puzzled. ¡°No? It¡¯s just some snakes. They¡¯re quite poisonous. However, we all brought along snake repellent. No one was bitten and the snakes were all cleaned up.¡±


    Li Qingyu sighed. ¡°What I saw¡­ was very interesting.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhou Weizong was also interested and curious.


    ¡°In the beginning, there was a hand, but it was only half broken. That hand could still move, so it crawled out of the courtyard¡­¡± Li Qingyu pointed outside, then pointed at the Buddha statue, ¡°This ce isn¡¯t clean either. Evil things floated out directly from inside. They were very ugly and scary. Half of the scalp has fallen off. It¡¯s so disgusting that people would lose their appetite!


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. They¡¯re very scary. They even wanted to eat people. They were grabbing my neck¡­ Ouch¡­¡± Li Qingyu touched his neck and realized that it was a little painful.


    Zhou Weizong looked over and said, ¡°There¡¯s a bruise there.¡±


    Li Qingyu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°As expected! That thing was really scary. It didn¡¯t even touch here. How did it get bruised?! It¡¯s them who are causing trouble!¡±


    Zhou Weizong looked at Li Qingyu sympathetically. ¡°You¡¯re quite pitiful.¡±


    Li Qingyu wanted to cry but had no tears.


    It was more than pitiful?


    These people did not see the scene just now, so they could not understand his feelings at that time!


    ¡°I still feel ufortable looking at this temple now,¡± Li Qingyu said timidly.


    After seeing so many ghouls, he still had lingering fear in his heart. He could not help but be afraid, afraid that something would suddenlye out from the surroundings!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have searched the area. There isn¡¯t a single rat. Rest well. It will be fine tomorrow. However, I don¡¯t know who your grandfather offended to cause such trouble,¡± Zhou Weizongforted him.


    Li Qingyu fell silent.


    These few days, his grandfather had been troubled.


    He had specifically asked about it. His grandfather had said that more than 20 years ago, he had offended¡­ many people!


    So many that he could not find anyone who hated the Li family the most!


    Back then, his grandfather was the imperial tutor of the current dynasty. The Li family was powerful and prosperous, and the Emperor favored them. The Empress Dowager and the Empress also treated the Li family differently. They were very important in the imperial court and worked for the Emperor. It was inevitable that they would offend people¡­

 Chapter 605

    <h4>Chapter 605: Maybe I Should Be Reincarnated!</h4>


    For the first time, Li Qingyu felt his grandfather¡¯s sorrow.


    There were endless funerals in the family, and he did not know who to me. The resentment had nowhere to go, and it made his heart ache.


    When he thought about how he had wanted to travel to search for immortals and not study hard, he wanted to p his own face!


    That night, Li Qingyu could not sleep. In his mind, he thought of his grandfather¡¯s old appearance, and then he thought of the terrifying ghouls he had seen earlier.


    Early the next morning, his eyes were ck and blue.


    However, he could also feel that the atmosphere around the temple had be much lighter.


    It was not as gloomy as before.


    Moreover, the sun hade out.


    Even the rain had stopped. This was a good sign.


    Elder Li had also rushed over with his men. When he saw that the Crown Prince, his grandson, and Master Mo were all fine, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Master Mo, can we demolish this temple?¡± Elder Li asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s demolish it. We have to destroy the Buddha statues inside. After all, there¡¯s some bone powder inside. After we destroy it, we have to bury it well. After this ce is ttened, we can get people to fill in the soil. It doesn¡¯t need to be too high. A palm¡¯s length is deep enough. We can nt something on it for three years.


    ¡°The other thing is the grave. The grave itself is not a problem. Now that the temple is removed, there¡¯s no need to move the grave anymore. If you¡¯re still worried, just get your descendants to take care of it. Just don¡¯t let wild trees and weeds grow on the grave,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Elder Li quickly nodded.


    After so many days, Elder Li looked like he had lost a lot of weight.


    ¡°My Grandson¡¯s cmity¡­¡± Elder Li looked worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s over now. If you want to feel better¡­ Qingming Festival ising soon, right? You can stay here. Kneel and kowtow before and after the Qingming Festival. Your ancestors will bless you and keep you safe,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Kneeling to ancestors was beneficial to the body. Apart from that, if one was sincere, one¡¯s state of mind would also change. If one¡¯s state of mind was good, his body would naturally be good too.


    Of course, the Elder Li listened.


    Not only did his grandson have to kneel, he also had to pay his respects sincerely. In addition, he had to stay here and guard the grave personally these days!


    ¡°Master, do you want to stay for a while longer? The spices in Xun County are pretty good. You can buy more. My family will pay for it,¡± Elder Li quickly added.


    ¡°No need. I have to return to the capital before the Qingming Festival,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The Qingming Festival hade, and the ghouls on the streets were going to show again.


    However, this time, she was in a much better condition than during the Winter Clothes Day. The possibility of being possessed should be much lower.


    Even so, she would still be very busy.


    Many ghouls had to be sent to reincarnation.


    At the academy, no one knew how Qin Liu and Fang Muxue were doing in their studies.


    Xie Qiao had many things she could not let go of. Naturally, she could not stay in Xun County to rest.


    She was no longer needed at the Li family¡¯s grave.


    That day, Xie Qiao entrusted those livestock to Elder Li and then returned in the carriage.


    On the way back, she almost stayed in the carriage all the time, reading books and inscribing talismans. It was much easier than when she hade.


    The only difference was that the annoying spirit who had always been chattering and helping her keep an eye on the road was now so quiet that he did not dare to make a sound.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Xie Qiao felt that this spirit had helped her a lot, so even if he was ugly, she could force herself to like him now.


    The annoying spirit stammered, ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t want the flying sword anymore. Can I get a refund?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xie Qiao frowned, ¡°Was my carving skills bad?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± The spirit immediately waved. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the world and thought it¡¯s too miserable to stay in this world! If one day, I¡¯m identally infected with resentment or trapped by something, won¡¯t I suffer forever and never be able to get out? M-Maybe I¡¯ll be reincarnated¡­¡±


    Thinking of the vengeful spirits that had been captured by the master, he felt a chill in his heart!

 Chapter 606

    <h4>Chapter 606: A Pleasant Surprise</h4>


    The ghoul¡¯s mind was filled with all kinds of talismans that the master had casted.


    The bolts of lightning struck the heads of the vengeful spirits, causing sparks to fly. The already ugly scalp became even uglier, even more unsightly than his appearance!


    The three vengeful spirits were initially schrs, just like him!


    The life of a soul was long, and there was no telling when an ident would ur. By then, the ghoul would lose his mind. If he was lucky, he would meet the master, and after being struck by lightning, he would be able to reincarnate. If he was unlucky¡­ he would have to be an ugly ghoul that all spirits would be disgusted of!


    So, forget about longevity!


    Xie Qiao never expected that the obsession of his soul would disappear!


    What a pleasant surprise!


    Although she had taken in many spirits previously, every single one of them was very important to her.


    Now that this annoying spirit hade to his senses, he would be a customer. Of course, she had to treat his customer politely.


    Xie Qiao immediately invited the spirit into the carriage. When she was looking at the face that exploded¡­ she was still smiling. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve gotten over it, your luck is pretty good. Qingming Festival ising soon, just in time for the Gate of Hell to open. When you leave, I¡¯ll burn some more joss paper for you. House, carriage, paper figurines. You can have anything you want. Do you have any other requests?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked perfect with her smile.


    After all, the ghoul had seen Xie Qiao lose her temper. Now that he saw her being so kind, he felt even more fearful inside.


    ¡°Master, you were already great to me before. There¡¯s no need to be so¡­ considerate. I¡¯m¡­ scared.¡± The annoying ghoul carefully tucked his clothes away.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    She had always been considerate, no?


    Xie Qiao had two lifetimes of memories, but she was born as soon as she closed her eyes and opened them, so she did not know what hell looked like.


    She guessed that there would be a queue for reincarnation. Even if he was unlucky, he would have to dy it for a while. Therefore¡­


    It was necessary to burn more joss paper. Seeing that the spirit was so sensible, she would burn some paper servants to serve him.


    She immediately asked the ghoul¡¯s name and ce of origin.


    The ghoul¡¯s grave was far away, so she could only burn the joss paper at an intersection. When the time came, she would have to say a few words to deliver the things to the ghoul.


    The ghoul in front of her was uneasy, but he obediently agreed to her request.


    Xie Qiao muttered in the carriage. The people outside were already used to it.


    They felt a little uneasy, but hearing Master Mo¡¯s calm tone, they knew that she was just talking to an ordinary ghoul.


    The ghouls that could make Master Mo curse were the ones that they had to be afraid of.


    When they returned to the capital, it was Qingming Festival.


    Xie Qiao had already begun to lower her head, trying her best not to raise it.


    ¡°Master, are you feeling unwell?¡± Zhou Weizong and the others were very concerned about Xie Qiao when she got out of the carriage.


    It was all thanks to the master¡¯s help that the case was solved so smoothly. They had to take care of her well.


    However, what was going on now?


    She looked listless, like a flower bud that had not been watered under the hot sun. She did not have any energy at all.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that¡­ There¡¯s a man lying on your head. He¡¯s very anxious and impatient. I don¡¯t want to look at it,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly.


    The corner of Zhou Weizong¡¯s lips twitched.


    The other guards were happy. ¡°No way, Brother Zhou. Did you do something wicked? Did someonee to find you?¡±


    It was just a joke.


    Zhao Xuanjing snorted. That sounded quite mean.


    The guard who spoke suddenly reacted¡­


    The Taoist master said that there was always something around their master¡­ So, did he identally scold the wrong person just now?


    He immediately knelt.

 Chapter 607

    <h4>Chapter 607: Your Rtive is Here to See You</h4>


    A group of guards were trembling as if the Crown Prince was going to eat them. Xie Qiao nced at Zhao Xuanjing at the side of her eye and could not help but mutter, ¡°Are you more terrifying than a vengeful spirit in their eyes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been kind. They¡¯re just too obedient,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said indifferently.


    The guards were very obedient.


    Yes, the Crown Prince was kind. He had given his kindness to Master Mo.


    When the guards followed the him, they were treated well, but his demands were high.


    The Crown Prince was not the kind of person who would kill his subordinates. However, when Master Mo was not around, he would not smile or speak. He would give people the chill. They could not help but follow the rules and never dared to cross the line.


    ¡°Get up. Don¡¯t scare Senior Sister Mo.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips even curled into a smile.


    The guards felt their scalps go numb. Why did His Highness suddenly smile like that?


    However, they still did it obediently as they were told.


    ¡°Master Zhou, the man who followed you asked you to take care of his daughter. He said that his daughter was wronged and no one helped her,¡± Xie Qiao said to Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong was themander of the guards in the East Pce. He only seemed more obedient and humble in front of the Crown Prince. He was someone that no one dared to provoke.


    ¡°Is there really a ghoul?¡± Zhou Weizong initially thought Master Mo was joking.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Qingming Festival now¡­ Your rtive is here to see you.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s hearts turned cold.


    At that moment, Xie Qiao no longer needed to put on an act. As a master, it was normal for her to be able to see these things.


    Zhou Weizong thought for a moment and quickly thanked her. ¡°What¡­ does he look like?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xie Qiao locked eyes with the ghoul. After looking at it, she said helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s more good looking than my Eldest¡­ Xie Pinggang, but he¡¯s also very fierce.¡±


    With that said, Zhou Weizong immediately understood.


    ¡°He must be my uncle¡­ When he was alive, he was a general of the Dong¡¯an navy. A few years ago, he disappeared, leaving only my cousin in this world. My family isplicated, so it¡¯d be difficult to take care of my cousin. She has been living with her grandparents in Dong¡¯an¡­¡±


    When Zhou Weizong finished exining, he frowned again. ¡°Master, may I ask what happened to my cousin? Why did my unclee all the way to the capital?¡±


    Was she wronged?


    ¡°He had a hard time traveling and didn¡¯t have the strength. He went back down after saying that,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Zhou Weizong was in a difficult position.


    How could he call the shots for his cousin from so far away?


    Xie Qiao was only responsible for passing on the message, and it was enough. Seeing that there were too many ghouls outside, she was worried that she would be too conspicuous when she saw the ghouls, so she quickly went into the Fortune Pavilion to start a ceremony.


    Zhao Xuanjing led his men and left.


    Xie Qiao chanted the incantation for the spirits to be released. This time, there were more ghouls than during the Winter Clothes Day. She was also nervous, afraid that the formation in the Fortune Pavilion would not be able to stop those ghouls for too long.


    Fortunately, everything went smoothly for the souls of the dead.


    Her constitution was special. The spirits would not disturb the living if they possessed her, so they would not harm her good karma at all. That was why the spirits wanted to look for her.


    Layers uponyers of talismans would eventually be torn.


    However, this time, she was especially well prepared.


    The reason being in the past few months, her body and energy were stronger than before. When she had time, she would inscribe talismans. She had umted so many regr talismans that she could not count them. Nothing should happen again.


    Moreover, this time, her body was better and her spirit was slightly more stable. An ordinary spirit probably would not be able to enter.


    Thinking back to the great loss she had suffered during the Winter Clothes Day, Xie Qiao thought she had to be more careful.


    The talismans were ced under her clothes. Her clothes were bulging, she looked like she had gained weight.

 Chapter 608

    <h4>Chapter 608: Out of Money</h4>


    Thest time Xia Qiao was possessed, it was mainly because she was dyed on the road. At that time, she identally exposed herself for Fang Muxue and the others and used up a lot of talismans. However, it was different this time.


    The road was smooth and they had arrived at the academy.


    Yang energy was strong in the academy. Xie Qiao felt safe.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt much more at ease that everything was going great. He withdrew his spies and got people to investigate the recent events in the imperial court.


    The result was within his expectations. It was still the same officials. They were like jerks refusing to let go after biting at something.


    He was not angry. He went directly to the pce.


    After Qingming Festival, Xie Qiao went back to the Xie residence. She had not been home for a long time. When she returned home and saw the steward¡¯s rxed look, she knew that nothing major had happened in the family.


    Xie Niushan happened to be at home, but it was theplete opposite. He had a distressed expression.


    When he saw Xie Qiao, it was as if he saw his savior.


    ¡°Eldest Daughter¡­ You are my biological daughter. Say a few good words to that ugly girl to increase my monthly allowance.¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s hair was about to go bald.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er is also your biological daughter.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°Fifty taels of silver per month is not enough for you to spend? Moreover¡­ didn¡¯t you just win a lot of bets?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?!¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s heart jolted.


    ¡®Does this girl have irvoyance?! How did she know such a small thing?!¡¯


    ¡°What is it that I don¡¯t know about Father?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled up.


    She and her eldest brother promoted the steward. He knew that her father was the most unreliable person in this family. So no matter what he did, the steward would not hide it from the siblings.


    When her father won money, she just turned a blind eye to it.


    Xie Niushan sighed, he looked listless. ¡°The amount is nothing. A few days ago, I apanied a friend to the brothel to drink. I met a youngdy who was quite pitiful, so I bought her. Now, I don¡¯t have a single cent left on me. I still owe that procuress 200 taels of silver.¡±


    Xie Qiao was shocked.


    Looking at Xie Niushan, her eyes were filled with shock. She gritted her teeth and said word by word, ¡°Father, did you go to the brothel to mess around?¡±


    She did not mind Xie Niushan looking for a wife again. As long as it was a legitimate marriage, it would be fine!


    ording to her mother¡¯sst order, she would be obedient and address her new mother properly. She would definitely not deliberately ruin her father¡¯s marriage!


    However, her father probably felt that he had had enough of the good life when he went to the brothel to mess around!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I was just there to listen to some music.¡± Xie Niushan was quite magnanimous. ¡°Thatdy looks like Ms. Lin. I couldn¡¯t just let her be ruined in that kind of ce. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Xie Qiao snorted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent all my silver. Second Daughter is very protective of the silver. I tried to persuade her, but she refused to give me any. It¡¯s part of what I earned after all!¡± Xie Niushan was also very angry when he thought of this matter.


    ¡°So¡­ you bullied my Sister at home.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    Her gaze turned cold when he looked at Xie Niushan.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s heart jolted. ¡°That¡¯s not true! That¡¯s my child. Why would I do anything ill to her?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s food at home. There¡¯s also a steward to take care of the interpersonal rtionships. Since you¡¯ve spent your monthly allowance, you¡¯ll have to wait until next month. I think Xi¡¯er¡¯s rules are quite good.¡± Xie Qiao said and thought for a while, then she said, ¡°Where does the youngdy you mentioned live? Is she staying at home?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of staying at home? After I bought her, I gave her fifty taels of silver and let her live on her own.¡± Xie Niushan looked very serious.


    Xie Qiao believed that he did not have any disgusting thoughts when he bought that person.

 Chapter 609 - Can’t Repay Me for Saving His life

    <h4>Chapter 609: Can¡¯t Repay Me for Saving His life</h4>


    Since her father did not act recklessly, Xie Qiao did not mind that he spent some money to make himself feel better.


    She also understood that his father had be a bandit when he was over ten years old and was used to acting recklessly. Now that he was an official, he was restrained everywhere and was even looked down upon by others. He could not help but feel aggrieved.


    If it was not for the sake of his children and descendants, he would probably rather go to the top of the mountain and be the overlord than be a pushover in the capital.


    Therefore, she usually gave in to her father.


    ¡°There are so many scheming people in the capital that I can¡¯t even count. Father, you¡¯re a little silly. It¡¯s very easy to deceive you. It¡¯s true that you¡¯re doing this out of kindness, but have you investigated the background of that person?¡± Xie Qiao asked slowly. She seemed to be very reasonable.


    Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°She¡¯s just a little peasant girl who was sold by her father.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence. She actually looks like Ms. Lin.¡± Xie Qiao did not think too much about it.


    The world was so big. It was normal for people and things to have simrities.


    ¡°They both looked stubborn and pitiful. They were forced to serve others, yet they can¡¯t squeeze a smile on their faces. This is the same when Ms. Lin first saw me back then,¡± Xie Niushan added.


    Ms. Lin had given birth to a pair of children for him, so he remembered this.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything else.


    Nevertheless, she still did not give him any silver.


    However, Xie Qiao could faintly smell the reek of alcohol on her father¡¯s body¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you run out of money? Where did you get the wine to drink?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a frown.


    Although there was alcohol at home, other than the ones brewed in her own courtyard, they were all ordinary alcohol. Naturally, they did not have the¡­ fragrance of flowers and fruits in them.


    At the mention of this matter, Xie Niushan grinned. ¡°My Daughter, I have found you an outstanding husband! That guy paid me respect with this wine!¡±


    ¡°Cough!¡± Xie Qiao almost could not catch her breath.


    She quickly patted her chest to calm her breath. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°During the few days when you were not around, it was all thanks to that guy who paid me respect. He treated me to a meal and gave me fruit wine. He¡¯s really not bad.¡± Xie Niushanughed, ¡°This person is also eager to learn. I asked him to learn how to dance with a saber, and he really did it! Although he didn¡¯t do it well, he was sincere! He¡¯s really a good child.¡±


    Xie Qiao sat down.


    She was worried that she would faint.


    Xie Niushan looked at his daughter¡¯s angry look and quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t offer the betrothal. I know that I have to wait for you toe back before we decide¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao gulped two mouthfuls of tea.


    ¡°Father, you didn¡¯t agree to the marriage, but you epted his gifts?¡± Fortunately, Xie Qiao did not have a knife in her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a gift. That guy said that he can¡¯t repay me for saving his life. He¡¯d give me some gifts as a token of his gratitude¡­¡± Xie Niushan looked at Xie Qiao angrily, his voice also became softer. ¡°It¡¯s just some wine¡­ and that kid was worried that I would get drunk, so he only gave me some fruit wine. It¡¯s no different from sweet soup¡­¡±


    Speaking of which, he still had someints!


    ¡°What life-saving grace?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a frown.


    ¡°He¡¯s the graduate that someone impersonated¡­¡±


    ¡°Wen Lancheng?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s brows rxed. ¡°Father, fortunately, this person isn¡¯t a liar. Otherwise, if this wine poisoned you to death, you would have met the King of Hell by now!¡±


    She knew that Wen Lancheng was the top scorer in finance.


    However, she did not expect that this person would actuallye knocking on her door?


    ¡°Since this person wants to give a gift of gratitude, then how did it end up in your mouth and be your future son-inw?¡± Xie Qiao was very puzzled.


    ¡°He wholeheartedly wants to marry you. These days, I have also been carefully observing him. This person is just a little weak and doesn¡¯t have any other shorings. He has the right etiquette, he¡¯s not bad looking, and he knows a lot. I don¡¯t understand a single wording from that person. I heard that you have met with that imposter earlier. I thought you must be satisfied with his appearance¡­¡± Xie Niushan was now very clear-headed.

 Chapter 610

    <h4>Chapter 610: Get Lost!</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought of Wen Lancheng¡¯s portrait.


    That was right, the best schr¡¯s appearance was great in all aspects. Although he did not have the purple aura of a powerful person, he was born the best schr. If a woman could marry him, this marriage would definitely be a good thing.


    ¡°Father, find an opportunity to exin clearly to that Master Wen. This person has talent and will definitely be matched with a gooddy. I hope he can find a suitable wife as soon as possible,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like him?¡± Xie Niushan frowned, but he did not want to force his daughter to get married. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell him.¡±


    ¡°How much good wine have you drunk? Tell the stewardter that the gifts should be returned. Our family should also send some gifts to congratte him on winning the title of number one schr. In the future, don¡¯t use the favor of saving a life to pressure others,¡± Xie Qiao said to her father.


    She was really worried about her life.


    Xie Niushan nodded obediently again.


    He still hoped that his daughter would agree to give him some silver, but she did not.


    After Xie Qiao finished exining, she left.


    His heart full of anticipation instantly turned to nothing. He sighed faintly, feeling extremely cowardly.


    His two daughters had controlled him to the death. There was no bandit in this world who was more miserable than him.


    Xie Niushan was full ofints. He asked someone to send Wen Lancheng a post to meet him at the usual ce.


    Four hourster, Wen Lancheng wasing out of a bank with a jade hairpin in his hand.


    Looking at the hairpin in his hand, he clenched it slightly, and a look of anticipation appeared on his face.


    However, when he turned his head, something crashed into his chest. For some reason, he only heard a torn sound and pushed the person away. Wen Lancheng saw someone¡¯s fair skin underneath¡­ the torn clothes.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The youngdy quickly shouted, ¡°Hooligan!¡±


    Wen Lancheng was a little stunned.


    His hairpin¡­ had torn this person¡¯s clothes?


    He looked at the hairpin that was not sharp and then at the misty-eyed woman in front of him. His face immediately flushed red and he hurriedly lowered his head to apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, youngdy¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±


    He almost stuttered.


    Pei Wanyue looked at the man and instantly cried. ¡°How can I marry anyone in the future¡­? Wah¡­¡±


    She clutched her chest, looking very pitiful as she trembled.


    How can she be married in the future?


    Wen Lancheng did not know what to do either. He had indeed seen¡­ something that he should not have, but he also could not understand why the youngdy¡¯s clothes were so fragile. It was just a bump, and it was actually torn¡­


    Moreover, it was this youngdy who had bumped into him¡­ and she even called him a hooligan. How was he going to live in the future?


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s face was full of tears. When he thought of his savior, Young Lady Xie, he felt even more wronged.


    If Young Lady Xie found out, would she think that he was a lecher?


    Just as he was thinking, Wen Lancheng was surrounded by people!


    A few burly men suddenly appeared from the crowd. ¡°Little girl, did this man bully you?! Such a lecherous person must be a repeat offender. I don¡¯t know how many women he has taken advantage of!¡±


    ¡°Sob¡­¡± Pei Wanyue continued to cry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Wen Lancheng frowned.


    ¡°My, my. Isn¡¯t this the new top scorer? I¡¯ve seen him on horseback when I paraded the streets! So he¡¯s this kind of person!¡±


    ¡°Looking at thedy¡¯s body. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s trying to run away from this¡­¡±


    Wen Lancheng was like a headless fly, being pushed around by a group of burly men. He was very anxious, but he did not have the strength to fight. He recalled he had an appointment with Master Xie, but he could not move an inch.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Xie Niushan appeared.


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s eyes were red. It was as if he saw his family. ¡°Master Xie, save me!¡±


    Xie Niushan kicked away the people who surrounded him easily. He snorted. ¡°Do you guys think you can hurt someone from the imperial court?! Get lost, all of you!¡±

 Chapter 611

    <h4>Chapter 611: Why Should I Be Afraid of Death</h4>


    Xie Niushan¡¯s fierce look was very effective. Almost instantly, the people around him took a few steps back, finally giving Wen Lancheng some breathing space.


    The restaurant that Wen Lancheng and Xie Niushan had arranged to meet was on this street. When he saw the pitiful look on this kid¡¯s face, he decided to lend him a hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s brows were furrowed. When he regained hisposure and saw Pei Wanyue, his expression became even more terrible. ¡°Why are you here?!¡±


    Pei Wanyue clutched her clothes tightly.


    Why was she here? She was obviously here to find a good husband!


    Since no one could help her, what was wrong with her helping herself?


    Everyone else thought that Master Xie and Wen Lancheng had some kind of life-saving grace, but she did not believe it!


    Xie Niushan¡¯s temper waspletely different from Wen Lancheng¡¯s, so she had long been certain that this Wen Lancheng was the future husband that Xie Niushan had chosen for Xie Qiao!


    He was indeed a good one.


    The new top scorer, young and promising!


    Xie Qiao had such a short life, how could she be worthy?


    Xie Niushan looked at Pei Wanyue with a look of disdain. When he saw Wen Lancheng¡¯s innocent expression, he even went forward and pulled him behind him. ¡°What did you do to my Godson?¡±


    ¡°Godson?¡± Wen Lancheng was stunned.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be? Godson¡­ that means I can¡¯t marry¡­¡¯


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s hand that was holding the jade hairpin trembled for a moment before his body rxed.


    Young Lady Xie had returned home. She must have heard about this matter and rejected him.


    ¡°Uncle Xie, I was once your half-daughter. Are you going to insult me like this? He identally bumped into me just now. He t-torn my clothes! I¡¯m still ady, after all? I still have to get married in the future. Now that there are so many people on the streets looking at me, w-what should I do?!¡± Pei Wanyue cried.


    She was soft and weak, like a pear blossom in the rain.


    Xie Niushan looked ferocious, like the King of Hell had descended.


    Theparison between the two made Pei Wanyue look even more pitiful. Many people looked at her sympathetically.


    Of course, they did not dare to criticize Xie Niushan.


    Wen Lancheng was a weak young master. Even if he was angry, he would not be able to do much harm. However, this Master Xie who had suddenly appeared was different.


    He was not someone they could point fingers at.


    Even those people whom Pei Wanyue had bribed earlier were quiet now.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re wearing such thin clothes. They deserve to be torn apart.¡± Xie Niushan was stunned. ¡°Lancheng is not the kind of person who is rash.¡±


    He had been drinking with Wen Lancheng for quite a while now. This kid could be seen through at a nce!


    He had even specially brought him to visit a brothel. When they reached the brothel, Wen Lancheng was three meters away from those women. His hands were hidden in his sleeves and he did not dare to stretch them out. Moreover, he had been drunk by him several times. Even his taste in wine was very good.


    Inparison, this girl from the Pei family was no match for him.


    She used to steal things, but now she might be trying to deceive people.


    The clothes on Pei Wanyue¡¯s body were indeed very thin and looked delicate. However, the weather was still a little cool, so her clothes were too light.


    She did not expect Xie Niushan to have such sharp eyes. Her heart hardened, she said, ¡°Uncle Xie looked down on me back then. Now¡­ The reason why you¡¯re so angry is because you¡¯re worried that I will steal Sister Xie¡¯s marriage?! Fine, take my life in your hands. In order to prove my innocence, why should I be afraid of death?!¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, Pei Wanyue ran.


    With a bang, her head hit the pir under the eaves!


    Wen Lancheng was shocked.


    He saw that Pei Wanyue¡¯s forehead bled from the collision, and then she fainted.

 Chapter 612 - Arranged Marriage

    <h4>Chapter 612: Arranged Marriage</h4>


    Wen Lancheng did not recognize Pei Wanyue. When he saw that the girl had hit the pir so violently, he frowned and quickly sent her to the medicine hall.


    Fortunately, it was nothing big. It was just a skin wound.


    However, the pir was uneven. If there was an open wound on her head, there would be some scars.


    ¡°Uncle Xie, who is this girl?¡± Wen Lancheng felt weak all over and his eyes were deep in thought.


    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter Ms. Lu that I divorced before. A child she had with the man before me.¡± Xie Niushan was upset.


    ¡°I see that you don¡¯t like her very much, but what¡¯s the reason?¡± Wen Lancheng asked again.


    Xie Niushan directly told him about Pei Wanyue stealing and scheming against Xie Qiao. He did not hide anything from him.


    Wen Lancheng was very shocked. He did not expect this girl to be so narrow-minded despite her young age.


    She had no rtions with the Xie family and they were willing to send her to the academy. This was a huge favor, yet she was still so greedy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fact that I was a little rude today. This youngdy even rammed into a pir. There will definitely be many people out there who would say that you and I have forced her to do this. Young Master Xie is now the Crown Prince¡¯s favorite. You guys are father and son¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that someone will target you because of this andin about you to the imperial court. When that timees, I¡¯m afraid that your newly promoted official position will be taken down again¡­¡±


    Wen Lancheng thought about it carefully and looked at Pei Wanyue. His brows furrowed even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything! It¡¯s just a lousy official position. Whoever wants to it can take it!¡± Xie Niushan did not want to be sullied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Uncle Xie. If you don¡¯t think about yourself, shouldn¡¯t you think about Young Master Xie and Young Lady Xie?¡± Wen Lancheng quickly tried to persuade him.


    Now was the best time for the Xie family to advance step by step.


    With the rtionship between Xie Pinggang and the Crown Prince, many people in the capital wanted to make the Xie family suffer.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like this girl¡¯s character. She didn¡¯t do anything serious, but she did many vicious things. Her skin is thicker than the city walls outside. She didn¡¯t die when she stole earlier and when she was chased out of the academy. Now she wants to kill herself just because you¡¯ve seen her skin?!¡± Xie Niushan was not a fool. He thought there was something fishy about this matter.


    Wen Lancheng thought for a while and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    This Young Lady Pei must have wanted to kill herself to threaten him.


    However, he did not know if she did it on purpose or not. If she did it on purpose¡­


    There were two more situations. One was that she had plotted against him, and the other was that she had been ordered by someone.


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s brain was working fast. Ever since he became the top scorer, he knew that his future was not going to be easy.


    He was the person that the Crown Prince had saved.


    This matter could be serious.


    If it was minor, even if he married Pei Wanyue, his actions would definitely be monitored.


    If it was serious, it would mean that¡­ someone would use this matter to create rumors, saying that he and Xie Niushan were in cahoots to humiliate a virtuous woman¡­


    Between him and Xie Niushan, one was the newly appointed top scorer, while the other was a bandit general who had just been promoted. They were already in the limelight.


    Furthermore, they had forced this girl to beg for death¡­


    If this matter was made public, even if the Crown Prince were to protect them, the two of them would definitely be punished¡­


    They could kill two birds with one stone.


    Thinking of this, Wen Lancheng heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Master Xie, this junior initially wanted to marry Young Lady Xie¡­ Since Young Lady Xie doesn¡¯t have any intentions to do that, I will not pester her anymore. Today, I ruined Young Lady Pei¡¯s innocence. It¡¯s reasonable that I take the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Responsibility? This girl has such a vicious heart. Should you marry her?!¡± Xie Niushan was a little upset. ¡°A terrible wife will make three generations suffer!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but as for the concubine¡­ There¡¯s no need to worry too much. I¡­¡± Wen Lancheng paused, ¡°I have a childhood sweetheart in my hometown. We had an arranged marriage when we were young. She said that she would marry me when I became a schr. I¡¯ll send someone to send her a message and bring her over.¡±

 Chapter 613 - What Else?

    <h4>Chapter 613: What Else?</h4>


    Xie Niushan stared at him.


    What childhood sweetheart? Why had he not heard about it earlier?


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xie Niushan was a little slow. He was not as fast as Wen Lancheng, but he was trying his best to keep up with him.


    However, he still could not understand.


    ¡°Will this girl be willing to be a concubine?¡± Xie Niushan was helpless and could only whisper.


    Wen Lancheng smiled. ¡°Since I¡¯ve said that I¡¯ve ruined her innocence, if she isn¡¯t willing to be a concubine, then she can only shave her hair and be a monk. So what if I was wrong first? As long as I¡¯m willing to ept her as my concubine, how would she dare to covet being my wife? When that timees, the rumors out there won¡¯t side her.¡±


    Although he, Wen Lancheng, had no parents, he was still an official of the current dynasty?


    Young Lady Pei¡¯s father had passed away, her mother lived alone after the divorce, and she had been kicked out of the Royal Academy. An ordinary family would not dare to marry such a girl.


    What was wrong with him asking her to be his concubine?


    Xie Niushan hardly looked at one¡¯s family status. Now that Wen Lancheng had reminded him, he thought it made sense.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy to take a concubine? A pnquin is sent through the door, and once it¡¯s through the door, doesn¡¯t she have to listen to you?¡± Xie Niushan was amused. ¡°This idiot dug her own hole and jumped into it. She¡¯s tired of living!¡±


    If he did not like someone, then no matter how pitiful the other party was, he would not be able to soften his heart even a little.


    Wen Lancheng smiled bashfully, looking gentle and harmless.


    As for the arranged marriage¡­


    When he left his hometown, the elders in the family had indeed mentioned that they wanted to arrange a marriage for him.


    However, there was not a suitable candidate at that time, and he wanted to wait a little longer, so he declined. Now that he had sent a message back, the elders in the family would definitely choose a gooddy for him immediately.


    The Wen family members were not wealthy, and he had no parents or siblings. However, he had never been bullied by the family members all these years.


    The reason for this was that the family had never had a child who was more than an elementary schr in a hundred years, so they had high hopes for him.


    Therefore, not only would the family members not fight over his family¡¯s wealth, they would guard it for him. As for his future wife¡­ The family members would not act recklessly, and the candidate chosen for him would definitely be an extremely virtuous and gentle gooddy.


    After a while, Pei Wanyue woke up.


    Wen Lancheng walked forward very gently and said, ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have insulted you today. However, I¡¯m willing to take you as my concubine. I will not let you live the rest of your life in a deste and helpless state.¡±


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Concubine?!¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Wen Lancheng smiled. ¡°Young Lady Pei, you can wait at home. When the timees, I will send someone to fetch you. Of course, if you are not willing, I will not force you.¡±


    After saying that, Wen Lancheng left in a carefree manner.


    Xie Niushan was also amused. He pped his hands and called out, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    He thought Wen Lancheng was a useless schr. He did not expect that when the time came, he would be quite tough!


    Tsk, what a pity. Such a good child, why is he not his son-inw?!


    However¡­ Godson was good enough!


    ¡°Son! I¡¯ll teach you how to wield a saber! You¡¯re taking a wife and a concubine, you can¡¯t do it without training your body!¡± The more Xie Niushan looked at Wen Lancheng, the more he liked him.


    This child was much better than his own son!


    Xie Pinggang, that coward, always wanted to kill him. He was insensible!


    Wen Lancheng turned his head to look at Xie Niushan, then obediently said like a little white bear, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he was ted and even happier.


    How sensible!


    Xie Niushan was happy, but Pei Wanyue, who was still in the medicine hall, had a ferocious expression on her face.

 Chapter 614 - Miserable Life

    <h4>Chapter 614: Miserable Life</h4>


    Pei Wanyue almost thought she had heard wrong!


    Did she ruin her reputation just to be a concubine? Of course not!


    Moreover, she had never thought that she would be a lowly concubine one day!


    Not to mention marrying a minor official, Wen Lancheng, even if she were to marry a third-grade official like Xie Niushan, she would not want to be a concubine!


    Her mother had been married to someone once and she was the wife. She was still a virgin and only deserved to be a concubine?!


    Pei Wanyue could not suppress the anger and hatred in her heart at that moment.


    She had sacrificed so much and this was the result?!


    If Wen Lancheng only wanted her to be a concubine, then who would be the wife? Xie Qiao?


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s expression turned even more terrible when she thought about it. She tidied up and quickly got up to leave. There were still people waiting outside to watch the show. She could not help but blush even more.


    She did not go home. Instead, she went to a private room in a restaurant. There was a steward sitting inside.


    ¡°How is it? Has Young Lady Pei aplished anything?¡± The other party asked.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s face was gloomy. ¡°Wen Lancheng wants me to be his concubine!¡±


    ¡°The best schr is currently working at the Hanlin Academy, and his rank isn¡¯t low. With Young Lady Pei¡¯s status, it makes sense that he wants you to be his concubine.¡± The steward smiled and was not surprised.


    Everyone in the world had to be of equal status in order to marry.


    The Emperor intended to cultivation the Crown Prince¡¯s connections. Among the imperial examination students, Wen Lancheng was saved by the Crown Prince and was a loyal and obedient person. The Emperor naturally gave him special treatment. He had just be an official and was already given a sixth-grade position. Three to five yearster¡­ He would definitely be promoted.


    Many officials wanted to betroth their first daughter to him!


    However, those officials knew that once their daughter married Wen Lancheng, they would be surrendering to the Crown Prince. Hence, they were not in a hurry to lock down the marriage.


    ¡°My Master originally thought that Wen Lancheng looked like a person who is loyal when ites to love. If Young Lady Pei were lucky, you might be the wife. Unfortunately, Young Lady Pei¡¯s life is still a littlecking,¡± the steward said.


    His words sessfully provoked Pei Wanyue.


    Her face was flushed with anger. ¡°Your master is so capable, can¡¯t he use his power?!¡±


    The other party smiled. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Young Lady Pei gave me money and expressed you loyalty, such a good thing wouldn¡¯t have happened to you. Now that you¡¯ve obtained Wen Lancheng¡¯s promise, you should obediently return home and wait for the marriage to happen. When you¡¯re by Master Wen¡¯s side, you¡¯ll be studying with him. Take it easy, don¡¯t be muddle-headed.¡±


    Pei Wanyue clenched her fists.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a concubine!¡± She still blurted out in the end.


    The steward smiled and said, ¡°Have you made up your mind, Young Lady? You¡¯ve been kicked out of the Royal Academy and your reputation has been tarnished. No matter how hard you try to curry favor with the officials, you¡¯ll only be a concubine at most. This Wen Lancheng is educated, talented, and has a good appearance. Most importantly, he¡¯s still young and has no one by his side for the time being. Isn¡¯t he better than anyone else?


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it¡­ I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t survive the capital,¡± the steward said again.


    Pei Wanyue felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.


    Why was her life so miserable?


    She had suffered a lot since she was young. When she came to the capital, she was also bullied by others.


    Now, she knew that she had no choice. The Xie family could not tolerate her, but Xie Niushan had a big heart, so he did not chase her and her mother away. However, now, this person¡­


    If she offended him, more terrible things would happen to her apart from being chased out of the capital¡­


    Pei Wanyue knew how to judge the situation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be his concubine.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, someone will send you some ointment. As a concubine, your face is the most important thing. If your face is disfigured, you¡¯d be nothing.¡±


    After saying that, he got Pei Wanyue to leave.

 Chapter 615 - Cutting Ties

    <h4>Chapter 615: Cutting Ties</h4>


    Wen Lancheng was a man of his word. After obtaining Pei Wanyue¡¯s address, he went to the small courtyard the next day to deliver the concubinage document.


    Ms. Lu knew that her daughter had always been elusive. No one knew what she was busy with.


    Now that she had seen the document, she had a headache.


    She was furious.


    However, her daughter had actually signed it. After signing it, she would be taken away on a sedan chair three dayster?!


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?! We have money. Even if it¡¯s because of our bad reputation, you can still be amoner¡¯s wife. You actually be a concubine. You¡¯re making a fool of yourself!¡± Ms. Lu was regretting every day, now, the remorse had reached its peak.


    This unfilial daughter would rather give her good life away!


    She was wrong, really wrong!


    ¡°Mother, do you think I¡¯m willing to do that? It¡¯s all because Xie Qiao blocked my path! Wen Lancheng wants to marry Xie Qiao, so even though he had already seen my body, he could only take me as his concubine. It was she who humiliated me over and over again!¡±


    Ms. Lu pped her. ¡°You¡¯re still so stubborn!¡±


    After living a hard life, only then would she think of the time when she wasfortable.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was at fault in the past.


    How did Xie Qiao wrong the mother and daughter?


    It was the first time they met. Although she did not like to look at them and did not like to talk, she bowed respectfully and addressed her as ¡°mother¡± even when she was the third wife!


    It was she herself¡­ who did not know what was good for her. She only spoiled her daughter and did not take Xie Niushan¡¯s daughter seriously!


    She had lost Xie Qiao¡¯s things. She had repeatedly ignored Xie Qiao¡¯s advice and even allowed her daughter to steal thingster on¡­


    ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re my darling. I truly want the best for you! I don¡¯t know what kind of temperament Wen Lancheng has, but you know Xie Qiao. She may look weak, but isn¡¯t she a noble person? She doesn¡¯t seem to be able to tolerate a husband having a concubine?!¡±


    The reason why she felt this way was because Xie Qiao¡­ really loved cleanliness.


    She hardly used any of the things in the house that others had touched.


    She would always have a handkerchief with her, and she had to wipe her hands from time to time. How would she allow her man to do that when she was so picky about ordinary things?


    ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to care anymore!¡± As she spoke, Pei Wanyue threw a hundred taels of silver to her. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to care about you in the future. This silver is for your retirement. In the future, if you have any problems, don¡¯te to me.¡±


    Ms. Lu felt even more pain than when she was beaten up.


    She had already given all her silver to her daughter. Now, her daughter was giving her a hundred taels of silver?


    Was she trying to send away a beggar?


    Was she marrying her off?! Was she trying to cut all ties with her?!


    However, Ms. Lu could not stop her at all. After Pei Wanyue said that, she ignored her and focused on preparing for her trip to the Wen Residence.


    Her daughter did not care about her. Ms. Lu was filled with regret. She had no idea what she was thinking, but she went to the Xie Residence.


    In the afternoon, Xie Qiao was giving a lecture to Fang Muxue and the others.


    When the new steward saw Ms. Lu, it was as if he saw the enemy who robbed the house. He did not intend to let her in at all.


    However, Ms. Lu would make a ruckus.


    The steward was worried that she would make a big fuss and be an eyesore, so he informed Xie Qiao about it.


    ¡°You guys memorize this chapter first. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Xie Qiao smiled at Qin Liu and the others, looking very much like a teacher.


    The few of them nodded obediently.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s lecture was much better!


    When Xie Qiao was not around, they could only ask their family members to hire a teacher to teach them at home. However, the teachers¡¯ lectures were moreplicated, and Xie Qiao seemed to know more. Everything could be exinedyer byyer, allowing them to understand it very thoroughly.

 Chapter 616 - Too Late for Regrets

    <h4>Chapter 616: Too Late for Regrets</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The moment they heard that Xie Qiao had returned home, they agreed toe over for a free lesson and some snacks.


    ¡°Lady Chun Er, your culinary skills are really good. Can I bring my cook over to learn a few things from you?¡± Fang Muxue reacted the fastest. Looking at the snacks in front of her, she smiled at Chun Er very kindly.


    When the others heard that, they also looked over expectantly.


    The maidservant beside Xie Qiao was also an extraordinary person!


    She was good at making snacks and tea. She even knew how to brew wine!


    The wine was fragrant. It was a pity that Xie Qiao only let them taste a little and they did not have the chance to drink more. They secretly thought it was really a pity.


    ¡°This is all taught by my Master. My skills are not considered good yet.¡± Chun Er smiled shyly. ¡°It was not easy to obtain her recipe. This servant can¡¯t teach it to outsiders casually...¡±


    Hearing this, everyone could only sigh in disappointment, but they also understood.


    These snacks¡¯ recipes were indeed very precious.


    They were just trying to ask.


    ¡°These snacks... Sister Xie can make them too?¡± Qin Liu grasped the key point. ¡°Is there anything that your master can¡¯t do?!¡±


    ¡°Anything she can¡¯t do?¡± Chun Er tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said very seriously, ¡°My Master knows everything. Even if she can¡¯t, she will learn it very quickly!¡±


    The corners of everyone¡¯s lips twitched.


    Was it not a little too triggering to say something like this?


    Fang Muxue¡¯s gazended on a pair of jade beads in Chun Er¡¯s hand. She was startled. ¡°Lady Chun Er, your jade bracelet is so beautiful. Is it a gift from Young Lady Xie?¡±


    Xie Qiao was so generous to the maidservants?


    The quality of each jade bead was great. Moreover, there seemed to be patterns carved on it. The carving should be pretty good too. It should be worth quite a lot of silver!


    Chun Er¡¯s face was full of pride. She really wanted to say that this thing was personally carved by herdy!


    However, she also knew that she could not say much about carving and painting, so she just smiled and said, ¡°My Master is very generous to me. This jade bracelet has been consecrated in front of a deity¡¯s statue, and it can ensure safety and long life!¡±


    At that moment, the group of people could not help but nce at the maidservants beside them.


    Inparison, were they not a little stingy?


    The group of people could not help but mutter in their hearts, thinking that when they returned, they would reward their maidservants with some... generous rewards.


    It was fine if their talent could not bepared to Xie Qiao¡¯s, but if they lost in kindness too, then they would be useless in front of her!


    Xie Qiao did not know that her friends had so many thoughts after she left.


    At that moment, she saw Ms. Lu.


    She was even shocked by the image of Ms. Lu.


    Ms. Lu was wearing a set of old clothes. If it was in the past, she would not even nce at it. On her head, there was only a silver hairpin, and she did not wear any other jewelry.


    When she left the Xie family, she took quite many things, did she not?


    Ms. Lu was also at a loss.


    She was just a little muddle-headed and wanted toe here to take a look. Now that she saw Xie Qiao, she felt a little ashamed. ¡°Young Lady... I-I just came to see how you are doing.¡±


    ¡°Pretty good.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was indifferent. She did not deliberately target her nor was she particrly enthusiastic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened in the past... It¡¯s all my fault, it¡¯s all my fault... I didn¡¯t teach my child well...¡± Ms. Lu could not help but wipe her tears.


    Xie Qiao watched quietly. She even ordered someone to refill a cup of tea for Ms. Lu.


    Ms. Lu looked much friendlier now. However... she might not be at peace with her child. Xie Qiao guessed that she must have suffered some grievance from Pei Wanyue.


    You reap what you sow. It was toote for regrets now, right?

 Chapter 617 - What the Hell!

    <h4>Chapter 617: What the Hell!</h4>


    Xie Qiao would treat her guests very well, even if she did not like Ms. Lu. In her opinion, this person had already been chased out, so she had nothing to do with the Xie family. She did not need to target her.


    Her attitude was very calm, but in the eyes of Ms. Lu, it was more than good enough.


    Ms. Lu initially thought that Xie Qiao hated her so much back then. Now that she saw her, she would definitely taunt her, but she did not!


    The more polite Xie Qiao was, the more ufortable Ms. Lu felt.


    She only felt that she had missed out on too many things!


    ¡°Young Lady, I heard that you¡­ are going to marry Wen Lancheng, the top scorer in finance?¡± Ms. Lu rubbed her hands, looking more and more uneasy.


    She was very flustered, and her gaze could not help but look at this familiar environment.


    If she had not always done wrong in the past, she would be living in this house now, living afortable life as the madam.


    She would not be watched by the steward with guarded eyes like she was now.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she frowned slightly. ¡°Who did you hear it from?¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°Young Lady¡­ I¡¯m here because I have nothing else to ask of you¡­ It¡¯s just that my daughter Yue¡¯er has gone to be Master Wen¡¯s concubine. I knew that you can¡¯t be bothered with that, but can you let her be the wife instead?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯m not going to marry Wen Lancheng.¡± Xie Qiao was very direct. At that moment, she was in a good mood, she added, ¡°You should know better than anyone else about your own daughter¡¯s temper and character. If she insists on doing something, even if eight horses were to pull her, she would not listen to what others say. Although I don¡¯t know why she wants to be a concubine, with her arrogant personality, I¡¯m afraid that she has another motive for going through a lot of troubles to be a concubine.¡±


    That Pei Wanyue did not even take a fancy to the Gn Academy, how could she take a fancy to the position of a concubine?


    Before she went to the Royal Academy, she should have been doing well in the Gn Academy. Her schemes¡­


    It should not be too difficult for her to marry someone who had achieved fame and status, right?


    Moreover, the mother and daughter had so much wealth in their hands!


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to marry Wen Lancheng?!¡± Ms. Lu was shocked when she heard that. ¡°Yue¡¯er said that you¡­ sigh!¡±


    Ms. Lu was a little speechless and held it in for a while, suddenly, she cried and said, ¡°I thought that she¡¯sparing herself with you all the time and wanted to make you upset. That¡¯s why she was willing to be a concubine. If you don¡¯t marry Wen Lancheng, then what exactly is her motive?!¡±


    Ms. Lu could not understand. She really could not understand no matter how she thought about it!


    Xie Qiao was silent.


    They were not a family. She did not care about this matter.


    Ms. Lu was crying and exhausted.


    At that moment, Xie Niushan came back in a hurry with a woman.


    They arrived in front of Xie Qiao and Ms. Lu.


    The woman looked delicate and pretty. She was about 20 years old. She was wearing a in green dress and looked somewhat pitiful.


    Standing next to the bear-like Xie Niushan, she looked like a thin little green snake standing next to a grizzly bear.


    ¡°Why are you here? I don¡¯t have any silver for you!¡± Xie Niushan was very direct. When he saw Ms. Lu, he snorted and despised her very much.


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart ached. ¡°I just heard about the wedding of the First Young Lady¡­¡±


    ¡°What wedding? There¡¯s no wedding! Is it that scheming, vicious daughter of yours who is telling you nonsense again? If you ruin my daughter¡¯s reputation, even if the officials personally stop me, I will chop her alive! What the hell!¡± Xie Niushan¡¯s face was furious.


    Ms. Lu had witnessed Xie Niushan¡¯s anger many times in the past. At that time, she only felt that Xie Niushan was vulgar.


    Now, she felt that he was protecting his daughter!


    If they were not divorced, although she would not be able topare with his children now, she would be one of the people that he protected!

 Chapter 618 - I Regret It Now

    <h4>Chapter 618: I Regret It Now</h4>


    At that moment, Ms. Lu looked at Xie Niushan with some hidden bitterness in her eyes, but she remained silent.


    Xie Niushan could not tell that she was pitiful. He directly sat down and drank a few sips of herbal tea. Then, he said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Eldest Daughter, this is the girl from the brothel that I told you about.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not take a closer look at her and responded indifferently.


    Ms. Lu was a little nervous.


    She and Xie Niushan had been married for a few years. Of course, she knew what kind of woman Xie Niushan liked!


    The gentle kind of woman was his favorite!


    Was this the new woman that Xie Niushan found? Or was she from the brothel? However, Xie Niushan almost never messed around in the brothel in the past¡­


    ¡°Her 50 taels of silver was stolen by a thief and she had nowhere to go. I asked her and she said that she was willing toe to our house. So, I brought her home. She sings well. If you have time, call her over to sing a few songs. Treat it as a pastime. Just give her two taels of silver a month!¡± Xie Niushan said.


    When he said that, the girl was obviously stunned.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly.


    ¡°Father, do you mean to get this person a job in our house?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xie Niushan nodded.


    ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, then let the steward handle it. However, the servants in our house will have to sign the death contract. Did you tell her about it?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Some of the servants in the house signed the life contract. There were three years, five years, eight years, and ten years, but there were shorter ones.


    These people were usually adults and had a skill.


    However, most of them had a death contract.


    It could not be helped. Every family did the same. If there were too many people in the house with a life contract, the Xie family would be like a water tank with a big hole in it. They would not able to withstand it.


    Times were like this, and it was not something that Xie Qiao could change on her own.


    Xie Niushan really did not expect to have to sign a contract. He looked at the girl and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for you to redeem yourself. I think it¡¯s better to forget it. Why don¡¯t you find another solution? It won¡¯t be easy for my family to take you.¡±


    Xie Niushan knew what was good for him.


    The difference between doing her kindness and harming her was significant. If she really signed the death contract, it would be the same as letting the girl fall into another pit of fire.


    He would not do such a wicked thing.


    The girl hesitated for a moment and actually knelt. ¡°I have nowhere to go. I¡¯m willing to serve the Master!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyebrows rxed.


    Unless an ordinary girl really had no way out, she would not dare to be a ve for the sake of her future generations.


    This girl in front of her, how could she have nowhere to go? Yet, she still insisted on entering the residence. She probably had other motives.


    Before Xie Niushan and Xie Qiao could speak, Ms. Lu could not sit still, pointing at the girl, she said, ¡°Where did youe from, you little vixen, to be worthy of bewitching the Master? Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what kind of tricks you have in your mind. Isn¡¯t it just that you like the fact that there is no madam in the house?! Do you think you who came from a brothel are worthy of that?!¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    Ms. Lu really could not hold it in.


    If this woman were to enter the lowly status, even if she were to be a concubine in the future, she would not be able to be a proper official¡¯s wife.


    However this kind of vixen was obviously a bad person. She did not know what she would do to the family. It was better to chase her out!


    However, after shouting, Ms. Lu knew that she was meddling in other people¡¯s business.


    How could she have the right to meddle in the Xie family¡¯s business now?


    She immediately felt wronged. She looked pitifully at Xie Niushan and said, ¡°There¡¯s a saying that goes ¡°Once married, the rtionship willst for a long time¡±. I know I did wrong in the past. I regret it now. Niushan, if you agree, in the future¡­ I will definitely stay by your side. I will never be biased toward the daughter I gave birth to. I will definitely treat the children well and will not spend money recklessly¡­¡±

 Chapter 619 - Hot Commodity

    <h4>Chapter 619: Hot Commodity</h4>


    What Ms. Lu said at that moment was indeed true. If she could really reconcile with Xie Niushan, she would definitely guarantee that she would never act recklessly again!


    She would take good care of the money for Xie Niushan. She would also take good care of the children. She would definitely not provoke Xie Qiao again.


    Although she still felt sorry for her daughter, she understood that Yue¡¯er was heartless. In the future, if she were to be old and sick, Yue¡¯er would definitely not take care of her. That daughter would have been pampered for nothing!


    Xie Qiao curled up on the chair and said nothing.


    She never expected that her father, who was already so old, would still be a hotmodity.


    She looked at him with her watery eyes and took a sip of her tea.


    When Xie Niushan heard Ms. Lu¡¯s words, immediately, the expression of disdain filled his entire face. ¡°Don¡¯t say such disgusting and useless words to me! You¡¯ve taken all of my family¡¯s wealth. Now that I have finally saved up some, you want to spend it again? That¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s heart ached. ¡°I really admit my fault¡­ But, how is this little devil better than me?! She¡¯s also here for the wealth!¡±


    That girl was kneeling on the ground at that moment.


    ¡°It was Master who saved me from that fire pit. I¡¯m willing to serve Master for the rest of my life. I don¡¯t ask for anything. I¡¯m willing to be your servant.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was soft, and she looked more pleasant.


    Unlike Ms. Lu, who was aggressive at this moment.


    However, Xie Niushan was not too happy either. ¡°What do you mean? We agreed before that you¡¯re going to work, and now you¡¯re thinking of something else?!¡±


    ¡°I am truly grateful to Master,¡± the girl said again.


    Xie Niushan met Xie Qiao¡¯s half-smiling gaze and felt a little embarrassed.


    It was terrible for his daughter to see such a messy scene.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Both of you, get out of here!¡± Xie Niushan was extremely frustrated. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m in need of a woman!¡±


    Ms. Lu heaved a sigh of relief.


    However, at the same time, she thought she had been too impulsive¡­


    Did she not understand Xie Niushan? Once he toughened up, he was a person who was even colder than a knife.


    Since they had already divorced, it was even more impossible for her to return. Yet, she was still having that beautiful dream!


    Now that she was rejected, her heart turned cold and she gave up.


    She stood up and said her goodbyes in a proper manner, ¡°I-I¡¯m leaving¡­¡±


    Some time ago, a matchmaker who lived nearby found her. She said that there was a man who had lost his wife. He thought that she was not bad and wanted to marry her to be his partner.


    That family was not considered wealthy. They also had two sons and a daughter. She was afraid that she would have to work hard after marrying him, so she disagreed.


    However, now, considering her future, she was afraid that she could no longer choose.


    Xie Niushan did not try to persuade her to stay. He even said, ¡°In the future, if you have nothing to do, don¡¯te over. Otherwise, the people out there will gossip! They will think that I cannot make up my mind!¡±


    Ms. Lu¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Earlier, someone wanted to marry me¡­ When I go back, I will probably agree to it¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a good deal? Look at you, you¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s not bad for you to get married again. For the sake of our previous rtionship, I¡¯ll ask the steward to send you a gift!¡± Xie Niushan was quite generous.


    Seeing that Xie Niushan really did not care about her, Ms. Lu gave uppletely and turned around to leave.


    She and this family would never be the same as before.


    Xie Qiao did not intend to stop Xie Niushan from sending a gift. After all, Ms. Lu was married to her father, so there was no need for them to fight to the death.


    Ms. Lu had left, but the girl in front of her was still there.


    She even kneeled a few steps toward Xie Niushan. ¡°Master, don¡¯t chase me away. I really don¡¯t know where I will go after I leave. If my father finds out, he will definitely sell me again. Rather than that, I might as well stay by Master¡¯s side. Only Master can make me feel at ease¡­¡±

 Chapter 620 - Make Me His Father

    <h4>Chapter 620: Make Me His Father</h4>


    This girl¡¯s voice was soft and gentle. Both men and women could not help but feel irritated when they heard it.


    Xie Niushan felt that it was impossible for him to say that he did not feel anything when she touched his leg. He was indeed charmed, but when he looked at her pitiful face, his brows furrowed tightly.


    However, Xie Qiao still provoked him, ¡°Father, if you say that she looks like Lin Erniang again, I¡¯m afraid that my Younger Brother and Sister will cut their ties with you.¡±


    Xie Qiao took her time.


    Lin Erniang merely looked weak, but her character was not like that, right?


    Back when her father robbed the mountain, Lin Erniang had once sought death. However, her father was a bandit at that time and was really a b*stard. How could he send back the woman he stole?


    Moreover, this woman would not be able to live on if he sent her back, so he forcefully kept her by his side.


    Later on, when the woman got pregnant, her father poured his heart and soul into her, so she did not think about leaving. However, even so, Lin Erniang was still depressed, so after giving birth, she passed away.


    That was a truly strong woman, and this woman in front of her¡­


    Could she bepared to her?


    Was her father really blind?


    With a thud, Xie Niushan kicked her to the side, ¡°I see that you aren¡¯t thinking straight! I was going to think of a way to get you some money so that you could live a good life, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so tactless! In this case¡­ Steward, throw her back to her father!¡±


    Unfortunately, he had lost his money!


    He had already redeemed her. The government had already removed the files, so it was impossible to send her back to the brothel.


    The girl looked at Xie Niushan in shock.


    Before she could recover from the pain, the steward quickly called for help and immediately dragged her away!


    He was afraid that if he was a breathte, this girl would make the old master lose his body.


    He did not leave any chance to that.


    Xie Niushan brushed his clothes with disdain. ¡°Why are you looking at me?! Do you think I¡¯m that kind of person who would just sleep with anyone?!¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Father, you¡¯re not like that.¡±


    Only then did Xie Niushan snort with satisfaction. ¡°I only helped her out because I genuinely felt sorry for her. Who would have thought that she would actually touch me¡­ The daughter of a good family wouldn¡¯t behave like this. I¡¯m not a fool. That procuress said that this girl was just sold to the brothel and hadn¡¯t even been trained. How could she be so good at serving others? Her little hand¡­¡±


    He stopped halfway through his sentence.


    Those words were not appropriate to say in front of his daughter!


    This girl was pinching his leg, and she even scratched him twice. The way she looked at him did not seem like someone who had not been through a lot. Even if she was still a virgin, she must have been trained by someone for a long time. He had been deceived!


    ¡°Oh right, that girl from the Pei family is now Wen Lancheng¡¯s concubine.¡± Xie Niushan thought that Xie Qiao did not know, so he added.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°That girl is really ruthless. She actually tore her own clothes in public. Fortunately, my godson immediately thought of making her a concubine. If the rumors spread out there for a few days, perhaps she would even be his wife!¡± Xie Niushan added.


    ¡°Godson?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I like Lancheng so much. He¡¯s obedient and sensible. He¡¯s much better than your Eldest Brother. Since he can¡¯t be my son-inw, then he can be my godson. We¡¯ve agreed to find an auspicious day for him to make me his father!¡± Xie Niushan was so happy that he could not stop smiling.


    Xie Qiao really did not expect these two to be together.


    They hadpletely different temperaments¡­


    Thinking about it again, it was understandable. Wen Lancheng¡¯s temperament should be more gentle. Moreover, because the Xie family had saved his life, he would definitely do anything for her father.

 Chapter 621 - Old Witch

    <h4>Chapter 621: Old Witch</h4>


    Xie Niushan¡¯s attitude toward those random women was indeed straightforward, so Xie Qiao was d that there were no eyesores in this house.


    At that moment, the girl who was gotten rid of was dumbfounded.


    Was this Xie Niushan a good-looking but useless person?!


    The master had asked her to take action because he had specially inquired about it. She was somewhat simr to the three daughters of the Lin family, so she must look very simr to Xie Niushan¡¯s second wife, Ms. Lin!


    If she pretended to be weak again, a vulgar man like Xie Niushan would definitely not be able to resist her!


    She did not expect that¡­ after spending so much effort, she would only touch the bottom of his pants? And she was chased out now?


    At that moment, this girl could not help but wonder if she was iparably ugly¡­


    She felt wronged and angry, so she could only return to report.


    Xie Qiao kept herself busy for a while, then she went back to do revision with Fang Muxue and the others.


    It was very enjoyable to y while learning.


    ¡­


    On the other side, there were customers at the Fortune Pavilion.


    Shopkeeper Chang realized that something was wrong, so he sent her a message.


    The next afternoon, she went to the Fortune Pavilion to take a look after school.


    ¡°Boss, there have been many customers recently. There are often some rich youngdies whoe over and are picky. They always ask strange questions¡­¡± Shopkeeper Chang really did not know why.


    A youngdy ran to him and asked if the boss was an old witch in her 30s or 40s¡­


    The boss was indeed in her 30s or 40s, but she looked very young. How could she be considered old?!


    However, she was a customer and he could not criticize her.


    Just as Shopkeeper Chang finished speaking, Xiao Yurong walked in from outside.


    ¡°Oh, Teacher Xiao has beening here frequently these days,¡± Shopkeeper Chang quickly added.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s scalp tingled when she saw Xiao Yurong. She touched her face and walked over calmly with her head held high. She said kindly, ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, are you here to buy talismans again?¡±


    Xiao Yurong shook his head.


    He seemed to have suffered a big blow. He was not in good spirits at the moment. When he saw ¡°Mo Chusheng¡±, he forced himself to be alert and bowed respectfully, then, he said, ¡°I bought many things, but I haven¡¯t used them all. I came today to look for Senior Sister.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang could not help but mutter secretly.


    He definitely would not be able to use them all!


    At first, Teacher Xiao liked to buy Academic Excellence Talismans the most. Later on, he stopped buying them. Now, he took a fancy to the wood carvings that the owner sold!


    There were all kinds of wood carvings. There were carvings of people, horses, even pnquins and houses. He liked all of them. Every now and then, he woulde over and pick the ones he liked. He wished that he could buy everything!


    However¡­ Those things were supposed to be bought by the living and burned for the dead!


    Those who did not know better would think that something terrible had happened to Teacher Xiao¡¯s family!


    Xie Qiao and Xiao Yurong went to the private room and sat down.


    Xiao Yurong was very embarrassed. In front of Xie Qiao, he was like a younger brother. ¡°Junior Brother, I heard that there are some bad rumors in the court recently¡­ It¡¯s about the Crown Prince¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded in cooperation.


    ¡°The Fourth and Fifth Prince both said that the Crown Prince and Senior Sister¡­ are having an affair¡­ Of course, I don¡¯t believe it! But in the long run, it will affect Senior Sister¡¯s reputation¡­¡± Xiao Yurong said quickly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xie Qiao looked calm.


    As a master, how could she be drowned by spittle?


    When Xiao Yurong heard that, his heart turned cold. ¡°Senior Sister is pure and innocent. Those people almost made you into a demon that could bring disaster to the country. How could it not matter? The Crown Prince is too. He has been staying at the East Pce for the past few days. I haven¡¯t seen him either. Otherwise, I will make him give Senior Sister justice!¡±

 Chapter 622 - We’re Family

    <h4>Chapter 622: We¡¯re Family</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xiao Yurong knew that the Crown Prince was also innocent. This was all a dispute started by someone with ill intentions. The Crown Prince was also one of the victims.


    However, he was a man after all. He should stand up at such a time. Whether it was to announce to the world or to immediately marry a wife to calm the people down, he absolutely should not allow his senior sister to be humiliated like this?


    Xie Qiao looked at Xiao Yurong¡¯s angry look and thought... he was not a man who was fated to enjoy life.


    He was so angry over such a small matter that he did not have any demeanor of a teacher at all. If he found out that the person he was trying to stir trouble with was actually a teenage girl and a liar¡­


    He would not want to eat her alive, would he?!


    Xie Qiao took a sip of tea to calm herself down.


    She did not know what to say.


    After Xiao Yurong said that, he noticed that Xie Qiao did not seem to care at all.


    He was also a little suspicious. ¡°Senior Sister, aren¡¯t you angry at all?¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Even if she only had the identity of Mo Chusheng, it was useless for her to be angry. ¡°The Crown Prince and I met Zhao Xuzhi by chance when we were working on a case in Xun County. He was jealous of the Crown Prince solving the case, so he schemed in secret. However, he doesn¡¯t have proof. If he could make me a demon just by saying that, would there be anyw in the world?¡±


    Xiao Yurong was silent for a while. ¡°That¡¯s true. There were many people who criticized the Crown Prince for being ridiculous in the beginning. In the past two days, someone suggested that Zhao Xuzhi had no evidence and was just making guesses...¡±


    Xie Qiao thought she had nothing to be ashamed of.


    So what if there was some intimacy between her and the Crown Prince?


    She had never crossed the line in public. The Crown Prince had always been respectful and polite to her senior sister. He was absolutely innocent.


    Xiao Yurong thought for a while and said, ¡°I was too rash. I thought the Crown Prince didn¡¯t see me for the past few days on purpose.¡±


    In the past, when there was aint about the Crown Prince, it was one-sided. There were not many people who spoke up for the Crown Prince.


    However, this time¡­


    It was different.


    Xiao Yurong was also worried and confused. Now that he saw Xie Qiao so rxed, most of his worries were gone.


    While they were talking, some sounds came from outside the Fortune Pavilion.


    Xie Qiao looked through the screen and found it was the Dong sisters.


    Dong Xiyun looked around and no one knew what she was thinking about. Second Young Lady Dong next to her was a little anxious. She carefully tugged at Dong Xiyun¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s rude...¡±


    Dong Xiyun acted as if she had not heard anything. She rolled her eyes at her sister, then looked at the shopkeeper and asked, ¡°Is that Master Mo around?¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang was expressionless. ¡°The boss is busy and won¡¯t see any guests. If there¡¯s anything you need, I can help you inform her.¡±


    When Dong Xiyun heard that, she smiled and said, ¡°Forget it. Since Master Mo isn¡¯t around, I¡¯lle again next time. You can tell Master Moter that I¡¯m the First Young Lady of the Dong family. If there¡¯s anything between her and the Crown Prince, she should understand what this means immediately. In the future, we¡¯ll be a family, so we should get to know each other better.¡±


    Xie Qiao heard everything clearly from inside and frowned.


    How could they be a family?


    ¡°Recently, the Emperor has chosen a consort for the Fourth Prince. Young Lady Dong has been appointed as the main consort. It is just that the marriage of the Crown Prince has not been decided yet, so the Emperor has not issued an edict to bestow the marriage. It¡¯s being dyed.¡± Xiao Yurong exined to Xie Qiao.


    The emperor really doted on the Crown Prince. He did not want the younger one to be one step ahead before his eldest son got married.


    Even the children of the entire royal family marriedte and had childrente.


    There was nothing they could do. If a nephew of the same age as the Crown Prince had an heir in the royal family, it was inevitable that the prince of this family would be ostracized by the Emperor in the pce¡­


    The emperor was indeed narrow-minded when it came to the Crown Prince.

 Chapter 623 - The Daughters-in-law of the Royal Family

    <h4>Chapter 623: The Daughters-inw of the Royal Family</h4>


    The Fourth Prince was not that old either. He was only seventeen years old now, a few months younger than Dong Xiyun. Logically speaking, this marriage should be dyed a little longer.


    However, the Fourth Prince¡¯s camp was upset.


    They hoped that the Fourth Prince would have descendants soon. When the Emperor had a grandson in the future, perhaps the favor could be shifted a little.


    The emperor was annoyed by the constant urging of the wedding in the imperial court, so he was forced to agree to it.


    He agreed, but he was frustrated by the Dong family.


    After the marriage was decided internally, Dong Xiyun¡¯s father had been reprimanded by the emperor several times.


    Xiao Yurong knew quite many affairs in the imperial court. He spilled the beans and exined it clearly to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°The Emperor didn¡¯t want to choose a princess consort for the Crown Prince because he didn¡¯t want the Fourth Prince to steal the Crown Prince¡¯s limelight. The Second and Third Princes aren¡¯t well off as well. Even if they get married again, the wedding will be messy and no one will pay attention to it.¡± Xiao Yurong did not know whether he should sympathize with the other princes, or be happy for the Crown Prince.


    To the country, in fact, the Crown Prince being favored was a good thing. It was better than a father-son discord.


    ¡°The Dong family is not a powerful official. How could they be chosen by the Fourth Prince¡¯s camp?¡± Xie Qiao asked in surprise.


    ¡°Although the Dong family is not favored, Young Lady Dong has a good reputation outside. Besides, many people in the court knew that the Emperor would never agree to choose someone with a strong family background to be matched with the Fourth Prince,¡± Xiao Yurong exined.


    The past emperors usually used a bnced approach when it came to their children.


    Either the righteous will suppress the evil or the other way round. In short, the regr emperor would not show any special favor to anyone.


    However, the current emperor waspletely different.


    On the first day of the Crown Prince¡¯s appointment, he once said that only the eldest son could inherit the throne.


    In the early years, he often whispered in front of the Crown Prince, ¡°Son, this great country is all yours¡­¡±


    It was said that the emperor¡¯s words of favoring the Crown Prince were spread, and they were all recorded in a book!


    When Xiao Yurong said this, Xie Qiao understood what Dong Xiyun was thinking.


    Mo Chusheng was an old witch¡­


    They were both ¡°daughters-inw of the royal family¡±. One was famous while the other was a swindler. If they stood together, the swindler would be embarrassed and the Crown Prince would lose face.


    How awful.


    It was not easy for Zhao Xuanjing either.


    However, Xie Qiao did not know that Zhao Xuanjing, whom she thought was having it tough, was currently punishing people in the pce.


    Relying on the emperor¡¯s favor, Zhao Xuanjing hesitated for two days before calling Zhao Xuzhi into the pce.


    There were some things that he did not need to say personally.


    Instead, he got someone else to do it. The subordinates who had followed Zhao Xuzhi to Xun County had also gathered and knelt outside the imperial study obediently. Later on, a few ministers came.


    ¡°All of you have been staying with Zhao Xuzhi. You all know what he has heard and seen. Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you tell us what Zhao Xuzhi did when he went to Xun County? Did Master Mo and I have an affair in secret?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze was like a torch, he swept his gaze across the crowd and spoke slowly.


    Zhao Xuzhi clenched his fists.


    At this moment, the people behind him said, ¡°Reporting to Your Highest, I did follow the First Young Master all the way. On the way to Xun County, he hastened his journey on purpose. He said that he wanted to arrive in Xun County before the Crown Prince did to handle the case!¡±


    The person who spoke was Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s confidant who had also been bitten by a snake earlier.


    When he said that, Zhao Xuzhi turned around and red at him. ¡°How dare you use me?!¡±

 Chapter 624 - Sever Him

    <h4>Chapter 624: Sever Him</h4>


    The servant lowered his head and gritted his teeth. ¡± First Young Master has offended the Crown Prince many times along the way, saying that His Highness¡­ is a cripple, saying that¡­


    ¡°His Highness is ipetent. After being the Crown Prince for so many years, there isn¡¯t a single person in the court who is on his side. He will be crippled sooner orter!¡±


    The emperor¡¯s expression was already grim.


    ¡± First Young Master had his subordinates secretly follow His Highness. However¡­ I thought it was inappropriate and didn¡¯t dare to disobey the order, so I paid little attention to Master Mo¡­ Master Mo and His Highness often discussed the case together. After that¡­ First Young Master said that they¡¯re having an affair, but I¡­ didn¡¯t see them doing anything over the line.¡± Another guard added.


    What he said was the truth!


    The Crown Prince was extremely gentle toward Master Mo. He treated her differentlypared to people around him, but there was nothing wrong with his actions!


    Then, one by one, they began to point out Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s mistakes.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face turned pale.


    The reason being not only did they say that the Crown Prince and Master Mo had nothing on, they even said that he was disrespectful to the Crown Prince!


    Why were these traitors acting like this?!


    Zhao Xuanjing did not stay idle for the past two days.


    With his status, he could have made Zhao Xuzhi suffer unspeakably. However, over the past few years, had he ever respected him?


    In the past, he did not care about the position of being the Crown Prince. However, from the looks of it, if he continued to do as he pleased in the future, his wife and children would also suffer along with him.


    Xie Qiao was pure. He would not let her bear the bad reputation with him.


    Therefore, he went to Prince Ning Bei to pressure him.


    Most of the people behind Zhao Xuzhi came from Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence. With Prince Ning Bei¡¯s agreement, how could Zhao Xuzhi, the eldest son, have any status?


    The emperor was very upset.


    He wished that he could draw his sword and kill this ignorant b*stard!


    ¡°Talking about the Crown Prince indiscriminately, he deserves to be punished! Lock him up and imprison him forever!¡± The emperor almost spat fire.


    This b*stard son actually dared to say that the Crown Prince was a good-for-nothing?!


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Especially when he remembered that Zhao Xuzhi had sent calligraphy works and paintings to the pce banquets many times earlier, and even brandished his sword in a shy manner, he instantly became even angrier. He pointed at his right arm and ordered, ¡°Sever his arm!¡±


    The hearts of the ministers who were called over trembled.


    The emperor was now angry and ordered someone to execute him on the spot!


    The guard shed with his sword. With a ssh, the blood sttered everywhere, and Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s arm fell off instantly. Zhao Xuzhi howled twice and fainted on the spot.


    ¡°Stop the bleeding for him. Don¡¯t let him die! I want him to look at my son in charge of the Qianyuan Empire with his own eyes in the future!¡± The emperor gnashed his teeth.


    A hint of helplessness shed across Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face.


    When he was a teenager, he was confused. He did not understand why the expressions of all the court officials would change so quickly.


    Later, whenever he heard his father talk about the country, he came to a realization.


    The tallest tree in the forest would be destroyed by the wind first.


    His father did not intend to kill him, but it had caused his reputation to be tarnished over the years.


    His father had already dealt with those who tried to attack him before he could even speak. Especially a few years ago, his father had suffered a great blow because of the injury on his hand, so the punishments were a little more vicious.


    ording to his father, if he had to hide from doting on his eldest son, would everyone in the world not do the same?


    So he let him be.


    ¡°Not to mention that the Crown Prince and Mo Chusheng didn¡¯t have an affair, even if they did, as a father, if I am willing, I allow them to do that as a parent. Who among you dares to say anything about that?!¡± The emperor red at those officials. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you are thinking. You don¡¯t care about me deducting your sry and don¡¯t listen to me even if I make you reflect on your actions¡­You are so arrogant. Do you really think that I don¡¯t dare to do anything to the Fourth and Fifth Prince?! Pass down my decree, I confer the Fourth and Fifth Prince¡­¡±

 Chapter 625 - Kind Father, Filial Son

    <h4>Chapter 625: Kind Father, Filial Son</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The emperor was about to announce something important.


    The Crown Prince said indifferently, ¡°Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother are still young. Father will not issue an imperial decree to confer the title of King for the time being.¡±


    The ministers immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    Being conferred the title of King was a good thing, but the problem was that at this juncture, once the emperor conferred the title of King to them, he would definitely bestow them with a mediocre fiefdom and then drive them away!


    The emperor would be far away, how were they supposed to n for the future?!


    The emperor was disappointed that Zhao Xuanjiang did not live up to his expectations. ¡°You are indeed a little indecisive!¡±


    If the Fourth and Fifth Prince could not make it, what else could this group of trash do?!


    The Crown Prince frowned. ¡°What is there to be afraid of? Why would Fathere up with such a n for me? The Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother are very respectful to me. There is nothing wrong with them.¡±


    The officials were moring all day long, not for the sake of promoting other princes to the throne, but because they were afraid that he would be the ruler of a country with a crippled body.


    ¡°My Son has such a breadth of mind. What big responsibility can¡¯t he take?!¡± The emperor looked at the Crown Prince with heartache.


    The group of trash below were all blind!


    The Fourth Prince was great? He was like a ball of dough. Fifth Prince was great? What did a little child know?!


    Zhao Xuanjing was already used to being praised, and his expression remained the same at that moment. ¡°Father, you praise me too much.¡±


    ¡°Since Mo Chusheng can apany you to investigate the case, she must be a kind and intelligent person. Do you need me to issue an imperial decree?¡± The emperor started to chat with his son.


    The officials below were about to cry.


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s people had been carried away, but that severed arm was still moving.


    It was creepy, but the emperor had not allowed them to leave yet, and he insisted on forcing them to stay and watch them being a kind father and a filial son!


    Zhao Xuanjing suddenly knelt down. ¡°I implore Father to grant us a marriage...¡±


    All the officials were stunned.


    See, see! The Crown Prince indeed had something on with that witch!


    ¡°I heard that the former General Xie Niushan¡¯s eldest daughter is elegant and intelligent, gentle and virtuous, wise and sensible. I want to make her the imperial consort and take charge of the East Pce,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    All the officials felt as if their heads had been hit by a huge gong and drum. Their heads were buzzing.


    The eldest daughter of the Xie family?!


    Who was that?!


    There were many spections about the Crown Prince¡¯s imperial consort, but they had never heard of anything between the Crown Prince and the Xie family! Where did this girle from?!


    The emperor knew that General Xie was personally promoted by him.


    ¡°General Xie? He¡¯s a loyal and honest person. When he was out there suppressing bandits, he didn¡¯t forget to kowtow to me. He¡¯s very sincere, a rare character in the imperial court!¡± The emperor praised sincerely.


    ¡°It is that man indeed.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled.


    The ministers finally snapped back to their senses. Who was this general Xie?!


    He was... a bandit!


    ¡°Your Majesty, think carefully...¡± Someone immediately knelt down.


    The emperor frowned. ¡°What are you going to say? You weren¡¯t willing when he chose Mo Chusheng. Now he¡¯s going for the great eldest daughter of the Xie family, you¡¯re unwilling as well! If you are so picky, how can I ever have a daughter-inw in my life?! It¡¯s all because of you that I haven¡¯t been able to have a grandson! I¡¯m upset. Do you mock me when you return home to spend time with your filial children and grandchildren?!¡±


    The group of ministers were instantly speechless.


    What should they do?


    They had just rejected an old witch, and now there was a bandit girl.


    However, if they objected again, it would really be them who were obstructing the Crown Prince from getting married!


    Crown Prince¡­


    Everyone¡¯s hearts were already filled with resentment. After all these years of fighting with the Crown Prince, how could they not know about him?


    He was young, but he was extremely shrewd!


    They were starting to suspect that Zhao Xuzhi was being used by the Crown Prince!


    First, he exposed his rtionship with Master Mo, and now Young Lady Xie, leaving them with no choice!

 Chapter 626 - The Xie Family’s Good Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 626: The Xie Family¡¯s Good Daughter</h4>


    The ministers had trouble speaking what they had in mind.


    If it was not for the emperor¡¯s excessive love and indulgence for the Crown Prince and his disregard for his physical defects, they would not be so stubborn and go against the Crown Prince all the time, right?


    ¡°Your Majesty, that Xie family was born a bandit. If we let his daughter enter the East Pce, wouldn¡¯t the bandits in the world be even more arrogant?!¡± A bold person shouted at the top of his voice.


    ¡°Bandit, bandit! Are you ming me for letting a bandit be an official?!¡± The emperor snorted, ¡°I see that General Xie is much more sensible than all of you! The Xie family was also responsible for the establishment of the country back then. If it weren¡¯t for you guys mentioning that his identity was inappropriate, this person would¡¯ve been given the title of a noble! He has already atoned for his crimes and made meritorious contributions. His sins have long been forgiven. Don¡¯t mention it again!¡±


    What a joke. His son had lived for so long and had never had any desires. Now that he finally spoke up and wanted to marry a princess consort, how could he stop him?!


    Moreover, he had heard of the Xie family¡¯s youngdy before!


    Earlier, the empress had said that the youngdy was extremely beautiful and was a sensible and obedient child!


    It was just that at that time, the Xie family¡¯s status was low, so it was not appropriate to point it out to the Crown Prince.


    However, the father and son of the Xie family were all capable people now, especially that Xie Pinggang. He was young and capable, so he would definitely be a loyal minister by his son¡¯s side in the future. Why should such a family be shunned?


    Since the Crown Prince liked the Xie family, the emperor was praising the Xie family at the moment.


    He hadpletely forgotten that when this bandit chased away the barbarians and entered the capital, he angrily scolded all the officials and soldiers in the court for being useless. That was why he had no choice but to give Xie Pinggang an official position and shut the mouths of all the people in the world!


    ¡°Your Majesty, if you insist on choosing this woman as the Crown Prince¡¯s Princess Consort¡­ It¡¯s possible. It¡¯s just that¡­ you should also choose two side consorts who are sensible into the residence! It¡¯s to prevent the Xie family from going over the line and ignoring the courtesy in the imperial court if the Princess Consort is the only one who is favored.¡±


    His words were brave. The others held their breaths and waited for the Crown Prince¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who is ignoring the courtesy in the imperial court.¡± As expected, the Crown Prince spoke. ¡°I heard that your parents are kind and loving, so you don¡¯t have any illegitimate brothers?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Master Yan did not understand.


    ¡°How can your mother take care of such a big residence alone? If you value her too much, then wouldn¡¯t your external family rely on the protection of inws and act recklessly? I think that it¡¯s inappropriate. Why don¡¯t you send two good and beautiful concubines so that you¡¯ll have two more aunts?¡± The Crown Prince said again.


    Once he spoke, Master Yan almost fainted from anger.


    He was an aggressive person. ¡°Your Highness! How can this be the same?! I merely came from an ordinary family. You are the Crown Prince of the East Pce!¡±


    ¡°If my future children find out that Master Yan has spent so much effort to bully their mother, they will remember you forever.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s tone was indifferent. ¡°I have yet to take a wife, and all of you are helping me arrange for a concubine. It must be tough for all of you to put in so much effort for me. Why don¡¯t you all send more concubines to your daughters who have gotten married when you return, showing your love for your son-inw.¡±


    His Highness was unreasonable!


    Did they not mention it already?


    The Crown Prince was the treasure of the country, so it was reasonable for him to take a concubine, right?!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with cases all day, so I don¡¯t have the time to deal with concubines. It¡¯s enough to appoint a Princess Consort now. If you still think that it¡¯s inappropriate¡­¡± The Crown Prince thought about it seriously. ¡°Then let Mo Chusheng be the Princess Consort, and the youngdy of the Xie family be the side concubine, alright? That should be enough, right?¡±


    The group of ministers were going out of their minds.


    Each of them had a look of refusal.


    That Taoist master was so many years older than the Crown Prince!


    It was already a headache for him to have either of these two by his side, yet he wanted the both of them?!


    How could they have any words to refute?


    ¡°Ministers¡­¡± Everyone exchanged nces. ¡°The Xie family¡¯s good daughter will be the Princess Consort.¡±

 Chapter 627 - Forgot to Bring His Brain Along

    <h4>Chapter 627: Forgot to Bring His Brain Along</h4>


    Finally, the ministers hade to their senses.


    So be the daughter of a bandit. At least there was nothing wrong with that girl.


    The Crown Prince smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you say. However, since you¡¯ve chosen this person, don¡¯t stir troubles in the future. If you¡¯ll be calling all of the shots, I¡¯ll feel tired on your behalf.¡±


    The ministers who had always opposed the Crown Prince were trembling with anger.


    How many times had it been?!


    Every time they argued with the Crown Prince, they could not win!


    Their feelings for the Crown Prince were veryplicated.


    In terms of talent, capability, and even magnanimity, the Crown Prince was the best out of the five princes in the current dynasty.


    Although he was not close to his brothers, he had never been afraid of them. No matter how much he quarreled with them, when faced with the Fourth and Fifth Prince, he behaved the same. He was indifferent.


    Otherwise, with the way the emperor doted on the Crown Prince, those two princes would probably be suppressed by the emperor until they could not raise their heads.


    Before the Crown Prince was 12, there was not a single person in the court who was dissatisfied with his position as the Crown Prince.


    Even the Fourth Prince¡¯s camp was obedient and did not dare to fight for it!


    Almost everyone thought if the Crown Prince ascended the throne one day, the world would definitely be more prosperous!


    They also did not expect that the Crown Prince¡¯s arm would be injured so badly.


    Throughout history, no disabled prince had ascended the throne.


    It had been the rule since the beginning of time.


    Moreover, if the current emperor was disabled, would the other countries not look down on them as well?


    If they wanted to get rid of the Crown Prince, would they not be heartbroken at all?


    ¡­


    The Crown Prince asked them to retreat at the moment.


    Perhaps because the Crown Prince wanted to marry a wife, the emperor was in a good mood. He did not say that he would beat or punish them.


    The emperor was not in a hurry to issue an order. Instead, he first called the people from the directorate of astronomy and the Ministry of Rites over.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuzhi had already been brought away. The imperial physician stopped the bleeding first. Although this person had lost a lot of blood, he was still alive. He was locked in the cell and fainted until evening. He finally woke up.


    The intense pain almost tore his heart apart. Zhao Xuzhi looked at his empty right arm and howled!


    However, no one outside looked at him!


    ¡°Call my Father! Y-You quickly go to Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence to pass the message!¡± Zhao Xuzhi had never been so flustered before. When he saw the warden walking over, he immediately shouted.


    He had nowhere to put his other hand. He wanted to touch his wound, but the pain made both his hands tremble non-stop.


    There was almost no color on his face. His initially good-looking face was now in a sorry state with no redeeming features at all.


    The warden sighed.


    All these years, the prison that was specifically responsible for the imprisonment of the royal family was almost empty.


    There was no other reason. Even the disciples of the royal family would behave obediently. The emperor seemed to be lenient, but he was very reasonable.


    When the emperor reasoned, if the royal family made a mistake, the oue would be terrible.


    A few years ago, the emperor¡¯s younger brother and his uncle were travelling outside the city. The two of them actually rode their horses in the busy city and killed a person alive. That person was only an elementary schr, but this matter was brought to the imperial pce.


    The emperor was furious and wanted to punish the two of them heavily.


    As the two of them were the emperor¡¯s rtives, no matter how severe the punishment, it would not harm their lives.


    It was nothing more than self-reflection, penalization, andpensation for the victims.


    However, that old uncle was too arrogant. He even boasted shamelessly in the imperial court.


    The emperor was angry, so he executed the person directly!


    In the entire Qianyuan, it was the first time a royal rtive was given a death penalty!


    As for that young prince, since he was young and ignorant, the emperor did not take his life back then. Instead, he was forced to live on the fiefdom. For so many years, he was not summoned to the capital once.


    Who would have thought there would be another person who would do that same? It was the son of Prince Ning Bei.


    When this child was born, did he forget to bring his brain along with him?

 Chapter 628 - Ruined

    <h4>Chapter 628: Ruined</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The warden looked at Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s severed arm and felt sorry for him. He did not mind doing Zhao Xuzhi a favor and sent a message to Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence.


    However, Prince Ning Bei was already on his way.


    He arrived in less than two hours.


    The prison in this ce was much morefortable than the ordinary prison. There was only one iron window and there were soft mattresses. Although it could not bepared to the bedroom that he used to live in, it was not bad.


    Prince Ning Bei brought some strong alcohol over. The warden opened the door and let him in to talk.


    ¡°Father...¡± Zhao Xuzhi shed tears.


    The prince looked at his son and sighed. ¡°I brought some alcohol. You can drink some when you¡¯re in pain and feel better. Sigh, if you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first ce?¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi looked up with tears in his eyes and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Father, I¡¯m innocent!¡±


    ¡°Innocent? Xu¡¯er, you¡¯re my eldest son. Do you really think that I never had any expectations for you?¡± Prince Ning Bei shook his head, ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to win since you were young.You were praised too much when you were young. I thought when you grew up, you would read more books and understand things, so you wouldn¡¯t be so conceited anymore. But I didn¡¯t expect that you would never change. You¡¯re even as conceited as the Crown Prince. Now, I regret it. If I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve let you stay in the fief and not let youe to the capital.¡±


    When Zhao Xuzhi heard that, he was upset. ¡°Father! I¡¯m not wrong. It¡¯s the Crown Prince who is jealous of me!¡±


    When Prince Ning Bei heard that, he was even more disappointed.


    He sneered. ¡°Idiot, you are just a prince¡¯s b*stard son! The Crown Prince is a noble and honorable man. What is it about you that makes the Crown Prince jealous? Do you think that I don¡¯t understand you?! You always think that you are as high and mighty as the Crown Prince because you are somewhat simr to him when you were young!¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s face was ferocious.


    ¡°Do you still remember why you copy everything the Crown Prince does?¡± Prince Ning Bei suddenly asked again.


    How could Zhao Xuzhi calm down and think?


    ¡°When you were young, someone offended you. They said that although you¡¯re the eldest son, you¡¯re an illegitimate son with a low status. You got the benefits for nothing. I was very upset at that time, but you said that you would learn well in the future and live up to your status as the eldest son! To bring honor to Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence! Others see that you are sensible and courteous, and because you are smart, that¡¯s why they say that you look like the Crown Prince!¡±


    It gave Prince Ning Bei a headache when he thought of the past.


    It was because the child was still young, only three or four years old. His childish words were surprising and came from his heart. Nobody taught him to say that.


    Two days ago, the Crown Prince came looking for him and told him about this in advance.


    He knew that his son hadmitted a big crime. The Crown Prince had already turned a blind eye many times. Now, it was impossible for him to let it go.


    He was angry, so he took the side concubine back from the temple.


    He had a long and detailed chat with her.


    Only then did he know that Xu¡¯er had such a disaster because of that woman!


    Back then, others had mentioned Xuzhi resembling the Crown Prince, and because the Crown Prince was too favored, this side concubine of his had often talked nonsense to his son ever since!


    She had made him learn from the Crown Prince in every way!


    She had even boasted shamelessly that her son was even more outstanding than the Crown Prince!


    That side concubine had even inquired about the Crown Prince¡¯s preferences in private. Whatever the Crown Prince liked, she would make her son learn as well!


    ording to her, if the emperor doted on the Crown Prince, he would certainly love the person who resembled him. He would also treat Xuzhi, who was simr to the Crown Prince, very well!


    For this reason, the public¡¯s evaluation of Xuzhi was also biased.


    This son was also raised by the princess in the beginning. However, the people in the royal residence were nice, so they did not stop him from meeting his mother!


    Therefore, Xuzhi was really ruined by his side¡¯s concubine!

 Chapter 629 - Madman

    <h4>Chapter 629: Madman</h4>


    Prince Ning Bei was extremely regretful at this moment. If he had known that this day woulde, he would have gone to save his son. He would not have allowed that woman to harm a good child!


    Zhao Xuzhi could no longer listen to anything.


    He only knew that the Crown Prince had hurt him!


    ¡°Father¡­ Avenge me. My arm is gone¡­¡± He muttered.


    Prince Ning Bei¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I¡¯ve done my best for you. You framed the Crown Prince. With the Emperor¡¯s protection for the Crown Prince, would he be so generous as to spare your life? Think about the Second and Third Prince. What would happen if they did not respect their elder brother?! Not to mention a b*stard son of the royal family?! If not for the Emperor showing me mercy, you would¡¯ve been executed by a thousand cuts. You deserve it!


    ¡°I¡¯ve already taken care of everything for you. Although you¡¯re locked up, you don¡¯t have to worry about food and drink. If you¡¯re bored, I¡¯ll send someone to bring you some books every once in a while to relieve your boredom. But that¡¯s all I can do. Also¡­¡±


    Prince Ning Bei gave his son a deep look. ¡°Your mother has passed away.¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi stared at him in shock.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to me others. I did this myself. That wretched woman ruined your life, so I¡¯llpensate you with her life!¡±


    Then, Prince Ning Bei nced at his son¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ve sent the concubine you wanted back to Xun County. Now that you¡¯re like this, you shouldn¡¯t harm others anymore.¡±


    Then, Prince Ning Bei left.


    ¡°Father! Father, don¡¯t go! Save me, Father!


    ¡°Father! Am I not your son?! Why don¡¯t you care about me anymore?!¡±


    Zhao Xuzhi threw his arm over, but his body fell to the ground from the momentum. He pressed on the wound, and not long after, the wound started bleeding again.


    Zhao Xuzhi had never thought that he would be crippled one day.


    He used to mock the Crown Prince as a cripple, but the Crown Prince¡¯s right hand looked intact at least!


    He could even hold something!


    What about him?


    Now, his entire arm was gone!


    His father did not want him anymore. Was he really going to live in such a ce for the rest of his life?


    He did not understand what he had done wrong. Everyone said that he was not any worse than the Crown Prince. Even the Emperor praised him, no?!


    Zhao Xuzhiughed and cried like a madman.


    At this moment, there were even more people outside who looked like madmen.


    Although the emperor had yet to issue the decree officially, news of the Crown Prince¡¯s request for a marriage in the pce had already spread.


    Everyone was stunned.


    They had thought of a candidate for the Princess Consort!


    Before the marriage between the Dong family¡¯s youngdy and the Fourth Prince was decided, they thought Young Lady Dong would be the Princess Consort!


    After all, that youngdy was beautiful, intelligent, and talented!


    Or perhaps it would be the Chu family¡¯s youngdy. Young Lady Chu was known as the most beautiful woman in the capital. She was so beautiful that she could topple the country and the cities!


    However, they never thought it would be Xie Qiao!


    Moreover, many people thought the Xie family had received some kind of help from God sincest year. A series of good things happened to them!


    Xie Pinggang had been promoted and made a fortune twice in a row. The second young master of the Xie family was now Li Shiyan¡¯s grand-disciple, Xiao Yurong¡¯s second disciple!


    Xie Niushan, the fool, had crossed a big hurdle!


    Now, they were even making thisdy of the Xie family the Princess Consort!


    Was the Xie family going to ascend to heaven?!


    The ministers who came out of the pce did not stay idle. After leaving the pce, they immediately sent people to investigate Young Lady Xie.


    What kind of person could make a person who had been patient and did not want to marry suddenly make an exception?!

 Chapter 630 - Inquiry

    <h4>Chapter 630: Inquiry</h4>


    It was not difficult to find out about Young Lady Xie.


    After all, Young Lady Xie was also a member of the Royal Academy. In each family, even if they did not have a child who went to the Royal Academy, there would always be one in the family of a close friend.


    Therefore, on the second day, more and more people came to visit her friends.


    ¡°How¡¯s the eldest daughter of the Xie family?¡± A busybody asked.


    ¡°You mean Xie Qiao?¡± A young man blushed. ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful, like a fairy.¡±


    ¡°Aspared to the youngdy from the Chu family?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not inferior.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the eldest daughter of the Xie family knows how to use a sword?¡± Another busybody asked.


    ¡°She can do more than that. I¡¯ve seen her with my own eyes. She¡¯s so beautiful. She¡¯s not overly soft, she has a fierce and decisive tenacity. That is why the Crown Prince awarded her a white jade!


    ¡°However, Young Lady Xie can do more with dancing with a sword. Her best and most unforgettable achievement is that she won eight first prizes. Dong Xiyun has only won three or four first prizes at most, but Young Lady Xie has won everything that Young Lady Dong is best at. She¡¯s superior to her in every aspect!¡±


    The ministers who asked were shocked.


    At the Royal Academy, although it was the women¡¯s academy, the difficulty of the exam would not be too low.


    To be able to get the top eight prizes, it showed that this person definitely had real talent.


    So, this girl was a strange youngdy who suppressed the capital¡¯s number one talent and beauty?


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­¡± That junior changed his tone.


    A minister jolted. ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. Young Lady Xie is known for her short life. She fainted immediately after she danced with her sword. The imperial physician personally checked her pulse and said that how long she could live depended on her life. She can¡¯t get angry. She has to take good care of herself. Even so, she probably wouldn¡¯t live past 20!¡±


    It was not a secret that she had a short life.


    There were already many people who knew about it now.


    There was not anyone who was not shocked.


    She would not live past 20? Then¡­ The Crown Prince would have to marry again in the future?


    This girl was talented and beautiful. It waspletely different from what they thought. They thought she was a female version of Xie Niushan, but she was really a good girl. If this person became the Princess Consort, her temper and personality were still eptable.


    Why did she have to have a short life?!


    Everyone thought the possibility of the Crown Prince truly marrying a wife was not high.


    It was probably because he heard that this Young Lady Xie suppressed the Fourth Prince¡¯s fiancee, so he wanted to marry her¡­


    Or perhaps, he thought it was too much of a trouble to marry a wife, so he got his confidant, Xie Pinggang¡¯s sister, to be his shield.


    Thinking of this, they thought the youngdy was quite pitiful.


    She was already short-lived, and she would have to be treated coldly by the Crown Prince in the future.


    It had only been a day, but the way people looked at her had changed.


    Xie Niushan went to work as usual. It was rather strict at the military camp, so he did not hear any news.


    Xie Pinggang heard the news earlier, so he was rtively calm. He did not mention this matter at home.


    Xie Pinghuai was still at the Lin Residence, while Xie Xi ran around frequently. However, she hardly spoke, so she did not say much. The steward heard about this matter, but seeing the calmness of the main family, he thought the news might be fake.


    They were all secretly thinking to themselves, but they did not say anything.


    Three dayster, Xie Niushan was stuck at home early in the morning.


    He saw an old eunuch who served the Emperor bringing a bunch of things over. He did not know what he was doing.


    The eunuch held the imperial edict in his hand, so he could only get his family toe over obediently. He immediately knelt down to receive the edict.


    ¡°First Young Lady, the Emperor and the Crown Prince said that you¡¯re a dignified and noble person, so there¡¯s no need for formalities. You can just stand and receive the edict.¡± The eunuch was very considerate.


    Xie Niushan was confused.

 Chapter 631 - He Has Come to Our Doorstep

    <h4>Chapter 631: He Has Come to Our Doorstep</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan could not understand. His daughter was just an ordinary official¡¯s daughter, how could she be a noble?


    As her father, he still had to kneel, how could his daughter be exempt from the formalities?


    However, before he could regain his senses, he heard the old eunuch cough dryly, pinch his throat, and read the imperial edict.


    ¡°In ordance with the imperial edict, the former General Xie Niushan¡¯s eldest daughter Xie Qiao is skilled and generous, kind and honest, has outstanding looks, and is intelligent and capable. His Majesty is very pleased to hear that... she is a match made in heaven with our Crown Prince, and I hereby betroth this daughter to the Crown Prince as his wife. The ceremony will be jointly handled by the Ministry of Rites and the directorate of astronomy, and the marriage will be arranged on a suitable date!


    ¡°Also, the Emperor has specially gifted some treasures to the future Princess Consort.¡±


    As he spoke, he got people to arrange the things and read them out one by one.


    Xie Niushan could not hear a single word that was being read out.


    He could understand the words that were praising his daughter¡¯s good looks and sensibility.


    However, he could not understand them when they were put together.


    He had a dumbfounded look on his face, like a fool. The eunuch could not bear to watch any longer. Seeing that he still had no reaction after receiving the edict, he hurriedly said, ¡°Master Xie? Can you at least express your stance?¡±


    Logically speaking, he should serve tea and red envelopes to those who came to deliver the edict of such amazing news, right?!


    If he was too cold, if word got out, others would think that the Xie family did not approve of this marriage!


    ¡°Ah? Stance? What stance?¡± Xie Niushan scratched his head. ¡°W-What did you say my daughter should do?¡±


    ¡°Be the Crown Prince¡¯s wife...¡± The eunuch was speechless.


    In addition, the reaction of this family... was very strange!


    Especially the Xie siblings. There were only three people present at the moment, and they all looked calm and indifferent, as if they had heard a verymon thing!


    This Xie Niushan was even more outrageous. He actually did not understand?


    He was not old. How could he be deaf?


    ¡°Princess Consort...¡± Xie Niushan muttered. Then, his voice rose like a gong. ¡°The Princess Consort that you¡¯re talking about is the Crown Prince¡¯s wife, right? T-The Emperor wants my daughter to marry the Crown Prince?!¡±


    It was not a dream, right?!


    S-She had achieved greatness in one step!


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The eunuch hurriedly nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xie Niushan still felt a little incredulous.


    He was too absent-minded. Could it be that he had not woken up yet and was dreaming?


    Xie Niushan thought for a moment and pinched Xie Pinggang beside him from behind.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression remained the same.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a dream!¡± Xie Niushan suddenly realized!


    Xie Pinggang could not stand it anymore. ¡°Father, it¡¯s true. The Crown Prince is marrying my eldest sister. This news has been spreading for several days. I thought you knew about it. I didn¡¯t expect that you would be so slow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been several days...¡± Xie Niushan patted his face.


    Suddenly, he reached out and took the imperial edict. Then, he strode into the house.


    The rest of the people looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.


    Xie Pinggang yed host and served the people who were left behind tea and gave them some silver beans as errand fee.


    At that moment, Xie Niushan returned to the house in a daze and took out a wooden box from under the bed.


    After Ms. Lu left, only did he ce the box in his room. He carefully took it out.


    There was a memorial tablet of his beloved wife¡¯s name written on it, Ms. Peng!


    He wiped the memorial tablet and ced it on the bed, with a plop, he knelt in front of the bed.


    ¡°My dear wife, take a look at what this is! You wouldn¡¯t believe that the Emperor sent this imperial edict! He wants your daughter to be the Princess Consort. This daughter of ours has a short life, and she has a lethal fate. Do you think she would kill the Crown Prince with her fate? However, I think... that doesn¡¯t matter. Our daughter said earlier that the Crown Prince is good-looking. Unfortunately, I was useless and couldn¡¯t make him stay. Now that he hase to our doorstep, I will never let him go....¡±

 Chapter 632 - Found A Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 632: Found A Treasure</h4>


    Xie Niushan was extremely excited. His eyes lit up as he looked at the imperial edict.


    The royal family must be blind to actually wanting to be inws with him. When they had entered the capital, the Emperor disliked him! They had changed so quickly!


    However, it was great news to them!


    His daughter¡¯s future was bright. She would be married to the Crown Prince!


    Outsiders said that the Crown Prince was cold and heartless, and that he was a cripple who would go into exile sooner orter. He had heard of that before, but he did not believe them. Outsiders even said that he, a bandit, was terrible?! Did he admit that?!


    For the Crown Prince to take a liking to his daughter, it seemed he had excellent taste!


    Back then, since he dared toe to the capital, he had asked around in advance. The Emperor and the Crown Prince were both good, and they were reasonable. Otherwise, it would be crazy for him to dare appear in front of the royal family!


    Hence, the Crown Prince wanting to marry his daughter was definitely not a joke. His eldest son followed the Crown Prince around to run errands. He knew that the Crown Prince was a good person and could be trusted.


    No matter how he looked at it, his daughter was the lucky one.


    ¡°My dear wife, our daughter has really found a treasure!¡± Xie Niushan muttered as he wiped away his tears.


    The eunuch who passed the imperial edict sat for a while before returning. Along the way, he was thinking about what to report.


    Was the Xie family happy or upset?! Why did Xie Niushan seem to be angry?!


    It was strange!


    After pondering for a while, the eunuch came to a realization.


    The royal family was overjoyed. He could not jinx it, especially the Crown Prince. This was the first time he had requested for an imperial edict to bestow a marriage. If he knew that the Xie family was upset, what would happen?


    Therefore, after returning, the eunuch tried his best to rationalize all of Xie Niushan¡¯s actions.


    He was so happy that he lost himself and almost fainted!


    The Xie family was indeed filled with joy. After the eunuch left, Xie Pinggang took the initiative to reward the entire family with silver. It was rare for Xie Xi to not be stingy and generously give out silver.


    ¡®Looking at this useless girl.¡¯


    Xie Pinggang sighed. ¡°Your luck is really not bad. The Crown Prince is such a good person, yet you got him. However, there are some things that I want to remind you about¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao sat obediently.


    Xie Pinggang said with a serious expression, ¡°You are close to Master Mo, so you¡¯ll find out about this sooner orter. It¡¯s better for me to tell you so that you won¡¯t have a knot in your heart in the future.¡±


    Hearing that, Xie Qiao knew what he was going to say.


    She just pretended to be ignorant.


    ¡°This Master Mo and the Crown Prince are from the same sect. I heard that Old Master Li was a busybody to have arranged a marriage for the two of them. The Crown Prince initially wanted to marry someone else, but Master Mo refused to marry. That¡¯s why the Crown Prince chose you. However, the senior sister and brother are close, so it¡¯s inevitable that they will spend time together in the future. When it happens, don¡¯t be jealous. Understand?¡± Xie Pinggang advised.


    He was not standing on Master Mo¡¯s side, but he wanted his sister to be more open-minded.


    Master Mo had a good character, and the Crown Prince was also reliable. There was no way he would do anything behind her back.


    Therefore, he could not let his sister be in unnecessary pain on her own.


    Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness. ¡°I got it, Eldest Brother.¡±


    Xie Pinggang snorted in satisfaction, and then an image shed through his mind.


    ¡°Speaking of which, this Master Mo¡­ seems to have called me Eldest Brother before¡­¡± Xie Pinggang frowned and thought for a while, but he was not sure.


    When he was in the suburbs of Xun County, he seemed to have heard that. It was soft, but it was not clear.


    He did not know whether she said ¡®eldest brother¡¯ or she called his name¡­


    It was the imperial bodyguard around the Crown Prince who reminded him when they had nothing to do at night.

 Chapter 633 - Bad Luck

    <h4>Chapter 633: Bad Luck</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard Xie Pinggang¡¯s words, her heart almost jumped out of her throat.


    She looked at him innocently. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You must have heard it wrong, Eldest Brother. Senior Aunty Mo is an elder!¡±


    ¡°I think so too. I didn¡¯t notice it at all. It was Zhou Weizong and a few other guys who told me. They said it as if it was true, so I thought it was strange too.¡± Xie Pinggang scratched his head. ¡°Master Mo also curses. She must¡¯ve learned those curses when she was traveling.¡±


    Or else?


    Could she be his long-lost sister?


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    She did not know when she forgot about her disguise and almost exposed herself.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯m pretending to be Master Mo?¡± Xie Qiao mustered up her courage and looked at him with a burning gaze.


    After saying this, Xie Pinggang sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m looking down on you, but you¡¯re really far from being a master despite being well-versed in both worlds. Look at you. You were so scared that your face turned pale when you heard the terms ¡®spirit¡¯ and ¡®dead souls¡¯. Master is different. She doesn¡¯t panic in the face of battle. The thing that she saw was much more powerful than the wandering souls that you usually see. They were all vengeful spirits! However, with a slight wave of her hand, a few talismans were thrown and all those vengeful spirits were killed!


    ¡°Among the people I admire in my life, other than the grand preceptor who knows everything in the world and the Prince who is as steady as a mountain, Master Mo is the only one,¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    Xie Qiao was embarrassed by the praise.


    ¡°Is she really that powerful?¡± She was a little shy.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t go to Xun County with her this time. If you could learn more, you might not be so timid.¡± Xie Pinggang shook his head. ¡°This Master Mo is good at capturing spirits. She¡¯s very urate with her divination. How many people will have a good ending if they don¡¯t listen to her? For instance, Zhao Xuzhi and his concubine¡­ One was imprisoned, and the other didn¡¯t have a good ending either. They¡¯re foolish for not listening to her!¡±


    Xie Pinggang was talking about Young Lady Pang.


    It was said that Zhao Xuzhi was going to take a concubine, and she was brought to the capital.


    However, now that Zhao Xuzhi was caught, the people of Prince Ning Bei¡¯s residence were still polite to Young Lady Pang and wanted to send her back in an orderly manner.


    Young Lady Pang was unwilling, but there was nothing she could do.


    ¡°It happened in the past two days. I heard that in order to enter the Prince¡¯s residence, Young Lady Pang sold the few remaining assets and even the Bai family¡¯s incense form. She exchanged them for arge amount of gold and silver and brought them to the capital. How long has it been before she has to go back? She¡¯s ady, and she doesn¡¯t have anyone trustworthy by her side. She definitely can¡¯t keep the money safe!¡±


    Prince Ning Bei was a good person, so he asked the guards of the residence to send her back personally.


    Therefore, the possibility of losing money on the way was low.


    However, Xie Pinggang knew very well in his heart that in this day and age that a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl held 200,000 to 300,000 taels of silver in her hand and did not even have a trustworthy person by her side, how long could she protect the silver?!


    Even the old man by her side could be loyal in the past, but what about in the future?


    When he was reunited with his family, would his family not be urging him to do something?


    Even if he was loyal, an old man like him would not be able to do anything.


    Therefore, when this person returned to Xun County, who knew how many people with ill intentions would attack her?!


    Moreover, how many thieves were there in this world?


    In short, that youngdy¡¯s luck would definitely not be too good for the rest of her life!


    ¡°You don¡¯t know this Young Lady Pang that I told you about, so you naturally don¡¯t understand how amazing Master Mo is. It¡¯s also your good luck that you were able to cultivate in the same Taoist temple as Master Mo back then. You should try your best to learn from her. It¡¯s also good to have the ability to protect yourself!¡±

 Chapter 634 - Getting Old

    <h4>Chapter 634: Getting Old</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Although Xie Pinggang looked down on Xie Qiao, he could understand that. His sister was young, and Master Mo was already in her thirties or forties. She was experienced, so she should be more stable.


    Xie Qiao looked even more timid now.


    Why did Mo Chusheng look as stable as an old dog?


    It was because she had a thickyer of makeup on her face. Even if she was afraid, no one would be able to tell!


    Now that her eldest brother was boasting about Master Mo, if one day he found out the truth¡­


    He would kill her!


    Xie Qiao smiled at Xie Pinggang very gently, looking like a frightened little rabbit.


    Xie Pinggang did not understand women¡¯s thoughts. At this moment, he only thought that Xie Qiao was admiring Mo Chusheng.


    ¡°We¡¯re just boosting your courage to be wanting you to learn from Master Mo. In the future, you will be the Princess Consort. You shouldn¡¯t wander around like Master Mo does,¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    Xie Qiao was sensible and listened to his instructions.


    ¡­


    With the Emperor¡¯s imperial edict, this matter was set in stone.


    Unless the Xie family hadmitted a major crime, the Emperor would not be able to take back the edict. Those who had been specting and suspecting earlier were now as shocked as if they had been struck by lightning.


    At the Dong Residence, Dong Xiyun directly tore up the wedding dress that she was preparing to embroider.


    Dong Yiyun, the second daughter of the Dong family, had just entered the house. When she saw the mess on the ground, she frowned slightly. ¡°Eldest Sister.¡±


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s face stiffened a little. Then, she turned to look at Dong Yiyun and said indifferently, ¡°What are you doing here? Are you showing off to me that the Xie family has achieved greatness?!¡±


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s face immediately turned red, and she was a little angry. ¡°Eldest Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? If this word gets out, won¡¯t I have to hang myself with a piece of white silk?!¡±


    Dong Xiyun knew that she was too angry, so she acted impulsively.


    However, she really did not expect that Xie Qiao would actually be the Princess Consort!


    Moreover, the Emperor had personally decreed the marriage. ording to her father, the Ministry of Rites and the directorate of astronomy had already beening up with the date. Even the grand preceptor has been invited. They insist on setting the perfect date!


    It could be seen how much the Emperor valued the Princess Consort!


    As for her? She had also been given the title of the Prince¡¯s main consort. Now, it was only an internal decision. There was no decree of marriage at all!


    The Emperor¡¯s mind had gone astray!


    He had initially thought that the Princess Consort would be that old Taoist master. It turned out that it was all nonsense spread by Zhao Xuzhi!


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little upset. You know that the eldestdy of the Xie family had deliberately targeted me in the academy, causing me to be ridiculed by everyone!¡± Dong Xiyun was so angry that she was grinding her teeth.


    Dong Yiyun sighed. ¡°Eldest Sister, actually... you will feel much better if you think it through. The Crown Prince is the eldest son of the first wife. No matter how much the Emperor dotes on him, it is reasonable. Because of this, the Princess Consort is loved by everyone. It¡¯s not that Eldest Sister can¡¯t bepared to the Xie family¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Her eldest sister had always looked down on the Crown Prince and had always had her eyes on the Fourth Prince. She knew this.


    However, in her opinion, the Crown Prince was the most honorable one.


    Even their father said the Emperor was biased, but... was he not right to be biased?


    She was the direct daughter. If the concubine¡¯s daughter was more dignified than she was, as well as letting the concubine¡¯s son inherit more than half of the family property one day, would it not be more reasonable for her to be upset about?!


    Unfortunately, she could not figure it out.


    She was also a direct daughter, but she would gossip with the concubines and single out the stepmother. That was just wrong.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes shed with disgust.


    ¡°You like that Young Lady Xie very much, don¡¯t you? After all, she¡¯s Xie Pinggang¡¯s younger sister.¡± Dong Xiyun suddenly got straight to the point. ¡°You¡¯re getting old.. Now that I¡¯m engaged, it¡¯s your turn. Do you want Father to send someone to the Xie family to inquire for you?¡±

 Chapter 635 - Heaven and Earth

    <h4>Chapter 635: Heaven and Earth</h4>


    After Dong Xiyun finished speaking, she looked at her sister with a gentle smile.


    How foolish was she before that she wanted topete with her silly sister?


    The difference between them was heaven and earth. In the future, she would be a high and mighty consort and might even be an Empress. What about this silly sister of hers?


    She would forever be trampled under her feet.


    When Dong Yiyun heard her sister¡¯s words, she looked flustered. ¡°Eldest Sister, you can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have that intention¡­¡±


    She did in the past.


    However¡­ Brother Xie probably did not even remember her.


    Moreover, now that her eldest sister was going to marry into the royal family, and the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince were not on good terms, if she were to get involved with the Xie family, would the two sisters not be even more jealous of each other in the future?


    Forget it.


    She still felt significant disappointment inside. However, she had already tried her best to deal with her emotions. She was not considered old yet, so she could wait a little longer¡­


    She will decide that in the future!


    However, the more Dong Yiyun did not want to do something, the more interested Dong Xiyun became.


    At that moment, she did not say much and turned around to look for Master Dong.


    Shepletely exposed the fact that Dong Yiyun was infatuated with Xie Pinggang!


    When Master Dong went to Dong Yiyun in a huff, the little girl was dumbfounded. ¡°Father, I-I didn¡¯t secretly meet him¡­¡±


    When the stepmother from the Dong family saw that, she hurriedly said, ¡°What can¡¯t you talk to your child properly? Yi¡¯er is usually very obedient. When she goes out, she¡¯s apanied by a maidservant and the granny. How would she do such a thing? What on Earth is going on?!¡±


    ¡°Are you still saying that you didn¡¯t? Your Sister already told me that. Previously at the Zhou family¡¯s banquet, you were even flirting with that brat!¡± Master Dong said in an upset manner.


    When Dong Yiyun heard that, she was angry and ashamed. ¡°Father, I think that Master Xie is a good person! Previously, when I went out, I was almost kidnapped by a man. It was all thanks to him that I was fine. However, I¡¯ve never crossed the line. That Master Xie doesn¡¯t remember me at all! Sister doesn¡¯t know anything. She¡¯s spouting nonsense!¡±


    Master Dong was skeptical.


    This second daughter was a little outgoing, but she should not be a frivolous person.


    ¡°Yi¡¯er, do you think that First Young Master Xie is great?¡± Dong family¡¯s stepmother asked.


    ¡°Why? Are you still going to betroth your daughter to that reckless man who kills without batting an eye? That guy even bullied Xi¡¯er before!¡± Master Dong said unhappily when he heard that.


    ¡°Master, the Xie family is now the new aristocrat. How many things have been spread about that Young Master Xie in the capital this year? Was there nder at all? It can be seen that this person should not be bad. I think there must¡¯ve been some misunderstanding in the past,¡± the stepmother quickly said.


    Who would she believe among the two stepdaughters? Naturally, she would believe the one she raised.


    The second daughter had a pure mind, but that eldest daughter¡­


    Putting everything else aside, just the fact that she had made her best friend her stepmother, it was obvious that her intentions were ill!


    Master Dong was silent for a moment.


    Everything else aside, it was the truth that the Xie family was the new aristocrat.


    ¡°Since Yi¡¯er thinks he¡¯s not bad, why don¡¯t we send someone to probe for information? That child of the Xie family is a little old, but I heard that he doesn¡¯t have anyone by his side. If this happens, it should be a good marriage,¡± the stepmother added.


    Dong Yiyun was a little hesitant. ¡°Mother, but Eldest Sister and the Fourth Prince¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The stepmother patted her daughter¡¯s hand.


    Their family had been forcefully dragged into the trouble by the Meng family.


    If the second daughter married into the Xie family, it would also be a deration to the Emperor.


    What was so great about taking sides? Now that the Emperor was in good health and the Crown Prince did not show any signs of being deposed, would his daughter have to cower in fear and not dare to inquire about the marriage?


    Master Dong thought about it carefully. It was not good to be two-timing.


    However, Xie Pinggang had saved the second daughter¡¯s life. If it really happened, he could use that to shut the outsiders up.


    In the future, no matter who ascended the throne, the Dong family would have a way out.

 Chapter 636 - Lift Their Heads High Again

    <h4>Chapter 636: Lift Their Heads High Again</h4>


    Thinking of this, Master Dong thought it was feasible, so he agreed.


    However, the Dong family was not the only one who hade to inquire.


    In the capital, there were actually quite a number of official families who wanted to inquire about Xie Pinggang¡¯s intentions.


    Xie Pinggang was very annoyed by this, so he simply told the steward to reject all those people directly.


    The people sent by the Dong family did not even enter the house.


    Dong Yiyun naturally did not receive any good news either. All that was left was disappointment.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s marriage was notpletely concluded with an imperial edict.


    None of the three letters and six etiquettes were missed. Even the Crown Prince had to choose an auspicious day toe and visit his future father-inw. Of course, this visit was different from an ordinary family¡¯s son-inw meeting his father-inw. Xie Niushan could not put on airs.


    On the second day after the marriage decree was issued, a few female officials were sent to the family.


    The main goal was to teach some pce rules and various titles of the royalty. It was veryplicated.


    However, Xie Qiao learned quickly, which was a relief.


    She even went to the academy as usual and only allowed the female officials to quickly exin for an hour every day.


    Initially, they were upset, but there was nothing that they could do since Xie Qiao learned fast. Naturally, they dared not stir trouble with the future Princess Consort, so they agreed obediently.


    The atmosphere in the Orchid Courtyard where Xie Qiao was also changed.


    The dignified Princess Consort came from the Orchid Courtyard and not the Peony Courtyard. This news undoubtedly made everyone failed to hold back their excitement once again.


    The enthusiasm for learning was unprecedented. Master Lu could not stop smiling!


    Xie Qiao felt that with the enthusiasm in learning, by the time the academy¡¯s major examination was held in June, the Orchid Courtyard might really be able to suppress the Peony Courtyard!


    She was afraid that she would not be able to study in the academy for long. She hoped that she could see Qin Liu and Fang Muxue lift their heads up high again!


    As for the books in the academy¡­


    Once she became the Princess Consort, she was not worried that she would not be able to read them in the future!


    Zhao Xuanjing even had an exclusive residence in the academy. She could move in with him!


    She could also openly enjoy the Yang energy!


    However, the only thing that made her unhappy was¡­


    The imperial edict had been issued, but Zhao Xuanjing was nowhere to be found!


    Did he not agree with Mo Chusheng that he would ask her opinion even if the Emperor wanted to arrange a marriage?!


    He did not!


    Zhao Xuanjing did note, and Xie Qiao did not look for him either. Her carefree days were limited now, so naturally she had to enjoy them. After changing into Mo Chusheng¡¯s clothes, Xie Qiao walked around the streets of the capital. Perhaps she might meet a few ¡°people¡± that she was fated to meet.


    There were many ghouls, but she did not see any powerful ones.


    Xie Qiao instructed them to queue at the Fortune Pavilion.


    ¡°Brother! There¡¯s a sill under your feet! Be careful!


    ¡°Brother, are you moving the goods? Let me help you! Oh my, this thing is heavy! Let me help you!¡±


    Xie Qiao sat by the street and saw a thin and weak figure running around.


    When he saw that someone needed help, he ran over to help. Most of the time, they would only thank him. asionally, some generous people would reward him with a few copper coins.


    There were many people who worked as hard as him, but this person was different. Something was wrong with his appearance.


    Xie Qiao suspected that this person was the same as her. Both of them had disguised themselves. That voice¡­ Although she deliberately lowered her voice, she could still hear the sharp pitch of a woman.


    It was a woman disguised as a man.


    Xie Qiao observed carefully.


    Her clothes were dusty, and her shoes were worn out. However, her eyes were full of vigor. She was different from many people that Xie Qiao had met before, and her interest was instantly piqued.

 Chapter 637 - I’ll Take Your Blessings

    <h4>Chapter 637: I¡¯ll Take Your Blessings</h4>


    That man seemed to have noticed that he was being watched.


    After a while, he sat across from Xie Qiao and asked for a bowl of tea.


    ¡°Taoist master, why are you looking at me?! Is there something on my face?¡± The man said.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at the light in your eyes. It seems good luck ising,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    ¡°Good luck?¡± The manughed out loud. He looked like a real man. Afterughing, he took out two copper coins and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take your blessings!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve just made the money.¡± Xie Qiao was a little surprised.


    ¡°Taoist master, you¡¯re dressed better than I do, but I saw you on the other two streets just now. You¡¯re wandering around and sizing people up. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re looking for some work just like me, right? Others hired me, so I hired you now. Although you¡¯ve only said this much to me, I¡¯m happy to hear it, and it puts me in a good mood. I can make more moneyter!¡± This person was very straightforward.


    As Master Mo, Xie Qiao had listened to the ttery of others many times.


    However, those words were mostly ttery.


    Unlike the person in front of her, who clearly did not believe that she was a capable Taoist master, was talking so extravagantly.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and took the two copper coins. ¡°That was nothing. Since I¡¯ve taken your money, I¡¯ll tell your fortune seriously.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao took out a few more copper coins on her own.


    After a round of divination, she smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°Your Luck today is on the west side of the capital. When the sun sets, close your eyes and walk a hundred steps forward. When you bump into a person, follow that person for another 15 minutes. If you see an alley, walk straight in. When you have to stop, your luck wille.¡±


    The person looked at her with slight surprise. ¡°You really performed divination for me? I don¡¯t believe in this.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe it or not. If you have nothing to do, why don¡¯t you just give it a try?¡± Xie Qiao was very calm.


    This person saw her serious face and thought for a moment. Then, he grinned and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xie Qiao liked her even more now.


    She was straightforward and listened to her advice.


    Since she had nothing to do, she was ready to follow this woman who was disguised as a manter.


    This person did not stay in front of her for long and went to look for work. As she was dirty, the restaurants and bars kicked her out directly.


    She was not angry and kept smiling.


    If it were not for Xie Qiao¡¯s sharp eyes, she would have thought that this person who was getting more and more brave was really a man.


    Soon, the sun set.


    The person raised her head and looked at the setting sun. She thought for a moment before shutting her eyes. Then, she tookrge strides forward in the dark.


    ording to Xie Qiao¡¯s request, she took a hundred steps. With a plop, she really bumped into someone. She hurriedly got up and followed that person.


    Xie Qiao followed behind her slowly.


    This person walked¡­


    In the end, Xie Qiao realized that they were in the alley where the Lin Residence was.


    After a few more steps, she could see the Lin Residence¡¯s door!


    At this moment, there seemed to be amotion in front of the door. A person stood outside and pointed at Lin Yaxiang.¡±Bah!¡± He said, ¡°Are you saying that I touched your butt? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of that? You¡¯re a midwife who can¡¯t get married. You can¡¯t evenpare to thedies at the brothel!


    ¡°You can make me leave today, but you have to pay me the wages you agreed to. Otherwise, I¡¯ll ruin your business!¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned deeply.


    Lin Yaxiang¡¯s face was filled with anger. She did not expect that her recruitment of a martial arts master would attract such a thing!


    However, this person knew martial arts. Just now, he had already kicked the medicine rack in the house to pieces. If they really started fighting now, she would be the one at a disadvantage. Moreover, her brother-inw had followed her father to visit a patient, and there was not a single man in the house. The children should be back soon¡­

 Chapter 638 - Martial Arts Master

    <h4>Chapter 638: Martial Arts Master</h4>


    Lin Yaxiang was not a weak and ipetent person.


    Now that she saw that martial arts master being unreasonable and that she could not beat him, she decided to shout shamelessly.


    ¡°Go ahead! I don¡¯t have money, I only have my life! I¡¯m standing here now. If you dare to touch a single hair on my head, try it! Even if I¡¯ll have to crawl to the authorities, I¡¯ll sue you for stirring up trouble!¡±


    How did she survive all these years?


    Back then, other than her father, there were no other men in the family. It was all because of her fearless temper that her two beautiful sisters were able to grow up safely!


    When the martial arts master saw that this woman was quite difficult to scare, he immediately attacked her.


    His big hand was about to hit Lin Yaxiang¡¯s face.


    Xie Qiao was still 20 to 30 steps away.


    However, before that palm couldnd, a figure rushed over with quick steps. It was as if the entire person was flying. That foot even gave a roundhouse kick in the air. With a bang, it aimed at the head of that person and knocked him out!


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re looking for a beating to be bullying a woman!¡± That figurended steadily on the ground and even snorted.


    Then, she scratched her head with a slight headache. ¡°I lost control of my strength for a moment and I kicked him a little too hard¡­ He¡¯s unconscious now. C-Can you help me carry the person to the administrative office?¡±


    She looked at Lin Yaxiang with a troubled expression.


    She could go alone, but it was inconvenient. After all, she was not the victim.


    Lin Yaxiang was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing¡­¡±


    She thought that the flying kick just now was some big bird pouncing on her!


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s nothing.¡± She was very modest.


    ¡°May I know¡­ how should I address you?¡± Lin Yaxiang wanted to thank him, but she did not know who he was. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re also here to apply for the martial arts master?¡±


    ¡°Martial arts master?¡± The man was stunned for a moment. Then, he saw a red piece of paper pasted on the door of her house.


    There were some requirements for a martial arts master written on it.


    There were no restrictions on men and women. The main requirement was good character. The disciple was a thirteen-year-old boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to apply for a martial arts master. I just heard what a master told me and came here to take a walk.¡± The man smirked and then said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t here to apply for the job just now. But I am now! Yu is the family name, and my name is Yu Xian!¡±


    Lin Yaxiang smiled.


    This young master was quite interesting. He was very straightforward and his voice was clear and pleasant to listen to.


    Although he was also smiling, he waspletely different from the unconscious martial arts master on the ground. He did not sound lecherous at all!


    ¡°Young Master Yu, please send him to the administrative office with me first. Later on, we can talk in detail!¡± Lin Yaxiang did not beat around the bush.


    The two of them hit it off.


    When Xie Qiao saw that, she guessed that Yu Xian should be able to satisfy Lin Yaxiang.


    So, she did not approach her and turned around to leave.


    The two of them moved the martial artist on the ground to the intersection. There were patrolling officers and soldiers passing by. After giving a brief statement, they took the person away.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, my nephew also knows some martial arts. His foundation is good, but he¡¯s just a little mischievous and can¡¯t sit still. So, if you¡¯re thinking of taking this job, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to be mentally prepared. It would be a little more tiring. Also, we¡¯re paying ten taels of silver per month¡­¡±


    To Lin Yaxiang, ten taels of silver was a lot of money.


    However, recently, she had taken on a few jobs from big families and received quite a lot of silver rewards. She had even concocted some medicine with her father to heal the women going through postpartum. The medicine was very popr with those women, and the money earned was enough.


    She was just a little tired.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to teach naughty children. This is no problem at all. When I was in Dong¡¯an, the people I yed with were quite mischievous, but in front of me, they were more obedient!¡± Yu Xian was quite looking forward to it.

 Chapter 639 - Prestigious Family

    <h4>Chapter 639: Prestigious Family</h4>


    Mischievous children were much more interesting than a quiet and well-behaved child!


    When Lin Yaxiang heard Yu Xian say that, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. This child is only my nephew. asionally, he¡¯ll stay at my ce, and he¡¯ll have to go home often. So, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to go to both ces. Also¡­ Before we settle you down, I¡¯ll have to get you to meet his father and eldest brother.¡±


    The position of a teacher was more important. She could not settle it on her own.


    ¡°It should be done.¡± Yu Xian nodded.


    Lin Yaxiang was even more satisfied now.


    She made an appointment to meet with the Xie family tomorrow morning.


    Yu Xian did not object.


    She was thinking more about that Taoist master!


    She had taken advantage of her. Previously, she had suspected that the Taoist master was bluffing. She did not expect that her fortune-telling was so urate!


    It had been several days since she hade to the capital to look for her rtives.


    When she hade, she had looked for the Zhou family and wanted to meet her cousin. Unfortunately, when the servants of the Zhou family saw how dirty she was, how could they be willing to inform the family?


    She was a woman. She hade on her own and had tarnished her reputation, so she did not dare to say that she was the Zhou family¡¯s cousin. Feeling helpless, she could only leave first and save up some silver to change into a set of clothes. It would be best if she could buy a maidservant. She would return after everything was ready.


    However, it was difficult to make money in the capital.


    She did not have much ability. She could not embroider, much less cook. If she cooked, the stove would explode.


    Other than having some martial arts skills and a bit of strength, her entire being was useless!


    She could only do some hardbor, but she had a big appetite. The copper coins that she earned every day were exchanged for grains and steamed buns to stuff her stomach¡­


    She did not expect to encounter such an amazing thing.


    Ten taels of silver. She would work for two months. She would have enough to buy hair essories, clothes and a maid!


    Yu Xian¡¯s eyes lit up. When the next morning came, she did not ck off at all and arrived early.


    Lin Yanxiang saw that she was still wearing dirty old clothes. She was afraid that she would be rude, so she thought about it and brought him to buy a new set of clothes.


    Initially, Lin Yanxiang wanted Mr. Yu to wear her brother-inw¡¯s clothes, but Mr. Yu kept shaking his head. He went to the shop to buy a set of clothes when he was told that it was a sry advance.


    Although it was not of good material, after Yu Xian put it on, the sense of filth instantly disappeared.


    ¡°Take this IOU. If this doesn¡¯t work out, I will definitely return the copper coins for the clothes to you.¡± Yu Xian said solemnly.


    She was a single woman, so it was really inappropriate for her to wear a man¡¯s old clothes.


    Although no one else knew about it, it was something that she would wear. She felt weird and ufortable.


    She could only use the sry that she had yet to earn.


    She was too poor.


    Yu Xian sighed, thinking that it was the first time that she had struggled to survive all her years on Earth.


    However, when he arrived at the Xie Residence, Yu Xian was already somewhat shocked.


    ¡°Your rtive has such a powerful background?! This is an official¡¯s residence!¡± Yu Xian¡¯s face was full of shock. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell your name when you met that b*stard earlier? You¡¯d scare him to death. How would he dare to make a move?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I own. I¡¯d feel something isn¡¯t right to be using someone else¡¯s name for my own benefit.¡± Lin Yaxiang shook her head.


    Especially Xie Niushan¡¯s name.


    Yu Xian clicked her tongue and sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they don¡¯t ept me.¡±


    Her own family was considered a high-ss family. In Dong¡¯an, they were well-known and influential.


    In the old residence, not to mention a teacher who taught his children to study and practice martial arts, even a servant who served food and drinks was only selected after going through 1,000 candidates.


    How could they just pick someone they found by the street?


    Yu Xian did not hold much hope now.

 Chapter 640 - Who is He Looking Down On?

    <h4>Chapter 640: Who is He Looking Down On?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had calcted that there would be a guesting today, and she had already guessed that it should be Aunt Lin.


    Lin Yaxiang came early. Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang were still at home.


    However, Xie Niushan could not be bothered to see this aunt. As soon as he heard that she hade, he directly asked the steward to lie and said that he was not around.


    He really did not know why that wife of his, Ms. Lin, had such a gentle personality, while her eldest sister was so fierce. It was really terrifying, but that person could not be beaten or scolded, and he had to suffer the other party¡¯s cold eyes. Since he really did not like it, it was better to hide!


    After entering the residence, Lin Yaxiang only remembered to mention the identity of this family to Yu Xian.


    ¡°This is the First Young Master, and this is the First Young Lady beside him,¡± Lin Yaxiang introduced.


    Yu Xian nodded, then bowed and saluted, ¡°I, Yu Xian, pay my respects to First Young Master and First Young Lady!¡±


    She was straightforward.


    Xie Qiao had seen her yesterday, and when she saw her again today, her face was much gentler. She smiled and asked, ¡°Mr. Yu, where are you from?¡±


    Xie Pinggang felt a little strange.


    His sister was usually not so warm to anyone, right? Why was she suddenly so excited today?


    When Xie Pinggang looked at Yu Xian again, he felt as if a bell had struck his head.


    This Mr. Yu was quite fair and tender, and his eyes were especially pretty. They were watery as if they could speak¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m amoner from Dong¡¯an City, and I¡¯m here to ask for a job.¡±


    The corners of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°Ask for a job? Have you found one? Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Xie Pinggang snorted, ¡°Well, you¡¯re here to be the martial arts master, right? You have to be able to fight. Although my stupid younger brother is young, his abilities aren¡¯t bad. If you don¡¯t have the ability, you¡¯ll have to suffer when you be his martial arts master. How about this? I¡¯ll test your abilities first, then we¡¯ll decide if you can stay.¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not like this guy in front of him.


    His eldest sister belonged to the Crown Prince.


    Why was she so gentle and kind to this guy?! Could it be that he wanted to take her as his concubine?!


    It was not that he could not do that, but it was in broad daylight. If word got out, would he not lose his head?


    At the house, there were quite a few ¡®spies¡¯ from the imperial pce!


    Yu Xian looked at this aggressive man and the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. ¡°Alright, but... I hurt people badly. First Young Master, it¡¯s better for you to put on armor.¡±


    He was crazy!


    Xie Pinggang felt humiliated.


    To wear armor in a normal fight? Who was he looking down on?


    Xie Pinggang stood up with a grim look in his eyes, which made people¡¯s hearts tremble. Even Xie Qiao felt frightened when he saw Xie Pinggang¡¯s mountain-like body.


    His eldest brother must have been a giant baby when he was born.


    Her mother... was really pitiful.


    Yu Xian looked straight at this person, as if she was very interested.


    ¡°The men in Dong¡¯an are also tall, but there aren¡¯t many who are as strong as you!¡± Yu Xian praised him from the bottom of her heart.


    She had always admired tall and strong men. When her father was still alive, he was also a very brave man. This person in front of her was not too bad. He looked like a bear, and with one look, one could tell that he was very good at fighting!


    Xie Pinggang was inexplicably praised. Although he thought this guy had a sweet mouth, it did not stop him from wanting to beat her up.


    It was not good for this man to have a sweet mouth. If he were to steal the Crown Princedy, that would be even worse!


    Yu Xian was not considered short. In fact, when she disguised into a man, her head was almost no different from an ordinary man¡¯s.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and spar in the courtyard..¡± Xie Pinggang snorted and then said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Eldest Sister,e and see what a loser looks like.¡±

 Chapter 641 - Loser

    <h4>Chapter 641: Loser</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard her brother¡¯s words, the corner of her lips twitched. She had a bad feeling about this.


    Could it be that this fool did not like this Mr. Yu and wanted to teach him a lesson?


    Why?


    Look at this Mr. Yu. He had an extraordinary bearing. As for his martial arts skills¡­


    She could tell that he was powerful judging by the calluses on his hands that were exactly the same as Xie Pinggang¡¯s.


    Of course, the main reason was that she had personally seen this person kick someone away yesterday, and she really liked it.


    She had been in poor health since she was a child. When she danced with the peach wood sword, she would either pass out, or she would be out of breath and felt weak. Now, her body was much better than before, but the habits that she had developed over the years caused her to have little emotions or big movements.


    She was really envious of such a woman who could jump around so well.


    Yu Xian did not refuse and went straight to the courtyard.


    ¡°Do you want to spar with bare hands or with de and stick? It¡¯s up to you. I won¡¯t bully you. After all, our family is recruiting a martial arts master. If you canst 15 minutes with me, then I¡¯ll leave this job to you. If you can¡¯t, then you can only get lost.¡± Xie Pinggang thought he was quite reasonable.


    If it was someone else, he would immediately chase the person away if they saw something he was not satisfied with.


    Yu Xian nodded. Then, she suddenly pulled out a long white cloth strip from her embrace. It looked just like a foot-binding cloth.


    She wrapped her fists in circles in all seriousness, and both her forearms seemed to have an extrayer of protection.


    Xie Pinggang was disgusted to death.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a loser.¡± How could a dignified man be so delicate?


    With his hands wrapped up like this, those who did not know would think that he was already injured!


    Yu Xian knew herself very well.


    She was a woman.


    It was be terrible to injure her face and hands, wherever others could see. If others saw it, it would be easy for them to criticize her. Although¡­ After all these years, she had already been through this and was already used to it, she still had to try her best to be careful, fooling herself and others.


    ¡°Just fight with bare hands, don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Yu Xian did not care about Xie Pinggang¡¯s contempt.


    She warmed up for a moment on the spot, and then the two of them fought.


    Xie Qiao sat obediently under the corridor, trying to stay as far away as possible to avoid idental injuries.


    Among the two of them, no matter who it was, a light punch would probably make her unconscious for several days.


    Thinking of this, Xie Qiao pouted with a wronged expression.


    They were both human beings, but why was there such a big difference between them?


    A small breeze blew past, and the flowers and nts in the courtyard swayed faintly. No one knew who was the first to throw a punch. Xie Qiao seemed to have seen the whooshing of the punches, and she also saw the long legs that were sweeping back and forth in front of her eyes.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    They kept moving back and forth.


    Xie Qiao was really surprised. Yu Xian¡¯s ability was actually stronger than she thought!


    Xie Qiao could also be considered to have a photographic memory. Although she did not know how to fight, she knew how to watch. Yu Xian¡¯s every move was very fast and careful, almost predicting Xie Pinggang¡¯s next move.


    Of course, Xie Pinggang was about the same.


    Among the two people, her eldest brother was stronger in terms of strength, but he was a man, so his bones were bigger. In addition, he was taller, so he had the advantage.


    Yu Xian, on the other hand, was abination of toughness and flexibility, and she was more skillful.


    She was like a tricky loach. Xie Pinggang could not catch her!


    There were several times when his fist was about to hit her, but it was dodged in the blink of an eye!


    At first, Xie Pinggang was fighting in a casual manner, but instantly, his expression became serious, as if his father had died.


    Perhaps¡­


    He knew that he spoke so soon, so now his face was burning in panic.

 Chapter 642 - Stone Hammer

    <h4>Chapter 642: Stone Hammer</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The two of them were exchanging blows when all of a sudden, Yu Xian made a feint, as if he was going tounch a sneak attack from behind. Xie Pinggang was caught off guard, and just as he was about to defend himself, he felt a pain in his abdomen.


    Xie Pinggang grimaced and sucked in a breath of cold air.


    Where the hell did this stone hammere from?! Why did it hurt so much when he hit someone?!


    Lin Yaxiang had been worried. In the beginning, she was worried about Mr. Yu. She was afraid that he would be beaten up by this Young Master Xie. It be very pitiful if that happened.


    Now... she was worried that this Young Master Xie would despise Mr. Yu after being beaten up.


    ¡°Are you in pain? My fist was trained from punching sand. I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± Yu Xian still had a concerned look on his face.


    Xie Pinggang wanted to curse out loud.


    He could not take it?


    It was a burning pain, but as a man, what was this insignificant pain?


    ¡°Let¡¯s not fight anymore!¡± Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not good at fighting anyway. If you fight me with a de, you¡¯ll definitely lose!¡±


    ¡°You can try.¡± Yu Xian scratched his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t really like des. They look rude and ugly. I prefer a spear, they make me look more handsome.¡±


    ¡°Are there many talented people like you in Dong¡¯an?¡± Xie Pinggang found it strange.


    He had been practicing martial arts in the mountain stronghold since he was a child. No one had the ability to teach him, so he had to figure it out on his own. What he learned was actually the ability to adapt to changes. He mainly relied on his natural advantage.


    However, this Yu Xian was different. Every move and technique of his seemed to have been learned and trained. He must have been taught by a famous master. Otherwise, he would never have been able to learn it to this extent!


    ¡°My Father was a young general of the Dong¡¯an navy, but... he died. This ability is passed down through the family, so there are very few people as powerful as me!¡± Yu Xian said frankly.


    Although he was called a young general, he was not particrly young.


    When her parents gave birth to her, they wanted to raise her to be a delicatedy. They even gave her a name that sounded like an immortal. However, since she was young, she was taller than other little girls. Wherever she went, people would point their fingers at her.


    This made her very upset.


    Could a girl not grow taller?


    Could a girl not be addicted to martial arts?


    She might as well beg her parents to let her dress up as a man and openly learn from them. If anyone dared to speak ill of her, she would beat them up. If they did not listen to her, she would beat them up again. As time went by, they became sensible!


    When her parents were still around, she was the little tyrant in that area. All of the little girls dered that they would marry her when they grew up. She was the little guardian of the girls.


    Unfortunately,ter on, her own guardians were gone.


    From then on¡­


    Yu Xian sighed. Her grandparents could not understand her outfit. For the past three years, they had locked her in the house, not even letting her out of the yard.


    Every day, they forced her to embroider flowers, forcing her to walk like other people. The people in the house treated her harshly, saying that she had brought shame to the entire Yu family.


    However, her father was independent a long time ago. When he was still alive, he did not interact much with them.


    Now that they were gone, she was rightfully brought back to the family.


    After the mourning period passed, they were arranging for her to get married.


    Getting married was supposed to be a joyous asion, and she did not object to it. However, she was not favored at home. The husband they chose was a terrible old man. How could she take that?!


    She fled through the night!


    She did not have a trusted servant!


    She did not have gold, silver, or jewelry!


    She had been eating nts and catching fish the entire way here!


    Xie Pinggang still felt a little pain in his abdomen, so he subconsciously touched it. Yu Xian took a look and said, ¡°This is a trick. It¡¯s an exclusive technique. Whoever is hit will be in pain for at least two days.. It¡¯s useless for you to rub it like that.¡±

 Chapter 643 - Hope He Could Understand

    <h4>Chapter 643: Hope He Could Understand</h4>


    Yu Xian was telling the truth.


    Before her father taught her how to fight, he demonstrated with a dead man so that she would know what it would look like.


    She knew better than the coroner where it hurt, where there were bones, and where there were acupoints. She looked like she was punching, but in fact, her fist was holding a sharp point, and it was very fast¡­ drawing half a circle.


    How could it not hurt?


    She had not always won fights since she was young, but her father had said that it did not matter whether she won or not.


    The important thing was that if she had the chance to hit her opponent, she could not let it go. The reason being if there was a great disparity in strength between the enemy and herself, the asional attack might be her chance to turn the tables!


    So¡­


    She hit him a little too hard.


    She hoped that he could understand.


    Xie Pinggang looked a little embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s like a cat scratch. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Great. Whatever you say. You¡¯re the Master.¡± Yu Xian nodded and did not refute.


    However, that was more depressing than refuting. Xie Pinggang wanted to crush her to death. He red at Yu Xian and said, ¡°Yu Xian, right? You can teach my brother from now on.¡±


    Yu Xian¡¯s face lit up, and although she happily bowed again, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best. However¡­ as I still have to get married, I¡¯ll only teach him for two months.¡±


    ¡°Two months? No, he can¡¯t always change masters. It¡¯s not good to learn like that. If you want to teach him, you¡¯ll have to teach him for at least five years.¡±


    Five years was still considered short!


    Yu Xian looked conflicted.


    She knew that every master had a different way of teaching martial arts, so it was best to stick to one master.


    ¡°I still need to look for my cousin.¡± Yu Xian did not know what to do.


    She was indeed short of money, but she had to look for her family.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to make a living after finding your cousin?¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly, ¡°Do you want your cousin to support you for the rest of your life? You¡¯re not a woman. How can a man not find a job? Besides, my Younger Brother doesn¡¯t need to learn martial arts every day and every hour. You just need to guide him every day. He¡¯s mainly relying on himself. It won¡¯t hinder you from doing your own stuff.


    ¡°Are you worried that my Younger Brother¡¯s talent won¡¯t be good enough that he¡¯ll ruin your family¡¯s reputation?¡± Xie Pinggang asked again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My Younger Brother is definitely a martial arts prodigy!¡±


    In order to keep him, there were some things that he could only say shamelessly.


    Although he thought this kid¡¯s words were quite infuriating, he had to admit that he was really capable.


    Who knew how many martial arts masters were able to raise such a powerful person to be a martial arts master.


    Since this person hade to his doorstep, how could he not keep such a capable person?


    That useless younger brother was so damn lucky. There was Xiao Yurong teaching him liberal arts, and there was such a great martial arts master.


    Unlike him, other than the limited words that the grand preceptor taught him, he had to figure it out on his own.


    Yu Xian was sad.


    Sometimes, she felt helpless. After all, she was a woman and she was no longer young. Naturally, she could not be as free and unrestrained as she was when she was young.


    Moreover, she did not have her parents to protect her, so she could not act recklessly anymore.


    She was here to seek marriage, so she could not drag down her cousin¡¯s family¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°I will teach him some basic skills in these two months. After two months¡­ We¡¯ll talk about it. What do you think?¡± Yu Xian thought for a moment and said.


    She would meet her cousin first. If it was inconvenient for her cousin¡¯s family to take care of her, or if the Zhou family was deprived of freedom, she would be a martial master for the rest of her life!


    Xie Pinggang was dissatisfied.


    If it were not for Lin Yaxiang, he would have thrown silver at her.


    He must be hesitating because the payment was too low!


    ¡°Alright, where do you live? The residence can arrange a courtyard for you to teach martial arts,¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    He was afraid that this guy would run away.


    If he did not leave his martial arts skills behind, he would break his legs and lock him up.

 Chapter 644 - Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 644: Revenge</h4>


    Yu Xian could not tell that Xie Pinggang was a fierce-looking man at all. In fact, she even thought that this man was very considerate.


    ¡°I used to live in a small shabby house. It is indeed¡­ quite far from here. It would be best if I can stay here.¡± She did not refuse.


    Xie Pinggang heaved a sigh of relief.


    At first¡­ He did not n to let anyone stay in the residence.


    However, he thought it would be better if he stayed there. He would have someone to practise his de with.


    He had no idea how much Xie Pinghuai, that piece of trash, could learn from this person. Therefore, before this person left, he had to squeeze him every day to learn his tricks.


    The Xie Residence and the Lin Residence were not very far from each other, so Lin Yaxiang did not stop them.


    ¡°In that case, from now on, my family will be responsible for the food, drinks, and amodation. I¡¯ll have to trouble Aunt Lin with the monthly payment.¡± Xie Qiao smiled at Lin Yaxiang.


    She knew that the Lin family always wanted to do something for the two children.


    When Lin Yaxiang heard what Xie Qiao said, she was over the moon. ¡°Sure, as long as Master livesfortably.¡±


    As soon as Xie Qiao spoke, Xie Pinggang finally remembered her existence.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, my Eldest Sister is the future Princess Consort, so you should be more careful. If you identally bash into her, I will chop you up.¡± Xie Pinggang red at him again and reminded him.


    Yu Xian actually never dared to look at women.


    She knew that she was disguised as a man now, so aftering in, she tried her best to keep her head down. Even when she raised her head, she was also looking at Xie Pinggang.


    Now that she was reminded by Xie Pinggang, she subconsciously took a nce at Xie Qiao.


    When she looked over¡­ she could not look away.


    She was stunned.


    This younger sister was really good-looking¡­ Her skin was fair with a tinge of blush, and her facial features were like those in a painting. The most annoying thing was her charisma. She leaned against the railing. She seemed like she would be blown away when the wind blew, bing an immortal with the wind!


    ¡°Your family members are really good-looking!¡± Yu Xian was eager to show her sincerity. She could not help but praise her.


    The man was brave, and the woman was immortal-like. She had never seen anyone more beautiful than this family!


    Lin Yaxiang and the Xie family¡¯s servants who stood by the side thought they had heard wrong.


    This family?


    Could she be referring to everyone, including the first young master?


    This Mr. Yu might be very capable, but his eyes¡­ something was wrong with that. Everyone knew that the first youngdy was good-looking, but the first young master¡­


    Tsk, it would be wrong to use the term ¡®good-looking¡¯ on him!


    ¡°You¡¯re also good-looking.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, her eyes sparkled.


    Xie Pinggang thought the two of them were full of treachery and passion.


    ¡°Behave yourself, there are people watching.¡± Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at Xie Qiao, but he was still worried, so he walked in front of her and he said in a low voice, ¡°No matter how much I like him, it¡¯s impossible now. Who asked this guy toe one stepte? Our family has already made an agreement with the Crown Prince. The royal family is powerful, so it¡¯s impossible for us to go back on our words.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    What did he know?


    She simply liked the way Yu Xian beat up her eldest brother!


    Her anger was vented! She had avenged her!


    ¡°Eldest Brother will spar with Mr. Yu every day from now on, right?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was gentle as she said with great anticipation.


    Yu Xian could not help but nce at Xie Qiao.


    Why was she not her biological sister? Her little face and nose were really cute¡­ The Crown Prince was really blessed. If it were her, she would be so happy to have a wife who looked like this¡­


    The atmosphere in the courtyard was strange.


    Even a fool could see the mutual admiration between Mr. Yu and the first youngdy. They could not help but be moved.


    Their hearts were beating fast. They thought the scene was too exciting and did not dare to watch them for too long. They were afraid that if they knew too much, they would lose their heads.


    Xie Pinggang did not notice the others¡¯ reactions. At this moment, he even carefully responded to Xie Qiao¡¯s words, ¡°I do want to practice with him, but I have been busy with a case recently, so I am only free early in the morning. I wonder if this guy can get out of bed¡­¡±


    Actually¡­


    Even if he could not, he would still think of a way to force Yu to get up and practice with him!

 Chapter 645 - Save Her

    <h4>Chapter 645: Save Her</h4>


    Xie Pinggang had already made up his mind to make good use of Mr. Yu.


    He even thought it would be a pity for such a powerful martial artist to only be a martial arts master!


    In the future, he would learn more about this person¡¯s character. If he was an honest and sensible person, he could help arrange a lowly position for him. He could even send him to his father¡¯s military camp.


    With this skill, he would be able to make a name for himself sooner orter!


    Xie Pinggang patted Yu Xian¡¯s shoulder with his big hand and said, ¡°Mr. Yu, the steward will take you to the side room in a while. If you need anything, just let me know. There¡¯s no need to be shy.¡±


    Yu Xian nodded and said, ¡°Alright, thank you!¡±


    However, she still had something to do today.


    It was thanks to that Taoist master from before that she had good luck. Of course, she had to look for her today. If she could meet her, she would have to thank her properly in person.


    After Xie Pinggang gave his instructions, he immediately went to the criminal division. Xie Qiao stayed behind and chatted with Aunt Lin before going to the academy.


    Yu Xian introduced herself to the Xie family, then she quickly went out.


    She went to the street yesterday and looked around. Unfortunately, she did not see a single shadow.


    Yu Xian¡¯s heart was beating fast.


    Her experience was very simr to what was described in the storybook¡­


    When she was out in a desperate situation, she met a mysterious expert. That expert saw that she was simple and honest, so she specially gave her some pointers and then disappeared without a trace!


    Once this thought got into her mind, she could not get it out of her mind.


    She thought that she had traveled a long way and was really pitiful. The heavens must have sympathized with her, so they sent an immortal to give her pointers!


    Thank you, immortal!


    Yu Xian¡¯s heart was filled with gratitude.


    Little did she know that the master was sitting obediently in the ssroom, listening to Master Lu¡¯s lecture. She looked sleepy, but she was holding a brush in her hand and writing something.


    The ssroom was very quiet, and Xie Qiao was enjoying the ss.


    However, a ghoul suddenly floated out of the window. It was fuming all over and looked anxious. It rushed into the Orchid Courtyard, flew around, and said in despair, ¡°Master?! Master! Help me quickly¡­¡±


    She had gone to the Fortune Pavilion to ask for help, but the master was not in there.


    Later, a ghoul mysteriously told her that the master actually had another identity. If she wanted to find her, she woulde to the Orchid Courtyard of the Royal Academy.


    However, the Yang energy of the Royal Academy was too strong. When she got close, her soul was trembling. She felt as if her whole body was burning, and she was in great pain.


    Xie Qiao slightly raised her eyes and looked to the side.


    Only she could hear the voice of the ghoul. Seeing that she had a reaction, the ghoul hurriedly said, ¡°Are you the Master?! Master, Please, my daughter is in trouble! Save her! Save her!¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    This ghoul was a little silly¡­


    She could save someone for her, but she should at least talk about what happened, right?


    As for the ghouls who knew that she was Xie Qiao¡­ She was not surprised. Some ghouls had strong observational skills and could fly around, so they would know more.


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Xie Qiao muttered helplessly.


    Qin Liu was stunned for a moment. Seeing that Xie Qiao was looking elsewhere, she did not pay too much attention.


    ¡°My daughter didn¡¯t go to the Gn Academy today. She was at a weaving house with a girl. She was sent into a carriage with her mouth covered! She was taken away! I followed her all the way to the outside of the city. She¡¯s now locked in a broken house near the Taoist temple outside the city. She¡¯s very scared. I can¡¯t do anything. I beg Master to save my daughter!¡± The woman said while enduring the pain.


    Xie Qiao looked at her body that was emitting smoke. It was like a piece of paper that had been lit on fire. It was about to be burned entirely.


    She gently pointed quickly and casted a talisman without a trace. She captured the ghoul.

 Chapter 646 - Burning Up

    <h4>Chapter 646: Burning Up</h4>


    At the Royal Academy, unless it was a very powerful ghoul, it would definitely suffer a bacsh after entering.


    If it stayed for a while longer, it could turn into ashes.


    The ghoul was not afraid of death, so she could not turn a blind eye to it.


    She immediately stood up and apologized to Master Lu, ¡°Sir, I suddenly remembered that I have something urgent to deal with at home, so I want to¡­ leave early. I hope you will approve of that.¡±


    Xie Qiao was very respectful.


    She often did not attend sses in the afternoon, but it was the first time she asked to leave Master Lu¡¯s ss.


    ¡°Go.¡± Master Lu was very straightforward.


    This person¡­ was not only a student, but also the future Princess Consort. He had to be lenient with him.


    Moreover, Xie Qiao had her own talent, so what he said was basically useless to Xie Qiao. He also knew that Xie Qiao had always been multitasking in his ss, listening to his ss while sleeping, and at the same time, she read some books she borrowed from the library.


    Earlier, he had been a little dissatisfied, but every time he asked a question, Xie Qiao would always get the right answer.


    Thus, he could not be bothered with it.


    Now¡­ It was not long before the ss ended anyway. If she wanted to leave, she could.


    Under everyone¡¯s envious gazes, Xie Qiao walked out.


    Xie Qiao was very anxious. She immediately put on her curtain hat and went to the Fortune Pavilion.


    It was true that she was in a hurry to save her, but she also had to ensure her own identity was safe. Therefore, she immediately went to change her clothes. On the way, she was also thinking about what to do next.


    This ghoul had been hurt and needed to recuperate for a while. It was useless to get her out now.


    She was a Taoist master. Going out of the city alone to look for someone?


    That was impossible.


    Therefore, there was no need to think much about it. Xie Qiao went to look for his junior brother at the criminal division.


    Now that the Crown Prince was under hermand, she did not need to feel pressured to order him around. Moreover, the Crown Prince had many men, so she could also use his men. It would be more convenient to look for a missing person.


    Judging what the ghoul wore just now, she should be a rich woman. Her daughter was still studying at the Gn Academy, so her status would not be too low.


    Xie Qiao arrived in a carriage very quickly.


    The criminal division was as she had imagined. There were many ghouls.


    There was also a lot of resentment. Unfortunately, the royal torture chamber was suppressed by dragon power. Even if there were ghouls inside, it would not cause any trouble.


    Xie Qiao revealed her identity directly and said that she was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister. A guard came to look at her and quickly brought her in.


    After Xie Qiao came back from Xun County, she did not seem to have seen the Crown Prince.


    It had been a few days, and the two of them were even given the approval of marriage!


    Could it be that¡­ he no longer cared now that he had won her heart?


    Xie Qiao had never thought that as Xie Qiao, a precious youngdy, it would be inappropriate for the Crown Prince to go over rashly to see her even if he wanted to see her.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m looking for you for an urgent matter.¡± Xie Qiao went straight to the point.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was slightly ufortable, and there was a slight blush on his face. He looked strange.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you burning up?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    Zhao Xuanjing shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why are you so nervous, Senior Sister?¡±


    He wanted to visit the Xie family these days. The Ministry of Rites always had something to bother him with, and then there was the criminal division. There were many misceneous matters, and his state of mind¡­


    He was afraid that he would be too obvious and make Xie Qiao feel frivolous.


    He was prepared to calm down his thoughts for a few days before going to see her again.


    However, he did not expect her to suddenly appear. Fortunately, this face was Mo Chusheng¡¯s and he was used to seeing it, so his reaction was not too big.


    ¡°Your Highness, can you send some men? Two youngdies have been captured by evil people. They are in a dpidated house outside the city. We have to save them quickly.¡± Xie Qiao did not continue the small talk and said immediately.

 Chapter 647 - Full of Vitality

    <h4>Chapter 647: Full of Vitality</h4>


    As soon as Xie Qiao said that, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression immediately became more serious. He immediately called Zhou Weizong and gathered his men to leave the city.


    ¡°As early as an hour ago, the people at the criminal division went out on a task. They also received news that the eldest daughter of the Hou family of Nan¡¯an¡¯s concubine was kidnapped in East City. In addition, there was also the second daughter of the Dong family. It matches the people you mentioned,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    However, the missing person case was not under the jurisdiction of the criminal division. The administrative office had already sent people to search for them.


    However, now that Xie Qiao hade personally, it was fine for the administrative office to intervene in this matter.


    Soon, all the people were gathered.


    Although Xie Qiao could ride a horse, her body was not in good condition. She did not wish to go through bumpy roads, so she got Zhou Weizong lead the way.


    Since they had already set off, it was futile to be anxious. Xie Qiao asked about the Crown Prince¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°I heard from Young Lady Xie that you haven¡¯t seen her in the past few days? Why is that?¡± Xie Qiao was very direct.


    When she asked this question, the corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips twitched.


    H-He was used by his fiancee personally. How should he respond?


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Young Lady Xie will be shy when she sees me and wouldn¡¯t dare to speak.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was full of nonsense.


    ¡°Hehe¡±, Xie Qiao sneered. ¡°Could it be that Junior Brother feels regretful about the marriage? This sounds like an excuse.¡±


    With that said, Zhao Xuanjing immediately said, ¡°Senior Sister Mo isn¡¯t an outsider, so I¡¯ll tell you the truth. It¡¯s true¡­ that I haven¡¯t had any thoughts of getting married all these years. Now that the marriage has been set, I¡¯m a little confused. I don¡¯t know how to treat Young Lady Xie to make her think that I¡¯m a good man.¡±


    He did not want her to think that¡­


    He was only good-looking.


    With that said, Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise. ¡°So, you mean¡­ it¡¯s not Young Lady Xie who is shy, but you?¡±


    Xie Qiao had Mo Chusheng¡¯s disguise on at the moment, so she was thick-skinned enough.


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled calmly. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Junior Brother. Young Lady Xie is not a monster who eats people.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at her with a faint smile, then he shook his head silently.


    Once she had this face in disguise, she really did not care about what she said. Was she not afraid that she would be exposed one day?


    ¡°Most women need to be coaxed. Your Highness should pay more attention. Otherwise, even if this girl gets married, it won¡¯t be any different from a rock.¡± Xie Qiao looked like she had been through this before, ¡°But don¡¯t follow Xie Pinggang¡¯s behavior of not caring about women. He¡¯s destined to be alone throughout his life.¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother will definitely remember Senior Sister¡¯s words.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was as obedient as if he was really her junior brother. ¡°Senior Sister, do you know what Young Lady Xie Likes?¡±


    ¡°Silver?¡± Xie Qiao replied subconsciously. Then, she smiled awkwardly and made a move with an unfathomable expression. ¡°Forget about worldly possession like silver. Women love flowers and nts.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhao Xuanjing acted very well. ¡°That¡¯s not bad. I heard that Young Lady Xie saved all of Mr. Sang¡¯s flowers and nts in the Royal Academy. Ordinary people don¡¯t have this ability.¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her head slightly.


    Of course.


    How could ordinary peoplepare to a master¡¯s capability?


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She only knows a little.¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    She was in good spirits and talked a lot.


    Zhao Xuanjing also thought Xie Qiao was full of vitality these few months.


    Unlike when they met on the way to the capital, she was panting every three steps and coughing every five steps. She did not like to talk, worried that she would die if she spoke.


    ¡°There will be a pce banquet in a few days. She¡¯ll be conferred the title of Princess Consort, so she¡¯ll definitely go to the pce to thank the Emperor. I initially thought that I would go and take her there personally on that day. Now that I have met Senior Sister, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to tell her that.¡±

 Chapter 648 - Too Embarrassed to Face Anyone in the World

    <h4>Chapter 648: Too Embarrassed to Face Anyone in the World</h4>


    Entering the pce again?


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    She did not particrly like the atmosphere in the pce. It was a little gloomy.


    However, the Emperor was still quite clear-headed, so there were actually many filthy entities in the pce.


    ¡°Is Young Lady Xie the only one?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°No, the other direct descendants are also going,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    After all, they were not married yet. If there was nothing important, they would not summon Xie Qiao into the pce alone.


    Even the royal family had to show respect to their future daughter-inw.


    Therefore, this trip to the pce was nominally a flower viewing feast so that the noble daughters could show their faces.


    In addition, there were three royal daughters in the royal family. They could not keep them locked up and not see anyone. It would be inappropriate for them to go out of the pce often, so they would seize the opportunity at the banquet to show themselves.


    If everyone else went, Xie Qiao could still see a few familiar faces, then she would not feel bored. She nodded to indicate that she would pass on the message.


    After a while, they met with Zhou Weizong¡¯s men.


    ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, we did find two people in the house. When we opened the door, there was a man who was about to do something lewd. Master Xie shouted¡­ When that man turned around, he was¡­ scared to death,¡± the man reported in a long story.


    An unnoticeable awkwardness shed in Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes.


    Eldest brother¡¯s face¡­ Was he that capable?


    Zhao Xuanjing did not seem surprised. ¡°Did you catch anyone around?¡±


    ¡°No, they should¡¯ve run away. The people from the administrative office are searching everywhere now. I don¡¯t know if they can find anyone suspicious,¡± the other party replied.


    However, it would be a little difficult.


    They came at the right time, but it was toote. The two girls had been locked up for a long time before the man came in to do something bad.


    The person who did this must have known that the two girls¡¯ identities were special, so he did not dare to stay too long. After he left, he found someone else to do it. However, the person he found was so timid that he was scared to death.


    Xie Qiao followed him to take a look.


    She had seen one of the two girls who had been captured.


    She did not know how they were doing now.


    In the dpidated house, the two girls were slightly disheveled, and their faces were a little blue and purple. They must have been beaten up. There seemed to be some flesh and blood in their beautiful hands. It was clear that they were struggling desperately just now.


    There were no women who came along with them, so no one dared to enter the house and ask more questions. They could only wait for the two girls toe out on their own.


    However, how could the two of them see anyone?


    They cried in silence for a while and searched around, holding a broken tile in their hands¡­


    When Xie Qiao rushed over, she saw that the two of them looked like they were going to die together.


    She hurriedly said, ¡°Your innocence has not been ruined, why do you have to do this?¡±


    Seeing someonee in, the two of them jumped in fright, but when they saw that it was a female Taoist master, tears immediately fell like rain.


    ¡°How can we still live? Everyone knows that the two of us were kidnapped. Even if we are innocent, no one else would think so!¡± The youngdy from the Hou family of Nan¡¯an bit her lip and said, ¡°Moreover¡­ I was initially going to marry the Fourth Prince as his side consort. Now that this has happened, if we are still alive, wouldn¡¯t that tarnish the Fourth Prince¡¯s name¡­ Wah¡­¡±


    If they could live, who would want to die?


    However, even if she lived, after she returned home, everyone would be pointing their fingers at her. The marriage could only be put aside. How could she stand it?


    ¡°I¡­¡± Dong Yiyun was also very confused. She had never been such a weak person, but just now¡­


    That embarrassing side of her was being seen by Master Xie. His gaze was cold. Although he was staring at that evil person, she felt that she was too embarrassed to face anyone in the world¡­

 Chapter 649 - Stop Being A Cry-baby

    <h4>Chapter 649: Stop Being A Cry-baby</h4>


    Dong Yiyun did not know why she had suffered such an undeserved disaster today.


    Initially, she and Lingyin went out together as usual. However, today, they heard that the weaving house in the city had produced new material that looked like a stream of light under the moon. They wanted to take a look together and order a batch as soon as possible, then, they would go to the academy¡­


    However, after entering the weaving house, they found that there were thieves inside. Before they could react, they were dragged away to the back door.


    They were dizzy the whole way. When they woke up, not long after, they were almost¡­


    ¡°Young Lady Yuan.¡± Xie Qiao looked at the eldest youngdy of the Hou family of Nan¡¯an and said, ¡°If you killed yourself here, how can your biological mother leave willingly?¡±


    ¡°Biological mother?¡± First Young Lady Yuan was puzzled.


    Her mother passed away from illness several years ago.


    She was kind and gentle. She had never mistreated the illegitimate children, but it was impossible for her to get close to them.


    Xie Qiao stood there and said, ¡°Why do you think this penniless master came to save you? It was because your mother¡¯s ghoul saw that you were in trouble, so she begged me to look for you.¡±


    Otherwise, it would be dark by the time they found them in such a remote location.


    By then, it would be toote for anything.


    Young Lady Yuan looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Really, Master? Where is my Aunt? Where is she? I want to see her¡­ I miss her¡­¡±


    As she said that, she wailed loudly.


    Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°She was in a hurry to save you, and her soul was unstable. Wait for a little bit longer. This penniless master can pass on messages for the both of you. If you have anything you want to say, you can tell me.¡±


    Forget it that she would let her see her aunt.


    This little girl was timid. If she really used a cow¡¯s tears to help her see her family member, it might not be a good thing.


    Xie Qiao had never used cow¡¯s tears casually.


    Moreover, some people¡¯s bodies were weak, and the side-effects of using it were even greater. They might see it for a longer period of time, which would not be good for their mind. It was believed that the mother did not wish to see her daughter in this way.


    Upon hearing this, Young Lady Yuan looked much better and did not seek death anymore.


    After that, Xie Qiao looked at Dong Yiyun beside her.


    Dong Yiyun lowered her head silently. ¡°I¡­ cannot lose face. If I seek death, the reputation of the sisters in my family would be better¡­¡±


    Her eldest sister was going to be the Fourth Prince¡¯s consort.


    In reality, she did not expect that her eldest sister would be the main consort, and that her good friend would marry the same person.


    However, Lingyin was obedient and dutiful. Her eldest sister had met her before and had a good rtionship with her. She only got close to Lingyin after finding out that her eldest sister did not mind that.


    ¡°How is reputation more important than a life? Do you want your eldest sister to step on your bones and get married after your death?¡± Xie Qiao asked bluntly.


    Dong Yiyun was stunned for a moment. ¡°How do you know that my Eldest Sister is going to¡­ get married?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Xie Qiao was thick-skinned.


    That Dong Xiyun obviously did not love her sister. It would be terrible if this little girl really died for such a person.


    ¡°Did the person who entered the door just now scare you?¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and thought Second Young Lady Dong might be seeking death because of her eldest brother. She called out and shouted outside, ¡°Master Xie, pleasee in for a moment.¡±


    Dong Yiyun was at a loss and her face flushed.


    Xie Pinggang came in obediently. ¡°Master Mo, what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Master Xie, do you think that seeking death is the right thing to do?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, his brows furrowed. He red at the two girls. ¡°I say, what are you two dawdling inside for? You¡¯re seeking death? I went to all this trouble toe all the way here, and I worked my butt off to find you, and now you want to die? Stop being a cry-baby.¡±

 Chapter 650 - Not Having Her Infatuation Acknowledged

    <h4>Chapter 650: Not Having Her Infatuation Acknowledged</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang was extremely upset.


    These two youngdies were too insensible, were they not?


    They should at least say thank you before dying. No, if they wanted to die, they should go home to do it. Why were they dying in his hands?!


    Young Lady Yuan was so scared that she did not dare to breathe, but Dong Yiyun lowered her head in shame.


    Master Xie had saved her twice.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, but you sure have many ns in your head. Isn¡¯t it better to live well than anything else? You did not even leave a legacy for your parents. Don¡¯t you feel guilty about that?!¡± Xie Pinggang snorted.


    Her sister was short-lived, but did she not pull through and live until now?


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Master Xie, today¡¯s matter concerns the reputation of the two youngdies. If someone asks you how the two youngdies are doing, I wonder what would you say?¡±


    ¡°What else should I say? Aren¡¯t they doing fine?¡± Xie Pinggang said matter-of-factly.


    They were only hit twice, but it was not severe. They did not die, right?


    They were still virgins. When he kicked the door, that jerk had taken off his pants and showed his private part. It was just a piece of meat. It was not a big deal.


    ¡°If someone asks you if these two youngdies were...¡±


    ¡°Impossible. I saved them with my own hands. If this were to be spread, wouldn¡¯t I lose my dignity?¡± Xie Pinggang was very direct. At this moment, he understood what Master Mo was trying to say. He said to the two youngdies, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The people that I brought here are all tight-lipped. If anyone asks, I¡¯ll get them to exin for you guys.¡±


    They would tell people that they were lucky to be saved and no one was hurt.


    That was how it was!


    ¡°Master Xie.¡± Dong Yiyun suddenly called out.


    Xie Pinggang stood there. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Dong Yiyun looked up at him and felt at ease. ¡°Thank you so much. This is the second time that... you¡¯ve saved me.¡±


    Xie Qiao saw that there was light in this youngdy¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Then you can ask your father to send me some giftster. Make it a double. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Xie Pinggang said calmly.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, make it a double. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Dong Yiyun nodded hurriedly. ¡°But... if it were Master Xie... would you mind marrying a woman like me, who was almost bullied and whose reputation was almost tarnished?¡±


    Xie Qiao could already hear the obvious hint in these words.


    She praised this little youngdy for her boldness.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind that.¡± Xie Pinggang was speaking the truth.


    Dong Yiyun felt her heart stop beating. At this moment, she could not help but smile and shed tears of joy.


    He would not mind that.


    Xie Qiao thought this youngdy had probably misunderstood her eldest brother¡¯s meaning.


    She sighed.


    A person¡¯s fear included not having their infatuation acknowledged¡­


    Not to mention that Xie Pinggang was a straightforward person, not knowing how to coax a woman, nor would he fall in love easily, even if he really wanted to get married¡­


    It was probably not a good thing for the other party.


    She had only managed to suppress her fate of bringing about a lethal fate to her family for so many years by inscribing many powerful talismans together with her master.


    However, Xie Pinggang¡¯s fate could not be changed. Unless he met someone who was verypatible with his birth details and neutralized his fate. Otherwise, if he really married an ordinarydy, the other party would either die or be injured.


    Xie Qiao was very hesitant. She was not sure if she should intervene now and let Xie Pinggang exin clearly.


    However, she was also afraid that this Young Lady Dong would not be able to take it and would seek death in a while.


    After thinking about it, she thought it was better for her not to say too much.


    At this time, it was really inappropriate to make this youngdy¡¯s situation worse.


    She only reminded her, ¡°Master Xie is a forthright person. Regardless of whether he likes thedy or not, he would not randomly make up insults. There are many men like him in this world. Young Lady Dong, protect your life well. You will definitely be blessed in the future.¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she took a closer look at Young Lady Dong¡¯s face.

 Chapter 651 - Death by Lust

    <h4>Chapter 651: Death by Lust</h4>


    Young Lady Dong was beautiful, and her entire body was filled with a graceful aura.


    Her clear eyes were like water, and her spirit was like a rainbow. It was a good fortune, but¡­ it was just that there was a red glow on her face. It was a love tribtion, and there were good and bad love tribtions. Now¡­


    Xie Qiao pinched her fingers and calcted.


    Xie Qiao did not know the girl¡¯s birth details, so she could only foresee by judging the current situation. The time, ce, and the man¡¯s fate were used for the divination.


    Following which, her gaze turned grim.


    It was not good. Even though there were some variables, this tribtion would still be a little difficult to deal with. If she were to persist, she would definitely die of lust.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together. After pondering for a moment, she took out a talisman and passed it to thedy. ¡°This talisman¡­ you should keep it to¡­ help your marriage.¡±


    Xie Qiao shamelessly lied.


    This talisman was used to clear one¡¯s heart.


    It was because most women who were in love would only have good thoughts about the other party unreasonably.


    Sometimes, more than half of a woman¡¯s love came from her imagination. Before this man did anything, the woman had already imagined a scene of intense love, so it was easy for her to remain infatuated.


    When this talisman was in her hand, it could improve the surrounding aura, making her see clearer. She would also think about it carefully, so that her little bit of favoritism would not be an unbridled infatuation.


    Young Lady Dong looked a little nervous. She nced at Xie Pinggang and then took it.


    Yuan Lingyin felt as if she had been ignored.


    Xie Qiao felt her gaze, her expression remained the same. ¡°Do you want to have your fortune read?¡±


    Yuan Lingyin looked innocent and then nodded inexplicably.


    ¡°For you¡­ this marriage will definitely not seed at the moment, but you don¡¯t have to worry too much. You have the face of a proper wife. In the future, you will marry someone else as his wife, and¡­¡± Xie Qiao looked at her carefully, ¡°You will have a good husband and good grandchildren, and you will probably marry low. You will have to endure for 20 years, and only then will you live well.¡±


    This Young Lady Yuan was upright, and she could help her husband build his family and career. Her palms were long and blushed, and her eyes were beautiful. They were high-spirited, and she would give birth to a son of a noble family.


    However, her eyebrows werecking in luck. The first half of her life would be a little rough.


    When Yuan Lingyin heard that, her eyes actually lit up. ¡°Do you think¡­ that I will be the wife of the Fourth Prince in the future?¡±


    She would not be so foolish as to think that she would be the wife of the Fourth Prince. After she returned home, her family would definitely take the initiative to break off the engagement. After all, she had been kidnapped and her reputation was tarnished. However, after breaking off the engagement¡­


    Yuan Lingyin still had some expectations.


    She did not have any feelings for the Fourth Prince. She had only seen him once.


    When Imperial Concubine Meng chose her, her family agreed and did not ask about her opinion. In reality, she would prefer to be the official wife. Even if it was just an ordinary official, as long as she was in charge of a family, it would be better than anything else!


    No matter how people sugar-coat about the position of a side consort, she would just be a side consort of the royal family¡­


    Yuan Lingyin was nervous, but she did not dare to reveal her thoughts. It would be terrible if others knew about it¡­


    Xie Qiao looked at Yuan Lingyin and smiled. ¡°Your marriage should happen soon¡­ We¡¯ll find out within three months.¡±


    ¡°Three months?¡± Yuan Lingyin smiled in disappointment.


    She understood.


    She woud be in such a hurry. Her father must be worried that she would embarrass the family, so¡­ After canceling the engagement, he must immediately send her away to get married. If she was in such a hurry¡­


    The candidate must not be too great. He must be a pushover. In the presence of the Yuan family, he would not be able to fight back at all.


    Yuan Lingyin sighed.


    When Xie Qiao saw that the two of them seemed to be deep in thought, she felt slightly relieved.


    Their desire to die was finally suppressedpletely.

 Chapter 652 - Be Bound Together for Good or Ill

    <h4>Chapter 652: Be Bound Together for Good or Ill</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The two of them were in the room fixing their appearance. After a while, they walked out.


    They narrowly escaped death today. If Master Xie and Master Zhou were a minutete, the two of them would have really died.


    ¡°Master Mo... Can the wounds on our faces really not be seen?¡± Yuan Lingyin asked carefully.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°My skills are very good.¡±


    There was something for makeup in her bamboo basket.


    Now was a good time to put it to use. Not only that, she also had a needle and thread in her basket. Even their clothes had been sewn up. As long as one did not look carefully, they would not be able to see anything off.


    At this moment, they felt that talking to Master Mo would make them feel more at ease.


    ¡°Lift your head and stand straight. What are you afraid of?¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly. ¡°When we enter the cityter, try your best to get down and walk around. Don¡¯t look at people like frightened little deer. It¡¯ll make people think.¡±


    If they were to secretly send them back to the residence, word would spread.


    The two of them nodded obediently.


    ¡°Also...¡± Xie Qiao looked at Young Lady Yuan and said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve epted your birth mother¡¯s request, I naturally have to give you some advice. When you go back¡­ you should think carefully about who you¡¯ve offended and who in the residence knows that you¡¯re going to the weaving house. You have to get to the bottom of this.¡±


    When Yuan Lingyin heard that, she nodded solemnly.


    She really did not understand what she had done wrong for others to harm her like this!


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s feet suddenly froze.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuan Lingyin asked her with concern.


    Dong Yiyun was a little hesitant. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I-I suddenly remembered that it was my Eldest Sister¡­ who told me about the weaving house selling the light steam brocade today...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that it was your Eldest Sister who did it, right?¡± Yuan Lingyin asked in a low voice, ¡°But why? When I went to your house previously, Sister Dong was very nice to me. Also, y-you are her biological sister. If something happens to you and your reputation is bad, she won¡¯t be much better off...¡±


    Be bound together for good or ill?


    ¡°But... my Eldest Sister also said that the brocade doesn¡¯t suit me very well. It¡¯s too dazzling. And you... are going to be the Fourth Prince¡¯s side consort, so... You¡¯ll look better in it...¡±


    She only saidter.


    However, she had no choice but to think through it at the moment.


    When Yuan Lingyin heard that, her face turned pale.


    She would not do that, right?


    Just because she would be the Fourth Prince¡¯s side consort, so Dong Xiyun wanted to get rid of her?!


    The Fourth Prince was a noble of the royal family. In the future, it was impossible for him to only have one consort. Even if she was gone, there would still be someone else, no?


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m thinking too much... Let the government investigate. After we return home, our parents will decide for us. It¡¯s useless to think so much.¡± Dong Yiyun exhaled and tried hard to calm her panicked thoughts.


    She did not know when she had lost that trust in her eldest sister. After such a thing happened, she could not help but suspect her first!


    This made her feel sad and sullen.


    They were from the same mother!


    The two of them looked depressed.


    They boarded the carriage and went back to the city. After entering the city, they did not forget to do as Master Mo said. They bought two things at the best cosmetic store in the capital and then went home.


    The news of the two missing nobledies in the capital had long spread.


    Now that the two of them had shown, they could at least restore some of their reputation.. After all, if something major had really happened, thisdy would have been terribly scared. How would they still be so carefree to go shopping?

 Chapter 653 - Wish

    <h4>Chapter 653: Wish</h4>


    Under such circumstances, Yuan Lingyin and the second daughter of the Dong family should be fine.


    However, early the next morning, a person died of drunkenness outside the city.


    When the coroner performed an autopsy, he found a hairpin and a handkerchief in his hand. The handkerchief was not something that an ordinary family could afford. It was unknown who had spread the word that this thing belonged to the Yuan family¡¯s daughter.


    Some people said that the hairpin that the Yuan family¡¯s youngdy had worn on her head when she went out yesterday was exactly the same as the hairpin found on the corpse!


    Others also said that the Yuan family¡¯s youngdy had cried bitterly when she went home yesterday. Perhaps her innocence was really ruined¡­


    The rumors were spread so widely that the two families who had been relieved were now helpless to do anything about it.


    It was a fact that their daughter went missing. How could they stop others from talking?


    Master Hou entered the pce directly to ask for forgiveness and called off the marriage.


    The Emperor did not decline that.


    The Hou family of Nan¡¯an had many talents. The Emperor was secretly not exactly satisfied with the marriage arranged for the Fourth Prince. To him, even if the side consort was an illegitimate daughter, he should choose someone with a lower family background.


    Master Hou was not someone who would mistreat his daughter. Now that he heard the rumors out there, his heart ached.


    After returning home, he asked his wife to see whether she could find a good family for her eldest daughter and marry her off as soon as possible.


    It was best if she married out of town. Otherwise, if she stayed in the capital and listened to these rumors, she would probably go insane from the torture.


    Madam Hou thought about it carefully and remembered that there should be many good men in the coteral branch of her family.


    Her family was not in the capital and was far from here. Yuan Lingyin would definitely not be affected by these rumors.


    Of course, she naturally could not bear to marry her nephew to a concubine¡¯s daughter. The grandchildren of the coteral branch did not have much potential. At most, they only had ordinary jobs to get by.


    Yuan Lingyin also felt the changes in her family.


    It was impossible for her to not feel sad, but when she thought of Master Mo¡¯s words, some hope surfaced in her heart, so she obediently agreed.


    Of course, she did not forget to go to the Fortune Pavilion to thank Master Mo and her biological mother.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve stayed by my daughter¡¯s side all these years. I only have one wish, which is for her to have peace and happiness¡­ Now that you¡¯ve said that she¡¯ll be blessed in the future, I¡­ feel at ease. However, I still can¡¯t hold back but to ask for your help to find out who the person who harmed my daughter is¡­¡± The ghoul was still very weak. Even her soul looked much more terrible than before.


    She was lucky that she did not dissipate.


    She was not a powerful spirit with a deep obsession, yet she still dared to go to the academy. She really had a death wish.


    ¡°Investigation?¡± Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, but I can only find out who it is. As for revenge, I may not be able to do that.¡±


    The culprit was very secretive. The people at the administrative office were running around, but they still could not find the few kidnappers who had captured the youngdies.


    The only one they found¡­ was dead.


    ¡°As long as there¡¯s a result, it will be fine. It¡¯s good that my daughter is aware and to have her guards up,¡± the ghoul said again.


    This mother was really doing her best to protect her daughter.


    Xie Qiao had no choice but to agree to such a wish.


    Yuan Lingyin listened to the master speak to the air and felt uneasy. However, she suppressed her fear and asked, ¡°Master, is that my mother?¡±


    She only dared to call her mother and not aunt when there was no one else around.


    ¡°It¡¯s her. I¡¯ve taken your birth mother¡¯s soul and I¡¯ll send her for reincarnation next time. Her only wish now is to find the culprit for you.¡±


    Yuan Lingyin was touched and her eyes turned red.


    Xie Qiao thought she would do it on her own. Thinking that it would be good for Zhao Xuanjing to umte good karma, she hesitated and went to the criminal division to send a message.

 Chapter 654 - Sage Mo Who is Neither Dead Nor Alive

    <h4>Chapter 654: Sage Mo Who is Neither Dead Nor Alive</h4>


    Fortunately, Zhao Xuanjing did not make her wait for too long.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say before that I would cure your illness? Something came up today, do you want toe with me?¡± Xie Qiao raised her head and puffed out her chest as she spoke slowly.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Xuanjing naturally agreed.


    However, he thought it was odd when she called it an illness.


    ¡°Bring fewer people.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while. ¡°It¡¯s just a small task. Don¡¯t make a big fuss.¡±


    Many people would make her nervous.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was very obedient.


    He only brought Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong was the Crown Prince¡¯s subordinate, following him wherever he went.


    The Crown Prince was single for so many years, but there were no rumors about him and Zhou Weizong. The people in this world¡­ really had little imagination.


    After Xie Qiao and the Crown Prince got engaged, she could not see the Crown Prince¡¯s face clearly. She could not even see the faces of the people rted to the Crown Prince clearly.


    In other words, when their auras matched, it was difficult to perform divination on people rted to her from the perspective of an outsider.


    Of course, there were exceptions to major matters. It was just that she could not see some details clearly.


    ¡°Does what you want to do have something to do with thatdy from the Hou family of Nan¡¯an?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°It is fate that we meet. If you want to save someone, you have to go all the way and finish what you started.¡±


    ¡°You are a Taoist master who is always talking about virtues. Aren¡¯t you worried that the you¡¯d put the patriarch in trouble?¡± Zhao Xuanjing chuckled.


    When he spoke of the patriarch, he was naturally not referring to Li Shiyan.


    ¡°He¡¯s living well. He should thank me.¡± There was still some pride on Xie Qiao¡¯s face.


    Eighteen years ago, the Water Moon Temple was closed!


    That was why her master, Mo Lingzi, was wandering around and was captured by bandits. Later on, it was her bandit father who gave him some silver for him to help raise the child, allowing the Water Moon Temple to start up again. However, not long after that, the silver was gone.


    After that, it was her who, at such a young age, managed to forcefully support the Water Moon Temple with a sick body!


    It was really difficult!


    In the early years, she learned fortune-telling while having to eat medicine everyday. It was hard to say when she would faint.


    Sometimes, when she was eating, she would be in a hurry. Before she could catch her breath, she would pass out.


    This could happen eight or ten times a day!


    Thanks to her unremitting efforts, the Water Moon Temple had flourished.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re gathering good karma, should I ask Young Lady Xie toe with me? That youngdy is not in good health. Maybe she can do some good things and get better,¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly said.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked casually.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie is timid. I¡¯m afraid she will be scared.¡± Xie Qiao was thick-skinned.


    The carriage swayed back and forth. Soon, they left the city and arrived at the ce where the gangster had identally fallen into the water and died.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie used to dig corpses in the forest. She is not a timid person. Speaking of which, Senior Sister¡¯s temper is very simr to Young Lady Xie¡¯s. If it weren¡¯t for the difference in age, I would believe that the both of you are the same person.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not forget to tease her.


    Xie Qiao turned around and red at him. ¡°I¡¯m much more unfathomable than that youngdy! She is at most a half-immortal. I¡¯m different¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Xie Qiao took out a divination banner from the bamboo basket and showed it to Zhao Xuanjing. ¡°Look, what¡¯s written on it?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was almost blinded by therge words embroidered with golden threads.


    Zhou Weizong instantly recalled what happenedst year!


    At that time, he saw the words written on the banner were¡ªSharp Tongued And Straightforward Half-Immortal Xie.


    However, this banner had this written on¡ªSage Mo Who is Neither Dead Nor Alive!

 Chapter 655 - My Silver

    <h4>Chapter 655: My Silver</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhou Weizong was well-read. He knew what was the meaning of neither dead nor alive.


    This Master Mo was saying that she was a sage who had seen through life and death!


    That was much better than the Sharp Tongued And Straightforward Half-Immortal Xie!


    ¡°Master, do... people from the Water Moon Temple have to bring this along when they go out?¡± Zhou Weizong could not help but point to the banner asked .


    Xie Qiao quickly put away the banner carefully. ¡°This is a sign. Sometimes, you have to bring it with you.¡±


    It could also be used to scare people.


    If he had not seen with his own eyes the abilities of the senior aunt and senior sister of the Water Moon Temple, Zhou Weizong would have thought that all the people from the temple were swindlers who were bluffing!


    ¡°It seems that Senior Sister has made a lot of money to be using gold thread for the sign,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with an envious tone. ¡°Even the bell on your wrist is made of solid gold just like Young Lady Xie¡¯s...¡±


    Xie Qiao buried her neck and started to talk nonsense. ¡°This is distributed by the temple. All the disciples of our sect have it. It¡¯s used to drive the ghouls away.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing could not help but chuckle.


    Xie Qiao could really spew nonsense.


    ¡°Senior Sister, did you find anything off?¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not insist on revealing her identity. He asked with concern when he saw her looking around with thepass with a serious face.


    ¡°Not yet. Many people will stay where they died if they don¡¯t go down there after they die. So I wanted to try my luck...¡± Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°It seems that I¡¯m of luck. I have to go to this person¡¯s home to take a look. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s buried or not.¡±


    She had already asked other souls to keep an eye out for her.


    If the ghoul that died with a hairpin was found in the city, they would probablye and inform her.


    At the moment, there was no way to begin investigating Yuan Lingyin¡¯s case with a living person.


    First of all, no one saw the faces of the kidnappers. The kidnappers ran away quickly. Other than the hairpin and handkerchief, they did not take any other belongings. As long as they obediently hid at home for a while, this matter would blow over.


    Therefore, she could only ask the dead.


    It was easier to interrogate the dead than the living.


    With Zhao Xuanjing and Zhou Weizong following her, it was very convenient for her to do things.


    Almost without her having to worry, the two men found the dead person¡¯s home.


    Xie Qiao thought that it would be difficult, but she did not expect to see that ghoul directly in the dead person¡¯s home!


    She thought that this man must have gotten some benefits in advance to harm Yuan Lingyin and the otherdy. If he had just earned some money and died before he finished spending it, he might have felt unwilling. Perhaps that was the reason why he stayed behind in this world.


    She did not expect that she had guessed it right.


    She saw that the ghoul had two butterfly hairpins on his head and a white embroidered handkerchief in his hand. His eyes were staring somewhere in the yard, and he looked quite scary.


    ¡°Did you see him?¡± Asked Zhao Xuanjing.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Well, there seems to be no one else in this house. Let¡¯s go in and have a look.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao got off the carriage and walked over. Zhao Xuanjing took her bamboo basket with ease.


    Xie Qiao looked at him with her side eye and could not help but smile.


    It was rare to see the Crown Prince carrying a basket!


    In order to prevent this ghoul from escaping, Xie Qiao pasted a talisman on the door and then entered the yard.


    It was just a fence courtyard. It was very low, and the house was dpidated. There was also a strange musty smell. It seemed that this person had no wife, no children, no parents.


    After Xie Qiao entered the courtyard, she was not in a hurry to speak. Instead, she took out a small shovel and dug where the ghoul was staring at.


    The ghoul was anxious.


    ¡°Darn it! Who are you? Why are you digging up my silver?! You are not allowed to touch my things! You thief! Stop, stop right now!¡±

 Chapter 656 - Spend it for Me

    <h4>Chapter 656: Spend it for Me</h4>


    The voice seemed to be on fire. It was not enough to just shout. The ghoul had even reached out to strangle Xie Qiao.


    However, the moment he touched Xie Qiao, his hand bounced back and a big hole was burned. He was in a daze and his eyes were red. ¡°I¡¯m already dead, and you¡¯re still bullying me¡­¡±


    Not long after, Xie Qiao dug out something wrapped in cloth.


    She opened it and looked at it¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s so much silver. It seems like he was paid a lot of money?¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled faintly and spoke lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we can¡¯t spend the silver simply since the ghoul is unwilling to let go. It¡¯s easy to be cursed.¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    The ghoul was stunned when he heard that. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Give it back to me! It¡¯s mine!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s yours, but how did you earn this silver? Tell me honestly, I¡¯ll burn some joss paper for youter.¡± Xie Qiao suddenly turned around. Looking at the air, she smiled leisurely. ¡°This silver is no longer useful to you. A dead person should spend the money that¡¯s meant for the dead. You don¡¯t have any rtives, so you don¡¯t even have a person who would burn you joss paper, right?¡±


    The male ghoul looked dazed and did not react.


    He moved around and found that Xiao Qiao¡¯s eyes were staring in his direction!


    Could she see him?!


    ¡°A person like you who has done bad things will definitely be punished even if you go down there. If you don¡¯t have a lot of joss paper burnt for you, I¡¯m afraid your life won¡¯t be easy. So, you¡¯d better ept it obediently, or else¡­¡± Xie Qiao took out a talisman. ¡°I¡¯ll turn you into ashes.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing raised his eyebrows slightly.


    Look at this master¡¯s smug look. There was nothing unattractive about her.


    ¡°You can burn joss paper for me?! I¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll answer whatever your question is. Why are you scaring me? I didn¡¯t say that I won¡¯t cooperate with you!¡± The ghoul was very sensible.


    After he died, he met many of his kind.


    Some of them were quite rich, and their families would burn food and clothes for them.


    He had even gone to the market for the dead, but he could not afford anything.


    He had nothing, so he went home and stared at the wealth he had earned when he was alive.


    He was really unwilling. He had been poor for more than 20 years, and everyone bullied him. He had done great evil and earned money. He had wanted to marry a wife, but he died in the blink of an eye!


    He died inexplicably. He did not understand why!


    This ghoul was quite obedient. Xie Qiao did not expect that, so her attitude was a little more amiable. ¡°You are one of the people who kidnapped the two youngdies of the Yuan and Dong families that day, right? Tell me, who are your peers? Who asked you to do this?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re here for that! Are the government officials so good at handling cases now? They can evenmunicate with a ghoul like me! I admire their effort!¡± This person was careful, ¡°I can definitely tell you, but you¡­ have to fulfill my wish first!¡±


    ¡°Spill.¡± Xie Qiao was used to hearing the ghouls¡¯ conditions.


    These dead people would be more excited when they met a living person who could see like she did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do a good deed with this silver. Go spend it for me and help me buy things! Of course¡­ buy it ording to my request!¡± The ghoul said quickly.


    Spend his money?


    With the ghoul¡¯s permission, it would not matter that she spent the silver.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Qiao agreed.


    The ghoul let out a breath of cold air and followed Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was not afraid that he would run away. If the ghoul that had made a deal with her dared to renege on it, she would find him and settle the score with him no matter what!

 Chapter 657 - Ruining His Reputation

    <h4>Chapter 657: Ruining His Reputation</h4>


    Xie Qiao brought the ghoul into the city.


    It was already evening by then. The sky was faintly suffused with red rays of light. It was very beautiful.


    Zhou Weizong sighed. He thought His Highness was such a nice person. It sounded very impressive that they were helping a ghoul. However, to Master Mo, the two of them were useless, unable to see anything. They could only help with some errands!


    He was already used to being His Highness¡¯ personal bodyguard.


    However, His Highness was different!


    It was the first time that he had been treated as a nonexistentndscape painting. She would call out to him when she needed him, but not even look at him when he was not needed!


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Zhou Weizong looked sympathetic to the Crown Prince.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked indifferent.


    ¡°It¡¯s been really hard on you.¡± Zhou Weizong was very worried.


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re the Crown Prince, yet now you have to¡­ run errands for Master Mo¡­¡± Zhou Weizong mustered his courage to say that.


    Zhao Xuanjing suddenly smiled, he said coldly to him, ¡°That¡¯s because you see things differently. When I stand here alone, even if I don¡¯t say anything, no one will think that I¡¯m redundant. Perhaps it¡¯s because you don¡¯t look as good as me that you have such an inferiorityplex. It¡¯s fine if you do that to yourself, but don¡¯t judge others by your own standard.¡±


    The corner of Zhou Weizong¡¯s lips twitched twice.


    At this moment, the ghoul pointed at a gambling house and said, ¡°When I was alive, I never won money. You Go in and bet all the hundred taels of silver. I¡¯ll watch from the side and cheat!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face stiffened.


    She had never¡­ gambled.


    ¡°After I win the money, I¡¯ll go to a big restaurant for a good meal. Order for me,¡± the ghoul added, ¡°I want to go to the best restaurant. Let¡¯s get somedies and get them to stand around. I want to feel them!¡±


    Xie Qiao was in a difficult position.


    This ghoul¡¯s wish was a bit perverted. She was afraid that she would lose her reputation after doing it!


    Xie Qiao hesitated, as if she had encountered a great disaster.


    Then, she turned her head to look at Zhao Xuanjing and hesitated for a moment. ¡°We all want to do good things for the ghoul. So¡­ why don¡¯t you do it?¡±


    Zhou Weizong could not do it as he did not need to umte good karma.


    It was the first time that Zhao Xuanjing saw her in such a difficult situation. He did not even think about it and instantly agreed. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up and she handed him the silver. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the gambling house first. I¡¯ll stand by the side and you¡¯ll be in charge of betting. I¡¯ll pass the message on your behalf. The ghoul will cheat. We¡¯ll definitely win only one round.¡±


    If not for the fact that Zhao Xuanjing could not see the ghoul, Xie Qiao would not even enter the gambling house.


    A group of men surrounding a table and shouting loudly. What was so fun about being covered in sweat?


    Zhao Xuanjing had never been to such a ce before.


    However, on ount of Xie Qiao, he agreed to it.


    Zhou Weizong thought His Highness was being eaten up by Master Mo. He was a dignified Crown Prince, and he had lived so long with arge group of people protecting him. When had he ever set foot in such¡­ a ce where people of all kinds were together?!


    His Highness was too pitiful!


    The moment Zhao Xuanjing entered, it was as if his feet had stepped on mud and his face was covered in ice.


    The room was very dark. It was a mixture of body odor and the smell of sweat. It was an indescribable smell.


    There was also a group of shirtless people jumping up and down, screaming at the top of their lungs.


    Xie Qiao held her breath slightly, feeling that she was going to faint.


    She thought this would be an easy job, but unexpectedly, this job was quite difficult!


    This group of people had polluted the air that was supposed to be fresh in this world¡­

 Chapter 658 - Hard to Explain

    <h4>Chapter 658: Hard to Exin</h4>


    Zhou Weizong only saw two people dressed in clean clothes. Their faces were tense, as if they were being forced by him. They walked in helplessly.


    His Highness and Master Mo¡­ walked in unison. Their faces were identical, and they looked extremely cold and terrifying!


    Yet, they braced themselves and walked in.


    This group of gamblers were immersed in gambling. How could they pay attention to whatever that was happening around?


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it here¡­¡± When they arrived at one of the gambling tables, Xie Qiao felt that she did not have enough air. She quickly took out her chicken feather fan and fanned himself. She felt slightly better.


    It was not that she was being pretentious.


    It was that her health wascking and she had a higher requirement for air.


    Moreover, although her sense of smell was not as good as a dog¡¯s, it was still better than an ordinary person¡¯s. Therefore, these smells were like poisonous fog to her!


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned, as if he did not expect such a day toe.


    He still had to protect Xie Qiao by the side with his stiff body, afraid that someone would identally push her.


    At this time, Zhou Weizong could only be the viin. With a fierce look, he quickly opened a path for the two of them.


    ¡°You did great.¡± Zhao Xuanjing tried to be brief and praised Zhou Weizong.


    At that moment, the troubles were finally relieved. There was no one pushing around, it was morefortable.


    The bet was made by the gambling house, it was just an ordinary bet. Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul.


    ¡°Go big, go big!¡± The ghoul flew around, his eyes were glued to the dice, he shouted after seeing it clearly.


    In order to not lose money, the gambling house put something in the dice. Logically speaking, it was impossible to win, but the ghoul blew at it, trying to change the points.


    After Xie Qiao ryed the information, Zhao Xuanjing put the silver on the ¡°big bet¡± expressionlessly.


    The other people at the gambling table also saw Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s noble clothes at the moment. They were all well-behaved and did not dare to approach him.


    Even a fool could see that among the three people, apart from the Taoist master, the other two must be rich young masters of some family. They came out to have fun. If they identally offended them, they would be in big trouble.


    However, what made them feel strange was that this Taoist master¡­ was also gambling? Could she be a swindler?


    The ability of this Taoist master to swindle people was too high. Look at her. She had an unfathomable look on her face. Although she was a woman, she seemed to be an expert!


    It was as if she could really foresee something. She was really great at scaring people!


    While everyone was suspicious, the result was revealed.


    The moment the dice was revealed, the surroundings of the gambling table fell silent!


    This customer had bet a hundred taels of silver!


    He had won the bet!


    The person from the gambling house was stunned for a moment. He thought something was wrong. After all, the dice had been tampered with. If he wanted to go big, he could go big. If he wanted to go small, he could go small. How could it be¡­


    However, this person¡¯s identity looked extraordinary. He did not dare to renege on the promise!


    A hundred taels of silver became 200 taels of silver in the blink of an eye.


    These gamblers did not have that much money in their hands, so they looked at them with envy. They even thought that they would follow this rich young master¡¯s luck wherever the three people ced their bets!


    However, Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing almost rushed out as soon as they got the silver!


    Without any hesitation, they left.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Xie Qiao exhaled. ¡°The smell is really¡­¡± It was hard to exin!


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned and raised his hand slightly to sniff at his body. Then, his expression changed slightly. ¡°You two wait for me at the restaurant. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡­ was picky and careful with her image. He had a feeling that his body was tainted by the odd, rotten smell from the gambling house¡­

 Chapter 659 - Good and Evil

    <h4>Chapter 659: Good and Evil</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not think too much about it. There were quite many restaurants on this street. She found a random restaurant and sat down. Beside him, the ghoul had a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡°In the past, when I was alive, I spent a lot of money on this gambling house. Now, I¡¯ve finally made it back!¡± Although he did not win the bet with his own hands, he was the one who decided the result!


    This restaurant had a menu. It was not too expensive.


    Xie Qiao ordered a table full of delicious dishes ording to the ghoul¡¯s wishes.


    The waiter was a little confused.


    ¡°Madam¡­ how many people areing?¡± There were only two people at this moment? The dishes she ordered were enough for more than ten people!


    ¡°Just serve the dishes.¡± Xie Qiao took out a silver ingot and put it on the table.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! This is how it should be! I came to this restaurant when I was alive. That jerk looked down on me and was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t pay for the food. He actually guarded me like I was a thief! That was too much!¡± The ghoul shouted!


    ¡°See? I have silver too!


    ¡°Now you¡¯ll have to serve me well, don¡¯t you?!¡± The ghoul sat in one of the seats and crossed his legs as if he was still alive.


    The waiter saw the silver and said nothing. He immediately rushed to serve the dishes.


    After waiting for a while, Zhao Xuanjing finally came back.


    Xie Qiao looked up and was slightly stunned.


    Zhao Xuanjing was wearing ck clothes before and looked a lot more calm and indifferent. However, he was wearing an ice-blue robe with bamboo patterns embroidered on it. He looked more carefree now. She felt that the room was instantly lit up.


    She wanted to get her hands on him.


    Xie Qiao restrained herself for a moment and slightly looked to the side.


    At this time, the waiter had already served the dishes one after another.


    In a short while, the table was filled with dishes.


    The ghoul floated on the table, pursing his lips and sniffing, looking like he was enjoying himself.


    Usually, ghouls would note to eat the dishes as long as they were not arranged in the manner as if they were offerings. Only some naughty ghouls woulde over to make a scene and secretly sniff a few mouthfuls asionally.


    No one moved their chopsticks.


    Zhou Weizong looked at the table full of dishes and his taste buds were tingled. He was eager to eat.


    ¡°Master¡­ Can we eat?¡± Zhou Weizong had a curious look on his face.


    Xie Qiao pointed at a fish head and said with a smile, ¡°He has finished this dish. You can try it.¡±


    Zhou Weizong hurriedly tried it.


    ¡°Bah!¡± He spat out the fish directly. ¡°Why is there no taste at all?!¡±


    ¡°Because he has finished eating. If you eat again¡­ it will be like chewing wax,¡± Xie Qiao exined faintly.


    Zhou Weizong put down the bowl and chopsticks helplessly.


    However, the three of them were out for so long and were hungry indeed. They ordered a few more dishes and ced them on the table next to them, eating slowly.


    ¡°Master, this ghoul¡­ is an evil person. Isn¡¯t it bad for us to satisfy his wish so easily? Won¡¯t it affect the Crown Prince?¡± Zhou Weizong could not help but ask again.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the client,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said directly.


    Zhou Weizong was stunned for a moment, then he remembered that the master was looking for the culprit who caught Young Lady Yuan.


    ¡°I¡¯m responsible for solving the ghoul¡¯s wish and sending them to reincarnation. I don¡¯t care whether it¡¯s good or evil,¡± Xie Qiao said lightly.


    It was impossible for her to destroy the ghoul directly with a wave of her hand just because the ghoul did evil. It was too exhausting, and she would be crossing the line.


    Whether it had done something wrong or not, there would be judgment in hell. It was possible whether he would suffer or have a terrible life in his next life.


    As for her¡­


    At most, she would have a worse attitude toward the evil ghouls that she looked down on without offering the nice, aftercare services.

 Chapter 660 - Spend A Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 660: Spend A Fortune</h4>


    For instance, if the ghoul in front of her was obedient and told the truth about what he knew, she would put him away and send him to reincarnation. However, as the ghoul was a little annoying, therefore, she would skip the service of chanting scriptures and incantations to make him feel better.


    However, if he misbehaved¡­


    He might end up being a little miserable.


    Xie Qiao looked very gentle at the moment. The ghoul was over the moon.


    After a while, he burped. ¡°After eating and drinking, we¡¯ll go to the brothel! We¡¯ll order as manydies as we can with all the silver!¡±


    Xie Qiao stood up calmly and waved her horsetail whisk. ¡°Okay, thest thing we need to do is to go to the brothel to orderdies. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned.


    ¡°What do you want to do? Tell me in detail. Just wait for me here.¡± Zhao Xuanjing pulled her back directly. His voice was indifferent, and his gaze was deep. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to go to the gambling house, but the brothel isn¡¯t a ce you should go to.¡±


    Why was he suddenly so fierce? Was he trying to scare her to death?


    Xie Qiao covered her chest and took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to go either. How about you¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were filled with helplessness. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Hearing that, the corners of Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled up slightly. She only smiled and said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll only go in for a stroll and orderdies. I won¡¯t do anything else.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled helplessly. ¡°If you go there in your Taoist robe, won¡¯t other people have wild thoughts?¡±


    Moreover, even if she disguised herself as Mo Chusheng, who was in her thirties or forties, she was still more otherworldly than others.


    She would inevitably be offended by others if a person like her showed up at such a ce.


    They should not even nce at her with their filthy gaze!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to say that,¡± Xie Qiao said inexplicably. Then, sheid out the conditions of the ghoul. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to go in, so I¡¯ll have to trouble Junior Brother to do that for me.¡±


    Zhou Weizong did not expect that His Highness would go to a gambling house, not to mention a brothel.


    In the dark, there were many eyes watching him. What he did today would soon be known by everyone.


    However, Master Mo said that His Highness had to do something to umte good karma.


    Zhao Xuanjing left quite happily.


    Those who did not know would think that he was eager to go in.


    Xie Qiao did not care much. The person she chose to marry was naturally someone with taste.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you really going in? I wonder how much good karma you will earn for this¡­¡± Was the sacrifice not too much?!


    ¡°Good karma is secondary.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was expressionless.


    Xie Qiao was very particr when it came to dealing with the wishes of the ghouls.


    Even the ordinary lonely souls she met on the way were sent to reincarnation as much as possible. To her, she would rather die of exhaustion. The ghouls that she could catch were definitely not to be let go.


    She had specially invited him toe with her today with the intention of treating his illness.


    How could she let him down?


    He had been to such a ce before when he was investigating a case. It was just that¡­ he did not orderdies.


    Zhao Xuanjing walked in calmly.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s face was flushing a little bit.


    The procuress knew at a nce that an important guest had arrived and instantly summoned many youngdies to surround him.


    ¡°With this silver, we¡¯re only getting them to stand here for 15 minutes,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said concisely.


    It would only be 15 minutes, and they would not have to do anything. How could the procuress not agree? Moreover, this hundred taels of silver was not a small amount. If this rich young master took a fancy to them, he might spend a forter!

 Chapter 661 - Who is the Unlucky Person?

    <h4>Chapter 661: Who is the Unlucky Person?</h4>


    Very soon, the procuress carried out the request.


    Twenty to 30dies stood out. Although it was evening, it was still bright, so business was not particrly good. Therefore, almost all thedies who were avable came.


    Zhao Xuanjing sat there.


    The ghoul was looking around, but he felt ufortable.


    He was supposed toe to see thedies, but thedies were all looking at that noble young master!


    It made him upset!


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    It was almost time. Zhao Xuanjing was about to get up, but he bumped into a few people.


    Meng Jifang and his brothers were dazed when they saw the Crown Prince¡¯s unparalleled handsome face. ¡°Did we¡­ go to the wrong ce? Is this the Crown Prince¡¯s residence?!¡±


    Was there something wrong with the Crown Prince?! He was about to get married, but he actually visited the brothel?!


    Meng Jifang was delighted. ¡°Your Highness is leaving so soon. Which one do you fancy? If you like her, I¡¯ll buy her and give her to you!¡±


    Poor Young Lady Xie.


    She had just been granted a marriage recently. Everyone said that Young Lady Xie had a good life. She actually went from being the daughter of a bandit to bing the Princess Consort.


    He also thought that the youngdy was quite powerful, but he did not expect that the Crown Prince to like her.


    ¡°Do you have too little homework at the academy?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice turned cold.


    Meng Jifang restrained himself a great deal. ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness. We won¡¯t say anything more. But with youing here in such a high profile, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that others won¡¯t find out about it.¡±


    He did not want the whole city to know about it and me it on him.


    Although he did not like the Crown Prince, he had never thought of offending him.


    After all, he could not afford to offend him! He was not a fool like Zhao Xuzhi!


    Zhao Xuanjing stood there like a wall and suddenly smiled faintly. ¡°If this matter really gets out, I¡¯ll me it on you, Meng Jifang. When I have the time, I¡¯ll look for you to settle the score.¡±


    Meng Jifang felt that he might be a little unlucky today.


    The Crown Prince was carefree. After saying that, he turned around and left.


    However, what about him?


    The Crown Prince had settled the matterfortably, yet he still had to help him out?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him today? He actually came here¡­¡± Meng Jifang muttered. ¡°Eh? That¡¯s not right? Didn¡¯t you say that this ce would definitely be quiet and we won¡¯t bump into people we know?!¡±


    The people around him did not dare to say anything.


    They had invited Meng Jifang out to y, but they were afraid that they would be caught by the Meng family¡¯s spies, so they chose this ce.


    This brothel was not the best in the capital, and it was not even ranked in the top. However, the good thing was that thedies were pretty great, and they would not ask for much money.


    ¡°Madam! Come here!¡± Meng Jifang waved at the people in the room. ¡°What did that young mastere here for?¡±


    The procuress felt confused. ¡°Nothing¡­ He just called a bunch ofdies and did not even look at them. He made them stand there for 15 minutes!¡±


    She had run the business for 20 years, but this was the first time she had encountered such a strange thing!


    Some of the men also came here in a reserved manner, but when they saw thedy, they either blushed or could not help but look at her. They could not really sit still, but thedies did not even sit in his arms just now. Nody came near him at all!


    It was not that they did not want to, but a youngdy took the initiative to step forward and was kicked away by the person next to him. They were only allowed to stand there obediently¡­


    It was really strange.


    ¡°He¡¯s not sleeping with any of the youngdies? Then¡­¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted. ¡°Crap! He can¡¯t be investigating a case again, right?! Who is the unlucky person this time? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go and check it out!¡±

 Chapter 662 - Don’t Think Too Much

    <h4>Chapter 662: Don¡¯t Think Too Much</h4>


    Meng Jifang immediately chased after them. He did not want to see the girls dance at all.


    The brothers at the back stood rooted to the ground.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± Meng Jifang frowned. He was quite arrogant.


    ¡°Young Master Meng, we¡­ wouldn¡¯t dare to offend His Highness¡­¡± They were really scared.


    The Crown Prince was a high and mighty person. How could the sons of minor officials like them dare to approach him? Moreover, everyone knew that the Crown Prince loved to investigate cases. If the family of whoever he had his eyes on was found out to be guilty, it would be truly tragic!


    Earlier, the family of the Prince Consort Zhou and the Fourth Prince¡¯s camp had justmunicated with each other. They did not know how it had spread, but in the blink of an eye, the entire family had been wiped out!


    There was also the eldest illegitimate son of Prince Ning Bei, Zhao Xuzhi. It was said that he had offended the Crown Prince, so his arm was gone and he had to stay in the prison!


    Oh, Young Master Meng had also offended the Crown Prince in the past. In the end, he was punished by the Crown Prince by running with the horse until his legs almost fell off¡­


    They did not want to follow in his footsteps!


    ¡°Cowards!¡± Meng Jifang spat. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself! I don¡¯t need you!¡±


    Meng Jifang was really curious.


    He abandoned his brothers behind him and immediately followed.


    ¡°Your Highness, Young Master Meng is following us.¡± Zhou Weizong immediately noticed.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried for the Meng family for raising such a loser.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not angry. He even thought it was funny.


    The Meng family had always been very careful in supporting his fourth brother and instigating Imperial Concubine Meng. However, Meng Jifang, the grandson, was even more terrible than a hooligan. He waspletely fearless of anything. Who knew how many times he had seeked death.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Meng Jifang was no scoundrel. He ran up to the Crown Prince and bowed. ¡°You¡¯re here to investigate a case, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The brothel was not far from the restaurant.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring more people with you when you were investigating a case? If you sneaked over like this, people who don¡¯t know would think that you¡¯re here to have fun. If Young Lady Xie heard the rumor, how sad would she be?¡± Meng Jifang muttered again.


    Young Lady Xie¡­


    Meng Jifang thought she was a nicedy.


    He had dealt with her several times in the academy. It was the first time that he met such an interesting person in his life.


    She was sickly but had guts. She was not afraid of him. She won every bet she made with others.


    She was very powerful.


    If not for the fact that such a sickly girl would definitely suffer if she married into the Meng family, he would have sent someone to the Xie family to propose marriage.


    Zhao Xuanjing stood still and nced at him. ¡°Think with your brain before you speak.¡±


    Meng Jifang was stunned.


    What did he say? He was quite humble in order to find out the truth, no?


    ¡°Your Highness, you have only seen Xie Qiao a few times, so you might not know this. That little girl is as delicate as a flower. Everyone says that she has a short life. I¡¯m indeed worried that she will think too much of it,¡± Meng Jifang said directly.


    After saying that, he felt that the Crown Prince¡¯s bearing became even colder.


    Suddenly, he reacted, ¡°I was just saying casually. Your Highness, you can¡¯t take it seriously, right? I am not familiar with Young Lady Xie¡­¡±


    Sure enough, after saying that and admitting defeat, the Crown Prince looked at him with contempt and walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about my person. If you think too much about her, I am afraid that your fortune will be drained.¡±


    Meng Jifang was angry.


    However, he knew that he could not trigger this tough man casually, so he endured it with all his might.


    He was already cursing and swearing in his heart.


    He shamelessly followed, but after a few steps, he was blocked by Zhou Weizong. Seeing the Crown Prince enter the restaurant, he looked around hard. He even ran to the second floor across the restaurant and looked toward the window¡­


    He actually saw the Crown Prince with a female Taoist master.


    Could she be¡­ the Witch Mo that his father said?

 Chapter 663 - Taking Strong Measures After Courteous Ones Failed

    <h4>Chapter 663: Taking Strong Measures After Courteous Ones Failed</h4>


    Meng Jifang thought Xie Qiao seemed to be even more pitiful now.


    Previously, there had been amotion. Everyone had said that the Crown Prince wanted to marry a Taoist master who was more than ten years older than him as the Princess Consort. Later, it was suddenly changed to Xie Qiao. At that time, he had thought the Crown Prince dragged Xie Qiao in to make up the number.


    As expected, Xie Qiao was nothing to the Crown Prince.


    He was really a demon.


    Meng Jifang felt a little uneasy. He thought the Crown Prince had poor taste.


    Xie Qiao¡­ was a little weak, but she was quite good-looking, no? She was much better looking than his future cousin-inw, Dong Xiyun. What was so good about this old and rough witchpared to that delicate youngdy?


    In reality, he did not have much contact with Xie Qiao. He just thought the youngdy¡¯s ability to tame horses was quite good¡­


    At this moment, Xie Qiao was faintly looking at the sky.


    The ghoul looked terrible and was very upset. He said angrily, ¡°Forget it that those girls can¡¯t see me, but what¡¯s the point of looking at him?! No, it¡¯s uneptable! You guys even spent all my silver. You have to go to the brothel with me again!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uneptable?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was cold and deep. ¡°Say it again?¡±


    The ghoul was upset.


    These two men were too dazzling. When he saw the crazy looks on those women, he could not help but think of how useless he was. When he was alive, no one looked up to him.


    Xie Qiao revealed a talisman directly. The talisman burned to ashes, as if there was a force that strangled the ghoul¡¯s entire body.


    In an instant, the ghoul was in endless pain and cried out.


    ¡°Initially, this penniless master could have just used force. I just felt that it was quite pitiful that you did not spend all your money after you died, so I held back a little. However, don¡¯t take advantage of me,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not taking advantage of you¡­ M-Master, please spare my life¡­¡± The ghoul was a coward, which he instantly knelt.


    ¡°Now you can tell me who ordered you to do this, right?¡± Xie Qiao sat up straight and looked very serious.


    How would the ghoul dare to disobey her?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Brother Lie found us and ran away after finishing the job. Each of us got a hundred taels of silver. He stole the hairpin and handkerchief, but he ended up giving them to me¡­¡±


    This caused him to die and have the youngdy¡¯s belongings with him. He could not get rid of them, and they were in the way, so he decided to stick the hairpin on his head.


    It was so weird and ugly.


    Xie Qiao asked in detail who this so-called Brother Lie was.


    This ghoul told the truth.


    ¡°Master, if we knew we could¡¯ve done this, why did we do so much?¡± Zhou Weizong could not help but mutter.


    Xie Qiao lowered her eyes, she did not seem to care. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a ghoul who has done evil, I can still get some benefits by fulfilling his wish. Moreover, we shouldn¡¯t take advantage of this ghoul. It¡¯s true that we can get things done by threatening and bribing, but if we do too much, it will also harm our karma.¡±


    However, it was different now. She only took strong measures after courteous ones failed.


    She had done a lot for the ghoul. He owed her now that he was disobedient.


    If she attacked again, it would not affect her at all.


    Everything had a cause and effect. As her life was too precious, no matter how small the influence, she would try to avoid it carefully.


    As for that Brother Lie, he was talking about a person called Wang Lie. On the surface, he was actually a very honest carpenter.


    No wonder the government could not find him.


    The administrative office had always thought that the ones who did it were definitely some hooligans. Therefore, they had been keeping an eye on them. One by one, they called them to the administrative office to ask them what they were doing that day. However, even so, they still could not find anything.


    The carpenter was different. He was honest and had a proper profession. If they did not find out from this ghoul, they would not be able to find him no matter how hard they searched!


    Not only was Wang Lie a carpenter, even this ghoul had considered having a small business when he was alive!

 Chapter 664 - Shield

    <h4>Chapter 664: Shield</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Crown Prince was a ruler. When he heard about this, he was even angrier than Xie Qiao was.


    Those hooligans were usually either ostentatious, deceiving, or harassing people. Most of them were watched by the government. As soon as theymitted a crime, it would be easy to catch them. However, people who were hiding in the dark were different.


    They were good at hiding. They suddenly attacked and actually kidnapped youngdies or even ruined their reputation. Their thoughts were even more vicious. Or, They hadmitted many big mistakes in private, but they had been lucky enough to escape. On the surface, they pretended to be good citizens¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to others to investigate.¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt sorry for Xie Qiao.


    He wondered how many ghouls she had to serve to be able to survive until now.


    Xie Qiao nodded in agreement.


    It was alreadyte, so she parted ways with Zhao Xuanjing.


    On the other hand, Meng Jifang felt strange when he saw that scene.


    What was the rtionship between the Crown Prince and Witch Mo? Was the youngdy of the Xie family taken by the Crown Prince as a shield?


    If that was the case, then the Crown Prince was a terrible person. The youngdy had a short life, and he bullied her like this. He was even worse than him!


    However, Meng Jifang was unwilling but could not say anything to offend him, so he endured it.


    The next day, when he saw Xie Qiao enter the academy with a smile on her face, he could not help but curl his lips. ¡°What a fool.¡±


    ¡°What fool?¡± The person beside him could not help but ask.


    Meng Jifang sighed and thought for a moment. Then, he leaped from where he was sitting. He dusted his hands and walked toward Xie Qiao.


    He stopped Xie Qiao directly.


    Xie Qiao was a little puzzled when a thin wall suddenly appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Xie Qiao, how long can you live?¡± Meng Jifang asked.


    Many people thought Meng Jifang had gone too far.


    Xie Qiao did not have long to live, so she should be quite sad. Yet, he deliberately triggered her. Was he not trying to anger her?!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Qiao looked indifferent.


    If she could not stand a single word from Meng Jifang, she would have died of anger.


    Were her own father and eldest brother not rascals?


    ¡°You won¡¯t live long, so why did you agree to be the Princess Consort? Won¡¯t your Father go to the pce to exin it for you?¡± Meng Jifang looked casual, yet it seemed like he did not want to talk to Xie Qiao.


    It was a little strange and awkward.


    Xie Qiao looked baffled.


    However, in Meng Jifang¡¯s eyes, Xie Qiao should have a helpless look.


    That was true. The Xie family had always been unable to make a name for themselves. Now that she was finally bing the Crown Prince¡¯s wife, how could the bandits give up such a good opportunity?!


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you an idea!¡± Meng Jifang said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a serious illness? Go home and pretend to be sick. If you¡¯re about to die, the Crown Prince can¡¯t possibly marry you, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao was even more confused. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡±


    Her tone was t, and she really did not understand.


    ¡°W-Why don¡¯t you know what¡¯s good for you?!¡± Meng Jifang suddenly felt insulted. He snorted and red at Xie Qiao. ¡°You deserve to be schemed against!¡±


    After saying that, he left in anger.


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded.


    What was Meng Jifang doing? Could he not exin clearly? She was schemed against? When did it happen? Howe she did not know that?!


    However, Meng Jifang was a fickle person. Earlier, he had offered a huge sum of money to ce a bet between Xie Qiao and Xia Yayun. It was evident that he had always been a strange person.. All she had to do was to get used to him.

 Chapter 665 - Instigation

    <h4>Chapter 665: Instigation</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not take Meng Jifang¡¯s words to heart.


    Meng Jifang was extremely angry.


    Zhao Xuanjing had already sent someone to capture Wang Lie and the othersst night and handed them over to the criminal officer at the criminal division. After a night of torture, they uncovered many things.


    This Wang Lie was indeed a carpenter, and his craftsmanship was not bad. A few years ago, he was fortunate enough to be introduced to work in a big household. As a result, he got to know many servants, guards, and even stewards. After that, he had a devious idea.


    He specially found some people who were unemployed and did not make much progress in life. He interacted with them and taught them to ¡°do good¡±!


    Of course, it was only on the surface. Those people seemed to be learning carpentry skills from him, but in reality, they were doing some shady work with him.


    With this kind of ability, not only did Wang Lie make a lot of money, his reputation in the vige was pretty great.


    Everyone thought this person was honest. Not only was he honest, he also guided others. His family, friends, and even the entire vige did not think that there was anything wrong with him!


    After this person was captured, he actually admitted tomitting to quite a few cases!


    Most of the cases involved wealthy families.


    Most of them were merchants. For instance, one of the merchants was already old. The eldest and second son were fighting over the family property. The second son thought they could notpete, so he invited Wang Lie to stage an ident.


    There was another family. It was a fight between the wife and the concubine. The wife thought the concubine was seductive and seduced her husband to harm the family. She asked Wang Lie to capture the concubine and sell her away.


    He had always been careful in doing things.


    Usually, he was only responsible for capturing people. If he did something dangerous, he would get more people to do it with him. In short, there must be a scapegoat!


    The aplice who died with the golden hairpin and the man who was scared to death by Xie Pinggang were actually scapegoats.


    It was just that Wang Lie did not think that dead people could speak.


    That night, Xie Qiao asked her eldest brother about the case.


    ¡°This Wang Lie said that the person who hired him was an aunt of the Dong family.¡± Xie Pinggang thought that it was Master Mo who told her, so he did not think too much about it. While eating, he exined to Xie Qiao, ¡°Now he has gone to the Dong family and captured that aunt. She¡¯s in prison now. After threatening her for one night, she will definitely tell the truth tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an aunt?¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you know her name?¡±


    ¡°Her surname is Xia¡­ Her parents¡¯ status isn¡¯t low either. She¡¯s young.¡± Xie Pinggang did not hide anything.


    With that said, Xie Qiao knew who she was.


    She knew two aunties of the Dong family.


    One was Dong Xiyun¡¯s biological aunt, who was said to have entered the residence to take care of her, and the other was Xia Yayun, who had a very good rtionship with Dong Xiyun.


    If it was rted to Xia Yayun¡­


    Xie Qiao was almost certain that this matter had more to do with Dong Xiyun.


    She had dealt with Xia Yayun quite a number of times before. This person was a fool, and Dong Xiyun had coaxed her into losing her mind.


    She was initially a wealthy and noble person, but now that things had turned out this way, Xie Qiao could not help but sigh.


    ¡°You know her?¡± Xie Pinggang noticed Xie Qiao¡¯s reaction and asked.


    ¡°Yes. This youngdy was the one who made a bet with me in the past. She may be a little vicious, but her hatred is always inexplicable. She¡¯s a person who is easily instigated by others,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°The possibility of her being instigated is indeed very high. I¡¯ve already checked. This Aunt Xia doesn¡¯t have many interactions with Young Lady Yuan. Even the eldest daughter of the Dong family has more reason to act than she did.¡± Xie Pinggang had a list of suspects.


    Now, he remembered Dong Xiyun.


    As long as Aunt Xia was willing to tell the truth, he could capture her at any time. Just thinking about it made him a little excited.

 Chapter 666 - As Pure As A Piece of Jade

    <h4>Chapter 666: As Pure As A Piece of Jade</h4>


    Xie Qiao was actually quite curious, so she thought of going over to take a look tomorrow afternoon.


    At the moment, Xia Yayun was locked up in the prison, which was also the prison of the criminal division. She was so frightened that she had lost all her senses. Her little face was deathly pale as she waited for someone toe and save her.


    ¡°Father, Mother¡­¡± She would definitely go home, definitely!


    However, she had forgotten that ever since she went to the Dong family and became an aunt, she had been disobedient and continued to be close with Dong Xiyun. Her mother¡¯s family had almost never allowed her to visit them again.


    Now that they knew about this, although the Xia family still felt sorry for her, they did not bring themselves to save her.


    There was nothing they could do for their daughter.


    As parents, they had long realized that there was something wrong with Dong Xiyun. Every time their daughter was with her, nothing good would happen. However, this child refused to listen to them. Now that things had turned out this way, what could they do?


    They would not implicate the other children in the family, right?!


    ¡°Youngdy, is this your testimony?¡± Xie Pinggang pulled a piece of paper and took it over with a fierce look on his face. ¡°Because that Young Lady Yuan mocked and ridiculed you, that¡¯s why you did this?¡±


    Xia Yayun curled up into a ball. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. She¡¯s the one who bad mouthed me behind my back!¡±


    They were both concubines. They had the same status!


    That Yuan Lingyin actually looked down on her in every way!


    She said behind her back that the clothes she wore were cheap, that she was no different from cheap concubines that were bought and sold. Xiyun had initially said that she wanted to give her a piece of the light stream brocade, but that wretcheddy actually said that she was unworthy to wear such clothes. She said that it would be an insult to such a good piece of satin!


    Yuan Lingyin often visited the Dong Residence. Due to their simr age, she had specially invited her twice!


    However, it was one thing for Yuan Lingyin to reject her, but she had even insulted her!


    Why should she endure it?!


    That Yuan Lingyin was merely a concubine¡¯s daughter, and she was going to be married off to be a side consort!


    In the past, Xia Yayun was the precious direct daughter of the Xia family!


    ¡°Are you sure that this matter has nothing to do with the eldest daughter of the Dong Family?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned.


    Xia Yayun snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you are going to do. Did Yuan Lingyin say so?! She was just jealous that Sister Dong had be the main consort, while she¡¯s just a side consort! Sister Dong is as pure as a piece of jade. Every time I return, she would advise me not to bother with her. She¡¯s not as vicious as she is!¡±


    Having said that, Xie Pinggang could only be disappointed.


    He had initially thought that he could capture another person!


    The case was settled.


    In the afternoon, Xie Qiao disguised as Mo Chusheng and entered the criminal division to take a look.


    She had promised Yuan Lingyin¡¯s birth mother that she would find the culprit, so she had to confirm it herself. Fortunately, now that the case had been settled, people could visit Xia Yayun, so she came here shamelessly.


    Xia Yayun did not see her parents or Dong Xiyun, but she saw this Taoist master.


    ¡°Did my Mother send you here?¡± She asked cautiously, her eyes full of hope.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Young Lady Xia, can I ask you if Dong Xiyun told you that Yuan Lingyin often speaks ill of you?¡±


    Xia Yayun curled up and buried her face in her knees. She nodded in a muffled voice. ¡°Well, if Sister Dong hadn¡¯t told me, I wouldn¡¯t have known that Yuan Lingyin was such a shameless person!¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that you¡¯re such a fool.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Xia Yayun raised her head.


    ¡°I said, you¡¯re a fool and you don¡¯t know it.¡± Xie Qiao wanted to open up her head with a shovel to see if there was something wrong with the feng shui inside.

 Chapter 667 - It was Her

    <h4>Chapter 667: It was Her</h4>


    Xia Yayun¡¯s eyes turned red.


    So what if they had captured Yuan Lingyin? Did she note back alive?! She did not have to be someone¡¯s consort either. Was that not great?!


    Why did Xia Yayun have to be captured and brought to prison, and people kepting to humiliate her?!


    There were ghouls constantly blowing at Xie Qiao¡¯s ears, and there were still quite a number of them hovering up and down.


    The criminal division was filthy.


    Seeing Xia Yayun¡¯s angry face, she thought for a while and said, ¡°Young Lady Xia, think about it carefully. Without Dong Xiyun, what would your life be like? I heard that when you were in the Royal Academy, because Dong Xiyun went against Young Lady Xie, you even made a bet with her. Later, because of Dong Xiyun, you became the aunt of the Dong family by ident. Now, because Dong Xiyun said something bad to you, you did this to Young Lady Yuan¡­


    ¡°Young Lady Xia, didn¡¯t Young Lady Dong make use of your impulsiveness and viciousness to make you teach others a lesson for her?


    ¡°Now that you have be a prisoner, she will still be the Fourth Imperial Concubine. You even¡­ helped her get rid of Yuan Lingyin. Young Lady Yuan is smart and good-looking. She¡¯s also naive and likable. Her family background is quite great. She would indeed be a strong rival for her favor.¡±


    Xie Qiao had nothing more to say.


    This case had already been settled. Even if Xia Yayun tried to bite Dong Xiyun, it would not be of any use.


    After all, Dong Xiyun really did not interfere in this matter!


    She only whispered a few words into Xia Yayun¡¯s ear.


    Her hands were clean.


    Xia Yayun was stunned.


    Xie Qiao left after saying that.


    Xia Yayun remained silent for a day before she suddenly snapped and screamed like a maniac. Unfortunately, she would be transferred to the women¡¯s prison at the administrative office very soon. It would be impossible for her to see the light of day again in this lifetime.


    After taking one wrong step, the rest of her life would be ruined.


    Trusting the wrong person can ruin one¡¯s life.


    Xie Qiao met with Dong Yiyun and Yuan Lingyin and exined the situation clearly to them in front of the ghoul.


    Yuan Lingyin¡¯s biological mother sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be that youngdy¡­ In the future, my daughter will marry somewhere else and have nothing to do with her. I can finally rest in peace.¡±


    Otherwise, how could her daughter fight against such a scheming and terrifying youngdy?


    Dong Yiyun was trembling with anger. She was too ashamed to see her good friend.


    How could she have such an eldest sister?!


    When had she ever ndered Xia Yayun?!


    Although she had indeed refused to meet and y with Xia Yayun, was it unreasonable?


    Xia Yayun was her aunt and her status was awkward. How could she y with the unwed youngdy?!


    Dong Yiyun recalled many things that had happened since she was young. Now, it was as if her mind had been enlightened and she suddenly realized things now.


    Back then, she had told her eldest sister that Xie Pinggang had saved her from the kidnappers.


    Not long after, news spread that Xie Pinggang had failed in pursuing her eldest sister and had almost used force. At that time, she was really heartbroken.


    Also, there were many times they had taken a fancy to the same food, clothes and items, and¡­ they would always end up in her eldest sister¡¯s hands.


    She had thought that she was just a petty person, but she had never thought that she was vicious.


    In the past, she thought that she would try her best to avoid conflict with her sister. She was really¡­ too foolish!


    The two young youngdies were greatly shocked.


    As for Xie Qiao, she put away the ghoul and sent it back to the Fortune Pavilion.


    Now that the culprit had been found, the Hou family of Nan¡¯an felt even more grateful to the Crown Prince.


    This case should not have been handled by the criminal division.


    It was the Crown Prince who got intel and brought the people of the criminal division to save his daughter in time. No matter what, he would never forget the favor.

 Chapter 668 - Will Not Be Swayed by Force or Persuasion

    <h4>Chapter 668: Will Not Be Swayed by Force or Persuasion</h4>


    It was a little moreplicated on the Dong family¡¯s side.


    It was true that the Crown Prince had saved their daughter, but at the same time, he had also found the culprit, who was also from the same family¡­


    Master Dong was bitter.


    Ever since the Crown Prince had been the supervisor of the criminal division, the number of cases that the criminal division had umted over the years had indeed decreased significantly. It was something that everyone in the imperial court had witnessed.


    Although the criminal division was a ce that offended people, others could not ignore this merit.


    If they wanted toin about the Crown Prince, they indeed had to think about it carefully.


    The ministers in the Fourth Prince¡¯s camp were really worried to the point that they were balding.


    Ever since the Crown Prince¡¯s hand was injured, the light that the Crown Prince had on him had been dimmed significantly! In the end, they had spent so much effort over the years and still had not been able to chase him out!


    And now, he was actually bing more and more stable slowly.


    ¡°We should think about what to do with Wen Lancheng. This person is talented. How long has he been an official? The Emperor has already praised him four or five times. If this person ispletely loyal to the Crown Prince, then the Crown Prince¡¯s influence will really flourish.¡± Master Meng was extremely dissatisfied.


    Or rather, the Crown Prince¡¯s recent momentum was strong.


    In the past, there were not many people in the entire imperial court who would stand on the Crown Prince¡¯s side.


    However, recently, for some reason, the Crown Prince¡¯s poprity skyrocketed.


    The Crown Prince had obviously crippled Prince Ning Bei¡¯s eldest son, but even Prince Ning Bei had spoken up for him. The Li family who had never been involved in the affairs of the world before, had actually been moved recently. Those personal connections and students under him had all started to support the Crown Prince¡­


    There was also Wen Lancheng.


    Although he was just an insignificant number one schr, Wen Lancheng was the most promising one in this year¡¯s imperial examination, and he was also the leader of the lower ss. It would have been fine if he was arrogant, but he was warm and likable, and among the schrs¡­ His reputation was especially good!


    It was said that he had ttered the Crown Prince many times, causing the Crown Prince to be much more popr in the eyes of the young schrs.


    There was also the Xie family.


    Master Meng had initially thought that his grandson would definitely win, but he did not expect the tables to turn so quickly.


    ¡°Wen Lancheng won¡¯t be swayed by force or persuasion. He did not seem to be having any rtionship with the concubine who was sent to him earlier. He said that he wouldn¡¯t dare to have an illegitimate child before marrying a wife.¡±


    The ministers were worried.


    With that said, the people of the Meng family were even more angry.


    At that moment, the concubine was furious.


    Wen Lancheng had two residences. One was bought after the imperial examination, and the other was the imperial schr residence that the Emperor had bestowed upon him.


    Pei Wanyue had long married him, but she was living in the private residence. The location was not great, and Wen Lancheng would onlye over asionally. He would even call her over to talk and ask her some questions.


    However, he did not do anything to her at all!


    Yet, the person who hade to look for her wanted her to win Wen Lancheng¡¯s heart!


    Initially, she had some confidence in herself. She had even been obedient. She had stayed at home to tend to the flowers and learn how to embroider, changing Wen Lancheng¡¯s impression of her. However, after these few days, her heart had really turned cold!


    She had been behaving for so long, yet Wen Lancheng did not even spare her a nce!


    ¡°Aunt Yue, Master is here. He wants you to go over to serve him,¡± the maidservant said by her ear again.


    Again!


    Serve him? He really wanted her to serve him?!


    Pei Wanyue was filled with anger and tried her best to suppress it.


    Previously, in order to seduce Wen Lancheng, she had worn in clothes. Now that she kept failing, she changed into a fiery red and somewhat thin set of clothes and walked over after thinking about it.


    Her steps were enchanting and she tried her best to be seductive. When she saw Wen Lancheng, her voice was soft. ¡°Darling¡­.¡±


    Wen Lancheng stepped back. ¡°You are a concubine. Don¡¯t overstep your boundaries.¡±


    No matter how young he was, as a concubine, she should still address him as master.


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s warmth was instantly dismissed.

 Chapter 669 - Future Wife

    <h4>Chapter 669: Future Wife</h4>


    She was a woman. Could Wen Lancheng not tell that she was seducing him?!


    ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯ve missed you¡­¡± Pei Wanyue said shyly.


    Wen Lancheng tidied up his clothes and looked at her fiery red dress. He thought it was inappropriate. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that as a concubine, all you¡¯ll have to do is to behave yourself? You¡¯re not allowed to wear this red dress anymore.¡±


    Pei Wanyue wanted to bite him. However, she said aggrievedly, ¡°Master, do you dislike me for insulting your reputation? But I admire you, don¡¯t you know that? That day when you rode on a horse and paraded the streets, I thought you looked like the bright moon in the sky. I thought about you day and night. I only hoped that I could be by your side and shower in your glory¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she walked forward and pinched the corner of Wen Lancheng¡¯s clothes. ¡°Master, this humble one¡­ will not wear this dress in the future. Just¡­ take it off for me¡­¡±


    Every time she came over, Wen Lancheng would try his best to control his emotions. Now that he heard such shameful words, he could not help but blush.


    This woman was really¡­ shameless.


    ¡°What have you done recently? Have you left the house?¡± Wen Lancheng restrained his emotions and asked again.


    He could not just ignore this concubine. After all, this woman should have been sent here by someone else.


    By refusing her request, he should be able to make her and the mastermind angry.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t left the house recently.¡± Pei Wanyue¡¯s voice sounded rather aggrieved.


    She really had not left the house. Not only had she not left the house¡­ No one had spoken to her for a long time.


    She had her guards against the maidservants here, and they did not pay much attention to her. She had a feeling that they were all Wen Lancheng¡¯s spies, so she tried her best to behave and leave a good impression.


    ¡°Master, when will Eldest Sistere?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    Wen Lancheng thought that the eldest sister she was referring to was his official wife, so he said, ¡°In a few months.¡±


    She should be on her way here.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Eldest Sister¡¯s health iscking. I will definitely take good care of her in the future¡­¡± Pei Wanyue had always been unwilling to admit that she was just a mere concubine, so she did not dare to think about this matter recently.


    However, at this moment, she had no choice but to show her weakness.


    ¡°Her health iscking? How can that be? This marriage was decided by the family elder. I¡¯ve read the letter. Young Lady Ying is in good health. She would hardly get ill.¡± Wen Lancheng was very satisfied with his future wife.


    His future wife was called Feng Yingying. Her family background was low, and her parents were ordinary farmers. Her family had a small piece ofnd.


    He had met her by chance when he was back in his hometown. Thatdy¡¯s parents were reasonable. His brother had once studied together with him at home. However, after receiving the title of an elementary schr, he stayed in the vige as a teacher. Therefore, Feng Yingying had also learned a little bit. She was hardworking and capable. She was indeed great.


    Pei Wanyue was stunned. ¡°Young Lady Ying? I-Isn¡¯t it Xie Qiao?¡±


    She had not left the house recently, so she did not hear thetest news.


    She only knew that Wen Lancheng was about to marry a wife, so she naturally thought that this wife was Xie Qiao.


    However, he was talking about Young Lady Ying now? Who was that?!


    Wen Lancheng looked at her in surprise. ¡°How can you say such nonsense? Young Lady Xie and her elder brother are my benefactors. I only have respect for them and wouldn¡¯t dare to overstep my boundaries. Furthermore, the royal family has already decreed that Young Lady Xie will be married to the Crown Prince. Recently, the Ministry of Rites has set a date for the wedding. She will enter the East Pce in February, no?¡±


    Pei Wanyue widened her eyes.


    Her ears suddenly rang.


    What did Wen Lancheng say? The person he was going to marry was not Xie Qiao?!


    Xie Qiao was now¡­ The future Princess Consort?! From now on, she would be high and mighty, bing a member of the royal family, having a good life without having to work at all?!

 Chapter 670 - Who Does She Think She Is

    <h4>Chapter 670: Who Does She Think She Is</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Pei Wanyue¡¯s face turned pale. After a moment, she shook her head.


    ¡°Impossible! Absolutely impossible! You¡¯re lying to me, aren¡¯t you? Xie Qiao is a short-lived person! Even the imperial physician checked her pulse and said that she wouldn¡¯t live long, no? With such health, how could she be the Princess Consort?! How could the Emperor and Empress be willing?!¡±


    As the Princess Consort, her health was not in good condition, so she definitely could not give birth!


    She might just marry and die, and the Crown Prince would be a widower!


    The royal family was not a fool, so how could they be willing to do this?!


    That was the Crown Prince!


    ¡°The Crown Prince is in love with Young Lady Xie, and he wouldn¡¯t marry if not for her. How could he mind such a small matter?¡± Wen Lancheng saw Pei Wanyue¡¯s shocked and upset look and felt much better.


    Young Lady Xie¡¯s short life?


    So what if it was short? If it was him, he would rather spend a year with Young Lady Xie and apany her to her death than spend the rest of his life with a woman like Pei Wanyue. Even if Pei Wanyue could bear children, with such a character, she would bring disaster to three generations. He did not want to bring disaster to his children.


    ¡°It cannot be. You¡¯re lying... You¡¯re lying!¡± Pei Wanyue took a few steps back and tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Xie Qiao had be the Princess Consort?


    What was she, then?


    She had be a concubine? An unloved concubine?!


    She had once joined the Xie family and became Xie Qiao¡¯s sister. The difference was too big. She could not ept it, she could not ept it!


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about Young Lady Xie¡¯s marriage, the Crown Prince had personally requested it. His Highness holds Master Xie Pinggang in high regard. In the future, he will definitely not treat Young Lady Xie lightly. Moreover, Young Lady Xie is a kind and generous person. She has a dignified and gentle temperament. The husband and wife will definitely live a harmoniously life and treat each other with respect.¡± Wen Lancheng continued to agitate her.


    ¡°Nonsense! You don¡¯t know anything about Xie Qiao! She doesn¡¯t deserve it!


    ¡°Xie Qiao is clearly a strange person. I came to the capital with her. At that time, she even hid someone else¡¯s bones in her bag! She¡¯s very good at lying. Maybe the bones belonged to the person she killed! All of you are so bewitched by her that you can¡¯t tell right from wrong!


    ¡°The Crown Prince is also bewitched. Xie Qiao is very aggressive. She even used a crossbow to shoot someone in the house. She even used a fake painting to enrol the academy. All of you have been deceived by her!¡±


    Even now, she still did not believe that Xie Qiao really had Master Yun Wei¡¯s painting.


    It was all because Xie Qiao had conspired with others to plot against her!


    Pei Wanyue squatted on the ground and cried, ¡°How can a short-lived devil like Xie Qiao be the Princess Consort?!¡±


    Wen Lancheng saw that the excitement was almost over, so he did not want to stay here and watch her cry.


    ¡°Lady Yue, I don¡¯t want to hear you talking about the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to teach you a lesson,¡± Wen Lancheng said before he left.


    However, Pei Wanyue could not hear anything at that moment.


    She only knew that Xie Qiao had be the Princess Consort.


    She could not help but have the image of her and Xie Qiao standing together in the past in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she felt indignant.


    Why was she always the one being outssed?!


    Xie Qiao was from a Taoist Temple. Who did she think she was?


    Suddenly, Pei Wanyue stood up from the ground with her pair of almond eyes.


    ¡°Taoist temple... Yes, Taoist temple...¡± Pei Wanyue mumbled. She looked like she was possessed. Even the maidservant was shocked.


    She remembered that her mother had once said that the Xie family... was very strange. Something was very wrong! At that time, she did not pay much attention to it, but now that she thought about it... Her mother was right!


    Xie Niushan had said that his life and his daughter¡¯s character were ipatible, so he had sent Xie Qiao to the Taoist temple¡­


    However, why had he specially given Xie Qiao a pendant to ward off evil spirits when they had gone to pick her up? Also, after Xie Qiao returned home, she was not close to anyone in the family, and it was the same for his biological siblings!


    Xie Niushan clearly loved Xie Qiao very much, but he arranged for her to live in the furthest courtyard!


    Why?! Something was wrong with Xie Qiao. Something must be wrong with her!

 Chapter 671 - Such A Fool

    <h4>Chapter 671: Such A Fool</h4>


    At this moment, Pei Wanyue¡¯s mind was extremely clear!


    That bewitched look of hers scared people. Her eyes seemed to light up with a fierce light. Her expression was persistent and ferocious. The maidservant beside her was a little scared.


    During this period of time, Lady Yue had always been very gentle¡­. She did not expect that she would reveal such a terrifying expression!


    Pei Wanyue turned around and red at the maidservant.


    Although she was here as a concubine, Wen Lancheng did not restrain her from going out. The next morning, she went to look for Ms. Lu.


    Ms. Lu had already agreed to the matchmaker. Since she was not young anymore, she did not n to hold a wedding ceremony. After they settled the formalities, she went straight to the man¡¯s house.


    Now, she could be considered to have a son and daughter.


    Although their family background could not bepared to the Xie family¡¯s, the family was rather simple.


    Ms. Lu no longer had the habit of wasting money like she did when she was with the Xie family. On the contrary, she got along well with this family.


    Now that Pei Wanyue had arrived, her face turned grim. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that if you be a concubine, you¡¯re no longer my daughter? What are you doing here? Don¡¯te here in the future. It¡¯s terrible if people see you.¡±


    Those who did not know would think that she sold her daughter!


    Moreover, now that she knew what kind of person her daughter was, she could not live in peace! Earlier, she had ruined her good life in the Xie family. What if she wanted to ruin her peaceful life now?!


    Pei Wanyue felt terrible inside as well. She was not willing to be a concubine¡­


    Could her mother not take her feelings into consideration?! She was already feeling wronged, yet she was still scolding her. Did she still care about her?!


    ¡°Mother, Xie Qiao is now the Princess Consort. Did you know about this?¡± Pei Wanyue went straight to the point.


    Ms. Lu was stunned for a moment. Her hand that was holding the needle and thread stiffened. Then, she lowered her head and said, ¡°This is the ability of the Xie family. We don¡¯t have the fortune to bask in their glory.¡±


    Pei Wanyue was a little upset as she looked at her mother who had no intention of pursuing her.


    ¡°What fortune does she have? She¡¯s just a short-lived woman. Mother, I remember you saying that when Xie Niushan was drunk, didn¡¯t he mention that Xie Qiao¡¯s life was tough? If her mother hadn¡¯t died when she was born, she wouldn¡¯t have had to travel so far? Did you say that?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    ¡°Yes, I did say that. So what? Now that she¡¯s the Princess Consort, don¡¯t even think about it. You can¡¯t afford to do that! I¡¯m not capable as a mother, to have raised such a thing like you!¡± Ms. Lu rolled her eyes at Pei Wanyue.


    She had done everything for the good of this child in the past!


    She thought about how she had been mistreated for so many years, and she had made up for it all. However, what about her?


    She took all of the money in the house, and she had only left a hundred taels of silver for her!


    It was almost ten thousand taels of silver. The family wealth had been taken away by her!


    Thinking about this, Ms. Lu could not help but feel regretful. In her heart, she finally understood why Xie Niushan had been so angry back then.


    In the past, she had not taken the money from the Xie family as her own. She had only thought of giving more gifts. She had looked good, and no one had dared to look down on her as a merchant. However, now that she thought about it, she had been such a fool at that time!


    ¡°Mother, there must be something wrong with Xie Qiao. Think about it. If Xie Niushan was destined to harm his daughter, then how could Xie Xi be fine? Isn¡¯t she doing well to be living with him? Even if his life would bring harm to Xie Qiao, is there a need to send her to the Taoist temple?!


    ¡°Also, the jade pendant that Xie Niushan asked you to give to Xie Qiao was to ward off evil, right? Did he say that it had been consecrated? This gift from a father to his daughter is a little too strange!¡± Pei Wanyue added.

 Chapter 672 - Jinx

    <h4>Chapter 672: Jinx</h4>


    It had been many years since theyst saw each other. Even if Xie Niushan did not give Xie Xiao some good-quality satin or jewelry, he should not have given her a little pendant to ward off evil spirits. It was just like telling Xie Qiao to restrain her bad luck¡­


    At this moment, Pei Wanyue¡¯s brain was working very well.


    ¡°Also, after Xie Qiao entered the house, the courtyard was located in a remote area. He even specifically told us not to go near it, especially to keep the younger siblings away from her and not to approach her so easily¡­ Usually, people want their children to live in harmony with each other. However, Xie Niushan¡¯s attitude is really strange. Xie Pinggang is the same. Since he dotes on his sister, why doesn¡¯t he say anything about it?¡± Pei Wanyue exined her confusion.


    Ms. Lu was getting impatient. ¡°What are you trying to say? Yue¡¯er, you¡¯re already a concubine now, and I don¡¯t expect anything else. Can¡¯t you just live your life obediently? Do you have to keep an eye on Xie Qiao?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also asked about Wen Lancheng¡¯s character. Many schrs have said that he¡¯s gentle and modest, and that he¡¯s an extremely good person. As long as you treat him sincerely, you¡¯ll be able to live a good life in this life¡­¡±


    She would not end up like the concubines of those wealthy families.


    Of course, her daughter was an honored concubine. Although the husband had the concubinage document, she could not be casually disposed of.


    ¡°Wen Lancheng is just a block of wood!¡± Pei Wanyue said angrily.


    Can he bepared to the Crown Prince?!


    Ms. Lu was stunned.


    This person who insisted on being a concubine was her daughter, right?


    It was her who despised Wen Lancheng as well!


    ¡°Do you think you are a goddess?! Youin about everything. Get out! I don¡¯t want to see you again!¡± Ms. Lu was furious.


    Sooner orter, she would be angered to death by this daughter!


    She really did not have any hope for this daughter. In the future, she might as well take care of her step-son and step-daughter obediently. After all, she had experienced quite many things. In the past, she was a spendthrift. However, it would be great for her to teach the children how to manage the ounts. The children were well-behaved. She did not wish that they would love her in the future, but it would not be as bad as having no one to rely on when she got older!


    Ms. Lu pushed her a little, but Pei Wanyue refused to leave.


    ¡°Mother, do you think¡­ Xie Qiao is¡­ a jinx?¡± Pei Wanyue suddenly asked, her eyes shining.


    ¡°What?¡± Ms. Lu stopped what she was doing.


    ¡°I said she must be evil. She was sent to a Taoist temple because she killed her mother! On the surface, the Xie family loved her, but in fact, they only treated her well because they thought she was old enough to get married and because she was good-looking!¡± Pei Wanyue became more and more enthusiastic. ¡°That must be the case. She¡¯s a jinx! Whoever gets close to her will have bad luck!¡±


    Ms. Lu was stunned.


    What was wrong with this child? Why was her mind filled with all this nonsense!


    Pei Wanyue smiled as she spoke, ¡°Mother, do you think that if the Emperor and Empress knew that she¡¯s a jinx, would they still let her be the Princess Consort? Not only would she not be able to be the Princess Consort, no one else would ever want her! The Xie family sent such an unlucky person to the East Pce. They will be punished!¡±


    ¡°Pei Wanyue!¡± Ms. Lu quickly shouted, ¡°Keep your voice down! Why do you have to go against that girl!¡±


    She had even gotten the royal family involved. If she was not careful, her head would be severed!


    Pei Wanyue did not care. She was only here to confirm the truth.


    After saying that, she did not let Ms. Lu¡¯s flustered look get in the way. She left happily.


    In order to avoid any more trouble, Pei Wanyue paid someone directly to spread the news!

 Chapter 673 - Lethal Destiny

    <h4>Chapter 673: Lethal Destiny</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Lu was paralyzed on the spot. She could not stop crying.


    The child was bewitched. She was truly bewitched. She could not bear to see Xie Qiao having a good life, nor could she bear to see her mother having a good life!


    Pei Wanyue had gotten to know quite a number of people during the days when she lived with Ms. Lu. Now that she had gotten someone to spread the news, the other party did not dare to ept the job after learning that it was about the royal family. However, Pei Wanyue had indeed given quite a lot of money.


    Hence, he did as Pei Wanyue requested.


    Within a day, there were people in the city saying that the future Princess Consort had a lethal destiny. If she were to marry the Crown Prince, she would definitely endanger the royal family.


    It was just a rumor. At first, not many people paid much attention to it.


    However, on the second day, a few more chatans appeared and walked past the door of the Xie family. They looked as if they were shaking their heads and sighing.


    However,st night, a meteor streaked across the sky. Some people said it was a meteor that was threatening to destroy the foundation of the country.


    They were just short of saying that if Xie Qiao married the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince would definitely be tortured to death.


    In private, many people already felt that the Princess Consort from the Xie family would definitely have her future ruined.


    Pei Wanyue had used almost all of her belongings to spread this rumor. Hearing the rumors about Xie Qiao out there, she was both nervous and excited.


    In this lifetime, she knew that it would be impossible for her to be rich and famous again.


    However, she would not allow Xie Qiao to live a good life as well!


    ¡°Grand Preceptor, is there anything wrong with the Xie family¡¯s youngdy¡¯s destiny?¡± The Emperor called for the grand preceptor and asked.


    They had already matched the youngdy¡¯s birth details with the Crown Prince¡¯s. At that time, the match showed good luck.


    Now, the Emperor wanted to confirm it again.


    The grand preceptor of the current dynasty did not have a name. It was said that he had lost his memory and wandered around the bandit¡¯s mountain stronghold. As he had helped the previous head of the mountain stronghold to avoid a few disasters, he had always been respected.


    After Xie Niushan became the mountain stronghold head, he had also treated him well. He was the most well-read person in the entire mountain stronghold. He always had a confused look on his face, yet whatever that came out of his mouth was meaningful. Thus, Xie Niushan got him to teach the people in the mountain stronghold to read.


    Later, when Xie Niushan became an official, the first thing he did was to rmend the grand preceptor.


    At that time, the Emperor summoned this grand preceptor alone and talked for a few hours. Then, he was given a high official position. An official position that... Xie Niushan could notpare.


    However, Xie Niushan was not jealous. He knew in his heart that his grand preceptor was very powerful.


    Back when the grand preceptor was wandering around the mountain stronghold, Leader Peng had given him a name¡ªPeng Tianming!


    It was also apliment to his uracy in divination.


    Nowadays, the grand preceptor was mainly in charge of the feng shui matters in spirituality. Usually, he would look at the stars and asionally be summoned by the Emperor to ask a few questions. He did not ask much about other matters.


    This person was also the quietest among all the officials in the capital.


    However, no one dared to underestimate him.


    This grand preceptor looked like an immortal and was not young anymore.


    At this moment, his expression was indifferent. He nced at the birth details and made some calctions. Then, he said, ¡°When this youngdy from the Xie family was born, I was around. She indeed has the fate of lethal destiny.¡±


    When he said that, the Emperor¡¯s expression became more solemn.


    ¡°She has a lethal destiny. Those who are rted to her by blood will definitely be affected if they¡¯re too close to her. Hence, she was raised by someone else.¡± The grand preceptor did not lie at all.


    ¡°Then... Grand Preceptor, will her lethal destiny harm the Crown Prince?¡± The Emperor quickly asked.


    ¡°The Crown Prince and she are not rted by blood. It is fine.¡± The grand preceptor did not say much.


    Hearing this, the Emperor heaved a sigh of relief.


    All these years, the Crown Prince had not been interested in getting a wife. Now that he was ready, he did not wish for the marriage to change.


    The grand preceptor was better at reading the stars, but he could also see through this simple principle of fate.. Therefore, the Emperor believed his words.

 Chapter 674 - Capital Crime

    <h4>Chapter 674: Capital Crime</h4>


    Now that the Emperor had confirmed that the lethal destiny upon the Crown Prince and the royal family was fake, he could not be bothered with the rumors.


    Xie Qiao had heard of these rumors, but she did not care.


    Not only that, after the rumors spread, the Crown Prince sent many gifts to the Xie family. Pots and pots of flowers were brought into the residence.


    Xie Qiao did like flowers and nts. Some flowers were picked to make wine and pastries. They were amazing.


    Pei Wanyue had been secretly waiting for the news of the Princess Consort being deposed.


    She waited and waited. The rumors in the capital were still there, but the Xie family¡­


    She heard that the Crown Prince had sent the future Princess Consort many flowers and nts that were currently in full bloom. On the way to the Xie residence, the fragrance of the flowers lingered!


    She heard that the Crown Prince had personally paid a visit to the future father-inw and had a good chat with the Xie family!


    It was also said that the Crown Prince was afraid that the Princess Consort¡¯s dowry would not be enough, so he even sent some treasures and antiques over from time to time¡­


    Pei Wanyue did not know whether those were true or false, but she was sure that Xie Qiao was doing great!


    She could not bear it anymore. She kept thinking about it, but she did not know what she should do to make Xie Qiao stop being arrogant. She was so worried that she could not eat or sleep well, and she had lost a lot of weight.


    Just as she was worrying, Wen Lancheng arrived.


    There were other people beside him.


    They entered her room together. They did not look friendly.


    ¡°M-Master¡­¡± Pei Wanyue looked at Wen Lancheng in panic.


    Wen Lancheng cupped his hands at Zhao Xuanjing. ¡°Your Highness, this is my concubine, Ms. Pei.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded slightly. ¡°As expected, her face matches her viciousness. Execute her.¡±


    He only gave her a cold nce.


    He naturally did note here for this woman, but to see Wen Lancheng. He had recently found out that the one spreading rumors was the woman around Wen Lancheng, so he came to take a look.


    He thought it was a goddess who would be so unconvinced of Xie Qiao. He did not expect that¡­


    She looked fine, but she was vicious.


    Zhou Weizong waved, and someone behind him prepared a three-piece set. They then brought it over and ced it in front of Pei Wanyue.


    Xie Pinggang was also there.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?!¡± Pei Wanyue was flustered. She quickly tugged at Wen Lancheng¡¯s clothes. ¡°Master, why are you doing this to me?!¡±


    Wen Lancheng looked like a littlemb. His voice was still extremely gentle. ¡°Ms. Pei, I¡¯ve warned you a few days ago to not talk nonsense about the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort. You¡¯ve forgotten about it too quickly.¡±


    Pei Wanyue was panicking. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°The few people you¡¯ve hired have confessed. They¡¯ve be a few corpses in the criminal division. We¡¯re letting you die at home because your mother was the stepmother of the Princess Consort. That¡¯s the most mercy we can show you.¡±


    If not, she would be thrown into the prison of the criminal division, strangled to death with a rope, and thrown into a mass grave.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this! I¡¯m innocent! Eldest Brother! Eldest Brother, save me! I¡¯m your sister too!¡± Pei Wanyue was terrified and quickly shouted at Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang kicked her. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister as stupid as you!¡±


    Pei Wanyue felt pain all over her body, but she still stepped back.


    White silk, daggers, and poison wine!


    Pei Wanyue was really flustered. Although she had done so much, she had never thought that she would be sentenced to death!


    ¡°I¡¯ve only told the truth! Crown Prince! Your Highness! It¡¯s true that Xie Qiao has a lethal destiny! I only told the truth. Why are you punishing me¡­?¡± Pei Wanyue quickly shouted.


    The Crown Prince had onlye to take a look. He had already gone to the courtyard to drink tea.


    Wen Lancheng shook his head and sighed, ¡°Young Lady Pei, this matter has spread throughout the city and shaken the hearts of the people. What you havemitted is indeed a capital crime.¡±

 Chapter 675 - Can’t Be Making Mistakes Forever

    <h4>Chapter 675: Can¡¯t Be Making Mistakes Forever</h4>


    The rumors that Pei Wanyue had people spreading were terrible.


    Not only did they say that Xie Qiao would harm her rtives, they also said that she would harm the Crown Prince!


    Now, the people in the city thought when Xie Qiao married the Crown Prince in the future, the Crown Prince would definitely be eliminated. When that time came, the Crown Prince¡¯s position would be vacant. The Fourth or Fifth Prince would be the next Emperor.


    It was useless to suppress such rumors. If that was what the people thought, it would be impossible to stop them with force.


    It shook the foundation of the country and messed with people¡¯s minds. It was a crime punishable by death!


    As Pei Wanyue was Wen Lancheng¡¯s concubine and had once been Xie Qiao¡¯s half-sister, the Crown Prince wanted to punish her privately.


    If they were to openly say that this rumor was spread by Pei Wanyue, it would probably be even worse for the Princess Consort¡¯s reputation. Perhaps the people would think that Pei Wanyue knew a lot as she had once lived in the Xie residence. Even if she died, in the eyes of others, she was being killed to be silenced.


    To avoid all those troubles, it would be better to settle it at home.


    Now, the people who were collecting her corpse were waiting outside.


    Pei Wanyue shook her head non-stop.


    She did not want to die!


    Even if she were to be a concubine forever, she did not want to die so aggrieved!


    Xie Qiao felt nothing from the rumors she spread. However, she was being forced to such an extent now!


    She was unwilling to ept that!


    Since she refused to choose, Zhou Weizong simply grabbed the white silk forward and strangled her.


    It was good to use the piece of silk. Her body would be intact without any blood, so she would not dirty the courtyard.


    Wen Lancheng was a schr after all, so he could not stand that. He quickly left as well. Xie Pinggang watched as Pei Wanyue struggled and was strangled until her face was flushed. He said, ¡°You can¡¯t me anyone else for your fate. After you die, your body will be returned to your mother.¡±


    Although Ms. Lu had not done well in the past, she had taken care of Xie Pinghuai.


    If Pei Wanyue had not insisted on offending the royal family, she would not have ended up like this.


    Zhou Weizong did not have to worry about anything. After a while, Pei Wanyue stopped moving. Her body copsed and the marks on her neck looked terrible.


    ¡°Carry her away.¡± Only then did he get someone toe over.


    Zhou Weizong washed his hands and then went to look for the Crown Prince.


    Although the Crown Prince had a high status, he was surrounded by young people and could get along well with them. He would y chess and watch Zhou Weizong and Xie Pinggang spar. The guests and the host enjoyed themselves.


    Xie Qiao stood in her own courtyard and raised her head to look at the sky above the Xie residence.


    There was a hint of dark energy.


    Tsk, the family house was in chaos.


    However, it was not serious, so she was not in a hurry to take action. She took her time and ced more talismans in the courtyard to ensure her safety.


    On the other hand, Ms. Lu had already received news of her daughter¡¯s death.


    She was stunned for a moment. Then, she looked at the coffin in a daze.


    She was sad, but¡­ she was not surprised?


    She had been having nightmares the past few days, especially when she heard the rumors about the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort. She was extremely afraid. Not only was she afraid that something would happen to her daughter, but she was also afraid that she and her current husband would be implicated.


    Now, someone carried her daughter here.


    She cried and cried. She did not know why, but she felt relieved.


    After bringing her daughter away from the Xie family, she was exhausted and wronged.


    ¡°You silly girl, I¡¯ve already told you not to do that, but you refused to listen. Look, you¡¯re dead now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re just so stubborn. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. But you¡¯re already dead, so why should I me you¡­?¡± Tears streamed down Ms. Lu¡¯s face, ¡°With your temper, I¡¯m afraid you still hope for your mother to avenge you, right? But I¡¯m old and can¡¯t afford to be tormented anymore. I made a mistake in the past, but I can¡¯t be doing it forever, right?¡±

 Chapter 676 - Her Soul is Gone

    <h4>Chapter 676: Her Soul is Gone</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Lu buried Pei Wanyue in a ce in the suburbs.


    She was crying as she burned the joss paper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about revenge. I will be fine. If you¡¯re a filial daughter, you would hope that I will die peacefully...¡±


    After Ms. Lu finished crying, she left with her husband who was holding her.


    She no longer have a biological daughter now¡­


    Behind her, in front of the new grave, a gust of cold wind swept past. The leaves in the air fluttered, and the mes on the ground shook.


    Pei Wanyue floated in the air, feeling a little lost.


    She followed behind Ms. Lu and floated into the city. After that, she floated as she looked at the familiar street aimlessly.


    ¡°Ding, ding.¡±


    When she floated to the Eastern Street, she heard a pleasant sound. She could not help but follow the sound. When she looked up, she found it very strange. It was a death shop.


    She remembered that in the past, this ce was called the Fortune Pavilion. Why had it changed?


    ¡°I want Master to help me hand over all the money I hid to my Mother. I¡¯d consider doing my filial duty as a son.¡±


    ¡°Are you going in or not? If you¡¯re not, don¡¯t block the way. Master doesn¡¯t like us jumping up and down. If you break the rules, no one will help you.¡±


    In order to respect the master, they tried their best to queue to go upstairs.


    However, this soul did not move.


    They could tell that the soul was new from her smell, so they did not argue with her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s this ce?¡± Pei Wanyue asked.


    ¡°This is a death shop. Master Mo is here to help us fulfil our wishes. However, you can¡¯t be too greedy when you make a wish. If Masterpletes it, you must obediently leave. You must have some unfulfilled wishes, right? Think about it carefully. What do you need Master Mo¡¯s help for?¡±


    ¡°Will¡­ Master do anything for me? H-How about killing someone?¡± Pei Wanyue quickly asked.


    ¡°Kill someone?!¡± Many spirits turned to look at her.


    ¡°Did you die unjustly? Were you killed by someone, or did you do something wrong and die on your own?


    ¡°It is possible to kill someone, but the prerequisite is that the other party must be a very evil person. Do you have any evidence? You can¡¯t lie to the Master. She¡¯s very powerful. With just a simple calction, she can tell your situation clearly. If you lie, she might capture you by force!¡±


    Pei Wanyue buried her head.


    Then, she obediently queued and went upstairs.


    When she finally reached the upper floor, she saw the master.


    The master¡¯s eyes were fixed on her.


    Xie Qiao looked at Pei Wanyue and felt helpless. She was already dead, yet she still refused to leave. She had never seen such a stubborn person!


    When she was alive, she waspeting with her. When she was dead, she was stillpeting with her. What was wrong with her?


    Pei Wanyue paused and ran away in the next moment.


    She heard that Master Mo and the Crown Prince knew each other. What if she figured out that she was killed by the Crown Prince? What would she do then?! She would just capture her, right?!


    No, she would only reincarnate after taking revenge.


    She would go straight to the Xie Residence.


    Xie Qiao frowned, but she was not in a hurry.


    Pei Wanyue was just an ordinary ghoul. Although she had resentment, she was not a particrly powerful ghoul. She would find her sooner orter, and she would not be able to escape.


    She slowly registered all the ghouls that day.


    When she returned home at night, she indeed found Pei Wanyue floating outside the Xie Residence.


    Xie Qiao alighted from the carriage. Pei Wanyue immediately rushed over as if she wanted to strangle Xie Qiao to death. Xie Qiao suddenly looked in that direction.


    ¡°Go to hell! Go to hell, Xie Qiao!¡±


    Xie Qiao did not move at all. There was a hint of a mocking smile on her lips.


    The moment Pei Wanyue¡¯s hands grabbed Xie Qiao, her entire body started to smoke. Xie Qiao took this opportunity to take out a small bottle and sshed the talisman water inside at her.


    In an instant, her soul was gone.


    The other spirits that had identally floated past the Xie family trembled and disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 677 - Her Golden Bells Are Gone

    <h4>Chapter 677: Her Golden Bells Are Gone</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at the spot where Pei Wanyue had disappeared and put away the bottle calmly as if nothing had happened. Then, she stepped into the Xie Residence¡¯s gate.


    It was one thing for her to stay in this world, but now she wanted to kill her¡­


    Did she think that it would be so easy to approach the master?


    In a situation like Pei Wanyue¡¯s, Xie Qiao did not have to worry about karma. After all, she was standing there and was perfectly fine. Yet, Pei Wanyue insisted on bashing into her and looking for death.


    However, Xie Qiao raised her head to look at the feng shui and frowned.


    What was going on?


    She had buried quite a number of talismans, no? Why was there still a wave of bad luck in this house?


    Xie Qiao did not really understand where the root of this was. She only had a vague feeling that something was going to happen to her family.


    After Xie Qiao returned to her courtyard, she did some calctions. The evil was located in the courtyard¡­ where her little sister Xie Xi lived¡­


    Xie Qiao was a little puzzled and went over to take a look.


    Xie Xi¡¯s courtyard was small, and it was the closest to the main courtyard. It was also for the convenience of taking care of her. There was nothing wrong with the courtyard, so it could be seen that the evil should be on the person.


    As she needed to take care of the house recently, Xie Xi¡¯s spent less time at the Lin Residence now. After ying at the Lin Residence for a while in the afternoon, she came back in a good mood.


    Xie Qiao was waiting at the door. Looking at the smile on Xie Xi¡¯s face, she looked much more charming and lively. However, there was a green mist on her be. It was bad indeed.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, have you been troubled by anything recently?¡± Xie Qiao went forward and asked gently.


    When Xie Xi saw Xie Qiao, she looked like an obedient rabbit. There was a hint of worship in her eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    She had been living a very happy life recently!


    Xie Qiao furrowed her brows. ¡°Then, is there anything different from usual?¡±


    Xie Xi shook her head even more.


    She went to the academy every morning and went to the Lin Residence to y for two hours after school in the afternoon. Then, she took the carriage home. There was nothing special about it.


    Xie Qiao was still a little worried. She thought for a moment and took the golden bells off her wrist. ¡°Wear this. You can¡¯t take it off.¡±


    Xie Xi¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw that it was made of gold. She nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice.


    Her eldest sister was so good to her. She had given all the gold and silver in the house to her!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, the bells are really beautiful.¡± The sound was crisp and very pleasing to the ear.


    Xie Qiao looked at the bells with a pained look.


    They were her treasure. Natural gold, jade and minerals had the effect of exorcising evil. When she was young, the Taoist temple was poor. Once they got some money, they had to buy medicine for her, so they did not have any decent dharma instruments.


    She only had items made of wood. She really wanted a gold one, so she saved money slowly. It took her a long time to save enough money to buy a heavy gold piece and make a few bells¡­


    ¡°This is our family heirloom,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    Xie Xi also smiled. ¡°Eldest Sister, we have a lot of gold.¡±


    It was a reward from the Emperor!


    ¡°Do you want it? If not, give them back.¡± Xie Qiao held Xie Xi¡¯s hair and looked at her empty wrist. She felt ufortable.


    She still needed to make a few more bells. However, she had been wearing these bells for a long time and the effect was amazing. Even if the newly made bells were to be a dharma instrument, it might not bepatible with her.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart was bleeding, but for the sake of her cute little sister, she endured it.


    Xie Xi had a puzzled look on her face.


    However, out of her money-grubber instinct, she firmly protected the bells. She trotted away and left Xie Qiao behind her.


    Xie Qiao looked at her back and was a little speechless.


    She had no conscience. Was her sister less importantpared to the golden bells?!

 Chapter 678 - Do You Want A Different Master

    <h4>Chapter 678: Do You Want A Different Master</h4>


    Xie Qiao sighed faintly. Behind her, Xie Pinghuai, who had always been invisible, tugged at the corner of her clothes. Seeing that she had turned around, he spread out his arms in front of Xie Qiao and asked, ¡°Eldest Sister, where¡¯s mine?¡±


    ¡°When did you get home?¡± Xie Qiao was stunned.


    Xie Pinghuai had a shocked expression on his face. ¡°Eldest Sister! You¡¯re being too biased. I¡¯ve been standing here the whole time! After little sister got off the carriage, I got off as well. Didn¡¯t you see me?!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao could not help but tell the truth. Then, she looked at his hands and pped them. ¡°When will you be able to pay me back the money you owe me? That way, I¡¯ll have the money to buy things for my biological brother.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was fuming.


    He was her biological brother!


    Xie Qiao was embarrassed, but she could not panic at this moment. Otherwise, this kid would definitely take advantage of the situation.


    She could not be med for not seeing Xie Pinghuai. She was really worried that Xie Xi would be bullied, so this silly kid was not that important to her¡­


    ¡°How¡¯s your martial arts training?¡± Xie Qiao looked like his elder sister at the moment.


    When this matter was mentioned, Xie Pinghuai became a little more listless. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, but Master Yu is too strict. Before dawn, he woke me up to do the horse stance. Eldest Sister, recently, I¡¯ve filled up the water in the water tank at home¡­ Also, the firewood that our family bought recently is all thick. After buying them, I split them open. The size, the thickness, and the curves are all urate. Master Yu has to check them all!¡±


    Yu Xian was really ruthless.


    No wonder when she saw Xie Pinghuai¡¯s hands just now, there were many blisters on them and some of them were red.


    However, what surprised Xie Qiao was that Xie Pinghuai did not me anyone.


    He criticized Xiao Yurong badly earlier. He called him a stinky old man, a petty teacher, and looked like he was going to kill someone¡­


    ¡°Do you want a different master?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    ¡°No? Why?! Sister, you didn¡¯t see Master Yu¡¯s ability. My, he¡¯s so thin and not as tall as my brother, but his ability is really amazing. You sleep in all day and wake upte. You don¡¯t even know how many punches Master Yu punches Eldest Brother every day! I will be able to do that one day after training with Master Yu!¡± Xie Pinghuai was excited at the moment.


    Now, with his eldest brother as his target, he hoped that one day, he could beat him to the ground!


    Thinking of the scene of him beating someone up, Xie Pinghuai did not feel tired from learning martial arts.


    Moreover, learning martial arts was different from studying literature!


    One was especially interesting, while the other¡­ was boring.


    After Yu Xian entered the residence, Xie Qiao indeed did not have much interaction with her. asionally, she would go to see her twice in the afternoon, only to find out that this person had gone out to look for her.


    Xie Qiao had just mentioned Yu Xian, and not long after, Yu Xian returned.


    Once she returned, she changed into a set of loose clothes and watched Xie Pinghuai practice martial arts.


    She was doing serious business, so Xie Qiao could not disturb her.


    What she did not know was that Yu Xian was thinking about her at that moment.


    To be more precise, Yu Xian was thinking about that master¡­


    Recently, she had been asking around about the Taoist temples nearby. She heard that there were experts at the Yuxu Temple, so she thought that the master who gave her pointers must be from the Yuxu Temple. When she had time one day, she would definitely pay a visit. She wanted to thank the master for her guidance.


    Xie Qiao did not know that Yu Xian was so concerned about her.


    Her mind was full of Xie Xi¡¯s safety. After two days of observation, nothing unexpected happened to Xie Xi, but herplexion was terrible.


    Two dayster, Zhao Xuanjing came to her house personally and wanted to bring her to the imperial pce for the banquet.

 Chapter 679 - Rude

    <h4>Chapter 679: Rude</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Thest time they entered the pce, Xie Qiao was just an insignificant official¡¯s daughter. This time, her status was different, so the treatment was naturally different.


    Other than Xie Qiao, there were other official¡¯s daughters who entered the pce. Xie Xi was also a legitimate daughter. She was not too young now, so she was naturally qualified to participate in such an asion.


    Xie Qiao brought her along.


    Xie Xi hardly attended such events, so she looked a little scared.


    Her younger sister looked decent. She was usually quiet and kept her head down, so she did not stand out. Now that she was dressed up, she looked like a beauty. She was likeable.


    After entering the pce, Xie Qiao went to greet the Empress.


    The Empress seemed to be a little unwell.


    ¡°I liked you very much thest time you came. I didn¡¯t think that you would meet the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes. Come forward and let me take a look at you.¡± The Empress looked at Xie Qiao with a kind expression.


    Xie Qiao was very obedient and well-behaved.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡± The Empress felt gratified secretly.


    Her son¡¯s taste was great. Look at this girl. She looked like an immortal. She was really extraordinary.


    The Empress coughed twice. Xie Qiao frowned slightly. ¡°Is the Empress unwell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a chronic illness. It¡¯s been like this all these years.¡± The Empress smiled and did not say much.


    The imperial physician did not say much, but she knew that with her health, she would not live for long. As she got older, it was normal for her to have some illness. The Crown Prince would get married in February. It should not be a problem for her to hold on until then.


    Xie Qiao did not see any other problems with the Empress¡¯plexion. Although there were many ghouls causing mischief in the imperial pce, the Empress¡¯ status was very high. Even?ghouls should not be able to get close to her¡­


    When she thought of this, Xie Qiao saw that the m beads in the Empress¡¯ hand faintly emitted a trace of bad luck.


    ¡°Where did the Empress¡¯ m beadse from?¡± Xie Qiao asked straightforwardly.


    When she said that, everyone in the hall was shocked.


    This Young Lady Xie was not the Princess Consort yet, yet she spoke so directly. It seemed that she... was rude?


    The Empress was also stunned for a moment, but when she thought of what the Crown Prince said, she did not take Xie Qiao¡¯s offense to heart. Instead, she said, ¡°These m beads were sent by someone from my family two years ago on my birthday.¡±


    The Empress¡¯ surname was Gu. The Gu family was once very prosperous.


    However, just like the Li family, it declinedter on.


    The Li family¡¯s descendants were not in good health and always had idents. However, the Gu family was different. The Gu family had many scoundrels.


    The most famous one was the Empress¡¯ younger brother. He was once a handsome man who was talented. However, one day, he developed a leg disease that could not be healed. Later on, his temperament became violent. It was said that when the Gu family was in the capital, a rich youngdy said some unpleasantments in front of Young Master Gu, which actually made the young master go crazy. He stabbed the woman¡¯s chest with his sword.


    The woman died on the spot.


    Young Master Gu was the Empress¡¯ brother. The Emperor and the Empress had deep love for each other, so the Emperor doted on this brother-inw very much.


    He suppressed this matter and did not make him pay with his life. He only punished him.


    The Emperor¡¯s brother-inw was insensible, and it was the same for the Empress¡¯s nephews.


    They did not want to make progress in life and liked to stir troubles. They were oftenined by the people in court. Hence, the Empress ordered the Gu family to return to their old home in Kang Chuan. However, after they returned, the Gu family became notorious for being a scourge.


    The Empress¡¯s grandfather was angered to death by the younger generation.


    The Empress¡¯s father was angry too. However, as the only person in the family who could take charge, the old man suppressed his descendants in the Gu family.. As the Empress did not have much of a presence in the family these years, the Gu family became much more obedient.

 Chapter 680 - The Fourth Prince

    <h4>Chapter 680: The Fourth Prince</h4>


    One had to know that the Emperor was known to respect the Empress.


    It was said that back then, he had almost taken her as his one and only. It was because the Gu family had gone too far that the Empress had no choice but to restrain her edge. The Emperor could no longer dote on her alone.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao looked at the m beads and thought for a moment. ¡°Your Majesty, can I have a look at the m beads?¡±


    The Empress did not refuse and handed it to her.


    Xie Qiao took it and her hand trembled.


    This thing¡­ was bad. It was simr to the dharma instruments found in the temple across from the Li family¡¯s ancestral grave. They were all lethal weapons that could hurt people.


    There were not many things like this. Those who were adept in feng shui would not dare to use them casually¡­


    ¡°Forgive me for taking the liberty. Your Majesty, these m beads are bad luck. It¡¯s better not to use it again.¡± As she spoke, Xie Qiao put the thing in her hand.


    The Empress was also a little dumbfounded.


    The Crown Prince said that thisdy of the Xie family was special. She had a kind personality. It was because she had stayed in the Taoist temple for many years, she was well-versed in both worlds. However, she was a woman after all, so it would be inappropriate for her to teach it to outsiders.


    ¡°Bad luck?¡± The Empress nced at Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    It was not as bad as she thought, right?


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°If Your Majesty needs m beads, I¡¯ll give you a better one next time when I enter the pce.¡±


    The people around the Empress thought Young Lady Xie was crazy.


    The m beads were sent by the Gu family. Even if the Gu family had declined, it was still an aristocratic family that had existed for hundreds of years. How could the things they sent be bad?


    This youngdy actually said that she had a better one!


    The people around the Empress thought Young Lady Xie was too presumptuous.


    Xie Qiao was also helpless. She could not directly say that this thing was an evil instrument, right?


    If she really told the Empress that this thing was harmful, the first one to suffer would be the Gu family. However, the Gu family was the Empress¡¯s family, so there should not be any reason for them to send such a thing. What if there was some misunderstanding?


    ¡°You¡­¡± The Empress was not angry. She smiled. ¡°You like it, don¡¯t you? Alright, I¡¯ll give it to you. No wonder the Crown Prince likes you. We¡¯re family after all.¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t be the only one with a gift.¡± The Empress looked at Xie Xi. ¡°Everyone says that thedies of the Xie family are fierce. How are they fierce? Look at your younger sister, she¡¯s really obedient.¡±


    As she spoke, the Empress sent someone to the private vault and bring a string of jade to Xie Xi.


    Xie Qiao was quite embarrassed, but she took it shamelessly.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao suspected that the Empress¡¯s family and the Li family¡¯s situation should be simr. They had all been harmed.


    It was hard to say these things now. Xie Qiao wanted to go back and tell Zhao Xuanjing. After all, they were family now. It would be inappropriate to pretend that she did not know about such a serious matter.


    After a while, the Empress led the two sisters to the banquet.


    At this moment, everyone was present at the banquet.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s seat was very eye-catching, and the person sitting across from her was the Fourth Prince.


    It was Xie Qiao¡¯s first time seeing the rumored Fourth Prince, and she could not help but take a few more nces at him.


    The Fourth Prince was not very old. He was seventeen or eighteen years old. He was also very handsome, and he carried a bit of amiability. It was just that his eyebrows were slightly thin, and his personality was not very strong.


    In addition¡­ his hands and feet were exquisite, his face was gorgeous. He had an elegant bone structure. Although he had a noble aura about him, he had a carefree and happy appearance. He did not fit the rumor that he was always going against the Crown Prince.


    He did not have the aura of an Emperor. It could be said that even if Zhao Xuanjing would not be the Crown Prince, it would not be his turn.


    As for the Fifth Prince next to him, he was even younger, about eight or nine years old. He was too young, and his appearance would change, so it was hard to say much.

 Chapter 681 - You Can Brew it Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 681: You Can Brew it Yourself</h4>


    In Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes, the people in the royal family were pretty good-looking. It was a surprise that she did not see anyone who looked tough and ruthless.


    Especially when he saw Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s benevolent and humble face, Xie Qiao thought the royal family¡­ was clearly happy and harmonious!


    The Fourth Prince smiled at Xie Qiao and then looked at the singing and dancing in the hall with a carefree expression.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s coquettish eyes seemed to be thrown to a blind man.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gazended on Xie Qiao. He felt a little helpless.


    He was right there, yet Xie Qiao was secretly staring at the Fourth Prince.


    ¡°I heard that Sister Xie has been very busy recently? Those people in the Orchid Courtyard are now counting on you to teach them. When the big examinationes, they will soar. I wonder how their studies are going?¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft as she said to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Xie Qiao said concisely.


    ¡°In that case, when the big examinationes, the Orchid Courtyard will definitely win against the Peony Courtyard, right?¡± Dong Xiyun smiled. ¡°I lost to Sister Xie in thest examination, but I won¡¯t give in next time.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Xie Qiao turned her head slightly, coughed, and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it again.¡±


    ¡°I will try my best in the next examination¡­¡± Dong Xiyun said in all seriousness.


    She had been very diligent these days.


    As for Xie Qiao, since she stayed with those useless people in the Orchid Courtyard all day long, what could she learn?


    She could not beat her the first time, but the next time, Xie Qiao¡¯s eight first prizes would be a joke.


    ¡°You said that you gave in to me just now.¡± Xie Qiao frowned and said slowly, ¡°You¡¯ve never beaten me before. What right do you have to say that you gave in to me? It¡¯s terrible to lie.¡±


    As she said that, Xie Qiao handed a te of snacks to Xie Xi.


    Xie Xi was like a little hamster. She buried her neck and ate, not caring about the things around her.


    The food in the imperial pce was really delicious.


    She was in charge at home recently. She knew that daily necessities and snacks were expensive. She tried to save as much as possible. She hardly asked the steward to buy those especially expensive snacks.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s face alternated between green and red. Then, she looked at the Fourth Prince.


    The Fourth Prince took a sip of wine, but he did not see Dong Xiyun¡¯s cry for help. He asked the Crown Prince, ¡°Eldest Brother, I heard that you have a lot of good wine in your residence. Every night, you drink alone to the moon. Is that true?¡±


    The Crown Prince was indifferent. ¡°Who did you hear it from?¡±


    ¡°Grandfather.¡± The Fourth Prince did not hide anything.


    The Crown Prince looked at his silly brother and said kindly, ¡°The wine Young Lady Xie brewed is indeed delicious.¡±


    ¡°So it was Sister-inw who brewed it!¡± The Fourth Prince was surprised. He stood up directly and bowed to Xie Qiao. ¡°Sister-inw, can you let me have a taste of your good wine?¡±


    Could she say no?


    Moreover¡­


    They were not married yet. Why did he call her sister-inw?


    Xie Qiao was thick-skinned, so she did not blush. With a calm face, she said, ¡°The wine I brewed has been given to the Crown Prince by my eldest brother. There¡¯s not much left. At most, I can give you a jar.¡±


    There could not be more.


    The new wine was not ready yet!


    ¡°Thank you, Sister-inw.¡± The Fourth Prince was very polite. Then, he sat down with great satisfaction and said to Dong Xiyun, ¡°If you can wait for the wine, I will send someone to give you half a jar to try. It must be delicious since it was Sister-inw who brewed it.¡±


    Dong Xiyun was a little dumbfounded.


    He called her sister-inw, he really treated Xie Qiao as family now!


    His Highness was really too polite!


    ¡°Sister Xie is too stingy. The Fourth Prince likes it, can¡¯t you send more?¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s voice sounded resentful, as if she was calling the shots for the Fourth Prince.


    ¡°You can brew it yourself.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression remained the same.

 Chapter 682 - Gift

    <h4>Chapter 682: Gift</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao did not even look at Dong Xiyun.


    Dong Xiyun was so angry at Xie Qiao¡¯s words. She immediately felt a little wronged.


    She looked at the Fourth Prince resentfully. ¡°I just thought since His Highness likes it and that Sister Xie is capable of brewing, you can brew more so that His Majesty and the Empress can have a taste. I didn¡¯t want to make Young Lady Xie angry.¡±


    Xie Qiao suddenly clutched her chest.


    She coughed lightly.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Young Lady Xie is weak, she mustn¡¯t tire herself. Father and Mother don¡¯tck good wine. If you¡¯re filial, you can buy all the wine shops in the city and give them to Father as a gift.¡±


    Dong Xiyun was stunned and a little at a loss.


    Rumor had it that the Crown Prince had no feelings for Xie Qiao¡­


    The Crown Prince liked Witch Mo... How could he be so protective of Xie Qiao?


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I forgot that Young Lady Xie¡¯s health iscking. She really can¡¯t stand fatigue. Sister Xie, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dong Xiyun hurriedly said to Xie Qiao. After saying that, she even gave Xie Qiao a toast.


    Xie Qiao choked on her wine just now¡­


    ¡°Be careful next time.¡± Xie Qiao nodded at Dong Xiyun. However, she did not drink the toast.


    She had just choked and had yet to recover. Her throat was still a little ufortable and she really could not swallow it.


    Dong Xiyun was a little embarrassed.


    There were many other girls in the pce, but they were far away and naturally did not know what was ahead.


    The Empress¡¯ main purpose of holding this banquet was to let her son and Xie Qiao spend more time together. Meeting each other would be beneficial to the future rtionship between the husband and wife. Now that she saw that the Crown Prince was very protective of Xie Qiao, she felt more at ease.


    Imperial Concubine Meng looked like a person who had no desires. At that moment, she was chatting happily with the consort beside her. She did not really look at the Fourth Prince.


    Her attitude toward her future daughter-inw, Dong Xiyun, was nothing special.


    This daughter-inw was chosen by her family.


    Imperial Concubine Meng had personally chosen only a side consort, Yuan Lingyin. Unfortunately, that marriage did not work out.


    Dong Xiyun felt angry as she watched Xie Qiao ignore her.


    She had never expected that Xie Qiao would surpass her in the examination, and even be the Princess Consort!


    She kept calling Xie Qiao ¡°sister¡±, but she knew that once the marriage seeded, Xie Qiao would be... her sister-inw!


    In the future, when she saw Xie Qiao, she would always have to lower her head and bow!


    Dong Xiyun suddenly stood up and said to the Empress, ¡°I heard that the Empress¡¯s birthday ising. I will prepare a dance for you.¡±


    There were dancers in the pce. She was only responsible for arranging these people to dance properly. There was no need for her to do it personally.


    However, if they danced well, this credit would be hers.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t celebrated my birthday for many years.¡± The Empress smiled faintly. ¡°Why bother thedies? Forget it.¡±


    Every year on her birthday, only her family would send some gifts over. She kept them. In addition, the Emperor and the Crown Prince would have a meal with her. It would be the joy of ordinary people, which she was very satisfied with.


    Dong Xiyun seemed to have expected that. She suddenly walked into the hall and the maidservant behind her knelt with a box in her hands.


    ¡°The Empress is kind and down-to-earth, and I have always admired you. However, I have heard that the Empress has not celebrated her birthday for many years, and my heart aches for you. I¡¯ve also heard that the Empress has been unwell recently, so I have specially chosen a gift for you today. Firstly, it is to simply congratte the Empress on your birthday, and secondly, it is to pray that the Empress recovers as soon as possible,¡± Dong Xiyun added.


    She did not want to be filial to the Empress. After all, Imperial Concubine Meng was her mother-inw.


    However, it could not be helped as the Empress¡¯ status was as stable as Mount Tai in the pce.

 Chapter 683 - Lose Money

    <h4>Chapter 683: Lose Money</h4>


    After Dong Xiyun finished her filial speech, she opened the box held by the maidservant behind her.


    Once it was opened, everyone could not help but suck in a breath of cold air.


    This Young Lady Dong was¡­ really generous!


    The gift to the Empress was actually a bright moon pearl. Although it was not an unusually big one, the pearl had always been precious. Such a valuable pearl¡­


    Everyone was a little annoyed. The Empress was never ostentatious. It had been many years since shest celebrated her birthday. They had never thought that she would give a gift!


    This youngdy of the Dong family¡­


    The act of giving this bright moon pearl shone brighter than the pearl itself!


    The Emperor had always doted on the Empress. When he heard this news, he would definitely praise Young Lady Dong. Even the Fourth Prince would benefit from it, right?


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to have such intentions.¡± The Empress did not seem to be surprised or happy. She asked someone to put the thing away.


    After epting the gift, in order to express her satisfaction, she had to give something back. The Empress thought for a moment and gave Dong Xiyun a set of gemstones.


    Dong Xiyun smiled and then nced at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°This humble one is a fool. I want to make the Empress happy, but I can¡¯t think of any good ideas. Unlike Young Lady Xie who is smart and intelligent. If she knew it was the Empress¡¯ birthday, the gift she would give would definitely be much better than mine.¡± Dong Xiyun obediently thanked the Empress and she did not forget to praise Xie Qiao.


    Of course, on the surface, it was apliment.


    When these words were said, it was inevitable that people would secretlypare them.


    They were both people who wanted to be the daughter-inw of the royal family. Dong Xiyun had remembered the Empress¡¯ birthday, but Xie Qiao did not.


    Now that she found out about the Empress¡¯ birthday, she would definitely have to give her a gift as well.


    A gift that could surpass Young Lady Dong¡¯s bright moon pearl must be extremely expensive. The Xie family was not as rich as the Dong family.


    Xie Qiao smiled at Dong Xiyun. ¡°You are right. The gift I¡¯m giving is naturally better.¡±


    Dong Xiyun was stunned. She suspected that Xie Qiao must be crazy right? Subconsciously, she asked, ¡°Could it be that Sister Xie has also prepared a gift?¡±


    Xie Qiao calmly stood up.


    ¡°I did bring something to offer to His Majesty and the Empress today. I was just afraid of scaring others, so I ced it in the pnquin. I¡¯ll have to trouble my maidservant to get it,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    She performed divination before going to the imperial pce today. She found out that she was going to lose money.


    She was going to the imperial pce. It was strange that she had to lose money.


    So she did some careful calctions. The divination indicated that an important item was going to be lost today.


    Therefore¡­


    She did bring something here today.


    The Xie family¡¯s carriage stopped at the entrance of the imperial pce, but there was also a pnquin at the imperial pce. As the future Princess Consort, it was no trouble for her to get someone to watch over the things for her. Moreover, she entered the imperial pce with Zhao Xuanjing.


    What Xie Qiao said made people very curious.


    Including Zhao Xuanjing.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao definitely could have given her a peach wood sword or some dharma instrument¡­ What could it be?


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself¡­¡± Dong Xiyun looked as calm as ever.


    How could it be so coincidental? Xie Qiao also prepared a gift in advance? The Empress¡¯ birthday wasing soon. It was not today! She would not have done what she did!


    Not long after, Chun Er brought over arge package.


    It was quite strenuous to bring it over.


    The package was dragged on the ground until it was deformed. It looked¡­ quite shabby. She would¡­ offend someone to be giving such a gift¡­


    Xie Qiao was also helpless.


    The item was too valuable. If it was ced in a box, it would be too conspicuous. If it was robbed by someone else, she would be so sad that tears would fall.


    Therefore¡­ The more valuable the item was, the less it should be exposed. It was safer to use a rag to wrap it.

 Chapter 684 - I Would Have Given it to You

    <h4>Chapter 684: I Would Have Given it to You</h4>


    Chun Er was rather tired. After cing the item in the hall, she hurriedly stood behind Xie Qiao¡¯s seat like a background.


    Only then did Xie Qiao walk over and open the package.


    A folded piece of sheepskin was revealed. It looked very old and had a slightly strange smell.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie¡­ What is it that you brought? It looks very scary.¡± Dong Xiyun could not help but cover her nose.


    ¡°It smells bad now, but you¡¯ll find out how fragrant it ister. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll wish you could take it home and stare at it every day.¡± Xie Qiao smiled slowly and was about to spread out therge sheepskin.


    Her movements were extremely slow, causing Zhao Xuanjing toe over to help.


    However, when Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gazended on it, he was suddenly startled. He suddenly took a step back after stepping on the sheepskin and pulled Xie Qiao over.


    How many times did Xie Qiao step on the scroll?


    It was not her fault. It was just that this thing was so big. She should get someone to do it. Why did she have to do it herself?!


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression wasplicated. He could not move his gaze away from the scroll.


    ¡°Is it nice?¡± Xie Qiao raised her head and asked with a smile.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Are you sure you want to give this to Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already asked someone to make two copies. It¡¯s inappropriate for me to keep this authentic one anymore. It¡¯s too valuable.¡± Xie Qiao sighed. It was a great thing, but she could not afford to own it with her status.


    She made the copies herself.


    One was for her teacher, Li Shiyan. It would be showing filial piety to her master, so she could not miss it.


    The other one was for herself.


    Of course, she also had a master, Mo Lingzi. However, Mo Lingzi was not interested in this thing, so she kept one to herself.


    It was already a great effort to make two copies of such a big picture. It was too much to bear.


    Zhao Xuanjing was really shocked by Xie Qiao¡¯s handiwork. It was the world map, the thing that was rumored to have disappeared. Now, she actually took it out like this. Looking at the ordinary package on the ground, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s temples suddenly pulsated. He was greatly shocked!


    A reckless waste of a god¡¯s gift?! This was definitely it¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately called people over and spread this thing on the shelf, afraid that Xie Qiao would identally step on it again.


    Looking at the Crown Prince making such a big fuss, the Empress was also somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Sister-inw, what is this thing?¡± The Fourth Prince also came over curiously. Looking at this old sheepskin, his face was somewhat confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a painting.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°When my father killed his way into the barbarian¡¯s camp, the treasures he obtained had been sent to the national treasury. Now, there¡¯s only one golden eagle left in the family. A few days ago, I found this item in the box that my father kept the golden eagle in. He didn¡¯t know the value of this item, so he used it as a cushion. I happened to find some patterns on it, so I put it away out of curiosity. After pondering for a while, I thought this item should be the world map of the Baili family. This is priceless, so I¡¯m specially giving it to the Empress today.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing listened to her nonsense with a straight face.


    Xie Niushan was careless. He used this thing as a cushion, and Xie Qiao¡­ was no better.


    Looking at her movements just now, if he had not stopped her, the entire world map would have been lying on the ground.


    Zhao Xuanjing stared at the map with a burning gaze. He liked it very much.


    ¡°It¡¯s futile for you to like it now. You didn¡¯t say it earlier. If you had, I would¡¯ve given it to you,¡± Xie Qiao was close to Zhao Xuanjing, and she muttered softly. ¡°But you¡¯re family. It doesn¡¯t matter who I give it to, right?¡±

 Chapter 685 - Quite Stubborn

    <h4>Chapter 685: Quite Stubborn</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was not that Xie Qiao did not like the world map, but the significance of this item was extraordinary.


    No matter how valuable it was, it could not be sold for silver, nor could it be disyed openly. In fact, it had to be hidden carefully. As such, it could not be considered something good.


    Therefore, it was naturally impossible for her to be as obsessed and careful as Zhao Xuanjing.


    ¡°Your gift is a bit too much.¡± One must say that even he was at a loss about what Xie Qiao was going to give the Empress.


    The world map had been the blood and sweat of the Baili family for many years. The previous Emperor had always believed that there was a treasure inside, so he had forced the Baili family to hand it over. The Baili family refused toply, which led to the destruction of the family.


    It was also because of the Baili family¡¯s destruction that caused the public to be angry. In addition, they had umted grudges for a long time, which led to the change of the dynasty.


    This world map had a different meaning.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the Empress¡¯ Birthday? My family isn¡¯t very well off, and I only have this piece of old sheepskin that I can give,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    Zhao Xuanjing was dumbfounded at the moment.


    A piece of old sheepskin?


    The others were not like Zhao Xuanjing who could tell what this thing was at a nce.


    Even the Empress was puzzled. ¡°Young Lady Xie, what is this thing? It looks like andscape painting.¡±


    ¡°Mother, this is the most precious treasure of the Baili family of the previous dynasty, the world map. The paintings on it are thendscapes of various countries,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    The Empress stood up in shock. ¡°Really?!¡±


    How could she not have heard of the world map?!


    ¡°Whether it is authentic or not, we¡¯d need to get some masters toe over and appraise it personally.¡± Xie Qiao said humbly.


    The Empress immediately walked down and looked at the map. She could not decide. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Quickly go and invite His Majesty over and take a look. Send some people to invite a few teachers from the Royal Academy toe over.¡±


    Dong Xiyun also panicked when she saw the Empress lose herposure.


    The world map? That was impossible, right?


    The Xie family was just a bandit. How could they get such a good treasure?!


    There were also fold marks on the sheepskin picture. It indeed looked like it had been weighed down by a heavy object for a long time.


    Dong Xiyun stared at the picture nervously, but she... could not tell whether it was the real thing or not.


    She kept praying in her heart, hoping that it was fake!


    If it was real, then she would really be reduced to dust by Xie Qiao!


    Today, she had proudly presented the Empress with only a bright moon pearl. How could it bepared to the world map? If it was the real thing and the news spread out, then would she not lose her dignity?


    How could a bright moon pearl, which could emit light, bepared to the world map, which was unique¡­


    Dong Xiyun did not dare to look away. She could not even hide her worried look.


    The Fourth Prince was a fun person. He knew that if his future sister-inw gave them something valuable, if Young Lady Dong was eager to win, she would probably feel ufortable.


    So he nced at her.


    However, Dong Xiyun¡¯s expression was too much¡­


    The Fourth Prince frowned. He did not like it very much.


    Everyone knew that the Empress would not celebrate her birthday. It was Young Lady Dong who brought up this matter first. Since Young Lady Xie did not bring the item to the pce in the beginning, it was obvious that she was preparing to give it to his father and mother in private. This way, no one would lose face.


    However, Young Lady Dong had just said something that forced Young Lady Xie to bring the item up.


    The Fourth Prince felt a little resentful.


    The wife the Meng family had chosen for him seemed to be quite stubborn.

 Chapter 686 - Comparable

    <h4>Chapter 686: Comparable</h4>


    The Fourth Prince did not like Dong Xiyun¡¯s excessive reaction, but he thought that since the marriage was already decided, he could not object to it. He could not be too harsh on this youngdy, or else she would be embarrassed.


    He pretended not to see it and endured it.


    Not long after, the Emperor arrived.


    Everyone immediately knelt and bowed.


    ¡°No need to bow, Empress.¡± The Emperor was indeed more concerned about the Empress. He firmly supported the Empress to get up. ¡°Your health iscking, why are you bowing like this? I¡¯ve already told you that you don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    The Empress was a little shy, but she looked dignified, ¡°Your Majesty, Young Lady Xie just gave me a sheepskin painting. It seems¡­ like the world map that was passed down from the Baili family. I¡¯ve already sent someone to invite the teachers of the Royal Academy over. Whether it¡¯s real or not, we¡¯ll find out soon. However¡­ I see that this painting is very special. I like it very much no matter if it¡¯s authentic or not.¡±


    The Empress said this because she was afraid that if this thing was fake, Young Lady Xie would be embarrassed.


    ¡°The world map?¡± The Emperor was interested.


    He did not understand these things like the Crown Prince did. Back then, he could not even tell if Zhao Xuzhi¡¯s feng shui painting was good or bad. Now, he naturally did not have the ability to identify this thing.


    The Emperor only took a look at the painting and did not have much hope. Instead, he was even more curious about thedy from the Xie family.


    He looked at his future daughter-inw for a while.


    He was also a little surprised. ¡°The Crown Prince has good taste. Thisdy¡¯s appearance isparable to the Empress when she was young.¡±


    His voice was not loud, and the Empress blushed when she heard it. She said in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t let others hear it. They willugh at you.¡±


    The others in the hall were far away and did not see this scene.


    However, Xie Qiao was close by. She identally raised her head and saw the two of them pushing each other¡¯s hands. She thought it was heartwarming.


    She silently lowered her head and rubbed her eyes.


    Love drama of the middle-aged¡­ it could be quite heart-wrenching.


    ¡°Your Majesty, just now, this youngdy from the Dong family gave me a gift. It¡¯s a bright moon pearl. It¡¯s really beautiful. Put It in the pce another day. Your Majesty, take a look too.¡± The Empress did not forget to praise Dong Xiyun.


    As expected, the Emperor was quite happy, he said to Dong Xiyun, ¡°You¡¯re not bad. You¡¯re quite filial. I remember that the date of your marriage with the Fourth Prince hasn¡¯t been set yet, right? Then¡­ next May. It¡¯ll be three monthster than the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding. It can be considered a series of good things.¡±


    When Dong Xiyun heard that, she was instantly overjoyed and hurriedly knelt to express her gratitude.


    They had not set a date before. If they had not set a date, how could it be considered a marriage engagement?


    Previously, the Ministry of Rites had drafted a few dates, but the Emperor disagreed!


    Dong Xiyun did not expect the Emperor to suddenly be so easy to talk to.


    Once the wedding was done, the Fourth Prince would have to leave the pce to build a residence.


    The Empress knew that the Fourth Prince was not a stubborn person, so she was willing to speak up for him. She said, ¡°The Fourth Prince has grown up. After the wedding, he should be able to work for the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°Fourth Prince,e to my imperial study room after the banquet to test if you have been studying these days,¡± the Emperor said again.


    If he studied and performed well, he would be given a title and arranged to spend some time in a certain department of the imperial court.


    ¡°Your son understands.¡± The Fourth Prince was obedient and well-behaved.


    As a prince, he should be ambitious, but Xie Qiao really did not see that the Fourth Prince was unwilling to ept it.


    He had a kind face. He was truly a carefree person.


    It was a pity that the outsiders were restless and always fanning the me for the Fourth Prince. As a result, the entire imperial court, even the entire world knew that the Fourth Prince was the Crown Prince¡¯s sworn enemy.


    Now, it seemed that the Crown Prince did not take it seriously.


    Otherwise, this person¡¯s fate would probably be simr to three other princes.

 Chapter 687 - Obtained Without Any Effort

    <h4>Chapter 687: Obtained Without Any Effort</h4>


    In Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes, the atmosphere in the royal family was quite down-to-earth.


    At least it did not have the confrontational, back-and-forth, and conspiratorial atmosphere, which made Xie Qiao feel a little morefortable.


    It was not a sign of prosperity if the inws¡¯ family was too messy.


    Once the Emperor came, the youngdies behaved better. They all watched the singing and dancing obediently. Not long after, the dean of the Royal Academy and several teachers came.


    Xie Qiao saw seven teachers in total. Besides the dean and deputy dean, Master Qiu, Xiao Yurong was here as well.


    ¡°Look at this painting. Is it the famous world map of the Baili Family?¡± The Emperor asked casually.


    He guessed that it was definitely not it.


    How could a treasure that had been missing for many years appear so easily?


    The moment they heard the words ¡°famous world map¡±, the teachers became serious and quickly went up to take a look.


    All of them were either stretching their necks or staring with their eyes wide open. There were people standing carefully in every corner, as if they were afraid that they would misjudge anything.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s breathing almost stopped. Both of her hands were drenched in sweat. After looking at the teachers for a while, she looked at Xie Qiao.


    She did not know what Xie Qiao was saying to Xie Xi, which made Xie Xi nod her head repeatedly.


    Xie Qiao was not in a hurry.


    All these years, she had not learned for nothing. If she could not even recognize the world map, Li Shiyan would not have taken a fancy to her back then and insisted on making her his first disciple!


    The few teachers dawdled for about 15 minutes.


    All of their hands were trembling slightly.


    Finally, with a few ¡°plop¡± sounds, they knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty, this map is indeed the world map! It¡¯s just that¡­ It¡¯s not well preserved. I don¡¯t know what caused the creases on it to be so serious. It would be difficult to recover it¡­¡±


    The Emperor was also stunned when he heard that.


    He was a little absent-minded. ¡°Are you saying this is an authentic painting? The map that the Baili family of the previous dynasty spent hundreds of years creating?¡±


    As the Emperor, it was impossible for him not to be curious about this kind of map!


    When every Emperor of this dynasty ascended to the throne, almost all of them went to the national treasury to search for it. All of them thought that this thing had been obtained long ago, but they had been hiding it from others. However, whether it was him or the previous Emperor, they experienced disappointment and finally epted their fate.


    Later on, they thought that this thing might have already been destroyed by the Baili family.


    He did not expect¡­


    To obtain it without any effort?


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Baili family¡¯s calligraphy and paintings aren¡¯t passed down very much. Even an ordinaryndscape painting is worth quite a lot. This world painting¡­ is priceless. Why don¡¯t we take it and make a few more copies to prevent it from being lost again in the future¡­¡± The dean of the Royal Academy, who was also a member of the royal family, said shamelessly at the moment.


    The Emperor huffed and red at them. ¡°All of you will copy it in the pce. If you take it away, who knows if I will ever get it back?¡±


    The teachers¡¯ eyes turned red.


    They could not do that. If they copied it in the pce, they were afraid that they would not be able to copy the style of the painting since it was already in a bad state!


    The sheepskin was both a geomancy map and a feng shui painting. The geographical features of each country were painted clearly on the top half of it. The mountains and rivers, as well as the characteristics of the main mineral veins. They were all very clear.


    Dong Xiyun was truly dumbfounded.


    Xie Qiao must have lost her mind!


    Was It really the world map?!


    She was actually giving the real world map in order topete with her?!


    This was too much, too much!


    Dong Xiyun thought Xie Qiao¡¯s move had crushed her bright moon pearl into dust. She looked really lost. She could not help but think everyone around her was looking at her. She was too ashamed to face anyone!

 Chapter 688 - Boorish Fool

    <h4>Chapter 688: Boorish Fool</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    As a matter of fact, everyone was paying attention to the world map at the moment. They tried their best to stretch their necks to admire it.


    All of them knew that they would never see such an expensive and rare thing in their lifetime if they missed this opportunity.


    Unfortunately, they could only see the outline of the world map from a distance. They could not see anything else clearly.


    ¡°Your Majesty, can we borrow the world map for... one month... No, half a month is enough?¡± Xiao Yurong was a little unwilling and asked humbly at this moment.


    The Emperor was very calm. ¡°Master Xiao, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give it to you. It¡¯s just that this thing is the Empress¡¯ birthday gift. Young Lady Xie has just given this to my Empress. If she really lent it to you, wouldn¡¯t she feel wronged? So... I have tried my best to give you a chance toe into contact with it. If you want to make a copy of it this month, juste into the pce more often.¡±


    ¡°One month is not enough, Your Majesty.¡± Xiao Yurong looked innocent.


    If it was at the academy, it could be seen day and night. Even if he did not eat or drink, he could finish copying the painting.


    However, in the imperial pce, it would take many hours to go back and forth every day.


    Unless he lived in the courtyard of the Hanlin Academy.


    However, he could not keep up with the teachings at the academy if he did that.


    ¡°Then three months it is. In short, I will not agree to send this thing out of the pce.¡± The Emperor was in a good mood.


    The world map¡­


    Master Xiao could only agree to the condition. He could not help but gaze at the world map.


    He suddenly remembered that this map was given by the youngdy of the Xie family, and he felt a little regretful.


    Young Lady Xie¡¯s younger brother was his disciple. He was not smart enough to show his filial piety to him by showing him the world map first.


    Now that it had been sent to the Emperor, it could not be taken back¡­


    ¡°How did Young Lady Xie get this thing? Apart from this world map, are there any other paintings from the Baili Family?¡± Dean Zhao of the Royal Academy asked excitedly.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°My father took this from the barbarian¡¯s camp. The items that my father thought were valuable had long been handed over to the national treasury. He didn¡¯t know that this thing was the world map, so he kept it in the box. It was me who identally saw it and took it out.¡±


    ¡°Kept it in the box?!¡± All the teachers were stirred. ¡°What for?!¡±


    ¡°For damp proofing...¡± Xie Qiao said in a low voice.


    All the teachers felt a throbbing pain in their chests.


    Xie Niushan, that boorish fool!


    ¡°No wonder! Your Majesty, Look, the creases on the sheepskin are really too much... There are indeed some stains and scratches here. Bandit Xie¡­ Master Xie was really... reckless!¡± The teachers were about to cry.


    Xie Niushan was not reckless, he was blind.


    How could such a good sheepskin be useless? He used it for damp proofing?! Did heck damp-proofing fabric at home?!


    They could not figure it out!


    When the teachers thought of that, their hearts ached. It was unbearable. They wished they could invite that Bandit Xie over and give him a good beating with a ferule!


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t me my father for not having good taste. This thing was just ordinary sheepskin at the beginning. I soaked it in water and then I ced it on the fire to roast it. Only then did the painting on it appear...¡±


    The teachers felt their heads ringing.


    ¡°S-Stop speaking¡­¡± The more she said, the more excited they became.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Lady. This thing... isn¡¯t invulnerable to fire and water! It¡¯s just parchment. Y-You should find a more capable master to do it. It¡¯s terrible to use fire on your own. What if¡­ the house catches fire?¡±


    What if she burned a big hole in this thing? Would that not be the end of the masterpiece?!


    They thanked the youngdy in their hearts for discovering such a masterpiece, which made them experience it. However, at the same time, they were also in fear!

 Chapter 689 - Reward

    <h4>Chapter 689: Reward</h4>


    It was fortunate that the world map survived it and that they were lucky enough. Otherwise, this peerless treasure would have been lost a long time ago!


    Xie Qiao said that on purpose to make people think that the Xie family did not care about the world map.


    It was terrible for an official who came from a bandit background to hold this thing in his hands. Since she was going to give it away, she had to do it to make others feel more at ease. The dumber her father was, the better it would be for the Emperor.


    Even though the Emperor was not a suspicious person, as a subject, it was still better to be self-aware.


    Xie Qiao pretended to be foolish with a serious face.


    Even at this moment, she was looking at the world map calmly, without the slightest bit of nostalgia.


    ¡°It is this humble one¡¯s honor that the Emperor and the Empress like it. My father has always been simple. He has always wanted to give the best to the Emperor, but he¡¯s uneducated. That is why he has kept this treasure in the box for so many years¡­¡± Xie Qiao pretended to be obedient, she looked very sensible. ¡°Now this thing is out in the world. Although it has some creases, it hasn¡¯t been bitten by any creatures. We¡¯re considered lucky.¡±


    When the teachers heard the word ¡°creatures¡±, they felt even worse in their hearts.


    Fortunately, the Xie family was not too poor¡­


    The Emperor looked at his daughter-inw. As the saying went, love the house and its crow. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her.


    At first, he med Xie Niushan for being too foolish and mishandling such a good thing into such a state. However, now that he thought about it, Minister Xie was extremely innocent.


    Xie Niushan had never gone to school, so it was normal for him not to recognize the treasure.


    Moreover, this youngdy also said that there was nothing on this sheepskin in the past. It only appeared after it was on fire.


    It was understandable!


    No matter what, was the item not given to him now?


    At this moment, the Emperor was thinking about how to reward thisdy.


    It was certain that she would be rewarded with some items. However, she was already the future Princess Consort, and there was no way for her to rise in rank. Thus¡­ he could only ce his gaze on the other members of the Xie family.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s position as a general had real power, and he had just been promoted. It was hard to promote him again¡­


    Young Lady Xie¡¯s younger brother and sister¡­


    The Emperor nced at Xie Xi¡¯s direction and sighed.


    She was too young, so it was inappropriate to give her benefits rashly.


    After thinking about it, he could only give Xie Pinggang something. It would be embarrassing that he was promoted due to a gift, so the Emperor had to think carefully about the reward.


    ¡°How old is your eldest brother this year?¡± The Emperor suddenly asked.


    ¡°Your Majesty, my brother is 20.¡± Xie Qiao told the truth, and she had some vague guesses in her head.


    ¡°Twenty? At this age, he hasn¡¯t taken a wife yet, right? Which family¡¯s youngdy does he fancy? I can arrange a marriage for them.¡± The Emperor asked again.


    Xie Qiao forced a smile, ¡°Your Majesty, my brother is busy with official business every day, so he doesn¡¯t care about starting a family. Also¡­ some Taoist masters said that he has a lethal fate to his future wife, and it¡¯s hard to find someone with the same fate, so the marriage has been dyed until now.¡±


    With that said, the Emperor was also in a difficult position.


    He initially thought that Xie Pinggang was quite capable. In the royal family, if he chose a decent youngdy to bestow the marriage, he would be able to raise the status of the family.


    However, his lethal fate to his wife¡­


    The Emperor did not doubt Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    This girl was not a fool, and the grand preceptor was also proficient in this technique. If she lied, she would definitely be exposed in the future. By then, it would be a crime of lying to the Emperor, so there was no need to do so.


    As such, it would not be easy to reward the Xie family. If he really wanted to reward them, he could only give the Xie family the noble title.


    However, this title could not be given randomly.


    In terms of marriage, the Xie family only had a Princess Consort. They were not even married yet.


    In the future, if Xie Qiao became the Empress, it would not be toote to give the Xie family the noble title. Moreover, the Xie family had a different family name. Even if they were to be given the noble title, it would be inappropriate. He was worried that someone in the capital would stir troubles.

 Chapter 690 - Forced by Her Family

    <h4>Chapter 690: Forced by Her Family</h4>


    The Emperor felt a little guilty as he was making up his mind.


    Look at the Xie family. Although they did note from a powerful background, their family was simple. They were not a big family and did not have the power to tear the sky open. They were even purer than water.


    As the Emperor, it was inappropriate for him to reward them directly.


    ¡°Your father and brother are the pirs of the country. Now that they have obtained such a good thing, they sent it to me instantly. I am relieved. I initially wanted to bestow a marriage for your brother, but since it¡¯s not good to rush the marriage, let¡¯s forget about it. However, I will remember this. When your brother finds a suitable wife, it won¡¯t be toote for me to issue a decree. Get your father enter the pce another day and see what his wishes are.¡± The Emperor was extremely gentle.


    How could an ordinary official be conferred a rank directly?


    Xie Qiao knew that in her heart, so she was calm.


    Previously, her father was just an insignificant general with a misceneous title. Although his rank was not low, he did not have any real power and had not much say. However, it was different now. It was indeed difficult to rise further by presenting a treasure.


    As long as the Emperor remembered this matter, it would be fine.


    In the future, if her brother were to be promoted, it would definitely be faster.


    If she were to die in the future, the Emperor might be able to make an exception and allow the Xie family to be a true noble in the capital, the kind that would ascend to the rank of nobility.


    Therefore, at this moment, Xie Qiao was still obediently thanking the Emperor. The attitude on her face was respectful and modest, and she looked like an honest child.


    The teachers who had seen Xie Niushan felt their eyelids twitch.


    Look at this youngdy. Those who did not know better would have thought that she came from some aristocratic family. She¡¯s too well-behaved!


    Who would have thought that her father was Xie Niushan?!


    The other people present were all looking at Xie Qiao with envy.


    This Young Lady Xie¡¯s life was too good.


    It was already rumored that this youngdy was destined to die, but the Emperor was actually so kind to her. Was he not afraid that this person would kill the Crown Prince?!


    The handkerchief in Dong Xiyun¡¯s hand was almost torn to shreds by her.


    Xie Qiao sat down slowly, and Dong Xiyun stared at her. ¡°Young Lady Xie, you really don¡¯t show your true colors, do you?¡±


    ¡°The jealousy is so strong. Where is iting from?¡± Xie Qiao sniffed in all seriousness.


    Dong Xiyun wanted to curse.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, we¡¯re no longer strangers. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the world map when you brought it here? If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have given my bright moon pearl. Compared to your world map, it¡¯s really nothing.¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s tone was affectionate, it was as if Xie Qiao and she were good friends.


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°Your bright moon pearl is indeed nothing. To put it bluntly, it¡¯s just a glowing stone. It¡¯s not even the size of a fist, yet you have to offer it in front of so many people. It must be hard on you. Did your family force you to do that?¡±


    Dong Xiyun looked at her in disbelief.


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that your family is poor. However, a girl must be treated well. It¡¯s one thing for your family to see how inexperienced you are, but your father actually forced you to show yourself in front of so many people¡­ Sigh, you poor child.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was loving, it was as if Dong Xiyun was her family.


    Was it not just acting? She was familiar with that!


    Dong Xiyun had never seen such a shameless person.


    In the past, when people like Xia Yayun heard what she said, they would usually go along with her, or they would have intense reactions, whichplemented her calmness and understanding.


    In short, they would definitely not be like Xie Qiao, who was so¡­ shameless!

 Chapter 691 - Indescribable Pain

    <h4>Chapter 691: Indescribable Pain</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun was severely hurt.


    She wanted to say that her family was not poor. At the very least,pared to a bandit family like the Xie family, they were richer and more confident. Moreover, the money came from a clean source!


    That was right. Where did the money from the Xie familye from?


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, our Dong family came from a clean background, yet we are able to give such an item. Naturally, we are not like you, Young Lady Xie. Your father and brother are brave and aggressive. If they like something, they¡¯d just steal it. Ites free for them.¡± As she said this, Dong Xiyun covered her mouth, with a panicked expression, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything ill. I¡¯m just joking. Young Lady Xie won¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness.


    ¡°Speaking of stealing, my father and brother are indeed very experienced in that.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°They¡¯re alright now. When they were bandits in the past, my father kidnapped a woman to make her his wife. Now that we¡¯re in the capital, my eldest brother is all alone...


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that my eldest brother likes you? I heard rumors that he touched you, or did he almost bring you home?¡± Xie Qiao narrowed her eyes and asked.


    Hearing this, Dong Xiyun¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, what nonsense are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you say earlier that this is a misunderstanding? I only saw your eldest brother from afar, he didn¡¯t take advantage of me!¡±


    Dong Xiyun was extremely afraid and quickly nced at the Fourth Prince.


    Back then, she had wronged Xie Pinggang in order to agitate her younger sister.


    However, she had be the future Fourth Prince¡¯s consort now. She could not have such a bad reputation!


    Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve said everything, the good and the bad. Forget it, if you say there isn¡¯t... then there isn¡¯t. However, my eldest brother isn¡¯t a good person. I can¡¯t tell if it happened or not. Only God knows.¡±


    Dong Xiyun felt uneasy in her heart.


    Xie Qiao would not speak nonsense to the outside world, right?!


    She was Xie Pinggang¡¯s younger sister. If she said such things to someone else, would the Fourth Prince despise her in the future?


    Dong Xiyun began to panic secretly. She judged others against her own value. She thought Xie Qiao probably would not let go of such a great opportunity.


    She was also filled with regret. If she had known, she would not have used that trick in the first ce. It had caused her reputation to be tarnished. It was not worth it!


    Xie Qiao was still as calm as ever.


    After a while, the Emperor, Empress, and the imperial concubines had left, leaving a chance for the youngdies to talk.


    A lot of people surrounded Xie Qiao at once.


    ¡°We were too far away just now. What exactly was drawn on the world map? Young Lady Xie, can you tell us in detail? We are really curious!¡± The youngdies who came over all had their eyes lit up.


    Among them were students from the Peony Courtyard of the Royal Academy.


    In the past, because of the estrangement between the two courtyards, they had never been willing to lower their heads. However, they were thick-skinned and pretended to be on good terms with each other now.


    When Fang Muxue and the others saw this scene and looked at Dong Xiyun, they were secretly ted.


    ¡°Dong Xiyun wanted to suppress Xie Qiao, but she didn¡¯t expect to be suppressed by someone else instead. She must be feeling... I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s mixed feelings. There must be indescribable pain!¡± Fang Muxue mocked her directly.


    She had always been amiable and was usually a peacemaker. The reason why she spoke now was mainly because of the conflict between the two courtyards. It was especially intense now.


    The people of the Orchid Courtyard studied hard every day, but the Peony Courtyard made sarcastic remarks on them all day long.


    Those words were unpleasant to hear.


    The most popr person in the Peony Courtyard was Dong Xiyun!


    Many people who came to stir troubles with them were all Dong Xiyun¡¯s followers!


    So now, Fang Muxue took revenge. She must avenge their courtyard!

 Chapter 692 - What You Have

    <h4>Chapter 692: What You Have</h4>


    Dong Xiyun felt embarrassed. Her hands were clenched into fists under her sleeves, but on the surface, she still had to maintain a good demeanor.


    As for Xie Qiao, she only gave a simple exnation as she faced the crowd, ¡°On the surface, the world map looks no different from an ordinary map, but if you look closely, the painting technique is very unique. The hardest part is that there are many techniques that can be fused together to form a masterpiece.¡±


    The Baili family had produced masters for generations.


    The world map was notpleted by a single master. It was a painting that had been painstakingly produced by people of several generations. The styles were also somewhat different, but they were fused together without looking out of ce.


    Xie Qiao did not say much, but there were still gasps.


    ¡°I really want to see it with my own eyes¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, they were far away and really could not see anything!


    Fang Muxue and the others pulled Xie Qiao over. ¡°What are you talking to them about? Xie Qiao, the academy is about to start a fight. We don¡¯t want to talk to them.¡±


    Xie Qiao could not help butugh.


    ¡°We¡¯re outside now.¡± Xie Qiao was very clear. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so confrontational even though we¡¯re on different sides.¡±


    If they were in the academy, she would pay more attention to the people from the Orchid Courtyard.


    However, it would be rude if they were fighting to the death outside.


    Moreover, thepetition between the two courtyards was actually caused by Master Qiu and a few other teachers. They deliberately made the students not get along with each other and were somewhat ambitious.


    Everyone was a chess piece in their hands.


    ¡°You are too heartless. We have such a good rtionship. Why don¡¯t you tell us about it first¡­¡± Fang Muxue and the others still secretly felt betrayed.


    They were all good friends and often gathered together. Why did Xie Qiao not tell them about the world map first?


    ¡°I have a copy of the painting in my hands. Don¡¯t you¡­ want to see it?¡± Xie Qiao smiled at them. ¡°This treatment is only avable to you.¡±


    Xie Qiao was notpletely indifferent.


    It was mainly because the other party had asked politely. She could not pretend to be deaf and dumb.


    ¡°Can we see it?! Can we see it?!¡± A few of them flew into excitement.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll let you have a look the next time youe to my house,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    The two copies that she made were guaranteed to be exactly the same as the real one.


    She was also pretty good at copying.


    When Xie Qiao said that, how could there be anyints? They were almost lifted up.


    They wanted to say something more to Xie Qiao, but when they raised their heads and saw the Crown Prince¡¯s gaze, they immediately tugged at each other and whispered, ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll see you the next time we go to your house! His Highness seems to be waiting for you over there, so we should leave.¡±


    As they said that, the few youngdies dragged each other, then brought Xie Xi along and ran away shyly.


    To them, the way the Crown Prince looked at Xie Qiao¡­ was quite warm. It made them shy.


    Xie Qiao turned around to look at him.


    Their eyes met.


    ¡°You gave me such a big gift. How do you think I should repay it?¡± Zhao Xuanjing walked over with a serious face and looked down at her.


    His gaze was burning and his voice was deep and alluring. Xie Qiao felt her blood flow faster and her face blushed. ¡°It depends on what you have.¡±


    ¡°My face?¡± Zhao Xuanjing replied subconsciously. ¡°Or my waist?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight. You can¡¯t say that.¡± Xie Qiao said, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s useless even if I like it. Can you cut it and give it to me?¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao fell silent for a moment.


    She had a mean mouth. What did she say?


    Cut his waist? That would not work. If she cut it, it would not work.


    She was used to being a master, but now that she had Xie Qiao¡¯s face, she felt insecure.

 Chapter 693 - Qiaoer

    <h4>Chapter 693: Qiao¡¯er</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing suddenly felt a chill on his back hearing what Xie Qiao said.


    He thought of the scene of Xie Qiao digging up the bones. It was truly unforgettable.


    Xie Qiao tried her best to save her image. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. You also know that I, Half-immortal Xie, am not in good health. Doesn¡¯t the saying goes one would never stand when one could lie down when every part of the body is weak? That¡¯s why I¡¯m envious of Your Highness¡¯¡­ straight back.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a littlete to get married in February next year?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly asked without thinking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Xie Qiao was a little confused. It would happen in a few months, and it was quite urgent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be envious after we get married. The thick and straight back of mine will be all yours.¡± Zhao Xuanjing seemed casual as he whispered in Xie Qiao¡¯s ear. Seeing her blushing cheeks, he could not help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that when the timees, your body has to be able to withstand it.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked confused.


    Then, she waspletely dumbfounded.


    No, what did this man say just now?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was very interesting. The corner of her mouth twitched twice, and she wanted to re at him again. However, because of her blushing face, there was a bit of coquettishness. It really did not fit her image as a master. More importantly, her heart was beating fast.


    Xie Qiao covered her chest and suddenly took a step back, coughing twice.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face instantly became a little worried. He quickly helped her up. ¡°Seeing you like this, it¡¯s better¡­ not to think about it for the time being. We can still do it if you and I are a couple without being married.¡±


    Xie Qiao had never thought that there would be a day when she would not be able to catch her breath because of these nderous words.


    She had been in good health recently. She had not fallen into the hands of the ghouls, but she had fallen for Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s words. She thought she was weak.


    He helped her sit and she immediately took two deep breaths in.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it. I¡¯m used to having a still heart and few desires. Being so direct all of a sudden, I¡¯m a little¡­ unsettled.¡± Xie Qiao did not forget to put on airs. She extended her hand, indicating that he should not be worried, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s a tiny illness that¡¯s easy to treat.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out her medicine. She took a look at it and then ate one.


    She felt much better.


    ¡°Alright, you can continue.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m not afraid of you,¡¯ she thought.


    If she was not afraid of thousands of ghouls, how would she be afraid of a few words?


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned.


    How could he go on? He was just teasing her just now. They were not married yet, so how could he keep saying such¡­ offensive words to a maiden like Xie Qiao?


    However, what should he do about Xie Qiao¡¯s request?


    Zhao Xuanjing thought about it seriously. ¡°If you want to hear it, we¡¯ll do that after we get married.. Now¡­ Qiao¡¯er, it¡¯s really inappropriate¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao felt stifled for a moment.


    She just wanted to show that her body could hold up and withstand the shock. It was not that she wanted to hear it, but she was a youngdy after all. If she really wanted to hear it¡­ would it not be strange?


    Of course, it would be a different case¡­ after they got married.


    ¡°Your Highness, what did you call me?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡®Is he disregarding our rtionship? If Master were to hear it, he would probably kick you out of the sect, Second Junior Brother!


    ¡°Why not, Qiao¡¯er?¡± Zhao Xuanjing had already retracted his hand. His slender body stood upright, and his smile was gentle. He looked like a gentleman with a smile in his eyes. ¡°You and I are already engaged. It¡¯s strange to call you Young Lady Xie. It¡¯d be even more inappropriate if I call you half-immortal.¡±


    Xie Qiao was at a disadvantage.


    It was better when she was Master Mo. The Crown Prince seemed more filial when she was in Master Mo¡¯s disguise.

 Chapter 694 - A Perfect Couple

    <h4>Chapter 694: A Perfect Couple</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao looked at him with a bitter look and then nodded reluctantly.


    ¡®Qiao¡¯er... Let¡¯s go with Qiao¡¯er, then¡­¡¯


    She felt weird.


    At that moment, Xiao Yurong had not left yet. He even walked toward the two of them. Zhao Xuanjing took a step toward Xie Qiao and blocked him slightly.


    Xiao Yurong bowed to the Crown Prince briefly and then said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Thank you for showing the world map to us.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°You are wee.¡±


    ¡°Since you are engaged to the Crown Prince now, you can be considered a member of the same sect.¡± Teacher Xiao was very interested in the youngdy.


    He had wanted to take Xie Qiao as his disciple earlier, unfortunately, she already had a teacher!


    He did not know who was so lucky to have such a smart and good-natured disciple.


    He was envious.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie said that your teacher has gone on a trip. I wonder when will he return?¡± Xiao Yurong asked again.


    He tilted his neck slightly. It was tiring to talk, but the Crown Prince stood in the middle as if he was guarding against thieves. He was really a hindrance.


    ¡°Well... I just received news a few days ago that he has gone out to sea. He... won¡¯te back in the future,¡± Xie Qiao quickly added.


    Xiao Yurong looked regretful.


    He quickly said to the Crown Prince, ¡°I was thinking that Young Lady Xie¡¯s teacher is so powerful. If he were in the capital, it would be good for us to meet our master and learn from each other. Before I came here, I just received a pigeon letter. Master is about to enter the capital.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hands trembled.


    The Crown Prince nced at her subtly and asked, ¡°When will he be here?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say. He only said that it will be soon. If something happens on the way, it might take a while. I¡¯m not sure.¡± Even when Teacher Xiao mentioned Li Shiyan, he showed extreme respect.


    Xie Qiao tried hard to reduce her presence.


    When her teacher epted her as a disciple, she used the name Xie Qiao.


    He knew about her identity, butter, he asked if she wanted more junior brothers. At that time, she told her teacher that she would be Mo Chusheng in the future¡­


    However, if her teacher came back, she would have to serve him to show her filial piety. This would mean that she had to meet her junior brothers.


    That was a little... unsettling.


    ¡°Are the three of theming back as well?¡± The Crown Prince asked.


    Xie Qiao was also curious about that.


    ¡°No. 3 and No. 5 will be. Fourth Junior Brother is noting back as he¡¯s handling something,¡± Xiao Yurong replied immediately.


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. It was a good thing to have one less person.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, it¡¯s a pity that your teacher is not here. However, your talent and ability are very rare. When the Crown Prince and my teacher return, we can meet him together. If you receive some advice from our teacher, you will benefit from it for the rest of your life,¡± Xiao Yurong said quickly.


    These words were indeed for Xie Qiao¡¯s good.


    The Xie family¡¯s identity was awkward. They could not be considered literate.


    Xie Pinghuai had indeed taken Xiao Yurong as his master, but he was only Li Shiyan¡¯s grand-disciple. Moreover, he had not published any good poems or articles. Thus, many schrs thought Xie Pinghuai was taking advantage of the situation.


    However, if Xie Qiao was praised or taught by Li Shiyan personally, it would be terrific for the Xie family¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a good condition... I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be free...¡± Xie Qiao said in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡± Xiao Yurong did not insist and his eyes lit up. He said to the Crown Prince, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Senior Sister for a long time and I miss her very much. I don¡¯t know what she has been busy with recently. When teacheres back, I want to... ask for his opinion and hope he can match us up. If Senior Sister and I can really be a perfect couple, there¡¯s nothing else that I want in this life....¡±

 Chapter 695 - Not Worthy

    <h4>Chapter 695: Not Worthy</h4>


    Before this, Xiao Yurong was still worried, especially when people called his senior sister a witch, which made him feel even more indignant for her.


    However, now that the Crown Prince was engaged, his senior sister would be criticized less.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at his persistent look and found it very irritating.


    ¡°Senior Sister hasn¡¯t seen you much in the capital these days, which shows that she doesn¡¯t have any interest in you. Senior Brother, you should find another woman to be your wife.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was already very amiable, and it was not the first time he said that.


    Unfortunately, Xiao Yurong did not care even though he had always stressed that, so he might have to say something more cruel¡­


    Xie Qiao nodded silently at the side.


    She thought every time she met Xiao Yurong, she had always had a clear stance toward him¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I am persistent. Indeed, Senior Sister is the smartest woman in the world. If I pass her by, I will regret it for the rest of my life.¡± Xiao Yurong looked infatuated.


    It was wonderful to even think about his senior sister and him discussing paintings together.


    Xie Qiao could not help but shiver when he saw Xiao Yurong, a modest gentleman, showing such yearning.


    It was scary.


    Zhao Xuanjing had blocked Xiao Yurong¡¯s line of sight. Now he stood in the middle and forced Xiao Yurong to take a step back.


    ¡°Senior Brother, do you like Senior Sister or do you like the woman Master described to be omniscient, all-knowing, the most intelligent and charming woman in the world?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were sharp.


    Xiao Yurong was confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same?¡±


    Was senior sister not that person?


    Xie Qiao looked at him too. Why? Was she not the number one woman in the world?


    ¡°Of course, Senior Sister is amazing, but she knows too much. To you, poems and songs are everything, but to her, they¡¯re just the tip of the iceberg. asionally, she would find them fresh, but she may be bored with them if that went on every day. You only care about poems and songs, but Senior Sister has many things to do. You are so boring. If she follows you, wouldn¡¯t she be bored?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s tone changed very quickly. Word by word, he was praising Xie Qiao so much that she was going to float into the sky.


    Even though Xie Qiao was thick-skinned, at this moment, she could not help but want to cover her face.


    It was the first time Xiao Yurong had heard suchments.


    In the past, he only thought that he and his senior sister shared the same interests. Now that the Crown Prince said so¡­


    It seemed to make sense. His senior sister was unique. Even the usually picky master had never admitted that she had any ws. As for him¡­ even though he was good at poetry, he really did not know anything else.


    Thinking about it carefully, senior sister could perform divination and sculpt. Her sculpting skills were so good that she could be called a master. He only knew a little about the four arts. Compared to his senior sister, he was indeed¡­ far inferior to her!


    Xiao Yurong suddenly felt ashamed.


    He sighed and frowned slightly. ¡°Your Highness is right. I¡¯m not worthy of Senior Sister¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao buried her head.


    ¡®Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re making me shy.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re aware of that.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded, ¡°Senior Brother has great talent. You should focus on teaching and educating people. Remember what you said when you became a disciple? In this lifetime, you should support those poor students so that they have a chance to show their talent. You said that you want to be the best in the world. Now, it¡¯s better to fulfill your aspirations first. That¡¯s the thing you should focus on.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Yurong suddenly came to realization after hearing that?


    He even bowed his head and thanked him. ¡°I¡¯ll go back now. I¡¯ll give the students some homework first. Then, I¡¯ll enter the pce to copy the world map!¡±


    He was quite excited.


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard for Senior Brother to find such arge parchment. I happen to have a few with me. I¡¯ll get someone to send them to youter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Xiao Yurong thanked him again.


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded. Was it not too easy to fool Xiao Yurong?


    She could not even look at him.


    However, she knew that it was impossible for Xiao Yurong to have any undying feelings for her!


    She understood that it was all caused by her teacher¡¯s constant bragging and brainwashing. Fortunately, Xiao Yurong was very modest. Now that he was convinced that he was inferior to her, he probably would not have any hopes in the future.

 Chapter 696 - Would Never Expose Herself

    <h4>Chapter 696: Would Never Expose Herself</h4>


    However, Xie Qiao felt bad for bullying Xiao Yurong like this.


    He was the most talented person among the younger generation. To be honest, she might not be able to surpass Xiao Yurong if they were topete in literature.


    The things she learned wereplicated, and her energy was limited. Her calligraphy, painting, and carving skills were good indeed, and her poems and songs were passable. However, if she were to take the imperial examination, she would definitely not be able topete with Xiao Yurong.


    Now, Xiao Yurong had left.


    ¡°Are schrs usually so single-minded?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but mutter.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao is indeed a little naive. He has been obsessed with teaching the disciples of the academy all these years. In other aspects, he has always been a little inadequate.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xiao Yurong¡¯s back and was in deep thoughts.


    He did not know how long Xie Qiao¡¯s identity would be hidden.


    It was easy to deceive Xiao Yurong, but the other junior brothers¡­


    It would be quite troublesome.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Xie Qiao suddenly remembered the m beads in her hand. Seeing that no one nearby could hear her, she took them out and said, ¡°The Empress was carrying this string of m beads with her. It¡¯s an evil instrument. It¡¯s terrible for her health if she carries it for a long time. I want to cleanse it.¡±


    Although she was no longer Master Mo, Zhao Xuanjing knew her abilities as Half-immortal Xie. Xie Qiao did not have to worry when she said that.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at the m beads in surprise and frowned. ¡°Mother¡¯s health iscking because of this thing?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± Xie Qiao nodded, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s better to send a message to the Gu family. Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with the ancestral grave too. It¡¯s too far away from me¡­ I¡¯m afraid my Senior Aunty doesn¡¯t have time to go, but she can get my master Mo Lingzi to help. Of course, if the Gu family has a great Taoist master with a good character, that¡¯s fine too.¡±


    ¡°Although you and I are family, I still have to thank you for this. Qiao¡¯er, if it weren¡¯t for you, my mother would probably be in deep trouble.¡± Zhao Xuanjing stared at her in all seriousness. His brows were like cold clouds in the distant mountains, and his eyes were like cold stars. He made Xie Qiao ufortable.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, you¡¯re wee. We¡¯re family.¡± Xie Qiao chuckled.


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­ Qiao¡¯er, you¡¯ve really helped me a lot. In the past, you were also the one who changed the feng shui of my East Pce. Also, you¡¯ve performed divination many times to help me solve cases. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at her and said.


    He felt that he had said it clearly enough.


    The word ¡°solve¡± was also an obvious hint.


    However, Xie Qiao had thought of the Zhou family¡¯s big case. At that time, she had indeed used Xie Qiao¡¯s identity to help the Crown Prince.


    Indeed, the two identities of hers were the two important people that the Crown Prince could not leave.


    Xie Qiao actually felt guilty. She had also suspected that she had been exposed, but¡­ if nobody pointed it out, it meant that there was no problem with her identity!


    It would never expose herself.


    Moreover, Zhao Xuanjing had been quite obedient to Master Motely, so she thought maybe she was overthinking it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. We Taoist masters have to umte good karma for ourselves,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness. ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re mine from now on. If you¡¯re good, then I¡¯m good.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing did not know whether tough or cry when he heard these bold and unrestrained words.


    While the two were chatting, many people nearby looked over.


    The Fourth Prince initially wanted toe over and talk to Dong Xiyun so that they could get to know each other better. When they get married in the future, their rtionship will be better.


    However, as soon as he said a few words, Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes would be fixed on his eldest brother or Young Lady Xie, making him feel a little embarrassed.


    ¡°I heard that Young Lady Dong has a younger sister. Why didn¡¯t you bring her here today?¡± The Fourth Prince was bored and asked casually, hoping to divert Dong Xiyun¡¯s attention.


    ¡°She¡¯s sick.¡±


    Dong Xiyun was smiling at the Fourth Prince, but when he saw Xie Qiao smiling like a flower, her face tightened and she tightened her grip on her handkerchief.

 Chapter 697 - Fox Wagging Its Tail

    <h4>Chapter 697: Fox Wagging Its Tail</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Fourth Prince was very helpless. Even though he had always been a good-natured person, he could not help but say, ¡°It seems Young Lady Dong is feeling a little ufortable. Sit and rest well. I¡¯m a little tired.¡±


    With that, he flicked his sleeves and left.


    Dong Xiyun was stunned for a moment, then her face turned red.


    The Fourth Prince actually left her?!


    The Crown Prince was still staying by Xie Qiao¡¯s side!


    Inparison, did that mean not that she was not as likable as Xie Qiao?!


    Dong Xiyun was a little flustered. However, after so many years of being reserved, she could not bring herself to chase the Fourth Prince. Yet, she could not put on an aggrieved look, so she could only try her best to force a smile.


    When someone stared at her, she smiled magnanimously. ¡°The Fourth Prince has something to do in the pce, so he¡¯ll leave first. However, the Fourth Prince is really more gentle and amiable than the rumors say. He even said that he would invite me to the West Wind Pavilion in the capital to watch the fireworks next time.¡±


    The girl who identally nced at Dong Xiyun was a little dumbfounded.


    What did it have to do with her?


    Dong Xiyun maintained her gentleness. After a while, she unwillingly went over to Xie Qiao¡¯s side.


    The Crown Prince smelled the faint fragrance on Xie Qiao¡¯s ck hair. Just when he was feeling happy, he heard Dong Xiyun suddenly appear and say, ¡°Young Lady Xie, let¡¯s go outside and look at the peonies together...¡±


    The Crown Prince was speechless.


    Xie Qiao was speechless.


    Both of them had an innocent look on their faces.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s face turned even grimmer. Did this woman¡¯s eyes grow on the soles of her feet? Could she not read the room at all?


    ¡°A beauty will make the flowers shy, and an ugly woman needs flowers to hide her ugliness. Should the flowers bloom or not that the two of you are going to look at the flowers together?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was deep. He did not hide his displeasure at all. He nced at Dong Xiyun with disgust.


    Dong Xiyun was stunned by the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    Those words repeated in her mind.


    When she came to her senses, her entire face was flushed red, and the humiliation was even worse!


    The Crown Prince meant that Xie Qiao was that beauty, so if she went to look at the flowers, the flowers would be shy?! Meanwhile, she could only cover her face with the flowers?!


    Xie Qiao could not help but chuckle.


    She did not expect Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth to be so vicious.


    ¡°Your Highness...¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s voice trembled. H-How could he bully her like this?


    What did she do wrong?


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, you can leave. Since the Fourth Prince isn¡¯t around, no one will look at your mboyant manner, like a fox wagging its tail.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing naturally knew that Xie Qiao disliked Dong Xiyun.


    In order to make his stance clear, every word pierced Dong Xiyun¡¯s heart.


    Xie Qiao silently gave him a thumbs up.


    Dong Xiyun stomped her feet, and she ran away with the handkerchief covering her nose. She probably could not hold back her grievance anymore and wanted to find a ce to cry.


    Not long after Dong Xiyun left, there was suddenly amotion outside.


    Xie Qiao looked around, but she did not see Xie Xi. She was worried, so she quickly went out to take a look.


    There were all kinds of flowers outside the pce banquet today. At this time of the year, the fragrance lingered and it was very pleasant to smell.


    In the garden full of flowers, a group of youngdies looked at this ce in bewilderment. They were all very frightened.


    Xie Qiao only saw Xie Xi standing there with a pale face, looking very scared.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± Xie Qiao looked nervous and then looked around.


    Fang Muxue felt very guilty. ¡°I think she¡¯s startled. We were looking at the flowers just now and did not expect a hairy spider to suddenly appear from the flowers. It was quite big and almost bit Little Sister Xi¡¯er.. Fortunately, Young Lady Yan was quick and stomped the spider to death.¡±

 Chapter 698 - The Smell is Off

    <h4>Chapter 698: The Smell is Off</h4>


    Xie Qiao was very worried when she heard that. She firstforted Xie Xi, then she thanked Young Lady Yan profusely.


    Coincidentally, Young Lady Yan¡¯s father¡­


    Was the imperial court¡¯s imperial censor who loved toin about the Crown Prince and the Xie family.


    Young Lady Yan was also very scared. ¡°Young Lady Xie, you don¡¯t have to thank me. Just now, Young Lady Fang didn¡¯t see it from behind. If she had seen it first, her reaction would definitely have been faster than mine¡­ These creatures are the most difficult to guard against. Now that the weather is hot, it¡¯s even more difficult to avoid them.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    That was right. When the weather was hot, these rich youngdies would usually bring fragrance sachets with them when they went out. They would put some medicinal herbs in them for the fragrance, as well as for the purpose of avoiding these insects.


    Even their clothes were smothered with some insect-repellent spices.


    A spider suddenly appeared¡­


    Either someone was scheming, or her silly sister¡¯s luck was probably terrible.


    It was hard to tell one¡¯s luck. For instance, for some people, if they were lucky, they could find silver just by walking around. However, if one was unlucky, they would choke even when they drank water.


    ¡°I still have to thank you. This spider¡­¡± Xie Qiao nced at the spider on the ground. It was so scary that no one dared to look at it again. Xie Qiao did not believe that it was not poisonous. ¡°This spider should be poisonous. Young Lady Yan saved my sister. I will remember this favor and repay you in the future.¡±


    Young Lady Yan was embarrassed.


    Her father always said that bandits were bandits and officials were officials. He said that Xie Niushan was reckless and he always did not get along with the Xie family.


    He also said that the Crown Prince was crippled. No matter how capable he was, they would not allow a crippled person to ascend the throne. Therefore, he often targeted the Crown Prince.


    Hence, her father was often punished by the Emperor for his sry.


    Her father¡¯s sry was even forfeited after five years.


    Therefore, logically speaking, she should not have any good feelings toward the Crown Prince and Young Lady Xie. However, when she saw Young Lady Xie today, she was truly astounded.


    The reason why she was able to save Xie Xi in time was mainly because Xie Xi was adorable. She even wanted to go up and talk to Young Lady Xie, so¡­ she took a few more nces.


    She did not expect to have saved her.


    The flowers and nts in the pce were all taken care of by the gardeners. Since there was a flower feast today, they naturally had to do pest control. Now that something like this had happened, the gardeners in the Imperial Household Department would probably be punished as well.


    Xie Qiao suddenly reached out to touch the soil and sniffed it.


    ¡°The smell is off.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was indifferent.


    ¡°Call the gardeners over,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said directly.


    Everyone looked at each other in confusion.


    However, the gardeners were waiting nearby for the convenience of taking care of the flowers and nts. Now that the Crown Prince had summoned them, they all knelt down.


    There were seven or eight gardeners.


    However, Xie Qiao stared at two of them.


    Those two¡­


    There were ghouls on their bodies, and those ghouls looked very scary. Their hair was messy, and their faces were mostly sickly. Their eyes were dark red. They were lingering. They seemed to want to bite the two gardeners to death.


    ¡°The rest of you, go back to the hall,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    With that said, all of the youngdies left obediently, feeling a little uneasy.


    ¡®This Young Lady Xie¡­ Could it be that she wants to punish the gardeners severely because her sister was almost bitten by a spider?¡¯ Some people secretly guessed.


    If that was the case, it would be too much. Although the gardeners were somewhat negligent, it was normal for there to be bugs in the nts.


    Xie Qiao suddenly pointed at two of the gardeners and said, ¡°You two stay here. The rest can go on with your day.¡±

 Chapter 699 - Bone Powder

    <h4>Chapter 699: Bone Powder</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    With Zhao Xuanjing backing her up, Xie Qiao did not hold back when she ordered others around.


    The other gardeners heaved a sigh of relief and quickly retreated.


    The two gardeners who had ghouls on their bodies lowered their heads.


    ¡°Kill them! Kill them! Grind their bones into powder! Tear them into pieces!¡± The ghoul bared her teeth and hovered around the gardener.


    Xie Qiao nced at the ghoul indifferently, then said to the gardener, ¡°Why are you using human bone powder to fertilize the flowers?¡±


    As soon as she said that, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze turned sharp, and the two gardeners trembled.


    The floating ghoul rushed to Xie Qiao as if it had found its savior. ¡°They agreed to send us out of the pce after we died, but they seized our bodies! They even burned and ground them into ashes in the side pce!¡±


    Xie Qiao heard these words, but she could not respond directly.


    If the pce maids and eunuchs died, they would be brought out of the pce and buried, and they would inform their families.


    Using human bones as fertilizer was something that the previous dynasty¡¯s ruler had done.


    That was why Zhao Xuanjing looked so angry.


    ¡°Young Lady, you are wise! We didn¡¯t do it!¡± The two people immediately knelt down and cried.


    Xie Qiao had dealt with too many ghouls. Since she was young, she had dug up countless bones of the wandering ghouls. She had seen them all, whether they were broken or intact.


    She was born with an amazing intuition toward the ce where the bones were buried.


    That was why when she touched the soil just now, she felt flustered and ufortable all over. That was why she wanted to see the gardener.


    ¡°They¡¯re at fault! They¡¯re responsible for watering and fertilizing the peonies here. The Empress Dowager likes this flower, and so does the old hag in the side pce. That¡¯s why they used bone powder to water it, so that the flowers will bloom better!¡± The ghoul could not help but mutter in front of Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Who is the old hag?¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and asked.


    Her voice was very soft. Even the gardener did not hear it clearly, but the ghoul did.


    She looked at her in shock, her expression was like seeing hope in despair. ¡°Yes, the great consort! Great Consort Mei, she¡¯s an evil person. She¡¯s very old and especially likes to torture young pce maids. When I was alive, I was in her pce. She usually wouldn¡¯t torture people to death, but I was unlucky. I was sick at that time and my body was weak, so I couldn¡¯t escape... I thought that after I died, I could return home, but I didn¡¯t expect that they would take my bones! The old great consort knew that! She especially likes peonies. All the peonies in her courtyard are fertilized with bone powder!


    ¡°Also, the old great consort also raised a dog! The dog¡¯s daily food is mixed with bone powder! The old great consort herself would o-asionally eat pastries with bone powder...¡±


    What the ghoul said scared Xie Qiao out of her wits.


    As far as she knew, flowers like peonies and begonias would grow better if they were fertilized with animal bone powder. In addition, the animal bones could indeed be used as fodder¡­


    However, they were to be used sparingly.


    Especially in this era, the most important thing was to be buried safely. Very few people would choose to be cremated, not to mention... nting the bone powder into flowers or letting the animals eat it¡­


    This matter came from the pce, so it was inappropriae for an outsider like her to interfere.


    Zhao Xuanjing lowered his head and she exined the situation in detail into his ear.


    After Zhao Xuanjing heard it, he was disgusted.


    Great Consort Mei?


    The rtionship between the imperial grandfather and the empress dowager was great, but he was the Emperor after all. When he was alive, he also had some concubines, so there was no such thing as being buried together with the Emperor. Therefore, after thete Emperor passed away, some of the concubines were sent to the temple for cultivation, and some were sent back home.


    There were not many great consorts left in the pce.

 Chapter 700 - The Life of A Servant

    <h4>Chapter 700: The Life of A Servant</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and immediately sent someone to investigate the identity of this Great Consort Mei. Then, he tied up the two gardeners.


    In the hall, the youngdies were quite concerned about what was happening outside.


    ¡°Sigh, the gardeners are quite innocent. If they¡¯re punished because of this, it seems a bit unreasonable. Should we ask Young Lady Xie for mercyter?¡± Someone could not help but ask.


    Then, they all looked at Xie Xi.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, the spider didn¡¯t bite you after all. What do you think?¡± Dong Xiyun looked at Xie Xi with a smile, her face full of concern and kindness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to my elder sister.¡± Xie Xi was quite determined.


    She was already 13 years old. She knew many things.


    It was just that she did not like to talk about it.


    ¡°Your elder sister dotes on you, so she insisted on making a decision for you. But think about it, if the gardeners are killed because of this, your reputation would be terrible, right? Besides, the gardeners really work hard. Didn¡¯t you see the callus and soil in their hands just now? This is all to let us admire such beautiful flowers, that¡¯s how they got into trouble. Second Young Lady Xie, you are the daughter of an official, so you are generous and magnanimous. You should forgive them a little, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Dong Xiyun said to Xie Xi.


    When Fang Muxue heard that, sheughed. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. If you were the one who was bitten, you would want to kill them more than anyone else.¡±


    Today, Qin Liu, who had the best rtionship with Xie Qiao, was not around. After all, her status was not high enough.


    That was why Fang Muxue, who was on Xie Qiao¡¯s side, had to protect her dignity. How could she let Dong Xiyun bully Xie Xi?


    Feng Shuangshuang also spoke, ¡°Young Lady Dong, you¡¯re magnanimous. Don¡¯t make Xie Xi beg. When the Crown Princeester, why don¡¯t you talk to him?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be clear. These gardeners aren¡¯t from our residences. If they identally did something wrong, they would be forgiven. However, they serve the nobles. I heard that the nobles in the pce love flowers and nts and admire them every day. If they are usually so careless and don¡¯t check carefully, they will hurt the nobles. What should they do? In my opinion, it is indeed a severe punishment.¡± The other youngdy could not help but express her opinion.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an asional omission. Xie Xi is fine as well. They will definitely remember it in the future and will be grateful to the Crown Prince for sparing their lives. However, if they don¡¯t let go, won¡¯t others think that the Crown Prince is too harsh?¡± Dong Xiyun also had her reasons.


    She did not want to let go of Xie Xi. ¡°Second Young Lady Xie, say something!¡±


    ¡°If you make a mistake, you will be punished. It¡¯s not up to you how they will be punished,¡± Xie Xi said word by word. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t care about this. My nose isn¡¯t long enough.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Fang Muxue could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Young Lady Dong. Aren¡¯t you poking your nose a little too far? In the imperial pce, what right do you have to ask how the Crown Prince wants to punish the gardener? First Young Lady Xie is the future Princess Consort appointed by the Emperor. While you... the Fourth Prince is about to leave the pce to build a residence. In the future, you will also have to live outside. This is not your home,¡± Fang Muxue said with a smile.


    The East Pce of the Crown Prince was in the imperial city.


    No matter how many people thought that the Crown Prince could not ascend the throne, as long as he was the Crown Prince, he had the right to decide the life and death of all the servants in the imperial city!


    There was nothing wrong with a light or a heavy punishment!


    ¡°Y-You are really cold-blooded.. Although it is not our business, should we just let it happen before our eyes?!¡± As she said that, Dong Xiyun revealed a disappointed look. ¡°Isn¡¯t the life of a servant not worthy?¡±

 Chapter 701 - The Old Witch

    <h4>Chapter 701: The Old Witch</h4>


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s words won the approval of a few kind-hearteddies.


    The gardeners definitely had to be punished.


    It would be fine if they were punished lightly and learned their lesson. However, they did not approve of Young Lady Xie making the Crown Prince act in such a serious manner.


    She was already so heartless even before she became the Princess Consort. If she really became the Princess Consort or even the Empress in the future, then the pce maids and eunuchs would probably have to be very careful even when they were breathing.


    Fang Muxue and the others could not help but cast a disdainful nce at Dong Xiyun.


    Thinking back to the past, they were very impressed by Dong Xiyun¡¯s talent and character. However, after understanding her a little, they realized that this person was really vicious!


    The reason why they said this was because¡­ of the incident with Xia Yayun a few days ago.


    Xia Yayun was locked up in prison. She was heard wailing all day long, saying that Dong Xiyun had harmed her.


    The Peony Courtyard thought it was Xia Yayun who had ndered Dong Xiyun, but the people of Orchid Courtyard¡­


    Back then, they had been close to Xia Yayun, so they naturally knew why Xia Yayun had repeatedly targeted Xie Qiao. They also knew that Xia Yayun had listened to every word Dong Xiyun said!


    If Dong Xiyun had really not wronged her, Xia Yayun would definitely not have been so desperate and unwilling!


    Therefore, now that they saw Dong Xiyun pretending to be kind, they only felt disgusted and sick!


    Zhao Xuanjing sent someone to investigate Great Consort Mei. It did not take long for them to figure out Great Consort Mei¡¯s situation.


    ¡°When thete emperor was alive, she was conferred the title of Great Consort Mei and gave birth to a princess. Unfortunately, she died of an illness. Before thete Emperor passed away, he had given her the youngest prince to take care of for a few months. Therefore, because of that, this person was not sent to a temple or sent home. Instead, she stayed in the pce to retire,¡± Zhao Xuanjing exined to Xie Qiao.


    There was not muchpetition in the harem of the current dynasty.


    The harem of the sessive emperors was not abundant. Compared to the previous dynasty, it was considered a clean stream.


    As a result, there were not many fights in the harem. Most of the concubines did not break any taboos and were able to stand out in the end.


    In the harem, there were still a few great consorts that could be considered as great consorts. Empress Dowager Jiang¡¯s health wascking, and she respected these great consorts very much. The great consorts actually lived quite harmoniously.


    In addition, Prince Rong, who had been raised by Great Consort Mei for a few months, took his birth mother, who was not of high status, to the fief. However, he treated this adoptive mother whom he was somewhat grateful of well. He would send gifts to her every year.


    ¡°Great Consort Mei is the best-looking of all the great consorts of thete Emperor,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added after thinking for a while.


    Of course, he had never seen her before.


    After all, she was the imperial grandfather¡¯s concubine.


    He was born not long after his father ascended the throne. As the Crown Prince, indeed, he would not see those concubines.


    At this moment, the ghoul whispered in Xie Qiao¡¯s ear, ¡°She often criticizes Prince Rong in the pce! She says that Prince Rong is heartless and brought that lowly birth mother back to the fief, but left her in the pce. She dotes on him for nothing!


    ¡°She is especially concerned about her own dignity and often says that thete Emperor doesn¡¯t like that ugly woman, the Empress Dowager¡­


    ¡°If you can hear me, quickly get the Crown Prince to lock her up! She¡¯s an old witch!¡±


    The ghoul was so anxious that it wished it could turn into Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao thought it was noisy.


    When a living person spoke, one would have to pay attention to etiquette.


    A dead person was different. Usually, when a dead person discovered that she could see a ghoul, they would speak in a hurry. Almost every single one of them did not even breathe when they spoke. They would just blurt out words one after another. When she listened, she felt that she was going to lose her temper.

 Chapter 702 - If the Enemy Did Not Move, She Would Not Move

    <h4>Chapter 702: If the Enemy Did Not Move, She Would Not Move</h4>


    However, as these ghouls had no way to ask for help, they were nervous because they had her as their life-saving straw. Xie Qiao could not be angry at them.


    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to say anymore,¡± Xie Qiao reminded them. Then, she looked at the Crown Prince and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble the Crown Prince to check. After the pce maids enter the pce, they¡¯re often homesick. After they die, they¡¯d also hope to have their souls return to their hometown.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already asked Mother to get Great Consort Mei,¡± Zhao Xuanjing was easy to talk to. ¡°It¡¯s just that you and Master Mo both care about the wishes of the ghouls.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing reminded her again.


    Xie Qiao nodded in all seriousness. ¡°That¡¯s right. We cultivators have to work hard to umte good karma for ourselves.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s body stiffened. What else could he say?


    Xie Qiao was so smart, yet she had to y dumb on this matter¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at her and then went to the Empress.


    As soon as he left, Xie Qiao¡¯s little hands rubbed nervously in secret.


    Zhao Xuanjing was probably testing her?!


    If he already knew about this, it made no sense that he did not expose her? As a junior brother, how could he not want to hold his head up high and let her senior sister, who was so young, fallpletely and that she could not put on airs in the future?


    Xie Qiao secretly guessed. Although her heart was in a mess, she did not show it on her face.


    If the enemy did not move, she would not move.


    She faked a cough and straightened her back. There was no trace of guilt on her calm face. She returned to the main hall where all the nobledies were.


    As soon as she appeared, there was sudden silence. Everyone looked over.


    After she sat down, Dong Xiyun asked, ¡°Young Lady Xie, how are you going to deal with those gardeners?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment. ¡°They will probably be beaten to death, right?¡±


    They had turned the bones that were supposed to be sent out of the pce into powder and even sent it to Grat Consort Mei. They had even used it to make fertilizer. When the Empress or Empress Dowager found out about that, they would definitely feel disgusted. How could they let them go?!


    ¡°Beaten to death?!¡± When the others heard that, they sucked in a breath of cold air.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, isn¡¯t this a bit too much? It¡¯s just a spider. How can you make such a big deal out of it?! Those are human lives, don¡¯t you feel any pity at all?¡± Dong Xiyun did not expect Xie Qiao to be so straightforward, but she was secretly delighted.


    This future Princess Consort looked down on human lives. If this news were to spread, she would definitely have a horrible reputation.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that two of them havemitted crimes. It¡¯s not too much to punish them like this. This isn¡¯t the only crime they¡¯vemitted. If they were sentenced to death directly, it would be letting them off too easily.¡±


    What was the meaning of ¡°the deceased are important¡±?


    No matter what era it was, corpses had to be treated with respect and kindness!


    Even in an ordinary small county, there would be specialized morgues that ced the corpses of people who could not find their family members. There were even specialized corpse carriers in many ces that brought people who had died in foreignnds back to their hometowns to be buried!


    Now that such a thing had happened in the imperial pce, if they did not punish them severely, people would lose their faith.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment, and when she saw the puzzled and worried looks of those youngdies, she said, ¡°They are so audacious that they actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, are you trying to say that they deliberately put this bug in the flower to harm your sister?¡± Before Xie Qiao could finish speaking, Dong Xiyun asked aggressively, ¡°Your younger sister is just a little girl who hasn¡¯t reached the age of marriage, why would the gardeners do that? You just want to press charges on them, right? If we go to such great lengths for such a small matter, Young Lady Xie¡¯s breadth of mind really scares us.¡±


    Xie Qiao was going to tell them the truth.


    However, now, she simply smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. My breadth of mind is so narrow. Young Lady Dong, you have a big breadth of mind. When they are going to be beaten to deathter, don¡¯t forget to rush to them to save their lives.¡±

 Chapter 703 - You’re Not Worthy

    <h4>Chapter 703: You¡¯re Not Worthy</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was calm and she did not feel guilty at all.


    Fang Muxue and the others were firmly on Xie Qiao¡¯s side. Now, no matter how the people around them looked at Xie Qiao withplicated gazes, they still did not feel that there was anything wrong with her.


    They would go to the Xie Residence to study together a few days every month. How could they not know what kind of person Xie Qiao was?!


    The servants of the Xie family had a pretty good life!


    Take Chun Er for instance. Xie Qiao almost treated that youngdy like her younger sister. If there was anything good, she would always include her!


    Could Xie Qiao really be someone who looked down on human lives?!


    There must be a reason why she wanted death for the gardeners!


    Dong Xiyun had a chance to pretend to be a good person now. The expression on her face was like that of a benevolent bodhisattva, and her eyes were red.


    She had always been very good at coaxing people. She got several youngdies toe up to her andfort her. She had even made up her mind that she would request to see the Empresster and let the Empress decide!


    The Empress was merciful and would definitely not be so heartless.


    At that moment, the Empress was sitting in the middle of the pce.


    Empress Dowager Jiang¡¯s responsibility had long been excused. The Empress made all the decisions in the pce, no matter big or small.


    Great Consort Mei was almost sixty years old, but her hair was jet ck and there were not many wrinkles on her face. She looked like she was about the same age as the Empress.


    Great Consort Mei had stayed in the pce for many years, and the Empress had only seen her by chance.


    Thinking about it carefully, every time she saw Great Consort Mei over the years, this person did not seem to have changed much.


    The Empress did not know much at this moment.


    As soon as Great Consort Mei walked out of her pce, Zhao Xuanjing ordered people to search her pce.


    ¡°Bring the items up,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said directly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuchs outside carried many things out.


    Among them were red and white jars. They were big, and it was unknown what was in them. There were also some simple bottles and jars, which were said to be blocks sealed with beeswax.


    They all looked quite strange.


    Upon seeing these things, Great Consort Mei¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Why did the Empress have people touch my things?! Haven¡¯t I been well-behaved in the pce all these years?! Why did you humiliate me like this? If I had known this would happen, I would have followed thete emperor back then!¡±


    The Empress was troubled by these words.


    She rubbed between her brows and said as she looked at the Crown Prince, ¡°Is she breaking the pce rules to be owning these items?¡±


    It must be so. Otherwise, her son would not be so ostentatious.


    However, she was also curious about what these things were that made the indifferent Crown Prince take them so seriously and bring them out directly which was humiliating to Great Consort Mei.


    ¡°Back then, thete emperor pitied you and was worried that you would suffer if you went to the imperial temple to cultivate, so he asked you to take care of Prince Rong. He thought that Prince Rong would take care of you for the rest of your life, right?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked coldly with a cold expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Great Consort Mei¡¯s eyes were also cold and aloof.


    At that time, that was what thete emperor thought. If Prince Rong was in the capital, her life would be good indeed!


    However, Prince Rong and his uncle rode on horses on the streets and trampled people to death!


    The Emperor was furious. He sentenced the uncle to death and chased Prince Rong away, changing his fiefdom into an extremely remote and cold ce!


    She thought it would be torturous to live in that ce. Moreover, Prince Rong had to take care of his lowly birth mother. If she really went to the fiefdom with them, would she have a good life?


    Therefore, she stayed!


    ¡°Thete emperor was kind to you, but you¡¯re not worthy,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said coldly. ¡°Imperial physician,e in and check these things carefully!¡±

 Chapter 704 - What Are You Using it For?

    <h4>Chapter 704: What Are You Using it For?</h4>


    Great Consort Mei was very nervous. The three imperial physicians were already waiting. They thought that something had happened to the Empress¡¯ health. They did not expect that they were here to help the Crown Prince investigate something.


    They obediently squatted down to take a look.


    The things in the tworge jars¡­


    The three imperial physicians took a sniff one by one, and their hands trembled.


    Then they went to look at the small items.


    After about 15 minutes, the three imperial physicians knelt down and said, ¡°Your Highness, it should be bone powder in this white jar. However, whether it¡¯s human bone or animal bone, we¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±


    Animal?


    How many animals could there be in such a huge pce? How could she make such a big jar?


    Or did she get the eunuchs to buy the animals?


    ¡°Inside the red jar is processed centa. As for the other things¡­ This is deer centa powder. This is a beauty prescription made from peaches and ck chicken blood. Other than these¡­ Most of them are used to enhance one¡¯s beauty.¡± The imperial physician felt dry in his mouth.


    Beauty-enhancing was not a big deal, but these things were a little gory.


    There was no need to mention the centa. The imperial pharmacy had it as well, but one should not consume it as they wished if the physician did not prescribe it.


    One would not use much of the deer centa powder either.


    The entire uterus that was taken out from the pregnant doe included the formed fawn, along with the centa and amniotic fluid. It was soaked in wine, reshaped, baked, and dried. Finally, it had to be fried and ground into powder.


    It was a great thing, but it was exhausting to process and cruel to the animals. Even if it could be reced with other medicinal herbs, it was rarely used as well.


    The Empress frowned. Hearing this, she thought the thing in the white jar was somethingplicated.


    ¡°Great Consort Mei, what exactly is this thing that¡¯s ground into bone powder?¡± The Empress asked.


    Great Consort Mei¡¯s expression remained the same. ¡°It¡¯s just some crushed chicken and duck bones a young eunuch bought outside. There are many peonies in my pce, and they are used to make fertilizer. It¡¯s best to use them.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing sneered and had someone drag the two gardeners in.


    The gardeners¡¯ hands had already been mped, and they were glistening with blood.


    ¡°Tell us, where did Great Consort¡¯s bone powdere from?!¡± Zhao Xuanjing snorted coldly.


    The two gardeners quivered, everything came out. ¡°I-It¡¯s the bone powder of the pce maids! We have been wronged. Great Consort asked us to tend to the peonies. She said that the peonies did not look good and gave us a lot of money to buy the corpses from the chief in charge of collecting the corpses!


    ¡°T-The stove used to burn the corpse is in the plum blossom forest behind the Great Consort¡¯s pce!¡± The gardener quickly added.


    After the Emperor ascended the throne, these great consorts had to move away from their former residence.


    The ce where they lived was very far from the main pce. However, because Great Consort Mei had been favored in the past and was known for being aloof and elegant, Empress Dowager Jiang decided to give her a good pce.


    The pce was big, and there was arge patch of plum blossom forest behind it for her to enjoy the scenery.


    When the gardener said that, the Empress was shocked. ¡°You actually hid the ashes of dead people?! What are you using it for?!¡±


    ¡°Mother, please calm down. I still have something to report.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were worried. He calmed down and said, ¡°I¡¯ve found out that ever since these two people used bone powder to fertilize the peonies in Great Consort Mei¡¯s pce, they have gone out of control and colluded with the chambein. In the past few years, the bones of those pce maids who were further away from their hometown have almost been hidden by them. In addition, they also bought a lot of animal bone powder from outside¡­ These bone powder were used on the peonies they were responsible for, including the ones that the nobledies were looking at today¡­¡±

 Chapter 705 - Flowers Would Look Good After Consuming it

    Chapter 705: Flowers Would Look Good After Consuming it


    These two had nted the peonies exceptionally well, so they had received many rewards from the various pces.


    However, when the Empress heard these words now, she was truly disgusted. When she thought of those peonies outside, her entire body felt ufortable.


    There were actually human bones in there!


    The Empress¡¯s expression was extremely unsightly. ¡°Take them out. Those who don¡¯t report what they know will be beaten to death!¡±


    She had always been lenient toward the pce servants, but who could tolerate this?


    Not to mention the Empress, even Imperial Concubine Meng, who had been quiet by the side, was in a bad mood. After a while, she covered her mouth and was about to vomit. The Empress hurriedly ordered someone to bring a spittoon over.


    Imperial Concubine Meng was an extremely amiable person. The few concubines in the pce were all carefully selected. The Emperor thought Imperial Concubine Meng was the most amiable person and did not fight over her. That was why he gave her such a high position to assist the Empress in managing the matters in the pce.


    Imperial Concubine Meng did not have any other hobbies, but she liked flowers and nts.


    At this time of year, the peonies were blooming beautifully. Naturally, she would look at them often.


    It was inevitable that she would have to sniff at the tip of her nose. Every morning, the pce maids would go to the flowers to gather morning dew to brew tea. Even when she was bathing, she sometimes soaked the petals in the water¡­


    Thinking of this, she really¡­ could not withstand the disgusting feeling!


    The two gardeners were dragged out, and Great Consort Mei¡¯s body became weak.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at her hair, which was too lustrous for her age. He walked up and gently pulled it¡­


    It was a wig.


    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t touch my hair!¡± Great Consort Mei hurriedly covered her head.


    He looked at her hair. Itwas a bit bald, and it looked very scary.


    Before Imperial Concubine Meng finished vomiting, she raised her head and saw that Great Consort Mei¡¯s hair was fake. She felt terrible.


    The Empress looked at Imperial Concubine Meng with heartache. ¡°You should go back to the pce and rest. This horrible thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank You, Your Highness, but¡­ now¡­ If I don¡¯t get to the bottom of this, my imagination will run wild when I return. I will feel even worse¡­ Ugh!¡± Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s face turned green.


    The Empress thought about it and agreed.


    Great Consort Mei did not expect herself to be in such a sorry state.


    ¡°If you want to keep your life, why don¡¯t you tell me everything in detail? Where did you get this hair? Did you shave it off from a living person? Also, exin these things! Great Consort Mei, the Empress Dowager and I have treated you well. If you¡¯re sick, why don¡¯t you go to the imperial physician? Why do you have to use these things?!¡± The Empress did not even dare to look at the things on the ground.


    Great Consort Mei removed her hands from her head and discovered that her hair had fallen out again.


    She suddenly broke down and red at the Empress. ¡°What do you know?! Thete emperor used to say that my hair was the most beautiful! Every time he had something troubling him, he woulde to my pce. He would praise me for my talent, my clean appearance, and howfortable I made him feel! But now I¡¯ve be like this!


    ¡°I¡¯m old, my skin is loose, and my eyes will lose their luster. I just got people to send things over to brighten up my face. What¡¯s wrong with that?! It¡¯s just bone powder. Flowers would look good after consuming it, so can I!


    The Empress was a little confused.


    Was this person the same as flowers?


    ¡°You¡¯re old too. Look, just like the fallen leaves in autumn. With a slight touch of this face, it¡¯s wrinkled beyond recognition¡­¡± Great Consort Mei was a little bewitched.


    The Empress shook her head.


    Who could remain young forever?


    With her current state, it was impossible for her to get a clear answer. Thus, she called the granny who served her over.


    There was no need to force her. The other party had confessed honestly.


    About ten years ago, Great Consort Mei suddenly began to lose her hair. It was very severe, and she had asked the imperial physician to prescribe some medicine. However, she was old after all, so it was ineffective.

 Chapter 706 - Spare Their Lives

    <h4>Chapter 706: Spare Their Lives</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Later on, Great Consort Mei was obsessed with using all kinds of flowers to make herself more fragrant and beautiful. However, sheined that the flowers did not grow well.


    When she learned that the previous dynasty used bone powder to make fertilizer for flowers, she used it too.


    By now, it had been about six or seven years.


    In the beginning, she got the eunuchs that she was close with to look for bone powder. However, it was difficult to find that, so they had plotted against the pce maids.


    There were also many pce maids present.


    Now that they heard these words, they hated Great Consort Mei to death.


    As pce maids, they could leave the pce at the age of 25, but if they could not leave the pce, they would be stewards or babysitters.


    If there was an ident, they would indeed die in the pce. In order to have someone to pray for them after death or for the sake of their next life, they would ask the eunuchs for help. They would make arrangements and find a better ce to bury them¡­


    Who would have thought that someone would not even spare a corpse!


    The Empress was furious. Now that the evidence was conclusive, she immediately asked someone to inform the Emperor of this matter.


    This Great Consort Mei was like an old demon. She was truly disgusting. It was impossible to keep her in the pce any longer. Even if such a person was sent to a temple, it would be an insult to the religion. This person had to be sentenced to death!


    The Empress¡¯ heart was filled with difort. She and Imperial Concubine Meng both felt like they had lost their appetite.


    At this moment, a pce maid came and said, ¡°Your Majesty, a fewdies want to see you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Empress was not interested at all.


    She did not even want to leave the main pce. As soon as she went out, she would see the flowers around¡­


    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s about the gardeners. They¡¯re making a lot of noise in the front. Manydies said that Young Lady Xie wants to punish the gardeners with a cane. They said it¡¯s too much,¡± the pce maid answered honestly.


    ¡°I was the one who gave the punishment. What does it have to do with Young Lady Xie?!¡± The Empress was furious.


    They were looking for trouble, right?!


    Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and said, ¡°Mother, it was Young Lady Xie who found out that there was something wrong with the soil. That¡¯s how she found out about this case. Before this, Young Lady Xie¡¯s sister was almost bitten by a poisonous bug in the flower.¡±


    The Empress understood when she heard that.


    Those noble girls probably thought that Young Lady Xie had asked the Crown Prince to punish the gardeners heavily in order to avenge her sister.


    The Empress sighed and looked at Imperial Concubine Meng. ¡°Imperial Concubine, do you want to go with me to take a look? There are many youngdies in the front. We would feel better if we looked at them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Imperial Concubine Meng rinsed her mouth. Now that the things had been removed, she felt a little better.


    At this moment, Dong Xiyun and the others were extremely arrogant.


    Not long after, they heard someone announce that the Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng hade. After bowing, several youngdies knelt down together.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we... dare to plead for the two gardeners. I hope that you will be magnanimous and spare their lives,¡± Dong Xiyun said.


    Imperial Concubine Meng looked at her future daughter-inw and felt a stifling feeling in her chest.


    She wanted to throw up.


    ¡°Those two have been sentenced to death. Their bodies should be cold by now. All of you, get up.¡± The Empress was listless.


    When Young Lady Dong and the others heard that, they were shocked.


    ¡°Your Majesty?! It was just a slight oversight. How could they be killed? I-Isn¡¯t Young Lady Xie making a big deal out of nothing?¡± Dong Xiyun was in disbelief. Her eyes were red. ¡°The gardeners are humans after all...¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Imperial Concubine Meng mmed the table.


    Dong Xiyun quivered.


    ¡°What do you know? The gardenersmitted a heinous crime. They actually used human bones to fertilize the nts. It¡¯s all thanks to Young Lady Xie¡¯s recognition! With this crime, it¡¯s not enough even if they¡¯re killed ten times!¡± Imperial Concubine Meng was upset, ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t happen, you shouldn¡¯t be involved in this matter. If you have so much free time, why don¡¯t you go back and embroider more flowers to cultivate your character?!¡±


    She was furious. Did they think that she could not tell this youngdy despised Xie Qiao?


    She just thought this youngdy was aggressive, so there was no need to argue with her!

 Chapter 707 - Sorry

    <h4>Chapter 707: Sorry</h4>


    Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s sudden rage frightened everyone, especially Dong Xiyun. Her heart sank, and her little face turned pale!


    What¡­ did the imperial concubine just say?!


    She asked her to go back and cultivate her character?!


    ¡°Please calm down, Your Highness. I was ignorant. I didn¡¯t know that those two hadmitted such a big crime. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have said such reckless things!¡± Dong Xiyun reacted very quickly. She remained kneeling and quickly said.


    Her voice was a little shaky, and she sounded very pitiful.


    The few youngdies who pleaded with her also reacted and quickly said, ¡°Your Highness, we didn¡¯t know the truth. Young Lady Xie didn¡¯t tell us that those two gardeners were s-so terrifying.¡±


    After saying this, they remembered what the imperial concubine said!


    Human bones¡­ as fertilizer?!


    So those charming flowers outside actually had the ashes of dead people in the soil?!


    Those two damned things!


    These youngdies were regretful now. They had really been muddle-headed. They had actually followed Young Lady Dong to plead for those people!


    Now, the Empress and the imperial concubine must have thought that they were fools who could not distinguish right from wrong!


    However, it was also because this Young Lady Xie¡­ was a little too much. She clearly knew why she had to punish those two, yet she did not tell them¡­


    Xie Qiao was not in a hurry either. She said slowly, ¡°Just now, when I returned to the pce, a few youngdies already criticized me. I wanted to exin, but halfway through my words, I was intercepted by Young Lady Dong. I¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao looked innocent and pitiful. ¡°Your Majesty, I wanted to tell them the truth several times, but they¡­ didn¡¯t listen. They said that I was vicious and cold-hearted, but I didn¡¯t have a chance to refute them. They insisted on asking for mercy¡­ I really can¡¯t say anything. I feel very wronged.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were watery and helpless.


    She even looked sad.


    Compared to Dong Xiyun¡¯s pitiful look, Xie Qiao¡¯s acting was better.


    Everyone could not help but recall the scene just now.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s body stiffened. She thought about it and recalled.


    Xie Qiao seemed to have¡­ wanted to say something indeed, but she did not take it to heart at that time and stopped her. If that was the case, did Xie Qiao want to say that the two gardeners had done evil things?


    Dong Xiyun suddenly felt as if she had swallowed bird poop.


    ¡°Your Highness, I can testify that Young Lady Xie really wanted to exin, but Young Lady Dong didn¡¯t give her a chance. Young Lady Xie was wrongfully used of being a cold-blooded person. She¡¯s truly innocent.¡± Fang Muxue immediately stood up and defended Xie Qiao.


    The few youngdies who were close with Xie Qiao also defended her.


    The Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng knew this very well.


    There were people in the imperial court who used the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince as sparring partners. They were always quarreling with each other. As the fiancee of the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, it was inevitable that they would fight against each other.


    They had thought earlier that Dong Xiyun was just too popr. They were worried that the Princess Consort would feel a little ufortable.


    However, they did not expect that it was not Xie Qiao who felt ufortable. It was actually Dong Xiyun.


    Anyone with eyes could see that Dong Xiyun was unwilling to ept this matter. She kept finding fault with her, and her words wereced with sarcasm!


    Imperial Concubine Meng looked at this dissatisfied future daughter-inw and felt a little stifled.


    Dong Xiyun knew that she had lost now. If she continued to speak ill of Xie Qiao, the Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng would only have a worse impression of her.


    Immediately, her eyes reddened as she said, ¡°I know my mistake! It¡¯s all my fault today. I used to know a good friend. That good friend was a student of the Orchid Courtyard who went to the same ss with Young Lady Xie. She said many bad things about Young Lady Xie in front of me. I was blinded and thought that Young Lady Xie was a heartless person. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Young Lady Xie, it¡¯s all my fault. That good friend of mine¡­ she made some mistakes before. She was arrested and sent to prison. I was actually foolish enough to be influenced by her words¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡±

 Chapter 708 - Too Embarrassed to See Anyone

    <h4>Chapter 708: Too Embarrassed to See Anyone</h4>


    Dong Xiyun knew when to advance and when to retreat. At this moment, she knew that she did not have the upper hand, so she immediately rushed toward Xie Qiao¡¯s direction and resolutely bowed.


    Then, she buried her head on the ground and stayed there, as if she was waiting for Xie Qiao to forgive her.


    Her behavior was very sincere.


    Even Fang Muxue and the others were shocked.


    This bow hadpletely thrown away Dong Xiyun¡¯s dignity. How would she be willing?


    She had always looked down on the students from the Orchid Courtyard. Now that she was bowing to Xie Qiao, she was really going all out!


    However, what could Dong Xiyun do if she did not go all out?


    They were not in the academy now.


    If she made mistakes again and again in front of the Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng, the consequence was not something she could bear.


    It was just lowering her head. She could do it.


    Nheless, she would take revenge for this.


    Xie Qiao wanted to be the Princess Consort and suppress her in every way? That was impossible!


    Dong Xiyun did not get up. Xie Qiao suddenly coughed twice, and then her small face turned pale. She was a little weak, and she took time to smooth her tone as if she did not see the person kneeling in front of her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, today, my sister and I were scared¡­ by those flowers¡­ We¡¯re ufortable¡­ We¡¯re terrified. Can we take our leave first?¡± Xie Qiao ignored Dong Xiyun and asked the Empress gently.


    The Empress understood her very well.


    Not to mention Xie Qiao, even she and Imperial Concubine Meng could not get up at this moment.


    Looking at the youngdies who came to admire the flowers today, each and every one of them was obviously scared.


    ¡°I heard that your health is not very good and that you are now frightened. Bring your sister home to rest as soon as possible. Also¡­ I¡¯ll send an imperial physician over in a while. The spirit calming soup that I drink often is pretty good. Ask the imperial physician to prescribe it for you based on your body¡¯s condition.¡± The Empress was very considerate.


    Overall, she was quite satisfied with this daughter-inw.


    She was good-looking and had a good personality. She was quiet, but she was not foolish.


    Most importantly, her son liked her.


    If she really had a weakness, it would be that her health wascking. She was not sure if she could nurse her back to health. She hoped that she could have a grandson soon.


    Xie Qiao immediately thanked her.


    ¡°The rest of you should leave too. You have all suffered a lot today. I¡¯m sorry.¡± As the Empress said that, she ordered people to send some gifts to each family.


    As for Dong Xiyun and the others who were spouting nonsense¡­


    They would not be rewarded.


    She would not punish Dong Xiyun, nor would she reward her. This could be considered as a lesson for her. In the future, she would have to treat Xie Qiao, the future Princess Consort, with respect and not offend her in any way.


    Dong Xiyun remained kneeling on the ground.


    Only after everyone had left did the people around her help her up.


    However, she did not dare to show the slightest bit of dissatisfaction on her face. She suppressed her anger, and hatred soared. She was feeling extremely ferocious.


    Xie Qiao!


    She actually dared to ignore her!


    ¡°Sister Xie, you didn¡¯t even look at her just now. That¡¯s amazing. Who asked her to be so proud? Now that she has buried herself in the hole she dug, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t dare toe out and meet anyone for a few days!¡± Fang Muxue became a lot more lively and naggy.


    Xie Qiao pulled Xie Xi with one hand as they walked out. ¡°She will definitely want to ace in the next examination.¡±


    If she were Dong Xiyun, she would definitely want to make up for losing her dignity.


    However, what could she do to redeem herself?


    It would not be long before the big examination.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been paying attention to your studies these days. Are you confident?¡± Fang Muxue asked first, then she patted her own head and said, ¡°Look at this pig head of mine! You¡¯re already teaching us. You can even be a teacher in the academy. Why can¡¯t you beat her?!¡±

 Chapter 709 - Scourge

    <h4>Chapter 709: Scourge</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Fang Muxue truly admired Xie Qiao¡¯s talent and had great trust in her.


    It was a pity that Qin Liu was not around. Otherwise, she would have pped and cheered when she saw Dong Xiyun suffer a setback.


    ¡°Sister Xie, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you...¡± Fang Muxue suddenly said suspiciously as she walked, ¡°You¡¯re not even as old as me. How do you... know so much? Don¡¯t tell me you have a very powerful teacher who secretly instills wisdom into you?¡±


    Fang Muxue had wanted to ask this question for a long time.


    The longer she spent with Xie Qiao, the more she thought this person was unfathomable.


    Xie Qiao had indeed note into contact with many of those ssics and books, but every time she read them, not only did she memorize faster than they did, she could also figure out the meaning behind them. If there were things that she did not understand, she would ask the teacher a few questions, then she would be able to understand them.


    As for the other things, Xie Qiao knew even more!


    It was really unknown how this person¡¯s small head could contain knowledges of all sorts.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that my health iscking, so I¡¯ve loved reading since I was young. I don¡¯t have much ability. Teacher... there¡¯s indeed one, but he¡¯s been traveling far and wide all year round. I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time,¡± Xie Qiao said humbly.


    ¡°If I had your ability, I would¡¯ve long thought of a way to let everyone in the world know about it,¡± Fang Muxue said with a smile.


    Then, they got into their pnquins and headed for the pce gate.


    Xie Qiao and Xie Xi were in the same pnquin. When she looked at her younger sister¡¯s demeanor, she realized that her bad luck had indeed lessened a little, but... it was still there.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, that hairy spider was trampled to death,¡± Xie Xi suddenly said as the pnquin departed.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite¡­pretty,¡± Xie Xi added randomly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s pupils contracted, and she was a little shocked. ¡°What¡¯s pretty? The spider?¡±


    Xie Xi nodded.


    That spider was a little red, and there was hair on its legs. Its eyes were also quite lively, and it looked very special. Moreover,pared to humans, it was so small, yet it could make everyone¡¯s expressions change. It was really amazing.


    Xie Qiao licked her lips and suddenly realized that there was no normal person in her family.


    ¡°I saw that you were really scared just now,¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    Xie Xi was quiet in the presence of Xie Qiao, so she answered honestly, ¡°Sister Yan suddenly pushed me and scared me. Before I could react, that spider... died.¡±


    There was even a look of pity in her eyes.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    Her father was a boorish man, her elder brother was a silly bear, and her young brother was a monkey. She had thought that she had a normal sister, but she did not expect that... she was her father¡¯s daughter, and she was also a brave little girl.


    Xie Qiao silently nced at Xie Xi. She could not imagine how this sister would look like when she grew up.


    She was much more lively and talkative than before. She heard that when she was at the Lin Residence, she could climb trees with Xie Pinghuai and her cousin to look for eggs.


    Her mentality would change little by little. In a few more years, she might not even be able to see her current dazed look.


    When that time came¡­


    There would not be another female scourge in the capital, right?


    Thinking about it, it was a little... exciting.


    ¡°You really haven¡¯te into contact with anything strange recently, right?¡± Xie Qiao looked at her mischievous behavior and could not help but confirm it again.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Xi shook her head.


    Xie Qiao still could not help but worry. She was afraid that if she asked too many questions, the child would develop resistance.


    When they returned home, Xie Qiao let Xie Xi think about what gift she wanted to send to the Yan family to express her gratitude.


    Although Imperial Censor Yan did not get along with the Xie family, Xie Qiao had to admit that he was much more reliable than her father.

 Chapter 710 - Tell Your Feng Shui By Looking at Your Face

    <h4>Chapter 710: Tell Your Feng Shui By Looking at Your Face</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The three generations of the Yan family had a clean and strict family custom. They became schrs and were promoted depending on their own abilities.


    As the third generation of the Yan family were all honest and upright,Imperial Censor Yan was ced in an important position. Although the Emperor often penalized him with his sry, he only penalized him with some silver. He did not punish the Yan family in any other way.


    Even the sry that was penalized would be recovered at other times.


    It could be seen that in the Emperor¡¯s heart, the Yan family was loyal and upright.


    No matter how much the Emperor disliked the fact that the Yan family always targeted the Crown Prince, he was not muddle-headed and did not have the intention to punish loyal officials severely.


    In addition, the Yan family¡¯s three generations only had one wife and there were no concubines in the family. Among Imperial Censor Yan¡¯s four children, there were two sons and two daughters. However, unlike the Xie family, they were all born from the same mother.


    What was even more admirable was that Imperial Censor Yan¡¯s wife was severely ill, yet he did not leave her.


    It was said that she had suffered from environmental illness and suddenly copsed one day. She often spoke nonsense. Her body was fine, but she was not in good spirits.


    However, over the years, Imperial Censor Yan did not have any concubines, and he even took good care of her.


    That was what the outside world said.


    Xie Qiao could almost tell from the looks of Young Lady Yan that she had a loving father.


    She also had a father, but look at him¡­


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    ¡°I owe her a big favor for saving my life. I¡¯ll double the gifts I usually give to other people and give them to the Yan family. Is that okay, Eldest Sister?¡± Xie Xi asked in all seriousness.


    She was quite generous at the moment.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give you another thing...¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and took out a wooden tablet. The words ¡°Sage Mo Who is Neither Dead Nor Alive¡± were written on it, and there were clouds and thick fog carved on it.


    ¡°Do I give this as well?¡± Xie Xi was puzzled.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes. When you give the gift, get someone to use a more expensive box and put it inside. That will do.¡±


    Xie Xi did not understand, but she was not someone who would ask questions if she did not understand. She just nodded obediently and epted the matter.


    The next day, she immediately asked the steward to personally deliver the gift.


    Imperial Censor Yan did not have to go to court every day. It happened to be his day off today.


    He had also heard about yesterday¡¯s matter from his daughter. He guessed that the Xie family would send someone to deliver something.


    Although the gifts were a little heavy, they did not seem too excessive, so he got the steward to receive it.


    However, the steward was stumped by the wooden tablet during the registration, so he immediately delivered the item to Master Yan.


    Master Yan picked it up and looked at it.


    ¡°Sage Mo Who is Neither Dead Nor Alive? Sage Mo?¡± Master Yan frowned. ¡°Could it be¡­ that Witch Mo?¡±


    He knew all the big and small things in the capital very well. He also knew that Witch Mo had not only bewitched the Crown Prince, but had also bewitched Prince Ning Bei and the former imperial tutor, Li Mi.


    It was said that it was that expert who had the ability to help those two families.


    The people also held Witch Mo in high esteem. It was said that inside the Fortune Pavilion, there were many people who wasted their time every day waiting at the door to meet that witch.


    There were even talismans sold inside.


    It was a strange ce.


    Why did the Xie family send this thing here?


    ¡°Has the Xie family left?¡± Master Yan asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting outside. He said that he knew you would definitely ask questions, so he¡¯s waiting.¡± The Yan family¡¯s steward said respectfully.


    When Master Yan heard that, he said, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    After the Xie family¡¯s steward entered, he looked at the wooden tablet and bowed respectfully, then, he immediately exined, ¡°Master Yan, this other gift was prepared by my Second Young Lady. Only this wooden token was given to you by the First Young Lady. She said that you can bring this wooden tablet to the Fortune Pavilion. Master Mo in the pavilion will personally wee you in and tell your feng shui by looking at your face. She will only charge you one tael of silver.. It¡¯s very¡­ affordable.¡±

 Chapter 711 - Dishonest Means

    <h4>Chapter 711: Dishonest Means</h4>


    The steward was only passing on the message ording to Xie Qiao¡¯s instructions.


    It was impossible for Xie Qiao to do things without epting money. It was just that she did not know what kind of situation the Yan family was in, so it would be inappropriate to ept too much money. Moreover, he owed Young Lady Yan such a big favor, so she only epted one tael of silver.


    One had to know that Prince Ning Bei had already given her a reward of five thousand taels of silver. There was also the Li family. As the matter was more troublesome, they gave even more money.


    The Li family was not as rich as Prince Ning Bei¡¯s family, yet they had already given her so much silver.


    The Yan family was a family of clear flow, and the family behind them was not very powerful. Their family background was not much better than the Xie family¡¯s, so the price Xie Qiao charged was very affordable.


    Master Yan thought it was strange. ¡°I¡¯m clean. I don¡¯t believe in this dishonest means!¡±


    ¡°My First Young Lady said that it¡¯s better to believe in something than not. Aren¡¯t you curious about the Fortune Pavilion? You can also use this tablet to satisfy your curiosity,¡± the steward said honestly.


    With that said, Master Yan thought it was quite reasonable.


    So he asked the steward to leave.


    After a while, Young Lady Yan arrived at the main hall and saw her father with a sad face. She said, ¡°Father, I entered the pce yesterday. I admire Young Lady Xie.¡±


    ¡°I know that Young Lady Xie is different from Xie Niushan. She¡¯s a schr and has a good reputation in the academy. But¡­ she is not in good health. Rumor has it that she has a lethal fate. How can such a person be suitable for the Crown Prince of a country?¡± Master Yan sighed.


    ¡°Father, I heard that you told the Xie family¡¯s steward that you don¡¯t believe in that dishonest means. Why do you believe in Young Lady Xie¡¯s lethal fate now?¡± Young Lady Yan smiled. ¡°Young Lady Xie¡¯s health is indeedcking, but this person¡¯s bearing is really extraordinary. At the very least¡­ It¡¯s not something that Young Lady Dong canpare to.


    ¡°In addition, I saw the imperial concubine and the Fourth Prince yesterday. They were very respectful toward the Empress and the Crown Prince¡­ The Fourth Prince doesn¡¯t seem to be someone who would seize power. I remember that you once said that it was mostly the Meng family who made a move to rope you in¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s¡­ appropriate. The Meng family is overstepping their master in their doings. It¡¯s inappropriate in the first ce,¡± Young Lady Yan added.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know? But look at the Crown Prince¡­¡± Master Yan knew better than anyone else!


    The Fourth Prince was a peaceful and happy person. He loved to study poetry and songs, but he knew nothing about the skills of an Emperor.


    In fact, the Fourth Prince did not know much about the people. He was really a person who grew up in the clouds, and his feet had never touched the ground!


    Unlike the Crown Prince who understood the hearts of the people from a young age. Even when he was in the Royal Academy back then, he would often pay attention to important matters in the world, and he was smart from a young age!


    To put it bluntly, if the current emperor were to die, the Crown Prince would immediately take over the throne. With his current ability, he would be able to control the politics of the imperial court properly, and there was no need for the courtiers to worry at all!


    The Crown Prince was a good Crown Prince!


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s just an arm. Is it really that important? I can see that the Crown Prince could hold a ss of water properly with his arm. As long as he doesn¡¯t use force, one shouldn¡¯t be able to see any disabilities, right?¡± Young Lady Yan asked.


    Master Yan thought for a moment. ¡°Back then when that big bug bit directly on his arm, fresh blood sttered everywhere. I wonder how many imperial physicians were assigned to treat him. The side-effects¡­ My dear daughter, you must know that the injury was very painful and has caused so much blood to flow. How can it not use up one¡¯s lifespan? Moreover, I heard that the Crown Prince¡¯s arm would asionally be in severe pain. Therefore, even if he¡¯s fine on a normal day, it doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s really like an ordinary person, right? Not only that¡­ The Crown Prince has had many idents these past few years. I¡¯m afraid that he won¡¯t be able to live for long.¡±

 Chapter 712 - All Grown Up Now

    <h4>Chapter 712: All Grown Up Now</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ruler of a country should not be injured.


    Otherwise, the people of other countries would definitely look down on him. Attacking him with this would be terrible for Qianyuan.


    ¡°I just think that Father doesn¡¯t have to argue with the Emperor all the time. If it were really not for the Crown Prince, you would have offended people for nothing. Moreover... not to mention other things, even Young Lady Dong, the future imperial consort, is a troublemaker. I really don¡¯t like her...¡±


    Young Lady Yan felt uneasy when she thought about how the Fourth Prince was such a peaceful person, yet he was matched with such an ambitiousdy.


    However, she should not be the one to worry about such things.


    Her gazended on the wooden tablet. ¡°Father, do you think... Young Lady Xie wants us to invite Master Mo over to visit Mother?¡±


    Master Yan¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Think about it. I saved Second Young Lady Xie, so this favor is quite big. Young Lady Xie knows that you don¡¯t like Master Mo, so she wouldn¡¯t specially send something to make you ufortable. I think she might have asked around and found out about our family¡¯s situation, so she thought of Master Mo. She wants us to... give it a try?¡± Young Lady Yan added.


    Master Yan¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°How can we believe in a witch? If we invite her here, our Yan family¡¯s reputation...¡±


    ¡°Father, do you think that reputation is more important than Mother?¡± Lady Yan asked directly.


    Master Yan¡¯s expression changed twice.


    ¡°I¡­ have been constantly cursing out there and saying that that person is a witch who bewitched people. Even in front of the Emperor, I stand by my words. If I were to look for that Witch Mo, even if that person could really save your mother, considering my previous attitude, why would she really save our family? Rather than having our weakness in someone else¡¯s hands, it is better to ept our fate without going against our will,¡± Master Yan added.


    He knew that Witch Mo must have some ability.


    Perhaps she knew medicine, or she knew how to scare people.


    Otherwise, she would not have made the Crown Prince and the others so respectful of her and tter her.


    However, because of this, he dared not visit her.


    ¡°Since Young Lady Xie has given us this, you should know that Master Mo is definitely not a petty person who holds grudges. If Father thinks it¡¯s inappropriate, then I will meet her.¡± Young Lady Yan immediately grabbed the wooden tablet.


    Master Yan red at her. ¡°Give it back to me.¡±


    ¡°No. Father taught us from a young age that we must have our own opinion in everything and not go with the flow. I¡¯m now making decisions for myself. If that person really has the ability to cure my mother, I¡¯ll kneel three times and kowtow nine times to beg, regardless of any past grudges.¡± As she spoke, Young Lady Yan stood up frankly.


    His daughter had all grown up now!


    Master Yan had a helpless look on his face. He wanted to chase her, but he wanted to save his dignity. He wanted to scold her, but he could not bear to do that.


    Just like that, he held it in and his daughter had already walked far away.


    Yan Ruzhuang was afraid that her father would stop her, so she immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage and leave the house.


    She headed straight for the Fortune Pavilion.


    Xie Qiao had already sent a message to Fortune Pavilion¡¯s manager. If someone came with a wooden token and she was not around, he would set a time with them and go directly to the Yan Residence.


    However, Xie Qiao did not expect the Yan family to be so direct ande on that day itself!


    She thought that it would still be some time before she could convince Master Yan!


    For instance, when her teacher returned to the capital, her reputation as Li Shiyan¡¯s head disciple would spread no matter how much he tried to hide it. When that time came, Master Yan¡¯s heart would definitely change.


    Of course, there were still some people who knew about the rtionship between Mo Chusheng and Li Shiyan, but not many. In fact, many people did not believe it even if they knew.


    Now that Yan Ruzhuang hade in person, it just so happened that she was free¡­


    Xie Qiao treated her politely and invited her into thepartment.

 Chapter 713 - Possessed

    <h4>Chapter 713: Possessed</h4>


    Yan Ruzhuang was a little nervous. After entering thepartment, she looked left and right.


    There were some spices ced in this small room. They smelled¡­ a little familiar, but she could not recall where she had smelled them before.


    There was smoke lingering, and there was also the statue of the three pure deities. It made her feel a little more at ease.


    Master Mo in front of her¡­


    Was not quite what she had imagined.


    Her father always said that this Master Mo was a witch, so she could not help but think this person was either vulgar and philistine, or very good with her words. That was how she could coax Prince Ning Bei and the Li family to have ttered and respected her.


    However, when she saw the rumored Master Mo, she thought she was very different from what she had imagined.


    After all, this Master Mo was quite old, so she did not have the appearance of a beauty. However, she made people feel veryfortable looking at her.


    Her eyes were calm and unruffled.


    Her eyebrows were like the crescent moon brushing the clouds, and her smile was like the gentle breeze blowing the snow.


    She was like an unworldly expert, dignified and profound.


    Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s heart was extremely shaken. Under the gaze of this pair of eyes, she actually felt a faint sense of guilt. It was as if her previous terrible guesses had been revealed, making her appear exceptionally ignorant.


    ¡°Master Mo¡­ I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡± Yan Ruzhuang exhaled and tried to calm down. ¡°My family¡­ received a thank you gift from the youngdy of the Xie family. It¡¯s a wooden tablet. I heard that we can ask Master Mo for a favor¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled kindly. ¡°That¡¯s true. You can get me to look at feng shui or read fortune your fortune. It depends on what you need.¡±


    ¡°I came here today to ask Master that those people who have lost their minds in this world are said to be possessed by evil. Is¡­ there really such a thing? Can it be treated?¡± Yan Ruzhuang asked nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Some people are indeed sick. For example, they hit their head, or they¡¯re triggered. Their hearts can¡¯t take it and their minds will be affected. But there are also some who are affected by the spirits and souls.¡± What Xie Qiao said was not helpful.


    She did not give a clear answer to this youngdy.


    However, Yan Ruzhuang actually believed Master Mo a little.


    If Master Mo insisted that this person was definitely possessed and came in contact with something evil, she would think that she had met a liar.


    ¡°So this is what happened, Master. My mother was initially fine after she gave birth. However, one day, she started to talk nonsense. She couldn¡¯t sleep well at night. She kept saying that someone was staring at her. asionally, she would be fine. However, when she suddenly snapped, she would break down. She would often point at a certain ce and shout. If we ignored her, she would get angry at us again. Such a situation has been going on for several years¡­


    ¡°I wonder if Master can take a look at my mother?¡± Yan Ruzhuang quickly asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang heaved a sigh of relief.


    She was a little curious, so she could not help but say, ¡°Master¡¯s tablet was given by Young Lady Xie. I thought there would be some animosity between the two of you.¡±


    She was not the only one who thought this way. Many people thought the Crown Prince had taken a liking to Master Mo. However, because the courtiers opposed it, the Crown Prince randomly chose Xie Qiao, who did not have good health and would not live long.


    Although that was the rumor, when she saw Xie Qiaost time, she thought the Crown Prince seemed to be very gentle with Young Lady Xie.


    So who knew what the Crown Prince was thinking?


    ¡°When she was young, she grew up in a Taoist temple. It was the same Taoist temple that I cultivated in. Therefore, we can be considered fellow disciples and are slightly familiar with each other,¡± Xie Qiao exined with a smile.


    In her heart, she secretly apologized to the deity statue.


    She told a white lie!

 Chapter 714 - Does Your Father Want to Seize the Throne?

    <h4>Chapter 714: Does Your Father Want to Seize the Throne?</h4>


    Yan Ruzhuang was very surprised. She did not expect Young Lady Xie to have such a rtionship with Master Mo.


    It was no wonder Young Lady Xie would give her a token!


    Xie Qiao epted Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s invitation. Seeing that it was still early, she followed the girl to the Yan Residence to have a look.


    Carrying her bamboo basket and holding a horsetail whisk, her face was serious.


    Young Lady Yan sat in the same carriage as her. She could not help but look at her, curious about everything on her body.


    This master was really¡­ too strange.


    She was wearing a Taoist robe, and her body emitted serenity. Her face was serious, but people could not help but want to explore her. She was an expert of her generation, but she was carrying¡­ such a simple basket.


    It was like a tall figure stepping on stilts who was yed by a child.


    She really could not help but want to take a few more nces.


    Xie Qiao sat calmly and watched this girl nce at her from time to time. She simply chatted with her and asked, ¡°Your father actually allowed you to invite me over?¡±


    With that said, Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s heart tensed up.


    Oh no.


    The master knew exactly what her father said about her!


    ¡°To be honest with you, Master, actually¡­ My father didn¡¯t agree to invite you. This was all my idea¡­ However, please don¡¯t be angry, Master. He¡¯s just a little stubborn and has no bad intentions.¡± Yan Ruzhuang was quite nervous.


    Master Mo¡¯s words actually made her feel as if she was listening to her teacher¡¯s teachings, and she could not help but feel nervous.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I know your father. He¡¯s very loyal.¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang could not tell if there was underlying meaning behind her words.


    ¡°However, is your father loyal to the Qianyuan dynasty or the Emperor?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    Hearing this, Yan Ruzhuang was stunned. She was very smart and quickly understood Xie Qiao¡¯s meaning.


    The Emperor doted on the Crown Prince. He had said countless times that he would pass the throne to the Crown Prince, Zhao Xuanjing. He was even cold to the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince. He even asked the teachers to teach him how to assist the Emperor in the future¡­


    Everyone clearly knew what the Emperor meant.


    However, her father often fought with the Emperor.


    He said that he was loyal to the Emperor, but he had never approved of the Emperor doting on the Crown Prince. To say that he was disloyal, he was only doing that for the sake of Qianyuan.


    Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s heart was a little cold.


    As the Emperor, he would always have suspicions. The suspicions of the Emperor would not be applicable on the Crown Prince, but on others. Her father had repeatedly failed toply with the Emperor¡¯s wishes. Would the Emperor think that his father did not respect him at all?


    Would he even think that his father had already found another master, and this master was the Fourth Prince?


    ¡°This penniless master is only asking casually. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Xie Qiao chuckled.


    The corners of Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s mouth were bitter. ¡°My father only thinks that the Crown Prince¡¯s hand¡­ is not suitable for the position of the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Your father has the right to decide who will be the Emperor? Since it¡¯s a thought, why not just keep it in his heart? Saying it out loud¡­ this penniless master would think that he wanted to seize the throne.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s words were on point.


    It was fine to express his opinion fully. However, he did it over and over again. He did not know when to stop. He had already been fined for several years, and he still did not follow the Emperor¡¯s wishes. Was it not a little intentional?


    Was it for the people of Qianyuan or for his reputation as a loyal and upright official?


    This person¡¯s patience was limited, let alone the Emperor.


    The Emperor¡¯s health was pretty great, and he had no intention of abdicating, so he could still endure it.


    However, if he made up his mind to pass the throne one day, would Master Yan, who had always opposed it, still support him? Once he objected to it, he would be the first to be punished.


    The consequences would be miserable.


    Xie Qiao only said that because Young Lady Yan was intelligent enough to fathom it.

 Chapter 715 - He Can Be Replaced If He Dies

    <h4>Chapter 715: He Can Be Reced If He Dies</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yan Ruzhuang felt a chill in her heart from Xie Qiao¡¯s words. It was as if a cold gleam was shining on her back. She could not sit still.


    ¡°The Emperor is the Emperor, and the subject is the subject. The subject has the responsibility of assisting, but if this assistance reaches the point of being aggressive, it will be superfluous to the Emperor. If the matter decided by the Emperor really hinders the people and causes harm to the world, such loyalty can be immortalized in history. However, the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t seem to be a troublemaker.¡±


    ¡°Master Mo is right, but my father is always clinging to the Crown Prince¡¯s illness. I have tried to persuade him many times, but it has been useless...¡± Yan Ruzhuang was also helpless.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed not appropriate for the Crown Prince to have an illness.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°But after ascending the throne, if it really affects the politics of the court or if he doesn¡¯t live long, he can be reced if he dies.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is so smart. If he gives birth to a son, the next generation should not be too bad. If he doesn¡¯t have a child, then he can consider other princes. Is there a problem?¡± Xie Qiao said with a calm expression.


    Yan Ruzhuang smiled helplessly.


    Recing the Emperor¡­


    How could it be simple?


    However, what Master Mo said seemed to make sense.


    Whether it was suitable or not, he had not even ascended the throne yet. Who knew?


    However, Yan Ruzhuang was prepared to tell her father more in the future. She did not want to be a nuisance anymore. At the very least, they will not listen to the instigations that the Meng family often sent over.


    Not long after, they arrived at the Yan Residence.


    Xie Qiao got off the carriage and walked in with a bamboo basket on her back.


    She thought that the Yan family should not have any major problems, so she did not bring Da Xiong over. She should be able to solve it on her own.


    However, the moment she entered the Yan Residence, Xie Qiao frowned and pointed in a direction. ¡°Is that the courtyard where your mother lives?¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, that is the direction of the main courtyard.¡±


    She was not surprised. The location of the main courtyard of each family was definitely the best. Even an ordinary person would be able to tell.


    Xie Qiao had arrived. Imperial Censor Yan, who was on leave at home, could only brace himself ande over to take a look.


    To be honest, he had never seen Witch Mo before.


    At this moment, he sneakily hid and stretched out his head to take a look.


    ¡°Bring me to the main courtyard directly. This penniless master looks at the location of the main courtyard and feels an evil energy faintly. It seems to be somewhat unclean. Perhaps your mother¡¯s health is indeed rted to this evil energy,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Imperial Censor Yan, who was hiding, could not help but have his lips twitched.


    Look at this. Just from hearing these words, it was obvious that she was a liar.


    Everyone in this world had the same eyes and eyebrows. How could she tell at a nce that there was evil energy or not?


    Moreover... he lived in this main courtyard every day. He did not smell or see any strange and filthy things!


    She had been swindling, and she had actuallye to him now!


    Asking him to give her money? Not to mention one tael of silver, he would not even give her a single cash!


    Master Yan scoffed, but he still wanted to see what Witch Mo was up to.


    After some thought, he came over and asked for a set of clothes. After a while, he changed into the appearance of a steward and followed behind the steward to the main courtyard.


    When Yan Ruzhuang saw her father, she was about to speak, but Master Yan red at her.


    She stomped her feet angrily.


    Xie Qiao did not notice that. She looked around the main courtyard.


    The banana leaves by the wall were rustling in the wind.


    A small ghoul flew past.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Before your mother fell ill, did anyone die in this courtyard? Was there any ident or death?¡±

 Chapter 716 - Don’t Come Over

    <h4>Chapter 716: Don¡¯t Come Over</h4>


    When Yan Ruzhuang heard the master¡¯s words, she hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, our family rules are strict. Even if a servant were to make a mistake, we wouldn¡¯t take the other party¡¯s life. They would be chased out at most. My mother¡¯s granny and maidservants are also fine. There are no idents.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    Master Yan could not help but have his lips twitched.


    See, it was all a lie.


    This courtyard was filthy. There were many clumps of ck energy, like¡­ unformed spirits. In addition, there should be a rather powerful spirit inside. It was inside the house, and that aura¡­ could not be restrained.


    ¡°Can I go in and take a look?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Yan Ruzhuang nodded.


    At this time, her mother should be embroidering in front of the window, right?


    She was always like that. asionally, she would embroider and bask in the sun. It was very quiet, but all of a sudden, she would go crazy. In the past few years, even she was sometimes afraid to get close, let alone her younger sister.


    The room was very clean. When Xie Qiao saw the furnishings in the room, she could immediately feel that this Imperial Censor Yan really doted on his wife.


    There were no sharp and dangerous objects in the room. For instance, ceramics. Even the teacups were made of wood. He was probably worried that his wife would identally hurt herself when she went crazy.


    In addition, there were some flowers in the room. They were beautiful and made people feelfortable.


    Yan Ruzhuang had already asked the granny and maid servants to leave. Therefore, at this moment, there was only Madam Yan in the room.


    When Xie Qiao saw Madam Yan, she subconsciously took a step back.


    She was not frightened by Madam Yan, but by the ghoul clinging to her body.


    The ghoul was almost attached to her body, and its face ovepped with Madam Yan¡¯s. However, perhaps it was because the sun was shining or Madam Yan was in a good mood, and her spirit was quite strong, so this ghoul could not possess herpletely. Just like that, it became a shadow and followed Madam Yan¡¯s movements.


    This ghoul was a bit scary.


    Her eyes were ck and blue, and her lower body was blood red. Blood that could not be seen by ordinary people dripped on the ground.


    Her stomach¡­ was cut open.


    Some unknown part was hanging inside. It was a bloody mess, and her clothes were also torn into pieces. As Madam Yan moved, the thing in her body seemed to fall off, and she bent down to pick it up.


    ¡°Mother.¡± Yan Ruzhuang walked over and looked at his mother sewing her sister¡¯s clothes.


    Madam Yan¡¯s face was a little pale. ¡°Is Zhuang¡¯er back? You¡¯re just in time. Help me take a look. Is the color nice? Does it suit your sister?¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s eyes were a little red. ¡°Mother, it is.¡±


    After his mother gave birth to his sister, she did not dare to get too close to her sister, afraid that she might identally hurt her.


    Her mother¡¯s health wascking, and she often fell ill. However, she missed her child. Every time, the four of them did not dare to get together with her mother, causing her mother to feel sad.


    However, even if they came over, her mother would often push them away.


    She knew that she was sick, so she was afraid that she might identally hurt them.


    ¡°As long as it fits.¡± Madam Yan sighed and looked at Master Mo by the door. Seeing her clothes, she was a little puzzled. ¡°Zhuang¡¯er brought a guest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother. This is Master Mo, a very famous Taoist master in the capital. She¡¯s here to see you.¡±


    Madam Yan was a little surprised. ¡°Taoist master? Why would your father¡­¡±


    Halfway through her words, Madam Yan¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    ¡°Go away! Go away and don¡¯te over!


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster! A monster¡­¡± She pointed at Yan Ruzhuang and suddenly began to shout. She threw away the clothes in her hands and brandished them. Her already pale face became even more pale and exhausted.

 Chapter 717 - Parturient Woman

    <h4>Chapter 717: Parturient Woman</h4>


    Madam Yan¡¯s voice was mournful. After a while, she climbed onto the bed with her shoes on and huddled in a corner.


    Yan Ruzhuang wiped her tears. ¡°Master, you saw it too. My mother¡­ is always like this. She always gets sick out of nowhere as she speaks.¡±


    ¡°Take a step back,¡± Xie Qiao said. Then, she saw a steward who had barged in. She nced at the steward and saw that he had a worried look on his face. She guessed that this person should be Master Yan.


    Perhaps he was too worried about his wife, so he barged in.


    ¡°Master Yan is here too? Wait behind me with Young Lady Yan,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    Imperial Censor Yan was stunned for a moment. He wanted to go forward to protect his wife, but seeing Witch Mo¡¯s calm face, he hesitated for a moment and then obediently agreed.


    How did this witch know that he was the master of the house?


    The clothes on his body were obviously simple?


    ¡°Father, you¡¯re going a little too far.¡± Yan Ruzhuang sighed, feeling a little helpless toward her father.


    Imperial Censor Yan also had a guilty expression on his face. ¡°I am just¡­ worried that you will be deceived¡­ This Taoist master is very good at bewitching people, even Prince Ning Bei couldn¡¯t escape from her¡­¡±


    ¡°What about you, Father? Even Prince Ning Bei was deceived by her, how can you escape from her?¡± Yan Ruzhuang shook her head.


    Imperial Censor Yan naturally did not dare to boast.


    The father and daughter stared at the master¡¯s back.


    Xie Qiao put down the bamboo basket and took out a long peach wood sword.


    She held the sword in her hand and pointed at Madam Yan. ¡°Get out.¡±


    Master Yan¡¯s heart trembled, especially when he saw that Madam Yan was trembling. He was in a terrible mood. ¡°You witch, don¡¯t scare my wife!¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at Master Yan indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re just a mortal with naked eyes and can¡¯t see anything. This penniless master isn¡¯t threatening your wife. I¡¯m threatening the parturient woman¡¯s spirit who¡¯s lying next to her.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, how can there be a parturient woman¡¯s spirit lying next to my wife?!¡± Master Yan did not believe it at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me that?¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him, ¡°This spirit is wearing a white robe. The clothes on her stomach are torn, and there¡¯s a big hole dug in her stomach. Her stomach is hollowed. She must have died after giving birth, or she was disemboweled. Has your family ever provoked such a person?¡±


    Master Yan was so angry that his face turned red. ¡°This is unreasonable. My Yan family has been clean and righteous for generations. How could we harm people like this?!¡±


    Dissected? He did not even dare to step on an ant!


    ¡°Wait!¡± Yan Ruzhuang suddenly spoke, she hurriedly rushed to the person outside the door and said, ¡°Steward, quickly call Granny Lian over. I remember¡­ that I once heard my mother mention¡­ someone gave birth to a child and her stomach was dug out!¡±


    Although it was a long time ago, because she was young and timid at that time, when she identally heard about this matter, she was very frightened and had nightmares for several days!


    That granny arrived in a short while.


    Yan Ruzhuang hurriedly asked, ¡°Granny, when my mother was about to give birth, did she tell you about a parturient woman in the capital who died miserably?¡±


    The granny thought for a moment and finally nodded. ¡°I think so¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me quickly, who was the parturient woman? I was eavesdropping at that time and I was young, so I was confused and couldn¡¯t remember clearly,¡± Yan Ruzhuang immediately added.


    The granny recalled carefully and soon knew who the youngdy was talking about.


    ¡°Madam¡¯s pregnancy was not smooth. Before she gave birth, she was very worried. During that period of time, when she heard the servants mention what happened in the city, she became even more worried¡­¡±

 Chapter 718 - That Heartless Man

    <h4>Chapter 718: That Heartless Man</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°This matter... was quite frightening. It was said that there was a woman in the capital who had difficulty giving birth. The baby would note out. The inws then cut open the woman¡¯s womb and took the child out. However, the moment the child was born, the inws discovered that it was actually a pair of baby girls that were connected together. They were quite frightened, and the babies died after crying for a while...


    ¡°It¡¯s so pitiful to lose the life of a pregnant woman for nothing. The servants talked about it and Madam identally overheard it. At that time, she felt very sympathetic, but she was also afraid that something might go wrong when she gave birth. She couldn¡¯t sleep well for a few days, so this old servant kept herpany,¡± the granny told the truth.


    ¡°However, after all, it was something that happened by chance. They don¡¯t even know who the pregnant woman was.¡±


    After the granny finished speaking, Yan Ruzhuang asked her to leave.


    Then, she looked at Xie Qiao anxiously.


    ¡°Master, will the granny¡¯s words be of any help to my mother¡¯s illness?¡± Yan Ruzhuang was very worried.


    Master Yan was a little confused. He did not expect that such a person actually existed.


    It was just that¡­


    This person had no rtion to his Yan family at all, right?


    Even if she died horribly, she should have looked for someone else to seek revenge. Why did she look for his wife?!


    Xie Qiao stared at the ghoul. ¡°Your children were innocent, and so are you. But Madam Yan has no enmity with you. Why did you harm her?¡±


    Xie Qiao could not figure it out either.


    The ghoul¡¯s mouth was wide open. She was full of resentment. Although she was not a vengeful spirit, she was close to it.


    She just refused to get out of Madam Yan¡¯s body.


    She ignored Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was upset.


    ¡°I¡¯ve shown you mercy.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was solemn. She picked up a whole stack of talismans and threw them out. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question. Answer me properly!¡±


    The ghoul shrieked, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Go away! D*mn Taoist master!¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°I saw many weak, unconscious ghouls in the courtyard. These ghouls should be children who died when they were born, right? Are there any of your children here?¡±


    When she said this, the spirit¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°My daughters! My daughters died so tragically!


    ¡°They were not connected at all! They lied and caused my children¡¯s death. They deserve to die!¡± The spirit suddenly broke down.


    Madam Yan could not bear such a strong evil energy and fainted.


    ¡°I can help you.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze was firm. ¡°The reason why the little ghouls here have not gone down to reincarnate is because they¡¯re too weak. They¡¯re hovering here and there. Sooner orter, they will be finished. I can help you. Put them away and raise them. Send them to reincarnate so that their souls will not be scattered.¡±


    The ghouls were moved when they heard that.


    Master Yan was a little dumbfounded.


    He understood these words individually, but when they were put together, why could he not understand them?


    What ghoul? What reincarnation?! Who was Witch Mo talking to?!


    ¡°Can you really... help me?¡± The ghoul did not believe it.


    ¡°Tell me first, who harmed you? I might be able to avenge you.¡± Xie Qiao pointed at her stomach.


    The ghoul actually started howling at the top of her voice, ¡°That heartless Bao Lunsheng! I was married to him for seven years and couldn¡¯t bear a child. He would either beat or scold me! I finally got pregnant, but he didn¡¯t take care of me. I couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well. In the end, I had a difficult child birth!¡±


    The ghoul cried and exined everything to Xie Qiao word by word.


    Bao Lunsheng was the ghoul¡¯s husband, but he was not the one who cut open her stomach.


    Bao Lunsheng had an aunt. She was a midwife, and she was famous.. Her skill was great, so the Bao family respected her very much

 Chapter 719 - The Whole Story

    <h4>Chapter 719: The Whole Story</h4>


    Bao Lunsheng never had a son, so his aunt who was also a midwife was worried about her nephew.


    When the niece-inw was giving birth, she would personally watch over the situation and deliver the child.


    Although the midwife was capable, she was rational when she delivered other people¡¯s babies, but how could it be the same for her to deliver a rtive¡¯s baby?


    She ignored the mother and only thought about the child in her belly. Due to the difficultbor, she could note to a decision for the time being.


    If she continued to let the mother exert strength, even if she gave birth to the child, the mother would not be able to bear it. It was very likely that she would bleed to death and the child would be suffocated.


    In the eyes of the midwife, this niece-inw was no different from a dead person.


    She said in the mother¡¯s ear that she wanted to save her child!


    As there were two children in her belly, even if they gave up on the mother, it was probably only enough to give birth to one child.


    However, the ghoul actually agreed at that time. She also wanted her child to live well.


    She thought that the midwife wanted to give birth to the child, but she did not expect to deliver the baby through incisions.


    The children were taken out alive.


    At that time, the mother died, but after the children were born, it was a pair of girls. It was not what the family wanted at all.


    Bao Lunsheng, the aunt, and the mother looked at them and despised them. It would be very tiring to take care of the twins. They did not have the energy and money to do so. They were young and Bao Lunsheng was worried that they would dy him from marrying the next wife, so they simply¡­ drowned the two girls.


    To the public, it was said that they were conjoined and that they would not live long after they were born.


    This ghoul¡¯s heart was filled with hatred.


    She had too many enemies. Her husband, her inws, and the aunt¡­


    However, because the midwife said in her ear that she wanted to help her give birth to a child, she became one of the masterminds behind the children¡¯s death. She felt even more resentful. She did not know why, but she was attached to the sharp weapon and scissors that the midwife carried with her.


    The midwifeter came to the Yan family to stay for a long time, waiting for Madam Yan to give birth.


    Women giving birth was like walking through the gates of hell. Her body would be weak, her spirit was unstable, and her spirit points were opened.


    It was easy for misfortunes to happen.


    Although the midwife was affected by the vengeful spirit, as she was not the only one delivering the child, nothing happened to Madam Yan in the end and she sessfully gave birth to a daughter.


    The midwife did not perform well and left with the money in a muddle-headed manner. She left behind an item in the Yan Residence.


    It was the scissors that had cut off the umbilical cord of many babies.


    Although that item was stained with many lives, it was also stained with the evil energy of many babies that had died young. Many small spirits that were too weak to reincarnate lived in the scissors and hovered in the courtyard.


    Even the spirit of the pregnant woman was the same.


    She had followed the pair of scissors here, and now she was stuck in the Yan Residence.


    Madam Yan was initially going to be fine, but because of her poor physical condition and the many filthy things that had entered the house, she would asionally see some strange things and feel that something was not right.


    This made things even more wrong, and the pregnant woman was also jealous of Madam Yan.


    They were both women, but why was she cut to death while giving birth to her children? Meanwhile, Madam Yan¡¯s husband loved her, and she gave birth to a child!


    Since being a ghoul, there was still resentment in her. Even if she was initially kind, it was inevitable that she would get into a difficult situation. She could not help but want to be jealous and harm others.


    Once that thought appeared, it was deeply ingrained in this ghoul and could not be erased.


    Thus, she followed around Madam Yan.


    Her children were hovering in this courtyard, and she was also there, protecting them every day.


    As there was more dark energy in this ce, there would be some lonely spirits around to join in the fun.


    This way, it would have an even greater impact on Madam Yan.


    When Madam Yan was awake, it should be when this ghoul was far away. However, once this ghoul approached, the resentment would affect her and she would almost be possessed. She was like a person with bad eyesight who saw a ghoul again.


    She could not see clearly but she knew how terrifying her surroundings were.


    She was tortured every day.


    However, normal people could not see it. After a long time, she could not take it anymore. She became irritable and snapped easily. She could not be triggered.

 Chapter 720 - To Dig or Not to Dig

    <h4>Chapter 720: To Dig or Not to Dig</h4>


    At this moment, Xie Qiao also sympathized with the suffering of this ghoul. It was just that a person could not be resurrected from death. She did not cherish herself when she was alive. It was also her own fault for implicating the innocent after death.


    This Madam Yan had suffered an undeserved disaster.


    ¡°Master Yan, please send someone to look for something. There should be a midwife¡¯s scissors in this courtyard. Let¡¯s see where it is,¡± Xie Qiao requested.


    Master Yan did not know what to say just now when he saw Witch Mo muttering to the air. Now that he was suddenly asked to look for scissors, he was confused.


    His wife had fainted. He did not know what was going on. He should call a doctor!


    ¡°After my mother fell sick, she dared not to keep any sharp weapons under her nose. However, she often needed scissors to embroider, so she kept them¡­¡± Yan Ruzhuang looked left and right. In the end, she could not care less about behaving like ady. She stepped on the stool, lifted her leg and looked at the top of the box. Sure enough, she saw a small box with a lock inside.


    As Madam Yan was embroidering just now, the lock on the small box was opened.


    ¡°Look inside.¡± Yan Ruzhuang hurriedly brought the box to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao nced at it. There were indeed a few pairs of scissors inside, but each one looked very ordinary. There was not the one she was looking for.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Is there another one?¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang was stunned.


    There were no more scissors. It was impossible for the main courtyard to have another pair of scissors.


    ¡°You witch, stop spouting nonsense here. Hurry up and leave!¡± Master Yan was a little angry.


    His own daughter actually went along with the nonsense!


    Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul and asked, ¡°Where are the scissors? Tell me.¡±


    The ghoul hesitated and did not want to speak. Xie Qiao raised her peach wood sword, but before she could do anything, the ghoul immediately said, ¡°In the courtyard, buried in the ground¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Why is it there?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it was buried by an old woman. I don¡¯t know why she did that.¡± The ghoul shook her head.


    Xie Qiao nodded. Without looking at Master Yan, she walked straight into the courtyard. While looking at the ghoul beside her, she pointed and said, ¡°Here? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s here.¡± The ghoul nodded.


    She had been in the Yan Residence for several years. She had nothing to do in the past. Who knew that such a powerful Taoist master woulde today.


    She did not dare to refuse.


    ¡°Dig.¡± Xie Qiao pointed at that ce and said to the steward.


    The steward was a little hesitant. He nced at Master Yan. Master Yan frowned. ¡°You should have had enough. My residence is clean. You¡¯re only doing this to take revenge on me! If you really think that my previous offenses were a little excessive, I¡¯ll allow you to point your fingers and criticize me. However, my wife has suffered a lot over the years. I will not allow you to insult and trample on her!¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was not angry.


    Instead, she looked at Yan Ruzhuang. ¡°You are the person who hired this penniless Taoist master. Tell me, do you want to dig or not?¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang nced at her father and then looked at Master Mo. She subconsciously nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll listen to Master.¡±


    Master Yan was furious. ¡°Your mother is lying on the bed now! If this Taoist master had the ability, how would that happen to her?!¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang was also scared, but she still wanted to take her chances.


    ¡°Father, I believe that Master Mo won¡¯t lie to me,¡± Yan Ruzhuang said.


    Or rather, she trusted Xie Qiao more.


    Since Xie Qiao gave her the tablet, it proved that she trusted Master Mo very much. Therefore, this person would definitely be able to help her!


    Yan Ruzhuang had a stubborn look on her face. Master Yan was not like Xie Niushan, who would beat people up.


    He was so angry that he broke down. He flung his sleeves and went back to the room to look at his wife.

 Chapter 721 - Jealousy and Affection

    <h4>Chapter 721: Jealousy and Affection</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yan Ruzhuang immediately asked the steward toe over and dig the ground directly.


    Xie Qiao waited calmly. As expected, after a short while, a piece of cloth was sent over. The cloth was wrapped around something. When she opened it, it was indeed a rusty pair of scissors.


    Yan Ruzhuang was very shocked.


    ¡°Why is this pair of scissors here?¡± Even if something in the house was damaged and discarded, it would not be buried in the courtyard, right?


    Moreover, this was a sharp weapon!


    ¡°The scissors are pointing toward the bedroom. Perhaps someone is upset with your mother and buried them in the courtyard as a curse,¡± Xie Qiao replied simply.


    It was like burying a voodoo doll with one¡¯s birth details engraved on it.


    Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s expression became serious. She immediately asked the steward to call all the servants in the main courtyard over.


    In a short while, the servants stood in three rows. There were nannies and the olddies who cleaned. All of them had their heads lowered.


    ¡°It¡¯s her...¡± The ghoul carefully pointed at a person in the first row and said.


    Xie Qiao looked over. This person¡¯s clothes were still rather fresh, so she should be a personal nanny. It was strange.


    At this moment, the nannies also saw the thing on the ground. There was panic in their eyes, but they still suppressed their emotions and tried their best to act as usual.


    Xie Qiao did not hide it from Yan Ruzhuang and pointed out the person.


    ¡°It¡¯s you? Granny Fang, you came to the family with my mother, no? Did my mother not treat you well? Why did you bury this thing in the courtyard to harm her?!¡± Yan Ruzhuang asked angrily.


    Her voice also shocked Master Yan in the room.


    Through the window, he found out that his daughter and this witch actually dug out something. His heart was greatly shocked and a little incredulous.


    Of course, Granny Fang did not admit it.


    However, since it was rted to her mother, Yan Ruzhuang also became very serious. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you admit it or not. Since Sage Mo said that you did it, you can¡¯t escape the responsibility! If you don¡¯t exin clearly, it means that you have resentment in your heart and want to kill my mother! I¡¯ll sell your whole family!¡±


    As soon as she said that, Granny Fang immediately knelt down.


    She had a son and daughter!


    ¡°Young Lady, please spare my life!¡± Her body trembled. ¡°This old ve... was blinded! At that time, I was angry and buried the thing. I-I forgot about itter...¡±


    These words were true!


    She really forgot about this tiny matterter on!


    ¡°Angry? My mother didn¡¯t treat you well enough?! What¡¯s there to be angry about?!¡± Yan Ruzhuang felt upset.


    What did her mother do wrong? That she was being schemed against?


    ¡°It¡¯s because this old servant is narrow-minded...¡± Granny Fang cried and repeatedly kowtowed, ¡°That year, this old servant and Granny Lian took care of Madam together. In the past, Madam was closer to me, but at that time, because Granny Lian coaxed her, Madam liked her more. Before and after Madam gave birth... the reward she received was more than twice as much as mine. Behind her back, someone gossiped about this old servant. I was angry, so... Young Lady, please spare my life. It¡¯s all my fault, it has nothing to do with my family...¡±


    Everything in the house was recorded in a book.


    With the addition of a pair of scissors, Granny Fang could easily guess where it came from.


    Logically speaking, she should either throw it away or register it. However, she was upset at the time and buried it when no one was around. The tip of the scissors was aimed at the house to vent her anger.


    Later on, when Madam fell ill, her attitude toward any of the nannies was the same. The house was in a mess and shepletely forgot about this matter.


    Yan Ruzhuang was so angry that she felt uneasy. She never thought that a person¡¯s jealousy could be so terrifying.


    Just because of those rewards, her mother¡¯s long-standing affection was forgotten?!

 Chapter 722 - Don’t Ruin My Reputation

    <h4>Chapter 722: Don¡¯t Ruin My Reputation</h4>


    In fact, whether Granny Fang buried the scissors underground or put them in the house, it did not make much of a difference.


    However, the Yan family had strict rules. Such a foreign item could have been thrown away. If it were not for this granny¡¯s unnecessary actions, even if the scissors were left behind, they would only be thrown away since it was old and rusty.


    Simrly, Madam Yan would not have been harmed to this extent.


    Since she had already admitted it, Xie Qiao did not care anymore.


    Instead, she started a ceremony and put away all the spirits here.


    The other spirits were rtively weak. Many of them did not even have sole consciousness. Even though there were many of them, it was quite an easy task.


    ¡°Master! You said that you could avenge me¡­¡± The spirit of the pregnant woman suddenly became alert. Before she was put away, she hurriedly said to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    She would do what she promised.


    The spirit instantly disappeared.


    Yan Ruzhuang looked at Master Mo¡¯s movements. She did not know if it was her imagination, but she felt rxed as if the sky had cleared after the rain.


    ¡°Master?¡± Yan Ruzhuang looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Is it¡­ done?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was as soft as a feather. ¡°Go and see your mother. Ask the doctor to give her something to calm her nerves. Also¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao squatted down and rummaged through the bamboo basket. She took out a folded talisman. ¡°Wrap it in a pouch and hang it in front of the bed. You can take it down after seven days.¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang was stunned as she took the item.


    She wanted to cheer, but¡­ her mother was still unconscious. She was not sure whether she was cured or not, so she could not be happy just yet.


    However, the master said that her mother would be cured¡­


    Yan Ruzhuang was nervous and did not know what to say.


    ¡°One tael of silver.¡± Xie Qiao looked at her and reached out her hand.


    Her hand was slender and beautiful. Yan Ruzhuang was stunned when she saw it. She suddenly snapped back to her senses and quickly asked the steward to bring the money.


    Naturally, she could not just give the master one tael of silver. She did not know how much was appropriate, and she did not know the situation of King Ning Bei and the Li family. Therefore, she asked the steward to take one hundred taels of silver. Unfortunately, Xie Qiao spoke before she could say anything, ¡°This penniless master agreed that I¡¯d only ept one tael of silver. Young Lady Yan, don¡¯t ruin my reputation.¡±


    Yan Ruzhuang was as obedient as a rabbit and nodded immediately.


    Master¡­ was actually so dignified when collecting money.


    Imperial Censor Yan was in the room, so at this moment, Xie Qiao sessfully received the payment. After receiving a tael of silver, she simply said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Yan Ruzhuang kept feeling empty inside¡­


    ¡°Of course, if there are any issues, you can look for me at Fortune Pavilion. If it¡¯s the same matter, I won¡¯t collect more money, but if it¡¯s something else, the price might be a little more expensive.¡±


    After Xie Qiao said that, she carried the bamboo basket on her back and left in a carefree manner.


    There was also a reason why her price was expensive.


    The desires of humans were endless.


    Take the Li family for example. She helped the Li family solve the problem of the ancestral grave. If it was not for her high price, that Old Master Li might have wanted to invite her to their residence to set up a formation to help the family¡¯s descendants smoothly.


    It was not that these formations would not be set up, but Xie Qiao did not want to be too involved with this kind of karma.


    Unless necessary, she would not easily set up formations, no matter if it was to harm or help others.


    As the saying goes, the secrets of the heavens cannot be revealed, and those who know the secrets of the heavens cannot defy the heavens.


    If she were to get involved with too much for no reason, she would not have a good ending.


    Therefore, she would only gather good karma obediently. She would try her best to avoid doing those kinds of things that only made money and would not help the spirits!

 Chapter 723 - Collapsed Worldview

    <h4>Chapter 723: Copsed Worldview</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s swift departure left Yan Ruzhuang at a loss.


    She hurriedly returned to the room and waited for her mother to wake up.


    The doctor had already checked Madam Yan¡¯s pulse. He was a little surprised as he stroked his beard. ¡°Madam Yan¡¯s pulse seems to have calmed down significantly. Her heart and spirit are not as weak as before. Judging by her pulse alone... she should be fine.¡±


    Madam Yan¡¯s condition was very strange earlier. Her pulse was chaotic, her liver was full of heat, and her state of mind was poor.


    She was indeed much better now. However, he also knew that Madam Yan¡¯s condition was special, so he could not insist that she had recovered. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look when she wakes up.¡±


    When Yan Ruzhuang heard the doctor¡¯s words, she had hope ignited in her heart. She refused to go anywhere and stayed by her bed the whole night.


    The next day, Madam Yan woke up before dawn.


    Master Yan had not gone to court yet, so he rushed over from the study to see his wife.


    Madam Yan¡¯s face was still pale and her body was weak. She opened her eyes and looked at the person in front of her. Her brows rxed. ¡°Today... the house is much more refreshed...¡±


    ¡°Refreshed? Mother? Do you feel much better?!¡± Yan Ruzhuang asked in surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just feel better, as if...¡± Madam Yan paused. Instantly, her husband and child in the room were worried. ¡°There¡¯s no more evil...¡±


    Previously, she felt that there was something strange in her eyes.


    Around her, there seemed to be many terrifying monsters staring at her, which gave her goosebumps!


    However, now, it was as if she could not see anything. There was nothing. The sun had not risen outside, but the bright moon was still there. It shone through the window, illuminating the room and making it quite bright.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± Yan Ruzhuang¡¯s tears fell, ¡°You must be feeling better now. The master said that your body will recover. Look, this is the talisman the master gave me. Hang it by the bed every day. Mother will definitely be safe!¡±


    Madam Yan nced at the talisman and could not help but hold it in her hand.


    ¡°I feel at ease...¡± It was as if her soul had suddenly returned.


    Madam Yan¡¯s eyes had be much clearer. It was not like before, where she would be in a daze from time to time. She was either unusually irritable or absent-minded.


    Now, there was a glow in her eyes. As a family member, Imperial Censor Yan also saw this clearly.


    He was extremely shocked.


    Could it be... that Witch Mo really had the ability to... exterminate demons and evil?!


    Master Yan¡¯s worldview had copsed.


    His mind was in a mess, but his wife was in good condition. He was naturally over the moon, but he was a little too ashamed to see his daughter.


    If his wife had reallypletely recovered, then what did he do yesterday?!


    Master Yan had aplicated expression, but there was still an early court sessionter. He entered the pnquin in a daze. When he reached the pce gate, the officials he used to be close to came over and gossiped as usual.


    ¡°Master Yan, you weren¡¯t here yesterday since it was a rest day for you, right? Yesterday, the Emperor harshly reprimanded Master Dong... Sigh, it¡¯s tough on the Fourth Prince.¡±


    Master Yan knew that Master Dong was the future father-inw of the Fourth Prince, and they could be considered family.


    ¡°What is it this time?¡± Master Yan asked subconsciously.


    ¡°What is it? Perhaps it¡¯s because of Young Lady Xie. I heard that it was the day before yesterday¡¯s pce banquet. I don¡¯t know what happened in the pce, but all the noble girls who entered the pce were rewarded. Among them, Young Lady Xie was rewarded the most. However, all of thedies who are closer to Young Lady Dong were reprimanded. I asked around and heard that it was Young Lady Dong¡¯s words that offended Young Lady Xie, that¡¯s why she got into trouble.¡±


    The news of the human bones in the pce was truly shocking. Naturally, it could not be spread around, especially since it was done by the great consort. It would be a disgrace to the royal family.


    However, they did not push the me onto Xie Qiao. They only did not reward Dong Xiyun and did not punish her. However, some people could not help but make malicious guesses.


    This sort of thing was amon urrence for the Crown Prince in the past.


    As Xie Qiao had be the Princess Consort, she was one of those who took the me.

 Chapter 724 - We’ll Discuss That Next Time!

    <h4>Chapter 724: We¡¯ll Discuss That Next Time!</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    If it was in the past, Imperial Censor Yan would have given the gossip some thoughts. Later in the imperial court, he would also join the other ministers andin about the Crown Prince, so that the Crown Prince could restrain the future Princess Consort properly.


    However, at this moment¡­


    Imperial Censor Yan began to think it through.


    He asked shamelessly, ¡°Although His Majesty has always favored the Crown Prince, the Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng were both in the pce. This time, those two have bestowed gifts to others but not to Young Lady Dong... Could it be that Young Lady Dong has done something wrong?¡±


    The Empress was fair and just. With Imperial Concubine Meng assisting in managing the harem, there had never been any inappropriate matters in the past few years.


    So many nobledies had entered the pce to attend the banquet, but Young Lady Dong and the others had been ignored. He did not believe that Young Lady Dong had not done anything wrong.


    When he said this, the official across from him froze.


    He looked at him in disbelief and said, ¡°Although Young Lady Dong might have done something wrong, since the Empress didn¡¯t punish her, this matter isn¡¯t serious. However, in order to suppress the Fourth Prince, the Emperor actually reprimanded the innocent Master Dong. Isn¡¯t this illogical?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Imperial Censor Yan nodded.


    ¡°Should we ask for mercy on behalf of Master Dongter?¡± The other party asked again.


    Once he said that, Imperial Censor Yan hesitated.


    If he asked for mercy on behalf of Master Dong, would that not be a p to the face of the Xie family?


    That youngdy of the Xie family even eagerly sent him a thank-you gift. Now that his wife¡¯s health had just improved, if he immediately stepped on the Xie family, it would appear that he was ungrateful.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s just a small matter. I think we should forget about it. Next time, next time.¡± Imperial Censor Yan thought for a moment and smiled embarrassedly.


    The officials were all dumbfounded.


    If this happened in the past, Master Yan would bite harder than anyone else!


    As soon as the Emperor¡¯s actions were a little inappropriate, he would look like he was going to remonstrate with his life!


    Did the sun rise in the west today?!


    Or perhaps... Master Yan had changed his mind? He thought the Crown Prince was not bad and did not want to go against the Emperor anymore? Or even¡­


    Could it be that the Emperor had alreadymunicated with Master Yan in private, and that was why this aggressive Master Yan suddenly hesitated now?!


    The few officials were puzzled. After a while, one of the officials said, ¡°I heard that... Master Yan hired Witch Mo yesterday...¡±


    With that said, everyone immediately understood what happened.


    Master Yan was just like Prince Ning Bei. He was now part of the Crown Prince¡¯s camp!


    Why would they think that?


    Thinking about it carefully, Witch Mo was the Crown Prince¡¯s right-hand man. The rtionship between the two of them was not simple. Almost everyone who had interacted with Witch Mo had sided with the Crown Prince! How could Master Yan be an exception?!


    Aftering to this conclusion, everyone looked at Master Yan differently.


    They were no longer in the same boat!


    On the same day in the imperial court, as expected, someone mentioned the Crown Prince again. The Emperor was already used to it and subconsciously wanted to reprimand him as usual.


    However, when he swept his gaze around, he suddenly realized that among the people who stood out to pick on him, there was actually a familiar figure missing.


    Shocking! Minister Yan was not among them!


    ¡°You should learn from my imperial censor. Is such a small matter worthy of yourint? Have you managed the drought in the east? Have you thought of a way to deal with the floods in the south? Targeting at the East Pce all day long, I see that all of you have nothing to do!¡± The Emperor had a look of disdain.


    Imperial Censor Yan did not expect to be mentioned like that.


    He felt the deep malice of the officials.


    He could not help but shiver.


    He just.... wanted to let the Crown Prince off this time. After all, it was indeed a small matter¡­

 Chapter 725 - Born to Suffer

    <h4>Chapter 725: Born to Suffer</h4>


    Imperial Censor Yan wiped off his sweat.


    However, it was not over yet.


    After leaving the court, the old officials from the Crown Prince¡¯s camp pulled him over. Each of them had a satisfied look on their faces. Their smiles were warm. Before he could reject them, he could already see Marquis Meng¡¯s sinister gaze. His heart thumped.


    The Emperor¡¯s words made it seem like he was on the Crown Prince¡¯s side!


    If he were to say anything bad about the Crown Prince in the future, the Emperor¡¯s punishment would definitely be much more severe than before!


    Imperial Censor Yan¡¯s face was filled with worry.


    He had wanted to be a loyal and upright official, but now¡­ he had be a fence-sitter. He would not have any dignity in the future!


    Imperial Censor Yan sighed repeatedly, but fortunately, his wife¡¯s condition was stable when he returned home. For an entire day, she did not go insane at all. Not only was she in good spirits, she was even able to y with her youngest daughter.


    Looking at his wife¡¯s blissful appearance, the bitterness in Imperial Censor Yan¡¯s heart instantly disappeared.


    Xie Qiao did not stay idle this afternoon either. She went to settle that ghoul¡¯sst wish.


    That ghoul¡¯s inw had the family name of Bao. They had a small estate, but Bao Lunsheng did not make any progress in life. He had many terrible friends. Although he made a living, he did not care about his family. He was known to be a libertine. Not long after his first wife gave birth and died, he remarried.


    It had already been six or seven years. They had children since he remarried. In three years, he had two children. A daughter and a son, the children were young.


    Xie Qiao walked around the house and inquired about the people in the house very thoroughly.


    Naturally, Bao Lunsheng did not change at all. After he remarried, even though they eventually gave birth to a son, he still treated his wife and children terribly.


    He would either beat or scold his wife. His daughter was over four years old this year, and it was said that she was known to be a hardworking girl who could doundry and cook.


    Xie Qiao squatted at the door of the house.


    Not long after, a woman walked out and poured a basin of water outside. When she saw her, she was stunned.


    Immediately after, the woman returned home and took out a biscuit and ced it in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand. ¡°My family is poor, there¡¯s no money for you. Eat this with water to fill your stomach.¡±


    This woman should be Bao Lunsheng¡¯s second wife.


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment before she caught the discuit.


    Then, she looked at her outfit.


    It was pretty good? She did not look like a beggar¡­


    After taking a bite of the biscuit, she tilted her head and asked the woman, ¡°Why do you look so worried?¡±


    The woman¡¯s hair was disheveled and her face was dirty. There were wrinkles between her brows. Her skin was rough and dark, and her hands were full of calluses. It was so hot today, but the cracks on her hand were still not healed.


    ¡°How can you not be worried about life? Even a Taoist master like you has to worry about three meals a day, right?¡± The woman forced a smile.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ it¡¯s hard enough running around for three meals a day, why do you still have to bear such physical pain?¡±


    When Xie Qiao said that, the woman subconsciously withdrew her hand and touched a spot on her arm.


    She looked at Xie Qiao with a panicked expression. ¡°I identally bumped into something¡­¡±


    ¡°Your son is not even three years old this year, right?¡± Xie Qiao took a bite of the biscuit and swallowed it. Her throat was a little sore and she swallowed a mouthful of water. She indeed felt better after eating that. ¡°A father¡¯s influence is significant on the children. They will walk the same path. What should you do?¡±


    Xie Qiao saw her face and thought her fate was terrible.


    The kind that was born to suffer.


    Her ears were thin, her life was tough and had no excitement. It was declining. From the looks of it, this woman would have no descendents. It was a fate of a poor life.


    Looking at her face, Xie Qiao could already infer the rest of her life from her current state.


    Her husband was brutal and violent. Her son watched, and so did her daughter. What would happen in the future? Her daughter would definitely be weak. Her son would either be the same, or he would slowly be as easily irritable and angry as his father.

 Chapter 726 - Beat You to Death

    <h4>Chapter 726: Beat You to Death</h4>


    Not only that, Bao Lunsheng wanted to have a son instead of a daughter. This woman¡¯s mother-inw was not a good person, so she must have doted on her grandson too much.


    Her son was still young, so his influence was not great. However, what would happen in a few years?


    Perhaps when this woman was old, her son might die of illness due to anger, or perhaps he might die because of his violent temper. This daughter had suffered since she was young, and she would die easily¡­


    Xie Qiao was definitely not looking for trouble.


    The woman¡¯s eyes went nk for a moment. It was unknown what she had thought of, but there was confusion and fear in her eyes.


    ¡°A-Are you here to beg for food at my door or¡­¡± Only then did the woman look at her clothes carefully.


    Although she was a Taoist master, the material of the Taoist robe was soft and smooth, and the shoes she wore were embroidered with cloud patterns. She should not be a scammer who would fast.


    However, she ate the food that she had given her so happily.


    ¡°I can do something for you since you gave me food.¡± Xie Qiao smiled at the woman. ¡°I have a few options. You can choose from them.


    ¡°First one, you will lose your husband after the divorce. This poor Taoist master will get someone to help you with the divorce. The two children will follow you. I¡¯ll get you a job as well. No one will disturb you, your family and your inw¡¯s family.


    ¡°Second one, you will be a widow and inherit your husband¡¯s family business. I will also get you a job. I will guarantee that you will not be bullied for five years. What happens after five years will be up to you.


    ¡°Third one, you will marry again after the divorce. If you don¡¯t want the children¡­ I will send them to the Taoist temple to cultivate.¡±


    It was unknown if the Yuxu Temple still needed people.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she smirked at the woman.


    The woman looked at her in shock. ¡°Y-You¡­¡±


    What did this Taoist master mean?


    ¡°What happened to my husband?¡± Could it be that something happened out there?


    ¡°He¡¯s fine now, but this penniless master is here to tell you that I have taken a liking to this man of yours. I¡¯m here to take his life,¡± Xie Qiao said with a straight face.


    This time, she was here to be a vicious person.


    After taking care of that ghoul, she would have to do things for her. She would have to kill him and pay with his life.


    Three lives, there were so much grievances. After thinking about it, she thought she should pay with his life.


    Of course, in her way, this person was not going to die immediately, but it was only a matter of time.


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, the woman was scared silly.


    As they were talking, someone in the house shouted outside, ¡°Do you have a death wish?! You¡¯re cking off and not doing your chores? Your husband ising home soon, why don¡¯t you hurry up and cook? If you starve my son, I¡¯ll hit you!¡±


    As soon as she said that, pain appeared on the woman¡¯s face.


    That was her mother-inw. She could not ignore her mother-inw¡¯s words. If she was insensible, her mother-inw would divorce her.


    If she was chased out of the house, no one would care about her daughter. Her son would have to call someone else his mother.


    Her mother-inw clearly knew what kind of person Bao Lunsheng was, but she still got them married. Clearly, she did not care about her life¡­


    Her life was really too tough. It was too tough!


    ¡°Taoist master, I know you¡¯re trying to fool me, but¡­ if I really have a choice, I¡¯ll choose the first one. I want to stay far away from them. I don¡¯t care about his family wealth, I just don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him¡­¡± The woman rubbed her eyes and hurriedly rubbed her hands on her clothes. Then, she took the bowl of water from Xie Qiao¡¯s hand and said to her mother-inw, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s a Taoist master passing by. I¡¯m just offering a bowl of water¡­¡±


    ¡°Taoist master?! When did you get into an affair with a wild man?! When your husbandes home, I¡¯ll get him to death!¡± The voice from inside rang out again.

 Chapter 727 - Black and Empty

    <h4>Chapter 727: ck and Empty</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao listened to the sounds from inside. Looking at the remaining biscuit in her hand, she put them into the bamboo basket.


    After taking a few steps, she brushed past Bao Lunsheng.


    Xie Qiao turned her head and nced at Bao Lunsheng¡¯s back. Her eyes were cold.


    Something fell out of her sleeve, and then she walked away as if she had not noticed it.


    Behind her, Bao Lunsheng stopped in his tracks and saw a small golden Pixiu that the Taoist master had dropped on the ground!


    He hurriedly took it in his hand and bit it with his teeth. Then, he was overjoyed. He had clearly seen who had dropped this item, but he immediately left with the item and returned home.


    Xie Qiao went along the way and directly went to report the case.


    Coincidentally, the official had seen her before, so he immediately followed her to the Bao Residence.


    ¡°It¡¯s him. He stole my thing.¡± When Xie Qiao brought the men into the Bao Residence, as Xie Qiao thought, Bao Lunsheng was going to hit his wife.


    The woman on the ground held her head. The two children huddled at the corner of the table, not daring to move. Meanwhile, the mother-inw was sitting there, eating her meal with an expressionless face.


    When she saw the officers, her expression became a little panicked.


    ¡°Steal her thing?! I didn¡¯t!¡± Bao Lunsheng immediately shouted.


    ¡°This penniless master lost a golden Pixiu. This thing...¡± Xie Qiao stared at his embrace. ¡°He has it. We¡¯ll know after we search him.¡±


    ¡°Where did this stinking mastere from?! This thing is obviously mine. How did it be yours?¡± Bao Lunsheng naturally did not admit that.


    ¡°Then may I ask what is carved on it?¡± Xie Qiao calmly asked.


    With that said, Bao Lunsheng had nothing more to say.


    The officers immediately took action and indeed found the Pixiu. Xie Qiao then said, ¡°Officers, two words ¡°water¡± and ¡°moon¡± are written on it. It is the name of the Taoist temple this penniless master cultivates in.¡±


    The officers were very straightforward. Since they had caught this thief, of course they had to bring him back to the administrative office and lock him up.


    They immediately took action and were about to tie Bao Lunsheng up.


    ¡°I picked this up! I didn¡¯t steal it, I didn¡¯t steal it!¡± He looked flustered.


    Xie Qiao did not need to say anything else. Bao Lunsheng¡¯s reaction just now was enough.


    She had initially nned to ask her eldest brother for help, but she was afraid that Bao Lunsheng would hit his wife soon. If he hit her too hard and killed her, then she would regret it. So, she first made a small charge against him. She would think about what to do after he was locked up in the prison.


    The man was quickly taken away. Xie Qiao was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, she nced at the olddy and smirked sinisterly. ¡°Old Lady, why are there two newborn girls riding on your head? Eh? Other than the girls, there¡¯s¡­ My, my. Look at that belly. It¡¯s ck and empty. It¡¯s so scary...¡±


    Xie Qiao took off after she spoke.


    It was as if she had seen a spirit.


    The old woman, on the other hand, was petrified.


    Instantly, she had goosebumps. Her entire person was in a bad state. She looked left and right, and she was so scared that she trembled!


    Two newborn girls? And that ck hole... belly?! Was that not... Ms. Wang and the two short-lived girls?!


    There were two children in the Bao family and an injured woman. Xie Qiao could not let the dark energy in the Bao family be too strong, so she only said a few words to scare them.


    Old people were most likely afraid of death. The longer they lived, the more they would think about it.


    Thinking about the bad and good deeds she had done in this life, perhaps she would feel guilty?


    ¡°You¡¯re short-lived... You¡¯re not blessed, why do you me me?! Y-You should go to the midwife, right?! She¡¯s the one who cut you! Girls.... I had no choice. My family is so poor, I can¡¯t support the two of you! If I keep you, how will my son get a wife?!¡±

 Chapter 728 - Men Are Rocks

    <h4>Chapter 728: Men Are Rocks</h4>


    After Xie Qiao left, the olddy was mumbling..


    The daughter-inw who was cowering by the side and did not dare to speak was so frightened that her face turned pale.


    What did the mother-inw mean?


    She knew that her husband¡¯s ex-wife had died from surgery. However, from what she knew, the wife died when the children were still in her belly¡­ Did that not happen in order to protect the children?! Why did it sound like¡­ the children¡­ did not die on their own?!


    The woman thought a lot and could not help but recall the time when she gave birth to the child.


    It was the inws¡¯ aunt who came to deliver the child.


    At that time, she felt like she was like a piece of pork on a chopping board. The midwife desperately pressed hard on her belly, making her feel as if she was about to die.


    She thought that was how giving birth was like¡­


    However, thinking about it carefully, after she gave birth, the aunt¡¯s expression at that time was as if she was going to strangle her child to death!


    She seemed to have said something to her mother-inw?


    What did she say¡­?


    She thought carefully, and finally, she recalled something.


    Her mother-inw said, ¡°Why is it a girl again?¡±


    However, the aunt said that it would be terrible if anything were to happen again, or else no one would dare to ask her to deliver babies in the future. She also said that the first two were gone, and this one would not cost much to raise. She had given birth so quickly after marrying into the family, and her body was in good health, there was still hope in the future¡­


    The more she thought about it, the colder her body became.


    ¡­


    After Xie Qiao returned, she went to look for her eldest brother.


    Xie Pinggang dragged Yu Xian along again, insisting that she teach him that fist technique. He was already old, yet he still fought for the master with Xie Pinghuai. Xie Pinghuai was so angry that he stomped his feet on the side.


    ¡°Eldest Sister! Isn¡¯t Master here to teach me?! If Eldest Brother is also learning from him, when will I be able to defeat him?!¡± Xie Pinghuai was about to die from anger!


    He wanted the master to fool his eldest brother, but the master was a practical person!


    Seeing that eldest brother was eager to learn, the master was teaching everything she knew!


    Xie Pinggang saw that Xie Qiao hade, so he stopped and walked over.


    ¡°The few grannies couldn¡¯t find you today. Were you with Master Mo again?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, Master Mo asked me to look for you for a favor.¡±


    Xie Qiao exined the whole situation.


    ¡°The master has worked hard for His Highness. She even went to help the Yan family.¡± Xie Pinggang first praised Mo Chusheng, then he said, ¡°That Bao Lunsheng you mentioned is really terrible. I¡¯ve seen many people like him. If he can do evil once, he will do it twice. Tomorrow, I will go to the administrative office and transfer him to the criminal division. I will take good care of him and guarantee that he will confess all the bad things he has done in his life!


    ¡°As for that midwife and that evil mother-inw¡­¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a moment, he said, ¡°Sigh, the situation of the midwife is special. It¡¯s all up to the elders to decide whether to keep the child or not. It¡¯s a tough case. As for the children¡­ The person who killed them was also a rtive of the younger generation. The most we can do will be 70 strokes of canning and two years of prison.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t he be given a heavy sentence?¡±


    ¡°ording to the book, men are rocks and women are tiles. How many ordinary people, especially the poorer ones, drown female infants? This is considered normal. Even the previous dynasty didn¡¯t have anyw on this. Thew was only added in this dynasty.¡±


    He worked in the criminal division, so he had heard of it. When there was such aw, everyone in the world was very confused and shocked.


    Before thisw, if a baby girl was born in some remote and uncivilized household, regardless of her temperament or appearance, as long as her parents tacitly agreed not to let her live, the midwife would use a basin to draw water and push the baby into the water, letting her struggle and cry, until she drowned.


    Now, the Qianyuan dynasty had gotten rid of many terrible customs. The lives of women were not as cheap as weed, but there were still some people who would kill ruthlessly.

 Chapter 729 - Make A Big Show of It

    <h4>Chapter 729: Make A Big Show of It</h4>


    If the people failed to perform their duties and the officials failed to investigate, then the matter would be settled.


    When Xie Qiao was at the Water Moon Temple, if the people came to offer incense and worship the gods, most of them would ask for a son.


    The female spirits she met were indeed more haunting. Each of them had a rough fate and were not valued.


    However, it had to be said that the Qianyuan dynasty was indeed not bad. For instance, in the capital city, women could show their faces in public. There were even women who made a living. Women could even go to school. Compared to the previous dynasty, the difference was heaven and earth.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, if they¡¯d be given 70 times of caning for drowning one baby girl, then what if there were two? That would be 140 times, right?¡± Xie Qiao pestered him to settle the score.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned for a moment, and then he pped his hands. ¡°That makes sense! Other things aside, if she was caned 140 times, I guarantee that she won¡¯t be able to breathe!¡±


    ¡°Well, since you want to cane her, then you can¡¯t just kill her in the criminal division and throw her out. Those who don¡¯t know might think that you guys have done something fishy. I think that we should drag her to the entrance of the market, announce her crimes in public, and then execute her in public. What do you think?¡± Xie Qiao had a ttering look on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a little girl. It¡¯s bad for you to get involved in the criminal division¡¯s case.¡± Xie Pinggang frowned and looked fierce, ¡°But what you said makes sense. I¡¯ll ask the Crown Prince tomorrow. 140 times isn¡¯t a small number. I¡¯m afraid that someone willin about the Crown Prince again for this matter¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°What¡­ does the criminal division¡¯s stick look like¡­?¡± Xie Qiao was quite persistent.


    ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary sticks. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Pinggang raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not written in thew. Do they use wooden sticks, bamboo sticks, or spikes?¡± Xie Qiao scratched her nose and said in a low voice.


    Xie Pinggang was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Xie Pinggang was very serious, ¡°I know that this family is quite evil and deserves to die. But if they really beat them to death? I might not be able to be an official. Even the Crown Prince might be implicated¡­¡±


    Xie Qiaoughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t the purpose of being an official to seek justice? Eldest Brother, you are still an official of the criminal division. You are investigating a murder case. If you¡¯re removed from your position because of this, I can support you for the rest of your life.¡±


    As for the Crown Prince¡­


    Xie Qiao also knew that if they did this, he would be implicated.


    However, when she went out today, she ate someone else¡¯s biscuit. When she saw the woman¡¯s wound after being beaten, she thought of the ghoul¡¯s bloody belly¡­


    How could someone who had killed people continue to do as they pleased? Why was it that the children who came to the world with great effort were drowned before they could even catch their breath?


    Xie Qiao felt ufortable, very ufortable.


    Perhaps she was a woman and had experienced it more deeply.


    She could ept that as a woman, she had to abide by the etiquette. As a woman, when she reached the right age, she had to look after her husband and raise children. However, that did not mean that she approved of or praised all of this.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao suddenly thought about being the princess consort¡­


    Seemed to be not bad.


    At the very least, when one was in a high position, she could do unorthodox things such as influencing her husband as she wished.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze was burning, and she seemed to have a little more passion and anticipation.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, our family has just offered a copy of the world map¡­ Don¡¯t worry, just do it. His Majesty will definitely spare you this time. He has yet to get over the novelty of the world map, and he¡¯s still worrying about how to reward our family.¡± Xie Qiao grinned at Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang looked helpless.


    He just wanted to kill the Bao family members.


    He just wanted to do it secretly. It was normal that people went in the criminal division and note out!


    However, Xie Qiao¡­ wanted to make a big show of it. That was a different story.

 Chapter 730 - So Nice to Her!

    <h4>Chapter 730: So Nice to Her!</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang did not quite agree with Xie Qiao¡¯s idea, but seeing that she was quite excited, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Crown Prince about this. If His Highness agrees, then we¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°I heard what you guys said just now, and I agree with Young Lady Xie¡¯s idea... If we really punish her in public, it can at least intimidate the people and perhaps save many children...


    ¡°But...¡± Yu Xian thought for a moment, then, she said, ¡°If parents don¡¯t want to keep their children, even if they let them live, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t have a good life in the future. This drowning of baby girls is a crime, but beating and abusing children¡­ It¡¯s not right, no?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze became more serious.


    Deterrence was only a tiny step.


    There were already fewer people who drowned baby girls in the world than before, but there were still many girls who were suffering¡­


    This kind of thing could not be changed in a day or two.


    Xie Qiao frowned. This bothered her, and she felt very ufortable.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the restter. I¡¯ll see what the Crown Prince wants first.¡± Xie Pinggang also had a headache.


    He did not think that Yu Xian would agree with what Xie Qiao said.


    Xie Qiao could only put those superfluous thoughts in her heart. Now that she was a youngdy of a rich family and a travelling Taoist master, she could not do anything big. She could only look at the situation in front of her.


    The atmosphere was gloomy.


    Xie Qiao smiled and changed the topic. ¡°How is Master getting used to the residence? Have you found your rtive? Do you need our help?¡±


    Xie Pinggang immediately nodded. ¡°I actually forgot about this. Who is the cousin you are looking for? It¡¯s easy for me to find someone.¡±


    ¡°We... will talk about itter.¡± Yu Xian hesitated for a moment.


    She could not go to see her cousin in a man¡¯s outfit, could she?


    ¡°But your cousin is a good-for-nothing. He despises the poor and worships the rich. Seeing that your family is in decline, he doesn¡¯t recognize his family anymore?!¡±?Xie Pinggang was very angry when he heard that, ¡°We are brothers. If there¡¯s anything, just tell me. I will teach that ungrateful dog a lesson for you! From now on, you will live in the Xie Residence. Since my stupid brother is your disciple, he deserves to feed you until you are old!¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice was so loud that Xie Qiao could not help but rub her ears.


    Yu Xian was touched when she saw how sincere Xie Pinggang was.


    She felt very embarrassed when she thought about how she had hidden the truth from him so many times.


    These days, she was treated like a distinguished guest in the Xie family. She had the best food, clothes, and everything else. Xie Pinggang was so nice to her that he often apanied her to practice martial arts because he was worried that she would be bored!


    ¡°Brother Xie, I¡¯ve actually... found my cousin. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m poor now. I¡¯m afraid that my cousin will be too worried when he finds out. So, I want to save up money and tidy myself up before I see him!¡±


    ¡°You look great already. You¡¯re a man. You¡¯re not a woman who likes to dress up. Why do you need to look exquisite?¡± Xie Pinggang waved, disagreeing with her words, ¡°If I were your cousin, I would be quite happy to see you. What else could I care about?¡±


    With that said, Yu Xian thought it made sense.


    After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Then... I¡¯ll be shameless. Brother Xie, can you please bring a letter to my cousin for me first?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Leave it to me.¡± Xie Pinggang was very magnanimous.


    Yu Xian was happy. She quickly returned to her room and waited on him with a brush and paper. She wrote a thick stack of papers.


    She mainly told her cousin what had happened along the way. She also told him that she was now a man and living in the Xie Residencefortably. In addition, she also asked about the situation in the Zhou family¡­


    That was more or less the case.


    ¡°Brother Xie, my cousin is also from an aristocratic family, so you should be able to meet him. Moreover, I often hear you mention the Crown Prince... That should be easier.¡± Yu Xian chuckled heartily, ¡°My cousin¡¯s name is Zhou Weizong. He should be one of the Crown Prince¡¯s guards. Please go and look for him....¡±

 Chapter 731 - My Life is So Miserable

    <h4>Chapter 731: My Life is So Miserable</h4>


    As soon as Yu Xian finished her words, Xie Pinggang, who had just received the letter, was stunned.


    ¡°Who? Zhou Weizong?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, looking as if he was going to eat someone. Xie Qiao took another step back.


    Yu Xian was not frightened by this. Instead, she nodded very seriously. ¡°That¡¯s right. Zhou Weizong is my cousin. It¡¯s just that¡­ we haven¡¯t seen each other for many years. In the past, I only learned about his situation in the letter, but it was written a year ago. Now, I¡¯m not sure if he is still the Crown Prince¡¯s guard.¡±


    After getting confirmation, Xie Pinggang was over the moon.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the two of us would be so fated!¡± Xie Pinggangughed happily, ¡°I don¡¯t just know this Zhou Weizhong. You know that I¡¯m following the Crown Prince on a mission, and Zhou Weizhong is the Crown Prince¡¯s head imperial bodyguard. I often hang out with him, and our rtionship is so good that we can even wear the same pants! You are his cousin, so you are naturally my cousin!¡±


    Xie Pinggang was really happy.


    Although he could not beat this short guy, and he was a little upset, after spending so much time together, he thought this pretty boy¡¯s character was really good.


    He was even more rxed than Zhou Weizong!


    Besides, it was not that he could not beat Yu Xian at all. In terms of moves and routines, Yu Xian was indeed a little stronger. Moreover, she knew the human body¡¯s acupuncture points and joints, so when she hit someone, it was twice the result with half the effort.


    However, shecked many actual battles, so her adaptability was not strong enough when she hit someone. In addition, she was good with short des, and her spear was not bad when she swung it, but it could not bepared to him!


    He had thought that Yu Xian had fallen from the sky, but he did not expect that they were somehow connected!


    Yu Xian was also surprised and said, ¡°It really is the sage who is helping me! Brother Xie, how is my cousin now? How is his family?¡±


    ¡°He is fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I will send the message tomorrow. If nothing goes wrong, I will bring him to see you that day. By then, the two of you can catch up with each other!¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly.


    Yu Xian also let out a sigh of relief.


    In fact, she did not want her cousin to know that she was pretending to be a man to deceive people. However, it was inappropriate for her to pretend that she did not find her cousin since the Xie family was so concerned about her.


    Xie Qiao felt helpless when she saw how happy the two of them were.


    In particr, her eldest brother¡¯s hands were everywhere. He would pat Yu Xian¡¯s shoulder from time to time to show his closeness!


    And this Yu Xian¡­ was also a fool.


    She did not care about trifles. Sometimes when she was excited, she would say something very bold and unrestrained. If Xie Qiao did not observe her bone structure, she would not have thought that she was a woman because of Yu Xian¡¯s temper!


    Xie Pinghuai felt even worse.


    This was his master¡­


    He had such a good rtionship with his eldest brother. If he were to fight with his eldest brother in the future, would his master be able to help him?!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, why is my life so miserable?!¡± Xie Pinghuai suddenly sighed.


    Xie Qiao was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t it good?¡±


    ¡°This master is so close to Eldest Brother now. That T-Teacher Xiao has also gone crazy recently. He has been bullying me all day.¡± Xie Pinghuai sighed.


    Recently, he had been beaten up a lot.


    ¡°Please forgive him. Recently, your Teacher Xiao has been somewhat agitated, so it¡¯s normal for his mood to fluctuate.¡± Xie Qiao smiled guiltily.


    ¡°Master keeps asking me if there is any calligraphy and paintings at home. When I say there aren¡¯t, he asks me if there are any strange goatskin cloth or simple objects that our father stole from the barbarians¡­ Eldest Sister, do you think Teacher Xiao¡¯s brain has been kicked by a donkey? How could he be so good at bullying people?¡± Xie Pinghuai was terribly helpless.

 Chapter 732 - Receiving Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 732: Receiving Gifts</h4>


    Xie Qiao could understand Xiao Yurong¡¯s behavior.


    He was worried that her family did not know what was good for them and would use the other treasures as trash to bnce the table.


    ¡°Teacher Xiao is already treating you well. If our father had the knowledge and he¡¯s teaching you, ferule wouldn¡¯t be the only object used to teach you.¡± Xie Qiao nced at her stupid brother and did not sympathize with him at all.


    Who asked him to be a naughty child?


    Xiao Yurong was a standard gentleman. He studied poetries, books and had a lot of patience. However, he was very picky about Xie Pinghuai¡­


    It was entirely because her brother was a little stubborn.


    Now that he was with Xiao Yurong, he was forced to read many books. However, how many of the things in those books had he really remembered?


    ¡°Sister, I really don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the use of reading?! All I need is my fists?! Besides, you will be the Princess Consort in the future. When the Emperor dies and my brother-inw ascends the throne, you will be the Empress! With you protecting me, no one would dare toy a hand on me, right?!¡± Xie Pinghuai had an ambitious look on his face.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she chuckled. ¡°With me protecting you, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Xie Ping smiled smugly. ¡°When that timees, my pocket money will increase a little, right? It doesn¡¯t matter if it doesn¡¯t. I¡¯m the Crown Prince¡¯s brother-inw. There will be plenty of people who want to give me money¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°Plenty of people? Has someone already given you gifts?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that considered a gift¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai curled his lips and immediately stopped talking.


    All of a sudden, Xie Qiao gave him a kick in the calf.


    With a thud, he fell to his knees.


    Xie Pinghuai had been practicing his kicking techniques as well, but he did not pay attention just now. He did not expect Xie Qiao to take action, so he failed to react and his knees went weak.


    ¡°Eldest Sister! What are you doing?!¡± Xie Pinghuai said with a bitter face.


    Xie Pinggang and Yu Xian looked over as well.


    ¡°Tell me, what did you take from others?¡± Xie Qiao said slowly, but her words made Xie Pinghuai feel a chill run down his spine.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing much¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai buried his head.


    ¡°You and I are not from the same mother, and we have not been together since we were young. I can treat you well, but I can also get you to spend the rest of your life in prison. I will not allow others to step on my dignity and embarrass me. My good brother, if you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I am afraid I will have to dig a hole in the ground and bury you. I will end this once and for all.¡± Xie Qiao said coldly. The way she looked at Xie Pinghuai was indeed cold and distant.


    Xie Pinggang frowned. ¡°What did you do?!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai knelt and took two steps back. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! Someone wanted to make friends with me and acknowledge me as their boss. He gave me some silver beans, and I secretly bought some crickets¡­ But I didn¡¯t have time to y. I had to study and practice martial arts. Where would I find the time¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Pinggang kicked Xie Pinghuai in the chest.


    This was not the first time he had beaten him. He was familiar with it.


    ¡°Y-You b*stard have even learned to ept bribes?! Which hand did you take the bribes with?! Show me, and I¡¯ll chop it off!¡± Xie Pinggang was furious.


    Xie Qiao changed her tone, ¡°You bought crickets? Why didn¡¯t I see It? Your every move is watched by Teacher Xiao in the academy, and Master Yu and I at home¡­ Where are the crickets hidden?¡±


    Xie Pinggang also reacted.


    The corners of Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mouth were dry. If he had known earlier, he would not have said anything!


    He took out a house deed pitifully, ¡°I-It¡¯s a gift¡­ But I haven¡¯t been there yet. I really¡­ don¡¯t have the time.¡±

 Chapter 733 - Angered to Death

    <h4>Chapter 733: Angered to Death</h4>


    When Xie Pinggang saw the house deed, he was truly dumbfounded.


    When he took it over and took a look, he was even more shocked. It was actually arge courtyard in the capital!


    Land was extremely valuable. The courtyard was worth at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!


    The brother and sister looked at each other. Their eyes were filled with helplessness and rage that was slowly rising.


    ¡°My dear brother, so you¡¯re making money now? Who gave such arge courtyard? What did you use to exchange for it? Nobody would just give such a good thing to our family for no reason, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked Xie Pinghuai with a smile.


    Her smile was as warm as a spring breeze, which made Xie Pinghuai feel a little more at ease.


    ¡°It was also given by a student in the academy. Their family seems to be in the tea business, and they didn¡¯t ask me for anything. They just said that they wanted to be friends¡­ Besides, their family has a lot of money, so they don¡¯t care about this little money.¡±


    Little money?


    Hearing this, Xie Qiao suddenly wanted to pry open this stupid brother¡¯s head to see if it was filled with hay.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s just a little money¡­¡± Xie Qiao said with a faint smile, ¡°But it¡¯s impolite not to reciprocate. You got something from him, didn¡¯t you return the favor?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. Qi Zhen¡¯s younger sister is very good-looking, and she¡¯s so loyal to me. I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll marry her in the future.¡± When Xie Pinghuai said this, he actually smiled.


    Looking at that smile, it was like a spring breeze. Xie Qiao would not believe that he had note into contact with that youngdy before!


    Fortunately, she knew that Xie Pinghuai was a fool and was mischievous. Therefore, although she was quite angry at this moment, she could still withstand it.


    Xie Pinghuai was 13 years old. He came from a wealthy family. The youngdy was only 13 or 14, and she had arranged for maids to learn about his family.


    However, in a decent family, this kind of situation was rtively rare.


    Parents paid more attention to the health of their children. It was not good to get married too early. Moreover, if one was to be known as promiscuous, it would be terrible for them to marry a youngdy from a family of the same status.


    Xie Qiao calmed herself and sat down.


    Yu Xian looked at Xie Qiao worriedly. ¡°Young Lady Xie, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m angered by this idiot¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said to Xie Pinghuai, ¡°Did you do anything inappropriate with her?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Xie Pinghuai raised his head, not feeling guilty at all, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. If I¡¯ve done that, I won¡¯t feelfortable marrying her in the future. I¡¯m still young. The procuress said before that I¡¯m still growing. We¡¯ll discuss that in the future!¡±


    Xie Qiao was furious.


    ¡°But¡­ We agreed that she would be mine from now on.¡± Xie Pinghuai was still very determined. ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°After three years, you¡¯ll be able to marry someone. You will marry her. However¡­ now that you¡¯ve learned to ept gifts, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll want to receive even more in the future. Since that¡¯s the case, Eldest Brother, Let¡¯s cancel the marriage the Emperor arranged! I can¡¯t afford to lose my dignity. Isn¡¯t it just disobeying the edict? At worst, the whole family will lose their heads! Good brother, you¡¯d be a good man 18 yearster.¡±


    After Xie Qiao said that, she clutched her chest, her body went limp, and she fainted.


    Yu Xian caught her, but she was a little confused.


    What happened to this youngdy?


    Was she not fine just now?


    ¡°Eldest Sister!¡± Xie Pinghuai was shocked, and he quickly went over. ¡°What happened to Eldest Sister?!¡±


    Xie Pinggang tried to touch Xie Qiao¡¯s nose, then, he said with a serious face, ¡°Your Eldest Sister¡¯s health is not good. Her days are numbered . Don¡¯t you see that our father and I are always obedient to her, and we wouldn¡¯t dare to make her angry? Now¡­


    ¡°All of our efforts have been in vain. Your Eldest Sister¡­ is barely breathing. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯s angered to death by you!¡±

 Chapter 734 - You Guys are Fighting? Go Ahead!

    <h4>Chapter 734: You Guys are Fighting? Go Ahead!</h4>


    When Xie Pinggang finished speaking, Xie Pinghuai was dumbfounded.


    Was Xie Qiao¡­ going to die of anger?!


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Eldest Brother, you¡¯re lying. Eldest Sister¡¯s health is quite good now, and she¡¯s coughing less¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai asked in a daze.


    Then, he looked at Yu Xian.


    He did not believe his eldest brother. He would rather listen to his master.


    Yu Xian looked at Xie Pinghuai¡¯s pleading gaze and thought for a moment, then she checked Young Lady Xie¡¯s breathing and looked at her face.


    She was also a little flustered. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to treat a patient, but Young Lady Xie¡¯s breathing is really, really weak¡­ Moreover, her face is very pale. It¡¯s scary, and her hands are especially cold¡­ What¡¯s wrong with Young Lady Xie?¡±


    With that said, Xie Pinghuai immediately pounced on her. ¡°Eldest Sister! Eldest Sister, wake up!


    ¡°What are you angry about?! Isn¡¯t it just a shabby house and a few crickets?! I¡¯ll return it to them. I don¡¯t really want it!¡± Did he not ept the gift out of the principle that it was given to him for free?!


    Up until now, he had never yed with the crickets!


    ¡°Ask the steward toe over. Let¡¯s prepare for a funeral.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was cold. Then, he asked the maidservant toe over and help Xie Qiao back to the house.


    It would be a funeral, but it was not for Xie Qiao.


    ¡°What funeral! Eldest Brother! Hurry up and call the doctor. My sister is still alive. She¡¯s not dead yet!¡± Xie Pinghuai was anxious.


    He knew that his eldest brother was a man of his word. If he really got someone to hold a funeral, he would really disregard his eldest sister¡¯s life and bury her in a coffin!


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was cold. ¡°What¡¯s there to save? If she¡¯s alive, she¡¯ll be angered to death by you. Moreover, if we really go to break off the engagement, our lives will be gone. We might as well let her die tonight. After she dies, the engagement will naturally be gone as well. We don¡¯t have to worry about you causing more trouble.¡±


    That was not the case. He could not do it this way!


    ¡°Xie Pinggang! What are you talking about? That¡¯s my eldest sister!¡± Xie Pinghuai jumped up in rage, pointing at Xie Pinggang and cursed.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled, then he said to Yu Xian happily, ¡°Look at this useless piece of trash shouting at me. He can¡¯t even beat me in a fight, so what¡¯s the use?


    ¡°Give me a break. Your eldest sister doesn¡¯t have a long life to begin with. What¡¯s the difference between dying today or tomorrow?¡± Xie Pinggang said calmly, ¡°Alright, you should get ready too. In a while, cry a few more times in front of your eldest sister¡¯s coffin to show your sincerity.¡±


    Yu Xian frowned.


    After thinking for a while, she thought Xie Pinggang was probably educating his younger brother.


    However, this method¡­ was a little strange, and she had never seen it before.


    Nevertheless, it was inappropriate for her to interfere when someone was educating his younger brother, so she nodded obediently at the side.


    She was still a little worried about Young Lady Xie. Thisdy¡¯s body seemed to be really weak. Were they really not calling a doctor for her?


    After being provoked by Xie Pinggang, Xie Pinghuai picked up therge de beside him directly and hacked at him.


    Xie Pinggang would not let him off easily.


    Not long after, the two brothers started fighting.


    Rather than saying that they were fighting, it was more appropriate to say that Xie Pinggang was torturing Xie Pinghuai significantly. His attacks were not particrly ruthless, but every shnded on Xie Pinghuai¡¯s skin. His skin was torn and some flesh was cut. Not long after, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s body was already covered in a few wounds. It was a shocking sight!


    When Xie Niushan returned, he saw it too.


    He raised his eyelids and said, ¡°You guys are fighting? Go ahead. I¡¯m going to rest.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, he left without stopping them.


    Yu Xian initially thought that the two of them were just fighting for fun!


    However, it was still going on now that there was blood. It was a little scary!


    However, she could also see that Xie Pinggang had no intention of killing him at all. Otherwise, his younger brother would have been gone long ago!

 Chapter 735 - Amazing

    <h4>Chapter 735: Amazing</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yu Xian was worried that Xie Pinggang would identally go too hard with his attacks. Everything would be over by then¡­


    However, Xie Pinggang was experienced in teaching his younger brother a lesson.


    Not long after, Xie Pinghuai stopped resisting with the de in his hand. His stiff face was tense, and his clothes were tattered. He stood there holding the de like a bloody man!


    ¡°Xie Pinggang! You¡¯re horrible!¡±


    After cursing, he fell with a thud.


    Xie Pinggang snorted and sneered. ¡°Get someone to move the coffin in quickly and put it in this idiot¡¯s room. Prepare white cloth and whitenterns for me! Get the maids and servants. If they are willing, they can cry in the courtyard for two nights. Their sry this month will be doubled!¡±


    The steward did as he was told and got someone to arrange it.


    ¡°Brother Xie, what exactly are you...¡±


    ¡®What are you trying to do?¡¯


    ¡°This kid always forgets his lesson. If we don¡¯t scare him properly, it won¡¯t work. After the coffin is brought over, we¡¯ll stuff him in. It¡¯ll be fine as long as we don¡¯t nail him to death. He won¡¯t die,¡± Xie Pinggang said calmly.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie...¡± Yu Xian quickly asked again.


    She thought Xie Pinghuai deserved to be taught a lesson.


    As long as Brother Xie knew what he was doing, he would not really kill him. They were a family.


    ¡°Eldest Sister was out for the entire day. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s tired. She went back to sleep,¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    ¡°Is her body okay? I saw her pale face just now. She looked like she was going to...¡± Yu Xian still had lingering fear in her heart.


    ¡°My younger sister¡¯s body is not well. The day wille, but not yet. Recently, her body has been in good shape. She has been eating well and sleeping well. Although she was angry just now, I did not see her panting or coughing. She must be faking it. Even if she wasn¡¯t faking it, when she returns to her own courtyard, that maidservant Chun Er will give her medicine,¡± Xie Pinggang exined.


    Other than Xie Qiao¡¯s medicine, nothing else would be of any use.


    Hearing this, Yu Xian heaved a sigh of relief.


    Then, she watched as the steward led his men to drag the second young master... out of the courtyard.


    Too ruthless!


    However... This brother and sister were really upright. They were so strict even when their biological brother made mistakes. Young Lady Xie would still be the Princess Consort in the future. That was amazing!


    After Xie Qiao left the small training field, she opened her eyes and walked back on her own.


    What Xie Pinghuai had done was not serious, but it was not a small issue either.


    Although someone had sent gifts, Xie Pinghuai was still too young after all. It was fine for his family to make the decision to return the things. However... since he had agreed to the marriage, it was difficult to handle it.


    This kind of promise was too big. If he did not keep his word, would he not be fickle-minded if he did other things in the future?


    However, if she allowed it to happen, she was afraid that there would be more troubles in the house.


    Back in the courtyard, Chun Er looked at her worriedly. ¡°Young Lady, it¡¯s really been hard on you. You were angry again. It¡¯s better to take a pill, right?¡±


    Chun Er felt extremely ufortable.


    The old master was simple, the first young master was fierce, and the second young master was stupid and useless. He was a fool!


    Could they not let the youngdy rest and maintain a good mood every day?!


    They were like a bunch of animals! They were all insensible!


    Her tiny face looked serious and upset.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? At his age, he¡¯s an impulsive person who makes mistakes. Just beat him up and make him remember his lesson. In a few years, he should be able to grow mature.¡± Xie Qiao was very calm.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s body was growing. His body hormones were abnormal, so it would be strange if he did not make mistakes.


    ¡°Young Lady, you¡¯re slow with the news. Just now, someone ran over and said that the first young master had chopped someone up. There were more than 20 wounds all over his body. Fortunately, he used a de instead of a sword. Otherwise, the second young master would be a leaky bucket right now. That would be the best way to vent his anger....¡±

 Chapter 736 - Xie Pinggang, You Jerk

    <h4>Chapter 736: Xie Pinggang, You Jerk</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Chun Er¡¯sst sentence was weak. It was only her own thoughts.


    ¡°So ruthless?¡± Xie Qiao secretly clicked her tongue. ¡°What else can he do? He deserves such pain. When I go to the academy tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to speak to Teacher Xiao. Those who receive gifts must be punished, and those who give gifts... Can¡¯t just sit still, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chun Er nodded.


    She and her brother were more unyielding toward Xie Pinghuai.


    It was not that they did not want to soften the policy, but Xie Pinghuai was really terrible.


    Even Lin Yaxiang did not treat him with apletely soft attitude, especially on such a big matter. If they were to be like Ms. Lu back then and gently let go of everything, he would be even morewless in the future.


    He must be punished.


    Especially when it came to receiving gifts. She had to make sure that he would never forget it. Otherwise, he would forget about the pain once he recovered from his scar.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er didn¡¯te home today?¡± Xie Qiao asked Chun Er.


    ¡°Yes, Second Young Lady is staying at the Lin Residence today.¡± Chun Er nodded, ¡°She¡¯s very well-behaved. No matter where she goes, she will always report it. It¡¯s very reassuring. It¡¯s just that... Why did you give away your golden bells?¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gift was always simple.


    Talismans and peach wood swords were the main gifts. She would only consider other things when she had time.


    From the moment she met Xie Qiao, she was already wearing the golden bells. She had never thought that she would give them away.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er has been a jinx recently.¡± Xie Qiao frowned and sighed faintly.


    It was not that this jinx could not be resolved.


    After locking her in the house for a while, she would not be able to go out. With the help of the dharma instruments and formations, the problem would be solved. However, Xie Xi was not a kitten or a puppy. Now that she had finally gained some vivacity, Xie Qiao would feel terrible to lock her in the house and prohibited her from going out.


    Fortunately, with the golden bells around, even if something happened, the problem should not be too big.


    Xie Qiao was indeed tired. It did not take long for her to rest.


    Meanwhile, Xie Pinggang¡¯s courtyard was bustling with activities.


    Xie Pinggang was very decisive. He carried the coffin into the house and ced his younger brother into it, leaving a barely visible gap. It was enough for him to breathe.


    There were also some items for prayer ced in front of the coffin. A group of maids and servants were crying around the coffin. They would change the group of people every now and then, and they could go all day without stopping.


    If they did not know the truth, they might really think that someone from the Xie family had died.


    Xie Pinghuai woke up in the middle of the night. His body was still in extreme pain. Just as he was about to touch his wounds, he realized that he had no idea where he was.


    The surroundings were pitch ck and narrow. It was as if he was in a box¡­


    ¡°Sob, sob, sob...¡±


    ¡°Sob, sob, sob...¡±


    There was a strange sound outside. He did not know who it was from.


    Xie Pinghuai knocked hard.


    However, no one paid attention to him. They continued to cry outside. However, when he pushed hard, he realized that he could not move at all!


    What was going on?!


    Xie Pinghuai was a little anxious. Those cries... Could it be that his eldest sister had really died?!


    ¡°Let me out! Quickly let me out, or else I¡¯ll bite you to death!¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted with all his might.


    The sounding from inside the coffin was very stifling. The servants were also somewhat helpless. The first young master had said that no matter what the person inside the coffin shouted, they were not allowed to respond. If anyone spoke to the second young master inside, then there would be no reward for them!


    Moreover¡­


    ¡°Wah... First Young Lady...¡±


    ¡°Second Young Master... Wah, why did all of you go...¡± The servants braced themselves and wailed.


    The first young master was really not afraid of bad luck. He had pointed out that they were going to cry for the first youngdy.


    Xie Pinghuai, who was in there, was stunned.


    All of them died? Everyone died?!


    Him? And his eldest sister!


    Nonsense! He was still alive! His eldest sister was definitely alive too!


    ¡°Xie Pinggang, you jerk! Let me out!¡±

 Chapter 737 - Weak Body

    <h4>Chapter 737: Weak Body</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinghuai screamed at the top of his lungs. After screaming for 15 minutes, no one paid any attention to him. Meanwhile, the words ¡°poor First Young Lady¡± kept ringing in his ears. His entire body felt numb!


    What happened to his eldest sister?!


    Could she really be dead? That¡¯s impossible!


    Or could it be that his eldest sister was about to die and she wanted to break off the engagement? His eldest brother was unwilling, so he wanted to bury her directly?!


    Xie Pinghuai did not have the slightest bit of trust in Xie Pinggang. He thought he was the most terrifying person in the world.


    His voice was hoarse, but there was no reply.


    Xie Pinghuai was panicking. He was really panicking.


    In the past, his eldest brother had beaten him with whips, pped or kicked him, but this time, it was the worst!


    He could feel the dried blood stains on his body. The bloody stench was even more pungent in the small coffin!


    It was a coffin. At this moment, he was certain.


    His eldest brother thought he was dead!


    And his eldest sister¡­


    What happened to her¡­


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I know I¡¯m wrong! Quickly let me out! I¡¯m not dead. Eldest Sister, where are you?¡± Xie Pinghuai opened his mouth and shouted again.


    He was afraid.


    From the first day his eldest sister entered the capital, he knew that her health wascking¡­


    He also knew that she wanted him to improve, so she would not let him y with crickets and let her learn from Teacher Xiao and Master Yu. It was all for his own good. He knew that!


    However, he had a weak body. There was nothing that he could do!


    He was wrong!


    If he had known that his eldest sister would get mad, he would not have epted that shabby house!


    Nevertheless, he just could not understand. It was just a shabby house, and he did not want to live in it. Worst came to worst, he could just return it, right?!


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes were red. In such a dark ce, his heart was even more chaotic. The more he thought about it, the worse it got.


    It was only the beginning.


    Xie Pinggang kept his word. The next morning, he took a look at the courtyard, and toward the coffin, he even pretended to sigh. ¡°Eldest Sister, you died a horrible death. I thought you were lucky enough to be the Princess Consort. I didn¡¯t expect you to die of anger from that useless piece of trash! He killed you, and I won¡¯t let him live either. The two of you should be at peace as you walk on the journey to hell.¡±


    With that, he left calmly.


    His eldest sister was smart!


    In the past, he would only beat him up. However, this kid was his younger brother. How could he be afraid of being beaten? His skin was rough and his flesh was thick. It was useless even if he was beaten!


    It was different now. Scaring him could at least make this kid understand some things, right?


    As for the taboo¡­


    His eldest sister¡¯s body was already in such a state. He would just treat it as crying for her death in advance. It was not a big deal. Besides, everyone had to die eventually!


    Inside the coffin, Xie Pinghuai was dumbfounded.


    Was what his eldest brother said true?!


    His eldest sister had already¡­


    ¡°Eldest Sister! Eldest Sister, I¡¯ve let you down... I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Eldest Sister, please don¡¯t die...¡± Xie Pinghuai directly wailed.


    There was crying inside the coffin, as well as outside the coffin. One after the other, it sounded like they were singing.


    Yu Xian came from afar to take a look. She was both shocked and impressed.


    Thinking about it carefully, back in her hometown in Dong¡¯an, was she not too polite to her uncles? If she was like Brother Xie... she would definitely not be bullied and run away!


    Brother Xie was a strange and intelligent man!


    The weirdo Xie Pinggang went to the criminal division cheerfully. After waiting for a while, Zhou Weizong arrived with the Crown Prince.


    He quickly pulled him aside and took out the letter, he said, ¡°Brother Zhou, we are really fated. Guess what? Your cousin is currently in my house! I¡¯m taking good care of him. We are like old friends at first sight. I wish that we could sleep together and eat together! We can be brothers by blood now! Oh, this is the letter he gave you.. Quickly finish reading it. We will take a leave today and I¡¯ll bring you to see him!¡±

 Chapter 738 - Poor Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 738: Poor Cousin</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Xie Pinggang finished speaking, he excitedly handed the letter to Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong was confused.


    Cousin? Which cousin? Why was he staying at the Xie Residence? Could he be from his aunt¡¯s family? That was not right either. If that was it, why would Xie Pinggang send a letter?!


    Zhou Weizong was puzzled and opened the letter in confusion.


    However, when he opened the letter, he was dumbfounded.


    What was written on it?!


    It was not some random cousin brother, but his cousin sister Yu Xian. She was actually staying in the Xie Residence?!


    The letter clearly stated that the Dong¡¯an Yu family was preparing to marry his cousin to anyone. She was unwilling, so she fled. It... was the right call.


    However... for the sake of her own safety, she could only disguise herself as a man. Later on, she wanted toe to his Zhou Residence, but because she was dressed too shabbily, she did not even enter the main gate!


    By chance, she met an expert, and with the guidance of the expert, she entered the Xie Residence and became a martial arts instructor¡­


    In addition, her cousin also asked him if it was convenient for her to go to the Zhou Residence toy low for the time being. Apart from that, she wanted to know if the Zhou family had received any letters from the Yu family, and would they send her back home to get married¡­


    If the Zhou family could protect her for a while, she would definitely behave herself and be a proper youngdy, not embarrassing the Zhou family.


    In the entire letter, his cousin¡¯s helplessness was expressed clearly.


    Zhou Weizhong suddenly remembered that recently... There were indeed elders in the family who asked about his cousin.


    In their words, they said that his cousin did not seem to respect her elders. After her parents passed away, she became more ambitious¡­


    After reading the letter, Zhou Weizhong more or less understood what happened.


    The family must have received the letter long ago.


    That was why they were asking him for his cousin¡¯s whereabouts!


    If he told them what happened, the family would definitely send someone to bring his cousin back to Dong¡¯an!


    Zhou Weizong was very conflicted.


    It was because of... Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Brother Xie, my cousin... brother, is there anything that he¡¯s not adapting in your home?¡± Zhou Weizong was not at ease with Xie Pinggang.


    Look at what he said just now!


    He actually said that he wished he could sleep with his cousin!


    How could that be?!


    ¡°Of course he¡¯s adapting! I can mistreat anyone else, but not your cousin!¡± Xie Pinggang said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Then... Can you tell me what my cousin does on a daily basis?¡± Zhou Weizong asked with concern.


    Xie Pinggang thought for a moment. ¡°He would asionally go out shopping and say that he¡¯s looking for his family members. He usually stays in my house and practices martial arts before dawn. It¡¯s just right for my taste, so I sparred with him. He practiced martial arts in the morning and taught my younger brother in the afternoon. We pay him ten taels of silver a month, including food and amodation.¡±


    Zhou Weizong opened his mouth. Looking at Xie Pinggang, he could not describe how he felt.


    She had to get up and fight with such a bear before dawn?!


    He had really wronged his poor cousin to death!


    Although they had not seen each other for many years, his cousin was still a woman after all. Her body was delicate and weak. Even if she knew some martial arts, how could she withstand Xie Pinggang¡¯s fist?!


    Ten taels of silver a month was not a small amount, but to his cousin, it was extremely pitiful!


    When her parents were still alive, her monthly allowance was more than that. Now that she had worked so hard and earned so little, he did not know if she still had money left to buy cosmetics and clothes!


    However, in this letter, his cousin praised the Xie family.


    She said that Young Lady Xie was kind-hearted and Xie Pinggang was straightforward. She even said that Xie Pinghuai was a worthy sessor for martial arts training¡­


    Sigh, that silly cousin.. She had never seen how Xie Pinggang interrogated criminals in the criminal division. If she knew, she probably would not be able to say these words!

 Chapter 739 - Strong Wind and Sword

    <h4>Chapter 739: Strong Wind and Sword</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s expression wasplicated, and he was filled with mixed emotions.


    ¡°My cousin has always been timid. Brother Xie, you didn¡¯t scare him, did you?¡± Zhou Weizong asked carefully.


    Xie Pinggang was a little puzzled. ¡°Your cousin doesn¡¯t seem like a timid person? That¡¯s true. You haven¡¯t seen him for a few years, right? Although that kid is much shorter than me, he can be considered to be passable among men. His figure is vigorous, and he¡¯s like a snake. He¡¯s soft and boneless. When he fights, it¡¯s really hard to catch him!¡±


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s heart jolted!


    ¡°Soft and boneless?! D-Did you touch him?!¡± Zhou Weizong held back and asked in shock.


    Xie Pinggang looked puzzled, ¡°When sparring, it¡¯s inevitable to have some bumps and bruises. As a man, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? Besides, although some parts of his body were bruised by me, I gave him ointment. The ointment was given to me by His Highness. It¡¯s very effective for boosting blood cirction and removing bruises. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not say that he was actually beaten up more often.


    In addition, sometimes he even wanted to help apply the ointment himself, but Yu Xian did not like it. She thought that he would hurt her if he was clumsy, so the good brothers did not have the intimacy of applying ointment for each other!


    Zhou Weizong gulped hard, and his whole body trembled.


    Xie Pinggang, oh, Xie Pinggang. He was really horrible!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhou Weizong gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Xie Pinggang was stunned.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we taking leave of absence to see my cousin?!¡± Zhou Weizong said angrily.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled. ¡°What are you so anxious for? Your cousin won¡¯t run away. I still have business to attend toter!¡±


    As he said that, Xie Pinggang strode off to pay his respects to the Crown Prince!


    He told him about the case of the drowning of the baby girls. If His Highness agreed, he would arrest the Bao family.


    Of course, his sister also said that before he went to capture them, he had to arrange for some people to go over and ask what Bao Lunsheng¡¯s wife wanted. If she wanted a divorce, it would be handled together.


    However, he thought after suffering so much for this man, what was so great about a divorce? How happy would it be to lose a husband?


    With money and possessions, it would be easier to raise a child. The only bad thing was... if the mother-inw, the midwife, and even Bao Lunsheng were arrested, the whole family would be criminals. If she were to remain a widow at home, it would be inevitable that people would look down on her.


    If they were divorced, her reputation would be better.


    It was actually just an ordinary case. Right now, the administrative office was also wondering why the criminal division wanted to interfere.


    Xie Pinggang was also worried about Master Mo, that was why he meddled in other people¡¯s business. If it was purely her sister¡¯s suggestion, he would not have brought it up to the Crown Prince.


    Xie Pinggang left happily, but Zhou Weizong felt like his heart was being gnawed by 10,000 ants. He was burning with anxiety.


    It was as if if he went to the Xie Residence two hourster, his cousin would suffer for another two hours!


    He felt ufortable all over!


    He stood guard outside with a serious expression, not allowing anyone to enter.


    Not long after, Xie Pinggang exined the situation to the Crown Prince.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned, unexpectedly, he took it seriously. ¡°After the great ancestor conquered the world, the first batch of decrees issued included a decree specifically targeting female infanticide. Unfortunately, the decree isn¡¯t strict enough, so there are still many innocent female infanticide in the world. I thought that there would be fewer such things at the foot of the capital, but I didn¡¯t expect someone to be so bold.


    ¡°Qiao¡¯er is right. Since the twins are dead, the punishment should be doubled. Bring your men over and capture them. Execute them before noon tomorrow!¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned for a moment because of the Crown Prince¡¯s endearment. Then, he quickly asked, ¡°But if we really beat 140 canes with great fanfare, this person will die without a doubt. By then, won¡¯t Your Highness be criticized by others?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be a few sentences. Do you think it would kill me like strong wind and sword?¡±

 Chapter 740 - Divorce

    <h4>Chapter 740: Divorce</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing had never been a person who was afraid of trouble. Compared tost year¡¯s corruption case, this case was nothing to those ministers because it was not a threat to their interests.


    If the people hadints, it was because they were wrong.


    If the customs of the people were wrong, they had to change.


    Zhao Xuanjing had a casual expression and did not care about the opinions of these outsiders. Xie Pinggang was even more impressed.


    He was also looking forward to the day when the Crown Prince would ascend to the throne in the future.


    Ever since he knew the Crown Prince, he had never seen him have any personal emotions. He was like a natural king, born to work hard for the country.


    Every decision he made was like a cold spring under the ice. It was clean and cold, and the coolness was close to one¡¯s heart.


    Xie Pinggang immediately brought people out.


    First, he had the female official from the administrative office go to the Bao Residence.


    Ms. Du¡¯s face was still injured. As her husband had been taken away, her mother-inw had been crying the whole night. Therefore, she was not in good spirits and looked very haggard.


    The two children were young, but they could also feel that the atmosphere in the house was not right. They were so quiet that they were like kittens that had been frozen and did not dare to speak.


    Especially when she saw the officialing over, Ms. Du was even more afraid.


    ¡°Ms. Du, we came over to ask you if you have any ideas on what you want to do. If you want a divorce, I will speak up for youter and help you get the documents done. Don¡¯t worry. As your mother-inw Ms. Bao Liu and your husband Bao Lunsheng are both guilty, you will have to take care of the children yourself.¡± The female official had also received the news in advance. At this moment, she said ording to the arrangements.


    Ms. Du was a little surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll take them? Can I take them away?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the mother of the child. Of course you can,¡± the female official said with a smile.


    The mother-inw, Ms. Bao Liu, had not yet been arrested. When she heard that, she bared her teeth and brandished her ws. ¡°Pfft! You heartless harlot. You have a lover out there and you still want to take my grandson away. Dream on!¡±


    Ms. Du buried her head.


    The official from the administrative office directly tied Ms. Bao Liu up. ¡°You have awsuit on you. The lowest sentence is one and a half years in prison. If you don¡¯t want your grandson to go with your daughter-inw, do you want him to stay at home at such a young age and die?!¡±


    ¡°Whatwsuit?! I didn¡¯t kill anyone! Back then, Ms. Wang couldn¡¯t give birth and died in childbirth!¡± Ms. Liu hurriedly shouted.


    In her heart, she did not treat the baby as human at all.


    Even though she had a nightmarest night, the thoughts in her heart still remained the same.


    Ms. Wang was indeed alive when she had her abdomen cut open, but it was the same for all women in childbirth. They had to go through the Gates of Hell. If it was a difficult childbirth, they could only choose to save the mother or the child, right?!


    At that time, in that kind of situation, even if she did not save the child, Ms. Wang still had to die. It was not her fault!


    ¡°Ms. Bao Liu, if we get to the bottom of the crime of Ms. Wang being cut open, I¡¯m afraid your head will be chopped off.¡± The administrative office member sneered, ¡°You conspired with the midwife and your son to kill your two granddaughters, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    As she spoke, she tied her up to prevent her from escaping.


    Seeing this scene, how could Ms. Du not realize what was happening?


    She immediately nodded and wanted to leave.


    The administrative office had already prepared the documents, and Bao Lunsheng¡¯s signature was on them.


    Ms. Du was illiterate, so the female official read it to her word by word. After listening to it, she was very shocked.


    In addition to the divorce document, there was also a document to divide the property. The officials said that because she had a pair of children, it would be difficult to raise them, so they gave her 20 acres ofnd and 20 taels of silver to provide for the three of them!


    As for the Bao family¡¯snd, it was only 40 acres in total.. She thought that she would just pack up her things and leave. She did not expect to be able to obtain the property!

 Chapter 741 - What Was Wrong with That

    <h4>Chapter 741: What Was Wrong with That</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ms. Du was overjoyed.


    Ms. Bao Liu was about to go crazy. ¡°F*ck you! What right do you have to give her money?! What the hell! You officers are bullying us and helping this b*tch to steal my family¡¯s property!¡±


    She shouted.


    In the next moment, her mouth was shut.


    The criminal division had already asked Bao Lunsheng about the Bao family¡¯s property. Only 20 acres of thend was given to Ms. Du. The reason was because the Bao family still had a n. If Ms. Du took all of it, the Bao family would definitely be upset, so they split it in half.


    In terms of money, 20 taels of silver was enough for the mother and two children to eat and drink for a year.


    The Bao family had more than that, but Ms. Du could only take that much. No matter how much it was, it might not be a good thing for her.


    Now that it was clearly divided, Ms. Du¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°I heard that you can cook. It just so happens that the criminal division is in need of a cook. You can bring your children to stay there temporarily and take care of the officials¡¯ meals. If you do a good job, there will be a lot of mary rewards in addition to your sry. I wonder if you are willing to do that?¡± The female official asked again.


    She was worried that Ms. Du would not dare to go.


    The criminal division was different from the governmental administrative office. The officials there were fierce and the criminals were terrifying. Therefore, it was not easy to hire a cook. They often had to be reced.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m willing!¡± Ms. Du hurriedly said.


    She was just thinking that if¡­ she brought the silver and thend back to her family, her family would leech off her!


    However, she did not expect that the officials would actually help her with her livelihood!


    Oh, that Taoist master from yesterday¡­


    ¡°M-May I ask if you know a¡­ female Taoist master? That Taoist master is very good-looking. She¡¯s 30 to 40 years old¡­¡± Ms. Du asked carefully.


    The female official did not know, but the person sent by the criminal division knew.


    ¡°You must be talking about Master Mo Chusheng, the owner of Fortune Pavilion. She¡¯s an expert.¡±


    Ms. Du remembered what she said.


    Master Mo, Mo Chusheng.


    When she had settled down, she would go and ask around. Later, she would have a tablet of this master and pray to her everyday.


    Divorce did not sound good, but she knew that this was her hope to live!


    If it was not for these officials helping her solve her worries, she would probably still be stuck in this mud pit, not daring to stand up¡­


    ..


    After signing the divorce documents, the officials immediately arrested Ms. Bao Liu.


    Ms. Bao Liu thought that the officials were just scaring her into agreeing to let her son and daughter-inw be divorced. She did not expect them to actually arrest her!


    She immediately fainted from fright.


    On the other side, the family¡¯s midwife was also arrested.


    Simrly, when the midwife was captured, she also had a face full of confusion. Even when the people from the criminal division mentioned the twin baby girls, the midwife still could not understand.


    What was wrong with her nephew not wanting the daughters?!


    She had only drowned the baby girls because she listened to her sister-inw and nephew. If that was considered a crime, then how many midwives in this world would not be guilty?!


    She cursed and was locked up.


    First, they interrogated her. They calcted how many lives she had taken and what she had done in her life that she was guilty about. Then, they added to the number of canes.


    They would drag her to the entrance of the wet market to be executed tomorrow afternoon!


    The matter of interrogation was no longer done by Xie Pinggang now. In the afternoon, he brought Zhou Weizong back to the Xie Residence.


    After returning to the Xie Residence, Xie Pinggang was still not in a hurry. It was as if he did not see Zhou Weizong¡¯s ashen face. He said to the steward, ¡°Go to the Lin Residence and find that aunt of the Lin family. Ask her toe over..¡±

 Chapter 742 - Kill My Family Out of Righteousness

    <h4>Chapter 742: Kill My Family Out of Righteousness</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    They had called Lin Yaxiang over for two reasons.


    One was to scare Xie Pinghuai, and the other was to ask her if she had ever drowned a baby girl like the old woman they caught today.


    Xie Pinggang was a bad person himself. He used to be a bandit, but he knew that he had to abide by the rules in his line of work.


    What was a midwife?


    It was a way to survive!


    If she drowned baby girls, they would not get in contact with the Lin family anymore.


    Moreover, now that he was handling this case, if there were people deliberately looking for trouble, they would definitely look into Lin Yaxiang¡¯s past. If she had killed babies before, by then, they would definitely force him to punish Lin Yaxiang.


    Hence, he asked Lin Yaxiang to make some preparations in advance. That was right... to be prepared to be killed by him.


    Of course, Xie Pinggang still had some confidence in the Lin family.


    That Master Lin was a doctor after all, and his family raised many girls. It seemed that the daughter he raised should be different from other midwives.


    Zhou Weizong could not wait any longer. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this tomorrow... My cousin...¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, you don¡¯t understand. In my line of work, I have to make sure that my family and friends are clean. Otherwise, someone will force me to kill my family out of righteousness, right? After all, they¡¯re my rtives. How could I not tell them before I destroy them?¡±


    The corner of Zhou Weizong¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Whoever his rtives were, they would have bad luck for eight generations!


    ¡°You¡¯re right! Where¡¯s my cousin?!¡± Zhou Weizong said again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Come here. I¡¯ll get someone to call Master Yu over. Why don¡¯t you pay your respects first?¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    ¡°Condolences!¡± Zhou Weizong was shocked. ¡°What... happened to your family?¡±


    After Zhou Weizong said that, he vaguely heard some crying noise.


    ¡°My good-for-nothing eldest sister and younger brother are dead. I don¡¯t want you to do anything. I just want to go to the coffin and say a few words of regret, and at the same time,fort me,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    Zhou Weizong froze. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Princess Consort! She was¡­ dead?!


    ¡°Actually, my younger brother is dead, and my eldest sister is still alive, but... To be honest, her health iscking, so this funeral should have been done a long time ago. However, she has been struggling for her life until now, and I haven¡¯t nned for it. Now that she¡¯s about to get married, I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t have the chance to hold a funeral for her at home in the future, so I¡¯ll make up for it in advance. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xie Pinggang chuckled.


    Zhou Weizong was about to go out of his mind. ¡°How can you make such a joke?! The status of the Princess Consort is precious. If we offended her...¡±


    ¡°How would we offend her? She¡¯s not the Princess Consort yet! I can¡¯t get involved in my sister¡¯s matter anymore? Besides, the old is dead and the new is alive. I¡¯ve already taken care of the funeral. When the King of Hell sends the ox-headed and horse-faced demons to pick her up, they¡¯ll leave when they can¡¯t find her. Her name will be stricken from the book of death. Won¡¯t she be at peace in the future?¡± Xie Pinggang was spouting nonsense at this moment.


    He was so unreasonable.


    ¡°His Highness...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell His Highness. My sister has made her own decision. What should you tell His Highness? She hasn¡¯t gotten married yet!¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s tone was t, ¡°Look, there¡¯s only a white cloth hanging in my brother¡¯s courtyard. Nowhere else in the house has that, so it won¡¯t be spread out. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Zhou Weizong was anxious.


    No, when he returned, he had to tell His Highness!


    ¡°When you enter the courtyard, don¡¯t talk nonsense. You have to treat it as if my sister is dead, understand?¡± Xie Pinggang patted Zhou Weizong¡¯s back and reminded him aggressively.


    Zhou Weizong nodded helplessly.

 Chapter 743 - hree Letters and Six Etiquettes

    <h4>Chapter 743: Three Letters and Six Etiquettes</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhou Weizong walked in.


    In the courtyard, there were actually quite a number of maids and servants who were queuing to cry!


    No wonder he did not see many people waiting for him when he entered the Xie Residence today. So they were all here!


    He stood in front of the coffin and did not know what to say for a moment. He remembered that Xie Pinggang had said that his younger brother was gone... He could not tell whether that was the truth, so he said, ¡°Brother Xie, I... I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead! Someone, let me out!¡± When he heard the voice of an outsider, Xie Pinghuai hurriedly knocked and shouted.


    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?!¡± Zhou Weizong was shocked.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know where the dog barking came from. Okay, let¡¯s go. Your cousin is waiting for us.¡± Xie Pinggang chuckled.


    Zhou Weizong was sure that it was the scream from inside the coffin.


    However, Xie Pinggang¡­


    Feeling helpless, Zhou Weizong nced at the coffin and chose to leave with Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Inside the coffin...¡± Zhou Weizong thought Xie Pinggang was too strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. It¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Xie Pinggang would not spread the news of Xie Pinghuai receiving gifts, especially to Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong was the most loyal to the Crown Prince. Once he heard from him, he would immediately pass the news on to the Crown Prince. By then, would the Crown Prince not be very disappointed in his family?


    He could not lose his dignity.


    Not long after, the two cousins met in front of the courtyard.


    When Zhou Weizong saw who it was, he was stunned.


    This was... his cousin Yu Xian?


    He really... could not tell!


    When his cousin was about ten years old, she came to the capital with her parents to visit her rtives. She stayed in the Zhou Residence for a few days. Back then, she was cute and did not like to cry, which made him very fond of her.


    Meanwhile, in front of him¡­


    Her face was a little tanned, and her eyes were full of vigor. She was dressed in a martial arts master¡¯s outfit. When she appeared, she even called him ¡°cousin¡± in a rough manner, which almost sent him to his death.


    ¡°C-Cousin.¡± Zhou Weizong was in disbelief. It was his cousin!


    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s been a few years. You¡¯re much taller now! And you¡¯re more valiant now!¡± Yu Xian said.


    Zhou Weizong gulped.


    He hit pubertyte.


    ¡°C-Cousin, you¡¯re the same.¡± He thought she looked valiant too.


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Cousin!¡± Yu Xian epted it happily. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you everything in the letter. You don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve been through many obstacles along the way. I¡¯ve really seen quite a bit of the world. I remember that when I was in Dong¡¯an, I was really a toad at the bottom of a well! I¡¯ve been living under the protection of my parents. I don¡¯t know how dangerous it is outside!¡±


    Along the way, she had encountered many robbers, swindlers, and beggars.


    It was not easy to live until now without a single cash!


    Zhou Weizong sucked in a breath of cold air. He felt that his head was a little dizzy.


    If his uncle was still alive and saw his daughter living like a man, would he be able to bear it?


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a tough journey. Then... Why don¡¯t you follow me back to the Zhou Residence? As long as I¡¯m here, I definitely won¡¯t let them send you back to Dong¡¯an,¡± Zhou Weizong said stiffly.


    What else could she do? Should she stay in the Xie Residence and continue to be a martial arts instructor?


    ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Xie Pinggang stopped him, ¡°Your cousin said that he would be the martial arts instructor for my family for the rest of his life! We have such a good rtionship, can you bear to see my familycking a martial arts instructor? It doesn¡¯t matter if you think that he¡¯s old enough to start a family. At most, my father will acknowledge him as his godson.. He loves godsons the most. When the timees, whichever family your cousin takes a fancy to, my family will handle the three letters and six etiquettes! He will definitely not let thedy suffer!¡±

 Chapter 744 - Show Your Sincerity

    <h4>Chapter 744: Show Your Sincerity</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang had a sincere look on his face. He was afraid that Zhou Weizong would feel that his family had mistreated Master Yu.


    Who would have thought that he would be able to meet an acquaintance¡¯s rtive just by looking for a random martial arts instructor?!


    Zhou Weizong covered his chest when he heard that, he could not ept it. ¡°D-Don¡¯t say that¡­ My cousin doesn¡¯t want to marry a wife! It won¡¯t work no matter what you say. He¡¯s all alone. How can he stay in your house? You¡¯d better find another martial arts instructor. My cousin wants to follow me home!¡±


    Zhou Weizong was very anxious.


    He knew what kind of person Xie Pinggang was. He valued loyalty and liked martial arts weapons. For the sake of that big weapon at the academy, he was reading military books!


    If he really took a fancy to his cousin, he would have to take her back by force!


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s eyes were filled with begging. He looked very pitiful.


    Xie Pinggang could not understand. ¡°This is your cousin. He¡¯s not a monkey in a cage, and he¡¯s not a child. Why do you need to care about where he goes? Now that this person hase to my house, he¡¯s my man. If you want him to leave, don¡¯t even think about it unless you have 30,000 to 50,000 taels of silver!¡±


    ¡°Are you still being unreasonable?!¡± Zhou Weizong was furious. ¡°My cousin is only here to be a martial arts instructor. He didn¡¯t sign a contract to sell his body! Even if he did, isn¡¯t he allowed to redeem himself?!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Xie Pinggang got someone to serve Zhou Weizong a cup of tea. ¡°Does the martial arts instructor from your family only work for a few months?¡±


    Zhou Weizong was stifled.


    Being an instructor was quite special, especially for a rich family like theirs. If they were to choose an instructor, the instructor would have to teach for at least three to five years.


    Especially an instructor who learned martial arts, which was even more important!


    As every martial art was different, if the instructor taught too many things, the children in the family who learned would show ws in their practice.


    It was better to be proficient than to learn a hundred things.


    ¡°Brother Xie, can¡¯t you¡­ be flexible given our friendship? My cousin¡¯s life is really hard. I¡¯ll bring him back to the Zhou family to be properly educated. It¡¯ll be easier for him to rise up in the future, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s impossible to get on good terms with him now. We have to be reasonable.¡± Xie Pinggang straightened his body. ¡°Just now, you said that with you around, he definitely won¡¯t be sent back to Dong¡¯an. What do you mean by that?¡±


    Zhou Weizong suddenly felt that Xie Pinggang was a cunning bear!


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, your elders seem to be preparing to send him away? He doesn¡¯t have any reliable rtives in Dong¡¯an. Sending him there is just letting him be ughtered, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xie Pinggang was going straight to the point.


    Zhou Weizong was helpless. ¡°I hardly listen to them these years. I will naturally protect my cousin and won¡¯t send him away!¡± Zhou Weizong quickly expressed his stance.


    After saying that, he felt that his mouth was dry and ufortable. He hurriedly gulped down a cup of tea, and it tasted a little bitter.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, if we¡¯re talking about a business deal, then you have to show some sincerity in our negotiation. Can you¡­ watch over your cousin at all times? Or can you make your parents and family listen to you? If they don¡¯t like your cousin, you can¡¯t stop them, right? If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t say things that won¡¯t matter!¡± Xie Pinggang grinned.


    He wanted to take Yu Xian away from him? No way.


    Hearing Xie Pinggang¡¯s words, Yu Xian thought it made sense.


    The Zhou family had high gates andrge, deep courtyards. If she were to go, she would have to wear female clothes and stay in the courtyard obediently, waiting for their arrangements.


    By then, if the Zhou family wanted to send her away, she would not be able to escape even if she wanted to!


    Although her cousin had some say, he was only a junior after all. When the Zhou family received the letter from her family in Dong¡¯an, he did not have the right to protect her..

 Chapter 745 - Can’t Tell the Difference

    <h4>Chapter 745: Can¡¯t Tell the Difference</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Throughout her trip, Yu Xian also thought the outside world was as free as when her parents were alive.


    She... did not want to be a monkey or a bird in a cage, living a miserable life.


    Her parents were gone, and her grandparents did not have any feelings for her. They just bullied her and wanted to take over the family business that her parents left behind¡­


    She did not want the family business anymore, but it made no sense. She did not want to give herself away and let them take advantage of her.


    ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t I stay here? Brother Xie and the others treat me very well. You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Yu Xian said.


    ¡°No! W-What will happen if you stay here?!¡± Zhou Weizong was anxious.


    Yu Xian frowned. ¡°Cousin, since you can¡¯t protect mepletely, if I go back with you, I¡¯ll be in the tiger¡¯s mouth. I¡¯ll be sending my own flesh and blood into someone else¡¯s mouth for nothing! I¡¯m older now, and I¡¯ve been oppressed by them all these years. Now, I¡¯ll never be that stifled fool again. It¡¯s just too dumb!¡±


    Zhou Weizong was stunned.


    What stifled fool? The nonsense his cousin said... She must have learned it from Xie Pinggang!


    Of course, Zhou Weizong did not know that his cousin had always been like this.


    Yu Xian¡¯s father was once a general of the Dong¡¯an navy. She had followed her father to mingle among the soldiers since she was young, and her words inevitably carried a bit of manliness. It was only after her parents passed away that she was locked up in the courtyard for three years that she learned a little bit of manners.


    However, her temperament could not be changed.


    ¡°Cousin, you guys are close friends, and you can take care of me. It really doesn¡¯t matter if I stay here!¡± Yu Xian was very determined.


    As for whether she wanted to marry or not, she did not care.


    When Zhou Weizong saw her like this, he became anxious. He simply told the truth, ¡°Brother Xie! Initially, I didn¡¯t want to tell you much about this matter. Now that we¡¯vee to this, I can¡¯t hide it from you anymore. The reason why I can¡¯t let Yu Xian continue staying here with you is because... She¡¯s not my cousin brother at all, but my cousin sister! Yu Xian is a woman. If she stays here for long, how can she get married in the future?!¡±


    When he said that, Xie Pinggang burst intoughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re too good at spewing nonsense. Can¡¯t I tell the difference between a woman and a man?¡± Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You really can¡¯t tell the difference, even I was almost fooled by her. She really is my real cousin sister! It¡¯s just that... My uncle used to have a bad temper too. Maybe it¡¯s because of his influence that my cousin has be so androgynous!¡± Zhou Weizong felt it was a pity.


    She was a woman!


    Xie Pinggang looked at Yu Xian suspiciously.


    Yu Xian also sighed and said calmly, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a man and a woman? My abilities have always been real. I¡¯mpetent in teaching Second Young Master Xie! I don¡¯t even mind!¡±


    Xie Pinggang nodded. ¡°I¡­ really don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem.¡±


    It was pretty good no matter if she was a man or a woman, right?!


    It was just that he wanted her to teach martial arts, not to sleep with him. Why did he need to make such a clear distinction?


    Zhou Weizong was dumbfounded. He stood up anxiously and stomped his feet. ¡°No, no, no. How can a woman stay at your ce? If word gets out, it will tarnish her reputation!¡±


    Xie Pinggang knew that it would be terrible for him to keep her to himself.


    ¡°Cousin, my reputation has already been tarnished back in Dong¡¯an. After my parents left, all the friends in my hometown think I¡¯m iparably vulgar as I learned martial arts from my father when I was young.. Everyone said that I was a hag, so my grandparents were going to betrothe me to an old man. Although I¡¯m rude, it¡¯s not to the extent of being matched with a person who is dying, right? And I heard that he had lost three wives! If my parents were alive, they¡¯d rather have me being a martial arts instructor than suffer this pain!¡±

 Chapter 746 - High Profit

    <h4>Chapter 746: High Profit</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Yu Xian finished speaking, Zhou Weizong was a little moved.


    Indeed, he did not dare to say that he could protect his cousin. If anything happened, his cousin¡¯s life would really be destroyed.


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t force you to leave. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s inevitable that you and Brother Xie will have some contact with you when you guys spar...¡± Zhou Weizong hesitated.


    Thud!


    Xie Pinggang suddenly mmed the table.


    ¡°Brother Zhou! Is your stupid mind even smaller than a sesame seed?! Why can¡¯t a martial artist spar with others? ording to what you said, when you capture an assassin, you won¡¯t do it if the opponent is a woman?!¡± Xie Pinggang was furious.


    Yu Xian also thought her cousin¡¯s words were very strange.


    ¡°Cousin, when my father was still alive, I was in the navy camp and fought with others a few times every day. Those people were even shirtless. Sometimes, when they fought until their eyes turned red, it was possible for them to roll on the ground a few times. ording to what you said, I... am no different from the women from the brothel?¡± Yu Xian suddenly understood why those people in her hometown despised her so much.


    However, if it was a crime to be in contact with men, what was the point of her practicing martial arts?


    Could it be that it was just for show?


    Zhou Weizong was shocked.


    Xie Pinggang looked at Yu Xian and said, ¡°Sister Yu, you can¡¯t say that. I think you¡¯re right. Martial arts are meant to be used and practiced. You can¡¯t be doing that secretly, right?! Actualbat is very important.¡±


    Yu Xian cupped her fists at Xie Pinggang and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother!¡±


    The two of them chimed in, and Zhou Weizong was angry.


    Huh. They made him look like he was a bad person.


    ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re both willing to fight and suffer, what else can I say?! However, Brother Xie, my cousin is a woman after all. In the future, you should be more reserved when sparring with her! You can¡¯t say those nonsense!¡±


    Especially those nonsense about wanting to sleep together!


    It was simply detestable!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± Xie Pinggang smiled.


    In the future, he might hit her even harder.


    There were not many women in this world who knew martial arts. There were even fewer who could practice it so well. How would he waste the opportunity?


    In the future, he would let her practise more. She could not ck off after learning almost everything just because she was a woman. Moreover¡­


    Xi¡¯er would not be able to learn only from the steward. Why not learn a few techniques from her as well so that she could protect herself in the future?


    Xie Pinggang thought he had picked up a treasure.


    Not only such a martial arts instructor would be able to teach him and his stupid younger brother, she would also be able to teach his useless second sister as well.


    Unfortunately, his eldest sister¡¯s health wascking and she could not learn. Otherwise, if the whole family followed her and learned the technique, it would definitely be a high profit!


    Zhou Weizong did not know what Xie Pinggang was thinking. He only thought that his smile was a little scary.


    He was feeling uneasy.


    Today, he was going to stay as a guest, so they had to eat together.


    After eating, he talked to his cousin for a while, and Aunt Lin rushed over with worn clothes.


    It was fortunate that Aunt Lin had a good temper. Otherwise, who woulde running over just because of a sentence from Xie Pinggang?


    Aunt Lin saw him. Although she was a little afraid of him, she was an elder after all, so she could still hold it in.


    After the tea was served, Xie Pinggang asked, ¡°Aunt Lin, how¡¯s your skill? You¡¯ve delivered quite a number of children over the years, right?¡±


    Aunt Lin thought it was strange. ¡°My father runs a medicine hall, and I learned a lot from him, so I can shamelessly say that my skill is indeed not bad... I¡¯ve already delivered countless babies.¡±


    ¡°Then dare I ask Aunt Lin, among the babies you delivered, were there more boys or girls?¡± Xie Pinggang asked casually.


    ¡°There were more girls.¡± Aunt Lin did not hide anything. ¡°In this world, when people have sons before, they won¡¯t be so persistent about giving birthter on. But if it was a girl, they would naturally have one child after another. They would have two babies within three years, they would rush to give birth.. So, it should be more girls than boys.¡±

 Chapter 747 - Righteous

    <h4>Chapter 747: Righteous</h4>


    Aunt Lin thought Xie Pinggang was a little strange today.


    However, even though she was considered an elder, she could not help but feel nervous in front of Xie Pinggang. It was as if she had seen an official, and she did not dare to speak nonsense.


    ¡°In the Qianyuan dynasty¡¯s household register, there are fewer women than men. Aunt Lin, do you know why?¡± Xie Pinggang asked again.


    Lin Yaxiang sighed. ¡°Why else? The child might not have survived. From the moment she was born, there were obstacles everywhere. If she could survive one, she might not be able to survive another. It¡¯s not easy to survive until the day of registration.


    ¡°Take our hometown as an example. In the same vige, every family had to do some chores. The maidservant didn¡¯t have enough to eat and didn¡¯t dare to give birth to a child. During my father¡¯s years as a doctor, he saw many families. When their daughter fell ill, they couldn¡¯t even bear to pay a few dozens of cash¡­¡±


    Speaking up to this point, Lin Yaxiang¡¯s eyes were also somewhat sorrowful.


    As her family had daughters, her father had been ridiculed countless times.


    So what if she said that his medical skills were good? In the future, would she not have to pass it on to someone with another family name?


    ¡°Then, when Aunt Lin delivered the baby, did you also drown the baby girl?¡± Xie Pinggang asked casually.


    Lin Yaxiang was shocked. ¡°I don¡¯t do that kind of immoral thing! But¡­ I¡¯m only a midwife. I¡¯m only in charge of delivering the baby, but¡­ I¡¯ve seen it before. The mother-inw of the family drowned the baby. Even if I wanted to stop her, I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    How could she stop her?


    Should she rush to snatch the baby away?


    The baby was not hers. If she really did that, she would have been reported at the administrative office and locked up. The crime of snatching the baby was not severe!


    Sometimes she would try to persuade the family, but she would only receive a disdainful look from the other party at most.


    ¡°Are you sure that your hands have never been stained with human lives? If someone else had done it, it naturally wouldn¡¯t be your fault,¡± Xie Pinggang said in all seriousness.


    ¡°I swear to God, if I, Lin Yaxiang, have ever harmed a baby¡¯s life, I will die without a burial ce!¡± Lin Yaxiang was also very serious. ¡°Harming people aside, my father and I have saved many girls over the years!¡±


    Sometimes they were criticized for saving lives.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡± Xie Pinggang was much more polite now. ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t harm anyone. I am an official in the criminal division. Recently, I¡¯ve been in charge of this case, so I have to ask you about it.¡±


    With that said, Lin Yaxiang came to a realization.


    ¡°I know. Back then, I dared toe to your family to make amends because I was prepared. My father repeatedly ordered us to be obedient and not to cause trouble. If we were to be caught, it would implicate your family.¡± Aunt Lin was quite understanding, she was not even angry.


    ¡°I dare say that even though my family isn¡¯t that fortunate and kind, we would never do evil. If someone in the family hadmitted a mistake, they wouldn¡¯t have fallen into your hands. My father and I would have already dealt with them properly. We would never trouble others!¡± Lin Yaxiang added.


    Xie Pinggang really admired this woman.


    She was an expert in handling a household.


    It was a pity that this woman was Lin Erniang¡¯s sister. Otherwise, it would be great to get her to manage the Xie family.


    ¡°Aunt is very righteous. I admire you.¡± Xie Pinggang admitted defeat quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ This is just the basic principle of life¡­¡± Lin Yaxiang was quite embarrassed. When she said that, she suddenly felt a little suspicious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see that kid, Pinghuai today? Did he practice martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Aunt is sensible, so I¡¯ll be frank about this matter.¡± Xie Pinggang did not hide it and told Lin Yaxiang everything about Xie Pinghuai epting gifts.


    Lin Yaxiang was like Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mother, she was responsible for teaching him, so he had to exin these things to her clearly..

 Chapter 748 - Even A Vicious Tiger Won’t Eat Its Cubs

    <h4>Chapter 748: Even A Vicious Tiger Won¡¯t Eat Its Cubs</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Yaxiang was really shocked and her expression changed drastically.


    ¡°This child actually¡­¡± Lin Yaxiang took a deep breath in. ¡°This is a big mistake. He indeed needs to be punished properly. Don¡¯t worry, First Young Master. Although I love him, I understand what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong. Whether you want to scare him, beat him, or kill him, he deserves it.¡±


    If she did not teach him now, he would really die if he really made a bigger mistake in the future!


    Lin Yaxiang was very cooperative and even had a serious expression on her face.


    After a while, she arrived at Xie Pinghuai¡¯s courtyard.


    Looking at the scene, her heart was cold.


    This child really did not know what was important!


    ¡°You stupid child. It¡¯s fortunate that I love you so much. Why did you seek death? Now, what do you want me to do? Now that you¡¯re dead, how can I face my sister? Sigh, what¡¯s the point of our family staying in the capital? We can¡¯t even control a child. Forget it, forget it! Tomorrow, our family will move away to our old home and nevere back!¡±


    After saying that, Lin Yaxiang turned around and left.


    Xie Pinghuai was so hungry that his chest was pressed against his back.


    Most importantly, he still had injuries on his body.


    Now that he heard Aunt Lin¡¯s words, his heart turned cold. He knocked again and shouted with all his might, but no one paid attention to him as before.


    He was anxious and afraid.


    Naturally, what Lin Yaxiang said was not true. However, in order to make this kid sensible, after she returned home, she made a n with her father. She gritted her teeth and asked her family to carry the things and temporarily go to the vige outside the city where she lived for a period of time.


    That night, Xie Pinghuai was still not released.


    When it was daytime again, no one cared about him. Xie Pinghuai¡¯s entire body was already drained of strength.


    He had not drunk a single drop of water, not a single grain of rice, and he was still in the dark. His heart and body were constantly under tremendous pressure.


    On this day, Xie Pinggang led his team and dragged the three people who were arrested yesterday to the market.


    Ms. Bao Liu, the family¡¯s midwife, and Bao Lunsheng looked at the execution tform as well as the tall and strong officials standing around them. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale.


    Ms. Bao Liu was just an ordinary woman and had notmitted any other mistakes. She was sentenced to 140 canes and a year and a half of imprisonment.


    Ms. Bao, the midwife, had drowned many babies. She did not even bother to calcte how many babies she killed. She was sentenced to 250 canes and a decade and a half of imprisonment.


    Finally, Bao Lunsheng was one of the murderers who drowned the babies. He had also stolen some properties several times. Adding them all together, he was sentenced to 180 canes and 15 years of imprisonment.


    The moment his crimes were read out loud, the people beneath were in an uproar.


    ¡°If he were hit more than 100 times, will... he still be alive? I¡¯m sure he can¡¯t even take tens of canes, right?!¡±


    ¡°He definitely won¡¯t be able to live. What difference does a few years of imprisonment make?! This is too ruthless!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that ruthless? Even a vicious tiger won¡¯t eat its cubs! This Bao Lunsheng even said that his first wife gave birth to a pair of freaks. I didn¡¯t expect him to kill the children directly! He deserved to be beaten to death. Also, this mother is really bad to her daughter-inw!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that they killed the baby girls. After all, they can¡¯t afford to raise them. There was no other way. It doesn¡¯t have to be like this...¡±


    However, when thest sentence was said, many people turned their heads to stare at the old woman who spoke.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a woman? Why didn¡¯t your mother kill you when you were born?!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the life of the girls a life?! If all of them are killed, even if you give birth to ten sons, humans will go extinct in the future! Besides, aren¡¯t girls more considerate? I have a daughter at home, she¡¯s very filial to me!¡±


    ¡°All the officials are sending their daughters to school now. Only you people who don¡¯t know thew and think it¡¯s a waste to feed your daughters! Do you think it¡¯s still the same as the previous dynasty?!¡±


    Immediately, many people pointed at the person who had said the wrong thing and cursed.


    Of course, such a warm-hearted person was someone that the criminal division had spent a lot of effort to find.


    Naturally, they wanted to create the people¡¯s voice.


    After hearing these loud voices, the spectators were too embarrassed to say that Bao Lunsheng and Ms.. Bao Liu were innocent.

 Chapter 749 - Just the Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 749: Just the Beginning</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Many people followed the instigators and began to curse at the three people on the execution tform.


    ¡°Execute him!¡± Xie Pinggang shouted directly.


    The disciplinary officer from the criminal division was ready.


    He raised the canes from both sides.


    He was getting so many canes. Even if he was caned 70 or 80 times, he would probably die after being hit. Therefore, there was no need to tamper with the cane.


    Moreover, the disciplinary officer of the criminal division had an exceptionally good technique.


    Thump!


    The first cane was hit.


    The three people shut their mouths. Theyid there. Instantly, their faces turned red and beads of sweat rolled down. They could not help but move around, but they were tightly bound and could not break free!


    Thump, thump, thump¡­


    The noise fell like a storm of hail.


    The bigger it was, the quieter the scene became.


    Death penalty was not usually carried out in this season¡­ Now that they were suddenly going to beat someone to death, it was indeed a sensational event!


    Of course, it was not just the scene that was frightening.


    More importantly, among the people watching the execution, almost all of them were parents-inw. It was inevitable that some of them had done something like drowning their granddaughters¡­


    Although there were not many cases like this in the capital, there were still cases.


    They were watching a criminal who did what they had done beaten to death. Even if the criminal died in the between, he would still be beaten until the punishment ended. How could they bear to watch that?


    Some of the people in the crowd fainted from fright.


    Some of them could not help but think of their grandchildren or daughters who had been mistreated at home and felt guilty.


    In the past, they had killed criminals whomitted heinous crimes. It was the first time that the criminal¡¯s crime was drowning baby girls¡­


    What kind of omen was this?


    Was the government going to investigate?


    After the beating, the atmosphere in the capital changed.


    Some pregnant women could not help but heave a sigh of relief¡­


    How many of the newly married women were ruthless and vicious? Most of them had no choice. After experiencing too much, they would have a heart of steel and walk down the same path as the previous generation.


    Now that this had happened, many pregnant women felt at ease.


    At least they did not have to worry that their own flesh would lose their lives the moment they were born¡­


    Even if their days were a little tougher in the future, they could still endure it.


    The Crown Prince, the supervisor of the criminal division, was there. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince had tacitly agreed to this case.


    When the Crown Prince did something, people would always find fault with him.


    However, this time, it was not as expected. The officials in the capital were surprisingly obedient and did not immediately go to the pce toin about him.


    On the Yan family¡¯s side, Master Yan could not help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that only the Crown Prince would dare to do such a thing. Even when the Emperor was the Crown Prince, he would not be so fearless.¡±


    ¡°Father, you must not find trouble with the Crown Prince this time. When Master Mo was here, she made it very clear that the ghoul that bullied mother was killed by the Bao family! It could be said that killing the Bao family was also revenge for Mother! We can¡¯t repay kindness with enmity, right?!¡± Young Lady Yan was worried.


    ¡°I know.¡± Master Yan nodded, ¡°I can target the Crown Prince for other matters, but for this matter, the Crown Prince is right. Although the current dynasty has a lot more people than the previous dynasty, the number of women is still not enough. In many ces, men can¡¯t get a wife, and the customs of the people are getting worse. With the Crown Prince doing this, it will more or less have a deterrent effect. At least in two to three years, the number of baby girls will increase.¡±


    It was just the beginning.


    He had not alwaysined blindly about the Crown Prince.


    For instance, the previous incident with Witch Mo, it was true that the Crown Prince¡¯s actions had been too attention-seeking.


    Now, he was convinced of this matter and had nothing else to say..

 Chapter 750 - Bury It!

    <h4>Chapter 750: Bury It!</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The thing that shocked Master Yan was not the Crown Prince, but the Xie family.


    The Crown Prince had always been tough in handling matters all these years. The ministers in the imperial court were actually already used to his way of doing things, but this Xie family¡­


    Who would have thought that they were born bandits, and their actions were so upright. If they did such a case well, they would receive praise from tens of thousands of people. If they did not do it well... Many people would scold this bandit for killing the innocent.


    After all, drowning baby girls was considered normal. Under normal circumstances, how could it be convicted of a serious crime?


    This time, Master Yan did not do anything about it.


    The people watching from behind did not dare to enter the pce rashly.


    This year, they hadined about the Crown Prince several times, but they had failed every time. Now that even Master Yan had retreated, it was obvious that it was not a good time to target the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince was about to get married, and the Emperor was currently happy. At this time, no one would be able to find trouble.


    If they really wanted to take down the Crown Prince, these small matters would not work at all¡­


    The officials in the capital were unusually quiet. Xie Pinggang had been waiting for others to stir trouble, but in the end... nothing happened!


    He was rather curious, but the Crown Prince did not have any reaction. His face was calm, as if he had long been prepared for this.


    ¡°Your Highness... There¡¯s something... I don¡¯t know if I should tell you.¡± Zhou Weizong looked conflicted.


    If he said it, he would be a scoundrel whoined behind Xie Pinggang¡¯s back. However, if he did not say it, he thought it was not appropriate.


    ¡°When did you learn to do this? Should you tell me or not? If you don¡¯t want to say it, then you should not have started. If you started to hesitate, who are you trying to stifle to death?


    Zhou Weizong smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Yesterday... I went to the Xie Residence as a guest and happened to see that the Xie family was having a funeral...¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned and also a little suspicious.


    ¡°This funeral is different from the others... It¡¯s fake. Young Master Xie seemed to have locked younger brother in a coffin to teach him a lesson. He insisted that Xie Pinghuai was dead. In addition, he said that Young Lady Xie was also... dead. In that small courtyard, the maids and servants cried and said ¡®Young Lady Xie, you died so tragically¡¯...¡±


    Zhou Weizong¡¯sst sentence sounded like he was singing opera.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was a little strange. ¡°Xie Pinggang¡¯s liking is rather...¡±


    It was hard to say.


    ¡°I just thought it¡¯s a little bit of bad luck,¡± Zhou Weizong said honestly.


    ¡°What about Young Lady Xie?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the Princess Consort,¡± Zhou Weizong said honestly.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m sure she knows and secretly agrees with that. It¡¯s inappropriate for me to get involved in the matter between the brother and sister. However... how could she not tell me about such a fun thing? Prepare a funeral for Second Young Master Xie for the Xie family,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said after thinking for a while. He made up his mind in the end.


    Xie Qiao knew better than anyone whether it was bad luck.


    Therefore, it was not his ce to be sentimental and meddle in other people¡¯s business. Since the brother and sister had such an arrangement, it was not good for him to throw them a cold nket. He might as well join in the fun.


    Zhou Weizong was stunned for a moment.


    Then, he quickly went to make the arrangements.


    He thought His Highness would feel sorry for Young Lady Xie.


    He did not expect that he would have to mess around with Xie Pinggang. However, he could not disobey what His Highness said, so he had someone prepare something and secretly send it to the Xie family.


    Xie Pinghuai had been locked up for two whole days and two nights.


    Inside the coffin, almost no sound could be heard. asionally, the sound of nails scratching the wood could be heard.


    The servants were about to burst into tears.


    ¡°This coffin has been here for a long time. Let¡¯s carry it and bury it! He died so young, so we can¡¯t make a big deal out of it!¡± Xie Pinggang said. Then, he called out to his family members and carried the coffin out of the back door of the Xie Residence!


    The sound of musical instruments and funeral music could be heard.

 Chapter 751 - I’ll Wait for You to Die

    <h4>Chapter 751: I¡¯ll Wait for You to Die</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang had prepared aplete set. Beside the coffin that Xie Pinggang was lying in, there was an empty coffin.


    The sudden death of the Xie family members had stunned the neighbors. However, the Xie family kept their mouths shut. They only heard that a son of the Xie family had died.


    However, outsiders did not know who died.


    Xie Pinggang sent the coffin out of the city.


    He found a ce and asked someone to dig a hole.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, have a safe journey.¡± Xie Pinggang pretended to say something, ¡°Let¡¯s bury her.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mind was a little muddled and he only felt that he was drifting.


    He did not know where he was. After hearing his eldest brother¡¯s voice, he opened his mouth weakly and grabbed the inside of the coffin. He tried to speak but he could not make a sound.


    He was so hungry and thirsty that he could not even open his eyes. He was definitely going to die.


    He had let his eldest sister down. His eldest brother was a beast. He had clearly made a mistake, but he had gotten his eldest sister to die with him!


    If he had known this would happen, he would have died first. He would not have implicated his eldest sister like this!


    His eldest sister¡¯s health wascking to begin with. She had been thrown out to be raised since she was young. It was not easy for her toe back, and now... she was killed by her own brother!


    It was too pitiful, eldest sister was too pitiful!


    Xie Pinghuai could not cry either. There was not even any saliva left. How would he have any tears?


    He was in despair.


    ¡°Eldest Sister has been buried, then... let¡¯s bury this kid as well,¡± Xie Pinggang said indifferently.


    Everyone began to carry the coffin down.


    Suddenly, the rope broke with a thump!


    It was still quite a distance away from the hole. The entire coffin was smashed, and the lid of the coffin was blown away!


    It was dusk, and the sky was filled with red clouds. Although the sunlight was not blinding, the light shone right in front of him. At that moment, Xie Pinghuai thought he saw heaven.


    His whole body shook, and he fell to the ground in a daze. He squinted. A momentter, his vision became clearer.


    Around him, there were shadows of trees, dust, the fragrance of nts, and... the faces of many members of the Xie family. They were all a little pale¡­


    Xie Pinggang frowned. ¡°This is really bad luck. Why is this coffin broken? Forget it, just fill it with soil. I don¡¯t want that lid anymore!¡±


    Xie Pinggang gave the order and the servants began to dig into the coffin like puppets.


    In an instant, Xie Pinghuai felt the earth-shattering soil crashing down on his head. He was filled with resentment, and with hisst bit of strength, he stood up and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I-I¡¯m not dead!¡±


    Xie Pinggang looked down at the pit from above, ¡°You¡¯re not dead? You should die soon, right? Look at your bloody clothes, and your pale face. I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t be able to return to the city. You¡¯ll die by then. I¡¯ll have toe here again.


    ¡°How about... I wait outside. I¡¯ll wait for you to die, then I¡¯ll bury you. Is that alright? But hurry up, I have to go back before the city gates are closed.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was emotionless.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart was trembling.


    He had no strength, but no one was helping him.


    At this moment, everyone looked at him as if they were looking at a dead person¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s Eldest Sister...¡± his voice sounded like that of an old man. It was weak.


    Xie Pinggang pointed at a grave beside him. ¡°She¡¯s over there. Before you die, you can get out and pay your respects to her. That¡¯s fine too.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s pupils constricted, and he choked. He did not know where his strength came from, but he actually started to move. He stepped on the coffin and climbed up.. His body directly fell onto the soil, looking extremely pitiful.

 Chapter 752 - Grand Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 752: Grand Funeral</h4>


    After being locked in the coffin for so long, Xie Pinghuai was convinced that Xie Qiao was already dead!


    These days, Aunt Lin came, eldest brother¡¯s colleagues came, and even their father came!


    Oh right, the Crown Prince even sent someone to send off the funeral!


    Something really happened to Eldest Sister!


    He struggled to crawl out. The steward looked at Xie Pinggang with sympathy and looked at him with a conflicted expression. ¡°Young Master, do you need¡­¡±


    Help?


    ¡°Help my a*s! If he can¡¯t climb out of the hole, he should die! I don¡¯t have such a useless brother!¡± Xie Pinggang said coldly.


    Xie Pinghuai was different from him. He was smart and had a rather good life.


    When Xie Pinghuai was born, the vige was prosperous. Later, when he and his father went to fight the barbarians, Xie Pinghuai lived happily in the back. He had never been on the battlefield, but he was treated like a king by the brothers. Later on, when he came to the capital, he was indulged by Ms. Lu.


    He had beaten him a few times, but they were all skin wounds.


    It was different this time. How could a physical stimtionpare to the psychological blow?


    Xie Pinghuai fell a few times before finally climbing out of the pit.


    He climbed to the front of Xie Qiao¡¯s grave again.


    Xie Pinggang had even set up a super simple tombstone with the words ¡°Xie Jiao¡¯s grave¡± written on it. There was a mistake!


    However, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s vision was blurry and he could not tell.


    He hugged the tombstone, then, he began to howl hoarsely, ¡°Eldest Sister, I¡¯ve let you down! Eldest Sister! It¡¯s all my fault for being so stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have taken their things. I shouldn¡¯t have been so cheap and couldn¡¯t look away when I saw the benefits. Eldest Sister,e back! Eldest Sister, my sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Give him some water and let him cry a few more times. This is really rare,¡± Xie Pinggang sat down and made arrangements.


    The steward quickly took the water over.


    Xie Pinghuai had long been thirsty. Now that he had drunk the water, he felt much better.


    He cried even more vigorously.


    His entire body twitched.


    After twitching for a while, he seemed to have thought of something. He actually threw away the wooden piece and began to dig the grave. ¡°Eldest Sister! We are not staying here! I want to save you! Your brother will give you a grand funeral!¡±


    How could he bury his good-looking and kind eldest sister in such a shabby ce!


    Eldest brother was too stingy!


    He had been stingy in the past. He was also stingy to his own sister. He was not a man!


    ¡°Give her a grand funeral? It¡¯s not that I despise you, but look at yourself. What do you have? Do you want to bury your eldest sister with the gifts you got from others? You really want to disgust her, don¡¯t you?!¡± Xie Pinggangughed sarcastically.


    Xie Pinghuai red at Xie Pinggang with resentment in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed her!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me. So what? You can¡¯t beat me, and your abilities aren¡¯t as good as mine. Today, I killed your eldest sister, and tomorrow, even if I kill your biological father, you won¡¯t be able to do anything to me!¡±


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    That was also your biological father!


    Xie Pinghuai really felt that he had been humiliated. He had never felt so aggrieved and resentful before!


    ¡°Eldest Sister is your biological sister. How can you be so ruthless! She¡¯s so weak and pitiful, yet you still bullied her. I-I¡¯m going to tell the Crown Prince. I¡¯ll tell him that you killed Eldest Sister! She didn¡¯t die of illness! When that timees, you¡¯ll suffer too!¡± Xie Pinghuai pointed at Xie Pinggang, his gaze was as if he could eat him up.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he dug his ears. ¡°You are? But¡­ whether the Crown Prince trusts you or me, it¡¯s hard to say. I can even tell the Crown Prince that it was you, this b*stard, who angered your own sister to death!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was even more enraged now.


    Xie Pinggang thought the situation was about right.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even return home, right? If I didn¡¯t lend you a hand, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk back!¡± Xie Pinggang sneered..

 Chapter 753 - Destined to Be Beaten Up

    <h4>Chapter 753: Destined to Be Beaten Up</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinghuai clenched his fists. ¡°I can!¡±


    ¡°You do? I don¡¯t believe it. You¡¯ve always been useless. You can¡¯t endure any pain. There¡¯s still some distance from the city gate¡­¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a while, ¡°How about this? You kneel and kowtow to me, saying that you were wrong. You wouldn¡¯t dare to do it again in the future. You have to respect and be filial to me, your eldest brother. If I tell you to go east, you wouldn¡¯t dare to go west. In that case, I¡¯ll let you get on the carriage and bring you home. I¡¯ll even get a doctor for you. How about that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it! Why would I want to admit my mistakes to you!¡± Xie Pinghuai bared his teeth in anger.


    He was wrong, but he was only wrong to his eldest sister!


    Xie Pinggang, he had let his eldest sister down!


    Previously, he had said that he could get promoted and be rich because his eldest sister had helped him in the Zhou family¡¯s case!


    However, he had long forgotten about it now!


    ¡°You don¡¯t need it? Are you sure you can return alive?¡± Xie Pinggang smiled. ¡°Forget it. If you say you don¡¯t need it, then I won¡¯t insist. I¡¯ll rush all the way here to collect your corpse tomorrow morning!¡±


    Then, he said to the crowd, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The Xie family members hurriedly left.


    Soon, Xie Pinghuai was the only one left.


    Although he had drunk water, he was still hungry. His legs were weak, he had no strength.


    However, he had to go back!


    He could not let Xie Pinggang look down on him. When he returned, he would learn martial arts from his master and avenge his sister!


    He was filled with rage and he had made up his mind. He gritted his teeth and looked around.


    Xie Pinggang, this b*stard, was really ill-hearted. What kind of lousy ce did he bury him and his eldest sister? Other than weeds and trees, there was nothing else. There was not even a path!


    He gritted his teeth, plucked some grass, and ate some grass roots. The bitterness was hard to swallow, but in order to survive, he endured it.


    After filling up some things, he found a harder branch to support himself and walked forward step by step.


    He just did not know where he was now¡­


    He had to walk out of this forest and see the road before he could ask the pedestrians!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I can¡¯t dig you out now. Wait for me, wait for me to return. When I have the ability to make money in the future, I will find a good ce to bury you!¡± Xie Pinghuai rubbed his eyes and sniffed with a determined look.


    On the other side, Xie Pinggang had already walked quite far away.


    ¡°First Young Master, is Second Young Master going to be alright? Look, he doesn¡¯t look too well. Will he¡­¡± the steward was very worried.


    Although second young master was mischievous, he was still a reasonable person. His master would never bully servants like them.


    In his opinion, second young master was still young and did not know anything, but he should be able to understand, right? It would definitely be better when he was older!


    ¡°He won¡¯t die. There¡¯s food all over the ground. Even if he gnaws on the soil, he won¡¯t starve to death. As for that small injury, it has long healed. Even if it cracks, there will only be a little bit of blood. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xie Pinggang was still calm.


    His thoughts were different from the steward¡¯s.


    This ignorant person would not be sensible suddenly. He would have to experience some triggers and feel the pain in his heart before he would change!


    The drama had alreadye to this point, could it be stopped?


    He had to make him grow wiser!


    ¡°After you return, get the first youngdy to stay at Master Mo¡¯s or the academy. Don¡¯t go home for the time being. Oh right, tell that girl Chun Er not to follow her. When she sees this kid, don¡¯t say anything. Just stare at him.¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a moment and said.


    He had already received the letter. The Lin family had temporarily moved to the vige outside the capital.


    At home, he would let Xie Qiao disappear for a few more days. Only then would the show be better.


    ¡°Got it.¡± The steward answered obediently.


    ¡°When he returns, if he asks about the first youngdy, all of you better keep your mouths shut.¡± Xie Pinggang was looking forward to it.


    Although he had done it ruthlessly, who asked this idiot to be so ipetent?


    He was destined to be beaten up for being useless!

 Chapter 754 - I’m So Sad

    <h4>Chapter 754: I¡¯m So Sad</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Xie Pinggang returned home, he rested directly.


    The steward ryed Xie Pinggang¡¯s words to Xie Qiao. When she heard it, she agreed very straightforwardly.


    ¡°Tell Xi¡¯er so that she won¡¯t worry.¡± After saying that, Xie Qiao packed her things and stayed at the Fortune Pavilion.


    These few days, she had to keep a low profile so that her foolish brother would despair for a few more days.


    She did not feel guilty at all for lying to her brother.


    In this family, it was either you bully me or I bully you. He just had to get used to it. Even for her, was she not often angered by her eldest brother?


    The person at the bottom of the food chain was her brother. There was nothing she could do about it, right?


    Moreover, she had made a mistake. How could there really be no punishment?


    Xie Qiao moved out overnight.


    Xie Pinghuai struggled outside the city.


    His body was strong. After eating some food, he started to walk with some strength. However, he could not tell the direction, so he kept walking in circles. It was midnight when he saw the main road.


    However, he could not tell the north from the south. He did not know where to go, so he entered the city.


    He suddenly regretted not studying properly.


    Teacher Xiao once said that one could tell the direction by looking at the stars, but he did not listen to him¡­


    In the future, he would definitely study hard and be stronger than anyone else. In the future, when he became an official, he would make his eldest brother kneel before him!


    He was angry, and he unleashed his ambition. However, it was extinguished in a short while.


    No matter what, eldest sister would not be able to return. Moreover... he was only thinking about it now. He was much younger than his eldest brother. It was indeed very difficult for him to win against his eldest brother.


    He raised his head and looked at the sky. His heart was filled with resentment and confusion.


    The surroundings were pitch-ck and quiet. It was very frightening, but it was still better than staying in the forest. He simply sat there and waited.


    He knew that the people from the surrounding viges and small towns would rush into the city before dawn, so he only needed to rest well for a few hours before there were pedestrians.


    To him, the outside world was actually not as scary as the inside of a coffin.


    It was just that he could not sleep.


    He thought about it a lot.


    After he calmed down, he finally understood what Teacher Xiao meant when he told him the truth in the past.


    Teacher Xiao always said that it was better to rely on himself than his father and brother. At that time, he thought his father and brother were very powerful, so why did he need to rely on himself? It was too tiring!


    Also, eldest sister had worked hard to make him acknowledge her as his teacher. She got him a teacher in liberal arts and a martial arts instructor. They wanted him to fight for his reputation. If he had been obedient in the past, he would have been slightly more capable now. He would not be so useless, he would be a joke to Xie Pinggang.


    Time passed by slowly. When it was almost dawn, there were indeed many vigers hurrying on their way.


    He got the direction and headed toward the city.


    There were indeed no problems along the way.


    It was just that he walked slowly. When he reached home, it was already noon.


    When the steward saw him, he seemed to be surprised for a moment. Then, it was as if nothing had happened. Just like before, he served him food and drinks.


    However, it was different! Eldest sister was no longer around, how could it be the same as before?!


    He could not smile anymore. He cleaned up himself and put some ointment on his body. He should not be practising martial arts at this moment. He thought about it and obediently stayed in his room to read the books that Teacher Xiao had arranged for him.


    The steward thought the sun had risen from the west.


    In the past, it was as if he had to rush the second young master to death to get him to study and practise martial arts. He had to rush him constantly!


    Today, his body had not recovered yet. He was still weak, but he was actually reading obediently?!


    The n actually work?


    The entire Xie family was stunned.


    Even Xie Xi, who was waiting for him at home, was the same. With a pair of clear eyes, she stood in front of the window. ¡°Second Brother, what¡¯s wrong? Do you want some pastries?¡±


    ¡°What pastries? I can¡¯t eat them.¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s tears fell.. ¡°Xi¡¯er, I¡¯m so sad that Eldest Sister is gone.¡±

 Chapter 755 - Amazing Voice

    <h4>Chapter 755: Amazing Voice</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Xi wanted to say that his eldest sister was fine¡­


    However, she was obedient, so she did not say anything.


    ¡°You¡¯d better eat some pastries.¡± Xie Xi took out a piece of pastry from her pocket and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Learn well, Eldest Sister will be happy.¡±


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s happy? She won¡¯t be able toe back¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai sighed, ¡°I knew that Eldest Sister¡¯s health wascking, and she would die sooner orter. But if she dies of illness, there¡¯s nothing that I can say about it. But she died too pitifully¡­¡±


    He had not spent much time with his eldest sister, but he knew who was good and who was bad to him!


    The way his biological sister looked at him was different. He could feel it!


    ¡°I will learn well.¡± His eldest sister¡¯s soul in heaven would bless him in order to take revenge sessfully!


    Xie Pinghuai said as he studied hard.


    The words in these books were still as annoying as before, but Xie Pinghuai did not dare to ignore them this time.


    He was very well-behaved.


    ¡°Aunt has moved away. I can only stay at home for the time being,¡± Xie Xi said to Xie Pinghuai.


    Xie Pinghuai was stunned.


    ¡°Aunt is also very disappointed in me¡­¡± He looked even more depressed now.


    ¡°Being greedy is not pleasing.¡± Xie Xi did not know how to coax people and only knew how to tell the truth.


    She also thought her second brother had done something wrong.


    It was true that she liked silver, but she had to earn it herself and would not take it from others. However, his second brother was used to taking it, so he did not understand.


    Xie Pinghuai was silent for a moment.


    The brother and sister were, after all, siblings. Xie Xi looked at Xie Pinghuai¡¯s pitiful state and sat under the eaves for a while. She was muttering to herself as she sang a few tunes from the mountain stronghold that she had learned when she was young to coax him. Her voice was as clean as a clear spring, and it was soothing to the ears.


    As soon as this sound was heard, a ghoul hovered over from nearby.


    Invisible, it flew toward Xie Xi.


    ¡°What an amazing voice¡­¡± The ghoul¡¯s voice was extremely unpleasant, like a person who did not know how to y an instrument ying an erhu. It was ear-piercing.


    The ghoul reached out and wanted to touch Xie Xi¡¯s neck.


    However, he was shot back when he touched her.


    In the eyes of the ghoul, the little girl in front of him seemed like she had a sh of golden light that enveloped her. He could not touch her!


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± The ghoul made a few strange noises and looked very irritable.


    He was full of resentment, and his eyes turned red.


    Xie Xi did not sense anything wrong. Her head was still swaying, and she looked quiet and beautiful.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao did not return to the Xie Residence, but she went to the academy the next day obediently.


    Xie Pinghuai also went to the academy, but the two courtyards were far apart, so they would not meet. Moreover, Xie Pinghuai had to follow Teacher Xiao now, so the possibility of seeing Xie Qiao was even lower.


    It was already past June, and there were only a few days left before the academy¡¯s examination.


    The entire academy was filled with a serious and tense atmosphere.


    The students from Orchid Courtyard where Xie Qiao was in were very confident. Fang Muxue and the others had improved a lot recently!


    On the other hand, the Peony Courtyard, which was in the same row, was much weaker.


    It was all because of Dong Xiyun.


    Thest time they went to the pce, anyone who helped Dong Xiyun did not receive a reward. After they returned home, their family members would inevitably ask a few more questions.


    However, they did not dare to say much about the matters in the pce, and could only grit their teeth and say that they had done something wrong.


    As a result, they were all scolded.


    They were initially delicate girls who had always been arrogant. Now, they were so embarrassed that they did not dare to see anyone.


    Of course, the one who suffered the most was still Dong Xiyun.


    Due to what happened in the pce¡­ Her good friends¡¯ attitude toward her had be much colder!


    It was fine if they were unimportant people. The most important thing was that the Fourth Prince clearly knew that she had suffered, yet he did not console her. Not only that, she had also heard that these days, the Fourth Prince had gathered together with Teacher Xiao and the others to learn to copy the world map!


    It was really a tant p to her face!

 Chapter 756 - Blame

    <h4>Chapter 756: me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun was sitting in the Peony Courtyard¡¯s hall. Usually, without her invitation, many girls woulde over to discuss calligraphy and poetry with her.


    However, these few days, there was no one around her.


    ¡°There are less than ten days left until the big examination. Recently, even the master has praised the people from Orchid Courtyard for being more and more motivated. This time, they will definitely get good results. I am afraid that my ranking is too poor and I will be inferior. When that timees, I am afraid that my family will reprimand me again¡­¡±


    ¡°I also wanted to put in some effort a while ago, but¡­¡±


    The person who spoke could not help but nce at Dong Xiyun and then sigh.


    When thepetition between the two courtyards had just begun, they were also ambitious and were prepared to put in some effort to teach the Orchid Courtyard people a lesson!


    However¡­ There were only a few hours of lecture, and they had listened to many and misceneous lectures. If they wanted to study more, they could only do it during their spare time.


    It was just that¡­


    Young Lady Dong often held tea banquets. She was the future Fourth Princess Consort, so they had no choice but to go when she personally invited them.


    When they went to the Dong Residence, they would just drink tea, look at flowers, talk about clothes and jewelry, or y some games.


    When they yed, they were quite happy, but now that the Orchid Courtyard was going to surpass them, when they thought of the past, they really regretted it.


    Not only that¡­


    It was only recently that they found out that Young Lady Xie had always been tutoring the people from the Orchid Courtyard!


    They often gathered together to study.


    At that moment, Dong Xiyun also heard what that person said.


    A ball of fire rose in her heart.


    ¡°You mean to say that I held tea parties back then and hindered everyone? It will be my fault if you don¡¯t do well in your examination?¡± Dong Xiyun stood up straight and was about to cry. There was a hint of anger in her voice.


    When she said that, everyone¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Young Lady Dong, that¡¯s not what we meant¡­¡±


    ¡°We relied on our own talent to enter Peony Courtyard. I just believed that we wouldn¡¯t lose to those people from Orchid Courtyard. I didn¡¯t expect that¡­ If I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted your time. In the future, I¡¯ll just be more careful. But you saying this behind my back¡­ Have you ever thought that it would hurt me?¡± Dong Xiyun was in a bad mood, therefore, her words were very direct.


    If it was in the past, she would have swallowed her anger.


    Dong Xiyun looked like she was in pain. After saying that, she ran out.


    The people who were left behind looked at each other.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t me her¡­¡± It was Young Lady Chu who spoke.


    Before Xie Qiao came, she had the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital. She had a good rtionship with Dong Xiyun, the most talented woman.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably in a bad mood, right? I heard that the Crown Prince often sends Young Lady Xie gifts, but the Fourth Prince doesn¡¯t pay much attention to her. He didn¡¯t reply to the invitation she sent to the Fourth Prince,¡± someone could not help but say.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be? Sister Dong isn¡¯t the type to vent her anger on others, is she?¡± Young Lady Chu frowned, somewhat puzzled.


    Everyone fell silent.


    To be honest, ever since the incident at the pce, they had all reflected on themselves.


    The reason why they were so impulsive was actually because of Dong Xiyun¡¯s attitude.


    Dong Xiyun did not say a word of apology even though she had implicated them in vain. This made them feel a little cold toward her.


    ¡°I hope that she can get a good result in this examination. If that happens, wouldn¡¯t she feel better after suppressing Young Lady Xie?¡± One of them could not help but ask.


    Everyone nodded.


    They had been good friends for many years. No matter how ufortable they felt, they still hoped that Dong Xiyun would be better than Xie Qiao..

 Chapter 757 - Not There At All

    <h4>Chapter 757: Not There At All</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun ran to a pavilion, holding a handkerchief in her hand, looking dejected.


    Not long after, Qi Huai and a few people from the men¡¯s academy saw her.


    The most talented woman was bullied to tears silently, and they could not help but feel pity for her.


    ¡°Who bullied you? Was It Xie Qiao?¡± Qi Huai looked worried.


    He had long heard that Dong Xiyun had offended Xie Qiao and was treated coldly in the pce!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I really am... It¡¯s not Young Lady Xie¡¯s business, it¡¯s my own... I had too many tea parties earlier and thought it would make everyone happy. I didn¡¯t expect that... it would dy their progress. If we lost to Orchid Courtyard this time... I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to stay in the Peony Courtyard.¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s expression was sad.


    In fact, she had already prepared to go home and get married after the examination.


    Although it was still a few months away from the next year, she had married into the imperial family and had to learn many imperial etiquette. She also had to embroider her wedding dress. In addition, there would definitely be more invitations from the pce than before. Therefore, she would not have time toe to the academy.


    Presumably, Xie Qiao was the same.


    Therefore, this big examination was really important to her!


    She had to beat Xie Qiao. At the very least, she had to do better than Xie Qiao in thest examination!


    Recently, she had held a tea party, but every day and night, she had also worked hard to study, so she still had some confidence!


    Qi Huai did not expect that Dong Xiyun had a conflict with her good friends. He did not know how tofort her for fear of offending her too much.


    ¡°The men¡¯s academy has beenpeting aggressively recently. Initially, everyone did not take the Orchid Courtyard seriously and even mocked them for a while. However, the momentum of the Orchid Courtyard remains high. The evaluation of articles has faintly surpassed ours for a few times. So now, we have to focus on our studies...¡± Qi Huai said after thinking for a while.


    Dong Xiyun looked at him in shock. ¡°So... am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I mean. The girls¡¯ academy isn¡¯t as tense as ours.¡± Qi Huai was a little anxious.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Qi.¡± Dong Xiyun felt better. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Just say it,¡± Qi Huai said quickly.


    ¡°I... am a woman after all. Although I¡¯ve engaged to the Fourth Prince, it¡¯s inappropriate to look for him rashly. I recently embroidered a pouch and I want to... give it to him. I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Qi to pass it to him for me. Also... I wonder if the Fourth Prince has been in contact with anyone other than the teachers who have been studying the world map recently?¡±


    Dong Xiyun was worried that the Fourth Prince was secretly getting along with someone else.


    It was said that Yuan Lingyin had engaged to someone. It would not be long before she was going to marry far away. This could be considered a good thing.


    However, the position of side consort was still vacant.


    She knew that the Meng family gifted the Fourth Prince two concubines. However, she could dispose of them in the future. The side consort was different. She would be registered in the genealogy book in the future. The side consort would be her enemy no matter who was elected.


    ¡°I¡­ happen to know this.¡± Qi Huai looked at Dong Xiyun with aplicated gaze. ¡°When the Fourth Prince is free, he will go to Teacher Xiao¡¯s ce to learn how to copy the world map. I¡¯ve never heard of him being close to others. If there really is...


    ¡°I heard that someone met your sister at a restaurant in the capital two days ago. You should be there too, right? That¡¯s all I know.¡± Qi Huai added.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s pupils constricted and her breathing quickened.


    She was not there at all!


    Why did the Fourth Prince meet his sister?!

 Chapter 758 - Resentment

    <h4>Chapter 758: Resentment</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun could not help but feel nervous. She knew better than anyone that her younger sister was the most likable!


    She had even won her stepmother¡¯s heart. She treated her like her own daughter in every way!


    If such a person wanted to¡­


    Dong Xiyun inhaled a breath of cold air and felt a little distracted.


    She said goodbye to Qi Huai casually and then took a leave of absence to go to the Gn Academy.


    She was not there. Dong Yiyun was not there again!


    What did she do? Could it be¡­ she went to see the Fourth Prince again?


    No wonder the Fourth Prince ignored her recently. Dong Yiyun must have said bad things about her in front of him!


    The more Dong Xiyun thought about it, the more she thought it was possible. Her eyes burned with anger, and her expression could not help but be ferocious.


    Dong Yiyun!


    Did she not like that boorish guy from the Xie family? Why did she not focus her attention on that guy? Why was she targeting her fiance?! !


    Dong Xiyun returned home aggressively. Not long after, Dong Yiyun returned as well. However, she did not want to see her eldest sister. Even if her eldest sister came looking for her, she would find an excuse to get rid of her.


    Dong Yiyun felt a chill in her heart. Earlier, when she was kidnapped together with Young Lady Yuan, it was her own eldest sister who had done it!


    How was she supposed to face this sister again?


    Anyway, her sister was going to be married off next year, so it would be better to see less of her in the future, right? The Fourth Prince was a good person, and he could be considered caring and considerate toward her eldest sister. In the future, when she lived a happy life, that stubborn temper of hers could also be changed.


    Dong Yiyun thought naively, but she did not know that Dong Xiyun had already made her a bad person.


    Dong Xiyun firmly believed that this sister must have gone to seduce the Fourth Prince. Otherwise, she would not have avoided her like this!


    Her viciousness surged.


    She had to quickly marry off this sister, or¡­


    If her sister did something vicious first, then she could not be med for being ruthless!


    Dong Xiyun did notck money. Over the years, she had taken in many underlings. Even her own sister¡¯s courtyard had many underlings!


    Her resentment was so strong that she could not tolerate it for even a day.


    That night, she used the most dangerous method on Dong Yiyun.


    She had the granny use incense on Dong Yiyun¡¯s personal maid servants to drug them.


    The maid servants who were on night duty were all knocked out. In the quiet night, someone went in and tiptoed into Dong Yiyun¡¯s room. Looking at the person on the bed, he felt a little uneasy.


    However, due to the orders of the first youngdy, he dared not disobey her.


    He squinted and took off the second youngdy¡¯s clothes. Then, he hung her underwear on the windowsill.


    The floor was messy with women¡¯s clothes. There was even a little blush on Dong Yiyun¡¯s face. Her entire person looked even more alluring. They did not let go of her hair, making it look like she was suspicious.


    The first youngdy wanted him to really rape her, but¡­ he really could not do it now!


    Although he, Wang Wu, was not a good person, he was always willing to have sex with others. The person in front of him was ady from a noble family, and the surroundings were dead silent. W-What if his person suddenly woke up when he was indulging in it?


    Anyway, he only wanted to destroy the second youngdy¡¯s reputation. What he did would be the same!


    He took off all of the clothes. It did not matter whether he raped her or not.


    After doing all this, Wang Wu walked out. Before he left, he shouted at the courtyard, ¡°There¡¯s a thief!¡±


    After ensuring that he could wake up all the other women and maids in the courtyard, he scurried away without a trace.


    The people in the courtyard were indeed awake.


    Even those who were not awake were also woken up by Dong Xiyun¡¯s spies. For a moment, the courtyard was in chaos!


    One by one, they ran out with their clothes on, only to see that the window of the second youngdy¡¯s room was actually open! There was even a man¡¯s underpants hanging on it!

 Chapter 759 - Not Him

    <h4>Chapter 759: Not Him</h4>


    The maid servants rushed in to take a look. All they saw was that the second youngdy, Dong Yiyun, looked as if she had been raped!


    The screams almost woke everyone in the Dong family up.


    An hourter, the room was filled with cries. Madam Dong was holding her stepdaughter in her arms, and her heart ached terribly. Dong Yiyun had also woken up. She did not feel anything, but¡­


    She was dumbfounded by what happened.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me or not?! Who exactly is the adulterer?! He¡¯s simply audacious, daring to barge into the residence and do such¡­ shameless things!¡± Master Dong could not contain his anger.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Dong Yiyun shook her head. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t know anything¡­ You¡¯re lying to me, right? How could I¡­ Impossible!¡±


    ¡°When will you be as sensible as your sister!¡± Master Dong was so angry that he was trembling. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll poison you to death with a cup of poisonous wine so that you won¡¯t embarrass your sister!¡±


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s eyes were also red with anger.


    She did not do anything, why did they not believe her?!


    Moreover, there was a thief in her house, and she was raped. Why did her father not investigate it for her?!


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t talk about my sister like that. She didn¡¯t want that to happen either. P-Perhaps that man was too aggressive. She didn¡¯t dare to resist¡­¡± Dong Xiyun stood forward.


    Madam Dong¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment as she looked at her nominal eldest daughter.


    Although her second daughter was not her biological daughter, she was raised by her. Her personality was simple and she was not as well-rounded as her sister, Xiyun!


    ¡°Do you¡­ know who that man is?!¡± Master Dong tried hard to suppress his anger in front of his eldest daughter.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Dong Xiyun looked worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who harmed me! Was it you? I¡¯m your biological sister, remember?! Why do you torture me over and over again?!¡± Hearing her sister¡¯s words, how could Dong Yiyun not understand?


    She was not sure?! What was she talking about?!


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s face was filled with sadness. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not trying to set you up. It¡¯s just that I won¡¯t be able to hide it after something like this has happened. There were so many maid servants and grannies in the courtyard who had heard it. If someone were to spread it, wouldn¡¯t your reputation be ruined? Why don¡¯t you¡­ confess and get married openly? It¡¯s better than¡­ sneaking around secretly¡­¡±


    Dong Yiyun was so angry that she wanted to kill someone!


    It was her fault, her fault for being too naive!


    She thought her sister would change. Even when the Fourth Prince came over to ask her sister about her preferences and even said that her sister seemed to be particrly concerned about Young Lady Xie, she tried her best to put in a good word for her. She was wrong. She should not have been so foolish and let others plot against her for nothing!


    However, she could not understand. This was her biological sister. Why did she wish for her to die?!


    ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    ¡°Father, didn¡¯t I say earlier that my sister likes First Young Master Xie? I think there are quite a few guards in our residence. The only one who cane and go without a trace and even use such dirty tricks like sleeping incense, perhaps¡­ it was that bandit¡­¡± Dong Xiyun said hesitantly.


    Dong Yiyun felt as if her brain was about to explode. ¡°It¡¯s not him! ¡°There¡¯s no one. I didn¡¯tmit adultery with anyone. It¡¯s my sister who¡¯s spouting nonsense and harming me! Mother, he saved me twice. He¡¯s not a bandit! It¡¯s my sister who¡¯s framing me. I¡¯ve never crossed the line in any way¡­¡±


    She cried, but she was mad.


    She wanted to calm down, but she could not.


    Inparison, it was as if one of them had been exposed and the other could not bear to continue covering up.


    Madam Dong trusted her second daughter, but she would not be the one who could call the shots for this kind of thing, while Master Dong firmly believed what Dong Xiyun said..

 Chapter 760 - Send Her Away to Be A Nun

    <h4>Chapter 760: Send Her Away to Be A Nun</h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Master Dong first suppressed all the servants. The next day, he took a leave of absence and immediately went to the Xie Residence.


    Xie Qiao was not at home, but Xie Niushan was.


    Looking at Xie Niushan, Master Dong was very upset. He did not expect that one day, he woulde looking for him and want to be inws with this kind of person!


    What could he do if they weren¡¯t inws?


    Although the eldest daughter had identified Xie Pinggang, but¡­ there was no evidence?


    They only suspected that he had done it, but they could not arrest him or make a ruckus on the streets. Otherwise, the eldest daughter¡¯s marriage would also be affected. So what else could they do other than being inws?!


    That d*mned girl was willing to use all kinds of underhanded means to marry Xie Pinggang. How did he raise such a fool?!


    His gaze was fierce.


    Xie Niushan found it strange. ¡°Master Dong, w-why are you looking for me?¡±


    Master Dong held his breath. ¡°There are no outsiders here, so let¡¯s be frank. Your son has offended my daughter many times and now he has even raped her. What are you going to do about this? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to continue pretending to be ignorant?!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xie Niushan was stunned. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? It can¡¯t be, right?¡±


    Aftering to the capital, the father and son had exhorted the entire vige.


    There were nobles everywhere in the capital. They could not even do such a thing as robbing. They had taken a fancy to someone else¡¯s little wife and openly asked for her hand in marriage¡­


    His son was the one who brought this up first.


    Therefore, even if he said that he had done something immoral while sleepwalking, he did not believe that Xie Pinggang would dare to do that.


    ¡°Why are you pretending to be muddle-headed! Last night, your son barged into my residence and d-did that filthy thing at midnight, but he ran fast and we didn¡¯t catch him. Otherwise, even if I were to report this to the Emperor, I could chase your family out of the capital!¡±


    ¡°Hah, who are you trying to scare? Do you think I¡¯m made of dough? Your daughter is going to be the Princess Consort. How can you fall out with me? I won¡¯t admit it if my foolish son didn¡¯t do it.¡± Xie Niushan looked at him with disdain. He could not help but eat a melon seed.


    His face was ferocious.


    Master Dong was so angry that he was in a bad mood.


    ¡°You mean you won¡¯t agree to this marriage?!¡± Master Dong looked very serious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who this adulterer is. Even if my familycks a daughter-inw, I can¡¯t let my son be a living b*stard, can I?¡± Xie Niushan thought he was being very reasonable.


    His son was really not that kind of lecherous person.


    If he said that his son went out to kill people in the middle of the night, perhaps he would believe it.


    ¡°Have you asked your son? Where¡¯s Xie Pinggang? Ask him toe here! I want to ask him personally!¡± Master Dong did not want to say anything more to this bandit.


    Xie Pinggang had not gone to the criminal division yet. Once he received the message, he obediently came over.


    His height directly surpassed Master Dong¡¯s, and in an instant, his arrogance faded a little.


    ¡°That daughter of mine¡­ is ady from a noble family at the very least. If you really want to make enemies with my family, then you can refuse this marriage. After I returned, there¡¯s no other way than giving her a cup of poisoned wine to end her life, so that she won¡¯t embarrass our family!¡± Master Dong added.


    Xie Pinggang frowned. ¡°What does your family¡¯s business have to do with me? Why are you telling me this?¡±


    Master Dong¡¯s face turned green with anger.


    He felt his blood boiling and wanted to kill someone with a knife.


    ¡°They said that you climbed over the wallst night and raped his daughter,¡± Xie Niushan exined and added oil to the fire.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Your daughter¡­¡±


    He thought for a moment, ¡°Are you talking about that Second Young Lady Dong? What an unlucky girl. She just came out from the tiger¡¯s den, and now she¡¯s in the wolf¡¯s den? This is too tragic.. Did you do something terrible to her? Why don¡¯t you send her away to be a nun? That might be better.¡±

 Chapter 761 - Fated

    <h4>Chapter 761: Fated</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang really thought Second Young Lady Dong was quite unlucky.


    She had already ruined her reputation once before, and it was not easy to save her. Now, something had actually happened. Tsk, her fate was not good, and it had to be changed by a master.


    What else could Master Dong say?


    He was so angry that he could not speak.


    He directly flung his sleeves and left!


    After returning home, he pped his daughter in the face. He wanted nothing more than to kill her daughter on the spot. ¡°Your heart yearns for him, but he doesn¡¯t take you seriously at all! And he even said that you¡¯re unlucky! He doesn¡¯t agree to this marriage! As your father, I¡¯ve already done everything I can for you. I¡¯ve lowered my head and proposed marriage, what else can I do?! How could I give birth to such a shameless wretched girl like you?!¡±


    Dong Yiyun waspletely stunned.


    Dong Xiyun was not around, but these words had reached her in time. She only smiled faintly.


    Even if the Xie family took in her younger sister, Dong Yiyun would not be able to have an easy life in the future.


    What happenedst night was just something out of thin air. As long as it was a man, who would be able to endure that?


    Her sister had no other choice now.


    Either she died or she could pester the Xie family and beg Xie Pinggang to marry her. Even if she married into the family, they would not treat her well.


    Otherwise, her father could find her a family with a low background and marry her. He could say that he valued the young master¡¯s talent or that he had faked a life-saving grace. He could also make do with it.


    However, no matter what, Dong Yiyun would never be able to do anything to her again in the future!


    Nevetheless, using this trick would hurt herself.


    There were quite a few people who knew about this matter, and they were not the most loyal people. The n was too shaky. Before she got married next year, it had to be dealt with to avoid any trouble!


    After Master Dong vented his anger, he locked his daughter in the house.


    Only Madam Dong dared toe over and look at her.


    ¡°Silly girl, I know that you¡¯ve been wronged, but you can¡¯t panic now. Let¡¯s think carefully about how to deal with this matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, what else can we do? My life is ruined!¡± Dong Yiyun covered her face and cried.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You still have a long life ahead of you¡­¡± Madam Dong¡¯s heart ached for her child. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it for a little bit. If the Xie family agrees and you marry into their family, although you will suffer some grievances, you should manage it well. You should be able to live your life. If you don¡¯t agree¡­ Yi¡¯er, I¡¯m sure you have met my cousin, right? I¡¯ll tell him about the situation, and you can marry into my family. With me around, no one can bully you¡­¡±


    Dong Yiyun did not know what to do either.


    She..


    She admitted that she was ipetent. Even at this moment, even if she had a bad reputation, there was still a moment where she hoped to marry Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°Mother, I want to see someone¡­¡± Dong Yiyun thought for a long time before she finally said.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°Master Mo, she saved me. I want to see her¡­ Maybe after seeing her, I will know what to do¡­¡± Dong Yiyun knew that her innocence was ruined. Even if she wanted to redeem it, she could not.


    Something must have happened to those clothes and underwear.


    In reality, she wanted to see Xie Pinggang more, but it was destined to be impossible. Therefore, if she met Master Mo, Master Mo might be able to give her an answer.


    Madam Dong thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.


    She let the maid servant stay in the house and secretly sent her daughter out.


    Xie Qiao was not in the Xie Residence, so she really did not know anything about this matter.


    Until Dong Yiyun came to find her. Looking at her dark and gloomy appearance, it was needless to say that something had happened.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Dong Yiyun¡¯s eyes were swollen like walnuts, but she did not cry at this moment. Instead, she took out some belongings and asked, ¡°Can I ask you to perform divination for me? In my life, am I still¡­ fated to be with¡­. Young Master Xie?¡±

 Chapter 762 - Return Kindness with Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 762: Return Kindness with Revenge</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand trembled when she heard Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s words.


    She looked at her and said, ¡°If you were to listen to the truth, you might be even more conflicted.¡±


    ¡°But I want to hear it.¡± Dong Yiyun was very persistent.


    ¡°Give me your birth details and I¡¯ll calcte it for you.¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    Dong Yiyun obediently followed Xie Qiao¡¯s instructions.


    After Xie Qiao did some calctions, she realized that the situation was not much better than thest time. This Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s fate was terrible. The bad luck had not been solved yet!


    ¡°I¡¯ve calcted it for you once before, but this time, it didn¡¯t change much. Your fate Isn¡¯t too good now, and there are many variables. Your marriage is bumpy, and you¡¯ll have to suffer.¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°As for you and the First Young Master of the Xie family¡­ Young Lady Dong, he isn¡¯t an amorous person, so he¡¯s not a good match for you. Your variables are somewhat corresponding to his, but¡­ if the two of you really get married, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to live long. You might even die from it.¡±


    Dong Yiyun clenched her fists.


    ¡°The fate¡­ can¡¯t be changed?¡± Dong Yiyun asked.


    ¡°Yes, but the price is very high. I¡¯ve already changed Xie Pinggang¡¯s fate for him, but his fate is too tough, so it would be tough to change him. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to change his fate in the next one or two years. I have to take it slowly. As for you¡­


    ¡°You should meet his fate this year. Therefore, Young Lady Dong, if you really meet him, it¡¯s no different from hitting a rock with an egg. You¡¯ll definitely die,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    After receiving the money, she could not lie to her customers.


    Moreover, this youngdy had a deep obsession. She thought it was better to exin clearly.


    This girl was a jinx this year. If she could not avoid it, she would die.


    ¡°Your luck isn¡¯t good this year. However, you have the ability to break it. In three days, leave the capital and go to your rtives and friends in the south to avoid it. You will definitely be able to make it,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Dong Yiyun understood.


    The south¡­


    Her stepmother¡¯s hometown was in the south. When she arrived there, her mother would send her letters. Naturally, no one would mistreat her. In fact¡­ They might even introduce a good husband to her. From then on, there would be no such mess.


    However¡­


    She had already met someone she wanted to marry. After being saved twice, she would not be able to get what she wanted in this life. She also did not wish for herself to take a step back first¡­


    Xie Pinggang had once said that he did not mind marrying a woman whose reputation had been ruined¡­


    ¡°Master Mo, you said¡­ If I married him, I would die, right?¡± Dong Yiyun actually chuckled. ¡°So, not only can I not repay the favor of saving my life, I would also make him bear the name of a widower¡­ Returning kindness with revenge.¡±


    Dong Yiyun could not describe how she felt.


    It was veryplicated. It was soplicated that she did not want to live anymore.


    It was too difficult. It was too difficult to live.


    The master had said that as long as she went to the south, she would be able to resolve the current predicament. However¡­ she could not see the light at the moment. She did not have the slightest bit of hope for the future after resolving it!


    ¡°Young Lady Dong, there is still a long life ahead of you. You are feeling bitter now. After passing this hurdle, when you look back, perhaps you will feel fortunate.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment, but she still felt that it was better to stay alive than to die. ¡°Look, there is nothing good about Xie Pinggang. He is ugly and fierce. It is not worth it to sacrifice your life for such a person.¡±


    ¡°Master Mo! Young Master Xie is a hero. He kills barbarians and solves cases. He is as majestic as an eagle spreading its wings. He is different from others. No one canpare to him.¡± Dong Yiyun¡¯s tone was very serious.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    No, her eldest brother was an idiot.


    However, Dong Yiyun stared at her. The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth stiffened and she chuckled. ¡°Yes, he is quite majestic¡­ This humble one is wrong..¡±

 Chapter 763 - I’m Sorry

    <h4>Chapter 763: I¡¯m Sorry</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao really did not think that Xie Pinggang was good.


    However, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. The youngdy had taken a liking to him. She guessed that even if Xie Pinggang had scolded her a few times, the youngdy might still think that Xie Pinggang was manly!


    Xie Qiao felt a little rueful in her heart. She looked at Second Young Lady Dong. ¡°No matter how good Young Master Xie is, he won¡¯t be able to live to enjoy it... Whether this is good or not, it has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ording to her birth details, Second Lady Dong and Xie Pinggang were not a good match.


    However, not everyone in this world believed in their birth details.


    Xie Pinggang was her eldest brother, but she could not be bothered to care about matters like him marrying a wife. She was only responsible for exining things that she knew to this youngdy.


    Young Lady Dong was stunned for a moment before she stood up and prepared to leave.


    Xie Qiao was afraid that she would forget, she said, ¡°Leave this ce within three days ande back after a while. This cmity can be resolved, so don¡¯t dy it. Also, before you leave, you shouldn¡¯t see Xie Pinggang. His birth details don¡¯t match yours, so I¡¯m afraid there will be conflicts.¡±


    Young Lady Dong turned around and nced at her, then she bowed to her. ¡°Thank you, Master Mo.¡±


    After saying that, she left.


    Xie Qiao looked at her back and shook her head silently.


    This youngdy¡¯s cmity was probably caused by her family. Although she did not know what it was, the issue was quite serious.


    If Dong Yiyun could survive this year, her fate would not be too bad after a few years of rough luck in her marriage. She could be considered to have made do with everything. In this world, there were countless ordinary people like her.


    Dong Yiyun left Fortune Pavilion aimlessly. She let the coachman ride around the city and arrived near the criminal division.


    She asked to stop the carriage on the road that they had to pass by.


    She seemed to be looking forward to it, but she was also a little worried and nervous. She sighed from time to time and could not help but look outside.


    However, she remembered that the master said that she had to resolve her bad luck and could not see Young Master Xie..


    She hesitated again.


    Her mind wandered and unknowingly, she had been waiting there for more than an hour. Xie Pinggang led a group of people out on an errand.


    ¡°Young Mater Xie!¡± In the carriage, she could not help but pull open the curtain and shouted at Xie Pinggang.


    Under the scorching sun, her face was steaming hot and her sweat was dropping.


    Xie Pinggang nced at her and thought for a moment. He got the others to go first and led the horse to the side of the carriage. ¡°Do you want to report the case?¡±


    ¡°Report the case?¡± Dong Yiyun was stunned.


    ¡°Your father said that you were bullied this morning and insisted that I did it. I don¡¯t know whether I did it or not.¡± Xie Pinggang snorted.


    Dong Yiyun smiled helplessly when she heard that. ¡°Brother Xie, for such a matter... if I report it, I won¡¯t be able to live either.¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with reporting the case?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned. He suddenly thought that women were coquettish nowadays. He said, ¡°Since you are not here to report the case, then why are you here?¡±


    ¡®I just want to see you¡­¡¯


    Dong Yiyun muttered in her heart, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.


    ¡°My father... went to your house to inquire about the marriage. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dong Yiyun was nervous.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xie Pinggang really did not care.


    There were many people who wanted to look for trouble. What was that even?


    ¡°I... I...¡± Dong Yiyun did not know what to say. She hesitated for a while and asked, ¡°Brother Xie, if you were me... What would you do?¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not understand.


    He was not familiar with this youngdy, so why was she asking him about this?


    ¡°You... were framed by someone?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Dong Yiyun nodded.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s simple. If I were you, I would make the other party upset if I was upset. However, you girls are different from men. Men can throw caution to the wind. It doesn¡¯t matter if our reputation is clean, but you guys are different. Therefore, you can only swallow this matter....¡±

 Chapter 764 - Somebody Help

    <h4>Chapter 764: Somebody Help</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang also thought this youngdy was quite wronged. She wanted to report the case but did not dare to. Even if she wanted to take revenge, she was probably not as daring as him.


    Putting everything else aside, the person who could sneak into a woman¡¯s bedroom in the middle of the night¡­ was not an ordinary person. With just this youngdy in front of him, he probably did not have the heart to do anything to her.


    Therefore, after thinking about it, he guessed that he could only avoid her.


    In fact, Dong Yiyun just wanted to talk to him.


    Perhaps, she would be leaving in three days. If she left, she might not even have the chance to meet him in this lifetime.


    Thinking about it, Dong Yiyun¡¯s heart clutched and she felt ufortable all over. ¡°Brother Xie, when will you marry¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Xie Pinggang wanted to ask God when he would give him a wife!


    ¡°Three yearster, if you are not married and you don¡¯t mind that I am old, can youe to my house¡­ to propose marriage¡­? I will go to Fengnan soon¡­¡± Dong Yiyun felt that she had used up all her strength in this lifetime.


    Her breathing seemed to have stopped. She looked at Xie Pinggang, unable to move her eyes away.


    Xie Pinggang was also stunned.


    What did this woman say?


    If he still had not married three yearster¡­


    No, how could he still not be able to get a wife three yearster?! It could not be that serious, right?!


    However¡­


    Xie Pinggang looked at the youngdy in front of him. She was not bad. Her eyes and brows were quite delicate. However, her body was a little thin, she was not round plump enough, and she was not tall enough. She could copse with a blow of the wind, she looked like she would not be able to bear torments¡­


    However, it was better than nothing. Moreover, this youngdy also had some good points.


    She dared toe and ask about the marriage in broad daylight. It showed that she had some guts. She was passable.


    Xie Pinggang frowned. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    It was really difficult for him to get a wife.


    There were many matchmakers at home who came to inquire, but all of them were shrewd!


    Those families who doted on their daughters simply could not bear to marry their darling daughters to him, worried that he would beat them to death. Those who did not dote on their daughters simply sent people over, wanting to build a rtionship with their family.


    If they did not even dote on their own daughters, he did not want this marriage. Who knew when a knife would sh his neck?


    So, it was a dead end.


    In addition, the grand preceptor had also told him that it was not suitable for him to marry a wife and that he would torture his wife.


    Thinking of this, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­ I have a tough fate. A youngdy like you will definitely not be able to take it. Forget it. You¡¯re not ugly. Why can¡¯t you marry anyone else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± She clutched the window tightly. ¡°Brother Xie! If I don¡¯t care about my life, would you dare to marry me?! I-I really don¡¯t have¡­ a wild man out there¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang rubbed his forehead, feeling a little dizzy.


    She was a delicate littledy.


    Who could stand it now that she said that?


    ¡°If you die, how could you be my wife? It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have a man or not. The important thing is that I can¡¯t marry a spirit tablet, right? Of course, I can marry again after you die, but I can¡¯t harm you for no reason. Alright, it¡¯s so hot in this weather. Don¡¯t stay here and talk nonsense. I¡¯m busy with my things!¡±


    After saying that, Xie Pinggang was about to leave on his horse.


    Dong Yiyun looked at him and was a little anxious. She wanted to call out to him, but she could not.


    Just as she was anxious, the horse in front suddenly started to riot!


    ¡°Oh no, Second Young Lady, the horse is frightened!¡± The coachman shouted, but he was standing outside of the carriage. In the blink of an eye, Dong Yiyun was taken away by the frightened horse.. The coachman rushed to Xie Pinggang and said, ¡°Sir! Please save my youngdy!¡±

 Chapter 765 - Do You Think I’m Blind

    <h4>Chapter 765: Do You Think I¡¯m Blind</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was definitely going to save her.


    He immediately rode his horse and chased after the carriage!


    There were not manymoners on this street of the criminal division, and it was not a busy city either. It would not crash into the innocents, but this horse actually rushed into the streets at an extremely fast speed!


    When he looked again, he saw that its tail was actually on fire!


    Not only that, the mes alsonded on the curtain of the carriage. In a short while, the carriage was on fire.


    Dong Yiyun was trapped in the carriage. The wooden carriage coupled with the strong wind caused the mes to burn extremely quickly!


    Dong Yiyun was scared silly. The mes spread to her body in just a short while and swept over her dress.


    m!


    Xie Pinggang raised his de and split the roof of the carriage open. The burning carriage was fragile and the wooden nks were scattered all over the ground. Xie Pinggang bent down and reached out to grab her. He pulled her onto his horse and looked at the mes on her dress, he even swiftly pulled it open, and the initially thin dress was instantly torn open.


    Dong Yiyun waspletely stunned.


    She only felt that her entire body was in pain from being roasted by the mes. Just when she thought that she would definitely die, her body flew into the sky¡­


    Then¡­


    She felt a broad chest on her back, as well as¡­


    A cold touch on her legs.


    Her clothes were ruined¡­


    Her expression changed drastically.


    The horse was burned to death in a short while. Due to the shock, although there were not manymoners, there were still some imperial court offices nearby. There were many people inside, and they saw what happened¡­


    Dong Yiyun really felt that her time wasing. These things that happened to her were enough to kill her.


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re really unlucky.¡± Xie Pinggang was actually gloating. After saying this, he nced at her legs. They were quite fair. Then, he tore off his outer garment and wrapped it around her body. ¡°This is great. I have to marry you even if I don¡¯t want to. Did you do this on purpose?¡±


    Dong Yiyun shook her head with a bitter face.


    She really did not. She just thought that she was going to leave soon and wanted to take a peek.


    However, when she saw him, she could not help but want an answer.


    Her eyes were full of tears. After Xie Pinggang put her down, he despised her even more. ¡°What are you crying for? Is such a trivial matter worth your tears? Besides, didn¡¯t I say that I would marry you? Go home and tell your father that we¡¯re engaged.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Dong Yiyun looked at him nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at all! I¡¯m not angry. Why should I be?¡± Xie Pinggang was really not angry. He chopped some wood earlier. His imposing manner was morepelling since he was in the state of war¡­


    What was there to be upset about getting a wife for nothing?


    However, he knew that he was not suitable for marriage. He would go back and ask Master Mo or the grand preceptor. He would get engaged first and see when it was appropriate for the wedding to happen.


    He had carelessly touched thisdy¡¯s fair legs just now. With so many people watching, it was unknown how many people had caught a glimpse of her. If he did not propose marriage, this youngdy would really seek death.


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s mind was in a mess.


    The coachman rushed over. ¡°Second Young Lady! It¡¯s all my fault! But I don¡¯t know how this horse got caught on fire¡­¡±


    Dong Yiyun did not me the coachman. After all, no one wanted this to happen.


    However, Xie Pinggang snickered and ced the big de on the coachman¡¯s neck. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind? Did you throw something aside after I got on the horse?¡±


    He heard that clear and crisp sound!


    After Xie Pinggang finished speaking, he strode toward the spot where he was. When he reached that spot, he really saw broken ss tiles on the ground.


    ¡°I know that this thing can start a fire. In the cases that I had worked earlier, there were quite a few people who used this to harm others.. Since you dare tomit a crime in front of me, I think you must have a death wish! Tell me! Who ordered you to do this?!¡±

 Chapter 766 - I Don’t Expect You to Forgive Me

    <h4>Chapter 766: I Don¡¯t Expect You to Forgive Me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang red at the coachman, who was so frightened that his legs were shaking.


    He trembled for a moment before suddenly kneeling on the ground. ¡°T-This old ve only saw how beautiful the tile was. I held it in my hand and looked at it a few more times. I really didn¡¯t know that it could have such an effect... I¡¯m ashamed!¡±


    After he finished speaking, he rushed toward the stone block beside him. With a thud, his head was bleeding, and he fell to the ground.


    If he told the truth, he and his family would have died.


    If he had not told the truth, even if he had died, it would have been an ident. Even if the second youngdy wanted revenge, they would not have beaten his family to death when she returned. At most, she would have sold them... At least he would have kept his life.


    Xie Pinggang frowned.


    Dong Yiyun, on the other hand, was trembling in shock.


    If someone had really instructed him, who else could it be other than her sister?


    However, on the way out, the coachman had been well-behaved until he met Xie Pinggang¡­


    It was as if a string had suddenly connected in Dong Yiyun¡¯s mind, and she came to a realization.


    That sister of hers probably intended for her to marry into the Xie family! But why? Dong Yiyun thought about it for a long time, but in the end, she could only think of the Fourth Prince.


    Recently, she had not done anything else but met with the Fourth Prince.


    The Fourth Prince seemed to be dissatisfied with his eldest sister, but since they were engaged and it was inappropriate for him to ignore Dong Xiyun, he invited her over to have a chat and ask about her sister¡¯s habits and likings. He also intended to forgive her.


    Could it be... that she had been misunderstood by her eldest sister?


    The more she thought about it, the more likely it was.


    Just like Yuan Lingyin before. As Yuan Lingyin was the Fourth Prince¡¯s side concubine, she was going to be harmed by her!


    Xie Pinggang went to test the old man¡¯s breathing, then pursed his lips. ¡°Well, he died quite quickly. He¡¯s lucky that I didn¡¯t catch him and take him to the criminal division to interrogate him.¡±


    After saying that, he saw that Dong Yiyun was in a daze, so he said, ¡°Think about it yourself. If you need me, I¡¯ll go to your house tomorrow to propose marriage. If that¡¯s unnecessary, then forget it.¡±


    He did not care.


    Dong Yiyun nced at him, but she hurriedly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Brother Xie¡±


    When she went back... she would exin it clearly to her eldest sister. Will she be able to live in peace by then? Will she be able to survive the three-day cmity?


    Xie Pinggang looked casual. He summoned someone from the criminal division and asked them to send Dong Yiyun home.


    He went back to the criminal division to retrieve a new outer garment and immediately went to run some errands.


    This youngdy was really a hindrance.


    ¡­


    Dong Yiyun went home nervously and immediately went to look for Dong Xiyun.


    She had resentment in her heart, but she could not bear to do it to her sister. She gritted her teeth and told her everything clearly about the Fourth Prince looking for her that day.


    When Dong Xiyun heard that, she was half-convinced and half-doubtful.


    After thinking about it, she still believed it.


    This silly sister of hers was still rather foolish. She should not have made up a lie to deceive her.


    ¡°Sister... I-I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. When I think of someone trying to steal the Fourth Prince from me, I feel very ufortable in my heart. My body didn¡¯t listen to my head... I know that I¡¯ve let you down. I¡¯ve actually wronged you... Sister, I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me...¡± Dong Xiyun knelt on the ground at that moment.


    Her voice was sorrowful, and she looked extremely sincere.


    Dong Yiyun had veryplicated feelings. This was her eldest sister. She had liked this sister since she was young, because her sister was always very capable. She knew a lot, and was proficient in the four arts¡­


    In the past, she had always regarded her sister as her role model!


    Now, she hated her secretly, but she could not force her sister to die.


    ¡°Then... Eldest Sister, you should hold back in the future. The Fourth Prince cares about you very much. You should live a good life with him in the future. Don¡¯t do such things again. Moreover, he is a prince.. In the future, he will have to take side concubines. If you continue to be so stubborn, you will only hurt yourself, right?¡±

 Chapter 767 - Didn’t Listen to Her Advice

    <h4>Chapter 767: Didn¡¯t Listen to Her Advice</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In the end, Dong Yiyun chose to get her sister to stand up.


    Dong Xiyun repeatedly acknowledged her and kept saying that she knew she was wrong.


    Dong Yiyun had been shocked and tired all day and felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. Thinking about what happened today, she thought it was a blessing and a curse¡­ For a moment, her feelings were veryplicated.


    However, the moment she left, Dong Xiyun¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    She believed that the Fourth Prince would look for her sister because of her. However, she did not believe that her sister would speak well of her in front of the Fourth Prince!


    Ever since the incident with Yuan Lingyin, this sister had always treated her indifferently. Moreover, why did the Fourth Prince still note to look for her after that?


    It was probably because her sister had said many bad things to the Fourth Prince, right?!


    She wanted to stay in the capital and get married sessfully?


    It was impossible.


    That Xie Pinggang actually personally betrothed her and did not care about what happened to her at all. It was clear that he was also captivated by her younger sister¡¯s beauty.


    Her sister was behaving now, but what might happen in the future? If she secretly collected evidence and turned the tables on her in the future, would all her hard work not be in vain?


    ¡­


    Xie Pinggang was a man of his word. He remembered his promise when he returned home.


    He stood in front of his father and said, ¡°Ask the matchmaker to go to the Dong Residence tomorrow to propose the marriage. I identally tore her clothes today.¡±


    Xie Niushan frowned. ¡°The person who raped her at night¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. Who knows which little thief it was? But it¡¯s not a big problem, as long as I don¡¯t have to raise someone else¡¯s child.¡± Xie Pinggang did not care.


    It was just a marriage engagement. He quickly changed the invitation and skipped all the steps that could be skipped. Then, he arranged the marriage to happen within two to three years. The youngdy could go back on her words in between. He only wanted to solve the urgent problem first.


    Now that he was on the Crown Prince¡¯s side, he could not give others the chance to attack the Crown Prince.


    If he did not want to marry, others would think that he relied on the Crown Prince¡¯s favor to harm the youngdy. It would be terrible.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll get someone to do it.¡± Xie Niushan was very calm.


    He had already married three times. What was so strange about that?


    Everything moved fast on the Xie family¡¯s side.


    The selected date, names, hour and registrations were done within a day. The reason why they were so fast was because they wanted to avoid some unnecessary rumors.


    The Dong family could not wait to get rid of their daughter as soon as possible.


    Now, anyone who was passable would definitely not take a fancy to his daughter. Who else could he give her to other than the Xie family?


    Dong Yiyun was in a daze. She was nervous, happy, and felt that her innocence was ruined. She did not deserve it.


    The youngdy was too naive. She had forgotten what the master said.


    Xie Qiao only found out about it on the second day of the engagement. When she heard Fang Muxue mention it, she was shocked.


    Xie Pinggang, that idiot, was engaged?!


    Did she not ask Dong Yiyun to seek refuge within three days?!


    Xie Qiao frowned and felt helpless.


    She could not believe that someone would not listen to what Master Mo had said. Was she taking her own life as a joke?!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was full of worry. When Qin Liu saw her like this, she thought that it was because she did not like her sister-inw, so sheforted her, ¡°Dong Yiyun is different from Dong Xiyun. She¡¯s more lively and kind. She went to school at the Gn Academy and has a good rtionship with people. If you are worried, I will take you to meet her. You and this future sister-inw should be able to get to know each other better.¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°I know. This Second Young Lady Dong is naive. I¡¯ve met her.¡±


    She was just a little naive and foolish.


    Be her sister-inw?


    She probably would not have the fate to do so¡­


    Dong Yiyun was currently in the midst of a cmity. At that time, she had clearly calcted that Dong Yiyun¡¯s fate was already on fire. To her, Xie Pinggang was her jinx this year. If she wanted to get involved with him, that would be adding fuel to the fire! He would really burn her to the bone.. Why did this foolishdy not listen to her advice?!

 Chapter 768 - Defeat the Enemy in One Attack

    <h4>Chapter 768: Defeat the Enemy in One Attack</h4>


    The reason why Xie Qiao had a headache was that even though she had all kinds of abilities, she could not fight a person who would not follow the rules, right?


    Just like that person who practiced medicine, she saw a patient and gave him a treatment method, but the patient did not listen. Should forcefully tie him to a hospital bed and force him to submit?


    She wanted to do good things, but it was not easy to force people to do so.


    ¡°The capital has been really lively recently,¡± Qin Liu sat beside her and could not help but say.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special, right?¡± Xie Qiao was still as calm as ever.


    At any time, she felt free as if she did not care about what was happening out there. When Qin Liu saw her like this, it was as if she had drunk a cup of cold water on a hot day. Her body feltfortable.


    ¡°Your brother must have been very busy recently. He has to get engaged, and he also has to investigate cases. He really can¡¯t even rest his legs.¡± Qin Liu smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t he beat the three members of the Bao family to death previously? With that example, I heard that recently, quite a number of women haveined about their husband¡¯s family killing their children.¡±


    However, those who dared to report this to the administrative office were mostly women who had lost their will to live after losing their children, or those who had been abandoned.


    Only when they had lost their soft spots did they dare to resist.


    Normal women lived their lives well. Those things that had happened in the past were in the past. They did not dare to offend their husband¡¯s family and make their lives difficult.


    ¡°These cases have all been reported to the criminal division?¡± Xie Qiao was also quite surprised.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything about your eldest brother¡¯s matter?¡± Qin Liu could not help but chuckle. ¡°The infant drowning case needs to be recorded in the same book, so the case has been handed over to the criminal division. Every day, some people will be caned at the entrance of the wet market.¡±


    Many of them were reported by their neighbors.


    As long as they found out the truth, they would be punished ording to the rules.


    For infanticide, one life was equivalent to 70 canes, as well as a year and a half to two years in prison.


    However,pared to theft, the number of cases was still much lower.


    There were only a few people who reported the cases.


    However, it was enough to intimidate the people. Now¡­ It was said that people did not dare to yell at their daughters anymore. On the way, they even heard people bragging about how much they loved their daughters¡­


    The custom had really changed a lot.


    When Qin Liu told her about the situation, Xie Qiao was very gratified.


    Her little face also turned a little red. ¡°This isn¡¯t bad. Amazing¡±


    ¡°Yes, all the ces are led by the capital. This practice will soon spread to other ces, but in other ces¡­ There will be more cases, so even the punishment will definitely be lighter. They could also redeem their prison time with money, unlike the heavy sentence in the capital,¡± Qin Liu added.


    Xie Qiao was already quite satisfied.


    She could not ask for too much in the beginning, or else there would not be enough prison for the criminals.


    The culture in the capital was slightly better, and other ces were not as easy to manage.


    Finally, she got some good news.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that your brother beat someone up yesterday,¡± Qin Liu said again.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hands paused again.


    ¡°It was Qi Huai who beat him up. Everyone said that Qi Huai was the one who initiated the fight. I don¡¯t know where your brother got the courage to charge and beat him up. He even beat him to the ground and begged for mercy!¡± Qin Liu looked excited.


    The Xie brothers were really interesting.


    The older and younger ones had interesting lives.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression became normal again when she heard that it was Qi Huai who was beaten up.


    She said indifferently, ¡°The men¡¯s academy is full of conflicts. It¡¯s normal to spar with each other. But I didn¡¯t expect that my foolish brother had only defeated him after the fightsted for some time. I¡¯m embarrassed now. My family hired a martial arts instructor for him to deal with someone like Qi Huai¡­ I thought he could defeat the enemy in one attack¡­. Sigh!¡±

 Chapter 769 - He Must Be Mourning, Right?

    <h4>Chapter 769: He Must Be Mourning, Right?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Qin Liu was dumbfounded. She had thought that Xie Qiao would me her brother for hitting someone, but she did not expect that she thought he was not good enough!


    ¡°Your brother seemed to have red eyes when he hit someone. He looked as if he had suffered a great grievance. Others have said that they don¡¯t know what kind of outrageous thing Qi Huai did to provoke your brother to do that.¡± Qin Liu was extremely curious.


    She was interested in everything in the academy and there was nothing she did not know.


    Xie Pinghuai was different from the others. He waspletely impervious. She did not know how much punishment he had received from Teacher Xiao, but his attitude had never changed. He had always been thick-skinned and indifferent!


    She heard that many strands of Teacher Xiao¡¯s hair had fallen off!


    How could such a brat be bullied by Qi Huai and cry?


    It was clearly abnormal!


    Unfortunately, she could not go to Second Young Master Xie and ask him why he was crying¡­


    ¡°Crying?¡± Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows and then smiled. ¡°He must be mourning, right?¡±


    Qin Liu was puzzled.


    She was about to ask more, but the teacher came to ss. She immediately behaved.


    At the moment, Xie Pinghuai was kneeling in Teacher Xiao¡¯s courtyard. While kneeling, he also had to recite poems.


    In a fight in the academy, regardless of whether they won or lost, they would inevitably be punished.


    Qi Huai¡¯s teacher only punished him to copying articles, but Teacher Xiao was much stricter. He had to kneel these few days.


    ¡°Junior brother, why did you do that? That Qi Huai is a little vicious with his words, can¡¯t you just ignore him? How can a gentleman fight with a viin? You would¡¯ve made yourself into a viin too, causing others to talk behind your back.¡± As the first senior brother, Chu Jian looked at Xie Pinghuai, still unable to understand.


    Taking Teacher Xiao as a master, how exciting and proud was that?!


    Only this Xie Pinghuai was unconvinced and dissatisfied in every way.


    However, the punishment this time... seemed to be different from before.


    In the past, he would always shout and talk about resistance, but this time, he was obedient and did not say a word!


    It was really strange.


    Xie Pinghuai did not say a word and was extremely silent.


    Teacher Xiao looked outside and was a little puzzled.


    Especially¡­


    Looking at the homework that Xie Pinghuai handed in this time. He felt a little uneasy.


    The handwriting was indeed Xie Pinghuai¡¯s, but the degree of seriousness was like apletely different person. The handwriting was neat, the pages were clean, and all the homework was actuallypleted!


    He had taken two days off before, and he was injured when he returned¡­


    Could it be that the Xie family members had hit him to teach him a lesson again?


    Using force to punish him actually had such a miraculous effect?


    Teacher Xiao was confused, and his gaze faintly looked at his precious ferule.


    ¡°Junior brother, what happened? Tell me! I¡¯m not afraid of that Qi Huai. I can stand up for you!¡± Chu Jian was very loyal. He was originally a gentle person, but now he was anxious.


    In the past, he did not like Xie Pinghuai, but since they were both disciples, they were almost like blood brothers. They had to take care of each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Xie Pinghuai suddenly spoke as if his words were gold.


    Chu Jian thought it was very serious. ¡°But what happened at home?¡±


    When he said that, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes turned red again.


    Chu Jian thought about it. Based on his understanding of Xie Pinghuai, this kid... did not care about many people. There were even fewer people who often talked about him. Other than scolding Xie Pinggang, he only mentioned Young Lady Xie.


    However, he had not heard anything about Young Lady Xie?


    She was the Princess Consort.. If something really happened, everyone would get the news.

 Chapter 770 - The Evil Side

    <h4>Chapter 770: The Evil Side</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Chu Jian could not figure it out, so he tried to ask, ¡°Could it be... that your eldest sister¡¯s health isn¡¯t too great?¡±


    The corners of Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mouth could not help but twitch.


    His eldest sister was gone!


    Before he could say anything more, Xie Pinghuai suddenly remembered that he still had something that he had not returned to someone. He stood up and said, ¡°I have to go pay off my debt first. I¡¯ll kneel when Ie back.¡±


    Chu Jian was confused for a moment. He was a little worried. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai did not care about others. He went to ss B of Begonia Courtyard and called out to a boy named Qi Zhen.


    He took out the house deed from his embrace and stuffed it into the other party¡¯s embrace. ¡°I don¡¯t want your shabby house anymore. The crickets that you gave me are all in that house. You can take them back yourselfter. In the future, our friendship can be considered to be gone. When I said that I wanted to marry your sister... I wasn¡¯t being serious about it.¡±


    Qi Zhen was surprised. ¡°Why is that? It was going well...¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s because I took your things that I was beaten up so badly and even implicated... In short, we shouldn¡¯t be friends. I didn¡¯t know that I shouldn¡¯t ept your things in the past, but now I understand!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai did not want to be so heartless initially.


    However, after a fight with Qi Huai yesterday, he found out that Qi Zhen came from a branch of Qi Huai¡¯s family.


    Qi Zhen¡¯s family was a merchant who sold tea. His status was not high, so he was only Qi Huai¡¯sckey.


    The reason why Qi Huai gave him a gift was because of his eldest brother.


    His eldest brother had a lot of power in the criminal division. He did not know what trouble Qi Zhen¡¯s family had caused, but the criminal division had investigated it. That was why they came to him!


    Initially, he did not know anything until Qi Huai asked him yesterday to hand over the house to Xie Pinggang. He also said that the Xie family was poor and that they were taking advantage of them. They should not waste the Qi family¡¯s kindness. Only then did he understand.


    Later on, Qi Huai even warned him to take care of his sister in the future and stop bullying someone from the Dong family¡­


    He was very angry, so he hit him.


    However... Qi Huai deserved it!


    This Qi Zhen in front of him was not a good person either!


    He thought he really wanted to be friends with him, but he did not expect that he was actually trying to make friends with that b*stard Xie Pinggang!


    ¡°What? Do you think it¡¯s too little? How about I give you more!¡± Qi Zhen was anxious and quickly said.


    ¡°No! I said no, so get lost!¡± Xie Pinghuai said fiercely.


    Chu Jian was dumbfounded after seeing that.


    ¡®Is this Xie Pinghuai?!¡¯


    Was he being threatened by a knife? Such an evil side of him actually came out?!


    Qi Zhen was also shocked by Xie Pinghuai, then, he felt a little resentful. ¡°Xie Pinghuai, why are you pretending to be so noble? You took it all before and now you¡¯re doing this. Do you think that this makes you an innocent person? You¡¯re not the only noble person in the capital. If you don¡¯t want this, someone else will!¡±


    After saying this, Qi Zhen angrily returned to the ssroom.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s expression was cold as he walked back.


    ¡°Junior Brother, do you have a fever? Or have you been triggered?¡± Chu Jian followed beside him and could not help but ask.


    This kid loved to take advantage of others!


    When the two of them first became sect brothers, in order to show his tolerance and generosity as a senior brother, he had given many things to Xie Pinghuai. However, it was like throwing meat at a dog. Xie Pinghuai would never give him anything!


    This kid was only responsible for taking and never returning gifts!


    In fact, if he took a fancy to his things, he would take what he could. If he could not take it, he might even destroy it!


    He was vicious!


    Today.... he actually gave away the expensive gift in his hands?!

 Chapter 771 - Doing Something Vicious

    <h4>Chapter 771: Doing Something Vicious</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The heavens pitied him. This annoying junior brother had finally gotten over it. He was suddenly enlightened now?!


    Chu Jian was very excited. He probed, ¡°Since you want to return things¡­ the small jade horse sculpture that you took from me earlier...¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s footsteps paused.


    He thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I left it at home. I¡¯ll give it to you tomorrow.¡±


    Eldest sister did not like him taking other people¡¯s things.


    It would not matter if he would not have it. He did not want it anymore!


    Chu Jian pped his hands. ¡°There¡¯s no need! I¡¯m willing to give it to you now!¡±


    Why would he still want the jade horse sculpture?


    The quality of the jade was not good. It was just that the carving skills were not bad. He was just ying with it. Now that Xie Pinghuai¡¯s attitude was like this, as his senior brother, he had nothing more to ask for!


    After returning, Chu Jian immediately told Teacher Xiao that he was happy to tell him about Xie Pinghuai¡¯s situation.


    Teacher Xiao was also shocked. After seeing him return, he actually kneeled obediently and recited the book. He really did not ck off and pull any tricks. He was extremely gratified in his heart!


    ¡°Your grandmaster ising soon. Previously, I was still thinking that with your junior brother¡¯s attitude, he might be kicked out of the sect after seeing the grandmaster. It¡¯s better to educate him first. I didn¡¯t expect him to grow so much overnight. If he can maintain this respectful and obedient appearance, then you and your senior brother can go and pay respects to the grandmaster.¡± Teacher Xiao sighed emotionally.


    In fact, he was even more afraid that his master would think that he had bad taste and disrespected him after finding out that he had epted such a useless disciple, and that he might chase him out as well¡­


    Now, he could slightly rx his tense heart.


    However, they still felt strange that Xie Pinghuai had inexplicably be better.


    They were worried that he would reveal his true form in a few days.


    They were ready to wait and see again.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s pair of siblings were both abnormal.


    Xie Pinghuai suddenly became diligent, but Xie Xi waspletely different. She had be much livelier in the past two days. When she arrived at the academy, she even took the initiative to sign up for the music ss. She spent almost all her time there!


    There were not many people in the music ss. The girls from aristocratic families almost never came to learn singing skills. They thought it was not suitable for their status. They only came asionally to learn a few Buddhist songs.


    However, Xie Xi was different. She stayed in the music ss, singing all kinds of lyrics and tunes!


    She would not stop even when her voice became hoarse.


    However, many people thought Xie Xi had been bored for a long time, so she suddenly had more interest. They did not not think much. There were a few young girls, they were happy to listen to Xie Xi singing. They even thought she sang well!


    After Xie Xi finished singing, she did not run around. She obediently went home. She was quite sensible.


    ¡­


    Although Xie Qiao stayed in Fortune Pavilion, she had to ask about her eldest brother¡¯s engagement.


    Therefore, when she left the academy, she made a trip to the criminal division and met Xie Pinggang.


    When Xie Pinggang saw her, he had guessed the reason, so he said straightforwardly, ¡°That youngdy¡¯s clothes were torn by me in broad daylight. I just epted it casually. In the future, if I think it¡¯s not suitable, I will withdraw. It¡¯s not a big deal, so I didn¡¯t inform you beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Eldest Brother, I¡­ my senior aunty, Master Mo, told her fortune. I¡¯m afraid that something bad will happen to her...¡± Xie Qiao looked at him and said.


    She could not stop this kind of thing.


    If a person was unlucky, even drinking cold water would make her teeth hurt!


    Young Lady Dong did not live under her nose. How could she protect her at all times?


    ¡°Something bad will happen?¡± Xie Pinggang was surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t she unlucky enough? Did this girl do something vicious at home? Isn¡¯t her fortune too slim?¡±


    He felt sorry for her? That was not the case.


    He thought he was quite polite.. He saved her life and helped cover up her reputation. However, if she was still unlucky, she could not me him, right?

 Chapter 772 - All in Vain

    <h4>Chapter 772: All in Vain</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang had seen many people with bad luck.


    How many people came to the criminal division who were hopeful to make a fortune?


    All of them either lost their fortune or their lives. Most of the people who came in alive were not good people. They deserved their bad luck. Most of the people who came in dead were murdered for money. Some even had their whole family killed in big cases. All of them were worse off than Dong Yiyun.


    Therefore, it was difficult for him to sympathize with her.


    ¡°Senior Aunty Mo told her about her situation very clearly. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t listen...¡± Xie Qiao was helpless.


    ¡°Then... even if something happened, she deserved it,¡± Xie Pinggang said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what Master Mo said? However... we¡¯re already engaged. I can¡¯t just ignore it...¡±


    Before Xie Pinggang could finish his sentence, someone rushed over in a hurry.


    He rushed in Xie Pinggang¡¯s direction.


    He stood at the entrance of the criminal division. After that person dismounted, he panted and said, ¡°Master Xie! Something bad has happened. I just heard that the Second Young Lady Dong... is dead!¡±


    He happened to be walking near the Dong Residence. He could not help but eavesdrop when he saw an old woman with a stunned expression mumbling something¡­


    Eventually, he found out that she was dead.


    He initially thought that there was some misunderstanding, but after he went in and asked in detail, he found out that it was true.


    Xie Qiao furrowed her brows and clenched her fists.


    It was the third day since she had told Dong Yiyun¡¯s fortune.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression also changed. What he said just now was rather heartless, but he was the one who was engaged, and she died in the blink of an eye. Was this not all in vain?!


    ¡°How did she die?¡± He immediately asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. When I went in to inquire, I heard that Young Lady Dong was d-dissatisfied with the marriage andmitted suicide...¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xie Pinggang directly cursed.


    That Young Lady Dong hade to him personally and asked him if he could marry her. How could shemit suicide because she was dissatisfied with the marriage?!


    ¡°Master Xie, don¡¯t be angry... The news¡­ came from the Dong family. I¡¯m not sure about the details...¡± The messenger looked nervous.


    ¡°Call a few people and follow me to the Dong Residence to have a look!¡± Xie Pinggang said fiercely.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    That person took his order immediately.


    In a short while, he called seven or eight brothers.


    Just as he was about to leave, the Crown Prince also came out of the criminal division. He nced at Xie Qiao and then at Xie Pinggang, ¡°I initially wanted to have a drink with you today to celebrate your engagement. Now that something like this has happened, I¡¯ll follow you and your sister to check it out.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was just about to say that he had never intended for Xie Qiao to go¡­


    However, he stopped when he was about to say it.


    It was grat for the Crown Prince and his foolish sister to spend more time together to cultivate their rtionship.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, for helping me make the decision.¡± Xie Pinggang was quite well-behaved.


    With the Crown Prince around, there were a few more people in the group.


    Xie Qiao and the Crown Prince sat in the same carriage. The interior of the carriage was quite spacious. Now that the two of them were engaged, it would not be an issue for them to spend some time together in private.


    However, Xie Qiao was pretending to be a demuredy from a wealthy family and did not talk much. She was sitting close to the Crown Prince, so she could not say much.


    The Dong Residence was in a mess.


    Master Dong had already received the message and returned home.


    At the moment, Dong Yiyun¡¯s corpse was already ced on the bed. Her face waspletely drained of blood, and there was a serious ligature mark on her neck. It was a shocking sight.


    When Xie Qiao arrived, Master Dong personally came to wee the Crown Prince. His expression was respectful but somewhat embarrassed.


    Especially when he saw Xie Pinggang, his anger surged. However, due to the presence of the Crown Prince, it was inappropriate to chase him away.


    ¡°Young Lady Dong is my unwed wife after all. Now that she has suddenly passed away, I have to find out how she died,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    ¡°You!¡± Master Dong red at him. ¡°Y-You are pretending.. I thought that you two were in love with each other, so I agreed to the marriage. I didn¡¯t expect that you were the one who forced her!¡±

 Chapter 773 - What’s the Point of Having A Clean Reputation

    <h4>Chapter 773: What¡¯s the Point of Having A Clean Reputation</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Master Dong did not think so at first. He had heard it from a servant when he returned home.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled sarcastically. ¡°If I really wanted to force her to marry me, I¡¯d rather hang a knife around your neck than force a youngdy like her!¡±


    Master Dong¡¯s eyes were filled with fury.


    ¡°Master Dong, the matter hasn¡¯t been rified yet, so you can¡¯t speak carelessly. I happen to be here today. I brought a group of people from the criminal division to investigate the cause of death of this person. If we investigate it carefully, you can also im justice for your daughter.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s words could not be refuted.


    Master Dong actually wanted to bury his daughter earlier.


    It would destroy their reputation to implicate the criminal division.


    However, he could not openly oppose the Crown Prince, especially since the Crown Prince was doing this out of... kindness.


    He could only bite the bullet and invite them in.


    Men were allowed to enter women¡¯s bedrooms now.


    Xie Pinggang treated Dong Yiyun as a victim. His attitude was different from usual, and he was more attentive.


    The furnishings in the youngdy¡¯s bedroom were quite regr. They were neither extravagant nor too simple. It could be considered ordinary. The only difference was that there was a bookcase in the bedroom with many misceneous books on it.


    They heard that when Young Lady Dong died, she was not dressed properly, but she had changed into new clothes now. Her hair had beenbed, and she was much cleaner and tidier.


    ¡°Before the youngdy died, did anything unusual happen?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    The maid servants were so scared that their bodies trembled.


    Their eyes were swollen from crying. Now that they were being questioned, one of them replied with a hoarse voice, ¡°S-Since the day of the engagement, the youngdy had always been crying. She said that her life was tough, and she was afraid, and she would get angry from time to time... Her emotions were very unstable.¡±


    Everyone thought Xie Pinggang had scared her.


    ¡°Impossible. I saw her the day before the engagement. She didn¡¯t seem to be mentally unstable,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and asked in a cold voice, ¡°What had she eaten recently?¡±


    ¡°What had she eaten? I-It was the same as usual... Simple dishes, nothing different...¡± The maid servant said honestly.


    ¡°Before the engagement, I heard that a thief broke into her room. Have you found out who that thief is?¡± Xie Pinggang asked again.


    Hearing this, the faces of everyone in the room changed.


    Especially Master Dong, who was trembling with anger. ¡°D-Don¡¯t spew nonsense! She¡¯s already dead. Do you want to ruin her reputation?¡±


    How could such a thing be spread?!


    Moreover, since it was a case, there were naturally people who recorded it. These words were evidence in court!


    Xie Pinggang did not care. ¡°She¡¯s already dead. What¡¯s the point of having a clean reputation? Is it important to avenge her or is it important to have a clean reputation? As a father, don¡¯t you even know that?¡±


    Master Dong¡¯s heart trembled and he was helpless. He could only clench his teeth. ¡°Y-You¡¯re asking the obvious! Who else besides you barged in that day?! If not for that, do you think I would have betrothed my daughter to a boorish man like you?!¡±


    ¡°Speak properly, don¡¯t quarrel, and don¡¯t insult Minister Xie¡¯s character,¡± Zhao Xuanjing spoke again.


    He was protecting his people.


    Xie Pinggang was his man, and Xie Qiao was standing beside him.


    Master Dong felt his heart ache at the Crown Prince¡¯s words, and he was angry inside.


    He was the one who had lost his daughter. What did the Crown Prince mean?! Was his bias not too obvious?!


    It was Xie Pinggang who had tarnished his daughter¡¯s reputation.. The Crown Prince was being unreasonable. Moreover, now that Xie Pinggang had used his second daughter, if this matter were to be spread and taken seriously, what would happen to his first daughter¡¯s marriage?!

 Chapter 774 - Throw Her Out

    <h4>Chapter 774: Throw Her Out</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Master Dong¡¯s face was pale and his entire body felt ufortable.


    Among this group of people, there was a coroner who directly went forward to examine the body.


    At this moment, Dong Xiyun had also received the news. She could not help but feel a little nervous. She tugged on the handkerchief with both hands and was absent-minded.


    ¡°That boorish man from the Xie family...¡± He actually came over personally to investigate the case?!


    Their family had not reported the case yet. Her father was too foolish to not stop him!


    ¡°First Young Lady Dong, Young Lady Xie seems to be here too.¡± The maid servant who came inter said to Dong Xiyun.


    When Dong Xiyun heard that, she said angrily, ¡°Why is she here?! She¡¯s a youngdy who hasn¡¯t been married yet, and she¡¯s out investigating the case with her elder brother and the Crown Prince. Isn¡¯t she shameless?!¡±


    After saying that, Dong Xiyun tried to restrain herself.


    She could not panic. She could not panic.


    So what if she was investigating a case?


    Her sister had hanged herself. Even if the coroner came, he would not be able to find anything wrong with her!


    As for what was inside her stomach, it was even more difficult to find out. She did not use poison!


    After Dong Xiyun calmed down, she changed into a set of in clothes and went to her sister¡¯s side.


    After entering the house, she heard the coroner say, ¡°There are no other fatal wounds on Young Lady Dong¡¯s body. There¡¯s only one ligature mark on her neck. Judging from that, she did hang herself. Also, there¡¯s no poison in her mouth and nose...¡±


    Hearing this, Dong Xiyun¡¯s face rxed. She stepped in, and tears poured down her face. She said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Young Lady Xie... M-My sister will nevere back... I really don¡¯t understand why she did this!¡±


    As she said this, she threw herself at Xie Qiao, as if asking for a hug.


    Xie Qiao took a big step and suddenly retreated.


    The moment she saw her, her expression changed as well.


    It was as if there was a bloody mouth on Dong Xiyun¡¯s head. The ghoul¡¯s evil energy soared into the sky, and her gaze was murderous. She looked as if she had gone mad as she wrapped her arms around Dong Xiyun¡¯s neck.


    It was her.


    The Dong family¡¯s... Second Young Lady.


    Xie Qiao let out a sigh of relief. She was a little sad.


    Not long ago, she was still a delicate youngdy. She was good-looking and had a pleasant voice. She was delicate and lovable, but now, she had actually be a terrifying ghoul.


    Her feet were off the ground, and her expression was vicious. She did not look like herself when she was alive at all.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart palpitated. She could not help but feel that her breathing was a little tight. She could not help but press on her chest.


    Behind him, the Crown Prince suddenly supported her.


    Zhao Xuanjing saw that Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was particrly terrible. In an instant, his anger rose. He berated Dong Xiyun coldly, ¡°Get lost! Zhou Weizong, throw her ten steps away!¡±


    Zhou Weizong knew that the situation was urgent when he heard the Crown Prince¡¯s tone.


    He immediately made a move, not showing face at all.


    Dong Xiyun fell heavily after being dragged and thrown. Master Dong quickly chased after her and asked someone to help his daughter up. Then, he dared not say anything.


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you better? Are you angry or did you choke?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was also a little anxious.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s body was already much better. The sudden weakness was all because of Dong Xiyun!


    Xie Qiao frowned a few times. After the difort in her heart subsided, she said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s the... energy around her that makes me ufortable.¡±


    As there were other people from the criminal division, Xie Qiao could not directly say that it was a ghoul.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Pinggang both understood.


    ¡°Is it... that person?¡± Xie Pinggang asked with underlying meaning.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Xie Pinggang looked at the corpse lying on the bed and could not imagine what it would be like for such a delicate youngdy to be a ghoul.


    ¡°You¡¯re too timid.¡± Xie Pinggang seemed to dislike her, but he felt helpless. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and His Highness go to the hall to rest? I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    Dong Yiyun had just died today, and her resentment was already so strong. If.... she still could not figure it out in the first seven days, her obsession would probably be deeper and deeper, and she would really be a vengeful spirit.

 Chapter 775 - Personality Change

    <h4>Chapter 775: Personality Change</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao only felt a little ufortable. Compared to before, this degree of difort was nothing to her.


    If she wanted to stay, Xie Pinggang would not try to persuade her and let her do as she pleased.


    Dong Xiyun was scared to tears. She was so pitiful.


    ¡°Your Highness, this is my daughter. Shemitted suicide and passed away. Isn¡¯t the criminal division... too involved?¡± Master Dong¡¯s voice was a little weak, but he could not help but ask.


    ¡°Your daughter is Minister Xie¡¯s fiancee. Since he reported the case, the criminal division should take it seriously.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not give Master Dong any face.


    When Master Dong heard that, he was helpless and speechless.


    Fiancee?


    She was indeed engaged, but she was not married yet, right?! What right did Xie Pinggang have to interfere in this matter?!


    ¡°Then... Your Highness, the coroner has also examined the body. My daughter wasn¡¯t poisoned and there are no wounds on her body. Will this case be closed now?¡± Master Dong asked again.


    He thought he had already behaved quite humbly.


    The Crown Prince would not go so far as to make things difficult for him, right?


    ¡°Someone, go to the hospital and get a few imperial physicians over,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said again.


    Master Dong was a little confused. ¡°Your Highness, my daughter has already passed away. Inviting the imperial physicians over... What is that for?¡±


    No matter how capable the imperial physicians were, it was impossible for them to bring her back from the dead!


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s attitude was cold. ¡°Master Dong, the one who died was your daughter after all. Your daughter died so tragically. As a father, you should pay more attention to it. You should at least find out the truth and let her die in peace.¡±


    What he said was indeed reasonable. Master Dong just had a bad feeling in his heart.


    This youngdy was his biological child. How could he not feel sorry for her?


    It was just that... If some things were exposed, he was afraid that it would hurt his own family!


    Master Dong could not exin these words clearly.


    He could only invite the Crown Prince and Young Lady Xie to sit down and wait.


    Not long after, the imperial physicians came over and respectfully greeted the Crown Prince, Zhao Xuanjing then said, ¡°Imperial Physician Wei, is there any medicine in this world that can cause a person¡¯s personality to change drastically? They are worried about gains and losses, as if they have lost their mind, crying and making a racket?¡±


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he hurriedly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. This person clearly just made a happy engagement with me. There¡¯s no way she would go back on her word andmit suicide the next day!¡±


    He was indeed a person who did not care about his reputation, but if this were to be revealed, his reputation would be terrible!


    Could it be that he, Xie Pinggang, would not be able to marry a wife? It was clear that he did not want to marry!


    And now, the wife that had delivered herself to him had actuallymitted suicide. This was simply a joke!


    Imperial Physician Wei thought for a moment and replied, ¡°There are quite a number of calming pills in this world. Naturally, there are some that make people feel uneasy. However, doctors usually pay attention to medical ethics and would not easily make such a thing unless they are a traveling doctor. From what I know, there is an item called the silver ring powder. It is made using the method of alchemy. If it is consumed, the person will die immediately. Even if the symptoms are mild, it will still cause the person to feel unstable...


    ¡°Before I entered the hospital, I received a patient. This person had taken the silver ring powder. His personality was originally gentle, but after taking it, he became extremely irritable overnight. He couldn¡¯t be stimted, or he would immediately go crazy. Sometimes he would cry, sometimes he would be sad, sometimes he would be in a trance, and his memory would be damaged. Due to the headache, he couldn¡¯t help but want to die.¡±


    After Imperial Physician Wei finished speaking, Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s maid servant was already stunned.


    ¡°E-Ever since our youngdy got engaged, she had been like that. Sometimes sheughed and sometimes she cried, but she cried more often. From time to time, she would even rub her head and said that she had a headache and didn¡¯t feel well....¡±

 Chapter 776 - Sinner

    <h4>Chapter 776: Sinner</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The maid servant wanted to protect her master. Now that she thought of the youngdy¡¯s symptoms, she could not help but cover her face and cry.


    ¡°Imperial Physician, can¡¯t a person who has been harmed by this kind of poison be tested with a silver needle?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    ¡°This thing isn¡¯t considered poison. After taking this silver ring powder, there will indeed be some symptoms, but this thing is mainly used for external application. As there are many poisonous creatures in Lingnan, it¡¯s difficult to save anyone who has been bitten. Therefore, the locals have figured out this thing. After applying it externally, there will be a certain degree of detoxification effect. However, this thing is still rtively rare, and there are few in cirction on the market¡­¡± Imperial Physician Wei exined.


    ¡°Now that Second Young Lady Dong is dead, how can we tell if she has taken the silver ring powder?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned, feeling a little worried.


    Imperial Physician Wei carefully stepped forward.


    He reached out and lifted Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s eyelids.


    After looking carefully, he said to them, ¡°Young Master Xie, please take a look. The white of her eyes is a little red¡­ If you apply a warm handkerchief on them¡­¡±


    Imperial Physician Wei said as he prepared. After a while, the handkerchief was ced on top of the eyes.


    In less than 15 minutes, the imperial physician took the handkerchief off and saw that there were some pink-colored tears in the eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness, Master Dong, Young Master Xie, Young Lady Dong did indeed die after taking the silver ring powder. Only those who took the silver ring powder would have cherry-red tears after having their eyes covered with hot water for a long time after death,¡± Imperial Physician Wei said.


    After the imperial physician said that, Master Dong staggered and fell onto the chair.


    When Madam Dong heard that, she burst into tears.


    ¡°Master Dong, who do you think the murderer is?¡± Xie Pinggang looked at Master Dong coldly. He looked very scary.


    He was just asking on purpose.


    How could such a thing be silently consumed by the Dong family¡¯s second youngdy? Did one need to guess who the mastermind was? It must be from the Dong Family, no?!


    ¡°It must be some evil servant¡­¡± Master Dong clenched his fists and looked outside.


    He met the steward¡¯s eyes and the steward immediately walked out of the courtyard.


    Not long after, the steward came with someone.


    It was a granny.


    The granny was pushed to the ground, and the steward immediately said, ¡°Master, this evil granny said that she killed the Second Young Lady. She said that she was in pain and did not want to live anymore, so she bought this thing. But who knew that the Second Young Lady was going to take it as a calming medicine. She identally mixed up the two medicine bags, which led to the Second Young Lady¡¯s ident¡­¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was not surprised.


    It was a very ordinary method. He just randomly found someone to take the me and settle this matter as soon as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually you, the evil servant!¡± Dong Xiyun had already recovered. Her eyes were red as she cursed at the granny in the courtyard. She even impulsively pounced forward and gave her two aggressive kicks!


    Xie Qiao looked at her, the arms that were wrapped around her were even tighter now.


    This Dong Xiyun was really a drama queen.


    She could even act better than she did.


    The Crown Prince chuckled, ¡°Since the sinner has already been found, then we shall leave.¡±


    Xie Pinggang frowned. He was not prepared to give up just like that. However, he would definitely not be able to find anything today. After all, Master Dong was so protective. The sinner¡¯s identity must be extraordinary in the Dong family.


    The life of a servant could be taken as he wished. He could kill or sell them. With Master Dong¡¯s help, unless he immediately raided the Dong family and took down everyone in the entire family, he would definitely not be able to find anything.


    Even if he could find someone who was telling the truth¡­


    However, Master Dong could also say that the evil servant had intentionally framed him¡­


    The servant¡¯s status was low. Even if he was using the master, the testimony would not be of much use..

 Chapter 777 - Devil

    <h4>Chapter 777: Devil</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was not a fool. He knew that the killer could not have bought the silver ring powder himself. As long as it passed through someone else¡¯s hands, it would be easy for him to push the responsibility to someone else. He did not know how many times he had handled simr cases.


    It would be difficult to catch the real killer.


    Staying here was just a waste of time. It was better to go back and start investigating the silver ring powder again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Pinggang agreed straightforwardly. He asked someone to capture the granny and take her away.


    Xie Qiao did not stay any longer either.


    After leaving the Dong Residence, Xie Pinggang spat, ¡°F*ck you!¡±


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯ve lost your wife. But in front of your sister, you should speak more elegantly. Don¡¯t startle her.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nced at Xie Pinggang silently.


    Xie Pinggang exhaled. ¡°I¡¯ve just been engaged. Although I¡¯m not very satisfied with that, since it¡¯s decided, she¡¯s mine. I¡¯m looking forward to it, and now she¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    At this point, Xie Pinggang suddenly came over. He asked Xie Qiao in a low voice, ¡°Oh right, you saw her by the Dong family¡¯s first daughter¡¯s side just now. What¡­ does the ghoul look like? Is she following her and looking worried, or¡­ does she look like she has a grudge?¡±


    After all, they were sisters. It was normal for them to be worried about their own sister after death.


    ¡°She had her arms around her neck.


    ¡°She was eager to eat her,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Hearing this, Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Pinggang were both stunned and surprised.


    ¡°So¡­ the murderer¡­ is most likely her b*stard sister?¡± After Xie Pinggang said that, he was a little angry, ¡°This woman is an ill-intentioned devil?! She could even do such a thing to her own sister. F*ck, is there poison in her brain? How can she be so vicious?!¡±


    Although he had also attacked his own brother, his intentions were good!


    However, this Dong Xiyun¡­ was simply a devil! It was simply outrageous!


    Xie Pinggang had seen many vicious women. It was not unheard of for women to kill their husbands or even their children. However, those people had suffered a lot since they were young, which resulted in their extreme personalities.


    However, Dong Xiyun¡­


    She also had a stepmother. However, the Dong family had an extraordinary status. No matter how powerful this stepmother was, she would not do what amon stepmother would do. Even if it was for the sake of dignity, she had to be able to endure it.


    Moreover, Dong Xiyun was the first daughter of the first wife!


    With such a status, she had already attracted the attention of outsiders. Fortunately, no one could betray her. Otherwise, the spittle could drown the stepmother!


    Moreover, looking at the stepmother crying for Second Young Lady Dong, she did not seem to be unkind.


    Even if she felt wronged in her heart, why must she kill her own sister?


    Xie Pinggang had a rather healthy brain, so he could not understand Dong Xiyun¡¯s intention.


    Xie Pinggang asked someone to send the ¡°suspect¡± back to the criminal division, while he sent Xie Qiao to Fortune Pavilion.


    ¡°When you go back, will you mention this case to Senior Sister Mo?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not used to Xie Qiao¡¯s extremely obedient appearance.


    At this moment, she was as weak as an ordinary person who did not know how to capture a soul.


    She lowered her head, maintained her posture, and held a handkerchief in her hand instead of something like a horsetail whisk or apass¡­


    The bamboo basket was no longer there, and she spoke much less. The imposing manner that she had when she was a master guiding the world waspletely gone. She waspletely at ease!


    ¡°Of course I have to tell her. If it was an ordinary ghoul, it wouldn¡¯t matter. However, that ghoul has resentment. I must get Senior Aunty Mo to step in and solve the problem so as to avoid hurting others and myself!¡± Xie Qiao nodded with a serious expression. She was like an obedient child who was talking about the master she worshipped..

 Chapter 778 - Confusion

    <h4>Chapter 778: Confusion</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Yiyun and her had known each other for a while. She really could not just watch her turn into a vengeful spirit and find it hard to reincarnate in the future.


    Zhao Xuanjing met Xie Qiao¡¯s ¡°innocent¡± eyes and could not help but smile.


    Had she forgotten that she was in front of him? Although she was not Sage Mo, she was still Half-immortal Xie¡­


    It could be seen that Xie Pinggang knew nothing about Xie Qiao. That was why Xie Qiao paid so much attention to the image of ady from a wealthy family.


    Xie Pinggang thought for a moment. ¡°Although our family doesn¡¯t have much money, the person who died has just been engaged to me. The Dong family definitely won¡¯t be willing to spend money to hire a master. I¡¯ll bring some money to you tomorrow. You pass it to Master Mo for me, and ask her toe forward and help the second daughter of the Dong family to reincarnate. Release her soul as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was obedient.


    ¡°This marriage is set¡­ It¡¯s really a huge loss.¡± Xie Pinggang could not help but snort, ¡°What Master Mo and the grand preceptor said is true. I¡¯m just too awesome. Therefore, no woman in this world is worthy of me.¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Pinggang felt much morefortable.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at him faintly.


    Xie Pinggang was the first person who dared to praise himself in front of him.


    However, seeing that he was quite pitiful without a wife, he did not throw him a cold nket.


    Xie Pinggang still had a lot of private money. He had nned to leave the money for Xie Qiao and Xie Xi as dowry, but now, he took out 500 taels of silver and sent it to Fortune Pavilion the next day.


    He had intended to take out only a hundred taels of silver, but he thought that amount of silver was not enough to hire Master Mo¡­


    After leaving the Fortune Pavilion, Xie Pinggang sent a few people to check the silver ring powder.


    The atmosphere in the Dong Residence was heavy.


    Master Dong did not know who really killed his daughter, but he had his guesses.


    He had thought about it the night before. He had two legitimate daughters and two illegitimate daughters, but the illegitimate daughters were young. There was also a pair of legitimate sons, both of whom were his stepchildren. They were usually studying in the academy, so he valued the upbringing of legitimate sons. Therefore, they did not know much about the matters in the back residence.


    After thinking about it, he could only think of the madam, the eldest daughter, or Aunt Dan.


    These three people were all very important.


    Aunt Dan was the younger sister of the first wife, so he was fond of her.


    No matter who the murderer was, it was not good news for the Dong family.


    While he was thinking, his first daughter came.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. ¡°Where did this silver ring powdere from? You must find out! It can¡¯t be that granny¡¯s. I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Seeing Dong Xiyun¡¯s angry and persistent look, Master Dong felt a little relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about this. What¡¯s so good about finding it out? Your sister has already left. Life goes on¡­¡±


    ¡°Father! That¡¯s my biological sister! How can I let her die unjustly! Moreover¡­ that Young Lady Xie and I are not on good terms. She must have spew nonsense in front of the Crown Prince. That¡¯s why the Crown Prince and the others think that I¡¯m the murderer. I¡¯m afraid even you almost suspected me, right? If I don¡¯t find it out, I won¡¯t be able to sleep and eat in peace in the future!¡± Dong Xiyun added.


    Master Dong also felt a little guilty.


    He had indeed thought too much just now.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, don¡¯t you want to marry the Fourth Prince? If you get to the bottom of this, I¡¯m afraid your marriage will be canceled. What will you do then? Be good and listen to me. Stay home and wait for your marriage. During this period of time¡­ I won¡¯t let anything happen to the family again,¡± Master Dong added.


    ¡°Father? You mean¡­ could it be¡­ Mother¡­¡± Dong Xiyun shut up at the right time and then burst into tears, pretending to be holding back.


    Master Dong was actually more suspicious of Aunt Dan. After all, all these years, his second daughter had always disliked Aunt Dan and had no respect for her at all.


    It was normal for Aunt Dan to have resentment in her heart.


    However, seeing his eldest daughter behaving like this, he could not help but doubt his own judgment.


    His head was filled with confusion!

 Chapter 779 - Lack of Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 779: Lack of Fortune</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Master Dong felt uneasy. After some thought, he prepared to bury his daughter as soon as possible so that the criminal division would let it go.


    As for Madam Dong and Aunt Dan¡­


    After all, Madam Dong had given birth to two sons for him, so she was important to the family. Even if she had really done such a wrong thing, for the sake of dignity, he could not punish her at this time.


    He would ignore her for a while.


    Unfortunately, before Master Dong could ignore his wife, the Emperor called him into the pce.


    ¡°I heard that Minister Dong¡¯s daughter passed away?¡± In the imperial study, besides the Emperor, there was also the Crown Prince.


    Master Dong was already feeling uneasy. He did not know what the Crown Prince had said to the Emperor!


    ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± Master Dong was nervous.


    ¡°After I heard about this matter today, I looked for the grand preceptor to perform a divination. The result was... Your daughter and my fourth son are quitepatible. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s not suitable to marry into the royal family. She¡¯s too blessed. That daughter of yours can¡¯t stand it. In order to prevent her from getting into trouble, let¡¯s just forget about this marriage.¡± The Emperor was full of nonsense.


    To put it bluntly, he wanted to cancel the marriage contract.


    He just wanted to avoid making everyone look bad, so he decided to talk about the matter with good fortune.


    When Master Dong heard that, he was dumbfounded. ¡°Your Majesty, what happened to my daughter¡­ was just an ident...¡±


    ¡°Minister Dong, when your daughter came to the pcest time, she slightly misbehaved. However, I thought she was still young, so I didn¡¯t punish her severely. However, I heard that yesterday at your home, your daughter threatened the Princess Consort again, which made the Princess Consort¡¯s heart beat fast and almost lose her life. I did this because of your loyalty, so I protected your dignity,¡± the Emperor added.


    Minister Dong was good at handling matters, but he could not manage his home well.


    At this moment, Master Dong felt a chill run down his spine.


    Last time, his daughter merely got a little closer to Xie Qiao before she was thrown out by the Crown Prince. There was no so-called threat!


    If the Emperor wanted to add to the crime, he would not hesitate to do so!


    The Emperor was not happy about this marriage!


    ¡°I obey the imperial decree. After I return, I will arrange for my daughter to choose a better spouse.¡± Master Dong was extremely humble.


    He felt resentful in his heart.


    The Emperor could see it, so he said, ¡°You have two legitimate sons, right? How old are they?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, my eldest son is 13 years old this year, and my second son is nine years old,¡± Master Mo quickly said.


    ¡°Nine years old? His age is averagepared to my fifth son. Now it¡¯s time for him to choose apanion to study with. Send him to the pce some other day. If he¡¯s proficient in poetry and books, he can be apanion with the Fifth Prince. What do you think?¡± The Emperor said again.


    How could Master Dong not be willing?!


    Although this Fifth Prince¡¯s background could notpare to the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, he was still a prince!


    As apanion, they would eat, drink, and read together. Naturally, their rtionship would be very close. Even if the Fifth Prince was only conferred the title of king in the end, his future as the second son of the first wife would definitely be very bright!


    ¡°I ept the imperial edict. Thank you!¡± Master Dong hurriedly replied.


    The feeling of loss just now was instantly filled up.


    Aftering out of the imperial study room, it was as if his feet were stepping on clouds.


    The marriage had been canceled, but the Emperor was willing to let his son be his son¡¯s studypanion. That proved that he did not hate him. This was what made him most at ease!


    However¡­


    The Crown Prince was too petty.


    He actually went to the Emperor toin about such a small matter!


    Master Dong¡¯s mood was veryplicated, and his mind was full of wild thoughts. At this moment, Zhao Xuanjing did not have the slightest bit of guilt.


    He just looked at the youngdy¡¯s self-righteous appearance and did not like her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t issue an edict on this marriage for the Fourth Prince. So be it that it¡¯s been withdrawn. It won¡¯t have much of an impact. However, now that he has rejected this youngdy, he has to choose another one..¡± The Emperor had a headache.

 Chapter 780 - Can’t Make the Decision

    <h4>Chapter 780: Can¡¯t Make the Decision</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Dong family¡¯s background could be considered clean, and they were not that powerful. The Meng family only valued Dong Xiyun¡¯s talent and reputation, so the Emperor did not object to the marriage.


    However, now that the position of the Fourth Prince¡¯s consort had been vacated, the Meng family might make noise about it.


    Thinking of this, the Emperor thought the candidate had to be carefully selected.


    As for the Crown Prince¡¯sint, not only was the Emperor not angry, he was actually quite happy.


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, what do you think of thedy of the Yan Family?¡± The Emperor suddenly asked.


    Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how thisdy is. The important thing is that her identity is not bad. If Imperial Censor Yan¡¯s daughter marries the Fourth Prince, in the future, I¡¯ll have peace and quiet.¡± The Emperor thought the arrangement was great.


    He knew what kind of personality the officials in the court had.


    Imperial Censor Yan was loyal and honest. He was worried that others would say that he had selfish motives. If his daughter became the Fourth Prince¡¯s consort in the future, how would he dare to impeach the Crown Prince in the court?


    If he really dared to speak up, he would not be loyal and honest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what Fourth Brother thinks.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was calm and at peace. He did not have any other thoughts.


    The Emperor understood his son¡¯s character, so he asked him to leave. He went to the Imperial Concubine¡¯s pce to discuss the selection of the daughter-inw.


    The news of the marriage between the Dong family and the royal family being canceled quickly spread.


    The family that was on good terms with the Dong family immediately sent people to ask about it.


    Master Dong did not dare to tell the truth, so he used the Emperor¡¯s excuse to exin it.


    The daughter at home wascking in fortune, and she was worried about losing her life!


    ¡°Bad news, First Young Lady... People out there are saying that your marriage with the Fourth Prince is not valid anymore...¡± Dong Xiyun was in the house and did not know what was happening outside. The maid servant ran over and said nervously.


    She was holding a Buddhist scripture that did not match her age and was reading it slowly. When she heard that, she suddenly stopped reciting. She slowly raised her head to look at the maid servant. ¡°What did you say?


    ¡°Say it again!¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s hands were slightly trembling.


    ¡°Young Lady... Your marriage with the Fourth Prince... is gone. The news from the pce said that you... arecking in fortune...¡± The maid servant was so scared that she knelt on the ground. Her voice trembled as if she was about to cry.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s hands were clutching the book tightly. She even crumpled the Buddhist scripture!


    ¡°Impossible. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why did they break my marriage contract!¡± Dong Xiyun stood up. Her eyes were burning with anger. She looked ferocious and terrifying. ¡°Did you, this lowly maid servant, deliberately scare me?!¡±


    ¡°Young Lady! I wouldn¡¯t dare even if I had the guts...¡± The maid servant was crying.


    ¡°I want to see my father. Where is he?¡± Dong Xiyun was so angry that her body was trembling. She asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Master went to meet a guest... Everyone already knows about this...¡±


    Everyone knew?! And she only knew about it now?!


    Her father came out of the pce and did not tell her about such an important matter first, but he wanted to make it known to the entire city first?!


    She wascking in fortune... Ridiculous!


    Back then, the grand preceptor had calcted that although it was unlike the Crown Prince and Xie Qiao¡¯s good fortune, her birth details matched with the Fourth Prince¡¯s!


    Why did they say that her fortune wascking now?!


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s heart seemed to be empty, and she was in a daze, as if all of it was a dream.


    After a while, the maid servant informed her that the guest had left.


    She immediately asked someone to invite her father over.


    It was not that Master Dong did not want to tell his daughter, but he did not know how to say it. Now that his daughter had called him over, he looked a little guilty, especially when he saw the pale child, he felt even more guilty. ¡°Xi¡¯er, this matter... Father can¡¯t make the decision... It was the Crown Prince who said that you disrespect the Princess Consort. The Emperor then... Fortunately, your reputation is not ruined....¡±

 Chapter 781 - Call the Shots for Her

    <h4>Chapter 781: Call the Shots for Her</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    If the Emperor specifically said that his daughter was arrogant and had no respect for anyone, then she could forget about getting married in the future. She should just hang herself with a rope.


    The fortune was only rtive to the royal family. An ordinary family would not dare to say that they had such great fortune that she would not be able bear it!


    ¡°Father! How could this not ruin my reputation?! This was supposed to be an arranged marriage, but it disappeared just like that! What did the Crown Prince say that the Emperor jus believed him like that? Did he ever think of anyone else?! Father, why didn¡¯t you fight for it? Or¡­ you can discuss it with Master Meng. Without this marriage, what should I do?¡±


    There would definitely be many people who wouldugh at her!


    She was even prepared to shine in the big examination a few dayster. She even wanted to marry the Fourth Prince in a glorious manner!


    Why did she lose everything just because they said she wascking in fortune?!


    She questioned him with reddened eyes. Master Dong was embarrassed by her words, his face also turned cold. ¡°Previously, you had targeted the Princess Consort in the pce. Now that the Princess Consort holds a grudge, what do you want me to do?! His Majesty¡¯s decision is set. Can I change it?!¡±


    Dong Xiyun clenched her fists.


    The Crown Prince! It was all because of the Crown Prince!


    The Fourth Prince was also the Emperor¡¯s son. Why did the Emperor have to be so biased?


    Dong Xiyun was truly in despair.


    Ever since she was young, she had always been outstanding. She had never thought of marrying an ordinary person. Her goal had always been the royal family! Now that her marriage with the Fourth Prince had failed, who else could she marry? How could those peoplepare to the Fourth Prince¡¯s noble status?


    Dong Xiyun tried hard to recall which step she had taken wrong.


    After thinking about it, she thought of the time when the Crown Prince had brought Xie Qiao to the Dong Residence.


    It was all because Xie Qiao had pretended to be weak, so the Crown Prince had called the shots for her!


    It was Xie Qiao¡¯s fault.


    It was also her sister¡¯s fault.


    If it were not for them, she would not have had to take the risk to do that kind of thing. She could have married off sessfully¡­


    Dong Xiyun was filled with resentment. Suddenly, she thought of the Fourth Prince.


    If the Crown Prince was willing to help Xie Qiao, then the Fourth Prince¡­


    With that thought, Dong Xiyun ignored her father and rushed out. Although the Fourth Prince had not left the pce to build a mansion, he often stayed in the academy, especially recently, he had learned to copy the world map with Master Qiu. It was very likely that he was still in the academy!


    Dong Xiyun arrived at the academy quickly in the carriage.


    At this time, there was almost no one in the female academy. She asked the steward and went straight to the Fourth Prince.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes were filled with tears and she felt wronged.


    The Fourth Prince was a little embarrassed. He nced at the teachers and then said quietly, ¡°I¡­ will be out for a while.¡±


    The teachers nodded and said, ¡°Come back soon, Your Highness.¡±


    Old Master Li wasing back soon. They had to make a perfect copy of the world map before his return. They would let him take a look at it!


    The Fourth Prince packed up and followed Dong Xiyun to the courtyard.


    ¡°Young Lady Dong, what do you want from me?¡± The Fourth Prince looked very calm.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡­ The Emperor broke off the engagement between you and me¡­ Do you know about this?¡± Dong Xiyun asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Fourth Prince nodded.


    He knew more than that.


    Before this, the Crown Prince called him over and chatted with him. The rough idea was that Dong Xiyun was not a good match, so he was going to rece his fiancee.


    His brother also said that if he thought this youngdy was good, then he would not rece her.


    However, he thought that since his brother had already spoken, there must be something bad about Dong Xiyun. That was why the dignified Crown Prince was so anxious about his choice of marriage candidate.. He also thought Dong Xiyun did not seem to have any interest in him, so it did not matter that the marriage was called off.

 Chapter 782 - Miscalculation

    <h4>Chapter 782: Miscalction</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At this moment, the pleading in Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes was too obvious.


    ¡°Your Highness, this marriage has clearly been decided. Y-You¡¯ve upied my heart. If you force me to take it back now, wouldn¡¯t that be the same as sending me to my death? I beg Your Highness, for the sake of my infatuation, get the Emperor to take back his orders!¡±


    As she spoke, Dong Xiyun immediately knelt. ¡°From the moment I was arranged to marry you, I have already regarded you as my future husband. Now, asking me to marry someone else is no different from forcing me to be a prostitute! If Your Highness has another good match in your heart, I would rather take one step back and be your side concubine!¡±


    Her voice was filled with tears, and it softened one¡¯s heart.


    The Fourth Prince indeed felt sorry for her.


    Especially at this moment, when he saw her crying so sadly, he felt even more sympathetic. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad, it¡¯s just that you and I aren¡¯t fated to be together.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the Crown Prince and Sister Xie who forced us to be apart!¡± Dong Xiyun could not help but cry andin, ¡°The Crown Prince thinks that I don¡¯t respect Sister Xie, so he doesn¡¯t want me to be your wife! Fourth Prince, haven¡¯t I always been sincere to Young Lady Xie?¡±


    When the Fourth Prince heard that, he recalled what he had seen in the pce.


    He was not blind, so he could see clearly.


    He believed that Dong Xiyun was not willing to break off the engagement, but he did not believe that she really had good intentions toward Young Lady Xie.


    ¡°The engagement has been broken off, so I won¡¯t trouble Father or Brother for this matter. This engagement has been broken off, so it¡¯s impossible to rearrange it. So Young Lady Dong, it¡¯s my royal family that has let you down. I¡¯ll ask Mother to send someone to send you some apology gifts one day. When you get married, I¡¯ll add some dowry for you. This is how I¡¯ll remedy you, okay?¡± The Fourth Prince said.


    He could only do so.


    His eldest brother rarely interfered in his affairs. Now that he interfered, it was impossible for him not to respect him.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s face turned pale.


    Why?


    The Crown Prince could go through all kinds of obstacles and be unreasonable for Xie Qiao, but the Fourth Prince was so cold to her? Was Xie Qiao¡¯s life that good?! Was it because she was pretty and she was talented? !


    She was not bad either!


    The Fourth Prince smiled apologetically at her, then turned around and left without any lingering feelings.


    The marriage was a matter for his father to decide.


    At the beginning, he did have some expectations for the marriage, but Dong Xiyun was not this affectionate toward him at the moment. He could feel this, so he could not resist father¡¯s orders for such a person.


    Dong Xiyun stood there alone, looking disheveled.


    She was in a hurry to go out. Her clothes were not as exquisite as usual, and her hair was a little messy. The sweat on her face had messed up her makeup.


    She was not as good-looking as before.


    She stood there for a while, silent and ferocious.


    After leaving the academy, she wandered aimlessly, as if she had lost her soul. She sat in a carriage and wandered on the street.


    She strolled along the bustling street and made the coachman stop at the door of Fortune Pavilion.


    She knew that her sister, Dong Yiyun, had gone to Fortune Pavilion before she was engaged.


    She had prepared the coachman on the day her sister came here. She had gotten a n. If her sister saw Xie Pinggang, she would create a scene. If Xie Pinggang did not save her, her sister would either die or be injured. If she was saved, in broad daylight, she would definitely have some contact with him¡­


    She had nned it very well at that time. It was just as she had expected.


    However, she did not expect that after her engagement with the Xie family, they would allow Xie Pinggang to enter the house openly!


    If Xie Pinggang and the others had not interfered, she would not have ended up like this!


    She did not expect that she miscalcted such a small matter in her thorough n!

 Chapter 783 - She’s A Vixen

    <h4>Chapter 783: She¡¯s A Vixen</h4>


    Dong Xiyun walked in.


    Thinking back to thest time she came to such a ce, she was still high and mighty and thought Witch Mo would be the Princess Consort. It was ridiculous.


    ¡°Where is your boss? I want to see her.¡± Dong Xiyun was expressionless.


    Shopkeeper Chang was shocked.


    The boss happened to be there, but not everyone could see her.


    ¡°I want to see her. Did you not say that she is good at fortune-telling?! Let her do it for me!¡± Dong Xiyun said and took off her bracelet.


    Her bracelet was of good quality.


    However, Shopkeeper Chang did not ept it rashly. Instead, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the boss first.¡±


    After saying that, Shopkeeper Chang went upstairs. It was the same as before. The boss was sitting there alone, muttering to himself. She was recording something in her hand, as if she was talking to someone else.


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a youngdy who asked to see you by name,¡± Shopkeeper Chang said.


    ¡°I know, I know. She has a very powerful ghoul with her. I don¡¯t dare to go near her, for fear of being eaten by that ghoul!¡± A thin and weak ghoul that had juste up said.


    Hearing this, Xie Qiao put down her brush.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go and see her.¡± Xie Qiao tidied her clothes and went downstairs.


    As soon as she walked down the stairs, she could feel Dong Xiyun¡¯s gloomy eyes and¡­ the terrifying aura behind her.


    Xie Qiao invited her to thepartment.


    After sitting down, Dong Xiyun said, ¡°You read my sister¡¯s fortune, so you must have said a lot of good things, right? But now that my sister is dead, I can see that you, a fortune-teller, are just so-so.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at her calmly.


    Her eyes were clear and spotless.


    ¡°So, are you here to stir trouble?¡± Xie Qiao did not bother to exin to her.


    Now, Dong Yiyun¡¯s ghoul was like a dark cloud. It seemed that she did not have any consciousness. She just strangled Dong Xiyun¡¯s neck and did not pay attention to others at all.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have time.¡± Dong Xiyun spoke a lot more directly now. Xie Qiao felt morefortable listening to her.


    Dong Xiyun was sizing her up.


    ¡°You and the Crown Prince¡­ have a rtionship, right? Although you¡¯re old, your looks aren¡¯t bad. If the Crown Prince likes you, why don¡¯t you fight for it? If Xie Qiao bes the Princess Consort, will the Crown Prince still look for you in the future? She is a vixen. Sooner orter, she will charm the Crown Princepletely.¡±


    Xie Qiao was shocked.


    She was a vixen?!


    Really?!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°I thank you on behalf of my Junior Niece for yourpliment.¡±


    ¡°Junior niece?¡± Dong Xiyun was stunned for a moment before she became angry.


    So that was the case. They knew each other. No wonder Xie Qiao had suddenly be the Princess Consort. It turned out that she was rmended by the witch. They wanted to upy the Crown Prince and make him obey their every word!


    ¡°It seems that my trip here was in vain.¡± Dong Xiyun smiled sarcastically.


    She had wanted to persuade Master Mo to let herpete with Xie Qiao.


    However, now¡­


    ¡°We will not return the treasures we received,¡± Xie Qiao said very seriously.


    Dong Xiyun did not care about the bracelet. ¡°Then calcte for me whether or not I can still be the Princess Consort in this life!¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t you know in your heart whether or not you can still be a Princess Consort?¡±


    Dong Xiyun looked embarrassed. ¡°I asked you to tell my fortune! I¡¯ve paid for it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll tell you. In this lifetime, not only will you not be a Princess Consort, you won¡¯t even be married.¡± Xie Qiao sat up straight, ¡°Short of breath, short of spirit, thick eyebrows, dim eyes, dark clouds above your head, weak bones, pale lips, and chaotic five elements. Your soul belongs to hell, and you have mountains surrounding you..¡±

 Chapter 784 - Bullying the Customer

    <h4>Chapter 784: Bullying the Customer</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun could understand these words.


    None of them were pleasant to hear, especially thest two sentences, which were hell and mountain. This witch meant that she would die, right?


    Did she predict that she would die, or did she want her to die?!


    Not only did Dong Xiyun not believe it, she evenughed mockingly.


    ¡°Master, did you mistake me and my sister? She¡¯s the one who died, and I am the one who lives. I am unlucky now, but who will be unlucky all their lives? Everything will be fine!¡± Dong Xiyun was out of her mind.


    It was impossible for her to marry an ordinary person for the rest of her life.


    She would definitely live well, and in the future, she would live even more gloriously than anyone else!


    Was she not just an imperial consort?! Even if one was now an imperial consort, in the future, she would only be a princess. There were princes everywhere in the capital, she could still be a princess!


    Whoever mocked her or looked down on her, she would make them pay in the future!


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment. She looked even more determined than before.


    Xie Qiao did not feel scared when she saw her expression.


    Dong Xiyun¡¯s facial features were not like this from the start. She was a shrewd person, so there were many variables. Previously, she did look wealthy.


    However, now, in her eyes, it was like a grave next to a mountain.


    There was no way out.


    Perhaps it was because she was too hot-tempered, but her appearance was really terrible. The bridge of her nose was turning green. In her eyes, it was as if it had been broken.


    If the bridge of her nose was broken, it would cause trouble for her, and she would not win the case.


    Xie Qiao smiles in her eyes. She said slowly, ¡°Young Lady Dong, you are haunted by a ghoul and have bad luck between your eyebrows. You really have no way out. If you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao took out a small bottle. ¡°Do you dare to let me touch your eyes?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Dong Xiyun nced at the thing and said sarcastically, ¡°This is a trick used by a fraud like you, right? Do you think I will fall for it?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady Dong, you are exaggerating. If you put this thing on your eyes, you will see your bad luck. If you don¡¯t want to try it, that¡¯s fine.¡± Xie Qiao said and was about to put the thing away.


    ¡°Your tactic of retreating in order to advance won¡¯t fool me,¡± Dong Xiyun snorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re much smarter than your sister. Your foolish sister knew that it was a sure-death situation, but she still ran into it. Now, she can only be a wandering soul and stay by your side, full of resentment,¡± she said, Xie Qiao looked behind Dong Xiyun.


    Dong Xiyun knew what she was doing. She was trying to scare her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Death is like amp going out. My sister¡¯s fate was bad. She has already left. Master, it¡¯s better not to talk about her.¡± Dong Xiyun was still very calm.


    After saying this, Dong Xiyun stood up.


    She thought that Witch Mo would be of some use, but now it seemed that she was just a fraud who was lying through her teeth.


    She did not have much ability.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chang,¡± Xie Qiao called out.


    Shopkeeper Chang immediately blocked the door of thepartment.


    ¡°Master Mo, are you bullying the customer? How dare you?¡± Dong Xiyun frowned. Clearly, she did not expect Master Mo to be so unruly!


    Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a great description.


    ¡°The quality of your bracelet is not bad. When youe to my Fortune Pavilion, I will definitely give you things that are worth more than what they are worth. How can I let you suffer a loss?¡± As Xie Qiao spoke, she walked in front of Dong Xiyun.


    ¡°I said, if I want you to see your bad luck, you will do as I said.¡± Xie Qiao said seriously, then, she said to Shopkeeper Chang, ¡°What are you waiting for? Grab her arms and don¡¯t let her move. Don¡¯t let a single drop go to waste!¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang was a little flustered. T-The other party was a youngdy. He could not use force, right?


    However, the boss threw a knife at him and he obediently followed immediately.

 Chapter 785 - What’s Different

    <h4>Chapter 785: What¡¯s Different</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The boss had always been polite to others. Even if she met some insensible and aggressive customers, she had always maintained a good demeanor and would never be so cold and direct.


    This youngdy had probably offended the boss quite badly?


    Look, she had even angered an unfathomable master to the point of shamelessness.


    He was quick to use his hands. He immediately grabbed the person, flipped her over, and pinched her two arms, causing Dong Xiyun to be unable to move.


    Dong Xiyun was very angry. ¡°What are you doing! Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will report you to the officials? I am the daughter of an official of the imperial court. How dare you be rude to me in broad daylight!¡±


    She spoke as if she was the only daughter of an official of the imperial court.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips. ¡°Be obedient and don¡¯t move. It will be quick.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand, which was stained with cow¡¯s tears, pressed against her eyelids.


    Her precious cow¡¯s tears were almost used up. Where was she going to find that old cow who loved to cry even after a lifetime of hard work?


    ¡°What are you doing?! If you dare to poison me, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Dong Xiyun really did not expect that this witch would be so rampant!


    She did not bring a maid servant with her when she went out today. Now, the witch was allowed to do as she pleased and could not resist!


    Could it be that she was going to die here today?!


    Dong Xiyun was in despair. Her eyelids turned cold. The short moment was extremely long for her!


    After doing all that, Xie Qiao smiled gently. She took out the talisman water and sprayed it at her.


    ¡°This is the retribution for your viciousness. I¡¯ll give you a wonderful feast. Your sister is so pitiful. How can I watch her by myself? You¡¯ve soiled my eyes and scared my weak heart. You¡¯ll have to be herpany,¡± Xie Qiao said. She pursed her lips and smiled gently. ¡°Shopkeeper Chang, send thisdy to the carriage.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang did not understand.


    What happened?


    He thought the boss was going to p her. He did not expect that she would just tap her eyelids and then spray talisman water on her?


    The boss was indeed an expert. Even when she was angry, she looked so harmless.


    Shopkeeper Chang hurriedly nodded and pushed her to the carriage outside.


    Xie Qiao stood at the door and waved at the carriage. ¡°I wish you good luck.¡±


    ¡°Crazy!¡± Dong Xiyun hurriedly rubbed her eyes. ¡°Coachman, go to the medicine hall! Hurry up!¡±


    She was really unlucky today!


    Dong Xiyun was no longer as reserved and gentle as ady from a rich family. She was impatient and did not look easy to deal with. As for Xie Qiao, she was still calm and did not seem to be affected.


    She would have to release Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s soul, but she had to satisfy her.


    With Second Young Lady Dong¡¯s resentment, she definitely would not go with her willingly. If she was full of resentment, she might suffer a lot down there. If she could not even get in the queue for reincarnation, would it not be a pity?


    Thus, she vented her anger on her first.


    ¡°Boss, what did you tap on her eyelids just now?¡± Shopkeeper Chang was very curious.


    ¡°Cow¡¯s tears, let her have a look at it,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    ¡°Cow¡¯s tears? I¡¯ve heard of that. It¡¯s said that one can see ghouls after applying it, right? If it¡¯s really that magical, this humble one would like to give it a try,¡± Shopkeeper Chang could not help but say.


    Xie Qiao stopped in her tracks. ¡°You wish. It¡¯s very rare.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang was a little helpless. ¡°Boss, is this kind of thing really useful?¡±


    ¡°You actually don¡¯t believe it?¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the Fortune Pavilion for quite a long time, but you haven¡¯t felt¡­ anything different?¡±


    Did he think that she went upstairs every day just to ck off?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual¡­¡± Shopkeeper Chang did not quite understand what the boss meant.


    The boss knew feng shui, and she was also good at inscribing talismans, but he did not know exactly what was good about it. It was just that it was more popr than the things sold in those Taoist temples. Other than that¡­ There was nothing else, right?


    What did the boss mean by asking that?

 Chapter 786 - A Customer Came

    <h4>Chapter 786: A Customer Came</h4>


    Xie Qiao shook her head. She did not expect Shopkeeper Chang to be so naive at his age.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t know.¡± Xie Qiao smiled at him, but Shopkeeper Chang became even more curious when he heard that.


    ¡°Boss, if you have anything to say, just say it. I feel ufortable to see you hiding secrets.¡± Shopkeeper Chang smiled.


    Xie Qiao pointed at the bell at the door. ¡°It rings every day. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Strong wind?¡± Shopkeeper Chang hesitated for a moment. ¡°It seems that there are times when there is no wind outside and it rings for no reason. Could it be that there is some kind of mechanism inside?¡±


    Seeing Shopkeeper Chang like that, Xie Qiao grinned. ¡°It¡¯s because that is the soul-summoning bell. It rings when a ghoul is near. When you hear it, there must be a ghouling up to the second floor as a customer, and I am listening to the ghoul¡¯s request from above.¡±


    In the past, she did not mention it because she was not familiar with the shopkeeper.


    Now that he was working for her and he was great, it was time for him to know his boss¡¯ secret.


    When Shopkeeper Chang heard it, heughed. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    Howe he had never seen it before? Besides, if there were so many ghouls, would he still be alive until now?


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t believe it, but you don¡¯t have to think about it in the future. Although there are ghouls, my ce is very powerful. There are dharma instruments and talismans everywhere. They wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble here.¡± After saying that, Xie Qiao went upstairs.


    There were still many requests from the ghouls that had not been registered.


    Xie Qiao had just gone upstairs when the ringing of the bell came from the door.


    Shopkeeper Chang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He walked to the door and stretched out his hand to feel the surroundings. Indeed, there was no wind at all!


    Why was it ringing? Could it be that just as the boss said¡­ A ghoul came?


    In an instant, Shopkeeper Chang had goosebumps all over his body.


    Fortunately, before he had time to drown himself in the scare, there was a customer in the shop.


    Xie Pinghuai held a hundred taels of silver in his hand.


    He had pawned the silver from his jade pendant and a few fur clothes. He had collected so much silver with great difficulty and borrowed some from his sister.


    ¡°Second Young Master Xie? Why are you here?¡± Shopkeeper Chang was very surprised.


    Xie Pinghuai did not say much and only asked, ¡°Do you have anything here that can be burned for the deceased¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are many of them. Look at this ce. There is no joss paper in this shop. Almost all of them are made of wood. The quality is good and can guarantee thefort of the ancestors. This is a three-story building. It¡¯s not bad, right? Earlier, some nobles bought this building and brought it home for the living. There are also some livestock here. What are you looking for? If you want something special, you can ask the boss to carve it herself,¡± Shopkeeper Chang heard that it was a business, and he immediately replied politely.


    Xie Pinghuai thought for a moment. ¡°How much¡­ is the house?¡±


    ¡°The one with three courtyards is 200 taels of silver. I can give you a 30% discount.¡± Shopkeeper Chang smiled.


    Xie Pinghuai frowned.


    He could not afford it¡­


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get a small house. The one with one floor that only costs a few tens of taels of silver is enough. Also¡­ get a dog. The smaller one is cheaper too. I need servants too, I need two of them. I have a hundred taels of silver, let me know if it¡¯s enough¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s voice was dry.


    Shopkeeper Chang immediately agreed.


    The boss¡¯ wood carvings were not easy to sell. Most of the people who came were high-ranking officials and nobles.


    There were also some who bought items and collected them at home ignoring the taboo, such as Teacher Xiao.


    This could be considered a big business.


    ¡°Second Young Master doesn¡¯t look too well, what happened at home? Who are you burning these things for? You can leave the person¡¯s name and address. My boss can burn it for you, and it will definitely be delivered to the deceased,¡± Shopkeeper Chang said with a smile..

 Chapter 787 - Why Are You Following Me

    <h4>Chapter 787: Why Are You Following Me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinghuai thought for a while and decided to go to his eldest sister¡¯s grave personally and burn the things there.


    ¡°You already said that I am Second Young Master Xie. How can you not know who is missing in my family?¡± Xie Pinghuai looked at the shopkeeper with dissatisfaction. He threw the banknote into the shopkeeper¡¯s hand and left with the things that the shopkeeper had wrapped up.


    These people knew the answer to their questions.


    He was in a bad mood, and yet people in the academy still asked him what was wrong?!


    What else could he do?


    If his biological sister was gone, would he be happy and still be smiling? Those people did not know how tofort him, but they still stabbed him in the heart!


    Xie Pinghuai huffed angrily. Before he left, he even rolled his eyes at Shopkeeper Chang.


    Shopkeeper Chang looked innocent.


    Did he say something wrong? Did he upset the second young master?


    It was so strange. He only asked what happened to the Xie family... What did the second young master mean?


    Shopkeeper Chang was very confused. He did not understand, so he simply stopped thinking. He continued to observe the bell outside. It sounded very strange. When it was quiet, there was no sound for a long time, but when it started ringing, it sounded like it had gone crazy!


    It was getting stranger and stranger.


    At this moment, an even stranger thing was happening to Dong Xiyun.


    Dong Xiyun felt unlucky after she left the Fortune Pavilion. She kept wiping her eyes with her handkerchief and then rushed to the medicine hall.


    However, before she arrived, she was shocked when she rubbed her eyes and opened them again!


    There was a shadow in front of her!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Dong Xiyun was shocked and immediately hid in the corner of the carriage!


    However, the shadow followed her. Not only that, it was tightly wrapped around her body, and its hands were strangling her neck aggressively!


    When she did not see this ghoul, she only felt a chill on her neck asionally. When she slept at night, she was a little breathless, but she did not normally feel anything.


    However, it was different now!


    ¡°Go away! Who are you? Don¡¯t pester me!¡± Dong Xiyun used all her strength and struggled with her hands and feet.


    That pair of hands kept grabbing onto her, as if as long as it used force, it would be able to pull off the things on her body!


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s ghoul was also startled.


    It seemed that she did not expect that the person she was pestering would one day be able to see her.


    The initially irrational ghoul suddenly became a little more clear-headed!


    Suddenly, she opened her mouth and bit Dong Xiyun¡¯s neck. Dong Xiyun seemed to be able to hear the crunching noise. She had goosebumps on her skin and her entire body could not help but tremble. She waved even more aggressively!


    ¡°Young Lady? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The coachman was also quite frightened when he heard the pig-like cries from inside.


    Dong Xiyun could not answer him at all.


    The coachman was worried that something might happen to his youngdy, so he had no choice but to stop and open the curtain to take a look.


    However, when the carriage stopped and the curtain was opened, Dong Xiyun hopped from the carriage as if she had seen a light.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over! Don¡¯t follow me!¡± After falling, she shouted in panic.


    ¡°Young Lady!¡± The coachman felt a chill in his heart.


    Could it be that the youngdy had been triggered and lost her mind?


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see?! There¡¯s a ghoul here! It¡¯s a¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the ghoul was hanging upside down from her head and appeared in front of her eyes!


    Those blood-red eyes, snow-white skin, and a familiar face!


    It was her sister!


    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t be her! Why are you following me! Ahhh.... Why are you following me? I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±

 Chapter 788 - She’s Done For

    <h4>Chapter 788: She¡¯s Done For</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun was really scared, but she did not understand what was happening to her. Was she frightened by what that witch said?


    That was why she could see this illusion!


    ¡°Young Lady, what are you talking about? Who followed you? Y-You should get on the carriage¡­¡± The coachman was so anxious that he stomped his feet.


    So many people were watching!


    ¡°Y-You should pester him! His skin is rough and his flesh is thick. You know me. I-I¡¯m timid. I¡¯m scared. Leave, Sister. Can you leave? I beg you!¡± Dong Xiyun begged.


    However, the current Dong Yiyun was no longer the person she was when she was alive.


    She was still the same person, but with resentment, she was no longer as naive as before.


    Even when she saw the fear and nervousness on the face of the person she hated, she could not help but feel a little excited inside.


    Her slender fingers poked Dong Yiyun¡¯s face.


    As it was Dong Yiyun¡¯s spirit, her fingers directly prated, and then sheughed out loud.


    The voice of a ghoul was slightly different from that of a living person.


    They did not have a physical body, so the voice was a little ethereal and seemed very unreal.


    Initially, Dong Xiyun would not have heard it, but with Xie Qiao¡¯s talisman water, she could clearly hear her sister¡¯s excited cry.


    The sun was setting, and the people in the market were ready to leave.


    There were still many people on the street.


    They walked past her and pointed at her.


    ¡°Oh my, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with this youngdy. She looks fine, but why did she go crazy¡­¡± Ady pointed at her and smacked her lips, revealing aplicated expression.


    Perhaps the voice was too ear-piercing, so Dong Xiyun could not help but look over.


    However, the moment she looked to the side, she was so frightened that her legs trembled. She only felt that something had entered from the bottom of her trousers.


    It was wet.


    It was over. She was done for.


    However, at this moment, she could not think too much as she saw many things. Some were floating in the air, and some passed through people¡¯s bodies. Those ghouls were all kinds of things. There were all kinds of them!


    Especially not far from her, there was a ghoul crawling on the ground. His intestines were all over the ground. As he crawled, the bloody wound was dragged over.


    As the ghoul crawled, suddenly, the head of a ghoul beside him dropped and rolled. It reached Dong Xiyun¡¯s foot.


    The headless body hovered over and stood in front of Dong Xiyun. He picked up his head and grimaced. ¡°You¡­ can see my head¡­¡±


    ¡°You can see us¡­¡±


    ¡°She came out of the Fortune Pavilion, right? She has the smell of the Fortune Pavilion. She¡¯s the one who was cursed by the master!¡±


    Legend had it that the master of Fortune Pavilion had once frightened a person, causing many ghouls to follow that person, scaring him to the point of madness!


    The master had even used cow¡¯s tears to smudge another couple¡¯s eyes, but she had given the couple talismans to protect them!


    This living person in front of them¡­


    She did not have a talisman on her, so she was not the master¡¯s customer!


    So, they could tease her!


    The dead were much more bored than the living. They were excited now that a person who could see them but could not resist them had suddenly appeared.


    Almost instantly, all the ghouls on the street crowded over!


    Dong Xiyun was so scared that she was trembling. Her mouth unconsciously opened a little, but an eye was stuffed into her mouth just like that!


    She kept vomiting and could not help but shed tears.


    The ground under her feet was wet and looked too attention-seeking.


    The coachman was so scared that he started to drag the youngdy into the carriage.


    The youngdy had lost a lot of dignity.. He had to bring her home quickly!

 Chapter 789 - Lunatic

    <h4>Chapter 789: Lunatic</h4>


    Dong Xiyun wanted to leave. She did not even resist the coachman¡¯s pull.


    However, she did not have any strength left. Fear and disgust made her legs go numb and her mind go out of control. It was as if someone had hit her acupoints and she could not move even half a step.


    The coachman had no choice. He gritted his teeth, carried her up, stuffed her into the carriage, and sped away!


    The people were all stunned.


    ¡°Is this girl crazy? She seems to be from a noble family.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. She even peed herself. If my family had a daughter like her, I wouldn¡¯t dare to let her out in the future. How could she get married in the future? She should stay home and be a nun!¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master Meng, that person just now¡­ was Young Lady Dong, right?¡± A few youths stood not too far away.


    The few of them had been eating in the restaurant when they heard the noise outside. They said that the girl had gone mad, so they came out to take a look.


    They never expected to see Dong Xiyun, the capital¡¯s number one talented girl, the former Princess Consort of the Fourth Prince!


    Meng Jifang looked dumbfounded. Clearly, he did not expect to see such a scene.


    Just before he saw Dong Xiyun, the few of them were chatting and discussing the matter of the Fourth Prince breaking off the engagement.


    What did they just say?


    The brothers at the side said that Young Lady Dong was a rare virtuous person. Now that the engagement had been broken off, she definitely did not have to worry about marriage. If it were not for the fact that they knew that they were not worthy of this girl¡¯s talent, they would have asked the matchmaker toe and ask for her hand in marriage.


    At that time, he had also been moved by thosements.


    It was time for him to marry. It would not matter who he married, right?


    Since he was going to marry a wife, he naturally had to find someone who was talented, famous, and good-looking!


    For instance, Xie Qiao. However, since Xie Qiao was going to be the Princess Consort in the future, he naturally could not think about it. Dong Xiyun was not bad either. It was just that her personality was too old-fashioned. If the marriage was really sessful, he would probably not be able to leave the house¡­


    Nevertheless, he let his imagination run wild. He did not expect to see her right away¡­


    Dong Xiyun was on the street¡­


    Meng Jifang felt like he was going blind.


    ¡°Is her brain sick again? It¡¯s quite severe!¡± The young man¡¯s mood was affected, and he was a little flustered and exasperated. He could not help but despise her.


    ¡°Young Master Meng, do you think that she was forced out of the marriage? She could not take it, so¡­ she ended up like this?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would be a pity for this youngdy. She was fine, but she was forced out of the marriage for no reason¡­¡±


    ¡°You pity her, do you want to marry her, then?¡± Another person could not help but tease.


    The few of them were profligate young men, so they did not feel much sympathy in their hearts. However, they felt that it was quite a pity for a talenteddy to be like this. Moreover, they were actually interested in the reputation of talenteddies, however, they did not like the personalities of talenteddies¡­


    Talenteddies were all proud and arrogant, and they would not even look at the profligate young men like them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. I was just saying at the restaurant just now. If I really married such a person, where would I put my dignity?¡±


    The few young masters continued to chat amongst themselves.


    Due to what they said, the people nearby who had identally heard understood it clearly.


    The youngdy who had just had an ident was the Fourth Prince¡¯s former Princess Consort.


    The eldest daughter of the Dong family.


    Dong Xiyun was famous. Compared to the reputation of being the number one talent in the capital, this bad news spread far and wide. The name of this lunatic who peed on the streets was clearly even more resounding!


    That night, she became the topic of discussion among all the major aristocratic families in the capital.


    Many aristocratic madams were thinking that since the Fourth Prince had broken off the engagement, they might be able to fulfill the wish of their own sons. Therefore, they were already considering letting a matchmakere to their door. Who knew they might be able to pick up some scraps and marry such an outstanding youngdy.


    However¡­

 Chapter 790 - Save Me

    <h4>Chapter 790: Save Me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    All the madams from the aristocratic families felt some lingering fear.


    This youngdy was sick!


    Whether this illness was caused by the annulment of the marriage or she was born with it, it was hard to say! If it was thetter, in the future... it would implicate the next generation of the family!


    Dong Xiyun did not stop on her way home.


    Those ghouls had followed her.


    They grinned and pulled at her neck. They were both terrifying and difficult to deal with. After she returned home, she almost ran to Aunt Dan¡¯s room, where she had been raised. She cried and shouted, ¡°Aunt Dan, save me! There are ghouls following me! It¡¯s her, it¡¯s her who has returned!¡±


    Aunt Dan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Where are the ghouls? Poor child, you must have had a nightmare when you fell asleep in the carriage?!¡±


    The coachman had already reported the situation to the madam.


    He did not dare to hide such a big matter to himself.


    When Madam Dong heard that, her expression turned grim.


    The coachman had said that when Dong Xiyun was crying, he had mentioned the word ¡°younger sister¡±.


    So¡­


    One who never wronged others would not fear the knock on the door at night! If she was really innocent, even if her own younger sister came looking for her, she would not be so frightened!


    So how did Yi¡¯er die?! Was it done by Xiyun?!


    Madam Dong immediately went to inform her husband.


    Meanwhile, Dong Xiyun was still running around in Aunt Dan¡¯s room.


    A moment ago, she was crying in Aunt Dan¡¯s arms, but the next moment, she was so frightened that she ran out and pointed at Aunt Dan in horror.


    ¡°Aunt, aunt... T-There¡­ is a child... biting your k-knee!¡± After saying that, Dong Xiyun fainted.


    It was good that she fainted. The world was quiet now.


    However, what was left for Aunty Dan was fear.


    She subconsciously looked at the side of her leg. She had goosebumps, but... there was nothing.


    However, she felt guilty.


    All these years, her legs had not been very good. Especially in the middle of the night, she felt as if there were ants biting her knee. It was not particrly painful, but it faintly existed. It made her feel ufortable. It was an old problem, even the doctor could not cure it¡­


    Hearing what Xiyun had said¡­


    She panicked.


    A child... was dangling on her leg... Could it be¡­


    Aunt Dan was nervous, but she still tried hard to restrain herself. She had someone carry Dong Xiyun to the bed.


    When the ghouls outside saw that this person had fainted, they thought it was no fun. They felt disappointed and left.


    Master Dong heard the bad news from the madam.


    He brought her and the doctor and almost rushed over.


    ¡°Wake her up! I want to get to the bottom of this!¡± Master Dong was aggressive.


    The doctor poked a needle on her and woke her up immediately. Then, Master Dong dismissed everyone in the room.


    Dong Xiyun opened her eyes in confusion. The first person she saw was not Master Dong, but Dong Yiyun. She still stubbornly wanted to strangle her biological sister, but she just could not do it.


    Dong Xiyun subconsciously grabbed her own neck and struggled.


    ¡°What are you doing? I heard from the coachman that you caused a ruckus outside today?! Xiyun, do you know that you are destroying your future? So what if you can¡¯t be the Princess Consort? With your reputation, you can still pick other good men in the capital, no?! But now, you¡¯ve lost your dignity!¡±


    Losing her mind? He did not believe it!


    His daughter had always been strong and opinionated. How could she lose her mind over such a thing?


    Dong Xiyun heard her father¡¯s words. She opened her mouth to say that her sister was here, but the words were in her throat. She thought she should be more reasonable, and with a pale face, she swallowed it back.


    ¡°Father! Save me! Quickly save me, i-it¡¯s Witch Mo from the Fortune Pavilion¡­¡± Dong Xiyun was very nervous, she could feel that when she mentioned Witch Mo, her sister¡¯s anger seemed to be even more intense, as if she was going to swallow her alive!

 Chapter 791 - It Was You Who Killed Me

    <h4>Chapter 791: It Was You Who Killed Me</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Dong Xiyun did not know how she managed to withstand the threat of her sister¡¯s ghoul. She held onto her father¡¯s sleeve tightly. ¡°Witch Mo poisoned me!¡±


    Master Dong was also shocked. ¡°Are you sure?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her! I passed by today... S-She asked the shopkeeper to tie me up and dripped something in my eyes... N-Now¡­ all I see a-are all strange and scary ghouls... Father, it¡¯s so scary. I don¡¯t want this kind of illusion. Please, save me, save me!¡± Dong Xiyun¡¯s had tears and snot dripping, her entire face was sticky.


    When Master Dong heard that, he thought it was ridiculous.


    That Witch Mo was actually so rampant!


    It was no wonder. This daughter of his had always been sensible. How could she do such an outrageous thing?


    However, Madam Dong was very persistent. ¡°Did you see your sister¡¯s ghoul? What did she say? Who exactly caused her death!¡±


    Dong Xiyun gritted her teeth.


    She could feel her sister¡¯s aura. She was also afraid of that sinister resentment.


    However, she knew very well that she could not tell the truth!


    If she told the truth, it would not only be a disgrace, but she would not be able to live¡­


    There were so many ghouls just now, and she could not control herself. However, now, there was only her sister and that... little child. S-She could make it. She could make it. As long as her father found a Taoist master to save her, she could make it!


    ¡°M-My younger sister said... It¡¯s Mother... Ah!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Dong Xiyun pulled at her neck and hair, she screamed, ¡°Father! I¡¯m in so much pain! My head is in so much pain, I can¡¯t breathe. Father! Save me! Save me...¡±


    Master Dong looked at his wife sinisterly. ¡°What are you still doing here! I won¡¯t settle this score with you for the time being! Go back to your courtyard!¡±


    Madam Dong¡¯s heart turned cold.


    ¡°Only you would believe a daughter who spouts nonsense like you! If she was telling the truth, would she be tortured until she lost her human form?! Fine, I¡¯ll leave. This family will be destroyed by your daughter sooner orter!¡± Madam Dong was furious!


    She had already made up her mind. After the funeral of her second daughter was over, she would bring her two sons back to the vige to hide!


    When this eldest daughter was gone, she woulde back!


    It was just that she pitied her second daughter. Although she was not the one who gave birth to her, she had raised her. She had been thoughtful since she was young, and she had been harmed by this heartless person!


    Madam Dong flung her sleeves and left.


    Dong Xiyun rolled around on the bed.


    The reason why this was so was because Dong Yiyun¡¯s resentment had be a little stronger. It could already have a substantial impact on Dong Xiyun.


    If this went on, it could even directly take Dong Xiyun¡¯s life!


    ¡°Sister¡­ Sister... I died so tragically... It was you who killed me, it was you...¡± She spoke with great difficulty. Her hoarse voice was extremely piercing, and Dong Xiyun could not stand it even more when she heard it.


    ¡°Quickly go to the Yuxu Temple outside the city and hire a master over!¡± Master Dong immediately called for someone toe over and ordered.


    When the servants heard that, they went to do it instantly.


    That night, no one in the Dong Residence could sleep.


    Even Master Dong¡¯s concubines had goosebumps all over because of Dong Xiyun¡¯s shrill voice.


    It was really... too terrifying.


    ¡°Retribution! It¡¯s all her retribution! Serves her right that it hurts her to death!¡± Madam Dong spat in the direction of Aunt Dan¡¯s courtyard.


    The reputation of the Yuxu Temple was even greater than that of Xie Qiao¡¯s Fortune Pavilion.


    It had been in the outskirts of the capital for hundreds of years, so it naturally held an extraordinary weight in the hearts of the people.


    Moreover, the Taoist masters there were really capable.

 Chapter 792 - Wicked Deeds

    <h4>Chapter 792: Wicked Deeds</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Early in the next morning, the Taoist master from Yuxu Temple personally went to the Dong Residence.


    Yuan Changzi held apass in his hand and looked around. When he entered Aunt Dan¡¯s courtyard, his brows were tightly furrowed.


    He formed a hand seal with one hand and released yin and yang energy. When he opened his eyes, he could faintly see the evil energy around him. He knew that there should be a ghoul in this residence, and it was not an ordinary ghoul.


    He obtained his ability through cultivation, so naturally, he was not as good as Master Mo who was born to be proficient in both worlds. Moreover, his cultivation wascking. He only had some senses and could not see too clearly.


    ¡°Master, my daughter was initially fine, but yesterday, she suddenly said that she saw something filthy. I wonder what kind of poison that Witch Mo of the Fortune Pavilion gave her. Do you think you can treat her?!¡± Master Mo had been worried for an entire night, now, he felt that he had aged a few years.


    ¡°Fortune Pavilion? Master Mo Chusheng?¡± Yuan Changzi was stunned.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her! My daughter said that she put poison on her eyelids...¡± Master Dong said quickly.


    Yuan Changzi was stunned, then he walked to Young Lady Dong.


    He looked at her eyes.


    Cultivators could see some energy, so it was not difficult for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not poison, it¡¯s just cow¡¯s tears. This daughter of yours only saw some ghouls because of the cow¡¯s tears, and there¡¯s a vengeful ghoul on her.¡±


    ¡°Cow¡¯s tears?¡± Hearing this, Master Dong did not quite understand.


    Was it not poison?


    ¡°Cow¡¯s tears are quite rare. In my Taoist temple, only a few drops have been umted over the years, and they have to be used together with a talisman. Generally, people are reluctant to use them casually.¡± Yuan Changzi smiled.


    If these cow¡¯s tears were used casually, would everyone not be able to see the ghouls? This would mess up the world.


    However, for some reason, Master Mo wanted to use it on this youngdy.


    Yuan Changzi thought a little bit and looked at the youngdy again.


    He was shocked when he saw her.


    She had a pretty face, but¡­ She looked like she was drunk and had an evil energy on him. It was not a good sign, right?


    Furthermore, she had the appearance of a criminal!


    This youngdy probably had a blood debt on her!


    Thinking back to the evil energy he felt in this room, Yuan Changzi immediately understood.


    He had also interacted with Master Mo before. That person looked unfathomable, and did not seem like a scoundrel who would casually persecute ordinary people.


    Now that he saw this youngdy¡¯s miserable appearance, he also understood that this youngdy must have done something evil to be taught a lesson.


    Using precious cow¡¯s tears to teach this youngdy a lesson¡­


    Master Mo was quite rich¡­


    Master Mo had to bear the consequences to have done that to her. For some reason, he thought it was better for him to ask first so that he would show respect to the senior.


    If she was more capable than him, then she would be a senior. There was no doubt about it.


    ¡°The effects of a cow¡¯s tears aren¡¯t that great. It¡¯ll be fine in a day¡¯s time. Besides, this penniless master doesn¡¯t have a good way to treat it... Now that your daughter is asleep, let her sleep. When she wakes up, there might still be some side effects, but in a few days¡¯ time, it will all be gone.¡± Yuan Changzi said anyway.


    Master Dong nodded.


    It was great that it was only a problem that could be solved just by closing her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that...¡± Changzi Yuan panted heavily, instantly worrying Master Dong. ¡°What she sees will be gone, but it¡¯s bad in other aspects. Moreover, your home isn¡¯t exactly clean... I think you should... hire Master Mo to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to hire that witch?¡± Master Dong did not understand.

 Chapter 793 - Wealthy Master

    <h4>Chapter 793: Wealthy Master</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yuan Changzi was patient. At this moment, he exined to Master Dong, ¡°To tell you the truth, even if you don¡¯t look for Master Mo, this penniless master will have to inform her¡­ After all, she was the one who did this¡­ I will have to ask for the reason. Then, I¡¯ll have to consider whether or not to take action. After all, this cause and effect is shouldered by Master Mo¡­. It would be inappropriate if I were to casually take action.¡±


    Master Mo seemed to have only used the tears of a cow, but in reality, she had imed territory.


    Other Taoist masters could not interfere in the affairs of the Dong family.


    If Master Mo had only done bad things, then he was responsible for ridding the world of evil.


    However, her actions could not be considered as such. Furthermore, this victim had blood energy on her body. There must be other reasons for this, so he could not blindly seek justice.


    Master Dong was so angry that he felt ufortable. ¡°She¡¯s just a witch. How could she use such underhanded methods¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Dong, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve never seen what a true witch looks like.¡± Yuan Changzi¡¯s face was calm. ¡°If she really wanted to harm your daughter, it wouldn¡¯t be a matter of a single tear.¡±


    Some dharma instruments, setting up some formations, or even using a few strands of hair were all she needed to kill this youngdy silently.


    Of course, there were thousands of Taoist masters in the world, and there were also many peerless experts. They were all watching.


    Usually, they would not show themselves, but if there really was such a witch, they had to show and deal with it, so as to avoid harming the people.


    Master Dong did not understand these things.


    However, this was a Taoist master from the Yuxu Temple, so he could not ignore these words.


    ¡°Then please, Taoist master¡­ Ask Master Mo why she is targeting my daughter. She¡¯s still young. If she has offended her in any way, please forgive her. At worst, I will personally apologize to her,¡± Master Dong said for his daughter¡¯s sake, he could be considered to have put down his pride.


    Yuan Changzi did not say much.


    Leaving aside the matter of the cow¡¯s tears, the ghoul in the room¡­


    Definitely did not have anything to do with Master Mo¡­


    Yuan Changzi thought about it and decided to leave a talisman to protect the youngdy for the time being.


    It was to prevent her from being tortured to death by the ghoul before he could ask about the cause and effect.


    Master Dong did not think that he hired this person in vain since he had given them a talisman. He politely sent him out.


    After Yuan Changzi left, he went to the Fortune Pavilion to pay a visit.


    Unfortunately, Xie Qiao was studying hard in the academy today and was not there.


    Yuan Changzi thought he had nothing to do, so he waited inside. He sat cross-legged and did not move at all. It looked as if he was cultivating. The shopkeeper thought he was an expert and did not dare toe forward and disturb him. However, he could not help but worry.


    Ring¡­


    The bell rang again.


    Yuan Changzi could not suppress his excitement.


    Master Mo¡­ was indeed wealthy.


    This soul-summoning bell was quite special. There were also quite a few dharma instruments in the room. There was gold, jade, and wood. More than half of them were made of wood!


    It was difficult to make dharma instruments. One had to be respectful even when burning incense and worshipping the gods. One also had to recite enough scriptures for long enough. When reciting scriptures, one had to be sincere, and they even needed the blessing of a talisman¡­


    Even his Yuxu Temple did not have that many useful dharma instruments.


    Most of them were just ordinary consecrated trinkets for themon people. The quality¡­ was not as good as Master Mo¡¯s¡­


    Master Mo must have a lot of free time¡­


    As expected, those who were from the same sect as Mo Lingzi were special.


    As he sat there, the shopkeeper felt uneasy the entire morning. He had the feeling that this Taoist master was going to stir trouble. He kept staring at him, afraid that he would steal the things here and cause the boss to suffer heavy losses!


    After enduring for half a day, the boss had finallye.


    ¡°Master Mo, it¡¯s been a while. Why didn¡¯t you visit this penniless master¡¯s Yuxu Temple? Ever since we parted that day, I had been waiting for you in the temple for quite a few days¡­¡± Yuan Changzi rushed over before the shopkeeper could.


    He was dressed in a Taoist robe and moved quickly, but his expression was still rxed, appearing calm and collected..

 Chapter 794 - Running for Half A Year

    <h4>Chapter 794: Running for Half A Year</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Shopkeeper Chang was a little dumbfounded.


    Could it be that all the Taoist masters in the world had the ability to keep a straight face?


    It was the case for the boss, and it was the same for this Taoist master from the Yuxu Temple!


    He had clearly waited for half a day and should have been very anxious, yet he could still put on a calm and courteous appearance!


    Xie Qiao was shocked by this Taoist master who suddenly appeared in front of her.


    After finding out who it was, she calmed her pounding heart.


    ¡°This humble master is busy making a living and has no time to spare. I¡¯ll pay you a visit another day.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression remained the same.


    Yuan Changzi was just casually asking and tried to make a conversation. He did not really want to force this master to visit the Yuxu Temple. Now that she had spoken, it was easier to say what he meant to say.


    ¡°Master Mo, this shop is really not bad. The location is great. The business must be great, right?¡± Yuan Changzi casually asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    She did not live by selling dharma instruments. These talismans were not expensive and the cost of materials was not much. However, the amount of effort she expended was not something that an ordinary person could understand. Therefore, these things could not be considered to be too profitable.


    Her source of money was mainly from the ghouls and wealthy families such as Prince Ning Bei and the Li family.


    There were not many customers, but the business had been running for half a year.


    Yuan Changzi realized that if he were to discuss trivial matters with Master Mo, it would probably only be awkward.


    He sighed secretly and felt that he just had to say it.


    ¡°Master Mo, this penniless master is here today for the matter of the Dong family¡­ Last night, Master Dong went to the Yuxu Temple and said that his child had attracted evil spirits. Today, when I went over to take a look, I saw cow¡¯s tears in her eyes. I wonder¡­ what¡¯s the reason for you to do that?¡± Yuan Changzi asked carefully.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use cow¡¯s tears?¡± Xie Qiao did not answer.


    ¡°Of course you can, but¡­ even a cultivator like me would be terrified if I see wandering ghouls, let alone an ordinary person. If that youngdy¡¯s temperament wasn¡¯t strong enough, she would probably be scared to death¡­ If that¡¯s the case, Taoist master, you¡¯d also have to bear this karma. It¡¯s not good for your cultivation, right?¡± Yuan Changzi added.


    Xie Qiao knew that Yuan Changzi had good intentions.


    Especially this time when he looked at Yuan Changzi. Compared to when he was at Prince Ning Bei¡¯s courtyard, he was more unfathomable now. There should be some changes in his state of mind. There was less arrogance and more outerwordliness.


    ¡°This person also has some enmity with me. I can clearly grasp the propriety. I won¡¯t let an innocent person die for nothing,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    Hearing her words, Yuan Changzi did not mention the matter of the cow¡¯s tears anymore.


    Even cultivators ate as well as having seven emotions and six desires.


    Although they would not take the initiative to harm others, they would not allow others to bully them.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. However, when I went to the Dong Residence today, I discovered that there was a ghoul in there. It seemed to be very resentful. If I allowed it to develop, I¡¯m afraid that it would be a vengeful spirit and harm the innocent. Master Mo, do you have a way to deal with it? If you don¡¯t interfere in this matter and the Dong familyes knocking on my door, I won¡¯t be able to stay out of it,¡± Yuan Changzi said.


    This was his main objective.


    ¡°I want to release this ghoul¡¯s soul. Using these cow¡¯s tears is just to help her vent her anger. This is my job. You can¡¯t take it away from me.¡± Xie Qiao did not hide it.


    When Dong Yiyun was alive, she had already settled the debt with her. However, after she died, Xie Pinggang gave her money to release her soul. The karma could be considered to have been established.


    ¡°This ghoul¡¯s resentment isn¡¯t small. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy? I sensed the resentment so strong today that it made that youngdy wished she was dead¡­. Master Mo, do you know what kind of background this ghoul has? How could she have such a deep hatred toward Young Lady Dong?¡±

 Chapter 795 - Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 795: Investigation</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yuan Changzi was very shocked. After all, that was a youngdy who had been influenced by a ghoul. How could she stir such a disaster at such a young age?


    ¡°That was her biological sister. She killed her with her own hands. It was understandable for her to haunt her. Although I want to take care of that ghoul, how can I let her suffer for nothing? It¡¯s more or less to vent. It¡¯ll be more convenient for me when I make a move,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Yuan Changzi was even more shocked when he heard that.


    Her younger sister?


    It¡­ was a little shocking.


    If that youngdy was the cause of her death, she really deserved it.


    Taoist masters like them would also pay attention to the cycle of karma when they captured souls. They did not care much about the ghouls. After all, there were too many ghouls. They could not control them. They only cared about the ghouls that had done evil and affected the living.


    For those who did notmit deep sins and could not be released¡­ They had to control the souls of the dead and wear down their resentment until the day they could be released.


    For those whomitted deep sins, their methods were much harsher.


    Xie Qiao had two methods to release the souls. The first one was to reincarnate naturally instead of listening to the scriptures and preaches. However, it would take too much time and effort. For instance, some monks would need 49 days to release a soul¡­


    It was too tiring.


    The second was to wait until the Gate of Hell to open and stuff them all in. However, this would also be difficult. Even an ordinary Taoist master would not be able to inscribe a yellow talisman.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao felt troubled when she thought of Yuan Changzi¡¯s words ¡°However, I don¡¯t know what Dong Xiyun did this time. As if she was worried that she would live for too long, she insisted on forcing herself to the path of death¡­ I only saw her yesterday. Her sister¡¯s ghoul was actually quite calm. For her to change so much in a day, I¡¯m afraid¡­ She must have suffered another great shock.¡±


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s resentment came from Dong Xiyun. As long as this person did not live well, her resentment could actually dissipate a little.


    As for Dong Xiyun, her engagement was canceled.


    Dong Yiyun¡¯s resentment should have decreased, but it increased instead¡­


    It seemed that this case had to be investigated quickly. She hoped that she could make it in time.


    Of course, she could also capture Dong Yiyun forcefully. She was afraid that there would be a fierce battle, but she was also someone who had been through hundreds of battles. She would not lose, but this Dong family was also an official residence. If she wanted to barge in, there was no way that they would allow that!


    It was difficult to deal with them through the high walls.


    That was why she wanted to wait for the case to bepleted. When Dong Xiyun was captured, she would have the opportunity to act.


    Xie Qiao was preparing to go to the criminal division to ask her brother about the progress of the case.


    If it was really not possible, she would use the power of the ghoul to help and see if she could speed up the investigation.


    Yuan Changzi also told her about the matter of him giving Dong Xiyun a talisman.


    Xie Qiao only nodded and did not express any opinion.


    Just because he could protect her life did not mean that she would be fine.


    Yuan Changzi actually wanted to chat with her about cultivation, but Xie Qiao was busy. After chatting for a little bit, he bade farewell and left the Fortune Pavilion. Yuan Changzi could only sigh and feel that it was a pity.


    Just from the talismans sold, he could tell that this master¡¯s abilities were extraordinary.


    He really wanted to learn from her¡­


    Xie Qiao went straight to the criminal division.


    There was no doubt about the abilities of the officials of the criminal division. In fact, they had already found out many things.


    Seeing that she hade, Xie Pinggang even specially set up a seat for her. ¡°Master, you¡¯ve heard about it from my sister, right? Now, we¡¯ve almost finished investigating this case. Today, we¡¯ve captured a few people and we¡¯re interrogating them. After the interrogation, we should be able to figure it out.¡±


    ¡°So fast?¡± Xie Qiao was shocked..

 Chapter 796 - Who Would You Protect

    <h4>Chapter 796: Who Would You Protect</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao thought it would take at least ten days to half a month for the people to investigate the case. That would be considered fast¡­


    ¡°This case is easy to investigate,¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly. ¡°Fortunately, she used the silver ring powder. Otherwise, it would indeed take some time.


    ¡°The silver ring powder is not avable locally. Only foreign merchants would bring this medicine or medicinal herbs to make it. Lingnan is far away, and there are not many merchants from there. You can find it by asking around. Moreover, this kind of thing is sold at the ck market. If you manage to catch one person from there, you will be able to find the source of the goods. Yesterday, I spent the entire day and searched around. I found a tea merchant, but this kind of big merchant has a family behind them¡­¡±


    If they followed the clues, they would find even more relevant people.


    With more people, the case would develop smoothly.


    ¡°Guess which family brought this thing to the capital?¡± Xie Pinggang still looked mysterious.


    Xie Qiao was a little confused. She was a half-immortal, not a living God. How would she know everything?!


    ¡°This family has the surname Qi!


    ¡°They even gave my stupid brother gifts! A few days ago, someone came to the criminal division and used the tea merchant named Qi of stealing someone. However, because there was no evidence, they tried to negotiate with the tea merchant several times, but they couldn¡¯t find any clues,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    ¡°Stealing someone? What does that mean?¡± Xie Qiao did not understand.


    ¡°The person who came toin wasn¡¯t a local, but a woman from another city. She came to the capital to escape and said that she met the tea merchant of the Qi family on the way. Later, her daughter disappeared. She suspected that it was the tea merchant who did it, so she followed him all the way to the capital and said that she saw the tea merchant send the person to the mansion of the direct branch of the Qi family. Unfortunately, she went to investigate, and the people she sent were all ordinary ves. They didn¡¯t have her daughter, so the case was difficult to handle¡­¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, her mind was full of thoughts. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Qi Huai is the direct descendant of the Qi family and has a good rtionship with Young Lady Dong.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Xie Pinggang raised his eyebrows.


    He was going to go back to the Qi family and capture Qi Huai to ask about it.


    If he had mentioned the silver ring powder to Dong Xiyun, then perhaps she would have been tempted and sent someone to buy it secretly!


    Xie Pinggang hurriedly went back to the cell.


    Xie Qiao did not like to go there. There were too many ghouls, so she sat in the side hall.


    There were quite a number of people kidnapped today. A few of them were tea merchants¡¯ stewards. They were not punished, but they were anxious and worried.


    ¡°We have already told what we know. There were indeed people from the Dong family who came to us, but they really did not buy the silver ring powder. They only bought a few medicinal herbs to enhance beauty and new tea from Lingnan¡­¡±


    Even if they bought it, they would not dare to tell!


    The silver ring powder was an unspeakable thing in the capital. If they said the name of the customer, who would dare to do business with them in the future?


    When they returned, they would also be reprimanded by the main family!


    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t shed tears until you see the coffin!¡± Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°It seems that you¡¯d better question your young master. That kid dares to give gifts to my family. He must know a lot!¡±


    Xie Pinggang had just thought of using Qi Zhen to threaten them.


    When he said that, the stewards widened their eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t torture you guys. After all, I have no evidence. However, it¡¯s different for your young master. That guy has already vited thews of the country by bribing. I can skin him directly! Of course, on ount of his young age, I¡¯ll give him a lighter sentence. It just depends on¡­ whether you choose to protect someone else or him..¡±

 Chapter 797 - Sign Here

    <h4>Chapter 797: Sign Here</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang had never cared about his reputation, much less sympathized with Qi Zhen¡¯s young age.


    As long as the case could be solved, it did not matter what others did. It did not matter at all!


    The stewards were now at a dead end. They had to spill no matter what.


    ¡°The Dong family¡­ indeed did note to buy this thing, but¡­ We have a fixed supplier, and one of them has a good rtionship. He¡¯s a wandering doctor. They must¡¯ve bought the thing from the doctor.¡±


    It was safer to purchase from a third party.


    ¡°The person who bought the medicine was a servant of the Dong family. He bought ten boxes of medicine and left. Almost all the items in the doctor¡¯s hands were taken away, so the doctor immediately came back to buy more. I asked a few more questions, and from his description, I learned that this person was from the Dong family.¡±


    They were people who often came and went. How could they not recognize them?


    However, they did not know which master of the Dong family requested to buy them.


    Xie Pinggang was quite satisfied. ¡°Do you know what the servant¡¯s name is?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the son of the Dong family¡¯s servant. His name is Bao Jin,¡± the steward said weakly.


    Xie Pinggang was very happy. He arranged two groups of people out.


    One of them went to the direct branch of the Qi family to bring Qi Huai here. The other group went to the Dong family to capture Bao Jin and his wife, children and parents.


    He was worried that Bao Jin would keep his mouth shut. If he had his rtives in his hands, it would be easier to interrogate him.


    After more than two hours, Qi Huai was taken here.


    He was dumbfounded.


    He had just returned home from the academy and he was captured. Moreover, the people who came were from the criminal division!


    At this moment, his face was pale. Apparently, he was also frightened. When he saw Xie Pinggang and the murderous look on his face, he became timid. He lost the confidence he had in the academy. ¡°W-Why did you capture me?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not to have a heart-to-heart talk with you over tea.¡± Xie Pinggang chuckled. ¡°Tell me honestly, do you know about the silver ring powder?¡±


    Qi Huai¡¯s heart jolted, but when he nced at the torture instruments hanging on the wall, he gulped. ¡°I-I know that my distant rtives caught a few good-looking small snakes for me to see. They were afraid that I would be bitten, so they sent me two bottles¡­¡±


    They could treat snake venom.


    He could totally say that.


    ¡°Who did you mention this to?¡± Xie Pinggang asked again.


    Qi Huai thought for a moment. ¡°N-No one¡­¡±


    He only mentioned to others that the snakes were especially beautiful. He did not mention anything else.


    ¡°Did you mention the silver ring powder to Young Lady Dong?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s tone was very kind, but the people who heard it were even more terrified and ufortable.


    Qi Huai¡¯s mind was a mess, he thought carefully and said, ¡°I might have mentioned it. At that time, I said that there were snakes at home. Young Lady Dong was worried that something might happen to me, so I told her that there was a specially-made medicine that was especially good. I heard that it could kill a person if one take it internally, but it can save one¡¯s life if one applies it externally. It¡¯s very magical.¡±


    It was said when his distant rtive gave the medicine to him. He said that this medicine must never be taken. If he did, it would kill him.


    Xie Pinggang smiled and was very satisfied.


    ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean by this? What happened to Young Lady Dong? Did you also arrest her? How could the criminal division do things so rashly? She¡¯s ady. If you arrest her and bring her here, how would she still have her dignity?!¡± Qi Huai was furious.


    ¡°I have asked all the questions I need to ask now. Sign here. I might still need to look for you in the future. We can talk then.¡± Xie Pinggang was very calm.


    Qi Huai took a look. What he had just said was recorded on the document. It was probably just his testimony.


    He did not dare to resist at the criminal division, so he obediently cooperated and signed. However, he still felt very uneasy..

 Chapter 798 - Lawless

    <h4>Chapter 798: Lawless</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Qi Huai signed his name, Xie Pinggang did not bother with him anymore. He ordered his men to throw him out without mercy.


    Bao Jin, on the other hand, was being punished severely.


    As for his family members, although they were not being punished, they still had to be investigated. After all, he might have told his parents and wives about this.


    Bao Jin did not keep his mouth shut at all. He confessed everything before he was even punished!


    ¡°First Young Lady! A few days ago, First Young Lady called me over. S-She said that the Qi family¡¯s tea merchant had brought many good things from other ces. She asked me to take a look and buy some home. Then¡­ she specially mentioned the silver ring powder. She asked me to think of a way to buy it more secretly¡­ In the past, I would always go to that merchant to buy some new tea and beauty-enhancing medicinal herbs, so¡­ at that time, I didn¡¯t think too much about it!¡±


    Only after buying this did he know what silver ring powder was.


    At that time, he did not understand why the first youngdy bought this thing.


    There were no poisonous snakes or insects in the house, so it was useless, no?


    Even when the second youngdy passed away, the first youngdy did note to mind.


    It was not until¡­ The Crown Prince called the imperial physician and found out about the silver ring powder that he came to a sudden realization.


    He was also extremely afraid. He was afraid that the eldest youngdy would silence him, and he was also afraid that someone would find out about it. However, he was the son of a servant of the family, and he had a record of being a ve, so he had nowhere to run! He could not eat well these two days. He could not even sleep well!


    He had already been mentally tortured, so now he was frightened by those torture tools. He was afraid that he did not say enough!


    He still signed his testimony, and he had people find that wandering doctor to collect another round of testimony.


    Previously, if he had directly investigated the case in the Dong Residence, he would not have been able to get the document signed directly and seal the case like he was doing now since Master Dong interfered. He might have fought back many times throughout the investigation!


    Master Dong found out that the criminal division had brought people to capture his servant and left.


    He was so anxious that his house was in a mess!


    What was going on with this Xie Pinggang? Was he targeting him? Even if the silver ring powder was used, his daughter hadmitted suicide. He had to make it known to everyone so that the Dong family would not have the dignity to see anyone!


    A family scandal must not be exposed!


    Master Dong was both angry and worried.


    At this time, his eldest daughter¡¯s situation had not improved much. Although she did not have as much of a headache as before, her face was frighteningly pale. From time to time, she would be frightened. She was so pitiful.


    What was even more pitiful had yet toe.


    The next morning, the criminal division brought people over again. This time, they did not capture a servant, but their sick daughter. Not only that, they even wanted to search her bedroom!


    ¡°Xie Pinggang! Does my family have any deep enmity with you? You¡¯re going too far!¡± Master Dong was so angry that his entire body was trembling.


    He was a dignified third-grade official, yet he was trampled on by a sixth-grade official like Xie Pinggang!


    In his residence, Xie Pinggang coulde and go as he pleased. He was simplywless!


    ¡°Master Dong, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m seeking justice for your other daughter. See? This is a testimony. All of these testimonies indicate that this youngdy is the person who drugged your second daughter. There must be a result for any cases that are reported to the criminal division!¡± Xie Pinggang said after that, ¡°Take her away!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t arrest me! I didn¡¯t do it! Get lost, I am the Princess Consort. Who dares to touch me?!¡± Dong Xiyun shouted like a crazy woman!


    Master Dong was also stunned by Xie Pinggang¡¯s words.


    The murderer¡­ was his daughter?!


    Impossible!


    What reason did Xi¡¯er have to kill her own biological sister?!


    If it was his own wife, he would still think that it was possible. After all, they were not mother and daughter by blood. It was inevitable that there would be conflicts.. However, Xi¡¯er had no reason to do that!

 Chapter 799 - Terrible Luck

    <h4>Chapter 799: Terrible Luck</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Master Dong was stunned, while Xie Pinggang dragged Dong Xiyun out of the room and sent people to search.


    Boxes, cosmetics, bottles, jars. All of them had to be searched.


    It was difficult to obtain the silver ring powder, and this thing could harm people, causing them to be in a trance or even die. However, it was extremely useful, so Dong Xiyun probably would not be willing to throw it away!


    Moreover, as the daughter of a wealthy family, Dong Xiyun probably did not think that she would be searched.


    The things in the room were soon turned upside down.


    They really did find some medicine.


    Xie Pinggang brought the imperial physician and Xie Qiao over.


    The imperial physician went forward to examine them. A momentter, he said, ¡°The pills in this box are indeed silver ring powder, and there are quite a number of them¡­ Also, the small bottle here should contain some medicine that can cause people to break out in hives.¡±


    Once these words were said, Dong Xiyun¡¯s entire body went limp.


    At the next moment, she looked at her father frantically. ¡°Father! Father, save me! It wasn¡¯t me, it wasn¡¯t me! Aunt, aunt, please save me¡­¡±


    How could this be?! How could this be?!


    She had clearly done an amazing job, and no one would have discovered it. Her sister hadmitted suicide, and her family had already concluded that!


    Why?


    Why had Xie Pinggang barged into the house? Even if he hade a few hourster that day, his sister would have been ced in the coffin. How could there be such a coincidence?!


    Dong Xiyun thought she had terrible luck.


    Every family had a child who died. At the back of the residence, fights were inevitable!


    However, in other people¡¯s homes, there had never been anyone from the criminal division interfering, much less being targeted by the Crown Prince!


    If the people from the criminal division and the Crown Prince had not shown up, she would still be the Fourth Prince¡¯s consort, and she would still be in the limelight!


    Why did the heavens not help her? She had been outstanding in every aspect and had carefully nned everything since she was young. Why did Xie Qiao appear topete with her and suppress her in every aspect? Why did the Xie family show and make all her efforts go to waste?!


    She had never thought she was rash or foolish. She only thought it was someone else who had bad intentions against her!


    In fact¡­


    If it were not for Witch Mo making her sick and bewitching her, she would have gotten rid of those people such as Bao Jin when her father cared less about the family matters¡­


    No one gave her a chance to fend for herself!


    ¡°You¡­¡± Master Dong was speechless.


    Anger, regret, worry, and rage filled his head. He only felt a stifled breath in his chest. Suddenly, with a puff, he spat a mouthful of blood!


    His daughter, whom he was proud of¡­ was the murderer of his other daughter!


    Sister killing another sister. How could he face his first wife when he died?!


    As soon as this matter was settled, he would definitely be punished to have neglected his daughter. He did not know how many years it would take for him to be able to lift his head in the capital again!


    The funny thing was that during these two days, he had been ming his step-wife, thinking that she was vicious. Now that he thought about it, it felt like a p on his face, a burning pain!


    At this moment, he wanted to renege on his debt and protect the reputation of daughter. However, with this irrefutable evidence, how could he protect her?!


    If he were to brazenly deny it and she was taken away anyway, his reputation would be ruined!


    Master Dong felt dizzy and was held by the steward.


    ¡°You¡­ sinister and vicious beast! If I had known this day woulde, I-I wouldn¡¯t have allowed your aunt to raise you. That b*tch influenced you to fail to distinguish right from wrong and taught you to kill your family member. You¡¯re no longer my daughter!¡± Master Dong said.


    When he said that, Aunt Dan was dumbfounded.


    What did it have to do with her?! Usually, she would urge Dong Xiyun a little bit, but she really did not know about this murder!

 Chapter 800 - No More Wishful Thinking

    <h4>Chapter 800: No More Wishful Thinking</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Aunt Dan immediately cried out in grievance. She even mentioned her deceased sister, who was Master Dong¡¯s first wife.


    However, at this moment, Master Dong only thought of her faults.


    She had to bear this sin even if she did not want to!


    To the public, if they said that this aunt had ill intentions to encourage her first daughter, causing her to go astray, the Dong family could at least have some dignity remained!


    He could not tell others that his direct daughter was born to be a sinner, right?!


    It would be this aunt¡¯s wickedness that led to the family¡¯s improper conduct. It would not be his daughter who had a problem!


    Otherwise, the Dong family members would hate him in the future!


    If he could salvage the situation, then so be it!


    Moreover¡­ This child was indeed raised by this concubine of his. Now that she hadmitted such a huge mistake, she could not escape the responsibility!


    ¡°Father! What do you mean?! You¡¯re not going to save me?! My sistermitted suicide. What does it have to do with me if she doesn¡¯t want to get married and court death?!¡± Dong Xiyun was anxious, she struggled aggressively and wanted to rush toward Master Dong. However, the moment she stepped out, the ghoul that would appear and disappear at times appeared before her eyes!


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± She waved her arms and legs and fell to the side, clutching her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s not me!


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯re the one who wanted topete with me for the Fourth Prince. You¡¯re the one who found out things that you shouldn¡¯t know. You brought this upon yourself. It¡¯s none of my business!


    ¡°Why did you go against me¡­ If you hadn¡¯t always sided with that youngdy, I wouldn¡¯t have harmed you¡­¡± Dong Xiyun looked extremely pitiful.


    Master Dong did not understand these words.


    Who was that youngdy¡­?


    After a while, he looked at Aunt Dan and suddenly came to a realization.


    After his first wife passed away, one of his two daughters followed Aunt Dan, and the other followed his concubine. This concubine of his had probably told her constantly that his second daughter was a traitor and that she had forgotten about her biological mother, so¡­


    Master Dong¡¯s heart was filled with resentment!


    He regretted it so much!


    Xie Pinggang frowned as he looked at the youngdy¡¯s frantic and frightened expression.


    He knew that Master Mo had applied cow¡¯s tears on her eyelids. When he had followed Master Mo here, she had told him about it.


    However¡­


    This youngdy could only see some ghouls. Was there a need for that?


    His sister and Master Mo could see these ghouls every day. If they were like her, would they not have been scared to death long ago?!


    She was really timid¡­


    However, Xie Pinggang felt a little ufortable in his heart.


    They were alldies. Look at this scene in front of him. It was just nothing too severe, yet she was crying like a ghoul and howling like a wolf. However, that foolish sister of his would only be scared to the point of her heart palpitated and she would not make a sound.


    That foolish girl was quite pitiful.


    While Xie Pinggang was doing his work, Xie Qiao remained silent.


    At this moment, Dong Xiyun was crying on the ground. Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul whose resentment was gradually dissipating, she said to Dong Xiyun, ¡°Your sister said that everything she had told you was the truth, none of them was a lie. She gave you a chance and decided to keep your secret for the rest of her life, but you didn¡¯t believe her. Now you¡­ deserve what¡¯s happening to you.¡±


    Dong Xiyun suddenly raised her head and stared at her.


    It was all true¡­


    Hah, was it all true?


    She did not believe her! Even now, she still did not believe her sister. She was not at fault!


    Xie Qiao picked up the talisman and looked at Dong Yiyun who was floating in the air. She said, ¡°Do you have anyst wishes?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xie¡­¡± Dong Yiyun¡¯s ghoul looked at Xie Pinggang and tears fell from her eyes.


    She was too naive and did not listen to the master¡¯s advice. If she¡­ listened and went far away, she might still have a chance to marry Brother Xie three yearster.


    However, now¡­ They were separated from two worlds, and they were no longer fated to be together.


    She had even caused Brother Xie to lose his fiancee right after they got engaged. It was hard to imagine how difficult it would be to get married in the future.


    She had lived¡­ too foolishly. She had let down her mother who gave birth to her, the stepmother who had raised her, and Master Mo who had helped her. She had let down Brother Xie four times. She had truly suffered a crushing defeat.


    ¡°I have no more wishful thinking.¡± Dong Yiyun¡¯s voice was ethereal and faded, and there were tears in her eyes. She smiled faintly..

 Chapter 801 - The Power of Love

    <h4>Chapter 801: The Power of Love</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    To Dong Yiyun, what happened when she was alive seemed really far away.


    It was only a few days ago, but it was really a lifetime apart, and she could never turn back.


    Xie Qiao nced at Xie Pinggang beside her and said in a low voice, ¡°Do you have anything to tell her? If not, I¡¯ll put her soul away.¡±


    Xie Pinggang thought for a moment and said, ¡°I have nothing much to say. Since you¡¯re dead, there¡¯s no point in staying in the human world. Go down as soon as possible and find a kinder family in your next life. When you¡¯re down there, remember to protect me. After all, you¡¯re still my wife. I¡¯ll burn some joss paper for you during the holidays.¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at Xie Pinggang.


    However, Dong Yiyun actually nodded!


    Xie Qiao knew that it was the power of love.


    Dong Yiyun withdrew her gaze from Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Qiao put her soul away sessfully.


    She had aplicated feeling. Dong Yiyun could still live a good life, but she had walked into a dead end in the end. This truly upset her. However, although she had only lived for a short dozen years, she had seen countless life and deaths since she was young, therefore, she did not feel too emotional at this moment.


    After collecting Dong Yiyun¡¯s soul, Xie Qiao looked at the one hanging on the aunt¡¯s leg.


    ¡°What about you? Are youing?¡± Xie Qiao asked in that direction.


    Hearing that, Master Dong was startled.


    He had heard that Witch Mo couldmunicate with both worlds. Could it be that other than his daughter, there was other¡­ dirty things in his house?!


    Master Dong looked at his concubine.


    Aunt Dan was kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down her face. She was also very sad. However, she was not sad about the deceased second youngdy, nor was she sad about Dong Xiyun. She was sad that from now on, she lost Dong Xiyun as her backer, and that Master Dong despised her now.


    She could already predict her future. She would definitely be miserable!


    Now that she heard the Taoist master¡¯s words, she did not care at all. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you witch who have caused so much harm! None of you are good! I pity myself for being a ve in this family for more than ten years¡­¡±


    She cried miserably like a raging storm. There was no beauty in her at all.


    Master Dong was stunned at the moment.


    In the past, this concubine was the most gentle and courteous. As she was the stepsister of his first wife, in his eyes, she was the second mistress of this house!


    He did not expect that there would be such a¡­ shrew side to her.


    Master Dong had been stimted enough today. This little bit did not affect him much.


    Xie Qiao waved at the ghoul. The ghoul was young and quite naive. It actually walked toward Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I¡¯m her younger brother. I¡¯ve been dead for a long time¡­ You¡¯re so powerful.¡± The ghoul looked no different from an ordinary person.


    His eyes were clear, but his face was pale.


    Xie Qiao frowned and looked at Aunt Dan. ¡°You have a younger brother?¡±


    Aunt Dan fell into silence when she heard that.


    Master Dong was also shocked and quickly said, ¡°Before my first wife got married, she had a younger brother from the same mother. It was just that his fate was terrible and he died long ago. He fell into the water and died.¡±


    That child was young. As he was the son of his father-inw, he was favored when he was alive. However, he did not expect that he would die so miserably!


    Hearing the ghoul¡¯s words, Xie Qiao said, ¡°He died unjustly. He said that when he was ying at the artificial mountain, he identally saw his sister having an affair with a servant. They were the ones who pushed him.¡±


    Master Dong was really on the verge of copse..

 Chapter 802 - She Belongs to Nobody

    <h4>Chapter 802: She Belongs to Nobody</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Even though Master Dong was old and his state of mind was still strong, he could not withstand the repeated blows in a single day!


    How could this concubine of his have an affair with someone else?!


    He turned around and red at her fiercely.


    ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t!¡± Aunt Dan shouted hurriedly, a little flustered and exasperated.


    When she was young, she was somewhat insensible. She had been seduced by the servant¡¯s looks and sweet words and had done some things that she did not expect herself to do.


    It had only happened once.


    Who knew she was seen. At that time, she was scared out of her wits and was afraid that she would be hung by a rope. She acted impulsively.


    After she reacted, she wanted to save the person!


    However, she was afraid.


    She was afraid that when her younger brother wouldin to her mother, she would really be finished.


    She ran away ruthlessly. Later on, she found an excuse to get her aunt to send away the servant and gave him money. That person did not dare to ask for more and was also afraid that the master family would be angry, so he left directly.


    After so many years, she thought that no one would ever mention this matter again. Unexpectedly¡­


    Master Dong immediately asked the steward to get a granny to tie up Aunt Dan!


    This matter was not something that he could handle. He had always maintained a good rtionship with his ex-father-inw. Now, he had to inform him about this matter.


    Aunt Dan did not even have the chance to resist before she was dragged away and locked up.


    After avenging this little ghoul, Xie Qiao sessfully took in another one.


    The matter was finally done.


    The people of the criminal division took the witnesses and evidence as well as Dong Xiyun with them.


    They stuffed them directly into the prison cart and wandered across the city.


    In the past, the criminal division usually caught people with vicious appearances. Now, it was a youngdy dressed in silk. The moment the prison cart appeared in front of people, it attracted attention. Many people were curious about what crime this person hadmitted.


    As Dong Xiyun had not been to the academy recently, Qi Huai was worried.


    He thought about what had happened at the criminal division yesterday, so he came here early in the morning to take a look.


    However, he saw the person he was thinking about in the prison cart.


    He was greatly shocked.


    ¡°What crime did such a young girlmit?¡±


    ¡°I heard that she killed her own sister! She¡¯s really vicious. She harms her sister from the same mother. She¡¯s simply a hungry wolf that eats without spitting the bones!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s even ady from an official family¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Every word entered Qi Huai¡¯s ears.


    After hesitating for a moment, he actually turned around and ran away.


    Dong Xiyun saw him. The moment she saw him, she was a little touched. She even wanted to say a few words to him. After all, he was the only one who would still look her in the eye after falling into such a state¡­


    However, she did not expect Qi Huai to run away.


    Before he left, she saw the shock and disgust in his eyes clearly!


    Sheughed sarcastically.


    In the past, everyone envied her.


    They said that the Fourth Prince had such an amazing sweetheart like her, and that she had such an outstanding confidant like Qi Huai behind her. However, now, she belonged to nobody.


    They were all fake. These people gave up on her and abandoned her!


    After she finishedughing, her expression gradually turned gloomy. When the children on the streets saw that, they could not help but jump into their parents¡¯ arms in fear.


    If one reallymitted a crime after entering the criminal division, they would not be able to get out.


    After all, Dong Xiyun was a delicatedy. She had never been to such a terrifying ce before.


    Inside the prison, she could hear screams, which were even more terrifying than the screams of ghouls. They rushed into her ears and were unforgettable!


    ¡°Let me out! Let me out! I don¡¯t want to stay in this d*mn ce!¡± Her heart was trembling. The moment she stepped into the prison, she rushed to shout at the prison guard..

 Chapter 803 - Killing Would Cost One’s Life

    <h4>Chapter 803: Killing Would Cost One¡¯s Life</h4>


    However, who had the prison guards not seen before?


    The youngdy pounced into their embrace, but their reaction was tough out loud. They reached out and pinched her waist, then they kicked her away!


    ¡°You think you¡¯ll get out after being captured in the prison?! Sure, if you¡¯re sentenced to death, of course you can get out of here! Hahaha!¡± The prison guards were horrible.


    Even some nice prison guards had to be more terrifying in order to intimidate the criminals here.


    ¡°My father is a third-grade official, and I am the Fourth Prince¡¯s consort. If you let me go, I will give you silver, a lot of silver¡­¡± Dong Xiyun had just fallen to the ground when she felt something move in the hay.


    Suddenly, a big rat scuttled past her and quickly crawled over her leg!


    She cried out in rm and rushed back quickly without caring about the pain on her body.


    ¡°The Fourth Prince wille save me. If you let me go, the Fourth Prince will thank you!¡± Dong Xiyun did not know what she was talking about.


    This ce was too scary!


    She did not want to stay here, no!


    ¡°Haha, the Fourth Prince? That was before, wasn¡¯t it? Besides some viins, there are also quite a few good-for-nothing young men who havee to the criminal division. I¡¯ve seen all kinds of people. You want to get out aftering in? Sure, bring me the imperial edict!¡±


    The prison guards were full of sarcasm.


    What kind of ce was the criminal division?


    When the dynasty was founded, the criminal division was built to intimidate people because they were worried that the officials in the administrative office would not dare to stir trouble and could not solve those big cases!


    Although they had bandits and thieves here, most of them were actually people who possessed some power because of their rtives!


    The highest officials of the criminal division wanted the Emperor to appoint them personally. They could bring their token into the pce to meet the Emperor at any time!


    The criminal division handled cases that were difficult to investigate and indeed, they did not have the duty to supervise the officials. However, there was no one in the imperial court who would not be afraid of the criminal division. They were afraid that their useless children would do something vicious in secret and ended up in the hands of the criminal division!


    Even if the Fourth Prince hade personally, he did not have the ability to take her away directly!


    It was the first time that Dong Xiyun had been ridiculed by so many people.


    Those people stared at her unscrupulously, trampling her dignity into dust.


    Not only that¡­


    In a daze, she saw countless ghouls¡­ Floating here and there!


    She was so scared that she curled up into a ball!


    ¡°Sure enough, there¡¯s something wrong with her. She went crazy on the first day she came in. She¡¯s really useless. I remember that a youngdy about the same age came in earlier, right? That youngdy hasn¡¯t gone crazy yet.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all the same age. When the case is settled, we¡¯ll put the two of them in the same prison. It¡¯ll save us some time.¡±


    After the Crown Prince came to the criminal division, their speed of handling cases had skyrocketed. Every month, there would be many new people being ced in the prison. If they did not use it sparingly, it would not be enough.


    Of course, ording to the crime, killing would cost one¡¯s life. This youngdy might be sentenced to death.


    However, that would have to wait until after autumn. It would take three to four months.


    Nevertheless, if this person¡¯s family spent some money, they could atone for their crime. However, a death penalty was too severe, and it would cost a lot of money. Even if they atoned for the death penalty, it would be useless. They would not be able to escape alive, and their days would be even more difficult.


    Generally speaking, rather than sending them half-dead to work in the mines, it was better to let them die with dignity.


    Therefore, if the family member of a big family was captured to the criminal division, they would choose to spend some money to negotiate the method of death penalty.


    It would be too humiliating to take them out and behead them, so¡­


    It was estimated that this youngdy¡¯s father would also spend money to let her die in the prison while she was in here. It would save them from being worried..

 Chapter 804 - You Will Cross the Bridge When You Get There

    <h4>Chapter 804: You Will Cross the Bridge When You Get There</h4>


    After the prison guard locked Dong Xiyun up, he left. Dong Xiyun could still vaguely see a ghoul, so she kept howling, causing the people in the surrounding cells to be very upset.


    After the witness and evidence were recorded, the documents were submitted one by one. The highest official had stamped them. It meant she had been convicted.


    A life for a life was to be paid in the autumn.


    After the case was settled, the prison guard transferred Dong Xiyun to a cell in the women¡¯s prison.


    Two days had passed. Her eyes were much clearer and she could not see the ghouls anymore. Therefore, she was in better spirits than before.


    She entered the cell nervously.


    A woman with disheveled hair was squatting in the cell. Her hair covered her face and she did not move at all. She looked like she was going to die.


    ¡°C-Can I change another one¡­¡± She was really scared.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite bold. How dare you ask for so much? There is no other one. This is the only one. If you don¡¯t like it, you can make a rope out of hay and hang yourself!¡± The female prison guard sneered and left.


    They were all criminals. They deserved to die.


    Dong Xiyun trembled for a moment and then hid on the other side.


    The youngdy with disheveled hair raised her head.


    Dong Xiyun could faintly see the light reflected from those eyes. They looked very frightening. She mustered her courage and said, ¡°M-My father is an official. He will definitelye save me. E-Even if he can¡¯t, he will still spend money and won¡¯t let me die¡­ If he sends anything, I-I can give you some¡­¡±


    She still did not believe that she would end up like that.


    There will always be a way out!


    However, that youngdy stood up.


    She was like an evil spirit. Her hair was disheveled and her body was emitting a foul smell. She walked over step by step.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ It¡¯s you!¡± Suddenly, she rushed over!


    She grabbed Dong Xiyun¡¯s neck and opened her mouth, biting Dong Xiyun¡¯s face!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The screams did not attract any attention here.


    There were fights in the cells every day. The prisoners here were either prisoners who were going to be killed or imprisoned for the rest of their lives. They were felons, so they could do whatever they wanted.


    Moreover, after being imprisoned for a long time, the people inside had a lot of hostility. If they did not make a fuss, they might have some wicked ideas in their heads.


    Not long after, Dong Xiyun¡¯s face was badly mutted.


    However, that youngdyughed sinisterly. ¡°So, you fell into my hands! You deserve it! Hahaha, you deserve it!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about you day and night. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time. I regret that I didn¡¯t do it in the first ce. Why was I used by you at that time?


    ¡°But it¡¯s useless no matter how much I regret it. I can¡¯t take revenge. I can¡¯t vent my resentment. So, I can only curse you all day long. It turns out that God heard me!


    ¡°Ha! Death penalty, I heard about it. You are a death penalty criminal!¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    The voice was hoarse and wild, like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time. The raging mes could swallow Dong Xiyun whole.


    However, Dong Xiyun had not realized who the person in front of her was. She did not know when she had offended a person in the prison.


    She was beaten, bitten and kicked. After suffering for two whole days, she finally remembered that she was¡­ Xia Yayun.


    She had never thought that she would fall into the hands of such a person.


    She had never thought that she would be like this.


    How long had she been imprisoned?


    What about her?!


    At this moment, Dong Xiyun was inplete despair..

 Chapter 805 - I Don’t Understand What You’re Saying

    <h4>Chapter 805: I Don¡¯t Understand What You¡¯re Saying</h4>


    In the dimmed prison, it was hard to see the light of day unless one was dragged out to work.


    Xia Yayun had found the culprit who had caused her trouble. How could she let her go so easily? In front of Young Lady Dong, she was almost like a lunatic. Whenever she found an opportunity, she would return every bit of humiliation she had suffered.


    In the prison cell, screams of pain could be heard almost every day.


    Sometimes, when they were in the heat of a fight, the two of them would wrestle, and they would grab each other.


    On the Dong family¡¯s side, just as the prison guard had said, they had spent some money to dredge up the situation. When they behead herter in the autumn, they would put a cloth over her head. If she died in the prison, they would also have to trouble the prison guard to collect the corpse for them.


    Whoever said this meant that they did not care when this person died.


    In the end, Dong Xiyun did not manage to survive until the day of the execution.


    A few days before the execution, she was strangled by Xia Yayun. She did not manage to catch her breath and died.


    After she died, she became a ghoul. She thought that she could seek revenge on Xie Qiao, Master Mo, and those who had harmed her. However, almost instantly, her soul was gone.


    It was the criminal division.


    Countless people have died here, there was more evil than her resentful spirit, but because of the official pressure, her resentful spirit was of little use.


    However, it did not stop the spirits from eating each other.


    They fought when they were alive, and they fought when they were dead. Ghouls with no obsession run fast. They could escape trouble as they would run away in a blink of an eye.


    As for the others, even if their souls remained, they would not be able to escape from this ce. In the end, they were most likely muddleheaded and did not even know who they were. They did not know when they had turned into a turbid energy, and did not even have a form. They were like a void.


    ¡­


    Dong Xiyun had be a taboo in the Royal Academy.


    On the day of the verdict, everyone in the Royal Academy, regardless of gender, was stunned.


    Who did not know the number one talent in the capital, Dong Xiyun?


    She was kind, noble, dignified, and full of talent. When the engagement with the Fourth Prince was broken off, there were many people who felt sorry for her secretly. It was only when they heard that her mind was sick that they thought it was a pity instead.


    Unexpectedly¡­


    They thought she was a beauty, but it turned out that she was a vicious person.


    Poor Second Young Lady Dong. She was so innocent, but she died so tragically.


    The Peony Courtyard¡¯s majesty was reduced significantly.


    It was the same for Qi Huai. He immediately fell ill when he got home after running away from seeing Dong Xiyun the other day. He had not been able to go out until now, and he was too ashamed to go out.


    In thisplicated atmosphere, the Royal Academy ushered in the big examination.


    ¡°Junior brother, your eldest sister is the hot candidate for the women¡¯s academy¡¯s champion in this big examination¡­¡± Chu Jian was very puzzled.


    This kid used to brag about his eldest sister.


    He always said that she was good-looking.


    He did not mention her recently, and he was very diligent in his studies. He mentioned Xie Qiao several times, but Xie Pinghuai got angry before he could finish his sentence. It was strange!


    In fact¡­ Xie Qiao did not expect that she could hide it from Xie Pinghuai for so long.


    She thought it would only be a few days, but she did not expect this kid to be so obedient recently. He did not talk to others or wander around. He stayed at Teacher Xiao¡¯s ce to study, or he would go home to practice martial arts. He did not have a chance to find out the truth!


    ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Xie Pinghuai frowned. ¡°Are you done?! You know that my eldest sister is gone, yet you still say these words. Are you really looking for a beating?!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai thought he was being very understanding.


    His eldest sister told him to learn to be obedient, so he did not fight to avoid beating up his senior brother. His eldest sister would find out in the afterlife and feel ufortable.


    However, Chu Jian was shameless. Too much!


    ¡°No¡­ Why are you screaming at me? What did you say just now? Your eldest sister?! Why don¡¯t I understand what you¡¯re saying?!¡± Chu Jian was confused and baffled..

 Chapter 806 - Examination

    <h4>Chapter 806: Examination</h4>


    Chu Jian thought Xie Pinghuai should have had enough of throwing a tantrum. How was he not done yet?


    If it was not for the fact that he had been working hardtely, as his senior brother, he would definitely teach him a lesson!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a brain? You can¡¯t even understand such clear words?! I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you!¡± Xie Pinghuai huffed angrily.


    Chu Jian¡¯s temper red up as well. ¡°Xie Pinghuai! I¡¯m your senior brother. You have no manners and don¡¯t know the rules at all. I thought you had grown up. I didn¡¯t expect you to still be so ignorant!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai huffed and puffed as he red at him.


    Who was ignorant?


    Chu Jian kept bringing up the deceased, exposing his wounds, and even ruthlessly sprinkling salt on them. What good could it be?!


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Xie Pinghuai was very hostile and aggressive.


    Chu Jian imed to be a gentleman and would not quarrel. At this moment, he was very angry with Xie Pinghuai and left with a flick of his sleeves!


    It was unusually quiet in the academy for today¡¯s exam. As the exam was very important, almost all the examinees were nervous. Each of them was holding a book in their hands and could chew on it for a while.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s marriage was still more than half a year away, so she was not in a hurry to quit school. However, this exam was indeed thest important exam for her.


    However, even if she got marriedter, she could stille to the academy to read. Xie Qiao was happy for that.


    Xie Qiao still registered for eight exams ording to the previous rules.


    These exams were not difficult for her. After she finished them early, she would hand in her papers immediately and return to the Fortune Pavilion.


    Also¡­


    She reckoned that the news that she was alive could not be hidden anymore.


    She still had to be prepared to bear the anger of her foolish brother.


    She was worried. If that kid got angry, would he slice her in half?


    The academy¡¯s examssted for three consecutive days. Regardless of whether it was the Peony Courtyard or the Begonia Courtyard, all of them had to take part in it. Therefore, the solemn atmospherested for several days.


    After the exams, it was the holidays. The academy¡¯s teachers had to mark the papers. The students felt as if they were waiting for a sentence. They were nervous.


    Fortunately, the result came out quickly.


    Xie Qiao knew her own ability and did not go to the academy to check the result.


    In the academy, many people were looking at the notice board.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie scored the first ce for eight exams again! Previously, when she was the champion of eight exams, there were people who said that it was pure luck. It must be a coincidence. This time, they will have nothing to say, right?¡±


    ¡°Thinking back to Dong Xiyun¡­¡± someone brought it up and everyone chuckled awkwardly.


    The Peony Courtyard was the loudest back when Dong Xiyun was around. Everyone said that Xie Qiao could notpete with the capital¡¯s number one talented girl.


    Now¡­


    The bold words from back then were still there, but she was gone.


    Moreover, so what if Dong Xiyun was a good student? Her character was terrible, so how could shepare with Young Lady Xie?


    However, what everyone cared about was not the eight first ces, but the overall results of the two courtyards.


    Seeing the result, the hearts of the Peony Courtyard¡¯s people turned cold.


    The reason being in terms of overall results, there were actually quite a number of students from Orchid Courtyard who had surpassed the Peony Courtyard!


    In other words, the hard work they put in the past few months had actually allowed the Orchid Courtyard and the Peony Courtyard to be evenly matched?!


    Of course, those who had surpassed the Peony Courtyard were mostly female students from the Orchid Courtyard. There were also some male students from Orchid Courtyard, but there were fewer of them. After all, the Peony Courtyard would only choose the best students. After ten years of hard work, it was indeed difficult to surpass them in a few months.


    However, there were very few exceptions. For the majority of the students, it was exciting enough for them.


    The students from Orchid Courtyard were even more eager to learn now, and students from Peony Courtyard felt a sense of crisis.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s ranking of the Orchid Courtyard was even greater. Fang Muxue and the others¡¯ ratings were very high, so high that even they were in a daze and disbelief..

 Chapter 807 - Foolish

    <h4>Chapter 807: Foolish</h4>


    They had never thought that they could really do so well.


    ¡°Look here¡­¡± Qin Liu¡¯s eyes were fixed on the honor roll. Finally, she saw the name of the champion on one of the lists. She was a little surprised.


    The few of them looked over and were also stunned. ¡°Xie Xi? Xie Qiao¡¯s sister, Xie Xi? She got first ce?¡±


    Their faces were filled with disbelief.


    She got first ce in music!


    Although there were not many people who applied for that ss, some people would specially learn some unpopr subjects in order to get first ce, so thepetition was quite intense!


    As for Xie Xi, she was from the Begonia Courtyard. Students from the Begonia Courtyard were young and did not have much knowledge. To put it bluntly, they were all just passers-by¡­


    It was simply unbelievable.


    However, there was a person who was in even more disbelief as he stood in front of the honor roll in a corner in a daze.


    Looking at the name on it, he was confused and a little shocked.


    ¡°Why is my eldest sister on it?¡± Xie Pinghuai pulled a person over and asked while pointing at the name on it.


    That person also recognized him and said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because your eldest sister got eight first ces again?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ How could a dead person¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai stopped as he said halfway, ¡°D*mn it! That b*stard Xie Pinggang lied to me!¡±


    The person was shocked by him and was about to say something when he saw Xie Pinghuai run away like a gust of wind. He rushed straight to the gate of the academy and did not even ask for the leave of absence.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart was beating like thunder. He urged the coachman to keep going.


    When he rushed home and saw the steward, he ran so fast and almost jumped up to grab the steward¡¯s cor. He said, ¡°Where¡¯s my eldest sister? Where did you hide my eldest sister? Did you and my eldest brother conspire to lie to me?¡±


    The steward¡¯s expression changed slightly and he was relieved.


    The foolish second young master finally found out!


    They kept it a secret every day and did not dare to tell the truth. They even thought that the first youngdy was already dead. It was tiring!


    They even pretended to be sad when they saw the second young master. It was too tiring¡­


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either. I haven¡¯t seen the first youngdy for a long time¡­¡± the steward said sincerely with an aggrieved face.


    Everything he said was true!


    Ever since the first youngdy pretended to be dead, she had pretty much moved out of the house!


    Yesterday, Chun Er was justining. She said that because of this second young master, the family¡¯s youngdy did not dare to return home. How pitiful!


    ¡°You lied to me! Tell me! Where¡¯s my eldest sister? O-Otherwise, I¡¯ll burn you!¡± Xie Pinghuai was about to explode from anger.


    The steward thought for a moment and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ go to the Fortune Pavilion to look for her? The First Young Lady used to go there often. She might be there¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai had already left. He did not stay at all.


    He soon arrived at the Fortune Pavilion. Xie Qiao heard a noise when she was upstairs.


    After thinking for a moment, she went to the backyard and changed back into Xie Qiao¡¯s outfit. Then, she went to see her foolish little brother.


    ¡°Little brother¡­ I¡¯ve finally seen you. E-Eldest Brother won¡¯t let me go home¡­¡± Xie Qiao appeared and covered her chest, looking pitiful.


    Xie Pinghuai was initially angry, but when he saw his eldest sister¡¯s wronged look, he did not know where to vent his anger. ¡°W-Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were alive?!¡±


    ¡°Ah? Eldest Brother said that I was dead?!¡± Xie Qiao looked surprised. ¡°He really went too far! I¡¯m clearly alive and well, how could he say that I was dead?! No, I want to settle the score with him!¡±


    As she said that, Xie Qiao took a step forward.


    However, she only took two steps before she rubbed her temples, looking weak.


    ¡°No way, the exam has only ended. I¡¯ve used up my strength, I¡¯m tired¡­ I¡¯ll rest for a few more days and stir up trouble with him. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be beaten by a light pat from him..¡±

 Chapter 808 - Old Bones

    <h4>Chapter 808: Old Bones</h4>


    Xie Qiao clutched her chest and frowned slightly.


    Shopkeeper Chang looked at Young Lady Xie who appeared out of nowhere and thought something was strange.


    Young Lady Xie had the keys to the shop and the keys to every door. Her house was in the backyard and no one was allowed to enter. Therefore, he did not know when this youngdy woulde and when she would leave, just like the owner, where whereabouts were very mysterious.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, don¡¯t try to coax me. You even went to the academy to take the exam. Why couldn¡¯t you see me?¡± Xie Pinghuai asked again.


    This foolish brother was actually smart¡­


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Well¡­ Eldest Brother used my life as a threat¡­ If I don¡¯t listen to him, little brother, I won¡¯t be able to see you now¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was silent for a while, and no one knew what he was thinking.


    Xie Qiao felt a pang of heartache. ¡°Sigh, this old bone of mine might as well be dead.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang felt his heart palpitate.


    If this Young Lady Xie was an old bone, what was he? Had he turned into ashes?


    ¡°Sister, that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re still alive. It¡¯s better than dying. It was my fault for being angry at youst time. Don¡¯t be angry with me. I¡¯ve already returned the gifts. I promise I won¡¯t do this again in the future.¡± Xie Pinghuai felt conflicted, however, looking at his eldest sister, he still chose to lower his head.


    No matter what, his eldest sister did it for his own good.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, have you been feeling better recently? Have you had any problems with your anger?¡± Xie Pinghuai still cared about Xie Qiao.


    With that said, Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°It¡¯s an old problem. I don¡¯t me you. Even if you anger me to death, it¡¯s because my body is weak. Thinking about it carefully, it¡¯s all my fault as the eldest sister. As the saying goes, an elder sister is like a mother. We¡¯re both motherless children. As the eldest sister, I¡¯m so weak. I haven¡¯t been taking care of you since I was young. It¡¯s really a failure of duty. Sometimes, I think if I¡¯m struggling to survive, I might as well hang myself with a rope¡­¡±


    As Xie Qiao spoke, she wiped away the tears in her eyes.


    There was nothing actually.


    If her foolish little brother was a gentleman and a good kid who did not need to be worried about, why would she y such tricks?!


    As an elder sister, it was not easy for her to learn to act!


    As expected, with her words, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s guilt immediately surfaced. ¡°Elder Sister! ¡°You¡¯re not much older than me, but you¡¯re much more sensible than me. I¡¯m a boy, so it¡¯s only right for me to suffer a little! Don¡¯t take this small matter to heart. We can live as long as we can. If you die one day, I will definitely bury you in glory. No matter what, you won¡¯t be wronged!¡±


    Now that he knew that his eldest sister was not killed by him, he felt much better.


    All the mistakes were his eldest brother¡¯s fault. How could he use his eldest sister¡¯s life to deceive him?!


    He was too indecent!


    Xie Qiao smiled in relief. ¡°You¡¯re really a good little brother.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai exhaled. ¡°I spent quite a lot of money here before. Eldest Sister, you weren¡¯t in here at that time, were you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Xie Qiao sat up straight and looked at his little brother with sincere eyes.


    Xie Pinghuai felt much more at ease.


    His eyes were also a little red.


    Recently, he had suffered too much. ¡°Elder Sister, you¡¯ve no idea. Aunt Lin has also moved away recently. I heard that she went back to her hometown. Sigh, Aunt must also hate me very much¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao did not dare to say that Lin Yaxiang lived in a vige in the suburbs of the capital.


    ¡°Work hard. If you perform well, I will talk to Eldest Brother. During the new year, I will invite Aunt Lin over and see you often. Is that okay?¡± Xie Qiao asked..

 Chapter 809 - Flirtatious Movements

    <h4>Chapter 809: Flirtatious Movements</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words. ¡°Really? Eldest Sister, don¡¯t lie to me!¡±


    ¡°Really.¡± Xie Qiao smiled kindly.


    Xie Pinghuai heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m used to eating the food that my aunt cooked. My aunt and cousins aren¡¯t around, I feel like something is missing. Moreover, I¡¯m doing this for Xi¡¯er¡¯s sake. Ever since Aunt left, she¡¯s been so bored that she¡¯s been learning music. She even got herself first ce. It¡¯s really depressing.¡±


    Learning music, was that something his younger sister could do?


    Even the Buddhist music in ss did not match his family¡¯s temperament at all!


    It was clear that she was terribly bored.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she asked, ¡°She¡¯s learning music? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°She took music ss. I heard that she didn¡¯t like the main sses she had. When she was free, she went to music ss. When she came home, she¡¯d always babble and sing¡­ softly¡­ To put it bluntly, I always think it sounds like what the women in the brothel sang¡­ I¡¯ve taken a look at it twice. I don¡¯t know where Xi¡¯er learned it, but she asionally had flirtatious movements when she sang.¡± However, Xie Pinghuai was actually not very concerned about it.


    It was just singing. It was not a big deal.


    If her sister liked it, then she should do it. It would not make her lose a piece of flesh.


    It was just that when she learned that, it was inevitable that she would be criticized by others. However, Xie Xi was not considered old. Usually, she would either sing in the music ss or at home. Outsiders did not know about it, so it did not matter.


    Xie Qiao could not imagine what her sister would look like when she sang.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not a country song, but¡­ the kind in the brothel?¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly and paid more attention to it.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never been to a brothel. I know what the women in the brothel look like, just that kind¡­¡± as Xie Pinghuai spoke, he stretched out his hand and drew a seductive image in the air, then, he tilted his butt and covered half of his face with one hand. He shyly raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°The songs are all about men, concubines, and lovesickness¡­ Aren¡¯t those the songs in the brothel?¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°This wasn¡¯t what the music ss teaches, right?¡±


    She knew that the music ss could be established in the Royal Academy because the songs sung in it could all be considered elegant.


    Not to mention the Buddhist music, the rest were also made of poems and songs. The melody was mostly melodious and elegant. It sounded elegant and peaceful, and the songs were mostly about the spring scenery and the snow in the vige.


    The lyrics were all about the peaceful scenery of themon people, but there was nothing romantic about them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xie Qiao suddenly stood up, looking very serious.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Eldest Sister? Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re not in good health and can¡¯t go to Eldest Brother to settle the score?¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted from behind.


    Xie Qiao stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him. ¡°Settle the score? We can¡¯t even beat a single finger of his when the two of usbined. I haven¡¯t seen my sister for a long time. Can¡¯t I take a look at her?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai rubbed his nose.


    He did not understand why his eldest sister got so aggressive out of nowhere.


    However¡­ Her fierce appearance did not have any deterrent force at all. She was not like that beast, his eldest brother, who would look like he wanted to kill.


    Therefore, even though Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude was not as friendly as before, Xie Pinghuai still followed behind her and boarded the carriage to go home.


    When they reached home, it was already past noon.


    Therefore, not long after, Xie Xi returned.


    Just as Xie Pinghuai said, the moment Xie Xi returned, she immediately returned to her small courtyard quietly. After a while, she heard the sound of singing in the courtyard. Not only that, Xie Qiao also heard the sound of the pipa..

 Chapter 810 - Practice

    <h4>Chapter 810: Practice</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao hid outside the courtyard and listened. The more she listened, the worse her expression became.


    Her younger sister was young, so her voice was clear and beautiful. She did not know love, so even though she sang those romantic tunes, she still sounded very pure and innocent.


    However, other than love for money, her younger sister had never been interested in these things.


    She was behaving like this out of nowhere¡­


    Xie Qiao lifted her foot and walked in.


    Xie Pinghuai was baffled, but he followed behind her like a bug.


    Xie Qiao looked at the courtyard and realized that the dark energy in it was quite heavy. She had not returned for quite some time, but she did not expect that with her bells protecting her, it was not enough!


    She also felt a little regretful. She had kept the bells by her side since she was young, and it was often ced in front of the gods to be nurtured. Therefore, it was a top-grade item. After giving it to Xie Xi, she was more or less relieved about Xie Xi¡¯s situation¡­


    However, she did not expect that the disaster would be so much more severe than she had imagined!


    She did not know where she had provoked a vengeful spirit!


    Xie Xi sat under the corridor, holding a pipa in her arms. She had a deste expression on her face. If one did not know, they would have thought that she was a pitiful little girl.


    ¡°Silly girl, stop singing. It¡¯s so awful. It¡¯s like chanting scriptures.¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted at Xie Xi as soon as he entered.


    Xie Xi stopped ying with the pipa. Then, she raised her head and looked at Xie Pinghuai with a disgusted expression. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Her voice was slightly lower, as if she had be apletely different person.


    ¡°It¡¯s awful! Are you deaf?¡± Xie Pinghuai rolled his eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you learn how to y the drums? The war drums are not bad. Why don¡¯t you learn that? In the future, when I fight with Eldest Brother, you can y the drums and help me!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai did not notice the difference in Xie Xi¡¯s words.


    He even walked over and looked down at the pipa. When he saw that Xie Xi¡¯s hands were bleeding, he immediately frowned and looked at her with a strange gaze.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er, are you a fool? You¡¯re already bleeding and you¡¯re still practicing. What¡¯s the use of this stupid thing?¡± Xie Pinghuai could not understand, as he spoke, he even grabbed the pipa and looked it up and down. He threw it aside in disgust and made a series of noises.


    Xie Xi suddenly stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my pipa!¡±


    ¡°I did not touch it! It¡¯s on the ground!¡± Xie Pinghuai red at Xie Xi and then stretched out his hand to flick her forehead. ¡°Are you crazy? If you¡¯re angry at me, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±


    Xie Xi¡¯s eyes were gloomy.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was even worse.


    Her sister had been possessed by a vengeful spirit!


    Ordinary spirits would tease the living at most. They would not go too far, and they would not dare to possess or harm the lives of the living unless this living person had extremely strong dark energy, which did not even belong to the category of ordinary people like her.


    She couldmunicate with both worlds, and she was meant to deal with spirits. Therefore, if a spirit possessed her, the spirit would not have to bear the consequences.


    As for the vengeful spirit, that was another matter.


    The vengeful spirit¡¯s obsessions were different, and their abilities were also different. Some could bewitch people, and although some were vengeful spirits, they were only obsessed with things that happened when they were alive, and they would not take pleasure in harming others.


    Moreover, there was a debt to be paid. Even if the vengeful spirit attacked, most of them would not implicate the innocent.


    Her younger sister was as innocent as a piece of paper. She was really puzzled that Xie Xi would be targeted by the vengeful spirit.


    However, it was useless to think too much about it. Being possessed by a vengeful spirit was very harmful to one¡¯s health.


    She had to resolve it quickly.


    Xie Qiao waved at Xie Pinghuai.


    Xie Pinghuai walked over in confusion. ¡°Eldest Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Recently, I learned some skills from Master Mo. I¡¯m preparing to practice my skills. In a while, you¡¯re not allowed to make noise. You¡¯ll do whatever I tell you to do. Do you understand?¡± Xie Qiao said..

 Chapter 811 - Possessed

    <h4>Chapter 811: Possessed</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    However, Xie Pinghuai was disobedient, where he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Eldest Sister, your health iscking. What skills did you learn? You¡¯re just messing around. Don¡¯t tell me you want to beat her up? Yes, it¡¯s not good for Xi¡¯er to learn that, but we live in our own courtyard. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Just tell her to be more careful and not sing to outsiders.¡±


    When Xie Xi was in the academy, she was still quite sensible. She rarely sang about such things.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Our sister has been possessed.¡±


    Xie Qiao could change her clothes ande back again, but she was worried about Xie Xi.


    ¡°Possessed?¡± Xie Pinghuai looked at Xie Qiao strangely. ¡°Eldest Sister, I think you¡¯ve been possessed. Isn¡¯t she pretty good?¡±


    She could eat and sleep. Recently, she seemed to have gained weight. How could she have been possessed?


    Xie Qiao was infuriated by Xie Pinghuai. ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, I should just die! What¡¯s the point of living? Even my younger brother doesn¡¯t listen to me!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me! What¡¯s the rush¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai pouted. ¡°Alright, Eldest Sister, you can make the arrangements. I promise I¡¯ll be as obedient as a rabbit. Wherever you tell me to jump, I¡¯ll jump!¡±


    Only then was Xie Qiao satisfied.


    ¡°Get the steward to prepare a few things and bring them over.¡± After Xie Qiao said that, she immediately took out a brush and paper from the basket and made some arrangements.


    Xie Pinghuai did not bother to look at them and walked out.


    At this moment, only Xie Qiao and Xie Xi were left in the courtyard.


    There was not even a maid servant.


    Xie Xi looked at her with a hint of fear in her eyes. However, she pretended to be obedient and stood there with her pipa in her arms.


    Xie Qiao ignored her and circled around the courtyard. Xie Xi could not see what she was doing.


    Xie Qiao grabbed some of the grains of warding off evil and mixed them with cinnabar. She then made them into arge circle. She walked to the back of the courtyard and casted a few talismans.


    It was also to prevent this vengeful spirit from running away.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Xie Xi¡± felt a faint uneasiness, and a sense of danger rose in her heart.


    Xie Qiao said coldly, ¡°Are you enjoying yourself in my sister¡¯s body? You can even endure the feeling of being burned by a dharma instrument.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Xie Qiao looked through Xie Xi and saw the face attached to her body. She revealed a ferocious look.


    The vengeful spirit was quite good-looking.


    She was about 30 years old and was a woman. Her red lips were particrly eye-catching. Her eyes were attractive and soul-piercing. They were somewhat blue, and it seemed that she had the blood of an interracial descendant.


    Her face was quite pretty, but her body was somewhat terrifying.


    Her body was like a broken kite. It was mended, and there were even some that were green and purple. She was probably beaten to death by someone.


    Interracial descendant¡­


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Could you be someone from Rong?¡±


    Rong were barbarians to people from Qianyuan. Back then, her father had beaten them up.


    After Xie Qiao said that, the aura of this vengeful spirit became even stronger.


    Xie Qiao thought the possibility of a ghoul from Rong traveling to Qianyuan was low. Looking at thedy and her love for singing, she guessed that she was from Qianyuan.


    The rtionship between the two countries had been terrible during recent years. It wasmon for them to rob each other of their citizens.


    There were many beauties in Rong, so there were quite a number of female ves appearing in Qianyuan to entertain men.


    ¡°As a ve from Rong, you must¡¯ve suffered a lot, right?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was faint. ¡°Could it be that you hate my father for killing your leader? But what does the leader have to do with you? Even if he¡¯s alive, can you be saved? Instead of stirring trouble with my father, you provoked my little sister. It seems that your death was not in vain.¡±


    It would not be a pity to kill this kind of bully a thousand times over.


    Back then, the barbarians had taken the initiative to invade and the people from Qianyuan were left to fend for themselves.


    In fact,pared to the people from Qianyuan who had been captured by Rong, the people from Rong who had fallen into the Qianyuan territory had a rtively good life. At least they would not be eaten alive..

 Chapter 812 - Amazing!

    <h4>Chapter 812: Amazing!</h4>


    People from Rong were not educated, and there was indeed a cannibalistic custom.


    When Xie Qiao was at the Water Moon Temple, she had also heard many merchants talking about the people from Rong.


    That ce was warlike and worshipped martial strength. Horses and weapons were famous for their good quality, but they did not farm much and mainly grazed. Once there was a disaster, they could only rob. Not only would they rob for materials, they would also rob people.


    It was said that it was a habit passed down from the previous dynasty.


    The previous dynasty was destroyed partly because the emperor was muddle headed and could not help the people. Another part of the reason was that there were many disasters.


    There were disasters everywhere, and it was the same for the neighboring countries.


    It was fine if the local people suffered, but in order to survive, there were people from Rong who robbed people and cooked them. However, the imperial court did not care about it, causing the people to have no way of surviving. That was why the dynasty changed.


    The current dynasty¡¯s attitude toward Rong had always been tough. At worst, it would just be a fight.


    As everything in the countries was going well, the rtionship between the two countries would only deteriorate asionally.


    They had not finished changing the cannibalistic rules on their side.


    There were nomads in Qianyuan. Once these people ran into the people from Rong, the oue would be terrible. Hence, this resulted in the female ves of Rong being humiliated in Qianyuan territory.


    The people were innocent, but it could also be considered an eye for an eye.


    At this moment, the ghoul was angered by Xie Qiao¡¯s words and did not hide it anymore.


    She looked at Xie Qiao coldly, she actuallyughed arrogantly. ¡°Do people from Rong deserve to die?! I was sold here when I was ten years old and learned how to please men every day. I have long forgotten what Rong was like! But because of these eyes, I was beaten to death!¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with my sister?¡± Xie Qiao did not show any sympathy.


    Of course, it was indeed pitiful for her to be sold.


    However, Xie Xi did not offend her, right?


    ¡°Of course it has nothing to do with her.¡± That ghoulughed again, ¡°I just¡­ look at this little girl. I like her so much. Her voice is beautiful. Her father is the hero who killed the barbarians. I want to be her!¡±


    Why was she destined to be a barbarian? To be a damned person from Rong?


    She was unwilling. She wanted to be ady from a wealthy family!


    Xie Qiao was angered by the ghoul¡¯s words andughed.


    ¡°Do you want to go to heaven? Do you want me to send you there?¡± Xie Qiao snorted. ¡°You want so many things. I supposed you couldn¡¯t achieve them when you were alive, so you¡¯re doing this when you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. I¡¯m in her body. If you dare to get someone to deal with me, your sister¡¯s life¡­ Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­¡± the ghoul was rather arrogant.


    Xie Qiao was not in a hurry.


    If she could not even handle such a small matter, then what kind of master was she?


    Not long after, the steward carried the things over.


    The things were all moved from her courtyard, and they were helpful.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The vengeful spirit was a little fearful. She thought this youngdy was a little scary, especially the aura on her body. She did not dare to get close to her, but she did not know why.


    Xie Qiao had someone set up the table and was ready to start the ceremony.


    Her face was calm. After she lit the incense, she began to ring the Taoist bell in her hand.


    As soon as the sound was heard, the vengeful spirit felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, can you do it? Why do you look like that street swindler?¡± Xie Pinghuai was sitting next to her with a face full of distrust.


    Xie Qiao threw out a talisman.


    As she pointed her peach blossom sword, the talisman actually exploded in midair.


    Xie Pinghuai looked at it and pped in surprise. ¡°Amazing! Eldest Sister, even the street jugglers are not as good as you!¡±


    If his eldest sister were to wander in the world, she would definitely not starve to death!


    Look at her skill, who would not give her money when they saw that?

 Chapter 813 - Cause and Effect

    <h4>Chapter 813: Cause and Effect</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai stared at it without blinking. He was still grumbling in his heart.


    His eldest sister must have learned it from that old man in the Taoist temple, right? His father had said that the old master was a jerk. He would say terrible things too.


    Sigh, he actually taught his beautiful eldest sister such a skill, her life was really too miserable.


    Xie Pinghuai was very sympathetic, but he did not want to crush Xie Qiao¡¯s self-esteem, so he ttered Xie Qiao with all his might. ¡°Eldest Sister, I¡¯m serious. This move of yours is really great. However, it¡¯s more popr nowadays to spit fire from your mouth. What you didcks drama. You should practice it again.¡±


    Xie Qiao was so angry that her heart ached. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. See that bucket of stuff next to you? Ssh it at your sister.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was puzzled, but he still nodded.


    There were many things in that bucket. It was a mess, and there was a bloody smell. He could not recognize what that was.


    However, his eldest sister asked him to ssh it, so he did as she said!


    He picked it up directly and sshed it at Xie Xi.


    They were Xie Qiao¡¯s special five grains for warding off evil, and it was stained with dog blood. There was not much in her bamboo basket, so it was not enough for her to ssh it on the ground.


    After all, the one possessed was her biological sister, so she had to be gentle when using this method to avoid hurting her.


    Xie Qiao did not forget to look at the bells. They were still tied on her wrist. They did not look as powerful as before, but they were still useful. With this thing protecting her, Xie Xi should be able to survive.


    Xie Pinghuai moved quickly, and the ghoul was restrained by Xie Qiao¡¯s talisman and it was directly sshed.


    It became more ferocious.


    Xie Xi, who was tainted with dog blood, grains, cinnabar, and other things, was like a furnace at this moment. To the ghoul, it was not a good ce to stay.


    Almost instantly, the ghoul jumped out from inside.


    It still wanted to run.


    However, it did not get out.


    It was as if there was a barrier around her that made it impossible for her to leave.


    Only then did she be extremely frightened. She looked at Xie Qiao with a fearful gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t? That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t had the time yet.¡± Xie Qiao did not stand in the ceremony with her at all. A few more Thunder Talismans struck her body, causing her endless pain.


    That ghoul seemed to have thought of something as she hurriedly said, ¡°A-Are you Master Mo from the Fortune Pavilion¡­? I-I am willing to reincarnate. I have a dying wish¡­¡±


    Her voice was anxious.


    She was afraid that if she was a step toote, she would be beaten to death by Xie Qiao.


    ¡°My life was very tough! T-They said that you can avenge the ghouls. I was very miserable. I had been singing for more than ten years, and it was not easy for me to save up the money to redeem myself. However, before I could turn over a new leaf, I was beaten to death by someone because of the border war!¡±


    Not only was she beaten to death, she had also suffered a very long period of abuse.


    At that time, she was like a rat crossing the street. No one helped or pitied her.


    She felt resentment in her heart, but she did not know who to hate.


    She had nowhere to vent her resentment, so she hovered around. As she was a courtesan when she was alive, after she died, she could not help but follow that person around whenever she saw a good-looking girl. Unknowingly, she affected the other party.


    She had resentment, so most of the people she targeted ended up in the dust.


    Xie Qiao could see that this vengeful spirit was tainted with a lot of karma.


    Therefore, at this moment, when she heard her words, her attitude was cold. ¡°I usually send vengeful spirits like you down there, but this time, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to make an exception.¡±


    She would think about how to deal with these vengeful spirits.


    Most of them were simply sent down there. Whatever mistakes they had made, there should be aw for them to repay.


    However, this one¡­


    Xie Qiao looked at Xie Xi lying on the ground. Her pale face made her lose her kindness..

 Chapter 814 - Break All of His Teeth

    <h4>Chapter 814: Break All of His Teeth</h4>


    If this vengeful spirit was irrational and did all this with resentment, Xie Qiao might have been more lenient toward her.


    However, this one in front of her was obviously not.


    She had been around for several years.


    She was different from those vengeful spirits who were trapped in one ce. The reason why she was a vengeful spirit was because she had too much karma in her hands! Moreover, she was quite strong. She could even enter and leave the Royal Academy as she pleased.


    Xie Qiao was cold.


    The vengeful spirit looked very nervous, and it felt Xie Qiao¡¯s killing intention. It became restless.


    Xie Pinghuai had been listening to Xie Qiao talking, but clearly, there was no one else there¡­


    That was weird¡­


    With a bang, the things on the table fell.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    What was going on?


    ¡°The king of Heaven and Earth, five soldiers from hell that shatters one¡¯s soul, hear mymand¡­ Capture the soul, don¡¯t let it live! Exterminate!¡± Xie Qiao chanted incantation..


    She tossed a couple of talismans as she chanted. Within the blink of an eye, the ghoul dissipated. The resentful aura vanished.


    Xie Qiao eyebrows rxed. She felt slightly ufortable.


    The incantation sounded simple, but it took strength to chant it.


    Moreover, the ghoul grievance was very heavy. If not for the fact that it had been forcibly possessed in Xie Xi body these days and affected by her bells, the incantation would certainly not be enough. She would need to spend more effort.


    Xie Pinghuai felt that something was different, but he could not pinpoint exactly what it was.


    His eldest sister seemed to have chanted this spell before. At that time, he was smashed by the house, and he had even heard his eldest sister muttering to herself¡­


    Xie Pinghuai was a little absent-minded. ¡°Eldest Sister, you followed that old Taoist master and learned how to capture souls, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at him. ¡°It¡¯s so scary. What did you say?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai had a strange expression on his face.


    Something was wrong with his eldest sister!


    She was so fierce just now, as if she was killing someone. His premonition was definitely right!


    ¡°Why did Xi¡¯er faint?¡± Xie Pinghuai was only caring about his sister now. Seeing that Xie Qiao did not stop him, he quickly went forward. He kept shaking Xie Xi, but she did not wake up.


    Xie Qiao asked the steward to make some calming soup.


    Then, she secretly ced a few talismans in her room to clear up the bad luck.


    Xie Xi woke up two hourster.


    ¡°Eldest Sister is home?¡± When Xie Xi saw Xie Qiao, her gaze became much more energetic.


    ¡°Even you knew that Eldest Sister was alive and you didn¡¯t tell me?!¡± Xie Pinghuai felt it. Everyone knew about his eldest sister being alive, but he was the only one who was kept in the dark!


    Xie Xi hid her head under the nket, looking extremely pitiful.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at Xie Pinghuai. ¡°Would Xie Xi have the guts to tell you? Aren¡¯t you worried that Eldest Brother would kill her too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Xie Pinghuai curled his lips. ¡°All of you are cowards, what are you afraid of him for?! Isn¡¯t it just that you can fight better than me? I¡¯m still young. In a few more years, I will definitely break all of his teeth!¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Xie Qiaoughed.


    Break all of his teeth?


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s teeth were still fine now. It was all thanks to Xie Pinggang¡¯s mercy!


    He should be more grateful!


    However, the lesson he taught Xie Pinghuai this time could be considered good. If he made such a mistake again in the future¡­ Then, his eldest brother would probably really chop off one of his arms and legs as punishment.


    Xie Qiao had not returned home for more than half a month. Now that she had just returned, the food at home was sumptuous. At night, the whole family gathered together for a meal.


    ¡°Father, have you gotten lucky with your love life recently?¡± Xie Qiao asked casually at the dining table.


    When she said that, Xie Pinggang¡¯s actions paused.


    He looked at his father.


    Xie Niushan had an innocent look on his face. ¡°What kind of luck with my love life!¡±


    He wanted to marry a woman, but thinking about the situation at home, he did not dare to marry casually. Many matchmakers hade, and there were even many women who took the initiative to approach him. This really annoyed him.


    He had no one to serve him all this time, and he felt terrible!

 Chapter 815 - Let the Women Go

    <h4>Chapter 815: Let the Women Go</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang knew that Xie Qiao was quite capable. Since she said that her father was lucky in love, then perhaps¡­


    ¡°If you want to marry again, that¡¯s fine, but you have to be more careful with your judgement. If you marry someone who doesn¡¯t know how to behave, you should move out.¡± Xie Pinggang was more like a father.


    When Xie Niushan heard that, he was so angry that he blew his beard and red at him. ¡°I¡¯m your father. If you don¡¯t know how to be polite when you speak, then shut your mouth!¡±


    Xie Pinggang was thick-skinned. His expression did not change even after being scolded a little.


    ¡°Our family is no longer the same as before. You can¡¯t just get married just because you want to. If you don¡¯t marry well¡­ Think carefully about who will be the Crown Prince¡¯s mother-inw.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s tone was cold.


    In the past, their family background was simple. If their father really liked someone, he could marry the woman and provide for her at home.


    However, things were different now. The smaller the family was, the better. It would save them a lot of trouble in the future.


    Xie Niushan fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°If you really want to marry a woman, why don¡¯t you¡­ find an orphan who doesn¡¯t have parents and siblings? She has to have a gentle and soft personality. We only need a new pair of chopsticks at home. If she can manage the family, let her manage it. If she can¡¯t, don¡¯t force her. Just treat her like a canary,¡± Xie Pinggang thought and said.


    The younger siblings in the family were all grown up now, unlike when Ms. Lu was married into the family. The pair of younger siblings were only seven or eight back then.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s words were straightforward, but when Xie Qiao heard it, she knew that it was a bad idea.


    If he were to marry a wife regardless of the other party¡¯s status, the person who entered the family would be the madam of the family. How could he ignore her?


    Unless her father took in a concubine. That would be fine as the presence of the concubine would be lower.


    However, her mother had given her orders. He could remarry, but he was not allowed to take in a concubine. He could marry someone he liked, but he was not allowed to take in any concubines.


    Logically speaking, her mother should not have allowed her father to take in any more wives. However, after thinking about it carefully over the years, she could roughly understand her mother¡¯s intentions.


    He could only take one wife each time. The house would be rtively peaceful. However, if he got himself concubines¡­ Her father was unreliable. If he saw someone he liked, he might take a concubine every time he saw one. If he had a harem of concubines, that would be terrible.


    Xie Niushan snorted. ¡°I¡¯m marrying a wife, not taking in concubines. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you perform divination for Father to see what kind of wife he will marry in the future?¡± Xie Pinggang thought for a moment and asked Xie Qiao.


    When he said that, Xie Niushan and the others stared at her.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mind was in a mess. When he thought of his sister¡¯s mysterious appearance today, he felt that his sister seemed to have a secret.


    The reason why he thought so was that his eldest sister had changed a lot.


    Sometimes she was especially gentle, and sometimes she was not. Now, he felt that he could not see through her when he looked at her. It was strange. Of course, the strangest thing was the shop that sold things for the deceased. When his eldest sister was in the shop, it was as if¡­


    It was as if she was in her own home. She did not care about the things in the shop at all. She did not even look at them¡­


    Even if she knew the boss, she should not be so impolite, right?


    Xie Pinghuai could not figure it out.


    Meanwhile, Xie Qiao turned her head to look at her father and said casually, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you keep a dog? It¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes widened.


    However, Xie Pinggang grinned and said, ¡°Elder Sister, are you saying that he won¡¯t marry anyone?¡±


    ¡°Three is enough. It¡¯s already quite miserable for others to have two wives in their entire lives. Yet, you want to marry the fourth one. Father, let the women go. Life is hard.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was t, it was as if the doctor had diagnosed a terminal illness..

 Chapter 816 - Not Sure if She Could Get the Cost Back

    <h4>Chapter 816: Not Sure if She Could Get the Cost Back</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan felt a chill in his heart.


    He did not want to marry one wife after another, did he? If it were not for the short lives of the first two wives and the dishonesty of Ms. Lu, he would have been quite satisfied with just one wife!


    ¡°Then why did you say that our father has good luck in love?¡± Xie Pinggang was secretly relieved.


    At his age, he had not married a wife yet. It would be strange if he feltfortable watching his father marrying one woman after another.


    Xie Qiao drank a mouthful of sweet soup and slowly swallowed it. Then, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s just luck in love. Father has it, and so do you. There¡¯s nothing strange about it. I haven¡¯t seen Father for a long time, so I just casually chatted with him.¡±


    Did she think that just because her father had luck in love, someone would marry him?


    That was impossible.


    Her father probably would not be able to find another wife in this lifetime. He did not have that fate.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made our father happy for nothing.¡± Xie Pinggangughed out loud. Then, he raised his cup and faced Xie Niushan. ¡°Father! I¡¯ll drink to you. Come, let¡¯s drink!¡±


    Xie Niushan was angry. ¡°I¡¯ve married several wives. Who cares! Unlike you, brat. People your age have children running around in the house. What about you? Hah, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to hold a grandson!¡±


    The father and son did not want to tolerate each other, and they did not like each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely have a family before Eldest Brother. Father, when the timees, I¡¯ll give birth to a son for you to y with.¡± Xie Pinghuai thought about it and started to tter.


    He had to make his eldest brother ufortable.


    If he could not beat his eldest brother, how could he lose to him in currying favor?


    As long as he ttered his eldest brother and eldest sister more, perhaps in the future, the family assets would all be given to him. When that time came, his eldest brother would have nothing and be a small official. With that little sry, he would not be able to marry a wife!


    Right! His eldest brother would not be able to marry a wife!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Eldest Brother, it doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t marry a wife. Don¡¯t be worried if you don¡¯t have children in the future. At most, I¡¯ll have a few more children. When you die in the future, I¡¯ll get my son to mourn for you!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was overjoyed.


    It was impossible for him to seed. No matter what, his eldest brother had worked hard all his life. If he did not have a child to inherit his legacy, then everything he had was for Xie Pinghuai¡¯s son!


    How wonderful!


    Xie Pinghuai thought he had found hope in his life.


    Finally, there was one thing that he was better than his eldest brother!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s excitement came very quickly, however, Xie Pinggang snorted andughed. ¡°If you can have children, then you should have more and start a family early. When you have a son, you can be considered to have a sessor. Then, it doesn¡¯t matter if you live.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai red at him. Although he was angry, his expression was still rather cowardly.


    Xie Qiao and Xie Xi sat there. It was as if time had passed peacefully.


    The three men did not like each other and were about to fight with their des.


    As for Xie Xi, she was even more confused. After all, she had just been possessed by a ghoul. At this moment, her body was still a little weak. Her small face was pale as if she had lost too much blood.


    However, she did not know that she had been possessed by a ghoul. Up until now, Xie Qiao had only said that she was too tired from managing the house and had fainted.


    Xie Xi did not speak at this moment, but she was actually letting her imagination run wild.


    Recently, she seemed to like singing¡­


    She had even spent money to get the steward to buy a few pipa and zither!


    Now, she did not want to learn anymore¡­ If these things were taken to a pawn shop, she did not know if she could get the cost back. She was truly worried¡­


    As the family chatted, Xie Niushan suddenly remembered something. He said, ¡°My godson¡¯s wife-to-be has already arrived in the capital. The elders of his n have alsoe. They are preparing to hold a wedding. Remember to prepare a generous gift.¡±


    Not only did he have to give gifts, he had to attend the ceremony as well..

 Chapter 817 - Face of Longevity

    <h4>Chapter 817: Face of Longevity</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s marriage was rather special. His wife-to-be had already been sent to him. If they did not get married, it would not be appropriate for them to live under the same roof.


    Therefore, they had to get married as soon as possible.


    Xie Qiao did not need to get involved in this matter. She was a singledy. She should not attend such an event in the first ce.


    When Xie Xi heard that they were going to give an expensive gift, she nodded painfully.


    July was not suitable for marriage, so Wen Lancheng¡¯s marriage was set for August.


    His wife-to-be¡¯s name was Feng Yingying, and she did not know anyone in the capital. Xie Niushan was good to his godson, so he said that he would take care of Feng Yingying. Of course, he would make Xie Qiao and Feng Yingying good friends to help this youngdy pass time.


    He even asked Wen Lancheng to bring Feng Yingying into the residence directly.


    Xie Qiao was painting at home, preparing to sell it to make some money.


    The money would be of great use.


    It was mainly to support her two masters.


    After being away from the Water Moon Temple for so long, she estimated that the temple¡¯s funding was running out. She had to save some money for the old man¡¯s retirement. Also, she did not know when her teacher, Li Shiyan, would arrive in the capital. As the eldest disciple, she had to prepare a generous gift. She could not be outdone by her junior brothers.


    After thinking about it, Xie Qiao felt a little sad.


    She had made quite a lot of money previously. However, she had saved up for her younger siblings, bought medicine for herself, and used some of it for other things. After spending them on all the misceneous things, there was not much left!


    Xie Qiao felt a pang of heartache.


    ¡°Young Lady, Master said that Young Lady Feng has arrived.¡± Chun Er could not bear to disturb Xie Qiao¡¯s painting. Seeing that she had been in a daze for a while, she decided to tell her that.


    Feng Yingying¡¯s letter had arrived two days earlier. That was why Xie Qiao was waiting at home today.


    Wen Lancheng had officially acknowledged her father as his godfather, so Xie Qiao had to meet her god-sister-inw.


    Moreover, Xie Qiao herself was quite curious about Feng Yingying and was willing to make more friends.


    ¡°Go and invite Master Yu over. Let¡¯s meet Feng Yingying together.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and thought it would be a little awkward if she was the only one talking to Feng Yingying.


    She did not know how to talk about family matters. If she was not careful, she was afraid that the conversation would involve ghouls and physiognomy. It would be terrible if she scared the youngdy.


    Chun Er was very happy. She loved to see the youngdy talking andughing with other little youngdies. She would look very energetic.


    The people in the family already knew Yu Xian¡¯s identity. However, she was a martial arts master after all. It was more convenient for her to dress as a man in the residence.


    Now that she was invited by Xie Qiao, Yu Xian came out of the courtyard to meet the guest.


    When she arrived at the hall and saw Feng Yingying, her eyes lit up.


    What a plump youngdy, she was so adorable!


    Unfortunately, she was also a guest, so it was inappropriate to be overly enthusiastic.


    Xie Qiao only took a nce at Feng Yingying, not daring to look too much.


    However, even with just a nce, she could tell that this youngdy was blessed with good fortune. She had a pair of crescent-shaped eyebrows, and the ends of her eyebrows pointed to the sky. She would bless her husband in the imperial court, and there was peace on her face. Moreover, it was a rare face of longevity.


    Feng Yingying was young, only 16 years old. She was slightly plumper than Xie Qiao. Her cheeks blushed, and there was some nervousness in her eyes. However, it could be seen that she was a bold person.


    As for Wen Lancheng¡­


    He subconsciously nced at Xie Qiao.


    Then, he quickly shifted his gaze over. ¡°Ms. Ying hasn¡¯t been in the capital for long, and she hasn¡¯t seen anything yet¡­ I¡¯m busy, so I can¡¯t be showing her around. I can only trouble Eldest Sister to take care of her..¡±

 Chapter 818 - Making Friends

    <h4>Chapter 818: Making Friends</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was actually Wen Lancheng¡¯s first time meeting Xie Qiao. He had only heard of her before.


    Even if he wanted to ask for her hand in marriage, he did not have the time to do so.


    It was impossible for him to not have any regrets.


    However, he was not someone who could not let go.


    Young Lady Xie was now the future Princess Consort, and he was her god-brother. As her god-brother, he definitely could not have any inappropriate thoughts. Moreover, the n had already chosen a good match for him, so the regrets he had earlier were long gone.


    It was only because he had always been curious about Young Lady Xie, that at this moment, he could not help but take another look at her.


    ¡°Yingying greets Sister Xie, and¡­¡± Feng Yingying took another curious look at Yu Xian, not knowing who it was.


    Could he be the Xie family¡¯s first young master that Brother Wen had mentioned?


    It did not seem like it, because over the past few days, she had heard from the servants that the Xie family¡¯s first young master was fierce, and he had a frightening demeanour.


    Meanwhile, this young master in front of her was quite good-looking. He was even a little feminine and somewhat androgynous.


    ¡°My name is Yu Xian, and I¡¯m this family¡¯s martial arts master.¡± Yu Xian was very straightforward and smiled at Feng Yingying with an especially bright smile. However, she was wearing men¡¯s clothes after all, so she looked a little lecherous.


    Feng Yingying¡¯s face was flushed and she felt a little uneasy. Yu Xian suddenly thought of the clothes she was wearing and sighed. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m a woman. I¡­ wear these clothes because it¡¯s convenient.¡±


    When she said that, Feng Yingying heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Greetings, Sister Yu.¡±


    Seeing her bow, Yu Xian felt helpless and returned the bow awkwardly.


    ¡°I still have something important to do¡­¡± Wen Lancheng nced at Feng Yingying, ¡°You can tour around the city with Young Lady Xie and Master Yu. In the evening, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. Also¡­ It must be tiring for Eldest Sister and Master Yu today. All the expenses for today will be taken care of by me. If Eldest Sister likes anything nice, feel free to buy it. Don¡¯t worry. It will be considered a gift from your brother.¡±


    Xie Qiao finally understood why Xie Niushan kept bragging about Wen Lancheng.


    This person¡­ was simply doing his utmost to be polite.


    He spoke in a neither hurried nor slow manner. His expression was genial. When she took a nce at him, one word came to her,¨Celegance.


    ¡°Thank you, God-brother.¡± He was being nice, so Xie Qiao epted it politely.


    Only then did Wen Lancheng feel at ease to leave. He did not need to go to Hanlin Academy today, but he had an appointment with the Crown Prince, Xie Pinggang, and the others. He still had other matters to attend to.


    He left in a hurry.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment, then she got someone to prepare a carriage. She was going to take Feng Yingying out for a stroll.


    Yu Xian naturally followed along.


    The three of them went together to the most bustling street in the capital. Yu Xian also changed into a woman¡¯s outfit.


    Yu Xian¡¯s appearance could not be considered extremely beautiful, but it was unforgettable. She had a heroic demeanour in her, and her pair of phoenix-like eyes were especially cold and spirited. She had a valiant bearing that was simply iparable to that of a man!


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve worn such exquisite clothes. It¡¯s really awkward. It¡¯s better to be a man. I don¡¯t have to worry about walking. Unlike now, where I always feel like my left foot is tied to my right foot.¡± Most of the time, they traveled by carriage, but on the street, it was better to walk.


    There were many people on the street, and the carriages were stuck in the traffic.


    ¡°Left foot tying your right foot¡­¡± Xie Qiao lowered her head and looked at the ghoul tying a rope around Yu Xian¡¯s ankle, feeling a little helpless.


    There were too many mischievous ghouls on the street, so¡­


    Yu Xian thought she could not walk, but that there was actually a ghoul ying a trick on her.


    However, it was verymon.


    For instance¡­


    Xie Qiao nced at a little girl not far away who could not help but sneeze.. In front of her was a ghoul with a feather in his hand, scratching her nose¡­

 Chapter 819 - Ridicule

    <h4>Chapter 819: Ridicule</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    This kind of ghoul did not have much of an impact. It would only pull a prank that would not harm a person¡¯s life or fortune at most.


    Xie Qiao only turned a blind eye to it.


    The ghoul under Yu Xian¡¯s feet yed around for a while before removing the rope.


    It took the red rope and tied it around the wrists of a man and a woman. The two were not very close, but because of the red rope, they subconsciously looked at each other.


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up, and the woman lowered her head shyly.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes.


    Apart from the god of marriage, those who connected lovers could also be a lonely soul.


    Xie Qiao was watching when a carriage came from the road.


    The carriage passed through the body of a living person, and there were a few paper figures floating beside the carriage. It looked extremely strange.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, what are you looking at? You are stunned.¡± Yu Xian was about to raise her feet and enter the shop next to her, but she saw Xie Qiao standing still.


    Xie Qiao snapped back to her senses and said, ¡°Nothing. The market is quite lively. How amazing.¡±


    What she found amazing was not the market, but the ghost carriage that she had seen just now.


    There was a male spirit sitting on the ghost carriage. Before she could see what it looked like, the carriage had left.


    ¡°When I came to the capital city, I was also dazzled by the prosperity of this ce. But at that time, I didn¡¯t even have money to eat, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to take a good look around.¡± Yu Xian felt a little regretful. Her family business had been taken away by her uncle. Otherwise, if she saw anything now, with a wave of her hand, she would be able to purchase everything!


    Shopping with these two beautiful girls without money, she really felt that she had embarrassed them.


    The three of them went to a flower and fruit shop. There were fresh fruits and snacks made of flowers and fruits, and the sweet smell was pleasing to the nose.


    Feng Yingying liked sweet things. She could not take her eyes off these things.


    She liked them, so she looked a little charmed at the moment. However, since she was not married yet, she was too embarrassed to use the dowry that her family had prepared for her. Therefore, she only dared to buy a little of these things. It was also to save money for Wen Lancheng.


    Yu Xian had a lot of money, but she had to save it for her retirement.


    Xie Qiao¡­ was even more stingy.


    It was fine to buy two pieces of fruit snacks to taste the freshness. After all, they did not taste as good as Chun Er¡¯s.


    The three of them took their time, but in the end, they did not buy much. Someone was chuckling next to them.


    Xie Qiao and the other two looked at each other.


    Yu Xian was more direct. She stared at the youngdy and asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°The things in this shop are a little expensive. If you want to buy cheap things, you shouldn¡¯te to this street. You should go to the market on Third West Street.¡± The youngdy smiled sweetly at Yu Xian.


    Xie Qiao nced at them and realized there were three of them.


    However, the difference was that the three youngdies were dressed very luxuriously, so their families must be well-off.


    In the capital city, there were many high-ranking officials, and the number of people Xie Qiao had seen could be counted on one hand.


    Even in the Royal Academy, there were many wealthy youngdies in ss Qian and ss Kun.


    ¡°We bought too little?¡± Yu Xian heard the other party¡¯s words and was stunned at first. Then she looked at the shopkeeper and said, ¡°Really? There¡¯s a minimum spend here?¡±


    The shopkeeper was embarrassed.


    He did not know how to answer that.


    In business, everyone who came in was wee.


    However¡­


    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s just that¡­ People would usually buy more. For instance, this Young Lady Zhao is a big spender and she¡¯s a regr customer¡­¡± the shopkeeper braced himself and said.


    Although this Young Lady Zhao¡¯s identity was extraordinary, how would anyone with a low statuse to this street?

 Chapter 820 - Hard Sell

    <h4>Chapter 820: Hard Sell</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao did not have any reaction. The three of them were not people who liked to cause trouble.


    When they heard the shopkeeper¡¯s words, they thought for a moment and put down the things they were going to buy.


    Since they did not wee those who bought less, they would just leave. It was not the only shop that sold flowers and fruits. The three of them were not people who liked to fuss over things.


    Xie Qiao and Feng Yingying were soft. Yu Xian was used to being the ¡°boss¡± since she was young, so she stood out and said, ¡°Alright then. The items are here. We are leaving. Thank you for your reminder.¡±


    As she said that, she turned around and was about to leave.


    ¡°Wait.¡± However, behind her, Young Lady Zhao spoke again, ¡°The shopkeeper has already packed them for you. How can you put them back?¡±


    Hearing those words, even if Yu Xian and the others were fools, they could feel that the other party was a little hostile.


    Feng Yingying became even more nervous. She carefully tugged at Xie Qiao¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen her before¡­


    ¡°That day¡­ when Brother Wen went to the city gate to pick me up, this youngdy was watching from not too far away,¡± Feng Yingying added.


    She had just entered the city at that time and thought it was a little suspicious. However, she was too embarrassed to ask Wen Lancheng, so she suppressed her thoughts.


    She just did not expect to meet her here today, and¡­


    The other party¡¯s gaze was very straightforward and a little piercing.


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s Wen Lancheng¡¯s unwanted lover.¡± Xie Qiao sighed lightly.


    ¡°So we can¡¯t buy it or put it back?¡± Yu Xian frowned. ¡°There are so many rules. Does your family know how to run a business? Why don¡¯t you put up a sign outside?¡±


    The shopkeeper felt helpless. They did not have such rules!


    However¡­


    ¡°This is Prince Yong Lin¡¯s daughter¡­¡± As such, he should be careful.


    A rtive of the royal family?


    Xie Qiao looked at the other party in surprise and did not look at her carefully. She did not have much feelings about her.


    Yu Xian knew that there were many people in the capital that were not to be trifled with. Behind her, Young Lady Xie was not in good health, and Young Lady Feng was a neer, so she should not stir trouble.


    She was older, so it would be terrible for the two youngerdies to step forward to talk this through. Thus, she asked politely, ¡°What is the minimum spend for each customer?¡±


    The shopkeeper looked at Young Lady Zhao.


    When Young Lady Zhao heard that, she smiled.


    ¡°For my sake today, let¡¯s forget about it. It¡¯s just some snacks. We don¡¯t have to force the three of you to buy many things,¡± Young Lady Zhao said with a smile.


    She just wanted to see what kind of person Feng Yingying was.


    Now, she saw her through.


    She was not bad-looking. Her round, tiny face was quite likable, but she did not have the courage to call the shots.


    If Feng Yingying knew what Young Lady Zhao was thinking, she would be shocked.


    Call the shots?


    She had not married Wen Lancheng yet!


    She did not have a home in the capital city. Now that she was going out with the future Princess Consort, who would she dare to call the shots for?!


    ¡°It¡¯s just some snacks. Why must you hard sell? Are you out of your mind to ask us to buy everything in the shop?¡± Yu Xian could not figure it out. She looked at Xie Qiao while tilting her head and said, ¡°How about¡­ I ask my cousin about this shop? Is this an unscrupulous shop?¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±


    Young Lady Zhao did not take Yu Xian seriously. She only stared at Feng Yingying.


    However, there was a pair of eyes behind Young Lady Zhao, and she could not help but keep looking at Yu Xian.


    The more she looked at her, the more familiar she looked. She thought she had seen her somewhere before, but she could not remember where¡­


    As for Xie Qiao, no one was looking at her.


    She had been quietly lowering her head, and her presence was too low. Even if she was good-looking, she could not attract the attention of others.


    ¡°You are¡­ Young Lady Feng, right?¡± Young Lady Zhao went straight to the point, ¡°My father really admires Wen Lancheng. I heard that you¡¯re from his hometown. Now that we¡¯ve met, why don¡¯t¡­. I treat you to some good food today?¡±

 Chapter 821 - We are Family

    <h4>Chapter 821: We are Family</h4>


    Feng Yingying was quite innocent.


    What was going on? What Prince Yong Lin¡¯s daughter said sounded too ufortable.


    It was not like she could not feel the contempt. Moreover, she was not from a family of high status, but it was not like she had never eaten good food. Why would she want this person to treat her?


    ¡°Thank you, Princess. It¡¯s just that I have friends with me, so it¡¯s inconvenient for me to ept the invitation. I hope you will forgive me.¡± Feng Yingying did not panic.


    ¡°You mean other guests are more important than me?¡± Zhao Jialing smiled, but what she said made people very ufortable.


    Xie Qiao had been listening to the lectures from the maid servants in the pce recently, so she knew a thing or two about the members of the royal family.


    Prince Yong Lin was the same as Prince Ning Bei. They were both cousins of the current Emperor, and they were also highly regarded. In the royal family, they had a greater say.


    The Emperor¡¯s attitude toward Prince Yong Lin¡¯s family was ratherplicated.


    The grandfather of Young Lady Zhao in front of her was the old imperial uncle who had dragged an elementary schr all over the streets back then.


    The old prince was a trifler, but his sons were quite capable, especially the eldest son. He had grown up together with the Emperor and had a deep rtionship with him.


    However, for the sake of an elementary schr, the Emperor had killed his imperial uncle. Naturally, he felt extremely guilty toward his good brother.


    After treating Prince Yong Lin coldly for three years, he began topensate him who had inherited the throne.


    Most of the princes of the current dynasty had to go to the fiefdoms.


    Even if they did not go to the fiefdoms, they were arranged by the Emperor to go to various ces to be provincial governors or something.


    Prince Yong Lin was also arranged to be a provincial governor in a city near the capital as his official position. Most of his family members stayed in the capital and would receive generous rewards every year and during the festivals. The Emperor attached great importance to this position.


    The two direct daughters of Prince Yong Lin had been conferred the title of princess when they were young. They were even often summoned to the pce to apany the empress.


    Therefore, Zhao Jialing could be considered the empress¡¯ half-daughter.


    When she had learned the rules from the granny, the granny had also reminded her that this person was someone from the royal family that she had to pay more attention to.


    At this moment, Feng Yingying was in a dilemma.


    Seeing this, Xie Qiao naturally could not pretend not to see it.


    ¡°Maybe you are right. I am indeed more important than you.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was calm. ¡°If you want to have a meal with Young Lady Feng, it¡¯s better to go to the Wen family another day to send a formal invitation. You can¡¯t take her away from me just like that.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhao Jialing frowned.


    She had seen Feng Yingying on the street today, so she had waited here in advance.


    Every youngdy who went shopping on this street woulde in to have a look at this flower and fruit shop.


    Zhao Jialing could not be med for not recognizing Xie Qiao. It was true that Xie Qiao had only been in the academy for nearly a year.


    She would not go to the academy every day. Even if she went to school, she attended sses in the Orchid Courtyard, which was ss Sun. However, Zhao Jialing was in ss Qian. They even made an exception for a princess like her to enrol in the academy!


    However, she was not a student. She only went once every ten days or half a month. Therefore, she did not know much about the academy.


    ¡°My surname is Xie,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Xie?¡± Zhao Jialing frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your surname is¡­¡±


    Before she finished her sentence, Young Lady Zhou behind tugged at Zhao Jialing¡¯s clothes. ¡°Princess, I heard that Master Wen¡¯s god-father is Master Xie Niushan, so this youngdy¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that she¡¯s the future Princess Consort¡­¡±


    She was not to be trifled with.


    Zhao Jialing¡¯s expression changed. ¡°So we¡¯re family. I¡¯ll pay for the items that Young Lady Xie took a fancy to just now.¡±


    She immediately signalled the shopkeeper as she spoke.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re family, Sister Xie wouldn¡¯t minding with us, right? I grew up by the Empress¡¯ side, so I know a lot about the Crown Prince.¡± Zhao Jialing smiled at Xie Qiao. She looked so pure..

 Chapter 822 - No Time to Play Along

    <h4>Chapter 822: No Time to y Along</h4>


    Zhao Jialing thought it was quite obvious what she meant.


    The Empress loved her very much. As the future wife of the Crown Prince, she should at least curry favor with her sister-inw, right?


    Even if she did not bother to curry favor, she should at least want to inquire about the Crown Prince¡¯s preferences.


    She liked Wen Lancheng. Since the Xie family had such a good rtionship with the Wen family, then Xie Qiao should help her even more. They were family, so it was not good for her to be on Feng Yingying¡¯s side, a person who knew nothing.


    Xie Qiao saw the fake smile on the youngdy¡¯s face and really did not want to waste her time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with you, so I don¡¯t have time to y along,¡± Xie Qiao said concisely.


    Zhao Jialing was stunned for a moment, then she thought about what Xie Qiao was talking about!


    No time¡­ to y along?


    Suddenly, her face turned red. It was not known whether she was embarrassed or angry.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, you and Young Lady Feng have only known each other for a short time, right? Are you looking down on me?¡± Zhao Jialing said proudly.


    She was more polite to her given that she was the future Princess Consort. Did she really think that she was someone important?


    Everyone knew that although Xie Qiao was the Princess Consort, she would notst long. If she was unlucky, she might die of illness before she married the Crown Prince!


    Even if she married the Crown Prince, how many years could she live?


    Three to five years, what could she do with that?


    With her current body, she might not even be able to give birth to a child. She might not even be able to give the royal family any descendants. The Xie family would only have a better life in these two years. Once the Princess Consort died, they would definitely be neglected again.


    She did not even have this bit of self-awareness, yet she was still so indifferent to her?


    Xie Qiao had always not bothered about others since a long time ago. When she heard Zhao Jialing¡¯s words, she only said very calmly, ¡°It¡¯s good that the Princess is aware. Since you know your own limits, don¡¯t be disrespectful to others again.¡±


    With her current status, there was no need for her to lower her voice to a daughter of the imperial family.


    If she was to name one good thing about the Crown Prince, this was it.


    She was favored. There was no need for her to feel wronged.


    When Xie Qiao said that, the two people behind Zhao Jialing became nervous.


    Zhao Jialing was also very upset, but¡­ she really could not do anything to Xie Qiao!


    She could only watch Xie Qiao leave with Feng Yingying without even turning back to look at her!


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ve long heard that Young Lady Xie has a cold personality and rarely interacts with others.¡± Young Lady Zhou who was behind her said carefully.


    Zhao Jialing heard it and snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t have tofort me. I¡¯ve more or less heard about her. She¡¯s very popr in the academy. How is she like an introvert who doesn¡¯t like to talk?¡±


    To put it bluntly, as the future Princess Consort, she looked down on her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be angry with her. I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future. But Feng Yingying¡­¡± Zhao Jialing was a little anxious. ¡°I heard that the wedding is happening in August¡­¡±


    It was only more than a month to go¡­


    If it was really decided, what would happen to her?


    ¡°But we can¡¯t make the decision on this marriage¡­ Why didn¡¯t you get His Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t mentioned it to my father?¡± Zhao Jialing rolled her eyes at Young Lady Zhou.


    The first time she saw Wen Lancheng was when he wandered the streets as the top scorer. She really took a fancy to him with that one nce, but at that time, she did not know what his character was like, so she did not dare to ask her parents to make the decision rashly.


    Later, she secretly asked around.


    Everyone in the industry said that he was great. She had created a chance encounter with him twice and he was indeed a gentleman.


    She thought they were both single, but she did not expect that Wen Lancheng actually had a future wife in his hometown!


    No matter how powerful her father was, he could not forcefully break people up¡­


    Therefore, even if she mentioned it to her father, his father ignored herpletely.. He even told her to give up this idea long ago!

 Chapter 823 - Bless the Family

    <h4>Chapter 823: Bless the Family</h4>


    Zhao Jialing was frustrated, she was unwilling.


    She was a princess, she could not stalk Feng Yingying, thatmoner, and watch her, could she?


    ¡°I¡¯ve met her and talked to her, what else can I do? In such a short time, unless the heavens take Feng Yingying¡¯s worthless life, with Master Wen¡¯s character, he would definitely marry her! Think of a solution for me¡­¡± Zhao Jialing led her people and settled at a quiet ce. She could not stop sighing.


    Young Lady Zhou had been a little distracted. She was not thinking about Feng Yingying and Xie Qiao, but another youngdy.


    That youngdy looked like someone¡­


    Who exactly did she look like?


    She could not remember¡­


    How could the youngdies around Zhao Jialing really think of a solution for her? Their arms were not that long, and they were not rted to Wen Lancheng, so they could not do anything about it even if they wanted to!


    However, they could not just stay quiet. After thinking about it, they thought of the Crown Prince. ¡°His Highness the Crown Prince is Master Wen¡¯s savior. Why don¡¯t you ask him? If His Highness agrees¡­ This Feng Yingying isn¡¯t from a family of high status. She could be a concubine, but it¡¯s indeed too much for her to be matched as Master Wen¡¯s wife.¡±


    Zhao Jialing¡¯s eyes lit up.


    However, she also had someplicated feelings.


    When she was young, the Crown Prince treated her well. At that time, she often went to the pce and received many good gifts from the Crown Prince.


    However, ever since she grew up, the Crown Prince treated her no differently from other people.


    Nevertheless¡­ It was a method. How would she know if it would work if she did not try?


    Zhao Jialing¡¯s hope rose again.


    After Xie Qiao left the flower and fruit shop, she took them to a theater to watch the show.


    She observed Feng Yingying and found that this youngdy¡¯s mentality was not bad. She was actually able to handle a strong enemy like the princess.


    ¡°Young Lady Yingying, this princess doesn¡¯t look bad. I¡¯m afraid that Master Wen has seen her before. Haven¡¯t you heard him mention her before?¡± Yu Xian thought this youngdy might be a little silly.


    She did not feel anything after being bullied.


    ¡°He did. Lancheng said that I will definitely be a good wife in the future. He doesn¡¯t seek power or wealth when he marries a wife. What he wants is for the future generations to be stable and prosperous. He said that I will bless the family.¡± Feng Yingying was a little more open now, her words were also a lot more straightforward.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You indeed have the fate of blessing your husband.¡± Xie Qiao nodded and agreed with her words.


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s taste was quite good.


    Feng Yingying smirked. ¡°Young Lady Xie, you are also good-looking. People say that you won¡¯t live long. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. When I was in my hometown, I saw patients who were really sick to death. They were different from you.¡±


    People who were about to die did not have such bright eyes.


    No matter how good-looking they were, after being tortured by illness for years and being threatened by death, their eyes would definitely be dimmed.


    However, Young Lady Xie was different. Her eyes made people feel especiallyfortable.


    Xie Qiao thought Feng Yingying would be a great student to learn from her.


    ¡°With your good words, I will definitely live a long life.¡± Xie Qiao was in a good mood.


    She would definitely work hard!


    The theater was quite lively. It was an elegant garden, and there were many women who came to watch the show.


    It was Yu Xian¡¯s first timeing to such a ce. She was looking around.


    She did not know what the babbling was about, but she thought it was a good ce with snacks served. Moreover, there were people ying with spears on the stage. Although it was a show, it was better than nothing.


    While she was enjoying it leisurely, she heard Xie Qiao say, ¡°Master Yu, I think the board above is going to fall off.¡±


    Yu Xian was stunned and looked up. ¡°Isn¡¯t it tied with hemp rope? It¡¯s quite sturdy.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    It was tied with a hemp rope, but there was a group of ghouls squatting on it, sawing the rope..

 Chapter 824 - Stir Up Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 824: Stir Up Trouble</h4>


    Yu Xian raised her head and stared at the thing on the stage. She did not see anything wrong with it. At most¡­ the wind was a little strong and it was a little shaky?


    However¡­


    It was an indoor room!


    Where did the winde from?! Yu Xian was a little suspicious. Then she looked at Xie Qiao and said, ¡°Is it really going to fall? It can¡¯t be, right? Why don¡¯t I call the shopkeeper over and evacuate the people on the stage?¡±


    Xie Qiao thought the shopkeeper would not agree to do that.


    However, she had to give it a try, so she nodded and waved at an attendant.


    Yu Xian did not really believe that it would fall off, but Xie Qiao was a youngdy, so there was no reason for her to joke about it.


    ¡°Ladies, what can I get for you?¡± The attendant asked with a ttering look.


    Yu Xian pointed at the board hanging above and said, ¡°That thing is going to fall off. Can you ask the shopkeeper to stop the show on the stage?¡±


    The attendant was a little dumbfounded.


    The board above was not particrly useful, but it was necessary. It was mainly used to put some items, such as flower petals and satin. When needed, it would pour and create a sense of beauty.


    Their theater garden was able to prosper here because of its creativity.


    Apart from those famous operas, there were asionally other performances.


    ¡°Um¡­dies, that board¡­ looks quite sturdy, so I¡¯m afraid this show¡­ can¡¯t be stopped¡­¡± the attendant looked troubled.


    ¡°Get your shopkeeper here,¡± Xie Qiao said directly.


    The attendant could not call the shots, so he quickly went to get the shopkeeper.


    When the shopkeeper arrived, he was very respectful and polite. ¡°Ladies, you are worrying too much. I have checked just now. The rope above is very sturdy, so nothing will happen. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled obsequiously.


    ¡°Human lives are at stake. Can¡¯t you stop the show for a little while?¡± Yu Xian asked.


    Of course, she knew that making money was important. The other party would not let go easily.


    ¡°Ladies, this is really not possible. You are also here to watch the show. Naturally, you know that our theater took money from the guests for every show. No matter what, the show must go on. We must not only perform half of the show¡­ This is also a matter of credibility.¡± The shopkeeper smiled.


    Those who came to watch the y were not people whocked money. They just enjoyed watching it. If the y stopped halfway, could the theater business survive in the future?


    Of course, the most important thing was that the words of these three youngdies were not reliable, right?


    The rope above was tightly tied. There was not a single problem. How was it going to break?


    It was absolutely impossible to lose customers for this ridiculous matter.


    As the shopkeeper spoke, he seemed to think that the three youngdies were dissatisfied with the theater garden, so they deliberately created some trouble, then, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the attendant to send two more pastries over in a while. If there are any shorings, I hope the three youngdies will bear with us!¡±


    With that, the shopkeeper left.


    ¡°Does this shopkeeper think that we¡¯re here to stir up trouble?¡± Yu Xian grinned. ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m not docile enough to hold the two of you back?¡±


    ¡°What should we do now? If they don¡¯t believe us, we can¡¯t force them, right? But¡­ the board above is quite big. If it really falls¡­¡± Feng Yingying nced above. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that someone will die, right?¡±


    ¡°What should we do? It¡¯s simple.¡± Yu Xian stood up and said, ¡°You two just stay here. Leave the rest to me!¡±


    She was different from Xie Qiao. She had no parents, no husband, and she was not even going to get married. She could do whatever she wanted without any shame!


    Besides, no one knew her, so it did not matter if she made a fuss..

 Chapter 825 - Unreasonable

    <h4>Chapter 825: Unreasonable</h4>


    After Yu Xian got up, she immediately stepped onto the stage.


    The performers on the stage were all shocked. They turned to look at the shopkeeper, who was also a little dumbfounded.


    ¡°Stop singing, please. This spear is so soft and weak. Go backstage. I¡¯ll teach you how to use a spear on the battlefield myself!¡± Yu Xian shouted and pushed the people behind her.


    Feng Yingying was stunned.


    Xie Qiao did not expect Yu Xian to be so direct. Not only did she want to chase them away, she also gave them the cold shoulder.


    They were actors who learned to sing. The weapon in their hands was not a real spear. It was already good enough for them to be able to perform with it!


    However, since Yu Xian had gotten onto the stage, it would be terrible for Xie Qiao to just sit there as she was also one of them.


    ¡°We need to step back a little more.¡± Xie Qiao also stood up and stared at those people. ¡°If anyone goes on stage again, I will ask my father toe here more often in the future and scare you to death.¡±


    The corner of Yu Xian¡¯s mouth twitched.


    The shopkeeper was anxious. ¡°What are you doing?! Youngdy, do you really think that there is no one behind our Hede Garden? If you dare to stir up trouble again, don¡¯t me me for calling someone to throw you out!¡±


    ¡°My father is Xie Niushan.¡± Xie Qiao stood there as if the wind would blow her over, but the words she said were extremely frightening.


    The shopkeeper¡¯s legs gave way, and he turned around to re at her.


    He was stunned for a moment.


    He gulped. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we did wrong here, but I will definitely prepare a gift to your residence to apologize some other day. It¡¯s just that my business¡­ I hope Young Lady Xie can be merciful!¡±


    He did not doubt Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    In this world, no youngdy dared to impersonate the future Princess Consort or the family member of the Princess Consort.


    He worked in Hede Garden, and among the people he dealt with every day, there was nock of high officials and nobles. Even if it was someone who wore in clothes, he would try his best to be polite. If he was not sure of their identity, he usually did not dare to offend anyone.


    Unless, Hede Garden was in the right.


    ¡°They¡¯ve sung for too long. I just want them to rest, can¡¯t I?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was like a clear spring, and it did not sound warm.


    The other guests in the garden were also a little unhappy.


    This youngdy said that her father was Xie Niushan, so there was no need to guess who she was.


    It was said that the future Princess Consort was very talented and kind, but now that they looked at her¡­ She was simply unreasonable. The actors on stage were singing well, but she actually started to make a scene. It was really unreasonable!


    The shopkeeper looked helpless and secretly grumbled. After holding it in for a while, he only dared to say, ¡°I wonder how long Young Lady Xie will let them rest?¡±


    ¡°Until the thing above them fall.¡± Xie Qiao looked calm.


    Not to mention the shopkeeper, even Yu Xian thought Xie Qiao¡¯s words were oppressive, but¡­


    There must be a reason!


    ¡°Young Lady Xie¡­ it¡¯s difficult for us to run a business here. I beg you to be merciful¡­¡±


    Bang! Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly heard a loud sound. He looked at the stage and saw that the board that had been hanging above his head had really fallen down and hit the center of the stage!


    Yu Xian happened to push the actors in the courtyard somewhere else.


    The thing had fallen next to their feet. It was close!


    The shopkeeper was a little stunned, and the other customers were all shocked.


    Yu Xian¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It fell, it fell. It really did fall, didn¡¯t it? See, why would Young Lady Xie? One, two, three. The three of you got your lives back. Aren¡¯t you going to thank Young Lady Xie?¡±


    Yu Xian looked a little too happy the way she behaved.


    The stage had been smashed, how could they open for business today?

 Chapter 826 - Cannot Afford

    <h4>Chapter 826: Cannot Afford</h4>


    The three actors were also scared silly and stayed where they were, not daring to move.


    Xie Qiao raised her head and looked at the ghouls above her.


    There were quite many of them. After the thing fell, they actually ran out directly.


    Xie Qiao thought something was off about these ghouls, so she did not think too much about it. She immediately said, ¡°Master Yu, stay with Ms. Ying. I have something important¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go with you!¡± Yu Xian said immediately, ¡°With your body, what if something happens to you? My body is simr to a man¡¯s. If you need my help, just tell me.¡±


    Earlier, she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s expression change, but she did not know why.


    It was probably an important matter, so she could not let Xie Qiao go alone.


    Young Lady Xie had almost fainted when she was angered by Xie Pinghuai earlier¡­


    Yu Xian felt that Xie Qiao was like a snowke on an iceberg. She was beautiful and wless, but she was very fragile.


    With a light touch, she would break.


    Yu Xian did not bother to talk to the shopkeeper. She jumped through the wooden board and dragged Feng Yingying along with Xie Qiao.


    Inside the theater, everyone was confused. They had no idea what was going on¡­


    Since Yu Xian and Feng Yingying wanted to follow, Xie Qiao did not stop them.


    ¡°Your eyesight is amazing. You said that the wooden board would fall, and it did. I have a feeling that it would be very interesting for me to follow you today,¡± Yu Xian said in a reserved manner and scratched her head.


    She had been wandering around like a little boy since she was young. She could feel that what Xie Qiao wanted to do was definitely different from what an ordinary youngdy would do!


    Xie Qiao looked at her with a strange look. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not interesting, but scary. Do you want to follow me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I am not afraid of a youngdy like you¡­ I¡­ Of course I am not afraid.¡± Yu Xian was even more interested now.


    Shopping and watching a show in the garden was really¡­ boring.


    Now that Xie Qiao wanted to leave her and Feng Yingying to do other things, that was absolutely not possible.


    They had agreed that Young Lady Xie would apany them for a stroll today.


    Yu Xian was very determined.


    ¡°Alright, you can follow me.¡± Xie Qiao did not stop them.


    They followed behind the ghouls.


    There were seven or eight ghouls. They should not be old. They were all teenagers.


    After leaving the garden, they entered an antique shop in the blink of an eye. They touched the things and started sawing again.


    This time, they were sawing the shelf.


    The ghouls¡¯ tricks usually did not have much of an effect. At most, they would blow at people, making people feel itchy. There were only some minor effects.


    The ability of this saw was the same. It was not very strong, but it had some uses.


    It could really cut things bit by bit.


    Xie Qiao was not in a hurry. She just waited inside.


    The boss of this antique shop was a little unhappy, but he did not dare to say or ask. His eyes would nce at them from time to time.


    Yu Xian and Feng Yingying were even more confused.


    Perhaps it was because these seven or eight ghouls gathered together that the effect was strong. In less than twenty-five minutes, Xie Qiao looked at the thing that was being sawed. It was going to break.


    She said to the boss, ¡°Take down all the things on this shelf. I want to take a closer look.¡±


    The boss¡¯s eyelids trembled.


    Does this youngdy know how many things were on the shelf?!


    ¡°You want to look at all of them? Why don¡¯t you pick two, and I¡¯ll take them down first¡­¡± the boss looked quite pitiful.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°My eldest brother is an official at the criminal division. Are you suspecting that I can¡¯t afford it?¡±


    The moment the boss heard that it was the criminal division, he jolted. He did not dare to ask any more questions and immediately got someone to remove everything on the shelf.


    Creak¡­ Thud!

 Chapter 827 - Cripple

    <h4>Chapter 827: Cripple</h4>


    After the items were removed, they soon heard a sounding from the cab.


    When they looked again, they did not know why, but the cab leg was broken. The entire shelf lost its bnce and fell to the ground. The boss was so scared that he jumped!


    ¡°This is really¡­ strange.¡± Yu Xian was dumbfounded.


    Feng Yingying¡¯s tiny face turned pale. She did not know why, but she kept feeling that the surroundings were gloomy.


    They could clearly see that the cab was initially fine and there was not a single crack. Why did it suddenly break?!


    It was too strange. It was as if¡­ something invisible was harming people!


    Moreover, within a day, there were two simr incidents!


    ¡°Youngdy, youngdy, what do you fancy? I-I will give you a 30% discount!¡± The boss looked at the treasures that had escaped disaster and was about to cry.


    The items on the shelf were all very expensive, and they were all fragile items. If they fell, the loss would be more than ten thousand taels of silver!


    It was really not an exaggeration, these were all antiques!


    Some of them were even reserved by nobles!


    Even with a 50% discount¡­ Xie Qiao did not have money to buy them.


    The matter was settled, and they left without looking back.


    However, this time, the seven or eight ghouls did not wander around, but followed her. They were even chattering.


    ¡°She was the one who interfered just now. How did she know that we were going to break the thing this time?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that she could see us? I heard¡­that there¡¯s a very powerful master in the capital who canmunicate with both worlds¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brothers, I¡¯ve already asked around. That master is old. Look at this little beauty¡­ As for how she saw us¡­ it might be a coincidence, right? Some people are born sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Then are we still going around tricking people?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ follow her?¡±


    ¡± ¡­¡±


    With that said, the couple of ghouls surrounded them.


    One of them even took out a saw and said with a smile, ¡°How about we let her be a cripple?¡±


    The other ghouls nodded excitedly.


    A cripple who was also a beauty. When she walked, she would limp. That was really too interesting!


    A few ghouls were about to attack Xie Qiao¡¯s legs.


    However, when their hands touched her, their n failed immediately. Their entire bodies were thrown out.


    ¡°S-She is a monster! It hurts!¡± The eight ghouls were all frightened. They stared at Xie Qiao and were very angry.


    Xie Qiao was speechless. She was the victim!


    Monster? Who was that? Did they not know they were the monsters?


    They were the ones who sought death. What was there to be wronged by such a small injury? They even wanted to cripple her!


    ¡°I suddenly feel a little cold.¡± Feng Yingying rubbed her palms. ¡°It¡¯s a sunny day. Am I sick?¡±


    As she said that, she touched her head.


    She¡­ did not feel dizzy?


    ¡°Me too. Just now¡­ it was as if there was an ice cube in front of my eyes. It was much cooler, but it was also a little scary.¡± Yu Xian also felt that something was wrong.


    Thinking back to the strange scene just now, the two of them were a little uneasy. ¡°Young Lady, isn¡¯t it a little strange?¡±


    There were eight ghouls, and each of them had a different situation.


    One of them was covered in ice, and its entire body was covered in frost.


    The other one seemed to have been burned to death, and its entire body was a mush. The others were nothing better.


    ¡°I need to go back to the carriage to get something,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Not many people knew that Xie Qiao was proficient inmunicating with both worlds, but there were still some who knew. As long as she restrained herself on a daily basis, it would not be a problem.


    Under the current situation, Xie Qiao could not remain silent, which she directly exined, ¡°I grew up in a Taoist temple, so I have learned some skills. I can feel that there are ghouls around, so you will feel ufortable. The two incidents just now were done by them.¡±


    Feng Yingying was so scared that she had goosebumps!

 Chapter 828 - Go After Them!

    <h4>Chapter 828: Go After Them!</h4>


    Yu Xian was first shocked when she heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, but then she was actually somewhat suppressing her excitement as she said, ¡°I know that there are definitely filthy things in the world. Back then, when I came all the way to the capital city, I really encountered many strange things¡­


    ¡°So now¡­ Should we think of a way to capture them, or should we look for a master?¡± Yu Xian hurriedly asked again.


    She knew of a master. That master had guided her back then and allowed her to enter the Xie Residence.


    Unfortunately, that sage had disappeared in the blink of an eye and they had never met again.


    Xie Qiao revealed everything. Only then did she take out the talisman she had with her and cast one out.


    Those ghouls were not fools. When they heard Xie Qiao and the others chatting, they immediately ran away.


    The talisman seemed to have been blown away by the wind. It rose and fell on the ground, following the direction of the ghouls.


    After a few breaths, the pattern on the talisman seemed to havended on the ghoul¡¯s body. Only then did the yellow paper fall to the ground, not moving at all.


    With this talisman, she could find out where the ghoul had gone.


    It would be fine if she did not see ghouls like them who could do bad things. However, if she saw it and did not care, it would be bad for her.


    Since she had cultivated and learned the ability to capture souls, she could not just stand by and watch.


    ¡°These ghouls are in a special situation. I¡¯m going to keep a lookout and scout out the way first, then I¡¯ll think about how to deal with them,¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness.


    Sometimes, she would take action herself to deal with such a situation.


    However, it was different now. After scouting the way, she would bring Zhao Xuanjing along and nourish his dragon energy. In the future¡­


    It would be easy to make him yield if he became fat.


    With his insignificant amount of dragon energy now¡­ Tsk, it would be a little ineffective if she used it to inscribe talismans.


    Xie Qiao rubbed her nose with a serious look on her face.


    Yu Xian was not willing to let Xie Qiao go alone. She dragged Xie Qiao and refused to let go, insisting on going with her to take a look.


    Feng Yingying had never seen anything like ghouls. Even hearing about it gave her goosebumps. However, she braced herself and wanted to see the world.


    They went back to ride in the carriage. Xie Qiao held thepass in her hand and ¡°pointed¡± at the direction of thepass.


    They had actually left the city.


    They walked along the main road, and they were still moving.


    The carriage took nearly four hours to stop.


    To be honest, Xie Qiao did not expect it to be so far away.


    ¡°With the weather, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to make it back tonight¡­¡± Xie Qiao frowned. This was the trouble of capturing ghouls. There were too many variables. There was no problem for her and Yu Xian to sleep outdoors, but Feng Yingying¡­


    Wen Lancheng would probably be angry.


    Feng Yingying was also quite conflicted, but she did not have any intention of ming Xie Qiao.


    She was the one who wanted to follow them.


    ¡°It should be fine¡­ With Master Yu around, Lancheng should be more at ease¡­¡± Feng Yingying braced herself and said.


    It was impossible for her to be at ease.


    She had lived for so long and had never spent the night outside except when she was on her way to the capital.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to inform them.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment. She took out a brush and paper from the bamboo basket and wrote a letter. Then, she tied it to the saddle and patted the back of the horse. ¡°Go back the way I came. Go home to look for my father¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, are you sure it can understand you?!¡± Yu Xian could not help but be suspicious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it can understand thest part, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for it to go home.¡± Xie Qiao tried her best to be confident.


    After walking for two hours, she thought the situation was bad. However, since she had alreadye, it would be a wasted trip if she returned. Moreover, her talisman also had a time limit with its effect. She would definitely not be able to find these ghouls tomorrow.


    She had no choice but to keep going after them..


    <h4>Chapter 829: Done For</h4>


    It was actually not toote. It was not even dark yet.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage still had quite a lot of snacks and food inside, so they did not have to worry about going hungry.


    After letting the horse go, the three of them looked around while the coachman waited in ce.


    They had just entered the mountain path.


    There did not seem to be anything special about the mountain. There was only a sense of mist and thick clouds, which gave it an otherworldliness.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special about it.¡± Yu Xian looked around, then shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of it at all?¡±


    ¡°After the sun sets, it should be different.¡± Xie Qiao could feel a sense of danger.


    Before the sky turned dark, Xie Qiao took out a copper coin and began to perform divination.


    Yu Xian looked even more curious.


    Young Lady Xie could do this? This scene¡­


    Yu Xian could not help but think of that Taoist sage from back then. She was also like this, solemnly holding something and chanting¡­


    Right, their figures were almost the same, and their movements¡­ were exactly the same!


    Yu Xian kept thinking that something was strange.


    However, Xie Qiao was performing divination seriously, so she was too embarrassed to disturb her.


    Aftering over for a while, she tilted her head and said, ¡°Young Lady Xie, how is it?¡±


    Before she came to the capital, she would not have believed in fortune-telling. However, things were different now. When she saw this fortune-telling master, she could not help but feel a sense of respect for her!


    Those who knew fortune-telling were all amazing!


    Xie Qiao frowned and said, ¡°Not too good.¡±


    Not only was it bad, there would be a cmity.


    She was done for. She did not look at the almanac before heading out today. She was going to fail!


    It did not matter if she died on her own. There were also Feng Yingying and Yu Xian, two innocent youngdies. If they were killed because of her, she would not be reincarnated as a pig or a dog in her next life, right?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice. Then, she took out three stacks of talismans from the basket.


    Together with the coachman, each of them stuffed a stack of talismans into their arms.


    ¡°Keep them. Don¡¯t lose them. This ce is bad. There will be bad luck.¡± Xie Qiao was very solemn. Then, she pulled out a few red ropes from the bamboo basket. With some tricks in her hands, she weaved the red ropes into a strange shape and hung them on the carriage.


    Yu Xian could not understand it either.


    However, Xie Qiao looked serious, which scared the two of them.


    ¡°If it¡¯s too troublesome, we can leave now, right?¡± Yu Xian thought for a moment and asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get out. Do you believe it?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Humans and animals were different. Humans were more likely to bring bad luck, and their auras were moreplicated. If the horse went back alone, it would definitely have a smooth journey. However, if it brought people with it, it would probably have to circle around this ce.


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Yu Xian was curious, but there was no fear on her face.


    ¡°We bumped into that ghoul today, and our bodies are more or less stained with some bad luck. Therefore, as soon as we entered this ce, we should have been trapped. We can¡¯t leave for the time being.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment, and seeing that it was still early, she simply said, ¡°Leave this carriage for now. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Yu Xian nodded. It was still early anyway, so she would give it a try.


    Feng Yingying did not feel how terrifying the surroundings were, but she did not dare to say anything after hearing Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    Whatever the two sisters said, she would follow. She was very obedient.


    Yu Xian remembered that the path into the mountains was not too far away, so it should be quite easy to recognize it. She called the shots and led the way.


    Step by step, she moved toward the outside.


    However, after 30 minutes, she saw the carriage.


    Yu Xian was a little confused. She pointed in the direction she had been walking in and then pointed at the carriage. ¡°Are we¡­ lost?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Lost¡­ Hah, they were going in circles..

 Chapter 829 - Done For Translator: EndlessFantasy

    <h4>Chapter 829: Done For</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was actually not toote. It was not even dark yet.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage still had quite a lot of snacks and food inside, so they did not have to worry about going hungry.


    After letting the horse go, the three of them looked around while the coachman waited in ce.


    They had just entered the mountain path.


    There did not seem to be anything special about the mountain. There was only a sense of mist and thick clouds, which gave it an otherworldliness.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special about it.¡± Yu Xian looked around, then shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of it at all?¡±


    ¡°After the sun sets, it should be different.¡± Xie Qiao could feel a sense of danger.


    Before the sky turned dark, Xie Qiao took out a copper coin and began to perform divination.


    Yu Xian looked even more curious.


    Young Lady Xie could do this? This scene¡­


    Yu Xian could not help but think of that Taoist sage from back then. She was also like this, solemnly holding something and chanting¡­


    Right, their figures were almost the same, and their movements¡­ were exactly the same!


    Yu Xian kept thinking that something was strange.


    However, Xie Qiao was performing divination seriously, so she was too embarrassed to disturb her.


    Aftering over for a while, she tilted her head and said, ¡°Young Lady Xie, how is it?¡±


    Before she came to the capital, she would not have believed in fortune-telling. However, things were different now. When she saw this fortune-telling master, she could not help but feel a sense of respect for her!


    Those who knew fortune-telling were all amazing!


    Xie Qiao frowned and said, ¡°Not too good.¡±


    Not only was it bad, there would be a cmity.


    She was done for. She did not look at the almanac before heading out today. She was going to fail!


    It did not matter if she died on her own. There were also Feng Yingying and Yu Xian, two innocent youngdies. If they were killed because of her, she would not be reincarnated as a pig or a dog in her next life, right?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice. Then, she took out three stacks of talismans from the basket.


    Together with the coachman, each of them stuffed a stack of talismans into their arms.


    ¡°Keep them. Don¡¯t lose them. This ce is bad. There will be bad luck.¡± Xie Qiao was very solemn. Then, she pulled out a few red ropes from the bamboo basket. With some tricks in her hands, she weaved the red ropes into a strange shape and hung them on the carriage.


    Yu Xian could not understand it either.


    However, Xie Qiao looked serious, which scared the two of them.


    ¡°If it¡¯s too troublesome, we can leave now, right?¡± Yu Xian thought for a moment and asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get out. Do you believe it?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Humans and animals were different. Humans were more likely to bring bad luck, and their auras were moreplicated. If the horse went back alone, it would definitely have a smooth journey. However, if it brought people with it, it would probably have to circle around this ce.


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Yu Xian was curious, but there was no fear on her face.


    ¡°We bumped into that ghoul today, and our bodies are more or less stained with some bad luck. Therefore, as soon as we entered this ce, we should have been trapped. We can¡¯t leave for the time being.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment, and seeing that it was still early, she simply said, ¡°Leave this carriage for now. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Yu Xian nodded. It was still early anyway, so she would give it a try.


    Feng Yingying did not feel how terrifying the surroundings were, but she did not dare to say anything after hearing Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    Whatever the two sisters said, she would follow. She was very obedient.


    Yu Xian remembered that the path into the mountains was not too far away, so it should be quite easy to recognize it. She called the shots and led the way.


    Step by step, she moved toward the outside.


    However, after 30 minutes, she saw the carriage.


    Yu Xian was a little confused. She pointed in the direction she had been walking in and then pointed at the carriage. ¡°Are we¡­ lost?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Lost¡­ Hah, they were going in circles..

 Chapter 830 - They Deserve A Beating

    <h4>Chapter 830: They Deserve A Beating</h4>


    Yu Xian was a little confused. The ce was not that big, was it? They would not get lost, would they?


    On second thought, the flowers and nts in the wild looked different. Sometimes, when they walked, they would not be able to tell the north from the south. Perhaps they had recognized the wrong direction just now?


    ¡°You guys wait here. I¡¯ll go and scout the way first,¡± Yu Xian said after thinking for a while.


    Xie Qiao and Feng Yingying were not as strong as her. If they really got lost, they would have to conserve their energy.


    Xie Qiao did not stop her.


    Yu Xian went to scout the way, and Xie Qiao tidied up the things in the carriage.


    They had a pic on the spot.


    Feng Yingying was a little nervous at first, but when she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s calm expression, she felt relieved again.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, why do you have everything in the bamboo basket?¡± Feng Yingying was shocked when she saw Xie Qiao take out a knife from the bamboo basket.


    Young Lady Xie was a woman, and she actually brought something like this with her when she was out¡­


    It was not quite what she thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a knife. I don¡¯t have enough strength, so the things I carry with me are carefully selected. If I was as brave as my eldest brother, I would have brought my tent with me when I am out. We would not have to sleep in the carriage at night.¡± Xie Qiao sighed, she thought it was a pity.


    They were both born from the same mother. Her mother had given birth to her eldest brother who was strong, but what about her?


    It was not easy for her to even catch a breath.


    The difference was too big. It was another day she was jealous of her brother.


    ¡°Tent¡­ We were only going out to shop today¡­¡± Feng Yingying was secretly surprised.


    A tent was huge from what she remembered. After all, they were used for marching and fighting, and the prices were high. Moreover, it seemed quite troublesome to set it up.


    ¡°I made a simpler one with the materials of the sheepskin raft earlier, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t bring it out. However, the carriage can make do with it. If you feel bored at night, you cane out to take a breath. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep tonight.¡± Xie Qiao sighed, she felt a little guilty.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that timid,¡± Feng Yingying said quickly.


    Xie Qiao could see that Feng Yingying was definitely more courageous than the average person.


    Otherwise, she would not have followed her here.


    ¡°But Young Lady Xie, the filthy thing you felt just now, is it on this mountain now? Could it be a mountain monster?¡± Feng Yingying asked curiously.


    Previously, she thought that Xie Qiao was a weak woman, but now she thought¡­


    She was like a bandit.


    She did not mean ill. Instead, she was thinking that Xie Qiao¡¯s personality was quite simr to the Uncle Xie that she saw today.


    When she said that she wanted to chase after the ghouls, her eyes lit up. At that moment, she felt that Xie Qiao was not chasing after a filthy thing, but money.


    Moreover, rumors said that she was a short-lived person, but when she was looking for the path just now, her footsteps were even lighter than hers!


    ¡°Actually, the dead are almost the same as the living, especially the spirits with some intelligence. Perhaps their lives are no different from when they were alive,¡± Xie Qiao said truthfully, ¡°However, even among the living, there are viins who are so bad that people don¡¯t dare to look at them, let alone the dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Just like what the storyteller said, many monsters are actually quite nice.¡± Feng Yingying nodded in agreement.


    With that said, she was indeed not so scared anymore.


    ¡°But why are you chasing after them? That filthy thing that did bad things just now is definitely a bad person. Why are you chasing after them?¡± Feng Yingying did not quite understand.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t sit still. I think they deserve a beating.¡± Xie Qiao said that casually..

 Chapter 831 - Half-immortal Performed Palmistry

    <h4>Chapter 831: Half-immortal Performed Palmistry</h4>


    Feng Yingying could not help butugh. She thought Xie Qiao¡¯s serious face was really cute.


    Xie Qiao turned her head away and raised her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m a half-immortal. When I encounter such an injustice, I naturally have to do something about it. I¡¯ll kill everyone and make those spirits piss their pants.¡±


    ¡°Sister Xie, you read a lot, right?¡± Feng Yingying covered her mouth andughed nonstop. At this moment, she was not scared at all.


    Xie Qiao was very serious. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Feng Yingying was polite. ¡°But we¡¯re trapped.¡±


    Therefore, as a Taoist, it was normal for them to feel filthy things, but to kill everywhere they go¡­ Sister Xie, as ayman¡¯s disciple, that was probably¡­ wishful thinking.


    Xie Qiao felt that she had been insulted.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to be trapped. After the sun sets, dark energy flourishes and Yang energy declines. I was chasing after the ghoul just now and identally entered this ce¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Yingying nodded. ¡°I understand, Sister Xie. Sister Yu and I are with you. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes widened.


    Afraid?! She would be afraid?! That was impossible!


    She was not angry! It was normal for a youngdy to be ignorant and not know how powerful she was.


    However¡­


    Feng Yingying¡¯s eyes were too clear, so Xie Qiao felt that she was rubbing against her pride.


    They could say whatever they want about her. However, to say that she was incapable¡­ That would not do.


    Xie Qiao sat cross-legged and waved at Feng Yingying. ¡°I, the half-immortal, will read your palm. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Half-immortal? Sister Xie, when did you learn to act like a fraud?¡± Feng Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sister, you read my palm, and I¡¯ll read yours. I tell people¡¯s fortune urately!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth twitched as she stared at her.


    ¡°You want to tell my fortune?¡± She was the first person who dared to say that in her life.


    ¡°Yes. Anyway, it¡¯s just for fun¡­¡± as she said that, she saw that Xie Qiao¡¯s initially calm face seemed to be on the verge of copse. She was somewhat puzzled, so she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ I do it first?¡±


    She held Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    Her finger tapped Xie Qiao¡¯s hand. ¡°Your hands are pretty, so you definitely haven¡¯t done much heavy work since you were young. There are calluses here¡­ It seems like¡­ they came from writing, right? And here, my mother said that those with strong hands are blessed, so Sister Xie, your life must be pretty good. Oh right, here, your palm is red and tender. Sister, you definitely won¡¯t die young. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Xie Qiao slowly withdrew her hand.


    Her gaze drifted away as she looked at her bamboo basket.


    There were two divination banners in there.


    It was her livelihood.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not detailed enough.¡± Xie Qiao said in a muffled voice, ¡°When reading palm, how can you only read these? Of course, this is indeed a must, but¡­ you have tobine it with other things¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao stopped halfway and did not bother to speak again.


    Usually, people who did not have any problems in other areas would just look at the appearance of the palm.


    For instance, Feng Yingying.


    She was born with good bones and looked good. She had a full forehead and features. She had a high spirit and was great in every aspect. Therefore, her fate, needless to say, was also good. It must be the harmonious rtionship between her parents. Even if her family was not very rich, since she was young, she had enough food to eat.


    Palm reading and physiognomy were initially rted to the environment and state of mind.


    Feng Yingying¡¯s hand was soft, tender, warm, and beautiful like a spring bamboo shoot. The four sides of the palm were plump. Her life would be abundant, rich, and noble. It was inevitable.


    No matter how many good words there were, in the end, they could only be reduced to one word¡ªAmazing!


    Therefore, no matter how much one said, it would make people think that there was nothing useful in these words.


    In this world, besides wanting to hear good words, people who went to fortune-tellers would actually¡­ care more about the bad things.


    ¡°Sister Xie, trust me. I¡¯m good at this.¡± Feng Yingying shook her hand. ¡°Look at myplexion. I must be capable of holding the wealth I have.. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

 Chapter 832 - Those Jerks

    <h4>Chapter 832: Those Jerks</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought she had met apetition.


    However, she could not refute her. Feng Yingying¡¯s hand palms were like rings. It was really like what she had said, she would gather energy and wealth.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded, resigned to her fate. ¡°Your calction is really urate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Feng Yingying grinned.


    Just then, Yu Xian returned.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t managed to get out! The road is indeed hard to recognize. Are we just waiting for people toe get us?¡± Yu Xian asked, ¡°But what if the horse is stolen on the way? Can it really recognize its way back?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao believed in herself.


    ¡°Well, but even if it can¡¯t, I¡¯m not afraid. I see a lot of wood and vines here. I can make ropes with them. I¡¯ll try again tomorrow. This mountain isn¡¯t big, so it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to get out.¡±


    It was just a small slope in a dense forest, how could it trap her?


    Xie Qiao was struck again, and she said, ¡°Tomorrow, when the Yang energy is sufficient, I can lead us out with apass.¡±


    Thepass was useless now.


    The evil energy was strong, and the aura was not right. Therefore, the direction of thepass was not urate now.


    Yu Xian and Feng Yingying nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, you don¡¯t have to feel too much pressure. We chose this ourselves. We can bear it ourselves,¡± Yu Xian said after a while.


    Xie Qiao was really helpless.


    Why did she disguised into Mo Chusheng?


    This was one of the reasons!


    Her appearance and temperament were just like a youngdy. She could not intimidate people at all. Even Zhao Xuanjing treated her as a liar when he first saw her and wanted to send her to the government!


    These people had poor taste!


    The sky darkened bit by bit. Xie Qiao kept looking around. The situation was still okay.


    She ate something with them to fill her stomach.


    At this moment, Wen Lancheng had arrived at the Xie Residence and was ready to pick up his future wife.


    ¡°The First Young Lady and the others are not back yet¡­¡± the steward was also a little anxious. ¡°When they¡¯re outte, they would usually get the coachman toe home first to inform us¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang had arrived with Wen Lancheng. When he heard that, he immediately arranged, ¡°Send someone to the market to look for them.¡±


    After saying that, he asked Wen Lancheng to wait in the house.


    However, after waiting for two hours, there was still no news.


    ¡°First Young Master! Bad news. The horse is back, but the First Young Lady isn¡¯t home! There¡¯s a letter!¡± The steward did not dare to read the letter, but he felt that something was not right.


    Could it be that they had encountered robbers?


    The letter was to ask for money?!


    Those jerks!


    After cursing in his heart, he suddenly remembered that the family used to be bandits, so he quickly said, ¡°First Young Master, you know many people. Quick, take a look. Which fool would dare to do such a thing at the foot of the capital city?!¡±


    Wen Lancheng nced at the steward.


    The steward was daring.


    Xie Pinggang calmly opened the letter and read it.


    After reading it, he handed the letter to Wen Lancheng. Wen Lancheng quickly nced at it and was puzzled. ¡°What does going after the ghouls mean?¡±


    There were not many words on the letter. Young Lady Xie said that she saw a few strange things, so she went after the ghouls. However, she had chased them too far and could not return now. She nned to sleep in the wilderness and return the next day.


    When she wrote the letter, she did not notice that she was trapped, so she did not say that it would be a scary night for them.


    In addition, Xie Qiao also doodled the path outside and told Xie Pinggang that there was food and drink in the carriage, so it would not be a problem for them to stay there for the night..

 Chapter 833 - Yu Xian and Tiger

    <h4>Chapter 833: Yu Xian and Tiger</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang did not pay much attention to Xie Qiao¡¯s situation. He was relieved to know that she had not been taken away.


    However, it was different for Wen Lancheng.


    ¡°Is it inappropriate for the three youngdies to stay in the wilderness? That ce¡­¡± Wen Lancheng pointed at the mountains. ¡°After all, it¡¯s the wild. I wonder if they can make a fire. What if they run into ferocious beasts?¡±


    ¡°They went there on their own. I don¡¯t think we need to worry?¡± Xie Pinggang did not understand.


    Wen Lancheng was stunned. ¡°Of course we need to worry. The three youngdies are all weak¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Master Yu is very powerful. She should be able to defeat a tiger, right?¡± Xie Pinggang thought again. Which was more powerful, a tiger or Yu Xian?


    When he was a teenager, he fought a tiger with his father. Yu Xian¡¯s martial arts skill was not bad, so a tiger would not defeat her.


    Thinking of that, Xie Pinggang felt more at ease.


    This master was a treasure to the family!


    It would be great if they really encountered a tiger. Tomorrow, he would bring it home and skin it to eat.


    ¡°Brother Pinggang, this is not good, right? Even if Master Yu is not afraid of ferocious beasts, I¡¯m afraid Young Lady Xie and Ms. Ying won¡¯t survive¡­ The three of them only brought a coachman, and now they have even sent the horse back. If something really happens, what do we do?¡± Wen Lancheng was really worried.


    Xie Qiao was his savior. Although she was no longer his sweetheart, she was still a half-sister to him.


    There was no need to mention Ms. Ying¡­


    He was very satisfied with his future wife. With the wedding happening soon, if anything happened¡­


    It would be toote for any regrets.


    Wen Lancheng frowned with a solemn expression.


    Xie Pinggang looked at him and felt a little helpless. ¡°Then what do you want to do? It¡¯s the middle of the night, should we go there to pick them up?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wen Lancheng nodded.


    Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you need to sleep? You still have to work tomorrow!¡¯


    He was like a little girl who was dawdling. What was there to worry about? Was it not just spending the night outside?! With Master Yu around, nothing would happen to them. These men usually went out to investigate cases. Which one of them had never done anything like this? There was no problem at all!


    ¡°Alright then, you can go. I¡¯ll ask the steward to send a few people to you.¡± Xie Pinggang refused to cooperate.


    He wanted to sleep.


    It was exhausting to deal with cases every day¡­


    Wen Lancheng knew that Xie Pinggang was carefree, but he did not expect him to be this carefree.


    How did Young Lady Xie manage to grow up¡­


    Oh right, he heard that she was raised in a Taoist temple. It was no wonder. If Xie Pinggang had taken care of this sister for more than ten years, then it was likely that Young Lady Xie would not be able to have all four limbs.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you go or not. I have to tell His Highness.¡± After Wen Lancheng finished speaking, he politely took his leave.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that he was going to report to the Crown Prince, how could he sleep?


    He hurriedly followed.


    ¡°My sister is only going out for a trip. Is there really a need to tell His Highness the Crown Prince? Is there a need to do that?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was serious.


    ¡°Brother Pinggang, you can¡¯t say that. Young Lady Xie is the future Princess Consort. There mustn¡¯t be any mishaps. I¡¯ll report to the Crown Prince and send someone to take care of her. This is what we should do.¡± Wen Lancheng was very organized.


    Xie Pinggang sighed. ¡°Alright, then. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not worried about her. It¡¯s just that the handwriting on the letter is neat and clean. There¡¯s not even a hint of dirt on it, so she should be in good condition. However¡­


    ¡°You will look for the Crown Prince, and I¡¯ll look for Master Mo¡­¡± As he spoke, Xie Pinggang suddenly changed his tone.


    Did his eldest sister not say that she saw ghouls?


    He would get the master to capture them!

 Chapter 834 - Terrible Eyesight

    <h4>Chapter 834: Terrible Eyesight</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Under Wen Lancheng¡¯s puzzled gaze, Xie Pinggang turned around and left, riding straight to Fortune Pavilion.


    There was a night market, and curfew was only in the second half of the night, but Fortune Pavilion was already closed at this time.


    Xie Pinggang forced the door open, Shopkeeper Chang looked innocent.


    Master Mo was not here.


    Xie Pinggang frowned. It was too unfortunate!


    Xie Pinggang could not find Mo Chusheng, but Wen Lancheng was already at the Royal Academy. He met the Crown Prince and told him everything.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s thoughts were not quite the same as Xie Pinggang¡¯s.


    Xie Qiao would not go all the way out of the city for an ordinary ghoul, let alone bringing two youngdies along.


    There must be something special about this ghoul¡­


    He immediately asked Zhou Weizong to bring a few people out of the city gate.


    After Xie Pinggang met up with the Crown Prince, he looked left and right, but he still did not see Master Mo. ¡°Your Highness, this Master Mo is really mysterious. I went to the Fortune Pavilion personally just now, but I didn¡¯t see her. It¡¯s better to get her to capture the ghouls.¡±


    ¡°Master Mo is responsible for killing demons and monsters. How can she be avable every day?¡± Zhao Xuanjing had also learned to talk nonsense.


    However, Xie Pinggang had seen Mo Chusheng¡¯s ability, so when he heard that, he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s not like my sister. She doesn¡¯t have the ability to run around and worry about nothing.¡±


    ¡°Minister Xie¡¯s¡­ eyesight is terrible.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at him and felt silly.


    Xie Pinggang looked puzzled.


    What was wrong with his eyes?


    Xie Pinggang had the ability to investigate cases. In the criminal division, the old cases that fell into his hands were investigated quickly. He worked diligently and was meticulous when investigating cases. However, he had a big problem.


    If it was not rted to the case, his head was as if it was kicked by a donkey. It was useless.


    In other words, Xie Pinggang¡¯s mind was focused on official matters. He did not want to think about trivial matters at home. It became an issue.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not say much and rode the horse to that route.


    Wen Lancheng¡¯s horsemanship was average, and he could not keep up with the Crown Prince¡¯s speed. He was dizzy from the jolt, and he almost vomited the food that he just ate.


    At that moment, Feng Yingying and Yu Xian were huddling together to keep warm.


    The coachman was half a hundred years old, but he was a man after all, so he stayed far away. He was on the other side of the carriage, obediently, and had almost no sense of presence.


    At this moment, the forest was already filled with gusts of chilly wind, which would make one¡¯s head hurt.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t such a strong wind during the day, was there?¡± Yu Xian felt that the carriage was trembling.


    Xie Qiao looked at the dark energy above her head and therge group of ghouls flying around as if they were holding a banquet. She braced herself and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. The weather is changeable in summer, so it¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a single star in the sky.¡± Yu Xian sighed. ¡°It¡¯s pitch-ck, and it¡¯s even harder to tell which way it is. We really have to be careful tonight¡­ There¡¯s no fire, and if a snakees up from the ground, we won¡¯t even be able to see it.¡±


    They had started the fire earlier, but the wind was too strong. Not only did the fire go out in the blink of an eye, but it also blew their faces ck.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao could have directly captured the ghouls.


    However, she was not well prepared because she was not sure how many ghouls there were in this ce. If things got out of hand, she would be in deep trouble.


    Moreover, it was a little strange for these ghouls to gather together. She had to figure out the reason first.


    ¡°When you were scouting the way, I sprinkled some medicinal powder. The snakes, insects and rats would avoid us,¡± Xie Qiaoforted her.


    With that said, Yu Xian heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to worry. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a little wind. It¡¯ll wake us up. If you¡¯re worried, I¡¯ll get some wood to reinforce the carriage frame. That way, we can stay in the carriage.¡±


    Due to the strong wind, the carriage frame shook. They were afraid that the frame would be blown away, so they did not dare to go in..

 Chapter 835 - You Chant and I’ll Dance

    <h4>Chapter 835: You Chant and I¡¯ll Dance</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yu Xian did not just say that. She stood up immediately.


    Xie Qiao stretched her arm and pushed her back to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere. Stay here for now.¡±


    If she stayed still and did not get discovered by the ghouls, she would suffer less tonight.


    ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± Yu Xian did not know what Xie Qiao meant, but after thinking about it, she decided to listen to her.


    The three of them did not wear much, but there was a spare nket in the carriage. The wind was strong, but it was not cold.


    Xie Qiao had been secretly looking around.


    The number of ghouls she saw now was no less than 20. There were all kinds of ghouls flying here and there. She could feel the abilities of the ghouls more clearly, so whenever there were ghouls floating around, she would feel a little ufortable.


    Rustling sounds could be heard from time to time.


    She could no longer tell if it was the wind or something else.


    ¡°I keep feeling like there are wild beasts in this forest, but the wind is too loud, so I can¡¯t tell clearly.¡± Yu Xian frowned, and her face was a little solemn.


    On the way to the capital, she encountered wild beasts, but it was only a wild boar. At that time, she ran fast and did not have any sharp weapons with her, so she could not do anything to the wild boar.


    Now, Xie Qiao had a short de and a crossbow.


    If it was a wild boar, she should be able to handle it.


    However, the surroundings were a little dark¡­


    Today was neither the beginning nor the end of the moon cycle. Logically speaking, there should be some moonlight, but the sky was cloudy and the moon was hidden. It was so dark that one could hardly see their fingers.


    The sound,,,


    Seemed to be getting closer and closer.


    ¡°Creak, creak¡­


    There was a rhythm, just like the sound of footsteps, but one could also hear the sound of the forest being torn apart.


    Yu Xian was protecting someone with one hand, and her gaze was fixed on a spot not far away, trying hard to see clearly.


    She was afraid that she would not be able to react in time, so she withdrew another hand and held the short de, looking like a warrior ready for battle.


    Xie Qiao felt she was being stared at by a ghoul.


    ¡°I clearly¡­ heard a sound, but¡­¡± there was nothing.


    Yu Xian also felt that the feeling was too horrifying. She kept feeling that there were enemies around, but she could not see them. Instead, she was worried that the other party would suddenly charge at her¡­


    It was too ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ghoul,¡± Xie Qiao said truthfully. ¡°What you heard was the sound of its mouth gnawing on a bone.¡±


    As for what bone it was, she did not know.


    Feng Yingying had goosebumps.


    Yu Xian could not help but curse, ¡°So it¡¯s an invisible thing. No wonder it¡¯s so terrifying. It¡¯s already dead, yet it still dares toe out and provoke others. Be careful not to be taken in by the master and vanish into thin air!¡±


    She was not afraid.


    She was alive, and the other party was dead. It was not even as good as her!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand trembled, and then she began to recite the Heart Cleansing Sutra.


    Yu Xian could not understand it


    She could only hear her mumbling about the old god, the divine form, and something ominous. She could not understand a single word.


    ¡°In my hometown, there was a witch who would also recite spells, but apart from reciting, she could also perform exorcism while dancing¡­ I secretly learned from her when I was young. How about¡­ I do that?¡± Feng Yingying was a little hesitant.


    When she was five or six, she yed with the people from her n, and everyone had secretly watched the witch perform an exorcism.


    Xie Qiao heard it, but she was chanting spells, she could not be distracted


    Now that she had been discovered by the ghouls, she had to make them leave far away and not dare to get close to her.


    ¡°Then¡­ how about you try?¡± Yu Xian thought for a moment and nodded.


    Regardless of whether it was useful or not, she would feel more at ease if Feng Yingying did that, right?

 Chapter 836 - Copy Blindly

    <h4>Chapter 836: Copy Blindly</h4>


    Feng Yingying stood up. She thought about the dance steps she saw, and then she began to dance.


    Yu Xian was bbergasted.


    She thought¡­


    The dance was very beautiful. After all, Feng Yingying was also quite beautiful, and the dance steps she performed should be pleasing to the eye, but¡­


    It waspletely different from what she thought!


    Feng Yingying took a step forward, and her movements were exaggerated like a man¡¯s. Her hands swung in an exaggerated arc, just like the drunken soldiers in the navy camp when Yu Xian was a child!


    ¡°Can this¡­ really ward off evil spirits?¡± Yu Xian was a little uncertain.


    Such dance steps were even more frightening in the dark night.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. The witch danced like this.¡± Feng Yingying looked serious. ¡°If this really doesn¡¯t work¡­ Master Yu, can you recite scriptures?¡±


    ¡°Tao Te Ching or Diamond Sutra? I only know these two.¡± Yu Xian was quite embarrassed.


    Initially, she did not know how to recite any of them, but her grandparents and uncles had locked her up for three years. During these three years, she could not even leave the courtyard. They forced her to embroider flowers and read the Lessons for Women, or she would copy scriptures and pray.


    ¡°It should be fine, but since Young Lady Xie is reciting the Taoist scriptures, you can recite Tao Te Ching. It¡¯s better this way,¡± Feng Yingying suggested.


    Yu Xian nodded.


    She nced at Xie Qiao who was sitting cross-legged. She copied her blindly.


    She followed Xie Qiao¡¯s posture. She was a little conflicted as she watched Xie Qiao¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, are your fingers made of noodles? They must be soft. I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Her fingers were almost intertwined together, but there was an indescribable beauty to it. It looked very intimidating.


    Yu Xian gave up and began to recite the incantation obediently.


    Xie Qiao listened to the conversation between the two people beside her, and she almost copsed.


    Fortunately, they did not continue to talk nonsense after they were done discussing it. Otherwise, she would not be able to continue chanting the incantation.


    When Xie Qiao was chanting, the ghoul that was approaching them looked in their direction with fear, not daring toe any closer.


    However, now that they had been discovered, coupled with the unique aura of the incantation that had suddenly appeared, it slowly attracted the attention of the other ghouls.


    They began to fly over.


    The leaves rustled, sounding like a drum that was pressing for death, making people ufortable.


    ¡°These three have been following us during the day!¡± One of them jumped out from among the ghouls and pointed at Xie Qiao and the rest.


    These ghouls excitedly circled around Xie Qiao.


    An arm quietly crawled over, bit by bit, it approached like a snake.


    Slowly, it reached Xie Qiao¡¯s side.


    It tentatively touched her.


    Then, it was gone in an instant.


    The master¡¯s talisman and the incantation were no joke.


    ¡°My arm is gone¡­¡± the ghoul was instantly furious and hovered in the air, shouting at Xie Qiao non-stop, ¡°Give me back my hand¡­ That¡¯s my hand, my hand!¡±


    Xie Qiao pretended not to hear it.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless even if we shout. This person¡¯s talisman is very powerful! She must be a master who captures spirits.¡±


    ¡°But she doesn¡¯t look like a Taoist master!¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Even though we can¡¯t get close, it will be a different story for the living creatures! Tsk,tsk¡­¡±


    The group of ghouls grinned sinisterly, and there were many bats hovering in the air.


    ¡°Why do I feel that it¡¯s getting darker around here?¡± Yu Xian could not help but feel nervous. Just now, she could see two to three meters away, but now, she could not even see Feng Yingying¡¯s face clearly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s incantation suddenly stopped..

 Chapter 837 - Useless

    <h4>Chapter 837: Useless</h4>


    Xie Qiao rummaged through her bamboo basket, and she finally found amp at the bottom. Themp was very old, and no one knew how long it had not been used.


    Xie Qiao took out a handkerchief and wiped it, then she put it on the ground. After she lit themp oil, the surroundings were lit up.


    The smallmp was surprisingly bright.


    Moreover, the strong wind around it did not affect it at all!


    Yu Xian and Feng Yingying found it unbelievable.


    ¡°What kind ofmp is this?¡± Yu Xian asked bitterly, feeling that shecked knowledge.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a special name. You can call it the longevitymp. The cold wind won¡¯t extinguish it, and the ghouls won¡¯t dare to approach it. I¡¯ve kept it for too long, and I almost forgot that I have it.¡± Although she said that, Xie Qiao¡¯s heart still ached for it.


    Thismp oil¡­


    Was naturally not ordinary oil!


    It was extracted from many special nts. The Water Moon Temple had books aboutmp oil, but she could not find all of those nts. The oil was also the leftover that she had brought along when she left the Water Moon Temple, so there was not much of it.


    Thismp holder was also consecrate with a talisman.


    ¡°It¡¯s different from themps I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡± Feng Yingying sniffed.


    ¡°I only brought onemp with me. It¡¯s not very effective, but we¡¯ll just make do with it. If there are any wild beasts or whatever, we can hold on for a while. When the oil runs out, I¡¯ll think of a solution,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°What else can you say about thismp?¡± Yu Xian was not only not afraid, but also very curious about the structure of thismp.


    Xie Qiao knew several kinds ofmp instruments.


    At this moment, to prevent them from being overly worried, she exined, ¡°You know about the natal starmp, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they all say that it is the longevitymp to keep people safe. My grandparents gave two of them to the Taoist temple.¡± Yu Xian nodded.


    ¡°The longevitymp belongs to themp instrument of longevity. The Taoist masters will use the position of the four directions to summon the generals and pray, gather the true qi of the five directions, and pray for evesting light that rejuvenates the body. The five qi will gather, and Heaven and Earth will be united.¡±


    To put it simply, it was a good intention to extend one¡¯s life.


    The two nodded like chickens pecking at rice.


    They did not quite understand what she was saying, but they could roughly understand it. It seemed very powerful.


    ¡°Other than thismp, there are other things, too. For instance, the seven element starmp. It is used to chase away disasters and eliminate evil. There is also the radiant wheelmp. It is used to relieve suffering, eliminate troubles, and get rid of the roots ofbor¡­


    ¡°There are all kinds ofmps. The position and number of thesemps are different. Initially, mymps can eliminate and avoid evil, unfortunately, there are not enough of them, so my ability is greatly reduced. If I had a few moremps, I¡¯d be able to send these ghouls straight to hell.¡± Xie Qiao nced at the ghouls nearby that did not dare toe close. She snorted.


    ¡°So amazing¡­¡± Feng Yingying was dumbfounded when she heard that. ¡°Young Lady Xie, you know so much. Was the dance I performed useful?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Xie Qiao was very straightforward.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the witch in my hometown lied?¡± Feng Yingying frowned.


    ¡°Of course not. I took a look just now. There are a few parts of your dance steps that you did well, but this kind of dance is just a ceremony. If you made a mistake, it wouldn¡¯t work, not to mention that you made so many mistakes¡­ It¡¯s true that it can¡¯t chase the spirits away, but it gives you courage. You did a great job,¡± Xie Qiao exined word by word. She was quite patient.


    Yu Xian stretched out her head and asked, ¡°What about me?¡±


    She had also recited the scriptures.


    ¡°It was useless.¡± Xie Qiao was helpless. ¡°You can recite the Tao Te Ching, and it has its uses, but you were restless, and some parts of it were even wrong¡­.¡±

 Chapter 838 - Born Weak?

    <h4>Chapter 838: Born Weak?</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not think that they did badly. On the contrary, she thought that they were very brave.


    What happened tonight was really strange. Anyone who saw it would probably be scared to death.


    For instance, the coachman. Even though he was far away, Xie Qiao could still hear his trembling voice.


    However, they were not afraid. They could still chat and make fun of each other and did not encourage the spirits to show off. Xie Qiao was very impressed.


    ¡°When I was copying the book before, I didn¡¯t put much effort into it. When I go back, I will definitely read it again a few times. I must memorize it. I cannot forget it.¡± Yu Xian was quite embarrassed. ¡°Will we be able to rely on thismp now? How long can itst?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to worry about the spirits, but wild beasts should be guarding nearby. Once themp is off, it will be troublesome if they approach together,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Wild beasts were not as intelligent as humans, so they were easily affected by the aura of the ghouls.


    Moreover, the dark energy of the entire mountain was very strong, so the wild beasts must be very irritable and not to be trifled with.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. If they reallye at us¡­¡± Yu Xian smiled. ¡°At most, we can burn the whole ce down! With such a strong wind, we can cook them and have a good meal tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What if the fire is too strong and blows somewhere else?¡± Feng Yingying shook her head quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many crossbows and arrows. I can deal with some difficult ones in a while, after that¡­ There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Xie Qiao was also helpless.


    She could deal with the ghouls, but it was difficult for her to fight more when she only had a pair of fists.


    She could not deal with the ghouls while dealing with the wild beasts.


    Moreover, it was impossible to deal with the ghouls here. They could fly and run, so it was impossible to catch them all at once.


    She had to find their nest.


    There was always a reason why the ghouls stayed in one ce.


    If she could not find the source, she could only capture a few ghouls. The rest would still stir up trouble in this ce.


    Yu Xian could also sense the seriousness of the situation. She nodded seriously and said, ¡°If there are any powerful beasts, leave them to me. I can shoot very urately.¡±


    ¡°You take the de, I¡¯ll take the bow, and Yingying will be responsible for watching the fire. The Yin wind cannot be extinguished, but the Yang wind can. Therefore, we must try our best to avoid the possibility of the fire being extinguished in advance,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Yu Xian and Feng Yingying listened obediently.


    Feng Yingying¡¯s heart was pounding, and her hands were trembling a little. However, because she still had people by her side, she was not particrly afraid.


    Yu Xian¡­ did not show any reaction on her face.


    Not long after Xie Qiao finished speaking, there was indeed a sound in the grass.


    The medicinal powder prevented many snakes, insects and rats froming close, which reduced a lot of trouble.


    However, the three of them saw a pair of green lights vaguely.


    Why was there a wolf¡­


    Yu Xian¡¯s heart trembled.


    Xie Qiao had said that she was holding a short de mainly to prevent some wild beasts from charging over. If the wild beasts were outside the range of themp, she could not rush out to attack them.


    ¡°How about I take the bow first¡­¡± Yu Xian turned her head and said to Xie Qiao.


    However, before she could finish her words, she heard a whoosh, and Xie Qiao shot out an arrow.


    With a strange sound, the wolf copsed to the ground!


    Yu Xian and Feng Yingying¡¯s expressions froze, especially Yu Xian, who felt that the arrow just now was scarily urate¡­


    ¡°You can even use a crossbow¡­ I thought you¡¯re weak?!¡± Yu Xian was stunned.


    Ever since she taught Xie Pinghuai, that kid had often whispered in her ear, saying that his eldest sister was born gentle and dignified, and that she was weak and could not even use the slightest bit of force¡­


    It was said that Xie Qiao could not be scared in the slightest.. She was a girl who would faint at any time!

 Chapter 839 - Don’t Fight

    <h4>Chapter 839: Don¡¯t Fight</h4>


    Yu Xian thought Xie Pinghuai was miserable. He knew nothing about his sister!


    If Xie Qiao was weak, all the youngdies in the world would be as fragile as porcin bottles!


    ¡°You shot so urately¡­¡± Yu Xian gulped. After eximing in surprise, she could not help but give her a thumbs up. ¡°Well done. Your skill is almostparable to mine.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a small trick.¡± Xie Qiao raised her tiny face.


    Yu Xian thought Xie Qiao¡¯s humble look deserved a beating. She could not help but feel a strong desire to win!


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to shoot next.¡± Yu Xian reached out her hand, wanting to take the crossbow.


    Xie Qiao frowned and clenched her fist tightly, refusing to let go.


    Yu Xian did not really want to use force on Xie Qiao, but when she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s serious and proud look, she felt a surge of pride rise inside of her.


    In terms of looks, Yu Xian admitted that she was not good-looking.


    In terms of poetry and books, she did not care if she was not as smart.


    She only had the strength of martial arts left. If Xie Qiao defeated her, how would she be able to be a martial arts master in the future?


    Yu Xian stopped taking the crossbow and looked down at the ground. There were many rocks on the ground. She moved her feet and squatted down to pick one up. Then, she stared at a spot not far away.


    The thing outside the light was pitch ck and she could not see it clearly.


    However, when she calmed down, Yu Xian could hear the sound.


    She raised her hand, and the rock was suddenly tossed out.


    With a bang, the other two heard the sound of something falling to the ground.


    ¡°Master Yu hit it?¡± Feng Yingying felt that she should not stay here at this moment. She was embarrassed.


    Young Lady Xie could shoot arrows, and Master Yu could throw rocks. What could she do? Feng Yingying looked left and right before giving up on resisting. She knew nothing¡­


    At most¡­ her palms were soft and thick, and she could¡­ block the wind for the fire in themp?


    Yu Xian raised her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. Maybe it¡¯s a wild chicken or a hare. I¡¯ve memorized the location. I¡¯ll go take a look tomorrow morning.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned. She knew that she could not win in terms of martial strength.


    Crossbows were much easier to control than rocks. Moreover, Yu Xian tossed it at ease without using any force and she managed to kill or knock out an animal. She was destined not to be able to learn this skill.


    There were other things that she could not learn¡­


    Xie Qiao snorted.


    ¡°You¡¯re not bad too, Young Lady Xie. I was born with great strength. I even trained with my father for ten years. If you want to surpass me in this aspect, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to reincarnate.¡± Yu Xian did not hide her pride at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that after I reincarnate, I won¡¯t even know how to recite Tao Te Ching.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was indifferent, but she did not show any signs of weakness.


    Feng Yingying looked at the two of them humbly. ¡°Can you guys¡­ not fight?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just sparring,¡± Yu Xian immediately retorted. The way she looked at Xie Qiao was still filled with amazement.


    How was this a fight?


    She really liked Xie Qiao, but even if she liked her, when it came to the practice of pulling and shooting, it was a different story.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xie Qiao nodded as well.


    They had nothing to do. They were just talking.


    A mysterious expert like her only knew how to lecture and not make a scene.


    Feng Yingying chuckled awkwardly and tried hard to reduce her presence. The two in front of her were both fierce beasts!


    In the beginning, there were not many fierce beasts. After all, it was only a small mountain. There were not many big beasts in it. Other than the wolf, the rest were mostly small animals.


    Most of the snakes, insects and rats did not dare to approach because of the powder Xie Qiao had sprinkled. However, they would still wander around.


    Xie Qiao had few arrows. Naturally, she would not move for those that were not worth fighting for. However, Yu Xian was different. She saw that there were many rocks around her, so she listened to the sounds and hit many small animals.


    Listening to the shrieks before death, most of them were big rats..

 Chapter 840 - Let’s Be Sworn Sisters

    <h4>Chapter 840: Let¡¯s Be Sworn Sisters</h4>


    Ordinary beasts would not be afraid of Xie Qiao¡¯smp, but it was a different story when the beasts in the mountain were tainted with evil energy.


    The two energies shed with each other. As long as those beasts got close, they would not be able to hold back their difort.


    Xie Qiao could feel that there were more and more animals around.


    They were all surrounding him.


    At first, Yu Xian could still throw rocks with a rxed and proud look on her face. However, as she did that more, she felt a little reluctant to do so.


    After another two hours or so, a few more green eyes appeared in the dark night.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t the three of us be sworn sisters? We weren¡¯t born at the same time, but we wish to die in the same year, same month, and same day!¡± Yu Xian looked at the number of wild beasts outside and looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s scattered arrows, then her voice turned solemn.


    ¡°No,¡± Xie Qiao refused.


    ¡°Why not? We¡¯ve gone through thick and thin together!¡± Yu Xian looked puzzled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live for a hundred years.¡± Xie Qiao was calm and serious. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the two of you will lower my lifespan in the future.¡±


    Yu Xian was speechless.


    Feng Yingying looked innocent.


    Among the three of them, Xie Qiao was the least qualified to say that they would lower her lifespan!


    ¡°Look at so many wild beasts. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to survive today. We might even be gnawed until we have no bones left. Of course, I¡¯m very capable. If I fight my way out, I can still survive if I run faster. But for the two of you, your arms and legs won¡¯t work. You won¡¯t be able to run or fight. If you really fall into the mouths of these beasts, there¡¯s no chance of survival,¡± Yu Xian said objectively.


    She could protect Xie Qiao and Feng Yingying, but she only had two hands.


    The two youngdies beside her were not little grasshoppers that they would not be discovered if they hid themselves.


    She really did not have the ability to ensure the safety of living people!


    How could Xie Qiao let herself die here?


    ¡°She¡¯s a long-lived and peaceful person. She won¡¯t die, so I won¡¯t die either.¡± Xie Qiao said slowly and did not seem to be in a hurry. She pointed at Feng Yingying with a calm expression.


    Feng Yingying thought her presence was finally useful.


    Yu Xian did not argue with Xie Qiao. She kept thinking about how to escape.


    She had a lot on her mind.


    At this moment, Zhao Xuanjing had brought people to the nearby area. The moonlight outside was not dazzling, but it could light up the path. The surrounding scenery could be seen clearly, except for the darkness under the shaded trees.


    Some of the people Zhao Xuanjing brought had night vision, so there were no idents along the way.


    Xie Pinggang looked around and thought it was a little strange. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any fog in other ces. Only this area is pitch-ck and a little strange.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing did not say much. He brought people and walked through the entrance of the mountain path.


    However, after walking for a while, the group of people were stunned.


    ¡°Is the wind¡­ a little too strong?¡± Wen Lancheng asked as he looked at Xie Pinggang from his horse.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for it to be stronger. If there¡¯s something filthy in this ce, there will be gusts of cold wind. The ghoul is just like the wind, blowing here and there. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Therefore, there was nothing to be afraid of.


    Xie Pinggang spoke too lightly. Wen Lancheng had never seen what a ghoul looked like. He only felt that the trees and hills here did not grow well, so the wind gathered and blew until his head hurt.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly stopped and said to the Crown Prince, ¡°Your Highness, there seems to be a wolf¡¯s cry.¡±


    He had grown up on the mountain since he was a child, so he was very sensitive to the sounds of wild beasts.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were solemn.


    After entering the mountain path, the ruts on the ground were no longer visible..

 Chapter 841 - Who Allowed You to Hit Her

    <h4>Chapter 841: Who Allowed You to Hit Her</h4>


    The trees, flowers, and nts here were almost the same, and the surroundings were particrly dark. The torches had been lit several times, but the speed at which they were extinguished was extremely fast, making it difficult for them to move an inch.


    With them doing this, Xie Qiao was still nowhere to be found.


    Zhao Xuanjing observed the movements around him and suddenly heard rustling in the forest. In the blink of an eye, a pheasant passed by not far from him.


    It was in the middle of the night, so something was obviously wrong.


    ¡°Capture it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing ordered concisely.


    He sat on the horse and wore a white robe embroidered with gold for the first time that night. He looked elegant and handsome. In the dark night, he was much more eye-catching than the others.


    With his order, Zhou Weizong and the others immediately took action.


    The subordinates with night vision were useful at this moment, so it was not difficult to capture the pheasant.


    They got it in a short while.


    ¡°Get it to lead the way,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    Wen Lancheng looked at the pheasant with a confused look, not understanding what he meant.


    Xie Pinggang thought about it and came to a realization.


    In the middle of the night, this kind of harmless little animal should hide in its nest and sleep, not daring to run around. However, the pheasant passed them by as if there was no one around just now.


    He and His Highness had gone to Xun County with Master Mo before, and they knew that the evil spirits in this world could affect these animals.


    So, it was very likely that this pheasant was influenced by evil spirits, and that was why it ran around.


    He immediately did as His Highness said.


    After tying its legs, he let the pheasant go.


    It fluttered in the air, sometimes flying and sometimes jumping, and flew straight in a direction.


    ¡°Oh no! I heard a lot of sounds, like the sound of horses¡¯ hooves. I wonder what kind of beast it is!¡± Yu Xian¡¯s ears were close to the ground as she listened to the sounds, and then her face turned pale.


    Feng Yingying buried her head in fear, and her voice trembled. ¡°The light is going out¡­¡±


    As soon as she finished her words, the fire in themp became smaller and smaller.


    Yu Xian immediately stood up with a de in her hand, ready to kill.


    At this moment, the sound of fights was heard first.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a wild beast?¡± Yu Xian¡¯s hand that was holding the de was trembling. ¡°It¡¯s midnight, it can¡¯t be a bandit, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯sing to our rescue.¡± Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    She had performed divination, and today was indeed a day of bad luck.


    However, there was always a variable, and they would definitely survive.


    Moreover, even if no one came, she would try her best to survive until the end. At worst, she would use all the things in her bamboo basket and exhaust all her energy, and she would not let anything happen to Yu Xian and Feng Yingying.


    Before Zhao Xuanjing and his people got close to these beasts, they could already vaguely see some lights, so they came over without saying anything.


    They were beasts, but they were actually not that scary. There were two or three wolves, and there were more wild boars. Other than those, there were also some small animals, such as snakes, insects and rats. They could deal with them.


    Animals were more timid than humans. Initially, Xie Qiao and the other two were delicious meat, but now that other people had suddenly appeared, these animals began to flee in all directions. In a short while, the surroundings were empty.


    Zhao Xuanjing held a sword in his left hand. The sword was stained with blood.


    His pair of handsome eyebrows were full of killing intent, and he looked quite scary.


    It was difficult to fight in such a dark ce. Fortunately, these guards had been trained. Otherwise, if they attacked blindly, they would probably hit their own people.


    Yu Xian sat on the ground and said, ¡°I thought I was going to die today.¡±


    Xie Pinggang rushed up, he hit Xie Qiao on the head and said, ¡°You just won¡¯t admit it that you¡¯re a fool. Do you think you are Master Mo? I have to bring people to save you in the middle of the night. If you won¡¯t stop behaving like this, I will tie you up in the future and you¡¯re prohibited from going anywhere!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s head hurt.


    What could she do?!


    If she did not chase after the evil spirits, she would die!


    Moreover, she did not know that this ce was so scary. She was innocent, right?


    Her foolish brother did notfort her and even attacked her!


    ¡°Minister Xie, what did you do?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s cold voice drifted into Xie Pinggang¡¯s ears. ¡°This is my princess consort.. Who allowed you to hit her?¡±

 Chapter 842 - Evil Consort

    <h4>Chapter 842: Evil Consort</h4>


    When the Crown Prince suddenly spoke, Xie Pinggang could not help but feel his heart tighten. He snorted secretly, but he did not dare to act rashly on the surface. He said in a muffled voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t hit you hard¡­¡±


    Her forehead was probably red. Her brother did not show any mercy at all!


    ¡°Qiao¡¯er¡¯s body isn¡¯t healthy. How could you do this?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said and pulled Xie Qiao behind him. ¡°Dodge him next time. Your brother didn¡¯t hit you lightly. You still have your head, but what if he breaks it next time?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was almost furious when he heard that.


    He did not have a hammer in his hand. How could he break her head with just a light pat?!


    This was his sister, not His Highness¡¯ biological sister. What could he do about it?!


    Of course, Xie Pinggang did not dare to say it, he even looked obedient. ¡°Then I won¡¯t care about her. But Your Highness, you should at least scold her a little, right? Otherwise, she will be even morewless in the future. This time, we were lucky that we came to look for her. If we didn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t they be eaten by the wolves?¡±


    Xie Qiao was very helpless.


    However, when she thought about how she brought Yu Xian and Feng Yingying into danger this time, she really should not have.


    So, she admitted her mistake obediently, ¡°Eldest Brother, I won¡¯t dare to do it again in the future.¡±


    If there was such a thing next time, she would do it herself.


    It would be impossible for her to stay at home and mind her own business for the rest of her life.


    ¡°What Minister Xie said is reasonable. If there¡¯s something important in the future, get someone to send a message to me. When we are married, we will be husband and wife. There¡¯s no need to be shy.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not angry, ¡°I know that you are worried about ghouls. If you don¡¯t do anything, a disaster might fall on innocent people. However, you have to protect yourself first.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded and did not refute.


    In fact, she had long been risking her life.


    Catching ghouls and eliminating evil was not a safe thing. She had long been prepared for disaster to happen. To her, her own safety was not as important as catching ghouls. Over the years, she had gotten used to it.


    If she did not catch ghouls, she would die early. It would be better to bravely send those ignorant ghouls away. It would also be a good deed and a blessing in her next life.


    Moreover¡­


    Other people were not like her. She had experienced the times where she would faint even if she took a breath.


    After catching the ghouls, she could live like a normal human.


    Xie Qiao was a little emotional inside. Then, she raised her head and smiled at Zhao Xuanjing. ¡°Are you underestimating me? After all, Master Mo and I are from the same sect. If it wasn¡¯t for the dark energy in the middle of the night, these¡­ are nothing.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, look, she¡¯s still talking big!¡± Xie Pinggang was furious.


    ¡°I believe that these filthy things are just stirring the soil of God.¡± Zhao Xuanjing agreed. He did not even feel embarrassed when he said these words. He was very serious.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s vanity was satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Xie Pinggang shook his head.


    The brilliant Crown Prince had be so blind when he met this foolish girl.


    Could his sister have the potential to be an evil consort?


    Zhao Xuanjing arranged for his subordinates to set up camp on the spot. If there were any wild beasts attacking, they would kill them on the spot and burn them for food tomorrow.


    However, there were not many wild beasts in the forest. Most of them had been killed, and those that had not been killed had run away. Even though they were affected by the ghouls, they did not dare toe forward.


    At this moment, seeing that the wild beasts were gone, the ghouls looked even more upet.


    After themp was extinguished, they could hover around the crowd.


    The sound of the wind was still very loud. The surrounding branches suddenly made cracking sounds, and many of them were broken. When the wind blew over, they were like dark arrows, extremely dangerous.


    However, to the guards, it was not a big deal..

 Chapter 843 - Too Tragic

    <h4>Chapter 843: Too Tragic</h4>


    Without those wild beasts, Xie Qiao could focus on dealing with these ghouls.


    ¡°How many ghouls did you see?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked in a low voice, avoiding Xie Pinggang and Wen Lancheng.


    ¡°Many, and it¡¯s very strange. These ghouls¡­ are all rational. Most of them don¡¯t have a lot of resentment. I don¡¯t know why they went to the city to do bad things¡­ Some of them have blood on their bodies. It shows that they didn¡¯t only start to hurt people today.¡± Xie Qiao did not understand why.


    Most of the ghouls would follow the rules, afraid that if they did something bad, they would be punished by their descendants.


    ¡°What is the bad thing you said?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao exined what happened to her during the day.


    After Zhao Xuanjing heard it, he looked solemn. ¡°Recently, a new fire observation tower is being built on North Street. Everything was going smoothly, but the bamboo stilts around the tower suddenly broke two days ago, and three people fell to their deaths.¡±


    The three people who fell to their deaths were all from poor families. The officials paidpensation and they did not make a big deal out of it.


    The reason why he cared about it was that there had been many idents recently.


    Besides the fire observation tower, there were two other people who were killed by falling tiles.


    In the past ten days, idents like this have happened one after another. In total, more than ten people died and seven or eight were injured.


    The officials also thought something was wrong, so they handed over all the records of the idents to the criminal division so that they could investigate whether there was something else going on.


    Therefore, when Xie Qiao mentioned this, he immediately figured these ghouls must have something to do with the idents in the city.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a while, then she frowned. ¡°I suspect that there¡¯s something else in this mountain that needs to be searched tomorrow. Now¡­ I¡¯ll catch a few first and try to interrogate them¡­¡±


    In front of the Crown Prince, there was no need for her to hide anything.


    However, with her eldest brother here, it was a little troublesome.


    Just as Xie Qiao finished speaking, a guard suddenly squatted on the ground in the crowd. He picked up the carcass of the pheasant and directly opened his mouth to eat it!


    He had a mouthful of fur!


    ¡°Qin Zhi!¡± Zhou Weizong rushed over and snatched the thing from his mouth. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s difficult for you to be able to follow His Highness again. Why are you being so reckless?!¡±


    Was this kid crazy?!


    ¡°Give it to me! I want to eat it, I want to eat it!¡± Qin Zhi reached out to snatch it.


    Xie Qiao heard themotion and looked at the guard. She sighed. ¡°He is indeed not suitable to stay in this ce with too much dark energy.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing could not care about the guards who followed him every day.


    These guards were all selected. Qin Zhi could only work for him again if he had the ability to beat others.


    ¡°Half-immortal Xie¡­¡± Zhou Weizong was a little anxious, so he called out to Xie Qiao instantly. When he opened his mouth, he almost exposed her. He quickly said, ¡°Young Lady Xie, what do you think happened to him?¡±


    ¡°The starving ghoul has possessed him.¡± Xie Qiao looked calm. Then, she took out a bowl and a water bag. Without saying anything, she melted the talisman in the water and stuffed it into Qin Zhi¡¯s mouth.


    The starving ghoul was instantly thrown out, and smoke rose from his body.


    Qin Zhi rolled his eyes and actually fainted.


    Even Zhou Weizong pitied the kid.


    Ever since Qin Zhi had made a mistake and been chased away, he had suffered quite a bit of a trigger. For the past few months, after he recovered from his illness, he trained every day. On ount of his loyalty, he gave him another chance¡­


    Today¡­ was the first time he had brought him out!


    Something happened to him again!


    There were so many people, and everyone else was fine. Only he had been possessed. It was too tragic..

 Chapter 844 - It Would Be Terrible If Words Get Out

    <h4>Chapter 844: It Would Be Terrible If Words Get Out</h4>


    Zhou Weizong looked helpless and confused. ¡°Young Lady Xie, why did this happen? Why are the others fine¡­?¡±


    ¡°He was once haunted by a vengeful spirit, so of course it¡¯s different for him. He lost his Yang energy. He can recover in a year or so, but he¡¯s still weaker than you guys,¡± Xie Qiao exined slowly.


    The people around Zhao Xuanjing were all full of Yang energy.


    The ghouls could touch them, but they could not possess them.


    Qin Zhi was the only one who was weak, so he was a pushover to them.


    ¡°It seems like we really can¡¯t get him to follow Your Highness from now on¡­¡± Zhou Weizong shook his head helplessly.


    His Highness was now close to Half-immortal Xie and Master Mo. These two couldmunicate with worlds, so it was inevitable that they had to know about ghouls. They had to be calm in the face of danger.


    Qin Zhi did not do anything, but he was possessed by a ghoul. How could anyone rely on him?


    However, even if he did not follow His Highness, he could do other things for His Highness. It was just that he was not as glorious as he was now.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, do you have any ideas on how to deal with him? This kid¡­ is quite hard-working¡­¡± Zhou Weizong valued brotherhood very much, so he could not bear to see Qin Zhi like this.


    ¡°No. He has all four limbs, and he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s doing pretty great. Don¡¯t be greedy, okay?¡± Xie Qiao was very ruthless.


    Zhou Weizong sighed.


    Yu Xian looked at her cousin and was a little puzzled.


    Her cousin¡¯s attitude toward Young Lady Xie was a little strange. It was indeed respectful, but it was also a little excessive. It was as if Young Lady Xie was a miraculous pill, but he actually had to ask for her opinion on such a matter¡­


    Even if Young Lady Xie was from a Taoist temple and had some ability, she was still a youngdy from a noble family, not a real sage¡­


    Yu Xian could not understand.


    ¡­


    The starving ghoul was still howling just now, and its soul was very weak.


    Xie Qiao took the opportunity to cast a talisman, and the golden light trapped it.


    ¡°Why are you ghouls living here?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Xie Pinggang frowned.


    The starving ghoul was very ufortable. It struggled to escape, but it was restrained by Xie Qiao¡¯s talisman. It could not escape at all. After a while, it knelt down and begged for mercy.


    ¡°Master, please spare my life! I didn¡¯t hurt anyone. I just wanted to eat something just now¡­¡±


    They starved to death. After bing ghouls, they also starved. They had been weak all this time, so they did not go to the city to do bad things.


    No matter how much food it had absorbed, it could not eat its fill. Thus, it had thought that after possessing a body, it would eat. Perhaps it would feel better¡­


    ¡°Eldest Sister, are you imitating Master Mo to interrogate ghouls?¡± Xie Pinggang was a little curious, but also a little incredulous.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then, her expression changed, and she hid behind her eldest brother. ¡°Eldest Brother! This is so scary¡­ He wants to eat people¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought you had grown bolder¡­¡± Xie Pinggang felt that Xie Qiao¡¯s reaction was strange.


    ¡°No, but¡­ I have to deal with this matter. Senior Aunty Mo isn¡¯t here, so I can only bite the bullet. Otherwise, I won¡¯t have the dignity to see her next time¡­¡± Xie Qiao said. With a sad and hesitant expression, she continued, ¡°Sigh, how are we going to interrogate such a scary thing¡­?¡±


    Xie Pinggang nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°You should also restrain yourself. There are so many outsiders around. It would be terrible if words get out.¡±


    If one of them were to be disobedient and spread the news that Xie Qiao was able to see ghouls, this youngdy would lose her dignity, right?


    Zhou Weizong had been listening attentively, so he heard that.


    Helplessly, he lowered his head and stepped on the soil under his feet.


    Could he say¡­ that they had long known about Young Lady Xie¡¯s abilities?


    Young Lady Xie was from the Water Moon Temple as well. How could she be any inferior?


    Thinking back to when they first met, she had even dug up a set of bones!


    It had to be said that Xie Pinggang had really thought too much. They were loyal to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince prohibited them from saying anything, even if they had a knife to their necks, they would not say anything.


    Unfortunately, at this moment, it would be terrible for them to argue with Xie Pinggang..

 Chapter 845 - The Grand Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 845: The Grand Immortal</h4>


    Xie Pinggang nced at the others. Unfortunately, it was dark, so he could not see their expressions clearly.


    After thinking for a moment, he stepped forward and said to the Crown Prince, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t¡­ we get the guards to stay away?¡±


    The Crown Prince understood his intentions and did not stop him.


    The group of guards formed a circle and were some distance away from Xie Qiao. At this moment, they should not be able to hear her voice.


    ¡°When Master Mo interrogates the ghouls, she usually uses some talismans to scare them and say some vicious words. Don¡¯t be like a little girl. Just say some vicious words,¡± Xie Pinggang instructed Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Then, she said to the ghoul, ¡°Tell me now, or your soul will be destroyed!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Xie Pinggang nodded.


    Zhao Xuanjing pursed his lips. At this moment, he looked at this future brother-inw. He looked very dumb.


    How could such a foolish person have such a smart and sensible sister like Xie Qiao? Could it be that this brother-inw was picked up from the mountains?


    The ghoul was already ufortable from being imprisoned by Xie Qiao¡¯s talisman. Now that he heard her, he said weakly, ¡°W-We are here with the Grand Immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother, he said that he is the Grand Immortal¡¯sckey,¡± Xie Qiao passed on the message in all seriousness.


    Xie Pinggang frowned. ¡°Then ask him, who is the Grand Immortal? Is he alive and dead, where is he hiding, and why does he want to harm people?!¡±


    Xie Qiao continued to pass on the message, looking dumb.


    Xie Pinggang sighed. This youngdy was so foolish that he had to teach her.


    The ghoul was obedient. He shivered as he spoke. ¡°The Grand Immortal is the same as us¡­ But he¡¯s very powerful. We will be more and more powerful if we follow him¡­ When Grand Immortal was still alive, I heard that he was a pirate¡­ If we don¡¯t listen to him, he will swallow us. H-He has a very powerful treasure¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao became more serious.


    It was probably not an easy task to be able to summon so many ghouls.


    ¡°Since your boss is so powerful, why isn¡¯t he around?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    The other spirits had already run far away when Xie Qiao had trapped the starving ghoul.


    It seemed that they did not expect her to be so powerful.


    They were all hiding in the distance, watching.


    The starving ghoul did not speak. The trembling ghoul looked extremely weak. Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Is he imprisoned somewhere and can¡¯t move?¡±


    Thinking about it, she thought something was wrong. If he could not move, it would be impossible for him to recruit so many underlings.


    ¡°This Grand Immortal can swallow you alive, but I might be able to make you a poor person for the rest of your life. Every time you reincarnate, you will be poor and starve to death.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was flushed red as she said big words.


    She really did not have this ability.


    It was not like she was the King of Hell.


    However, she couldmunicate with both worlds. To this ghoul, she was probably an unfathomable big shot, so he would definitely be a little afraid.


    Sure enough, when she said that, the starving ghoul revealed a terrified expression!


    He would starve to death for the rest of his life!


    He did not want to!


    The feeling of being hungry was too painful. His body was like a hole that was never filled. He would always be missing something!


    ¡°Although the Grand Immortal can only be confined around the coffin, he has a descendant¡­ His descendant could bring him to capture us¡­¡± the starving ghoul was extremely afraid.


    Xie Qiao was surprised. She thought it was just a matter of the ghouls. She did not expect it to involve the living.


    ¡°In other words, the descendant is not here tonight, so although your Grand Immortal knows that we are here, he can¡¯te and kill us?¡± Xie Qiao smiled faintly.


    At this time, the night was dark and gloomy. They could not make a move at this time. By the day, their strength would definitely be greatly weakened.


    However, they had to find out who this descendant was..

 Chapter 846 - Hidden Forever

    <h4>Chapter 846: Hidden Forever</h4>


    The voice of the starving ghoul became softer and softer.


    Seeing Xie Qiao¡¯s sinister smile, Xie Pinggang was afraid that she would forget herself, so he hurriedly said, ¡°Have you asked enough questions? Then you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else. Tomorrow, we will send someone to get Master Mo. When the timees, you will exin the situation to her. Let Master Mo handle the rest.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always find me useless¡­¡±


    She was useful now, so why did he not let her handle it?


    ¡°How old are you? This kind of matter should be handled by Master Mo, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    He said such shameless words.


    He wanted her to capture ghouls herself, but he kept insisting that she could not do it. Why did the heavens not send a huge bolt of lightning to strike Xie Pinggang to death? Hmph.


    Xie Qiao did not say much. She carefully took out a talisman and a small bottle to collect the starving ghoul.


    When the other ghouls saw that, they did not dare toe any closer. They could only do their best to stir up trouble in the surroundings.


    They had seen all the strange things that had happened that night.


    Forget about the ferocious beasts. By the second half of the night, a bunch of white flowers had drifted over from an unknown part of the mountain. The flowers danced in the air and were apanied by Ghouls¡¯ mes. It looked even more terrifying. Everyone was certain that something was wrong with thisnd.


    When the sun rose, the wind stopped.


    The sun slowly appeared and shone on thend. The ghouls that were afraid of the light hid themselves. The remaining ones lost their majesty.


    Xie Qiao slept for more than two hours in the second half of the night. She was still not in good spirits, but she was much better than Feng Yingying who could not sleep at all.


    ¡°Qiao¡¯er, do you know where Master Mo Is?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked with underlying meaning.


    ¡°Yes, at the Fortune Pavilion,¡± Xie Qiao said casually.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Xie Pinggang retorted. ¡°I knocked on the doorst night, she was not there at all. Master Mo has disappeared without a trace. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t find her today¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao did not expect Xie Pinggang to look for her. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Eldest Brother knocked on the door in the middle of the night. Those who don¡¯t know might think that you wanted to rob them. The shopkeeper was terrified, so of course he didn¡¯t dare to tell the truth. Later, when I go back with Master Yu and Lady Ying, I¡¯ll get Master Mo toe over. The ghouls here are evil. It¡¯s better to deal with them early so that they won¡¯t harm others in the future.¡±


    There must be a few more people guarding the wilderness. Otherwise, what if the descendant sneaked in and took the ¡°Grand Immortal¡± away?


    The others could not see the ghouls either. Those ghouls coulde and go as they pleased. If they dyed it for a day, there might be a few more deaths out there.


    She wanted to find the culprit right away, but she had to go back to the Fortune Pavilion first.


    She needed her tools.


    She did not know how powerful the ghouls¡¯ leader was. In order to avoid any idents¡­ she naturally had to prepare the best tools.


    Xie Pinggang did not believe her.


    The shopkeeper did not look like he was lying at that time¡­


    However, before he said anything, the Crown Prince said, ¡°Okay, but remember to let the master have a good rest on the way. If she can keep up with her energy, there won¡¯t be any idents when she captures the ghouls.¡±


    It would take several hours to go back and forth.


    She could catch up on sleep on the way in the carriage.


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll leave now. It¡¯s not bright yet. I¡¯ll try to get Master toe earlier.¡± Xie Qiao smiled at Zhao Xuanjing. He looked dignified, generous, and gentle, but there was a cunning gleam in his eyes.


    Her identity could be hidden forever..

 Chapter 847 - Careless

    <h4>Chapter 847: Careless</h4>


    In front of everyone, Xie Qiao looked like an ordinary youngdy.


    After a while, the carriage was put back on the horse, and she left with the other two youngdies, apanied by Zhou Weizong, Qin Zhi, and Wen Lancheng.


    At the moment, it was not difficult to walk out of this ce.


    However, Yu Xian noticed some marks left yesterday.


    It was clearly a very simple path, but she failed to walk out of it, which made her even more curious.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, how powerful is this Master Mo?¡± Yu Xian asked curiously.


    At the mention of Master Mo, Xie Qiao raised her head and said, ¡°She is¡­ a powerful expert who can see through life and death. Soul-catching, fortune-telling and looking at feng shui. She can do anything. If you have any troubles in the future, you can go to the Fortune Pavilion. I am familiar with Master Mo, so she¡¯ll charge you cheaper.¡±


    As she spoke, Xie Qiao took out two wooden tokens from the basket and gave one to each of them.


    ¡°If you hold this token, you can even get a 10% discount on your first visit.¡± Xie Qiao smiled warmly, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.


    The two looked at the wooden token and felt that there was nothing special about it.


    The wood was ordinary, but the carving was not bad. The patterns of the two wooden tokens were actually different. Other than the indecipherable rune-like pattern, the other side was also carved with two different-looking old men and figures.


    ¡°Who is carved on this?¡± Yu Xian pointed at the wooden token, somewhat curious.


    The window was open. Zhou Weizong nced at the wooden token. As he rode on his horse, he stretched out his head and asked, ¡°Can I have a look?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Yu Xian immediately handed the item to her cousin.


    Zhou Weizong took the item and looked at it. He said in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Old Master Li? The teacher of His Highness, the number one schr in the world¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao scratched her nose. ¡°Old Master Li is also my senior aunty¡¯s teacher. He is carved on the wooden token and being kowtowed to every day to show respect.¡±


    What she carved was not a big, but a distant view painting.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s eyes were quite powerful. He could even see that.


    ¡°What about this?¡± Feng Yingying asked.


    Xie Qiao looked ufortable. ¡°That¡­ is my master, Mo Lingzi. He and Master Mo are disciples.¡±


    ¡°Then this thing must¡¯ve been personally carved by Master Mo, right?¡± Zhou Weizong smiled, ¡°Master Mo¡¯s ability is indeed extraordinary. Such carving skills are rare. Also, in thisposition, she actually showed the essence of a masterpiece on a small wooden token. I¡¯m sure that her calligraphy and painting skills are not bad.¡±


    ¡°Keep these things well. If you lose them and don¡¯t mend them, it won¡¯t be good for you to show them to others in the future.¡± Xie Qiao ignored Zhou Weizong and reminded the two youngdies.


    The two of them knew that Master Mo was formidable, so they cherished this thing very much.


    In reality, Xie Qiao still had a few wooden tokens left in the Fortune Pavilion.


    Now, she could only use her two safety tokens as an apology gift.


    However, before Zhou Weizong could give the item back to Yu Xian, Wen Lancheng took it over and took a look.


    Seeing the carvings, Wen Lancheng frowned. ¡°Thisposition is very simr¡­ A famous master whose paintings are very rare. The Royal Academy has a painting of the Joy of Living painting, which is wonderful¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Master Mo likes to copy the most¡­¡±


    Wen Lancheng did not see the same painting on the market.


    So this was a carving created by Master Mo following Master Yun Wei¡¯s painting technique?


    If that was the case, then Master Mo¡¯s painting skill was probably no worse than Master Yun Wei¡¯s, right?


    How could it be such a coincidence that there were two masters with simr styles and simr abilities in the world?


    Xie Qiao thought she was being reckless. The sculptures sold at Fortune Pavilion were mostly buildings or wooden figures, so even if Xiao Yurong bought many, he would not doubt Yun Wei¡¯s identity¡­


    However, these two wooden tokens¡­


    She had been careless!

 Chapter 848 - I’ve Received Your Kind Intentions

    <h4>Chapter 848: I¡¯ve Received Your Kind Intentions</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was a little grave, and she was very worried.


    Mo Chusheng was still a little too young to be a master of calligraphy and painting. If Wen Lancheng really pointed it out, the price of her paintings might have to be lowered in the future¡­


    Wen Lancheng was secretly doubtful.


    However, it was a carving after all, not a famous painting on paper. It was normal for him to misjudge it.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Master Mo is also familiar with Master Yun Wei. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to copy Master Yun Wei¡¯s painting style to such a degree.¡± Wen Lancheng politely returned the wooden token.


    Perhaps, Master Mo and Master Yun Wei were close rtives?


    Rumor had it that Master Yun Wei was probably already in his 80s and had an experienced temperament. Therefore, the paintings and poems he wrote all carried the sense of seeing through the secr world.


    There was a reason for what the people out there said, because he had also observed a few of Master Yun Wei¡¯s paintings. When Master Yun Wei used his brush to paint, they would sometimes see his weakness when using the brush. That was why everyone said that Master Yun Wei would probably not be able to live for many years. Those paintings on the market would definitely be famous works in the future.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about Senior Aunty¡¯s matters either.¡±


    ¡°Master Yun Wei¡¯s works in the world are all very wonderful. I really hope to meet him personally one day.¡± Wen Lancheng revealed a respectful expression.


    Xie Qiao remained expressionless. ¡®Good child, I¡¯ve received your kind intentions¡­¡¯


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, did you feel ill after being exposed to the cold wind yesterday? Your face seems to be a little warm.¡± Yu Xian was very concerned.


    Xie Qiao smiled bashfully. ¡°When I think of Master Yun Wei, I¡¯m also full of admiration. If I could see him, I would be overjoyed and excited.¡±


    Yu Xian did not understand.


    It was just an old man. What was there to look at? He was not a handsome or cool young man.


    After chatting for a while, the three youngdies closed their eyes to rest. When they opened their eyes again, they were already in the city.


    Wen Lancheng left with his wife whom he had yet to marry, while Yu Xian returned to the Xie Residence obediently.


    Only Xie Qiao, under the surveince of Zhou Weizong, went to the Fortune Pavilion.


    After changing into a dashing Taoist robe, washing her face, putting on makeup, and taking out all the good tools she had in stock to choose from, she moved them into the carriage and followed Zhou Weizong to that ce.


    Zhou Weizong looked at Master Mo, and when he saw that Master Mo took a nap with her eyes closed, he was prepared to exin the situation to her first.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to say more. This penniless priest already knows.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was unfathomable and calm.


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s face was full of respect. ¡°Master, do you have any solutions?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see when we arrive.¡± Xie Qiao was much more aloof.


    Zhou Weizong carefully nodded.


    Nothing happened along the way. The horses were going fast. Before noon, Xie Qiao had already arrived at the location she was previously in.


    The sun was shining brightly at this moment. Perhaps it was because there were more outsiders in the forest, the ghouls were hiding to watch the bustle. It was rare for them to wander around.


    It was good too, so she did not have to catch them one by one.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this person. She¡¯s incredible. She can even open strange doors¡­ I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s even more powerful than the one who came yesterday!¡±


    ¡°This old and ugly old witch is meddling in other people¡¯s business. The Grand Immortal will definitely kill her!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s looking at me¡­¡±


    Mo Chusheng was quite famous. All the ghouls who had been to the capital knew that the owner of the Fortune Pavilion was not someone to be trifled with.. If she was unhappy, a talisman would vanish into thin air, and they would not even have time to cry!

 Chapter 849 - Isn’t She Courting Death?

    <h4>Chapter 849: Isn¡¯t She Courting Death?</h4>


    In reality, many ghouls were looking forward to being reincarnated.


    However, after they became ghouls, they knew more than the living.


    Hell was not a good ce either. Those who were lucky would settle their karma and be able to be reincarnated. However, most ghouls had to suffer a little and pay off their debts before they could be reincarnated. If they did not¡­ they would not have a good ending in their next life.


    Therefore, those who still had their obsession were also a little afraid and worried. That was why they stayed in the world of the living for a long time.


    There were many souls in the world of the living. As long as they did not break the rules, they would be safe and sound.


    However¡­


    The problem was that they had broken the rules!


    The old Taoist master from the Yuxu Temple had chased after them before. Fortunately, they ran fast and did not suffer any harm!


    However, they did not expect that there would be an even more powerful one. Look at this Taoist master. Her pair of yin-yang eyes had seen through them. They really did not dare to move even if they wanted to!


    Once Xie Qiao arrived, she took out the soul-summoning bell and shook it a few times. While muttering to herself, she tossed a talisman again. In a short while, the spirit closest to her was trapped.


    ¡°Lead the way. Be obedient. My talisman won¡¯t stand in the ceremony with you.¡± Xie Qiao was expressionless.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not find it odd at all that she was changing her identity back and forth.


    ¡°M-Master!¡± The ghoul shivered, opened his mouth, and dropped his chin. He hurriedly put it on. ¡°Where to¡­¡±


    ¡°To find the location of the Grand Immortal. Is it a coffin or a cave? There must be a ce to go, right?¡± Xie Qiao said slowly, looking very confident.


    Her attitude made Xie Pinggang feel that this matter was settled.


    ¡°I¡­¡± The ghoul hesitated.


    However, in an instant, the other talisman that the master threw out exploded with a faint me. If the me burned his body, his soul would probably be burned.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he quickly admitted defeat.


    Xie Qiao then looked at Zhao Xuanjing. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s find their nest first and take a closer look at the situation.¡±


    These guards had enough Yang energy. The only one whocked Yang energy was Qin Zhi. He had been staying in the city after they sent him back to the capital.


    However, Xie Qiao still gave each of them some talismans to ensure their own safety.


    In reality, these guards had wanted to search the mountain before Master Mo arrived, but the Crown Prince did not allow it.


    The Crown Prince said that this ce was filled with dark energy, and they did not understand the concept of yin and yang. If they identally touched something that they should not, it would be terrible.


    They had already cooked and eaten a portion of the wild beasts on the ground, and the rest were tied up and hung on horses.


    The two of them left with the goods, while the rest followed Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Master, are the people of your Taoist temple so full of justice when they see filthy things?¡± After taking a few steps, Xie Pinggang thought for a while and went up to ask.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°More or less.¡±


    After learning the skill, she naturally had to take some responsibility.


    Even her good-for-nothing master, the old man, had to do some good deeds every year. Otherwise, all his skills would be wasted.


    ¡°My sister was born with terrible health. She lived everyday like it¡¯s herst. Master, can you tell that wretched girl to mind less about this in the future?¡± Xie Pinggang was thick-skinned, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m stingy and selfish. It¡¯s just that she has been living an unusual life since she was young. She has been following the old master for a long time. Now that she has finally returned home, I hope that she can simply be a wealthy youngdy and marry someone to have children in the future.¡±


    It was rare for Xie Qiao to hear Xie Pinggang speak so gently. She felt rather guilty.


    However, before she could feel the warmth, she heard Xie Pinggang say, ¡°That wretched girl is too reckless. She actually brought two other women who didn¡¯t know anything here yesterday.. Isn¡¯t she courting death?¡±

 Chapter 850 - Lacked Good Karma

    <h4>Chapter 850: Lacked Good Karma</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was indeed very upset.


    He was not a fool. Of course, he knew that the foolish girl was actually capable. She could tell fortunes and capture ghouls. Although she was afraid of ghouls, she was more daring than an ordinary girl.


    However, would a capable person have to go through so much trouble to capture ghouls and kill monsters?


    She was not Master Mo who had lived for 30 to 40 years and was an advanced Taoist master. She had seen all kinds of things. If she died, she died. There was no need to feel sorry for her.


    His sister was as young as a flower. She was not bad-looking. It was not easy for her to find a handsome husband like the Crown Prince. Naturally, he had to cherish her. He could not let anything happen to her!


    Putting herself in danger?


    He disagreed with that ten thousand times.


    ¡°Young Master Xie, this¡­ depends on your sister¡¯s own wishes.¡± Xie Qiao nced at Zhao Xuanjing. She sighed and said kindly.


    ¡°At home, she would have to listen to her father and brother, and when she marries, she would have to listen to her husband. Her wishes? That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xie Pinggang vented his anger through his nose like an old ox.


    Xie Qiao looked down on the way Xie Pinggang was asking for a beating when he said these words!


    ¡°Shecks good karma. If she doesn¡¯t do good deeds and umte good karma, then she will die. You don¡¯t understand that.¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    Xie Pinggang fell into silence for a moment. ¡°Is that the only way to gather good karma? We are all human. Why is my eldest sister¡¯s life so unlucky? Could it be¡­


    ¡°That my parents¡¯ grandparents did too much evil in the early years, so she¡¯s suffering from bad karma? That¡¯s not right. She¡¯s so young. She won¡¯t be carrying on the family line. If someone is to be punished, it should be me, right? If it really won¡¯t do , I still have a younger brother. That idiot is useless. Can you give him that pair of eyes and the weak body instead?¡±


    Xie Qiao almost could not hold it in anymore.


    No!


    ¡°Minister Xie, the matter of retribution is nonsense.¡± Zhao Xuanjing could no longer hold it back. ¡°Maybe the heavens saw that Young Lady Xie was born smart and intelligent, so they gave her some big responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s purely¡­¡± nonsense.


    Xie Pinggang said the first two words. Remembering that it was the Crown Prince, he forcefully swallowed thest word.


    There were many smart people in the world. There were many masters in the Royal Academy. Each of them was smart and capable!


    At the very least, was the Crown Prince not a natural prodigy?


    The Crown Prince was great. His sister was nothing. Why could not she be an ordinary small fry?


    The King of Hell was probably blind. He ced his eyes on Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Your Highness is right¡­¡± Xie Pinggang ttered him first, then he looked at Xie Qiao and said, ¡°Master, if my family does more good deeds in the future, donating food, building bridges, repairing roads, and beating up barbarians, will my sister¡¯s health be better?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She could give an answer to other situations, but she could not figure out her own matter.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re good, but it¡¯s definitely not as good as releasing souls, so I suggest¡­¡± Xie Qiao lowered her voice.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Pinggang shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine for a youngdy who deals with ghouls all day long. But when she¡¯s 30 or 40, won¡¯t she be like you, Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Ehem!¡± Zhao Xuanjing signaled him.


    Xie Pinggang restrained himself. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t mean to despise you. It¡¯s just that¡­ you haven¡¯t had anyone to take care of you when you travel around, right? You must have suffered a lot when you were out¡­¡±


    Masters were usually emotionless and did not seem like a human being.


    It was better for the youngdy to have emotions. Being a walking corpse like Master Mo, she might as well be dead.


    Moreover, Master Mo was only 30 to 40 years old and already neither dead or alive. When she was older, would she not be even more heartless?


    No way! Absolutely not!

 Chapter 851 - Die Gracefully

    <h4>Chapter 851: Die Gracefully</h4>


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s thoughts were different from ordinary people.


    He thought there was no point in living.


    For the sake of her life, Xie Qiao was like Master Mo, constantly catching ghouls and putting in a lot of effort. She would rather faint to save souls. It was truly pitiful.


    His sister had to enjoy life at home. If she could not enjoy it anymore, he would rather her die a quick death than suffer so much.


    Xie Pinggang really felt that Master Mo was suffering.


    Anyone with eyes could see that sometimes when the master saw ghouls, her eyes were filled with despair.


    Especially on the way to Xun County, when she was stared at by the ghouls of many concubines, she almost vomited.


    If it was his sister¡­


    Xie Pinggang thought about Xie Qiao¡¯s face. He did not admire it, but he knew that his sister was good-looking. Such a good-looking person¡­ should not be exposed to ghouls.


    Xie Qiao was struck hard by Xie Pinggang at this moment.


    With her appearance, when she was 30 or 40¡­ Would she be miserable?!


    Xie Qiao took a deep breath and tried her best not to be irascible. She forced a smile and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Young Lady Xie doing good things with this penniless master? It¡¯s better to stay alive than to die. As long as her lifespan can be prolonged, it¡¯s worth it to pay a great price.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not quite right,¡± Xie Pinggang replied in a schrly manner, ¡°I think this is going against the natural order. After spending so much effort and being scared to death by ghouls in order to live a few more days, it¡¯s better to die early and be reincarnated. Who knows, in the next life, she might still be able to be our family member.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned by these words.


    So, what her biological brother meant was to let her die early? And then reincarnate into the Xie family?


    He wished! He was too ruthless¡­


    Sure enough, it was right to hide the truth from him. Otherwise, she would not even be able to run her Fortune Pavilion!


    ¡°Is Minister Xie tired of living?¡± Zhao Xuanjing could not help but ask when he saw Xie Qiao¡¯s silent and pitiful look.


    This brother and sister were much more aggressive than the other. Xie Qiao¡¯s idea of hiding was already a bit strange. While Xie Pinggang¡­ was simply a lunatic.


    ¡°Your Highness, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Xie Pinggang said straightforwardly.


    ¡°Minister Xie has the fate of a loner, right? You¡¯re destined to not marry a wife. You can¡¯t even carry on the family line. There isn¡¯t much difference between living and dead.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked fair and reasonable.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    As the saying went, nothing was invincible. The person she was most afraid of was probably this unreasonable eldest brother who only knew how to hit people.


    Well done, Your Highness.


    ¡°This is different. I¡¯m not afraid that I won¡¯t be able to get a wife, but my sister is afraid of ghouls and disgusting things, right? Your Highness, you haven¡¯t seen her courtyard. It¡¯s decorated like heaven. Not only are there flowers and nts, she won¡¯t have dust on her body. If I bring the smell of sweat home, she would want to stay away from me for more than ten feet¡­¡± Xie Pinggang could not help but talk about Xie Qiao¡¯s pet peeves.


    Xie Qiao herself had not paid attention to these things.


    The decorations in the courtyard were very ordinary. Those flowers¡­


    Were given by the Crown Prince.


    It had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°Perhaps you are more terrifying than a ghoul, and the smell is stronger. No matter what, this life belongs to Qiao¡¯er. As the elder brother, you should take care of yourself first.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s eager expression and said immediately.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Xie Pinggang snorted.


    The Crown Prince had only met Xie Qiao a few times. He did not understand. Her sister was arrogant.. She would rather die gracefully than run around with Master Mo to catch ghouls!

 Chapter 852 - Gathering the Five Aggregates

    <h4>Chapter 852: Gathering the Five Aggregates</h4>


    Xie Pinggang still wanted to say something on behalf of his sister, but the Crown Prince stood against him, making it difficult for him to say those words.


    He sighed helplessly. ¡°No matter what, that¡¯s my sister¡­¡±


    It was none of their business!


    Zhao Xuanjing raised his eyebrows and was a little unhappy, ¡°That¡¯s my future wife. Did I pour out my heart for her for nothing? Do you really want me to be alone? I don¡¯t want to hear it again. Otherwise, if something happens to your sister, I have an absolute reason to suspect that it was you who did it. By then, don¡¯t me me for torturing you.¡±


    Xie Pinggang snorted without leaving a trace.


    If he was afraid of being tortured, he would still be a bandit in the mountain nest. How would he dare toe to the capital and be a high-ranking official?


    Xie Qiao remained silent, thinking about how to live long under her eldest brother¡¯s watch.


    The ghoul that was leading Xie Qiao in the front was now pitifully drifting slower and slower.


    Xie Qiao could feel that the surrounding dark energy was getting thicker and thicker.


    After walking for another 15 minutes, she stopped.


    ¡°Master Mo, have we arrived?¡± Xie Pinggang asked curiously, then he looked around.


    The surroundings¡­ were no different from other ces. Other than the trees, there were some flowers, brambles, and wild vines. It did not look like there was a tomb¡­


    Xie Qiao took out thepass and walked a few steps to the left and right.


    After a while, she suddenly stepped forward and looked at the trees around her.


    ¡°South Mulberry, North Willow, East Sophora, West Cypress, Middle Por. Gather the five aggregates,¡± Xie Qiao said briefly and then looked at the ground. She saw a spot that was small. The soil was dark and looked strange.


    She did not approach it simply. She made everyone step back and carefully observed the situation around them.


    ¡°Other than the ck soil, the water vapor is quite heavy. I¡¯m afraid it was a mountainke that was not too small earlier. I don¡¯t know why it was filled up.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and took something out of the bamboo basket.


    After a while, she took out several small dharmic mirrors.


    She hung one each on the five aggregate trees.


    After she was done, she held the sword in one hand and stepped on the soil. Her footsteps were as if she was calcting, calcting the two elements, four appearances and eight trigrams. Her steps were strange and fast. Her posture was elegant like an immortal. Her sword cleaved through the darkness.


    She muttered to herself and chanted mantras repeatedly. It actually made the living people felt a bit of peace.


    However, at this moment, the dark energy gathered under the ck soil seemed to have been awakened and began to spread frantically.


    The dark energy mixed with countless scattered souls attacked Xie Qiao like sharp ws!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was solemn, but she was not afraid at all.


    At this moment, Zhao Xuanjing and the others saw the bronze mirrors on the five aggregate trees shaking crazily as if they were blown by the wind. However, their hair was not moving, which showed how strange it was.


    It was as if there was ayer of mist on the bronze mirrors. In a short while, they were covered by ayer of mist, and they could not even see the surrounding scenery clearly.


    ¡°You are responsible for cleaning the mirrors. Make sure that these bronze mirrors are not contaminated by any mist or ck energy,¡± Xie Qiao took the opportunity to make arrangements.


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately sent people to do it.


    He had brought many guards with him. They couldplete such a small task.


    ¡°Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Imperial Court¡¯s golden tower and earth, the nine heavens and five prisons, I¡¯ve aimed at ten thousand souls¡­ The Heaven¡¯s banishing energy will break the evil forever. Now hear mymand. Shatter!¡± Xie Qiao shouted and pointed her sword at the ck spirits. The energy on the peach wood sword wrapped around the jumping evil energy and bit by bit. It devoured it.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡± after a few consecutive bangs, the top of the bronze mirrors actually seemed to have cracked as if they had been struck by lightning and were covered with ck cracks.


    Zhou Weizong and the others were shocked.


    ¡°N-Now they can¡¯t be wiped clean?¡±

 Chapter 853 - A Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 853: A Treasure</h4>


    Xie Qiao put away her sword and returned to her feet.


    Then, she exhaled. ¡°Forget it if you can¡¯t clean them. These bronze mirrors can¡¯t be used anymore.¡±


    Zhou Weizong and the others heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Do you need Minister Xie Qing and my help now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt that he and Xie Pinggang were like two wooden staff, no different from the surrounding flowers and nts.


    ¡°This is just the beginning. Later¡­¡± Xie Qiao smiled at Zhao Xuanjing with a ttering smile. ¡°I should be able to use you.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister, just tell me what to do.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was quite happy. Then, he nced at Xie Pinggang leisurely, ¡°Minister Xie, don¡¯t stay idle. You¡¯re such a big man. Standing here is a hindrance. Later, if someone asks you to put in some effort, don¡¯t be slow and careless.¡±


    The Crown Prince was especially picky today.


    He did not know how to capture souls¡­


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xie Pinggang agreed readily.


    ¡°Young Master Xie, you can get to work now,¡± Xie Qiao said and pointed at the ck soil. ¡°Dig It!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Xie Pinggang immediately went forward and asked the subordinates to do it.


    They could not dig it directly just now, but they could now. However, they were definitely not done with this ce yet. The evil energy that spread out just now was not much. She guessed that there was probably a tomb under here.


    ¡°There¡¯s a piece of rotten wood here.¡± Xie Pinggang pulled out something after digging twice. ¡°It¡¯s wrapped in cloth.¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at it and did not seem to be affected. ¡°That¡¯s a reishi mushroom. There¡¯s nothing on it now, but this thing¡­ should be used by that Grand Immortal to possess it and move around.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the reishi mushroom an herb?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was stunned and puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s an herb, but the reishi mushroom is different. It¡¯s a herb in a tomb. As the name suggests, it grows from a coffin. Ordinary herbs in a tomb can also be used as an herb, but not this one. There is blood energy and dark energy on it. The parasitic coffin is buried in a bad ce. It¡¯s too dark, so the thing that grows out of it is also bad. Because it has a strong dark energy, it can be used by the ghouls for the time being.


    ¡°Some ghouls are trapped in a ce and cannot move. If they possess the reishi mushroom and it¡¯s carried by a living person, they can go wherever they want,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Some ghouls were born to live on objects, such as the scissors from the Yan family.


    However, these ghouls could only live on this object that had something to do with them when they were alive.


    However, any ghoul could live on this reishi mushroom. Moreover, it could nourish the evil energy of the ghoul and make the ghoul be more powerful.


    Zhao Xuanjing understood.


    ¡°Do we continue to dig?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The men continued to work and threw the reishi mushroom aside. Xie Qiao went forward. She took out a talisman, stuck it on it, and put it into the bamboo basket.


    ¡°Is there any other use for this thing?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked with a smile in his eyes.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand froze, she looked up nkly. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ taking it home and stewing the rooster.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face froze.


    ¡°Feed the rooster, I said it wrong.¡± Xie Qiao grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. Although it has some dark energy, I¡¯m capable¡­ I¡¯ll take it back to deal with it and use it to sharpen the teeth of my family¡¯s rooster.¡±


    ¡°Your rooster has teeth?¡± Zhao Xuanjing listened to her nonsense that she said in all seriousness.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment, but she still chose to be honest, ¡°The dark energy is heavy. If I concoct it, I can¡­ visit hell or summon ghouls. But it¡¯s hard to say. After all¡­ It¡¯s a treasure. If more people know about it and fight with me¡­. It would be terrible, right?¡±

 Chapter 854 - Going into the Tomb

    <h4>Chapter 854: Going into the Tomb</h4>


    Xie Qiao stuffed the thing at the bottom of the bamboo basket and nced at it from time to time.


    Under her serious gaze, Zhao Xuanjing could guess that this piece of rotten wood must be of high value.


    ¡°Senior Sister, have you been to hell?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was even more curious about what she said.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    With her body, she might not be able to return from hell. That kind of ce was very mysterious. If it was not for the ghoul, it would be impossible to enter without an item of extreme dark energy.


    There were many uses for this reishi mushroom.


    Zhao Xuanjing was not interested in hell. He would know what that ce was like after he died. He was not in a hurry.


    ¡°Senior Sister, have you had some free timetely?¡± Zhao Xuanjing changed the topic and asked.


    Xie Qiao looked at him suspiciously. Zhao Xuanjing said, ¡°Teacher is in Mengjiabao now. He sent a message saying that he can¡¯t leave. I thought if Senior Sister is free, we should go to pick him up and return to the capital.¡±


    ¡°When did you be so respectful to him?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not know whether tough or cry.


    Xie Qiao knew that her words were not pleasant to hear, so she immediately changed her tone and said, ¡°Teacher sent me a message in the past, saying that you¡­ didn¡¯t practise the scriptures and didn¡¯t listen to his teaching. You relied on your ownprehension to study and learn. You weren¡¯t as obedient and serious as Junior Brother Xiao.¡±


    The old master¡¯s initial words were that the Crown Prince had a noble status, so it was very difficult to teach him!


    He said that he was already very sensible when he became his teacher and was not as easy to cajole as a child. His character was very serious and was far inferior to her, the eldest senior sister!


    Teacher said that if he had known that he was so serious and boring, he would not have been attracted to his appearance in the first ce. It was too much of a loss to take him in as a disciple¡­


    He did not know how much his teacher had suffered at that time. Even the few pages of paper that he had written were all terrible things about Zhao Xuanjing!


    ¡°After I became his disciple, because I was the Crown Prince, he had no choice but to stay in the pce for a while. He was restricted by the rules everywhere, so it was inevitable that he was in a bad mood,¡± Zhao Xuanjing exined.


    Even though he moved out of the pce and went to the Royal Academy, he was surrounded by many officials and guards of the East Pce. His teacher had to pay attention to the appearance of the headmaster of the academy at all times, so he felt¡­


    Very ufortable.


    ¡°What is teacher doing in Mengjiaobao? Did something important dy him until now?¡± Xie Qiao only knew the location of Mengjiaobao. It was not too far from the capital, but she did not know much else.


    ¡°There was not much written in the letter. It was just that he couldn¡¯t leave. In addition, he asked me to send a few guards over. So something out of the ordinary must have happened,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    It had been quite a while since the old master sent the letter back.


    Logically speaking, he should have arrived a long time ago.


    However, he had been dyed in Mengjiabao. He was worried that something unexpected would happen.


    Xie Qiao was still respectful to her teacher. She nodded without hesitation. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Not long after Xie Qiao finished speaking, Xie Pinggang and the others had indeed found something from the digging.


    It was actually a tomb entrance. Under such circumstances, they could only go in and take a look.


    ¡°This tomb shouldn¡¯t be too big. Its size shouldn¡¯t exceed the positions of these five aggregate trees.¡± After Xie Qiao said that, Xie Pinggang took the lead and led the others down.


    Zhao Xuanjing was about to go in, but Zhou Weizong looked at him with a bitter expression.


    ¡°Your Highness, you should wait up there, right?¡± It was not safe down there!


    ¡°Since Senior Sister has already said this is the range of the tomb, then this ce should be just an ordinary tomb. Why can¡¯t I go in?¡± Zhao Xuanjing insisted..

 Chapter 855 - Don’t Move

    <h4>Chapter 855: Don¡¯t Move</h4>


    This kind of tomb only had some bad luck in it. However, now that the entrance of the tomb had been opened, it led directly to a tomb chamber, and the filthy energy could also be emitted.


    If they could not enter, Xie Qiao should be able to feel it.


    Since the Crown Prince wanted to enter, Zhou Weizong would not be at ease if he did not follow.


    ¡°The tomb is too small. You can wait upstairs. Minister Xie is here.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was straightforward and followed Xie Pinggang to the tomb.


    Zhou Weizong stretched out his hand. He felt a little confused.


    Was Xie Pinggang enough?


    He was the personal imperial bodyguard captain of the Crown Prince, right?!


    Ever since His Highness had Xie Pinggang, he could not tolerate guards like them anymore!


    Xie Qiao naturally had to follow him.


    ¡°Your Highness, Why are you here? It makes more sense for the subordinates to explore the way first in such a ce. How can the master go in while the servants wait upstairs? This isn¡¯t right, no?¡± After Xie Pinggang reached the tomb at the bottom, he turned around and looked at the person with a strange expression.


    There was a lot of lighting in from the entrance of the huge tomb, so it was not dark inside.


    This tomb was not high either. After Xie Pinggang entered, he had to bend to talk.


    ¡°You just have to do what you¡¯re told.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not say anything more to him.


    Xie Pinggang shut his mouth.


    The tomb they entered was very simple. There were only some earthen jars and valuables inside. There was no copper or silver. Even the earthen jars were almost broken and nothing valuable could be seen.


    ¡°This tomb is interesting. The earthen jars are broken into pieces. The things inside must have been taken by someone, right? But this tomb that was raided was sealed well. It seems that this thief has a conscience?¡± Xie Pinggang smiled sarcastically.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the tomb wasn¡¯t sealed properly. The entrance of the tomb was a little porous. The dark energy here is so heavy. I guess the coffin has been soaked in water.¡± Xie Qiao nced at it.


    What she cared about more was the treasure that the ghoul had mentioned.


    The treasure should not be referring to the reishi mushroom, but what could it be?


    Xie Qiao did not quite understand.


    Xie Pinggang had already raised his feet and walked toward the tomb at the side.


    That was the main tomb, and it was much bigger. It was just that its position was a little lower, causing the pitch-ck water to cover ayer of the ground. The coffin was actually rotten into pieces, and the corpse floated on the surface of the water, giving off a disgusting smell. Xie Qiao almost vomited when she saw that.


    She was experienced and knowledgeable, this¡­ was nothing!


    Xie Qiao gently covered her nose, and then¡­


    ¡°Y-Young Master Xie, don¡¯t move.¡± Xie Qiao suddenly shouted and reached out to stop Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. The ground is full of dirty water. How can I step into it? But I see a lower tomb over there¡­¡± Xie Pinggang pointed inside.


    ¡°There should be other funerary objects there, such as livestock.¡± Xie Qiao nced at it and said. Then, she pointed at the ck water. ¡°You can¡¯t touch the water. You¡¯ll get sick if you touch it.¡±


    ¡°Is it that powerful?¡± He did not believe it.


    Of course, although he did not believe it, he did not seek death.


    ¡°There seems to be something on that corpse.¡± Zhao Xuanjing narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Xie Qiao took a closer look. It was a piece of yellow cloth with a talisman inscribed on it. It was a little messy.


    Her gaze was more focused on the walls of the tomb. There were some strange drawings on the walls, and there was something hanging on the four corners. In addition, there was a wooden figure hanging in the upper room in the middle of the tomb.


    ¡°This is¡­ a puppet corpse.¡± Xie Qiao took a step back. ¡°No wonder those ghouls said that the Grand Immortal is powerful¡­¡±


    Before Xie Qiao finished her sentence, a creepy-looking ghoul hovered from another tomb..

 Chapter 856 - You Doggone Taoist Master

    <h4>Chapter 856: You Doggone Taoist Master</h4>


    The ghoul¡­ looked extremely terrifying.


    A normal ghoul usually maintained its appearance when it died. Even if it was slightly uglier, one could tell that it was a person.


    However, the ghoul in front of her was even uglier than the corpse floating on the ground!


    His bony, withered hair hung on his forehead. His face was rotten, and his flesh seemed to be on the verge of falling off. However, it was still hanging, and there were some cracks¡­


    He was short, and his whole body was emitting a foul smell. There was a rope hanging on his chest, and on the rope were two skulls of unknown small animals.


    She had never seen such a thin ghoul. It was as if he was only skin and bones when he was alive.


    What was more terrifying was that there was a big wooden figure behind him.


    The wooden figure did not have eyes or a nose, but its evil energy was very strong. It was very strange.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked immediately when she saw Xie Qiao staring in one direction.


    Xie Qiao slowly forced a slightly stiff smile. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ an ugly one that can scare people to death. A ghoul and his pet wooden figure.¡±


    ¡°Wooden figure?¡± Xie Pinggang pointed at the palm-sized wooden figure hanging above him. ¡°That one? Heh.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a wooden figure as big as you.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s smile was especially forced.


    Xie Pinggang opened his mouth and gave Xie Qiao a rare look of sympathy.


    ¡°Master Mo, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± After Xie Pinggang said that, he stepped back. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with anything, and I wont be a bother¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    At this moment, an angry expression appeared on the ghoul¡¯s face, and that piece of skin trembled even more. As Xie Qiao looked at it, she wished he could reach out and tear off that extra piece of skin!


    ¡°You¡­ filthy wild cats¡­ How dare you enter my tomb¡­¡±


    The ghoul¡¯s voice was unpleasant to the ears.


    There was nothing good about him at all!


    Seeing such a ghoul, Xie Qiao thought¡­ when she died, no matter what, she had to be¡­ graceful!


    Xie Qiao drew her sword.


    ¡°Tell me honestly, what sins have youmitted? I can make you disappear quickly, or else the heavenly lightning and earthly fire will st you to death.¡± Xie Qiao said with a serious expression, but her words almost made Xie Pinggang choke.


    He could not see it, so when he saw Master Mo greeting the air like this, he could not help but feel entertained.


    Especially with Master Mo¡¯s petite body, it was really not strong enough. She looked like a cute child who wanted to show off her power and say something scary.


    ¡°Haha¡­ You doggone Taoist master.¡± The ghoul seemed to have heard a joke and looked at Xie Qiao with disdain.


    After saying that, he raised his hand.


    The ck ghoul¡¯s de appeared in his hand, and he raised his hand to swing it at Xie Qiao!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s peach wood sword blocked it immediately!


    The ck ghoul¡¯s aura suddenly stuck to Xie Qiao¡¯s peach wood sword as if it could not get rid of the mud. Bit by bit, it followed the peach wood sword and spread toward Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    ¡°How dare you use a broken peach wood sword against me?! What a joke!¡± As he said that, his aura soared. The wooden figure behind him was very agile, and it moved exactly the same as him.


    Even if the puppet corpse was a ghoul, it was only a puppet.


    The truly terrifying thing was not the ghoul in front of him, but the wooden figure behind him!


    And this wooden figure¡­


    It was impossible that it was ced inside by the descendants of the ghoul. Only someone evil would have done that!


    Seeing that the evil energy was about tond in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand, she directly abandoned the peach wood sword.


    The ck energy struck Xie Qiao¡¯s forehead directly.


    However, it was bounced back by a surge of positive Yang energy, and Xie Qiao was unscathed.


    The talismans in her hands were destroyed..

 Chapter 857 - It’ll Be Great to Have Some of Your Followers

    <h4>Chapter 857: It¡¯ll Be Great to Have Some of Your Followers</h4>


    Xie Qiao immediately pulled out another wooden sword from her basket. The material was different from peach wood.


    The moment the wooden sword appeared, the ghoul¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Who¡­ are you?!¡±


    If he was not wrong, then the bamboo basket beside the woman¡¯s feet was filled with¡­ things that could restrain him?!


    And this sword¡­ was made of lightning struck wood?!


    ¡°The person who came to bring you to hell.¡± Xie Qiao grinned. She pasted a few talismans on her lightning struck wood!


    ¡°Lightning, snow and wind, riding on the power of the heavens. Scarlet dragon on the left, turtle on the right. Iron city purple cave, banish the evil¡­ Summoned by God, hear mymand!¡± As she chanted, lightning seemed to sh across Xie Qiao¡¯s dharmic sword again.


    Outside, the sound of thunder in the clear sky and on the ground startled everyone. The sound of thunder seemed to be near or far, but it also seemed as if everyone had misheard it.


    Xie Qiao could see the lightning and the power attached to her sword, shing toward the ghoul!


    The ghoul jumped in fright and then became furious.


    The strange ghoul rushed to the sky and let out a cry. It floated to the front and a weapon appeared in its hand. It was a soul-summoning bell.


    The soul-summoning bell was different from the one Xie Qiao usually used.


    It was shrouded in darkness, filled with a thick evil energy and chilly wind.


    Xie Qiao heard a rustling sound, and after a while, countless ck bugs crawled out of the deepest tomb. The bugs were strange and disgusting, and they were densely packed toward Xie Qiao and the other two.


    ¡°Sh*t¡­ What are those things?!¡± Xie Pinggang could not help but feel his scalp go numb.


    Zhao Xuanjing had already taken action. He took out his sword with his left hand and shed at the approaching insects under the setting sun.


    No insects dared to approach Xie Qiao for the time being.


    They seemed to have sensed the strong aura on her body.


    ¡°There seems to be a smell¡­ that¡¯s getting stronger and stronger.¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt that something was wrong, but he did not feel ufortable.


    ¡°Do you have all the talismans I gave you?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The two nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Xie Qiao replied immediately.


    The smell in this ce was both urgent and strong. The ghouls wereing, which was one of his attacking methods.


    The air vent outside was big enough, and they had talismans on them, so it did not affect them much.


    Xie Qiao was in a difficult situation.


    The soul-summoning bell in the ghoul¡¯s hand was burnt by an evil person. It was so powerful, and when the bell rang, Xie Qiao felt as if her soul was about to ascend to heaven, and her whole body felt ufortable!


    A lot of sweat appeared on Xie Qiao¡¯s forehead, and the makeup on her forehead was slightly ruined.


    She concentrated her mind and struck out a few streaks of lightning and fire!


    The ghoul did not seem to expect that the Taoist master was so powerful that he almost could not hold the soul-summoning bell in his hand.


    ¡°Your Highness, why are all the ghouls around you gone?¡± Xie Qiao turned around and nced at Zhao Xuanjing.


    She had not seen his followers for a long time. Where did they go?


    ¡°Do you need them?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be great to have some.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    As soon as Xie Qiao finished speaking, Zhao Xuanjing suddenly took out a porcin whistle and blew it gently in his mouth. In a short while, ten ghouls hovered over¡­ One, two, three¡­ ten ghouls!


    Each of these ten ghouls was wearing the uniform of a guard. They looked awe-inspiring, and they all looked powerful among the ghouls!


    Xie Qiao was a little confused. ¡°So many of your guards died?¡±


    ¡°I burned their clothes. They used to work for me. I don¡¯t discriminate.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was quite serious.


    Besides clothes, he burned many other things, including horses, weapons and joss paper..

 Chapter 858 - Dao of Yin and Yang

    <h4>Chapter 858: Dao of Yin and Yang</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at him and was stunned for a moment.


    Why was he such a great man? How could a group of mischievous spirits be taught to be like this?


    In the instant she was distracted, she was shaken by the soul-summoning bell of the ghoul and lost her bnce. She almost lost her life.


    Fortunately, she had enough tools on her.


    Xie Qiao did not dare to be distracted and continued with her work.


    The ghouls that followed the Crown Prince had no evil energy at all. Moreover, they were nourished by his dragon energy. Their soul power was powerful and was totally useful. They were not like the messy hovering spirits on the mountain peak, whose aura was chaotic.


    ¡°Seven governance and eight spirits, Grand Supreme will chase away the evil and long-headed giant beasts¡­ Ten thousand souls have returned. Hear mymand! Go!¡± Xie Qiao waved her talisman and chanted.


    The ten yin soldiers¡¯ auras soared, and for a moment, ck fog covered the sky and stirred up dust.


    Xie Qiao nced at Zhao Xuanjing, she suddenly came to a realization. ¡°Five emperors and five dragons, God of me¡­ The Supreme has an edict, fierce officials have silver teeth. Protect the righteous energy and cleanse the evil!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s incantationbined with the talisman inscribed with Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s blood, and she looked up again. It was as if a fire dragon flew out from Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s head and burned the little wooden figure.


    Xie Qiao silently buried her head.


    The aura of an emperor was indeed different. This was only the Crown Prince¡­


    Use It sparingly, use it sparingly.


    She had used one on the county road, and now another one. The rest¡­


    Xie Qiao searched and touched the thickness of her talismans. She felt her heart ache, and she looked at the ghoul in front of her. Her eyes became cold.


    Zhao Xuanjing could feel that there was something different about him. It was as if¡­ anger had risen out of thin air. The bugs under his feet had instantly avoided him and did not dare toe closer.


    He closed his eyes slightly and vaguely felt that he saw¡­


    A wooden figure on fire?


    However, it also felt like it was his imagination. It was not real.


    One after another, thunder, ghouls, and the fire dragon burned the wooden figure away from the ghoul and turned him into ashes.


    The small wooden figure in the sky above the tomb fell directly and crashed into the dark ck water. It was useless now.


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, the ghoul was trembling, and it was charred on the outside and tender on the inside by the lightning.


    The ghouls under Xie Qiao¡¯smand tied up the ghoul and brought it to her.


    They knelt in unison. ¡°The culprit has been brought to be punished. Master, please instruct us!¡±


    Xie Qiao gulped and was stunned.


    She thought these ghoul guards were more passionate, righteous, and promising than Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s living guards¡­


    ¡°W-Well done. Please get up¡­¡± Xie Qiao had never seen such a scene before. It was quite rare.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth curled.


    It seemed that she was very satisfied.


    He did a good job, right?


    ¡°Master, if you don¡¯t have any other instructions, we¡¯ll stand guard!¡± The ghoul guards said again.


    Xie Qiao nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes. Go quickly¡­¡±


    They were too sensible. Moreover, these ghouls were not ugly. They were dressed in human-like clothes and looked awe-inspiring. They were really amazing.


    After obtaining Xie Qiao¡¯s permission, the guards respectfully said good-bye to Zhao Xuanjing.


    Of course, Zhao Xuanjing did not hear anything. They followed the rules and hovered away¡­


    Xie Qiao looked at Zhao Xuanjing with aplicated gaze.


    ¡°I am the son of Heaven. I follow both the dao of yin and yang.¡± Zhao Xuanjing stood there elegantly. His white clothes were spotless. The more Xie Qiao looked at him, the more she thought he was¡­ very flirtatious..

 Chapter 859 - What’s His Background

    <h4>Chapter 859: What¡¯s His Background</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face secretly turned red.


    Then, she pretended to be calm and turned her head away to look at the ghoul that was tied up by the yin soldiers.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me.¡± Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul and asked, ¡°I heard that you were a pirate when you were alive? Where did you work and what¡¯s your name? Quickly tell me!¡±


    At this moment, the ghoul was trembling.


    From the trembling, Xie Qiao thought he did not look like¡­ a powerful pirate.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± The ghoul did not know how to move his hands and feet. His charred body was about to break into pieces. ¡°Master, please spare my life¡­ I¡¯m really not a pirate¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not? But didn¡¯t you brag to those ghouls?¡± Xie Qiao was suspicious.


    This ghoul was too ugly. She really did not dare to look at his face.


    However, after hearing what the ghoul said, Xie Qiao endured the disgust and looked at him a few more times.


    She could not see clearly, but his bone structure was quite obvious. His eye sockets were sunken, his cheekbones were low and thin, and his forehead was low and narrow. This kind of person¡­ was indeed not a courageous person. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He should be a coward.


    ¡°W-When I was alive¡­ I was an ordinary person. I had many businesses in my family, and my businesses¡­ were not bad. However, I was often bullied by others. My cousin invited bad people over, and from time to time, they woulde to oppress me. I was thin and weak, and I couldn¡¯t beat them. Although I had money, I didn¡¯t have a backer, and I didn¡¯t dare to socialize with others. As a result, I was often tortured by this, and I could not endure it¡­ So I killed myself¡­¡±


    After his death, he felt resentful and unwilling.


    All his life, he was very careful and never dared to do anything bad, but he was forced to a dead end by evil people.


    How could that happen?


    It was because he was timid. Even after his death, he did not dare to stir troubles with others.


    Later, his old mother and wife buried him here.


    This ce was initially a mountain pit. There was some water in it. It was not ake, but it was a decent ce. The mountain scenery was good, and he liked it.


    However, he must have been too timid. That was why he was trapped here after being buried. He could not go anywhere.


    Many years passed.


    His parents passed away, and his wife remarried. She brought her children along to the new family. No one cared about his tomb, so his tomb was gone.


    ¡°Then one year, a Taoist master came. He nted a few trees around and entered my tomb. He gave me two gifts that could make me more powerful¡­¡± the ghoul said honestly.


    The gifts were the wooden figure and the soul-summoning bell.


    His spirit slowly became much more powerful.


    A month ago, his descendant came. It was his great-grandson.


    It turned out that his family was in decline and all his wealth was gone. His great-grandson was like him. He was a coward and was bullied by others. Now, he could not even marry a wife and was beaten up from time to time.


    The descendant was too poor and had been moving around for many years. When he heard that his great-grandfather was buried here, he wanted to steal the grave goods to sell.


    After entering his tomb, the descendant was tainted with some evil energy. With that, he could enter his dream.


    Only then did the descendant listen to him. He picked the reishi mushroom and brought him around to collect ghouls. Satisfying his resentment could make him more and more powerful.


    In reality¡­


    In the past, his resentment was not that heavy, but after obtaining the wooden figure, he constantly thought of bullying others!


    ¡­


    After Xie Qiao heard that, her expression became serious.


    What was the background of that Taoist master?


    The wooden figure had been kept in evilnd for many years. He was already quite powerful, but if he continued to let the souls of the dead continue to do evil, then the evil energy of the wooden figure would be stronger and stronger. By then¡­ Even she would not be able to deal with him.


    At this moment, in a ce that Xie Qiao did not know about, a Taoist master spat out blood and fell to the ground.


    After a moment, he got up, his eyes filled with malice and resentment!


    Someone had actually destroyed the puppet that he had kept for many years!

 Chapter 860 - Cause and Effect

    <h4>Chapter 860: Cause and Effect</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Taoist master was severely injured and was extremely vexed.


    The puppet had been ced in that tomb to be raised. It was initially of great use, but now¡­ it had been destroyed for nothing.


    But¡­


    Just what kind of background did this person have? She actually had such great ability!


    His wooden dharma instrument had been nourished by evil energy for so many years. Its ability was extraordinary. Even foolish idiotic Taoist masters from the Yuxu Temple might not be able to destroy it so thoroughly!


    The Taoist master¡¯s expression was gloomy. He adjusted his breathing. After a while, he found a little boy and sent a messenger pigeon over.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao came to a realization.


    Looking at this ghoul that was courting death, she said expressionlessly, ¡°What is the name of your descendant? Where does he live?¡±


    At this point, the ghoul cried.


    ¡°Master¡­ M-My great-grandson is really pitiful. His parents died a long time ago. He grew up in his uncle¡¯s house and always had to depend on someone else. He didn¡¯t dare to eat too much food and didn¡¯t dare to do too little work¡­ He doesn¡¯t know anything. I was the one who asked him to bring me around. He¡¯s innocent¡­¡±


    The ugly ghoul cried. If Xie Qiao did not see his arrogant appearance just now, she would have thought that he was pitiful.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. He didn¡¯tmit a crime in the world of the living. Even if he were to raid the tomb, he would be stealing from his ancestor. There¡¯s no reason to arrest him. I asked you to tell me the name of your descendant so that¡­ I can see with my own eyes how miserable his life is because of you,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently. She looked cold and heartless.


    The ghoul was stunned for a moment. ¡°What do you mean¡­ it¡¯s because of me? Master! What do you mean by that?!¡±


    ¡°As a ghoul, you should know that after death, if you do evil to the living, there will be retribution. Who would suffer the retribution? Your descendant is one of them.


    ¡°Moreover, when your descendant came to raid the tomb, he must¡¯ve prayed to you first, right? Then the rtionship will naturally be connected,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Xie Qiao was not sure how much karma there was, but she knew that the feng shui here was not good. Besides, a living person who carried an abnormal ghoul around all day would definitely affect his body.


    She guessed that the descendant¡¯s lifespan would not be too long.


    The ghoul was stunned by Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    He had never thought about this¡­


    He actually knew that. When he had just died, he had heard other ghouls talk about the rules of being a ghoul, but¡­


    When he thought about how he had been imprisoned for so long and how everyone had bullied him when he was alive, he wanted to take revenge. He had no time to care about anything else!


    ¡°I beg you to save me, Master!¡± The ghoul that was tied up kowtowed, looking quite pitiful.


    However, Xie Qiao really could not save him.


    She was not a god.


    Moreover, he did that to himself. Not to mention that the descendant did not know, it was absolutely impossible that kid really did not know that at all!


    No one would be so stupid to such an extent. If they were really stupid, they would not think of raiding a tomb!


    In the end, even though he clearly knew that his ancestor was harming people, he still indulged him.


    You reap what you sow.


    However, after Xie Qiao said that, the ghoul in front of her dared not lie. He told his great-grandson¡¯s identity obediently.


    Only then did Xie Qiao nod and put him away.


    His body was tainted with a lot of evil energy, and he encouraged his descendant to help harm others. In this kind of situation, Xie Qiao would not help him get rid of the evil spirit. When the day came, she would forcefully release his soul. When he went to hell, she would not be able to control what kind of price he would have to pay.


    Most of the insects in the tomb had died.


    The rest had also run away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up,¡± Xie Qiao turned around and said to Xie Pinggang and Zhao Xuanjing..

 Chapter 861 - The Master is in A Disguise

    <h4>Chapter 861: The Master is in A Disguise</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After all, the tomb was still a little dark. When they reached the top, the sun was shining and the breeze was blowing. Without so much evil energy, it felt much morefortable.


    Of course, there were other ghouls.


    Xie Qiao picked up her soul-summoning bell and started to ring it.


    The ringing sound was clear and crisp. It waspletely opposite to the sound of the ghoul ringing the bell. Xie Qiao¡¯s bell made people feel at ease.


    Some ghouls had already run away.


    However, it was not a problem. After all, there were many ghouls that were stained with blood and energy in this world. It would be the same even if they were caught in the future. With such arge mountain, even if she wanted to form a formation to capture all of them, it would be impossible.


    What she could do was to catch what she saw.


    There were still quite a number of ghouls left on the mountain.


    Perhaps it was because these ghouls did not expect that the Grand Immortal they were talking about had been captured by Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Queue one by one. Those who don¡¯t listen and want to run away will be punished by the talisman. Think about it yourself.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s words scared them.


    In fact, it would be quite troublesome to deal with so many ghouls if they were to attack at the same time. Xie Qiao would have to waste the talisman stained with blood, but she bet that these ghouls did not dare to attack.


    Sure enough, after being lured over by Xie Qiao¡¯s soul-summoning bell, these ghouls looked at each other in dismay.


    Even two of the ghouls that wanted to resist stayed obediently after seeing that the other ghouls were not moving and they knew that the odds of winning were low.


    Xie Qiao took them one by one.


    Those who were stained with blood and those who were not stained with blood were treated differently.


    She treated the former a little cold, but when faced with thetter, her attitude was quite lenient. Of course,pared to those ghouls in the capital who were obedient and did not do anything, they were treated worse.


    These ghouls that were not stained with blood just¡­ did not have time to harm people.


    Xie Qiao spent the entire afternoon doing that.


    She was a little tired, and her legs were trembling. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she sat on the rock and looked at the sky.


    ¡°Master Mo, I wanted to say just now, is there¡­ something dirty on your face?¡± Xie Pinggang pointed at Xie Qiao¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Something dirty?¡± Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment, then she reached out to rub her forehead.


    With this rub, she grabbed a piece of ¡°skin¡± .


    Everyone was shocked.


    When the master came out of the tomb, they had already noticed the thing on the master¡¯s forehead. It was just that the master was busy at that time, so they did not dare to speak. However, they did not expect that with this rub, the piece of skin actually fell off?!


    It was horrifying.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s breathing stopped. She quickly covered her head, dragged the bamboo basket, and rushed toward the tall pile of weeds on the side.


    She stumbled and fell with a thud.


    Zhao Xuanjing was about to help her, but he heard Xie Qiao shout, ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at her small body helplessly. She struggled on the ground for a while, then got up with difficulty and stubbornness.


    Finally, she hid behind the bushes and rustled. He guessed that¡­ she was reapplying her makeup.


    ¡°Your Highness, does Master have some skin disease?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned and thought for a while, then he smacked his lips. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it. Could it be that¡­ she¡¯s in a disguise?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Minister Xie was actually wise when he hoped that he would be foolish.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you her junior brother?¡± Xie Pinggang was extremely bold.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for a woman to care about her appearance,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said casually.


    However, when he said that, Xie Pinggang could only think of the worst. ¡°Your Highness, you mean¡­ Master is actually not good-looking, or she has already been disfigured, that¡¯s why she is so secretive?¡±


    What else would it be?


    She could not possibly be a great beauty who could not take it and insist on putting on a disguise to look ordinary, right?


    That did not make sense either!

 Chapter 862 - Throw Her into the River to Feed the Fish

    <h4>Chapter 862: Throw Her into the River to Feed the Fish</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing did not deny Xie Pinggang¡¯s words, he just said, ¡°Minister Xie, don¡¯t say that in front of Senior Sister Mo¡­ It¡¯s too hurtful. As the saying goes, don¡¯t expose one¡¯s shorings no matter what. Senior Sister Mo won¡¯t harm you. On ount of the fact that she has helped you several times to investigate cases, can you pretend that you didn¡¯t see it?¡±


    Unless this idiot personally saw Xie Qiao and Mo Chusheng switch back and forth, otherwise¡­ he would not tell the truth.


    It was better not to let him know.


    Not long ago, he had wanted to kill his own sister. It was his own fault for being deceived.


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I understand.¡± Xie Pinggang heard that and immediately agreed.


    Xie Qiao buried her neck and stared at the bronze mirror. Bit by bit, she carefully fixed the piece of skin that she had lost.


    But in her heart¡­


    After suppressing her emotions for a while, Xie Qiao dusted off her clothes and walked out while dragging the bamboo basket.


    Sure enough, her eldest brother by blood was staring straight at her.


    Xie Qiao lowered her head slightly.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m not the kind of person who judges others by their appearance. No matter how beautiful or ugly you are, I won¡¯t marry you. What are you afraid of?¡± Xie Pinggang hadpletely forgotten what he had said just now.


    In his opinion, what he said was treating Master Mo as one of his own.


    How could he not be frank with his own people?


    He was not sarcastic at all. It was all for the good of the master!


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°What did you say? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Master Mo, stop pretending. I saw it just now. The fake skin on your face had fallen off.¡± Xie Pinggangughed and teased, ¡°Master, are you a pirate? What are you trying to do by pretending to be a Taoist master?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing did not look at him.


    This foolish brother-inw spoke just like that without holding back.


    ¡°This penniless master really doesn¡¯t understand!¡± Xie Qiao said in all seriousness, ¡°This penniless master had some mud on her face. It has been cleaned up. Young Master Xie, you are so young. Are your eyes already blurry?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. I really saw it.¡± Xie Pinggang said seriously, ¡°I¡¯d feel terrible if you refuse to admit it. We¡¯re friends, it¡¯s okay that we put on a disguise. I¡¯ll make fun of you, but I won¡¯t force you to take off your makeup for me to see¡­ But if you don¡¯t treat me as a friend¡­ do you believe that I¡¯ll get you to catch a fish in the river?¡±


    Xie Pinggang thought he was being very polite.


    If it was anyone else, he would threaten to throw the person into the river to feed the fish!


    It was not that he was being petty, but he was an official at the criminal division. It was his nature to ask questions, and he had already endured it deliberately.


    ¡°Junior Brother, your subordinate doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. He should be taken back and beaten up!¡± Xie Qiao snorted.


    ¡°Beat me up 80 times. Do you dare to tell me why you put on a disguise? I won¡¯t force you to remove your makeup, but you should at least let me know what the reason is, right? His Highness respects you as his senior sister, but you often have to be by his side. You have to make this clear, right?¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    This bear was so infuriating. He was trying to turn the tables on others!


    Xie Qiao was so angry that she wanted to stomp her feet. She began to make up stories in her head.


    After a while, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°This penniless master¡­ traveled around and caught countless ghouls in the past. In order to catch ghouls, I even forced a person to move his father¡¯s grave. After that person¡¯s mother found out, she flew into a rage and insisted that I was a demon. She locked me up and set me on fire. ¡°My face¡­ is full of scars.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao blinked and looked at Xie Pinggang sincerely.. ¡°Young Master Xie, do you get it now?¡±

 Chapter 863 - Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 863: Appearance</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s story was half true and half false.


    In the past, she had indeed been locked up, and the other party wanted to set her on fire. However, the local magistrate came in time, and she walked out of the house safely. On the other hand, the olddy was too emotional and died of illness.


    After the incident, the olddy¡¯s son even gave her arge sum of money, asking her to help the old couple choose a grave with good feng shui.


    She would not harm anyone. She was indeed helping the old man by moving his grave. Otherwise, that family¡¯s descendants would die sooner orter.


    It was a pity that they did not understand the world of an expert.


    It wasmon for her to be persecuted and wronged.


    She said it simply, but it did not seem like there was anything wrong with it.


    Xie Pinggang was silent for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master to have such a tragic past¡­ But the past is already in the past. Master, you should not take it to heart. You are a Taoist master. It does not matter if your face is injured. Reality is more important.¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard these words, she was not consoled at all.


    Fortunately, her face was not really disfigured.


    Xie Pinggang was not someone who was particrly petty. After achieving his goal, he could not be bothered to wonder what Master Mo looked like.


    He even thought Master Mo was quite pitiful. She had been concealing it well, but now everyone had seen her disfigured face.


    After walking away from Master Mo, Xie Pinggang looked at the guards and could not help but look at Master Mo. He said, ¡°Brothers, you are not allowed to stare at her like that in the future. Although Master Mo is old, she is still a woman. All women love to be beautiful. If you stare at her like that, what if Master¡¯s heart breaks?¡±


    For instance, most of the ghouls had gotten themselves into a dead end. That was how they ended up making mistakes.


    Although Master Mo was an expert, looking at the way she had cared about her appearance just now, it was unknown how much she valued her face. If others saw her, she would probably feel inferior and would not be as open-minded and pure as before.


    If Xie Qiao knew what Xie Pinggang was thinking, she would probably be shocked.


    Her rude brother was considerate of others. It was even rarer than the sun rising from the west.


    ¡°Young Master Xie, we don¡¯t have any other intentions. We just thought Master Mo is such a calm and unfathomable person, but she actually tripped over such a matter¡­ It¡¯s really unbelievable. We couldn¡¯t help but want to see more.¡± A guardughed, ¡°But we¡¯ll take note of that in the future!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Xie, just stop talking nonsense in front of Master Mo. We¡¯re very tight-lipped.¡± Zhou Weizong said sarcastically.


    Young Master Xie was still holding onto his cousin and would not let go.


    It would be strange if he could be nice to Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°My words are crude but my reason isn¡¯t. It¡¯s a pity that such a powerful person like Master would be tied down by mere appearances.¡± Xie Pinggang smacked his lips.


    However, the master was not close to him, so he just needed to give a few words of advice. It was not appropriate for him to say too much.


    After Xie Qiao rested for a while, she asked the group to take out the bones from the tomb and fill it up. As for the five trees, they could either be nted or cut down.


    There was a lot of work to be done, so they decided to set up camp there that night.


    However, the night was much morefortable than before.


    The light breeze blew, and there were fireflies flying around. They lit up their bellies and pped their wings, looking very cute.


    In addition, the animals they had hunted yesterday tasted delicious with the seasoning that Xie Qiao had brought with her. It was delightful.


    With the previous experience of her disfigurement, Xie Qiao was very careful. After eating a few mouthfuls, she had to pay attention to her appearance so as not to identally expose herself again.


    In the eyes of Xie Pinggang and the others, the way she cared looked as if she had been possessed.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s such a pity for Master Mo. In this way¡­ how can she attain enlightenment in the future?¡± Xie Pinggang sighed. He was even more worried than Xie Qiao was..

 Chapter 864 - You Brought This Upon Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 864: You Brought This Upon Yourself</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Master Mo¡¯s once fearless and unshakeable appearance now had a crack in Xie Pinggang¡¯s heart.


    Zhao Xuanjing turned his head to look at him and ced the roasted meat in his hand. ¡°Even food can¡¯t shut you up.¡±


    Xie Pinggang took a bite without any hesitation. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°In a few days, I will go with Master Mo to wee her back. Over at the Fortune Pavilion, Qiao is learning diligently. Don¡¯t¡­ disturb her.¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and said.


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness. Although I don¡¯t approve of my eldest sister running around like Master Mo, if it¡¯s nothing big, let her do what she wants.¡± Xie Pinggang did not care about these things.


    It was not like he had nothing better to do. Why would he stare at his sister?


    Moreover, she was about to get married. In the future, when she became the Princess Consort, she definitely would not have the freedom to do what she wanted. Now, she could just wander around.


    Fortune-telling and performing physiognomy. As long as she did not have to deal with ghouls every day, it was good enough.


    ¡°You really love your younger sister.¡± Zhao Xuanjingughed.


    ¡°This humble subject only has two younger sisters. It¡¯s only right,¡± Xie Pinggang replied with a chuckle.


    Among his colleagues, some had more than a dozen sisters in the family, such as Zhou Weizong. There were many younger sisters in the family. He was different. If one died, he would not have more sisters. At his father¡¯s age, he would not be able to marry another wife. He did not expect him to have another child.


    The ruler and minister seemed to be chatting happily.


    Xie Qiao had just been exposed, so she did not dare to go up to them.


    After eating her fill, she went to rest.


    The next day, she returned to the capital.


    She was not in a hurry to go home. The Crown Prince had many things to do, so he left first. Xie Pinggang apanied her to meet the descendant of the ghoul.


    The descendant¡¯s residence was in Yixiao Alley in the capital. Xie Pinggang first went to the government office to check the household registration. Before he arrived, he already knew the specific situation of the ghoul¡¯s descendant.


    His name was Li Yan. He became an orphan at the age of ten. His father was in debt and was beaten to death. After he died, there was nothing left, and there was no inheritance left for him.


    However, his uncle¡¯s family was kind. They took him in and gave him a ce to live.


    Although a 10-year-old child could hardly work, he was still young and had no ce to live or food. It was pretty good for him to have been raised for eight or nine years.


    However, he was already 18 or 19 years old. It was time for him to marry a wife.


    His uncle¡¯s family had children to feed. He could not possibly neglect his own sons and help his nephew build a family and business, right?


    Therefore, no one cared about him.


    When Xie Qiao arrived, she saw him walking out of the house.


    He was not too skinny, and his face looked gloomy.


    ¡°How is it? Master Mo, is this person doomed?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what they say¡­ When the be is turning ck, it¡¯s an ominous sign. Earlier, he was protected by a rather powerful ancestor, so although the dark energy invaded him, he could still endure it. But now that I¡¯ve captured that ghoul, he can¡¯t take care of himself. How could he protect him? Looking at his face, he¡¯ll definitely die in less than three days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ask him.¡± Xie Pinggang walked forward directly.


    Xie Pinggang was tall and big. As soon as he appeared, he saw this person hiding to the side. It could be seen that he was indeed a coward.


    ¡°Why are you hiding? I¡¯m looking for you.¡± Xie Pinggang directly blocked his way. ¡°Your ancestor collected ghouls everywhere. Did you know about this?¡±


    Li Yan¡¯s expression changed when he heard that.


    Xie Pinggang had interrogated many people. Looking at his expression, he definitely knew what happened.


    ¡°So you really know?¡± Xie Pinggang sneered. ¡°Then¡­ you brought this upon yourself..¡±

 Chapter 865 - Living Under Someone Else’s Roof

    <h4>Chapter 865: Living Under Someone Else¡¯s Roof</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Li Yan¡¯s legs went weak, and he copsed to the ground.


    ¡°It¡­ has nothing to do with me¡­¡± he saw the token hanging on Xie Pinggang¡¯s waist, and he was so scared that he trembled. ¡°Sir, sir¡­ I didn¡¯tmit a crime¡­


    ¡°I was just walking around with something! I-It was my ancestor who asked me to do this in my dream. I didn¡¯t hurt anyone!¡± Li Yan added.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re quite gutsy.¡± He still dared to lie.


    After Xie Pinggang confirmed this matter, he did not say anything more and turned around to leave.


    If this kid was really innocent, he could pay the master to get rid of his bad luck for him so that he would not be implicated by his evil ancestor for no reason.


    However, since he deserved it, he did not care.


    After Xie Pinggang left, Li Yan still did not dare to move.


    He knew what this master was talking about¡­


    At that time, he did just walk around ording to his ancestor¡¯s wishes, butter on, he could feel that wherever the reishi mushroom went, the people would have bad luck, and the severity would be different!


    Later on, at night, he went to that mountain. The chilly wind made people very ufortable. At that time, he thought that perhaps¡­ his ancestor had some extraordinary abilities. Therefore¡­ he often prayed in front of his ancestor¡¯ tomb¡­


    ¡°Master Mo, shall we go?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Something seems to have happened to his cousins. Young Master Xie,e with me to take a look?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Something happened?¡± Xie Pinggang did not understand.


    ¡°Since Li Yan knows the abilities of his ancestor, how could he notin to him?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°You mean¡­ he pretended to know nothing, but in reality, he told the ghoul what kind of bullying he had suffered and then instigated the ghoul to take revenge for him? I asked around just now, his uncle¡¯s family treated him quite well. They didn¡¯t beat him up or scold him, and he lives a rather harmonious life with his cousins¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ The ghoul told me that his descendant didn¡¯t have enough to eat and was beaten up. If these neighbors and the ghoul weren¡¯t lying, then he must have been talking nonsense to the ghoul,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Li Yan had a benefactor.


    Considering that he had lost his parents at the age of ten and was able to live a decent life until now, this benefactor must be a rtive of his uncle¡¯s family.


    His so-called being bullied was probably just his overthinking of living under someone else¡¯s roof.


    Moreover, he had not gotten married at the age of seventeen or eighteen, so he could not help but secretlyin. He med the world for being unfair and his bad luck. If he thought too much, he naturally felt that everyone in the world was bullying him.


    Of course, they still had to go in to see if that was the case.


    Xie Pinggang went to investigate directly.


    Xie Qiao also entered Li Yan¡¯s uncle¡¯s house, and indeed, she saw a cloud of sorrow and misery.


    There were actually a few ghouls that followed the three sons from his uncle¡¯s family. They were all ghouls that had been tainted with blood and energy, so their influence was also greater.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything else and directly put away the ghouls. This family was still confused, but because the people who came did not seem to be ordinary, they did not dare to say anything.


    As soon as Xie Qiao put away the ghouls, the breathing of the three patients on the bed seemed to be much smoother.


    ¡°Master, are my children possessed? Are they alright now?!¡± The master of the house looked anxious.


    The three sons began to fall ill one after another. They were muddle headed as if they had lost their souls. The doctor came by several times, but they just would not eat the medicine!


    ¡°They¡¯re healed.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Master, thank you! I just don¡¯t understand. My sons were fine, how could they be possessed¡­?¡± as he said that, he could not help but wipe his tears..

 Chapter 866 - Taken Advantage Of

    <h4>Chapter 866: Taken Advantage Of</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Before Xie Qiao could speak, Xie Pinggang had already told him the cause of the illness.


    The man was dumbfounded when he heard that his nephew had brought something dirty home.


    ¡°My nephew¡­ is he alright? You guys came at the wrong time. He went out just now. I noticed that he looks a little offtely¡­ Master, why don¡¯t you wait a moment? I¡¯ll go and call him over now. Please treat him¡­¡±


    As he spoke, the man was about to leave, and he looked very anxious.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. This penniless master already saw your nephew just now. His condition is incurable,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Although these three people were terminally ill, they were only affected by the ghouls. Other than the ghouls, there was still hope for them to get rid of their bad luck. At most, they would lose some Yang energy. In the future, their physical fitness would not be as good as before, the more serious problem would be their lifespan.


    However, Li Yan was different. He had been punished by the ghoul, feng shui, and bad karma. It was too severe.


    When Xie Qiao said that, the uncle was stunned.


    ¡°M-My sister only has one child¡­¡±


    ¡°Your nephew knew that something was wrong, yet he took it home on purpose. He did not have good intentions, so you don¡¯t have to feel sorry for him. He deserved it,¡± Xie Pinggang said mercilessly.


    These words were like knives cutting people.


    The entire family was stunned. They could not believe it.


    After Xie Pinggang confirmed to the master that the three of them were fine, he did not stay any longer and escorted her away.


    As soon as they left, a few wails sounded in the house. When the aunt thought about how she raised a wolf and almost killed her children, she also cursed loudly.


    However, the uncle still did not believe her and went out to look for Li Yan.


    He questioned him.


    Li Yan did not admit it at first, but the uncle threatened and forced him. In the end, he told the truth.


    He wanted to inherit his uncle¡¯s family business.


    However¡­


    He had three cousins. He had to make them disappear. Moreover, that was not enough. He was an outsider after all. Even if his uncle¡¯s family did not have any descendants, it could only be inherited by the nsmen. It would not be his turn.


    Therefore, he had already thought it through. When all his cousins left, his uncle and aunt would be so sad that they would want him to marry his cousin sister.


    He was scared of making such a decision.


    However, a ghoul was illusory. It was neither poisonous nor did he need to use a weapon. No one would be able to discover it¡­


    He did not expect¡­


    After Li Yan told them the truth, the uncle¡¯s family¡¯s hearts turned cold. They immediately chased him out.


    They could not even report this matter to the authorities!


    However, after all these years of hard work and effort to raise him, this was what happened. Fortunately, he was already 19. Even if they chased him out now, others would not say that they were cruel.


    Li Yan also had some private money. After he left his uncle¡¯s family, he did not feel too sad. That day, he found a small courtyard to settle down in, but he directly fell ill.


    This illness made all the doctors helpless.


    The owner of the rented courtyard thought he was a jinx and chased him out.


    The neighbor went to his uncle¡¯s house, but they were unwilling to be taken advantage of again. They were ruthless and ignored him. The neighbor thought that the three sons of the family were sick earlier, and in addition, the uncle¡¯s house intentionally or unintentionally pushed the me onto Li Yan, as a result, the neighbors understood the whole story, so they naturally did not force the family to take him in.


    No one cared, no one asked. Li Yan really died three dayster.


    Xie Qiao even deliberately stayed nearby to watch. Seeing that Li Yan¡¯s ghoul had left, only did she let the matter gopletely..

 Chapter 867 - Bet on Him

    <h4>Chapter 867: Bet on Him</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Li Yan had died by the side of the road, and he had been affected by dark energy when he was alive. Xie Qiao was worried that he would turn into an evil ghoul and harm people. Since that did not happen, she had someone properly dispose of his body so that passersby would not be frightened.


    After doing all this, Xie Qiao prepared to set off for Mengjiabao.


    This time, she would be able to see the other two junior brothers, so¡­ her greeting gifts had to be big.


    As the dignified eldest senior sister, she had to bear some of the expenses in terms of food and drinks when she arrived at Mengjiabao. She did not know if her third junior brother and fifth junior brother were obedient or not¡­


    After returning to the Xie Residence, she began to carefully prepare the things she needed for the journey.


    She had to bring the bamboo basket with her. As for Da Xiong¡­ she had to bring it with her this time just in case.


    She had used many talismans recently, so there were not many left. She had to inscribe more along the way.


    There was a floral painting with Master Yun Wei¡¯s stamp on it, a world-ss drawing that she had copied, and a few others¡­ Xie Qiao sighed. His master was like a father to her, and her sect brothers were like brothers to her. She had to put in a lot of effort!


    Xie Qiao packed up a few boxes.


    Even though she was going to fetch her teacher back to the capital, it would be the same if she were to send him back when he reached the capital, but¡­


    The so-called greeting gift¡­ Of course, she had to give it to him when she met him. Or she would appear to be insensible if she only gave thatter on¡­


    ¡°Chun Er, I don¡¯t know how long it will take for me to return. I might not be able to make it in time for Master Wen¡¯s wedding. When the timees, you can send the gift that I have prepared over. In addition, I will leave a letter and exin it to Lady Ying personally.¡± Xie Qiao had not forgotten about anything else.


    Her identity as Xie Qiao was to stay in the capital. In order to not let others think too much about it, she could only use her physical difort as an excuse.


    Chun Er also felt a little sorry for these treasures. ¡°I understand, Young Lady. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°At home¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while. ¡°My brother has been preparing to go to the Shanhai Academy to win weapons, right? When the timees¡­ you can bet on these banknotes. No matter what, bet on him.¡±


    Xie Qiao took out a stack of banknotes from a small box.


    She generously ced them in Chun Er¡¯s hands.


    Chun Er counted and was dumbfounded. ¡°Young Lady, there are five to two thousand in here¡­¡±


    How could she gamble with so much?! Would it not be better to use it to buynd?!


    ¡°My Brother won¡¯t lose his dignity at least when he loses the bet. It¡¯s not easy to win at the Shanhai Academy. I¡¯m afraid that outsiders will look down on him. Although this is a lot of money, it¡¯s not as important as my good intention, right?¡± Xie Qiao grinned.


    ¡°Young Lady, you think Young Master can win, right?¡± Chun Er did not return the banknotes.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have much silver left. This is the maximum I can give¡­¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    A few days ago, she exchanged some gold. She made some of them into two pairs of solid bell bracelets. After the prayer, she gave one to her sister to rece the old one. The other pair was hanging on her wrist.


    In addition to these protective bells, she also ground a portion of the gold powder to inscribe talismans. She also made two five thunder gold tokens, a gold soul-beating stick, and a golden snake-head rope¡­


    She had really liked gold since she was young. Now that she had some spare money, she could not help but trade it for something gold and useful.


    In addition, there were other new brass dharma instruments¡­ which were also worth a lot of money.


    The most valuable one was a ruyi that was of very good quality.


    They¡­ were all bought with silver.


    If it was not for the fact that she could be considered wealthypared to before, she probably would not have been willing to use her precious lightning struck wood to capture the ghoulst time¡­.

 Chapter 868 - All Grown Up

    <h4>Chapter 868: All Grown Up</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Putting aside the betrothal money, dowry, and the money she had to bring to Mengjiabao, the five thousand taels of silver was almost all she had.


    She wondered if there would be a gambling den opening when her brother challenged the Shanhai Academy¡­


    If there was not, she could only hold onto the five thousand taels of silver and not have any eggs.


    After making the arrangements, Xie Qiao had dinner with her family again in the evening.


    After all, they were going to Mengjiabao to pick up their teacher. Therefore, apart from her and Zhao Xuanjing, Teacher Xiao had to go as well.


    However, once Xiao Yurong left, he was afraid that Xie Pinghuai would revert to his old self and make mistakes again.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡± after Xie Qiao took a sip of water, she suddenly coughed.


    When she coughed, everyone at the dining table stopped what they were doing.


    Xie Niushan furrowed his brows, as if he was about to kill someone. Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was also gloomy, and he did not look like he was someone to be trifled with. Xie Xi¡¯s eyes were filled with worry, while Xie Pinghuai was filled with guilt and anxiety.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, why are you coughing again?¡± Xie Pinghuai did not feel good.


    Xie Qiao covered her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s an old problem¡­ I faintedst time¡­ No, I¡¯ve always been like this. Little brother, it¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    She was familiar with this trick.


    When Xie Pinghuai heard it, he felt a stab in his heart. ¡°Eldest Sister, it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xie Qiao sighed, ¡°You already know that you¡¯re wrong. Why would I me you? However, my health isn¡¯t good. Recently, it¡¯s time for the season to change. With this heat and cold, it¡¯s easier for me to get sick. If It¡¯s serious, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to survive this winter¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart was tormented.


    ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯m going to die. I don¡¯t care about these things, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Xie Qiao had a sincere and loving look on her face, ¡°You¡¯re my younger brother. I haven¡¯t seen you grow up yet¡­ When you grow up, you¡¯ll definitely be a great hero who¡¯s both civil and military, right? It¡¯s such a pity that I won¡¯t witness that¡­¡±


    As she said this, Xie Qiao pinched herself, and two drops of tears dripped out of her eyes from the pain.


    They were family, and they were on the same biological chain. Her good brother would not me her for bullying him¡­


    ¡°Eldest Sister! Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely not let you down in the future!¡± Xie Pinghuai quickly promised.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Xie Pinggang sneered at the side.


    Xie Pinghuai red at him angrily.


    ¡°I believe in my little brother. Even under the pressure of Eldest Brother, he can make his own way. Your teacher is Xiao Yurong. Even your martial arts master can defeat Eldest Brother, so how bad can you be? But you are a little mischievous¡­ If you can¡¯t hold on, that¡¯s another story,¡± Xie Qiao said, then she suddenly clutched her chest and could not breathe.


    Her face was red and she looked like she was going to die.


    She quickly took out a pill and put it in her mouth.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be yful. I was still young in the past, aren¡¯t I all grown up now?! Don¡¯t worry, Sister. Your health is terrible. I can¡¯t do anything about it. But I can only promise you that I will work hard. When you¡¯re really dying, go in peace. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Xie Pinghuai immediately patted his chest and said.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out to recuperate. I won¡¯t be at home. I¡¯ll be back in about a month¡­ I don¡¯t know. Of course, there¡¯s a possibility that I won¡¯t be able toe back at all¡­


    ¡°If there¡¯s a one in a million chance that I¡¯de back, I hope that when the timees, I can see my brother making progress¡­ Among his peers, he¡¯ll have the confidence to be proud of his achievements. Yes?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him eagerly.


    The tears in her eyes shed with sincerity.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes were red.


    This biological daughter of his¡­ Sigh, how tragic..

 Chapter 869 - A Piece of Cake

    <h4>Chapter 869: A Piece of Cake</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Niushan gulped a mouthful of good wine. At that moment, he felt that the table full of good food was no longer fragrant.


    Xie Pinggang was different. After hearing these words, he had already figured out that Xie Qiao was pretending, but he did not intend to stop her.


    Since Master Mo was going on a long trip, his eldest sister would need to take care of the Fortune Pavilion. Perhaps, without Master Mo¡¯s care, his eldest sister¡¯s body would not be able to endure it. Therefore, he could not meddle in these trivial matters.


    Also, Xiao Yurong was also going to leave.


    In this way¡­


    Teaching this kid a lesson in advance could also make him understand some things.


    His sister was really quick-witted!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, I will study hard and practice martial arts! Just you wait. As long as you cane home, I can guarantee that you will see me bing everyone¡¯s pride!¡± Xie Pinghuai said quickly.


    Once this impulsive mood arose, he no longer cared about his own strength.


    ¡°Really? Then... will little brother be able to pass the imperial examination next February?¡± Xie Qiao had a look of anticipation on her face. ¡°If I can survive this winter, then I will be able to get married in the beginning of spring. If we have two happy asions in the family, that would be great...¡±


    Xie Qiao blinked her eyes and looked at him happily.


    ¡°Eldest Sister... It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to promise you, and it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have confidence. The main thing is... There¡¯s no use in taking this exam, right?¡± Xie Pinghuai shook his head.


    ¡°How can it be... ahem, no use? If you have a title, no matter how big or small, you¡¯ll be a proper schr. No one would dare to point fingers at you... Once you have a title, you can move from the Begonia Courtyard to the Snowball Bush Courtyard, the Chrysanthemum Courtyard, or even the Peony Courtyard. The friends you make will be even better... Of course, if you don¡¯t want to study literature in the future and are capable, then you can choose to go into either literal arts?or martial arts as you wish...¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was unhurried, it was as if she had a terminal illness.


    Even if her younger brother did not have any achievements, he would not be too bad in the future.


    However, with the protection of his family, how could he be better than her?


    At the beginning, her eldest brother entered the capital by beating the barbarians and got an official position. Later on, after he was fired, he could still take another path and continue to rise.


    In the end, her eldest brother was only able to make aeback because he was capable.


    She wanted to find a short-term goal for her foolish little brother so that he would still behave after a long time.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s speech was slow, and Xie Pinggang¡¯s temper was quick. If it happened on a normal day, he would definitely be a little impatient after hearing these words. However, Xie Qiao looked like she was about to die, so he could not bear to be angry at her.


    ¡°You want him to take the imperial exam? Even a pig has a higher chance of acing the exam than him!¡± Xie Pinggang ridiculed at the right time.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, how can you doubt your little brother so much? He can do it. He¡¯s smart and has been very diligent recently. It¡¯s just an insignificant exam. It¡¯s just a piece of cake for him! Am I right, little brother?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s weak face was full of joy.


    Xie Pinggang felt a little embarrassed.


    The exam... was not easy.


    He had heard a lot about it in the academy. There were many old men who could not pass the imperial exam meant for the younger generation¡­


    So¡­


    ¡°You are his biological sister, so you are not rational enough. You can go to the academy and ask. Who would believe that a fool like him could pass the exam? Passing the exam aside, even if he studies for a year or so, it would be more difficult than ascending to the heavens! If he can really pass the exam, I will lie on the ground and let him beat me up!¡± Xie Pinggang said casually.


    His goal was very simple, which was to make him behave for a while.


    As for the exam.... this idiot younger brother would not pass it anyway, so what he said was right!

 Chapter 870 - I was Wrong, Master Huai

    <h4>Chapter 870: I was Wrong, Master Huai</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao also seemed to have lost her temper. When she heard Xie Pinggang¡¯s words, she stood up in a wobbly manner.


    She red angrily at her eldest brother. ¡°Ahem, Eldest Brother, you said it yourself... If my little brother really passes the exam, you will lie on the ground and be beaten by him... for fifteen minutes, and you are not allowed to resist!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Sure!¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face showed that he did not care.


    This disdainful look triggered Xie Pinghuai.


    ¡°Little brother, I believe in you. You can do it...¡± Xie Qiao reached out and patted Xie Pinghuai¡¯s shoulder.


    Then, she sat down slowly.


    ¡°What if you can¡¯t pass the exam?¡± Xie Pinggang chuckled. ¡°Then... admit that you are an idiot. Hang a wooden token on your chest and stand behind me for three months to serve me?¡±


    Insult, what an insult!


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart was burning with anger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s bet on it! I¡¯m not afraid of you! I will never lose!¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted directly.


    He looked down on him? Was it not just a lousy examination? He could totally do it!


    Xie Qiao thought her younger brother had a high chance of losing in the bet. This examination sounded simple, but it was actually not easy. Many children of officials started at the age of four or five. If things went smoothly, they would need to be in their teens to pass the first test.


    If things did not go well... it was normal that they would not be able to pass the exam in their entire lives.


    As for her younger brother, he entered the Royal Academy at the age of ten. He had not paid any attention to study in the first two years. This year, he was pressured by Teacher Xiao and only made some progress.


    There was still half a year before the test, but that was not a lot of time.


    However, Xie Qiao did not intend to continue to trigger him. Instead, she said grandly, ¡°Younger Brother, you can definitely do it! I can¡¯t just watch the fun of the bet. How about this? If you win, I¡¯ll give you a hundred taels of silver as a reward.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was stingy. When he heard that, he was quite happy.


    Xie Pinghuai was the same. His monthly allowance was too little. Previously, he had bought a lot of grave items for his eldest sister and even borrowed a lot of money. He had to return it every month. His pockets were empty.


    If he could win the money, he could also beat his eldest brother for 15 minutes. That was not a bad deal!


    ¡°If you win, I will also lie on the ground and let you beat me up...¡± Xie Niushan suddenly interrupted. Then, he said to Xie Qiao, ¡°Daughter, can you give me a hundred taels of silver too?¡±


    Xie Qiao felt suffocated for a moment.


    Her father should have taken out money to fund this ¡°grand gamble¡±, right? Not only did he not do that, he actually demanded a lot!


    Outrageous!


    Xie Qiao red at him lightly. ¡°You wish, Father.¡±


    Xie Niushan looked at the two terrible brats with a disappointed look. ¡°What¡¯s the use of me giving birth to you two brats? Why are you taking away your filial piety?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, he added, ¡°Gambling is not allowed in the family. If you insist on gambling, the winner will hand over... 20 taels of silver to me.¡±


    It would be terrible to ask for more. It would discourage their motivation to make money.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s hands paused for a moment and he did not say a word.


    If he won, his biological father would not be able to take the silver from his hands. He did not have to worry at all.


    Therefore, this matter did not affect him much.


    Before Xie Pinghuai could refuse, Xie Pinggang had already nodded in agreement.


    He could not say anything else.


    However, at this moment, he looked at Xie Pinggang with even more determination.


    One day, he would make his eldest brother kneel at his feet and say, ¡°I was wrong, Master Huai!¡±


    Hmph!


    After dealing with Xie Pinghuai, Xie Qiao had nothing to worry about. As for Xie Xi, this girl was really too sensible. Now that she had the power of a housekeeper and had a lot of silver, she was filled with contentment.


    The next day, she met up with her two junior brothers.

 Chapter 871 - Vying for Favor

    <h4>Chapter 871: Vying for Favor</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xiao Yurong was dressed in white with a delicate jade flute on his waist. He was already in his 30s, but he was fair and looked more energetic than the young men in their 10s and 20s. He stood in front of the carriage with a refreshing breeze. With the bright moon, he looked like a painting of a handsome man.


    Xiao Yurong was not handsome because of his face, but because of his schrly aura. Anyone who took a look at him would feel like they had fallen into many books, and they would be able to calm down in an instant.


    This was her eldest junior brother.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    In a daze, a folding fan blocked the view in front of Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Senior Sister, what are you looking at?¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly appeared.


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment before she noticed him.


    Then¡­


    ¡°Junior Brother, what you are wearing today... is a little different.¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    Tsk, were these two junior brothers trying to make her look dull?!


    Her junior brother, the Crown Prince, was also wearing white. However, the difference was that there seemed to be silver embroidery on his white clothes. The embroidery was extraordinary. Under the dim light, he looked like an immortal. He was initially very good-looking, but now that he was wearing a white jade crown, he was cold like a chilly mountain. The scent of ambergris was strong. It was really¡­


    In that instant, Xie Qiao took a step back.


    She lowered her head and looked at herself.


    She... was wearing a gray Taoist robe today. It was simple and dirt-resistant.


    ¡°Junior Brother, why did you bring a fan today? It¡¯s not practical.¡± Xie Qiao stared straight at the fan.


    What a beautiful fan. The flowers on it were beautiful, and the material of the fan was good. As he fanned it, that simple sound could not help but attract people¡¯s attention!


    Was he stealing the limelight?


    Mengjiabao, teacher¡­


    Xie Qiao looked at the two of them with a serious expression.


    There were many seniors and juniors, so there was indeed a lot of trouble. Could it be that these two knew that their teacher liked her the most, so... they wanted to vie for favor?!


    ¡°The weather has turned cold, but the journey is far, and there are many mosquitoes on the road. Fanning this fan might be better,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile that was not a smile.


    Every expression and every action seemed to be well-nned. It was perfect no matter how one looked at it.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment. ¡°You guys... wait for me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    After that, Xie Qiao arranged for someone to move the things into the carriage, but she turned around and left.


    ¡°What else does senior sister need?¡± Xiao Yurong walked over suspiciously.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at him. ¡°Senior Brother, aren¡¯t you afraid of getting dirty in your white clothes when you are out?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness... Junior Brother, you¡¯re wearing white as well.¡± Xiao Yurong was very polite, ¡°How can I be perfunctory when I meet my teacher? I brought a bag full of white clothes. It makes me look more elegant. If my teacher sees it, he will praise me for improving my bearing.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing chuckled.


    He knew that the little old man, Xiao Yurong, was sly. Fortunately, he made an effort today. Otherwise, he would have stolen the limelight.


    Thinking of the way Xie Qiao looked at Xiao Yurong just now¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing even had the intention to eat him.


    An hourter, Xie Qiao came back.


    She changed her clothes and the servant who went with her carried a big bag. They were all stuffed into Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage.


    Xie Qiao got rid of the gray clothes. What she was wearing was also a white dress, which could be considered uniform. She had a topknot on her head, an ordinary white jade hairpin to fix her hair, and a small cyan sword hanging on her waist. She had just bought it.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly. ¡°This penniless master is ready. We can set off now!¡±


    After saying that, a breeze blew past.. Xie Qiao¡¯s white clothes fluttered as if she had ascended to immortality.

 Chapter 872 - The Three Financial Backers

    <h4>Chapter 872: The Three Financial Backers</h4>


    Mo Chusheng¡¯s appearance was notparable to these two scheming junior brothers, but it was not bad either!


    Moreover, she was less worldlypared to them. In terms of temperament, she definitely could not lose!


    She could not use her strengths to avoid her weaknesses and remove her makeup, but she could bring out her image as an expert!


    Xie Qiao smiled faintly in the wind. Zhou Weizong and the others were dazzled by what they saw.


    They almost knelt down.


    The three masters he had to serve had all gone out of their minds, right?


    Was it not perfect to wear a ck, blue, or gray robe when going out? It was clean and practical. If they encountered danger on the road, it would be better to avoid being conspicuous!


    However, they were actually wearing white together. Did they not find it attention-seeking?!


    Moreover, the bearing of these three people was simply like the bright sun and moon. People already did not dare to look at them too much. Now that they were so exquisite¡­ Oh no.


    By the roadside, many people could not help but look over.


    Xie Qiao swept the horsetail whisk in her hand and smiled slightly. She nodded slightly and got into the carriage.


    Xiao Yurong and Zhao Xuanjing followed closely behind. After they got into the carriage, the convoy set off!


    Mengjiabao was not very far away, but it was not close either.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage was the best one. After all, she was the eldest senior sister. Now that they were out, they were valued ording to their seniority. The Crown Prince¡¯s status was useless at the moment.


    She focused on inscribing talismans.


    She inscribed one or two talismans, it was very smooth.


    They stopped twice on the road, but it was not long. It was not until evening that they arrived at an inn in the wilderness to rest.


    This inn was beside the official road, and business was good. Xie Qiao was not in a hurry to get off the carriage. When her two junior brothers settled down first, she lifted the curtain at the end of the carriage.


    The two junior brothers were actually quite sensible, walking over to help her.


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly, full of air.


    In terms of heart and mind, her junior brothers could not bepared to her, the eldest senior sister!


    ¡°Senior Sister, are you tired? The upper room is ready.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was like an ordinary junior brother at this moment, not putting on any airs at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat first.¡± Xie Qiao smiled slightly, but she still maintained her bearing, not revealing the slightest w. No matter how one looked at her, she was a Taoist master in the city.


    At the moment, the people sitting in the inn were all dumbfounded.


    The waiters were all stunned on the spot.


    Zhou Weizong hade a step ahead and arranged the rooms. However, at this moment, when they saw the three distinguished guests, the waiters could not help but gulp.


    The shopkeeper pped the waiter¡¯s head. ¡°Hurry up and serve the tea!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh!¡± The waiter felt as if he was stepping on cotton.


    This¡­ was an inn. It was in the middle of nowhere and the back of the inn was empty. The guests were all travelers!


    Even those masters who got out of the carriage looked exhausted. They did not look very energetic, unlike these three¡­


    It was obvious that they came from an extraordinary background and had a lot of wealth!


    ¡°As your senior sister, I have the responsibility to take care of you when we¡¯re out. What do you want to eat? Feel free to order. All your expenses along the way will be charged to my ount.¡± Xie Qiao smiled kindly at her two junior brothers.


    Xiao Yurong was ttered. ¡°It is my duty to show respect to you, Senior Sister. How can we let you spend money?¡±


    ¡°In that case, Senior Sister will only pay for my food. Eldest Senior Brother will pay for himself. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said casually.


    Xiao Yurong looked at him in confusion.


    His Highness was not short of money!


    How much money could senior sister¡¯s shop make? How could she spend so much money on them?


    This journey¡­ was still long to go. When they reached Mengjiabao, they had to spend money in many ces.. Naturally, they had to take care of their senior sister!

 Chapter 873 - You Heard It

    <h4>Chapter 873: You Heard It</h4>


    Xiao Yurong kept winking at Zhao Xuanjing, hoping that the Crown Prince would be more sensible and learn to respect their senior sister.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing acted as if he did not see it.


    Although Xie Qiao was poor, she could not lose face as their senior sister when they were out. If she paid more now and her identity was identally revealed in the future, these junior brothers would not dare to go too far as they had epted her kindness now.


    Therefore, she was in a good mood when she saw that Zhao Xuanjing was obedient.


    ¡°After all, this isn¡¯t a restaurant. There are no good wines and dishes. I heard that the wine in Mengjiabao is good. I will treat you guys to a full meal when the timees.¡± Xie Qiao sat straight and raised her head slightly. She looked like an elder.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was very polite.


    Xiao Yurong was a little stunned. He always thought the Crown Prince was strange.


    After all, his junior brother had a noble status. He was cold and distant in front of everyone and always maintained his bearing, just like what¡­ senior sister was doing now. However, his status had changed now? Those who did not know would think that his senior sister had be the Crown Prince¡­


    Xiao Yurong did not think too much about it. He just thought that the Crown Prince respected his senior sister very much.


    After a long day, he returned to his room to rest after a simple meal.


    Xie Qiao was in the carriage today, but she did not see many ghouls. It was a rare peace and quiet for her.


    She slept well in the first half of the night.


    However, in the second half of the night, Xie Qiao vaguely heard a strange noise. It seemed to have the smell of alcohol.


    ¡°Creak¡­¡±


    The sound was a little ear-piercing, as if sharp weapons were rubbing against each other. It woke Xie Qiao up, and she looked around warily, but there was nothing.


    Xie Qiao opened the door, and there was an attendant outside. When he saw Xie Qiao appear, he was a little puzzled. ¡°Master Mo, what are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear anything just now?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The other party shook his head. ¡°Perhaps it was the sound of footsteps when the subordinates were changing shifts?¡±


    Xie Qiao shook her head.


    It was not the sound of footsteps¡­


    The sound just now was like nails scraping against an iron te. It was ear-piercing, and it sounded extremely ufortable. However, if the guard did not hear it, then the source of the sound was very likelying from a ghoul.


    Xie Qiao turned around and returned to the room. However, when the door closed, she saw a figure crawling out from under the bed.


    The figure had long hair that covered the floor and snow-white nails.


    ¡°You heard it¡­ You heard it¡­¡± the voice was especially creepy.


    Xie Qiao had goosebumps all over her body. No wonder she did not see the ghoul just now. It was hiding under the bed. She exhaled and took out a talisman. At the moment when the ghoul approached, Xie Qiao stuck a talisman on its forehead.


    ¡°Why are you hiding under the bed instead of reincarnating?¡± Xie Qiao poured herself a cup of tea.


    The ghoul only felt that it could not move all of a sudden, and there was a lot more fear in its eyes as it looked at Xie Qiao.


    From its disheveled head, Xie Qiao finally saw the ghoul¡¯s face clearly. It was not that ugly.


    However, when an ordinary person slept, their three souls and seven spirits were not exactly stable. The night was dark and full of dark energy. Even a person with a strong body would wake up early in the morning after being watched by such a ghoul for an entire night. Their body would also feel a little heavy and ufortable.


    If it was someone with a weak body, it would be even worse. Perhaps their living soul would really be able to see the ghoul, hear the voice, have nightmares, and fall seriously ill.


    The ghoul was also shocked by Xie Qiao.


    It stared at her in disbelief. ¡°W-Who are you¡­.¡±

 Chapter 874 - Last Wish

    <h4>Chapter 874: Last Wish</h4>


    Is this a living person?! How could she see her?!


    ¡°I¡¯m a Taoist master.¡± Xie Qiao took a sip of tea and said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve disturbed my sleep. But since you and I are fated, tell me yourst wish. I¡¯ll fulfill it for you and send you to reincarnation.¡±


    She had just caught arge group of ghouls a few days ago, and now her body was extremely powerful.


    However, no matter how small a mosquito was, it was something. If she encountered one ghoul, she had to do her best and strive for a long life.


    The ghoul gulped.


    Taoist master¡­ Could it be that she was from the Yuxu Temple?


    ¡°Are you really going to¡­ help me fulfill myst wish?¡± The female ghoul asked nervously.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded slowly.


    The female ghoul thought for a moment, suddenly, she threw herself onto the ground. ¡°M-Master¡­ I¡­ died so unjustly! I didn¡¯t mean to peep under the bed¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­ when I died¡­ I was lying under this bed¡­¡±


    As she spoke, the female ghoul wiped her tears of blood and pointed to the side, adding, ¡°I died¡­ under Master¡¯s bed¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at the bed and could not sleep anymore. Her voice wasnguid, but there was a hint of seriousness in it, ¡°Tell me more. Do you need me to move your grave, or do you need me to im justice for you? If you died too long ago and your enemies are no longer around, then forgive me for not being able to do anything.¡±


    The ghoul was very careful, ¡°I-I was living in a wealthy family in a nearby town when I was alive. I couldn¡¯tpare to the wealthy families in the capital, but my family still had a small family business. There was once¡­ I thought my husband had a mistress. He said that he wanted to go to the capital to sell goods, so I went to this ce ahead of time and hid under this bed at night¡­¡±


    That night, the woman naturally heard something that she should not have heard.


    Unfortunately, he was not with a woman. Her husband was having an affair with a man.


    It was a bolt from the blue. She could not help but cry out loud.


    She was caught red-handed by the two men. When they saw her hiding inside, they tied her up, strangled her, and kept pouring alcohol down her throat.


    Her husband¡¯s family was in the alcohol business. This time, they brought a lot of alcohol with them. It was enough to kill her.


    This man was in the wine business, so he naturally knew that drinking wine could kill people, so he fed her a lot.


    Then, he stuffed her under the bed.


    This woman was dead drunk.


    The bed was not very spacious, and it was even a little cramped, so when the attendant cleaned the guest room, he did not find anything.


    However, during those days, the smell of wine in the room could not be removed. Thinking that the previous guest had spilled wine and stained the wood, it was not easy to get rid of the smell. He did not let other guests stay in the room.


    It was left empty for a few days.


    A few dayster, when the attendant went to clean up again, he smelled the stench of a corpse.


    After searching for a while, he found the corpse hiding under the bed.


    The husband naturally went to the capital. When he returned to the town, the government began to investigate the case.


    As he was the one who hid the woman while there were many misceneous peopleing in and out of the inn every day, since the husband revealed that he did not know anything about it, the case was concluded that the woman had followed him. She was obese and drank some alcohol, she was stuck under the bed and suffocated to death.


    The space under the bed was small, so the husband escaped the crime with the excuse.


    ¡°How long has it been since this case happened?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± the ghoul buried her neck, looking quite cowardly.


    Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°Then is your wish revenge? I can tell the administrative office about this case, and then they can clear your name.¡±


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how much time has passed, it should be¡­ a very, very long time. It doesn¡¯t matter whether I seek revenge or not¡­ I just want to¡­ drink some wine¡­.¡±

 Chapter 875 - Insignificant

    <h4>Chapter 875: Insignificant</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao looked at her in shock, almost thinking that she had misheard the will of the ghoul.


    This was a person who had been murdered and died in a very sullen manner. When she was alive, she was living in a lie. Under normal circumstances, the resentment should have been¡­ uncontroble, and she would want to take revenge, right?


    However, she had been given such a chance, yet she wanted to drink wine?


    Was she pulling a trick on her?


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze wasplicated and doubtful. ¡°Are you sure? This penniless master is quite easy to talk to. I won¡¯t be afraid if yourst wish is too troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Master, this inn is very old¡­ When I came here, it was still very new¡­¡± the ghoul was very helpless.


    Xie Qiao was startled.


    When she had firste to the capital, she had stayed in this inn. At that time, she had even heard people say that this inn was a hundred-year-old inn. ording to this ghoul, it was likely that decades had passed, her husband and that adulterous man were very likely already dead.


    If they did not have any children, it was no wonder that she would have such a wish.


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    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get the attendant to send some wine over tomorrow to pay respects to you.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    This job was quite easy to do.


    It required money, but she was already used to it. Many of the ghoul¡¯s wishes would require spending a lot.


    However, Xie Qiao did not want to go back to this bed to rest now. She called the attendant over and changed a room.


    The next morning, Xie Qiao asked the attendant to buy five jars of wine and booked the backyard. She asked for the ghoul¡¯s name and household registration and then poured the jars one after another.


    ¡°Senior Sister, what are you doing?¡± Xiao Yurong was very confused. He asked after Xie Qiao poured thest jar of wine.


    ¡°I¡¯m praying for a safe journey,¡± Xie Qiao replied seriously.


    At that moment, the ghoul drank the wine and looked satisfied.


    Xiao Yurong was a little suspicious.


    Just now, when his senior sister was mumbling, it seemed like a sacrificial ceremony¡­ Well, it was the Ghost Festival soon. It was good to pray when they were out.


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo, why are you lying to Eldest Senior Brother? Now that we are out together, who knows how many filthy things we will encounter on the way. It also happens to be the Ghost Festival. When Senior Sister is mumbling, Senior Brother Xiao will be terrified.¡± Zhao Xuanjing fanned himself beside him, he did not look like the Crown Prince of the country now. He looked more like a handsome and suave second-generation heir.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Xie Qiao hesitated.


    After all, Xiao Yurong was a schr. He was timid¡­


    ¡°What do you mean, Junior Brother?¡± Xiao Yurong looked quite innocent.


    The other guards in casual clothes looked at Xiao Yurong sympathetically.


    As the dignified Teacher Xiao, he should not be scared silly all the way.


    They had heard from Master Mo that there were yin and yang in the world. However, living people could not see ghouls, so they did not think that ghouls existed. In fact, not only did ghouls exist, there were also arge number of them!


    Since they met Master Mo, they had seen a lot.


    Now that they saw Master Mo offering sacrifices, they did not even need to guess to know that it must be filthy in the inn.


    However, this inn¡­ was nothing.


    They had seen more terrifying things in the past. Now, they could tell from Master Mo¡¯s expression that the ghoul was nothing to be mentioned!


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, what do you think our Senior Sister Mo does?¡± Zhao Xuanjing fanned his fan and spoke slowly.


    ¡°Senior Sister is a Taoist master who can inscribe talismans, expel evil spirits, and read fortunes. She is just like the current grand preceptor. They are all experts.¡± Xiao Yurong¡¯s words were quite likable.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Your evaluation is great..¡±

 Chapter 876 - Don’t Be Afraid, Junior Brother

    <h4>Chapter 876: Don¡¯t Be Afraid, Junior Brother</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    She was an expert to begin with. Her eldest junior brother had nothing better than a sweet mouth. She liked to hear what he said!


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, you have heard a lot of rumors, haven¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a faint smile, which made Xiao Yurong feel a little uneasy.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that Senior Sister knows yin and yang. I know that.¡± Xiao Yurong remained naive.


    It was just that she knew yin and yang. Were not all the Taoist masters in the world like that?


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled. ¡°Our Senior Sister should be sending some wine to the ghoul now. This ghoul¡­ should be standing three steps to the left of Senior Brother Xiao.¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Xie Qiao was quite surprised.


    ¡°You kept looking at that ce just now.¡±


    Xie Qiao was a little disappointed. She thought the Crown Prince could see it too.


    ¡°Ghoul?¡± Xiao Yurongughed. ¡°You guys really love to joke. Why would a ghoul follow me? I am not afraid of shadows. I have never done anything wrong¡­¡±


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    Xiao Yurong braced himself and looked very calm.


    To Xie Qiao, schrs were not bold. For instance, Wen Lancheng. When they met in the suburbs a few days ago, Zhao Xuanjing and her brother looked calm and normal. Only Wen Lancheng looked pale and uneasy.


    Xiao Yurong should be about the same.


    Unexpectedly, he was calm andposed. His courage was really not bad?


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao¡¯s idea is great. You have a sense of righteousness in your heart, evil will not be able to harm you. The ghoul that I¡¯m releasing today was pitiful when she was alive. She died aggrieved and just wanted to drink a few mouthfuls of wine. Sost night, she hid under my bed and kept scratching the bed board with her nails, disturbing my sleep¡­¡± Xie Qiao also briefly described the appearance of the ghoul.


    Among all the ghouls she had seen, the ghoul was considered to be pretty.


    She looked rosy, it was just that her hair was disheveled.


    Xiao Yurong stood still, his face turned stiff.


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled.


    Xiao Yurong believed that Senior Sister Mo would not lie to him.


    So¡­


    There was a ghoul?


    <center>


    </center>


    What should he do now? Should he¡­ stand, sit, or move?


    He struggled with his hands for a while. When he finally remembered that Senior Sister Mo and his junior brother remained still, he suppressed the feeling of horror. However, he could not help but suck in a breath of cold air. It did not take long for cold sweat to drip.


    Xie Qiao did not continue to pay attention to him. Instead, she waited for the ghoul to finish drinking the wine. After confirming it, she put the ghoul away.


    There were many ghouls near the Ghost Festival, and she was going to Mengjiabao. It was not safe on the road, so she brought many things with her. She had all of the bottles used to store the ghouls. She even brought some things to perform the ceremony. When the day came, she would release them into hell directly and send the ghoul away on the way.


    The scene would definitely be exposed by then. She could tell Xiao Yurong in advance so that he could be mentally prepared.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s action of collecting ghouls made Xiao Yurong look even worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Junior Brother. People have to die. The dead are just like the living. They are as light as clouds and cotton. It¡¯s a good thing that I have this ability. In the future, if you have anyst wishes after your death, you cane to me. By then, I can fulfill your wishes. I won¡¯t let you die with regrets,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    Zhao Xuanjing could not help butugh.


    It would have been better if she had not said it. She had said it so clearly, it would be strange if Xiao Yurong could stand it.


    He saw Xiao Yurong¡¯s face turn green and pale. He was still gritting his teeth and forced an ugly smile. ¡°M-Many thanks, Senior Sister¡­.¡±

 Chapter 877 - Soft Eight Characters

    <h4>Chapter 877: Soft Eight Characters</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s feet felt as if they were filled with lead. He could not even walk anymore.


    After Xie Qiao was done with her business, she got into the carriage and continued on the journey. Xiao Yurong was dawdling behind her. He only felt a chill on his back. It was as if something was watching him.


    He felt ufortable all over.


    However, what made him feel ufortable had yet toe.


    There were still some ghouls on the official road.


    asionally, a few would hover out of the forest. Some of them did not want to reincarnate and liked to hover around like ghouls. Xie Qiao did not care, but there were also some who looked unwilling and had a dying wish. Xie Qiao called them over and asked carefully.


    The wishes of these ghouls were not difficult to fulfill.


    Xie Qiao put away those ghouls whose wishes could be fulfilled.


    She registered the wishes one by one.


    <center>


    </center>


    Her behavior was strange. Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s people were used to it, but it was a different story for Xiao Yurong.


    In the past, although his senior sister was his favorite person, he had not seen her many times. They did not get to know each other very well, so he did not understand her at all. However, since they had eaten and traveled together, he knew more about her.


    It turned out that his senior sister did not only know how to inscribe talismans¡­


    She would even mumble to herself in the nothingness. From time to time, she would take out a few talismans. With a gentle wave of the talismans, some of them actually spontaneously ignited in the air. It was simr to the magic tricks on the street!


    If he had seen this on the streets, he might have pped and given some silver. However, now, facing his eldest senior sister, his mind was in a mess. He did not know what to do.


    He was a little flustered.


    A few dayster, the Ghost Festival hade.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was clearly much more solemn than before. Throughout the entire July, there would be more ghouls than in other months. The Ghost Festival was the day when the ghouls were at their peak.


    In the sky, the dark clouds gathered and the surrounding dark energy was thick. Only Xie Qiao could see that.


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo, aren¡¯t we traveling today?¡± Xiao Yurong was quite anxious.


    They were now in the inn. They had roughly traveled half of the way. This inn was more simple and crude. In the entire inn, besides the boss, there were only them and their group.


    ¡°Today is a special day, we shouldn¡¯t travel. If there are anyone with soft eight characters in the team, I¡¯m afraid they will crash into each other¡¯s fate,¡± Xie Qiao exined seriously.


    Xiao Yurong smiled awkwardly.


    He did not understand what his senior sister said. He had never seen a ghoul in his life. He had only heard people mention evil things in the past, but he had never thought about it carefully. So now, he really did not dare to believe it.


    However, if he did not believe it, he was suspecting that his senior sister had been ying tricks all this time?


    Thinking about the talismans that his senior sister inscribed, he did not know if it was because of his psychological effect. Every time he used the Academic Excellence Talisman, he felt like his thoughts were flowing like a fountain, and it was easier for him to concentrate¡­


    It was inappropriate for Xiao Yurong to say these words in front of Senior Sister Mo. Instead, he went to the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Senior Sister is so obsessed with the soul-catching technique. Wouldn¡¯t it be bad if teacher sees it? Also, our Third Junior Brother doesn¡¯t believe in these things. And Fifth Junior Brother too. If he knew that senior sister does these things, I¡¯m afraid he would say something about it.¡± Xiao Yurong was a little worried.


    Third junior brother was a bit obsessed with cleanliness. He loved flowers and nts the most. He did not believe in ghouls and demons. He only believed in himself. He was a proud and arrogant person.


    Fifth junior brother was even more troublesome¡­


    He did note from a good background.


    He was taken in by his teacher when he was traveling. His mother was sick. She visited a witch and died from her tricks. Therefore, regardless of whether it was Buddhism or Taoism, he would look terrible to anyone who mentioned the words ¡°evil spirit¡± or ¡°filthy thing¡± in front of him..

 Chapter 878 - Defeat You 300 Rounds

    <h4>Chapter 878: Defeat You 300 Rounds</h4>


    The few of them had always known that Senior Sister Mo was from a Taoist temple, but they only thought that she cultivated there.


    There were so many Taoist masters in the world, and there were actually very few who would go out to summon souls and capture monsters.


    Therefore, fifth junior brother still respected eldest senior sister very much. However, if he knew what she had been¡­ doing, his attitude would probably change.


    ¡°Although Fifth Junior Brother is not sensible, with teacher and me around, he wouldn¡¯t dare to offend us.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not pay much attention to it.


    As long as they spent more time with Xie Qiao, they would naturally understand that what Xie Qiao was capable of were all true skills. She was different from those chatans.


    Xiao Yurong sighed. ¡°Just now, I saw Senior Sister Mo seemed to be going to perform a ceremonial ritual. I don¡¯t know what she is going to do¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are curious, just take a peek.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was hinting with his eyes.


    Xiao Yurong really wanted to take a look.


    Senior sister had booked the entire inn. Even the boss was asked to be in the front by her. He was not allowed to step into the backyard. Not only that, she had been walking around the yard since the morning. Talismans were stuck all over the ce.


    Today, she was not wearing white anymore. She was wearing an old blue robe. Herplexion did not look good either. She looked¡­


    She was not as dazzling anymore. Her skin was darker. All of a sudden, she looked much more ordinary. Her usual enigmatic otherworldliness seemed to have disappeared.


    What was going on today?


    Xiao Yurong stood at the window on the second floor and stared at the yard downstairs.


    After Xie Qiao was ready, she burned incense and started the ritual.


    She was mumbling something, but Xiao Yurong could not hear it clearly because he was far away. What he could see with his eyes obviously caught his attention.


    His senior sister seemed to be dancing in the same ce. Her steps looked mysterious and strange. He could not help but want to look at her more.


    All of a sudden, there seemed to be a strong wind blowing in the backyard. It was so dark that it made people feel suffocated and ufortable. However, his senior sister was standing in the wind like she was taking a leisurely stroll. Her eyes were determined, she waved the talismans one by one, but no one knew what she was doing.


    Xie Qiao was actually exhausted.


    In the past, to be out in July, unless she was well-prepared, she would not dare to go out.


    She had collected too many souls along the way, and in addition, she had brought them from the Fortune Pavilion¡­


    She had to send them all away.


    Now that the Gate of Hell was wide open, the souls that came up from below would be able to return if they were familiar with the path. The ones that Xie Qiao had with her were probably not registered, so it would not be easy for them to get to hell.


    What Xie Qiao needed to do was to use the current dark energy to lure these souls.


    If it was not for the fact that there were too many souls, sending them to hell today would actually be rtively easy.


    It was betterpared to the times when it was not the Ghost Festival. The procedures in hell were probably more rigorous. They could not even get in line if they wanted to. She would have to recite the scriptures for a few more days if she wanted to send them away. It would take a lot of effort.


    Xie Qiao spent a lot of time this time.


    She stayed in the backyard. Her mouth was so dry from chanting the incantation that her lips were almost chapped. In the afternoon, she finally sent thest ghoul down.


    The wind had stopped, and she used up all of the talismans.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat, and she did not have any strength left in her body.


    However, she did not dare to rest. She even looked around cautiously, afraid that some foolish ghoul would rush over and try to possess her.


    Although her body had recovered, she should not have worried about such things. However, she was too tired now. She was afraid that some powerful ghoul woulde and she would not be able to take it.


    ¡°Senior Sister, if you¡¯re done, y chess with me.¡± Xie Qiao sat cross-legged to rest, but Zhao Xuanjing suddenly appeared.


    Xie Qiao turned to look at him.


    Her eyes lit up. ¡°Great idea, I love ying chess. This penniless master will definitely defeat you 300 rounds¡­.¡±

 Chapter 879 - Boring Life

    <h4>Chapter 879: Boring Life</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing had gone to the tomb with her to catch ghouls. He must have gathered good karma from collecting the souls!


    Even if his dragon energy was still leaking, it must be much stronger than before. With him by her side, his blood would be useful if she was possessed by the ghouls again.


    Zhao Xuanjing dragged Xie Qiao up.


    Xiao Yurong was still confused.


    The wind¡­ why did it stop just like that?


    Just now¡­ the scene of senior sister waving in the wind¡­


    It should be made into a poem!


    His brain was muddled and he had some inspiration. He did not care about it and immediately closed the doors and windows. He ground the ink, spread the paper and began to write.


    Xie Qiao was ying chess with Zhao Xuanjing.


    She tried her best to raise her spirit to avoid being possessed. She focused her mind and defeated Zhao Xuanjing. However, he was not bad either. The two of them were able toe to a draw. There were asional wins and losses.


    Zhao Xuanjing was actually shocked. His chess skills were considered great, but Xie Qiao¡­


    She had to learn the dao, and her health wascking. He thought she could barely make it with her chess skills. He did not expect that her meticulous mind was better than Xiao Yurong¡¯s!


    In the past, when he yed against Xiao Yurong, he had to give in to him. Otherwise, it would be meaningless to defeat him too quickly. However, when facing Xie Qiao, he had to focus. If he was not careful, he might make a wrong move and lose the whole game.


    ¡°Junior Brother¡¯s chess skills are not bad. You¡¯re better than my left hand,¡± Xie Qiao praised him in all seriousness.


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled a little helplessly. ¡°Senior Sister used to y on your own?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It was very boring in the Taoist temple. Other than flowers and nts, there were chickens, ducks, birds, and insects. Teacher had apanied me for two years, but after he left, I had no opponents.¡± Xie Qiao was used to it.


    In the Taoist temple, her life was extremely boring.


    Reading, passing out, ying chess, passing out, carving wood, passing out. She would also pass out when she painted¡­


    The cycle repeated itself, and there was never a single miss.


    Later on, when her body was slightly better, she was able to go down the mountain for a walk. However, at the beginning, it was rare. When she went down the mountain, she would also faint. Fortunately, she woke up quickly, so she did not have to lie on the bed every day.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that after so many years of passing out, she had even learned how to make a good look or not-as-ugly expression before fainting¡­


    As the saying went, ¡°practice makes perfect¡±.


    When Zhao Xuanjing heard her say this, he could not help but feel sad for her.


    ¡°If you want to y chess in the future, you cane to me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing restrained his emotions.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m naturally smart. No matter what I learn, I improve quickly. Right now, your chess skills are on par with mine, but in a few years, it might not be so. So you should read more when you have time and improve more. Only then can youst longer under my hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say what you¡¯ve just said to me back to you.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not give in to her.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    Just you wait. One day, she would defeat him. When he saw a chess piece, he would not even be able to lift his hand. He would kneel and ask her to spare his life.


    Although she had a short life, she was confident. When she met an opponent, she would not admit defeat.


    At night, Xie Qiao should have left. After all, men and women were different, but¡­ she shamelessly dragged Zhao Xuanjing to y chess for the whole night!


    After the Ghost Festival, Xie Qiao¡¯s mood rxed a lot.


    Although there would still be many more ghouls in the second half of the month than usual, the intensity of dark energy was not enough to make her worry that her soul would be unstable and being possessed.


    Due to the one day dy, they had to hurry on their way. After a few days, they finally arrived at Mengjiabao..

 Chapter 880 - Mengjiabao

    <h4>Chapter 880: Mengjiabao</h4>


    Mengjiabao was a nice ce with beautiful mountains and rivers. The old city walls had a unique atmosphere.


    The city was not much different from other cities. However, the reason why this ce was called Mengjiabao was because the majority of the families here were led by the Meng n.


    The Meng n was a big n that had stood firm since the previous dynasty. Within the n, there were no officials, but rich merchants.


    There were merchant caravans from the Meng families all over the world.


    Furthermore, the Meng n was a big n. This ce could be considered the hometown of the Meng family merchants. Those merchants had made a lot of money, but they did not forget to take care of their n¡¯s hometown.


    Therefore, even though the city walls were old, the interior of the city was glorious.


    The most famous thing about Mengjiabao was that it gathered all the rare goods in the world.


    Therefore, themoners and small merchants in the surrounding cities would alsoe to Mengjiabao to buy goods at a low price before selling them.


    Naturally, these rare goods were not produced in Mengjiabao. Most of them were sent to Mengjiabao by the merchants of the Meng n. Mengjiabao would then imitate the goods they obtained from other ces.


    Xie Qiao had not been to a ce so far away. There were also many merchants in the Water Moon Temple, but this was the first time she had seen such a beautiful city.


    The streets were paved with bricks, and the stalls and shops on both sides of the road were neat and clean.


    The things sold on the streets were all different, which dazzled the people.


    Meanwhile, the houses in Mengjiabao¡­


    Were neatly built, and there were flowers and nts on the roadside. It was very unique.


    The city was not small either. The three of them followed the address. After entering the city, they wandered around in the carriage for a long time before they found the ce.


    It was a big house in the inner city.


    ¡°Teacher didn¡¯t say much in the letter¡­ One can¡¯t easily buy or rent houses in the inner city of Mengjiabao, so this house must belong to someone else. We didn¡¯t inform them beforehand. It¡¯s probably rude to visit so rashly.¡± Xiao Yurong got off the carriage first, standing in front of Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage. He was a little hesitant.


    The teacher paid attention to etiquette, and so did Xiao Yurong.


    Just as he was about to make up his mind, the servant from the concierge ran over and bowed to Xiao Yurong. ¡°May I ask if you are from the capital?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Xiao Yurong replied quickly. ¡°The three of us are here to pick up our teacher. May I know if you have a guest surnamed Li?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Old Master Li has already instructed us. We have been waiting. Pleasee in, distinguished guests!¡± The servant said immediately. Then, he quickly called for someone to lead the horses for them.


    Since he had said so, Xiao Yurong did not stand on ceremony anymore and invited Xie Qiao to get off the carriage.


    Xie Qiao walked out and looked at the mansion of the wealthy family. She was a little shocked.


    Mengjiabao was really wealthy. The merchant¡¯s mansion was almostparable to the mansion of the king of the capital.


    The situation of Mengjiabao was special. No one would make a fuss about this mansion.


    ¡°May I ask who is the master of the mansion?¡± Xiao Yurong asked.


    The servant answered respectfully, ¡°My master¡¯s surname is Meng, and he is a direct descendant of the Meng family. When the master was doing business outside, he got to know Old Master Li, so he came to stay with us. He was supposed to leave for the capital a month ago, but he didn¡¯t expect that the old master¡¯s disciple to be sick and couldn¡¯t be moved rashly. He was worried that you would be worried, so he sent a letter.¡±


    When they heard that, Xie Qiao and the other two¡¯s expressions changed slightly.


    He said that he had written to them to not make them worry, but Mengjiabao was not very far from the capital, and they could reach it in ten days. Was the illness¡­ very severe?


    They said that they were here to pick up their teacher, but in reality¡­. it was either for the doctor that Zhao Xuanjing brought with him, or for the three of them to say good-bye to their sick junior brother?

 Chapter 881 - Teacher

    <h4>Chapter 881: Teacher</h4>


    Xiao Yurong was very nervous. He looked at Xie Qiao and the Crown Prince and asked immediately, ¡°Which disciple¡­ is the one who is sick?¡±


    The servant answered quickly, ¡°To answer your question, Young Master Sang is sick.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiao Yurong¡¯s heart tightened.


    Xie Qiao knew her third junior brother a little. His name was Sang You, and he was about twenty-four years old now. He was slightly older than Zhao Xuanjing, but he became her third junior brother because he entered the sectte.


    His family was not in the capital. He had been studying in the capital since he was a child. Now, apart from following their teacher around, he was teaching at the Royal Academy.


    Sang You was good at ying the zither, so he taught music in the academy.


    This person¡­


    Her teacher had written to her and told her that when he took in a disciple, she thought he was an elegant young man, but she did not expect him to be difficult!


    He was a showoff!


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to worry now. Let¡¯s take a look first,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said calmly when he saw that Xiao Yurong did not look well.


    Xiao Yurong nodded and walked faster.


    They soon arrived.


    The servant led them directly to the guest house where his teacher lived. The scenery in the courtyard was pretty good, so his teacher must have lived well in the Meng Residence.


    As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Xie Qiao saw Li Shiyan.


    He was wearing a gray robe and squatting on the ground with a hoe in his hand. He was tending to the flowers in the courtyard with a worried look on his face. He seemed to be in a bad mood.


    Xie Qiao had not seen their teacher for a long time.


    Many years ago, their teacher had lived in the Water Moon Temple for nearly two to three years. After he left, he did not return. The number of times he met her could be counted on one hand, but he never forgot to ask the traveling merchant to send her some books and manuscripts. In addition, the correspondence did not stop.


    As soon as they entered the courtyard, Xiao Yurong immediately walked over and knelt down first. Zhao Xuanjing had a special status, but he also bowed and cupped his hands in greeting.


    Xie Qiao was stunned when she saw how fast they were.


    However, she did not slow down. She immediately knelt down as well. ¡°This unfilial disciple Mo Chusheng greets teacher!¡±


    Li Shiyan saw her.


    His old bones were walking very fast. Even his beard seemed to be excited. ¡°Xiao¡­ Sheng¡¯er!¡±


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief and looked up. ¡°Teacher.¡±


    ¡°Great, great! Long time no see. You have grown up and be ady! Hey, are you tired from the journey? Go to the guest room to rest first. I will tell you about your third junior brotherter.¡± Li Shiyan looked doting.


    Xiao Yurong and Zhou Weizong, who came with her, were a little confused.


    It was not appropriate to describe a 30 to 40-year-old Taoist master with the words of the old master, right?


    However, Xiao Yurong¡¯s doubts disappeared in a sh.


    His teacher had always doted on his senior sister. Even when he epted them into the sect, he had repeatedly told them to respect their senior sister and not bully her. He had even made it clear that if it were not for the fact that he was worried that their senior sister would not be able to support the sect by herself that the sect might not have a backer in the future, he would not have epted five disciples in a row!


    He had heard too many of these words.


    Back then, his teacher had said that his senior sister was childish¡­


    In his teacher¡¯s eyes, even if she was seventy or eighty years old, she was still a child!


    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m not tired.¡± Xie Qiao was still more worried about her junior brother¡¯s condition, so she said immediately, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Third Junior Brother? Why is he suddenly sick? Is he tired from the journey?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teacher. When you wrote earlier, there seemed to be nothing wrong¡­¡± Xiao Yurong was even more anxious..

 Chapter 882 - Cold Air in the Body

    <h4>Chapter 882: Cold Air in the Body</h4>


    Among the junior brothers, Xiao Yurong and Sang You were the closest. After all, the two of them were young and had the same preferences.


    Although Sang You was born in an aristocratic family, he had no rtives in the capital. Therefore, it was better to cultivate the rtionship with the senior brothers.


    Of course, he knew the Crown Prince too. However, the Crown Prince was smart and had a high status. The sect brothers had to follow the etiquette when meeting with a ruler, so the rtionship was naturally not very close.


    Old Master Li wiped his hands and let the three of them sit down to talk.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your Third Junior Brother won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± Old Master Li sighed, ¡°At the beginning, he was just a little ufortable. I thought it was just an ordinary typhoid fever. Who knew that this illness would never be cured? We have used all kinds of good medicine on him, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be getting better. There are many good doctors in the Mengjiabao, but they¡¯re also helpless. The doctor said that cold air has entered his body and his internal organs are dead.¡±


    ¡°Did Third Junior Brother go to an extremely cold ce?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was also curious when he heard that.


    The old master sighed. ¡°In the past two years, I brought them around and indeed went to many ces. We also went to extremely cold ces¡­ but at that time, we were wearing many clothes and our bodies didn¡¯te into direct contact with the frost. Moreover, that was already a year ago. It wouldn¡¯t have taken so long for the illness to re up, right?¡±


    The old man could not figure this out no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°Then, did anything special happen along the way?¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°After Sang¡¯er fell ill, this old man pondered over it all day long. All these days, I¡¯ve thought about it many times, but I couldn¡¯t find anything that could make him fall ill.¡±


    Xie Qiao was silent for a while.


    Her teacher had lived for more than a few decades, and he had been glorious for more than a few decades.


    He had a photographic memory since he was young, so he must be telling the truth since he said that there were no dangers along the way.


    ¡°I have never heard of any weakness in Third Junior Brother¡¯s body since he was young¡­¡± Xiao Yurong was also at a loss. ¡°Teacher, where is Junior Brother now? I want to see him.¡±


    ¡°Did Your Highness bring the Imperial physician here?¡± Old Master Li asked Zhao Xuanjing first.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    After all, they were here to pick up the old man. Thinking that he was old, it would be safer to bring the imperial physician along.


    ¡°Okay, invite the imperial physician here immediately to see your junior brother.¡± Old Master Li was a little excited and made arrangements instantly.


    When Zhou Weizong heard that, he quickly called for people to do it.


    The things that they had brought were still temporarily ced on the carriage. After all, this ce was not their own home. Old Master Li could stay there, but they could not do that since they had suddenly visited. Furthermore, in a while, they still had to pay their respects to the owner of this ce.


    If it was inconvenient, then they could rent a house nearby and bring their junior brother over to recuperate.


    Not long after, the imperial physician came over respectfully.


    Only then did Old Master Li bring him to the bedroom.


    The door was tightly shut. After it was opened, a wave of heat hit them.


    ¡°He always says that he¡¯s cold. There are severalyers of nkets, but it¡¯s useless. There are some charcoal braziers in the house to keep warm,¡± Old Master Li exined.


    The courtyard was very quiet. There was only a servant waiting at the door.


    ¡°Where did No. 5 go?¡± Zhao Xuanjing took a look and asked.


    ¡°He went to the market. There are many merchantsing and going in Mengjiabao. Every day, some merchants bring rare goods from all over the world. No. 5 went to the medicine shop to have a look. If there were medicine to treat the cold, he could buy it in time. Unfortunately, he did buy a lot of medicine for the cold but he hasn¡¯t found anything useful so far..¡±

 Chapter 883 - It’s Good Enough If We Can Stall for Even A Day

    <h4>Chapter 883: It¡¯s Good Enough If We Can Stall for Even A Day</h4>


    There were several charcoal braziers in the room. The smell was a little strong, but there was also a window for venttion. Otherwise, even if their junior brother did not die of a cold, he would have been poisoned to death by the smoke.


    The room was very dark and rather small. However, it was precisely because it was not too big that the heat was even stronger.


    It was early autumn. The weather was somewhat cool, but it was still somewhat hot during the day. In this kind of weather, they had to build a fire to keep him warm. It was clear how severe the cold their junior brother was suffering.


    They approached the bedside and saw the person lying on the bed clearly.


    The nkets were so thick that they almost covered his head.


    However, even so, this person was still trembling slightly. His face was snow-white. Zhao Xuanjing touched his forehead and found out that Sang You¡¯s entire body seemed to be in an ice cave. It was indeed very cold!


    ¡°Senior Sister, do you see anything?¡± Zhao Xuanjing turned his head to ask her.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°I thought there might be something dirty, but there¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s clean.¡±


    It was just a little strange.


    Her junior brother was pretty good-looking. His eyebrows were sharp and long, and his nose bridge was high. His light was indeed invisible now, but his head was dome-shaped and his be was straight. His bones looked like he would live long. Such a person should not have a short life.


    This illness was indeed very strange.


    The imperial physician went forward to check.


    He checked his pulse over and over again, sometimes looking at his eyes and sometimes looking at his tongue. He was busy for a long time.


    In the end, he was confused. ¡°It is indeed cold air in the body, and it is very serious. It is¡­ strange.¡±


    ¡°How strange?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°Your Highness, normally, people who have cold air in their body would feel ufortable and shiver, but they would not be like Young Master Sang, whose whole body seems to be frozen¡­¡±


    It was normal for people to feel cold in their hands and feet, but Sang You¡­ How could they feel the cold just by touching him? He was practically a block of ice!


    ¡°Is there any way to treat him?¡± Old Master Li immediately asked.


    Apart from his eldest disciple, he could find ws in all of his disciples. They had been scolded by him for many years.


    However, no matter how much he scolded them, they were still his beloved! Now, he was going to let him die?!


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the imperial physician sighed, ¡°Your Highness, forgive my ipetence. I can only give an ordinary prescription for treating cold diseases. It is effective for people with amon cold, but not for Young Master Sang. However¡­ There are many strange diseases in the world. If medical skills don¡¯t work, why don¡¯t you try witchcraft?¡±


    As he said that, the imperial physician carefully nced at Xie Qiao.


    He was not stirring trouble. He said this because he sincerely wanted to save the person.


    Before he became an imperial physician, he had umted experience among the people. He had seen children who were sick to death and left him helpless. After the witch prayed, they slowly recovered.


    It was better to believe in something than not. It was not wrong to try.


    Anyway, he had no choice now, and the other imperial physicians were probably the same.


    Old Master Li knew the true identity of his eldest disciple, and he also knew that she was in poor health and needed to umte good karma.


    Hearing the imperial physician¡¯s words, he also looked at Xie Qiao. ¡°Do you have any solutions?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t see anything dirty on Third Junior Brother¡¯s body at the moment, so it¡¯s definitely useless to capture the ghouls and monsters. At most¡­ I can think of ways to protect his soul and stall for time.¡± Xie Qiao was also helpless.


    How could she stop the King of Hell from taking someone¡¯s life?


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough if we can stall for even a day. Let¡¯s investigate it carefully again.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded and agreed to let her take action..

 Chapter 884 - Chase Him Out of the Sect

    <h4>Chapter 884: Chase Him Out of the Sect</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The person lying on the bed was Xie Qiao¡¯s junior brother after all. No matter what, she had to be careful.


    She brought her bamboo basket over.


    There were tworge bamboo baskets with many things inside.


    Xie Qiao took out sevenmps from inside. Thesemps were rtively small and were not quite the same as the one she used earlier.


    In addition, Xie Qiao took out scissors, mirrors, scales, and a ruler one after another. Then, she said, ¡°Send someone to get rice. We also need more rice.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately asked Zhou Weizong to do it. ¡°Go out and buy some rice. We¡¯re new here, so we can¡¯t trouble the Meng family.¡±


    Zhou Weizong immediately responded.


    ¡°There¡¯s a child in the Meng family who has great talent. He seems to want me to take him as a disciple. He also said that if I don¡¯t like him, I can check out the other children of the Meng family. I¡¯ve been here for so long, and they¡¯ve been taking care of me. It¡¯s not good for me to refuse. When your junior brother¡¯s health is better, I¡¯ll go and see how talented these children are,¡± Li Shiyan said.


    He had his principles when epting disciples.


    Talent, appearance, and character had to be satisfactory.


    In fact, he had enough disciples. There were six of them, and he did not want to ept any more.


    However, the Meng family had been tending to Sang You when he was sick. It would be too cruel if he did not even want to give pointers to their children.


    ¡°Teacher, you are getting old. If you think that their talent is not bad, you can get Eldest Senior Brother to take them in,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said when he saw the tired look on the old man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes, Teacher. I have also started to take in disciples. Now... I have two disciples. Their talent...¡± Xiao Yurong thought of Xie Pinghuai and could not say anything about his talent, he had to bite the bullet and said, ¡°One of them is quite smart, and the other one... is quite special. When they make you their grandmaster, they will be officially epted into the sect.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Li Shiyan was more picky.


    Disciples or grand-disciples, whether they were good or not, he had to check them out first.


    He will not ept a random grand-disciple.


    There were too many things that a schr had to decide. If his disciples took in an ambitious and unruly person, it would ruin the reputation of all his disciples and grand-disciples. He had to take it seriously.


    Xiao Yurong was now as obedient as a rabbit. He looked especially cowardly.


    After saying that, he saw that his teacher did not look kind, so he was even more afraid.


    He would not be... kicked out of the sect because of Xie Pinghuai, right?


    ¡°Chusheng...¡± the old master called.


    Xie Qiao felt strange. In the past, her teacher often called her ¡°girl¡± or ¡°Xiao Qiao¡±¡­


    It was her name Mo Chusheng that sounded odd!


    If his teacher¡¯s voice was a little cold and rough, it would sound like he was calling her an animal and scolding her.


    Li Shiyan also felt it. After thinking for a moment, he took back the name he had just called out. ¡°Girl, how is Taoist Master Mo Now?¡±


    ¡°S-Senior Brother is great. The Water Moon Temple¡¯s incense offerings are also not bad. His days are much more rxed than before,¡± Xie Qiao immediately said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. He¡¯s unreasonable, but he¡¯s a good person. I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time. I really want to talk to him again.¡± Li Shiyan missed the days when he lived in the Water Moon Temple very much.


    At that time, this girl... was very young, like a small carrot.


    Sometimes, she was reading with him, but she did not make any sound. When he looked again, she had fainted. There was no color on her face at all.


    There were a few times when her breathing was weak, as if she was about to die. Mo Lingzi¡¯s heart ached so much, and he even advised that she should stop reading. It was too tiring for her!


    However, after the girl woke up, she continued to read with a serious expression.. No one could stop her.

 Chapter 885 - No Witches in the World are Good

    <h4>Chapter 885: No Witches in the World are Good</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    This girl had been stubborn since she was young.


    At that time, she was like a weed growing in the crack of a rock. With a little wind and a little rain, she could continue struggling to survive.


    In those few years, his luck was not good. When he saw such a young child in the Water Moon Temple who would fight against the heavens and fate, he really thought it was amazing. His state of mind had also changed a lot.


    At the moment, he actually had a lot of things he wanted to ask this girl, but it was not easy to do that in front of his other disciples.


    He thought he would talk about itter.


    Zhou Weizong was very fast in handling matters.


    Xie Qiao asked everyone to move Sang You from the bed to the ground. There was an empty space around him, and then she ced the scissors, mirrors, and other things on each side.


    She ced the starmp in the rice, corresponding to a seven-star shape.


    Then, she took out a talisman and stuck it on Sang You¡¯s body.


    The four-star position summoned the generals¡¯ blessings; the true energy from five directions would extend one¡¯s life.


    It flowed through the body, and heaven and earth grew together; one¡¯s heart would return to life, and one would live longer.


    Xie Qiao sat cross-legged on the ground, muttering incantations. Time passed by slowly, and she still had no intention of getting up.


    Old Master Li saw how hard she was working, and his heart ached for her. Especially when he knew that she was not in good health, his heart was even more tormented. His beard made him look listless, and he did not seem to have any spirit at all.


    After approximately two hourster, Xie Qiao stopped.


    She staggered up from the ground. Inside the house, the seven-star lights flickered faintly, giving off a mysterious aura.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s just that the lights can¡¯t be extinguished.¡± Xie Qiao walked out of the house. ¡°Themps can prolong life, but they also have a time effect. If the sevenmps can protect it, it canst for 49 days. If onemp is extinguished, seven days will be lost.¡±


    The talisman and themps trapped the soul in the body. If the soul did not leave the body, there was still a chance of survival.


    Xiao Yurong was skeptical. He looked at themps and then looked at Li Shiyan.


    ¡°I hope we can find a way to cure the cold soon.¡± Li Shiyan did not doubt Xie Qiao¡¯s ability.


    Just as he finished his words, there was another person in the yard.


    They saw a young man in blue walking over and looking at Li Shiyan with a confused expression. Then, he saw themps ced in the house.


    ¡°Teacher, what... are these? Y-You got... a fraud to treat Senior Brother¡¯s illness?!¡± Jiang Jinlu looked at the old teacher with a shocked expression. He was holding a small box in his hand. It should be the new medicine.


    After he finished speaking, he quickly looked around with fear.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, Your Highness, you guys are here too? Senior Brother Sang is just sick, so I found some medicine. The traveling merchant said that this medicine was bought from a distant town with an iceberg, so it will definitely work!¡± As he said this, he quickly handed the medicine to Li Shiyan.


    Then, he looked at Xie Qiao warily.


    After the Ghost Festival, Xie Qiao avoided wearing white to prevent attracting ghouls, so she changed into an ordinary Taoist robe. At this moment, she looked more like a traveling chatan than anything else.


    Moreover, she had just performed a ritual and was holding something in her hand. It was obvious that she was the culprit.


    ¡°The imperial physician also looked at your Third Senior Brother just now. He said... I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no way to save him. Let¡¯s try this medicine...¡± Old Master Li sighed.


    Jiang Jinlu felt a little sad.


    Her teacher also knew that her mother was sick back then. She could have recovered, but because the elders in the family found a witch to treat her, her mother died of illness. However, the witch told others that it was her mother who made a mistake that was not likable to the gods, so they punished her and took her life!


    No witches in the world were good!

 Chapter 886 - Teacher is A Liar

    <h4>Chapter 886: Teacher is A Liar</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    However, Jiang Jinlu?did not dare to criticize his teacher at this moment.


    Li Shiyan also saw the resentment and absent-mindedness on his face. He said, ¡°This is your Eldest Senior Sister, Mo Chusheng.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu suddenly raised his head and stared nkly at the thirty to forty-year-old Taoist master in front of him. ¡°E-Eldest senior sister?!¡±


    Liar!


    ¡°Teacher, how can Eldest Senior Sister look like this?¡± He asked subconsciously.


    Xie Qiao was helpless after hearing that.


    Li Shiyan frowned. ¡°Your Eldest Senior Sister is as beautiful as a flower. Why? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    His precious eldest disciple was so good-looking. Even if she had a different face, she still looked like an immortal. How could ordinary peoplepare with her bearing and expression?


    This was his own disciple. How could he be the same as the others?


    Jiang Jinlu hurriedly waved. ¡°Teacher, I didn¡¯t mean that... E-Eldest Senior Sister is... very good-looking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard on Junior Brother.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him sympathetically.


    Of course, her appearance was not ugly, but her teacher boasted about her image too much, to the point that... Now that her fifth junior brother looked at her, there was a huge difference, right?


    At this moment, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mind was in a mess!


    Oh my, this was... the eldest senior sister who looked like an immortal.


    She had upied his studies for several years!


    Yes, as his teacher¡¯s youngest disciple, he had read many books with his teacher since he entered the sect. He had also learned to write many poems and paint many paintings. Among them, his teacher¡¯s mostmon homework was... his eldest senior sister!


    He often had to paint his senior sister¡¯s immortal-like appearance ording to his teacher¡¯s description. He had to add beautiful poems to describe his senior sister¡¯s beauty!


    He had to do the same homework several times a year!


    That was fine, but what really gave him a headache was that he had never gotten an ¡°A¡± in any of his homework involving his senior sister.


    His teacher always said that he had too little respect for his senior sister, so he did not write well or paint well. After he finished, he said that he did not me him. After all, he had never met Mo Chusheng, so he naturally did not know how good she was. However¡­


    Even though he knew that he had never seen her before, it did not hinder the arrangement of the next lesson!


    Meanwhile, that beautiful Mo Chusheng was standing in front of him at this moment.


    She was not as stunning and beautiful as he had described in his article, and she was even wearing the Taoist robe that he hated the most.


    She indeed looked like an otherworldly expert, but it was also the appearance that he hated the most!


    Jiang Jinlu felt that the beautiful image he had constructed in his heart had copsed. At this moment, he did not even want to look at Mo Chusheng, his eldest senior sister!


    Teacher was a liar!


    Xie Qiao could see the disappointment in her fifth junior brother.


    However, she did not care. She would get used to it.


    This fifth junior brother of hers was the youngest among her junior brothers, but he was also slightly older than her. He should be 18 or 19 now.


    He was not too tall, and he even had a baby face. He looked like a teenager who was 15 or 16, and he looked very young. None of her junior brothers were ugly, and Jiang Jinlu was no exception.


    Her eldest junior brother, Xiao Yurong, was good at teaching and educating people. He was the most disciplined. Her second junior brother, Zhao Xuanjing... She did not know him very well. Perhaps... he was an all-rounder and the biggestpetitor among the fellow disciples.


    Her third junior brother was good at romance, and her fourth junior brother... was good at cockfighting. It was said that he was a yboy.


    The youngest, Jiang Jinlu¡­


    Although he was only 18 years old, in fact, he was a prodigy. He was already a graduate.. However, his teacher thought that he was still young, so he had been suppressing him.

 Chapter 887 - You Have Lost Your Head

    <h4>Chapter 887: You Have Lost Your Head</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Li Shiyan was actually very strict with his disciples. In front of him, the few of them were especially obedient and did not dare to act rashly.


    Jiang Jinlu had been suppressing the curiosity and displeasure inside of him.


    ¡°Themps were lit by your senior sister. You are not allowed to extinguish them. If you extinguish one of them, your senior brother¡¯s lifespan will be reduced by seven days. You must pay attention, understand?¡± Li Shiyan reminded Jiang Jinlu again.


    Jiang Jinlu took a deep breath. He managed his temper and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I want to speak to your senior sister. Remember to pay a visit to the patriarch of the Meng family after your small talk.¡± Li Shiyan nced at the boys and then said to Xie Qiao with a kind look, ¡°Girl,e with me.¡±


    With that said, he put his hands behind his back and walked away with a slight stoop.


    Xie Qiao followed closely behind.


    ¡°Teacher has aged a lot...¡± Xiao Yurong sighed and looked distressed.


    Jiang Jinlu looked at him speechlessly. ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, you are thinking too much. Teacher¡¯s health is better than mine. Before Third Senior Brother fell ill, he had to travel a long distance to climb the mountains and enjoy the scenery. I can¡¯t even catch up to him.¡±


    His health was not good? It was not a problem.


    Teacher could eat three big bowls of rice every meal.


    He could eat, drink, and sleep. Every morning, he would train with punches and kicks. Although he looked old, his strength was strong. He was just like a strong young man.


    ¡°But teacher¡¯s back is bent.¡± Xiao Yurong shook his head. He thought his fifth junior brother was too young and did not understand the horror of aging.


    Jiang Jinlu snorted andughed. ¡°That is because he saw Eldest Senior Sister.¡±


    Xiao Yurong looked at him in a daze, and then... he came to a realization.


    Was his teacher pretending to be weak in front of their eldest senior sister so that she could show him more respect?


    No, that was impossible. How could his teacher be like that¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing did not listen to them. He asked Zhou Weizong toe over. ¡°Send people to guard this ce. If any living creaturees near except for Senior Sister Mo¡¯s rooster, you must watch them personally. Do everything you can to protect thesemps.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Zhou Weizong replied immediately.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Jiang Jinlu was a bit puzzled when he heard that. ¡°You believe Senior Sister¡¯s words as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Why would he not believe in his Princess Consort?


    ¡°Thesemps alone can¡¯t decide a life. Also, the talisman on Senior Brother¡¯s body is just a messy pattern. It isn¡¯t medicine, so how can it save him? I know Senior Sister had been living in a Taoist temple since she was a child. Perhaps she had been brainwashed, but as her junior brothers, we should let her know what is wrong with her...¡± Jiang Jinlu said righteously, he was a little anxious.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Junior Brother say it just now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled.


    Jiang Jinlu choked.


    He did not dare¡­


    ¡°His Highness has a special status. Teacher will listen to what you say.¡± Jiang Jinlu also felt powerless.


    It was indeed not a gentleman¡¯s work to let His Highness do what he did not want to do.


    ¡°Fifth Junior Brother is going to be an official in the future. If you have any objections to the Emperor¡¯s decision in the future and wouldn¡¯t dare to speak up, would you get someone else be the scapegoat?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s words were a little sharp.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s pupils constricted. His face suddenly turned red and his breathing became faster.


    Xiao Yurong did not stop the Crown Prince when he heard that.


    It was good for fifth junior brother to listen to the Crown Prince more.


    ¡°I-I made a mistake. I will tell him personally when teacher gets outter.¡± Even if he was upset, he should express his dissatisfaction in person.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was even colder. ¡°So.... When you heard the Emperor¡¯s decision and you¡¯re dissatisfied, will you me him directly? Fifth Junior Brother, you have lost your head.¡±

 Chapter 888 - Won’t Be Able to Hide It

    <h4>Chapter 888: Won¡¯t Be Able to Hide It</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu felt a chill from the Crown Prince¡¯s words and stood there with a conflicted look on his face.


    It was wrong for the Crown Prince to say it, but it was also wrong for him to say it himself?


    ¡°If this can¡¯t be done... Does Your Highness mean that I should let eacher and Eldest Senior Sister do whatever they want?¡± Jiang Jinlu frowned. ¡°But if it¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s decision that affects millions of people, how can I just stand by and watch?¡±


    ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not exin it to him.


    He was going to chop someone¡¯s head off in the future, not the one who had his head hanging out.


    What did it have to do with him as the Emperor?


    Fifth junior brother was wrong again.


    As expected, he was still too young. His junior brother¡¯s talent was not inferior to Wen Lancheng¡¯s, but different from Wen Lancheng¡¯s. Wen Lancheng was born in a noble family and had always been the focus of local officials and famous families, while his junior brother was born in a poor family. Despite his enthusiasm, he did not have much experience, especially when it came to dealing with those in power.


    Jiang Jinlu looked at the Crown Prince and fell silent for a moment.


    He was a person who was good at thinking and was not a fool.


    The Crown Prince was the Emperor. If he said that he was wrong, then there must be something wrong with his way of doing things. However, what should he do?


    At this moment, Xie Qiao was already sitting in the hall. Li Shiyan had a loving expression on his face.


    There was no one around, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a fixed residence earlier, so I couldn¡¯t receive your letter. As a result, I didn¡¯t know how you have been doing these past few years. It wasn¡¯t until a while ago that I stayed here for a long time that your Eldest Junior Brother sent a pigeon letter over...


    ¡°I heard that you and the Crown Prince are engaged?¡± Li Shiyan asked.


    In the letter, it only informed him that the Crown Prince was engaged. Thedy was the famous eldest daughter of Xie Niushan, Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°The Crown Prince is a good person. I¡¯m very satisfied.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re satisfied... I¡¯ve traveled around these years and met many young men. They¡¯re all pretty good-looking. However,pared to the Crown Prince, their intelligence and talent are indeedcking. If you want to talk about the Crown Prince¡¯s shorings...


    ¡°These years, he¡¯s been a little colderpared to the time when he was young. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll suffocate you after you guys spend time together,¡± Li Shiyan added.


    Before the Crown Prince¡¯s hand was injured, he was a warm and gentle youth.


    ¡°Teacher, with my health, I don¡¯t like a man who¡¯s too noisy and loud. I can¡¯t stand the noise.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°His Highness is just right. He¡¯s good-looking and pleasing to the eye. He can just stand there without saying anything. I can admire him all day.¡±


    Li Shiyan shook his head helplessly.


    This girl had liked good-looking people since she was young.


    The first time she saw him, she said that he looked like an old immortal.


    There was also that old Taoist master, Mo Lingzi. He had seen him decades ago. At that time, he was an extremely sloppy and unkempt fraud. No one would suspect him if he pretended to be a beggar. However, under Xie Qiao¡¯s request, he had also be a Taoist immortal who could scare people.


    She had high requirements for looks. Therefore, when he took in disciples these years, he could not help but find some good-looking ones¡­


    They were indeed pleasing to the eye andfortable to look at.


    ¡°Then does he know that you are Xie Qiao?¡± Li Shiyan suddenly asked again.


    Xie Qiao was embarrassed when she heard that.


    She smiled shyly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Teacher. Everyone knows that Xie Qiao is not in good health. In the future, when I marry someone, I will use this as a reason to not see him every day. When I have time, I will use the identity of Mo Chusheng to make some money. That won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Girl, don¡¯t let the eagles peck your eyes while you capture them. His Highness is smarter than you think. It¡¯s fine if he can¡¯t find out before you two get married, but if you get married.... you won¡¯t be able to hide it.¡±

 Chapter 889 - Old Master Shisan

    <h4>Chapter 889: Old Master Shisan</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao looked at her teacher obediently. After thinking for a while, she sat up straight and said seriously, ¡°To tell you the truth, I sometimes feel that... I must¡¯ve already given myself away. The Crown Prince is suspicious.¡±


    Li Shiyan brought some snacks over. Xie Qiao ate a few and said slowly, ¡°But since he didn¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll pretend that he doesn¡¯t know. How could a criminal confess himself?¡±


    In short, it was impossible for her to say that she was two people.


    Now, she could still unt her power as the senior sister. If they really knew her age, they would only treat her as a junior sister!


    Her pride would not be able to take it!


    Li Shiyan¡¯s beard curled up. ¡°You little girl, how can you say that about yourself?¡±


    ¡°Your disciples are all very proud and hard to please. Now that I¡¯m the senior sister, they wouldn¡¯t dare to offend me. Even if they are curious about me, they wouldn¡¯t dare to test me casually. But if they know that I¡¯m so young... will my days be peaceful?¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    Being the eldest senior sister... was great. Unfortunately, her junior brothers were all older than her!


    ¡°What you said makes sense. Those brats... are indeed restless.¡± The old teacher stroked his beard, feeling helpless but also somewhat proud.


    After all, they were his disciples, and they were unconvinced by others.


    The most important reason why Xie Qiao hid her identity was not because she was afraid that her junior brothers would stir trouble with her, but because many people knew about her identity. That was not a secret. Then... others would know sooner.


    She was now the future Princess Consort. If people knew that she was Mo Chusheng, how could she be out and make money in the future¡­? Pfft! No, she wanted to do good deeds to umte good karma.


    Li Shiyan doted on his eldest disciple. Naturally, whatever Xie Qiao said made sense to him.


    ¡°I bought many things for you when I was traveling. I¡¯ll get someone to move them over for youter,¡± Li Shiyan added.


    Xie Qiao did not refuse. ¡°Thank you, Teacher. I¡¯ve also prepared a gift for you. You will like it!¡±


    Li Shiyan looked forward to it.


    However, Xie Qiao and the Crown Prince had not settled in yet, so he was not in a hurry.


    After exchanging some pleasantries, he let her go.


    On the other side, Jiang Jinlu had already taken Xiao Yurong and the others to meet the head of the Meng family.


    The head of the Meng family that the teacher was staying with was called Meng Xiande. He was not young and was about 60 years old. There were many members in the Meng family. Meng Xiande had a high status in the family. When the people here looked at him, they had to call him ¡°Old Master Shisan¡± politely.


    ¡°Old Master Shisan¡± had many daughters, but he only gave birth to a son. This son only gave birth to one grandchild for him.


    His family was big, but he only had a grandchild.


    Old Master Li had already mentioned to Meng Xiande that his disciples wereing over, so he personally met them at this moment.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s identity could not be revealed, Jiang Jinlu only said, ¡°These two are Senior Brother Zhao and Senior Brother Xiao. In addition, my senior sister is also here. It¡¯s just that she has other matters to attend to, so it¡¯s not appropriate for her toe over to meet Old Master Meng. Please forgive her, Old Master Meng.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Meng Xiande looked as if he was overwhelmed by the favor, ¡°All of you are dragons and phoenixes among men. You guys came from so far away. I really don¡¯t know what to say... This guest room was prepared a few days ago. If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay in the residence. It¡¯s easier to take care of each other....¡±

 Chapter 890 - Obscene

    <h4>Chapter 890: Obscene</h4>


    Meng Xiande was not arrogant at all. He was actually very humble.


    Old Master Li had taken in many disciples. Everyone knew about that. One of his disciples was the current Crown Prince. It was not a secret. Therefore, he did not dare to treat these two young masters lightly.


    Although the current Crown Prince should not be here, the other people had quite a powerful background.


    He was just a businessman, so he had to lower his head.


    Xiao Yurong wanted to refuse, but Zhao Xuanjing said before he could, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to trouble Old Master Meng.¡±


    Xiao Yurong did not understand.


    In fact, they were more inclined to live outside. Besides, they would bring their teacher and third junior brother along. After all, besides the three of them, the Crown Prince also brought many subordinates. It would be inappropriate to disturb others if there were too many people.


    However, since the Crown Prince spoke, he could not refute.


    That night, Old Master Meng hosted a dinner for Old Master Li and the others.


    This time, Xie Qiao also showed up.


    She sat beside Li Shiyan and did not say much. However, she could feel that many gazes were on her.


    Among them, there were a few gazes from the female family members.


    That was right, they were the female family members.


    The Meng family¡­ was not very particr. All of their guests were men except for her, but Old Master Meng had asked his granddaughters to y the zither and dance¡­


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s face was so red that it looked like it was ripe.


    He looked embarrassed. If thedies who were dancing were not wearing revealing clothes, he would have yelled out ¡°obscene¡±.


    ¡°H-How can this family let thedies dance in front of outsiders¡­¡± Xiao Yurong whispered to Jiang Jinlu.


    Jiang Jinlu was more calm than him even though he was ten years younger, his expression did not change. ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, you don¡¯t know this. People like them often show their daughters to outsiders in order for them to get married. I was surprised too, but I am used to this kind of thing when I follow teacher around.¡±


    How could Li Shiyan¡¯s disciples have a bad future?


    If they found each other right, the master of the Meng family would be happy to make them concubines, let alone their wives.


    Xiao Yurong sighed. ¡°The dance is indeed beautiful, but it¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s inappropriate to dance to please men.¡±


    Not to mention there were so many people.


    He lowered his eyes as much as possible.


    He was too innocent.


    Xie Qiao looked at them vaguely. There were two or three youngdies staring at Xiao Yurong. They did not mind that he was old.


    It seemed that because she was the ¡°same age¡± as Xiao Yurong, it was easy for people to misunderstand. Therefore, after seeing Xiao Yurong, these youngdies still looked at her carefully as if they were judging herbat ability.


    ¡°Older Master Li, your disciple¡­ is she a secr Taoist disciple?¡± Master Meng asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, my disciple was born with intelligence. She knows a little about Taoist and Buddhist skills.¡± Li Shiyan¡¯s eyes were shining.


    ¡°Master, you are so lucky to have such a good disciple.¡± Old Master Meng did not ask too much to avoid annoying him, but he did not forget to praise Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao just smiled politely and did not say anything.


    Zhao Xuanjing was even less talkative and his face was as cold as ice. He was obviously more handsome and younger than Xiao Yurong, but his appearance made the girls dare not to be rude.


    ¡°Third Young Lady¡¯s dance is really beautiful, but I still prefer Fourth Young Lady¡¯s waist. If I were these noblemen, I would choose Fourth Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Fourth Young Lady is flirtatious and restless. I think Sixth Young Lady is better. She is gentle and sensible, and she ys the zither well¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you understand her? She is just ying the zither. She can only be used as a decoration when she is married. I think Fifth Young Lady is better. She¡¯s obviously someone who knows how to take care of others¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao did not really open her mouth to eat because there were quite a few ghouls squatting on the long dining table..

 Chapter 891 - Repays Kindness

    <h4>Chapter 891: Repays Kindness</h4>


    These ghouls were like monkeys, and they would not avoid the dishes. Instead, they went straight to the center of the table surrounded by guests.


    As ghouls, most of them did not have a special sense of taste, so all of the dishes tasted the same to them, so they would not taste everything on the table.


    However, the atmosphere was indeed great. It did not prevent them from enjoying the singing, dancing and chatter.


    Xie Qiao had been forced to listen to them the whole time.


    ¡°They¡¯re losing their heir in such arge family business, yet this old man is still so happy. He really is a person who has seen the world!¡±


    ¡°Our Master is the most generous and courteous. How could he treat his guests poorly because of his family¡¯s matters? Moreover, these guests are all from the capital. They¡¯re very different.¡± One of the ghouls was dressed as a servant and was very respectful.


    ¡°Do you all think that the young master over there is really good-looking? There is also a faint¡­ nice smell on his body¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao did not see them swarming toward the Crown Prince, nor did she see the Crown Prince¡¯s yin soldiers appear to chase away the ghouls. Therefore, she could basically confirm that a portion of the good karmas gathered from the wooden figure and other ghouls that she had put away on the mountain earlier were put on Zhao Xuanjing, which made his illness much better.


    If such a grand deal came a few more times, her darling¡¯s illness should be cured.


    It was quite easy to cure.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s imagination was running wild. After a while, she and Xiao Yurong switched seats and sat next to Jiang Jinlu.


    Looking at her fifth junior brother, she asked slowly, ¡°Junior Brother, why aren¡¯t there any male members of the Meng family at the banquet today?¡±


    Other than Old Master Meng and the servants around him, the rest of the members of the Meng family were all women!


    It was rude to get his granddaughters to entertain the guests, but since they had already done that, they had to show their sons and grandsons. Otherwise, it would appear that these women were indecent.


    Jiang Jinlu felt a little ufortable, he said awkwardly, ¡°Old Master Shisan only has one son. When he went out to do business, his leg was broken by the bandits and he doesn¡¯t like to entertain. In addition, he also has a grandson and an adopted son. His grandson is not young and should not be at home. His adopted son¡­ is a four or five-year-old young child. Old Master Meng wants our teacher to teach that child.¡±


    ¡°A young child?¡± Xie Qiao was puzzled. ¡°O-Old Master Shisan is not young anymore. Why did he take such a young adopted son?¡±


    ¡°He said that the parents of this young child saved him and only took him as his adopted son to repay the kindness of saving his life. Old Master Meng is a person who repays kindness,¡± Jiang Jinlu added.


    Xie Qiao still thought it was quite strange.


    This Old Master Meng did not have a son or grandson. This young child was probably old enough to be his great-grandson. It was odd for him to take him as his adopted son¡­


    ¡°I heard that Old Master Shisan is losing his heir. What does that mean?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Jiang Jinlu frowned when he heard that. ¡°Where did Senior Sister hear that from?Keep it to yourself. It¡¯s inappropriate.¡±


    Xie Qiao fell silent for a moment.


    In other words, even her junior brother did not know about the Meng family¡¯s situation?


    Could it be that Old Master Meng was hiding something?


    These ghouls wandered around and knew a lot, so they would not lie.


    Jiang Jinlu looked at his senior sister¡¯s serious look and feltplicated.


    He respected her, but he could not ept her identity as a fraud.


    ¡°Senior Sister, it¡¯s okay for you to put somemps around Third Senior Brother, and it¡¯s okay to put a talisman on him, but¡­. I plead with you not to givehim some strange talisman water or stop him from seeing a doctor, okay?¡±

 Chapter 892 - All Kinds of Strange Things

    <h4>Chapter 892: All Kinds of Strange Things</h4>


    Jiang Jinlu thought about it carefully. It was wrong to rashly refute his master and senior sister, but it was terrible to let her do whatever she wanted. After thinking about it carefully, he still felt that apromise would be safer.


    As long as his senior sister did not harm his third senior brother¡¯s health, he could tolerate it.


    ¡°Why do you say that? I naturally won¡¯t stop him from seeing a doctor. It¡¯s perfectly normal for him to seek treatment when he¡¯s sick.¡± Xie Qiao had a serious look on her face.


    When Jiang Jinlu heard that, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister.¡±


    What was there to thank?


    Xie Qiao tilted her head and watched the song and dance in a daze.


    Jiang Jinlu thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Senior Sister¡­ Why did you bring a talisman with you when you went out?¡±


    ¡°To expel evil and protect myself from danger.¡± Xie Qiao did not say much.


    Jiang Jinlu hesitated for a moment. ¡°The sun is bright and the sky is clear. How can there be evil and danger? I don¡¯t agree with what Eldest Senior Sister said. If we want to get rid of them, we have to see them first. However, everything we see is clean. There is nothing dirty¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t see them, it doesn¡¯t mean that no one in the world can see them.¡± Xie Qiao said matter-of-factly, ¡°Most of the monks in the world can sense the existence of evil. You haven¡¯t cultivated, so what you see is normal.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister, those are all exaggerations made up by monks.¡± Jiang Jinlu smiled.


    His smile was somewhat contemptuous.


    His words were full of disdain and disgust toward the monks in the world.


    Seeing him like this, Xie Qiao felt that she had been provoked.


    She sat upright. ¡°Junior Brother, do you mean that I¡¯m also a person who pretends to deceive people without real ability?¡±


    ¡°Although Senior Sister is a Taoist master, you don¡¯t do evil or cheat people. Themps and talisman can make people feel at ease, which is also a good thing. You won¡¯t directly harm the patient¡¯s body¡­ How can you be the same as other monks who can capture ghouls tomit crimes?¡± Jiang Jinlu immediately said.


    Xie Qiaoughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished answering your question.¡±


    ¡°When I remove disasters and ward off evil, I will asionally get people to drink talisman water. When the evil is not removed, it¡¯s useless to call the doctors,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Jiang Jinlu was stunned and a little angry. ¡°How can we y with human lives?!¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother, how do you know it¡¯s a child¡¯s y? You haven¡¯t seen evil. It¡¯s because you are inexperienced. There are all kinds of strange things in the world.¡± Xie Qiao was not angry and spoke slowly.


    ¡°Then, ording to what Senior Sister said, what you see is different from what I see?¡± Jiang Jinlu sneered.


    Xie Qiao nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Jiang Jinlu shook his head helplessly and was a little disappointed. ¡°Senior Sister is no different from those swindlers. I¡¯m thinking too much.¡±


    ¡°This dish in front of you has just been eaten by a ghoul. It¡¯s tasteless. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try it.¡± Xie Qiao did not argue with him. Seeing that he wanted to pick up the dish, she said confidently.


    Jiang Jinlu paused for a moment, then picked up the dish and put it in his mouth.


    It was an ordinary stir-fried dish. The taste¡­


    Yes, it was tasteless.


    It did not taste bad or delicious. There was nothing special about it. People would not be interested in it and would not care for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just cold.¡± Jiang Jinlu did not think that a ghoul had tasted the dish just because it was not delicious anymore.


    Moreover, the ghoul ate the food of a living person?


    Ridiculous, that was too ridiculous.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao had the desire to win again.


    As her junior brother, how could he doubt her professional ethics?!


    She looked around and finally said to Jiang Jinlu, ¡°Junior Brother, do you see that fourth girl over there? Her wine cup will fall in a while.¡±


    On the table, there was a ghoul sticking to the wine cup and blowing at it..

 Chapter 893 - Disgusted

    <h4>Chapter 893: Disgusted</h4>


    Perhaps that ghoul was too bored, which was why he was so angry at the wine cup.


    He stared at the wine cup, and his sticky eyeball fell into the cup. His hollow body seemed to be embedded on the table.


    Hearing Xie Qiao¡¯s words, Jiang Jinluughed instead of getting angry. ¡°Senior Sister, are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°Is Junior Brother¡¯s nose blocked by grass? If I drink wine, can you not smell it?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him with disdain, and her actions were elegant.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his body tensed up.


    Was senior sister angry?


    He carefully nced at her teacher. Seeing that her teacher was talking to Old Master Meng, he heaved a sigh of relief. However, at this moment, to Xie Qiao, his voice also became much softer. ¡°Senior Sister, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m making fun of you. It¡¯s just that your words¡­¡±


    ng.


    Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Jinlu saw the wine cup that had fallen down, and he heard the noise in his head.


    Jiang Jinlu pursed his lips, and the expression on his face was a little strange.


    Xie Qiao curved her lips into a smile. ¡°Junior Brother, you should listen to my teachings. You¡¯re just a child, don¡¯t be so ignorant. I¡¯m more experienced than you, how could I lie to you?¡±


    As she spoke, Xie Qiao poured herself another ss of wine that had not been touched by the ghouls before and drank it all in one gulp.


    ¡°Senior Sister, this table is messy. At an asion like this, how could there not be some spilled wine?¡± Jiang Jinlu only thought that her senior sister¡¯s luck was good, and what she said actually came true immediately.


    However, this kind of thing could only be considered a coincidence at most, right?


    If not for the fact that Xie Qiao¡¯s cow¡¯s tears were precious, she would definitely let him experience the pleasure of seeing ghouls everywhere!


    ¡°Junior Brother, you don¡¯t have the bearing of a gentleman at all. I have already predicted it, but you still don¡¯t believe me.¡± Xie Qiao said with disdain. After she finished, she looked under the table. ¡°Junior Brother Jiang, are your legs numb?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu moved his toes slightly and nodded. ¡°Perhaps I have sat for too long.¡±


    The corners of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°Sitting for too long does indeed cause numbness, but¡­ Junior Brother¡¯s situation is different. There is a pretty ghoul sitting on your leg.¡±


    With that, Xie Qiao ignored him.


    That was a lie.


    Where did the pretty ghoule from? Even if there was, she would think about sitting on Zhao Xuanjing and Xiao Yurong. Jiang Jinlu, the baby-faced teenager, was not attractive at all at the moment.


    She could tell that Junior Brother Jiang¡¯s legs were numb because of his expression.


    Xie Qiao said that and then returned to her seat.


    Zhao Xuanjing saw her return and his eyes softened. ¡°Fifth Junior Brother has a small problem. Do you want to hear it, Senior Sister?¡±


    Xie Qiao was interested.


    A junior brother who doubted her ability was not likable and needed to be taught a lesson.


    ¡°Fifth Junior Brother has the problem of fainting at the sight of blood,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, the corners of her mouth twitched and the corners of her brows raised slightly. ¡°Second Junior Brother is sensible.¡±


    At this moment, Zhao Xuanjing yed the role of junior brother with great care. He looked polite and respectful without the slightest offense. When he had just found out Xie Qiao¡¯s identity, he still had some teasing thoughts. However, seeing that she was acting with great efforts, he felt terrible about exposing her.


    Xie Qiao stayed put, while on the other side, Jiang Jinlu felt weird all over.


    His eldest senior sister must be lying, but¡­ her words were creepy and made him feel ufortable. After sitting for a while, he felt ufortable and found an excuse to get up and adjust himself.


    His restless look puzzled Xiao Yurong, he had to exin, ¡°Although Eldest Senior Sister is older than us, she is like a child. She is too mischievous and even used a ghoul to scare me. I was not scared, but disgusted..¡±

 Chapter 894 - All Beautiful Charlatans are Liars

    <h4>Chapter 894: All Beautiful Chatans are Liars</h4>


    When Xiao Yurong heard that, he immediately nodded. ¡°Senior Sister has been like this all along. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s true or not. On the day of the Ghost Festival, I saw Senior Sister performed a ritual and summon the wind and rain with my own eyes. At that time, there was a strong wind and a gloomy atmosphere. The ce I saw was not like the mortal world¡­ I know you are worried about Junior Brother Sang, but maybe Senior Sister is really capable.¡±


    Xiao Yurong thought of what he had seen at that time and thought it was amazing.


    Jiang Jinlu sneered. ¡°We have the ability to summon rain and wind as well.¡±


    Xiao Yurong was stunned.


    Did they?


    ¡°You and I have been learning from our teacher for a long time and we have read many agricultural books. There are also many things written by our predecessors about the sr terms and the weather. By observing the flowers, trees, birds and insects, we can also tell when the wind and rain wille, right?¡±


    Xiao Yurong was enlightened. ¡°That¡¯s right. Hearing what you said, Senior Sister probably checked the weather in advance¡­¡±


    ¡°That must be the case. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t Senior Sister be an immortal? Our teacher is only a schr, not even a saint. How could Senior Sister advance one step ahead of our teacher?¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s words were very reasonable.


    Xiao Yurong had been troubled by the matter of Xie Qiao summoning the wind and rain for the past few days.


    He could not figure it out every time. He did not know how his senior sister did it.


    Now that he said it, he also thought the reason made sense.


    However¡­


    ¡°Junior Brother, I have one more thing¡­¡± Xiao Yurong took out a talisman secretly, ¡°This is the Academic Excellence Talisman. It was inscribed by Senior Sister. I have many. It seems to be really useful. Whenever I am exhausted and don¡¯t know what to write, if I put this thing around, I will write endlessly¡­¡±


    Jiang Jinlu found it even more funny and almostughed out loud.


    If Xiao Yurong was not his senior brother, he would have hit his head to see if it was rotten!


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, are you confused?¡± Jiang Jinlu looked at Xiao Yurong with his baby face and sighed deeply, he said with his baby voice again, ¡°You are a quick-witted schr. There was no such thing in the past. Aren¡¯t you only writing articles and poems? It is clearly your own ability. Why do you praise the good use of this talisman?¡±


    It was iprehensible!


    Even someone as powerful as senior brother could be fooled by such a tiny thing. All the chatans in the world were equally good at deceiving people, and their senior sister was one of the best!


    ¡°But¡­ I have tried not to use this talisman a few times. My thoughts are indeed more scattered than when I wasn¡¯t using it¡­¡± Xiao Yurong was very conflicted.


    ¡°Senior Brother just felt uneasy and couldn¡¯t concentrate when you don¡¯t use it after believing in it. In the past, without Senior Sister¡¯s talisman, wasn¡¯t Eldest Senior Brother¡¯s writing still good?¡± Jiang Jinlu was very anxious. He thought he had to persuade Senior Brother Xiao back to the right path. ¡°Senior Brother, it¡¯s not right for you to rely on these foreign subjects for a long time. If Teacher knew about it, I¡¯m afraid he would also think that it¡¯s inappropriate.¡±


    Xiao Yurong felt a little guilty. In the eyes of their teacher, one had to be down-to-earth in order to study and enter the academy. He had done very well over the years.


    However, ever since he bought his senior sister¡¯s Academic Excellence Talismans, he thought it was indeed wrong to rely on her.


    Xiao Yurong had been a teacher for three to four years, but he had never been less humble in his heart.


    At this moment, he was deeply ashamed when he heard Jiang Jinlu¡¯s words. ¡°Junior Brother is right. I will try my best to restrain myself from using talismans in the future..¡±

 Chapter 895 - Bad Omen

    <h4>Chapter 895: Bad Omen</h4>


    Jiang Jinlu nodded in satisfaction, then he turned his head to look at Xie Qiao.


    He saw that the Crown Prince was also looking at her very gently. He did not know what the two of them were talking about, his brows furrowed again.


    His Highness would be the Emperor in the future. If even the Emperor believed in this thing, would he not want to live forever in the future? Since ancient times, emperors who believed in Taoist masters would refine immortal pills to harm themon people.


    It was probably a bad omen!


    Although he thought so, Jiang Jinlu could not rush forward to cover his senior sister¡¯s mouth and ask her to stop preaching in the future.


    However, he still had to continue to persuade her.


    The road ahead was long. He still had many things to do before bing an official!


    The banquet ended quickly. Xie Qiao and the others sent their teacher back first before returning to their own guest rooms to rest.


    It had to be said that the Meng family¡¯s hospitality was indeed excellent. They even specially sent a maid servant to serve them. The guest rooms were also arranged considerately. They even knew that they were people who loved books so they prepared many books. There were indeed books that Xie Qiao was very interested in.


    However, Xie Qiao still thought something was not right.


    ¡°Are all Old Master Shisan¡¯s children and grandchildren home?¡± Previously, she had asked her fifth junior brother this question, but that guy did not answer her question. At this moment, Xie Qiao said to the maid servant sent by the Meng family beside her.


    The maid servant was very obedient. ¡°To answer Sage Mo¡¯s question, our First Young Master¡¯s legs are not good, and he does not like to go out. Young Master has an asional cold, and he¡¯s afraid of bumping into people when he goes out to meet guests. So these few days, he has been cultivating in another residence.¡±


    ¡°Is it just a cold?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The maid servant was ignorant and did not understand Xie Qiao¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, Sage.¡±


    ¡°What kind of temperaments do your Old Master and Young Master have?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask again.


    ¡°First Young Master has a gentle personality and treats the servants very well. It¡¯s just that his legs are not good now, so he stays in the house all day and doesn¡¯t talk much,¡± the maid servant exined carefully, ¡°Second Young Master is born with good looks. The young talent is the Old Master¡¯s pride. A few years ago, this servant was fated to serve Young Master in his courtyard. At that time, I was still young. From afar, I saw Young Master staring at his books all day and forgetting to eat and sleep¡­ Old Master once said that with Young Master¡¯s diligence, even if he had to spend all of his family¡¯s wealth, he would send him to the imperial examinations.¡±


    Xie Qiao listened, but she was even more confused.


    Since he wanted his grandson to go to the imperial examination, why¡­ did he want his adopted son, a four or five-year-old child, to be the disciple of a great schr instead of sending his own grandson to her teacher?


    ¡°Is your Young Master really talented?¡± Did they know that he was actually a fool and knew that her teacher would not ept him?


    The maid servant nodded, her eyes lit up. ¡°Of course. Young Master was enlightened when he was three years old. When he was seven, he wrote an article that made the most famous gentlemen in Mengjiabao praise him greatly. When he was 15, the articles and words Young Master wrote were copied and printed by all the major bookstores. They were even sold by the merchants in Mengjiabao to other ces¡­¡±


    ¡°Other ces? What¡¯s your young master¡¯s name?¡± Xie Qiao asked curiously.


    When she was at the Water Moon Temple, she had seen many merchants and heard of Mengjiabao.


    ¡°Young Master¡¯s name is Meng Yin,¡± the maid servant said very respectfully.


    ¡°Meng Yin¡­ Meng Yin¡­¡± Xie Qiao muttered twice and thought carefully. She had indeed recalled the name of such a person from her memory.


    She remembered that¡­ it had been at least eight or nine years¡­


    At that time, she had obtained a book of poems. The poems in it were well written. Just by looking at the words and sentences, one could tell that the author must be very young. She even asked people about it.


    At that time, when she heard that he was a teenager, she even wrote a letter to her teacher to praise him. She thought this person was great. His words were gentle and reserved. If her teacher liked him, he could take him as his disciple. She would then have another junior brother..

 Chapter 896 - Ignore This Idiot

    <h4>Chapter 896: Ignore This Idiot</h4>


    This person was very talented, so at that time, she had pointed out to the merchants that they had to bring a few books this person wrote when they passed by Mengjiabao.


    However, there was no news of him after that.


    As time passed, she had forgotten all about him.


    Fortunately, her memory was great. Now that she thought of this name, she could still remember it.


    ¡°How is your young master now? Has he written any famous articles in the past two years?¡± Xie Qiao asked the maid leisurely, as if they were talking about family matters.


    The maid shook her head. ¡°Young Master usually studies hard in the courtyard and rarely goes home. Most of the time, our Old Master visits him. These years, he has be more modest and hardly makes any appearances.¡±


    ¡°Then how old is your young master? Has he gotten married?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    She probed further, but the maid was too embarrassed not to answer.


    ¡°Young Master should be 23 or 24 this year, right? His birthday¡­ I don¡¯t know either. The Meng family has never held birthday banquets, let alone a wedding. However, Young Master has already been engaged. The woman is not from Mengjiabao. It¡¯s just that the woman has been mourning, so the marriage is dyed. Young Master has been waiting all this time,¡± the maid added.


    Xie Qiao was deep in thought.


    She thought something was wrong.


    She did not continue asking. She told the maid to leave and rest for the night.


    Early the next morning, Xie Qiao went to look for her junior brothers and gathered them together.


    The few junior brothers sat obediently and looked at her politely.


    Xie Qiao could now feel the joy of being the eldest senior sister. With only these three junior brothers together, it was quite pleasing to the eye.


    It was a pity that her third junior brother and fourth junior brother were not here. Otherwise, her eyes would be blessed even more.


    ¡°Why did you call us here, Senior Sister?¡± Xiao Yurong¡¯s eyes were the purest. Although he ¡°knew his limits¡±, he still looked at Xie Qiao with¡­ admiration.


    ¡°It¡¯s for something important.¡± Xie Qiao coughed dryly. ¡°Hmm¡­ Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the Meng family?¡±


    ¡°No? The Meng family is quite good. They¡¯re very well-behaved toward our teacher and me. Did Senior Sister receive any ill-treatment?¡± Jiang Jinliu immediately replied.


    ¡°No. I just feel that this family has a secret.¡± Xie Qiao had a serious look on her face.


    Jiang Jinliu could not help butugh. ¡°Senior Sister, could it be that a ghoul told you that? Although Old Master Meng is a businessman, he¡¯s literate. When we met on the way, he treated us politely. Now, he has found many cold medicines for Third Senior Brother¡­


    ¡°Did those girls dancing yesterday make Senior Sister unhappy? I hope you can understand this. After all, it¡¯s inevitable for businessmen to pursue profits. In order to secure a good future for the girls in this family, Senior Sister, if you look down on them, just don¡¯t look at them. Don¡¯t get angry and hurt your feelings.¡± Jiang Jinlu had a bad temper.


    ¡°Senior Sister, go on. Ignore this idiot.¡± Zhao Xuanjing ended the conversation.


    Jiang Jinlu was dumbfounded.


    He¡­ did not say anything¡­


    She was his senior sister to begin with, and she had been acting weird¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I found out yesterday that he¡¯s an idiot, so I won¡¯t take it to heart. It¡¯s just that with his character, it¡¯s worrying to think that he¡¯ll be fighting his cases at the imperial court.¡± Xie Qiao pped her forehead, as if she was really worried about Jiang Jinlu.


    Jiang Jinlu felt even more helpless.


    There was nothing wrong with his personality. His teacher suppressed him and did not let him take the exam because he had a baby face¡­


    It had nothing to do with his personality.


    ¡°Can you exin what you said just now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing returned to the main topic.


    ¡°You know humannguage best.¡± Xie Qiao smiled kindly at Zhao Xuanjing, then she continued, ¡°This is what happened. I asked the maid yesterday and found out that there¡¯s a young master in this family. He is older than Fifth Junior Brother and about the same age as Third Junior Brother, but we have never met him. ording to the maid, this young master was very talented in the early years, but in recent years, he¡¯s still famous, but he¡­ seems to be locked up and hasn¡¯t shown his face at all..¡±

 Chapter 897 - Old Demon from Tian Shan

    <h4>Chapter 897: Old Demon from Tian Shan</h4>


    Xie Qiao was too interested in this Meng Yin.


    When Jiang Jinlu heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, he sighed. ¡°Senior Sister, why do you care about this? This is his business, what does it have to do with us?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded, he said in a low voice, ¡°Generally speaking, the seniors of the proud children will think of ways to get them to socialize and get to know famous people and dignitaries. The name of our teacher is known to the world. Since Meng Shisan respects our teacher, he naturally knows his abilities. In this situation¡­ no matter what, he should get the grandchild to meet Teacher.


    ¡°No. 5, you¡¯ve lived here for a month. Have you seen him?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked again.


    Xie Qiao thought it was really easy tomunicate with Zhao Xuanjing.


    Unlike this fifth junior brother who was so stupid that his brain was filled with lead.


    Of course, he was not really stupid. It was just that his attitude was not right, so his brain could not keep up!


    Jiang Jinlu felt wronged by the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    His baby face was initially small, but when he put on a pitiful look, he looked more and more like a 13, 14, or 15 year old brat.


    With this appearance, when he was 70 or 80, he would definitely be an old demon from Tian Shan.


    ¡°No¡­ Teacher also asked before, but Old Master Meng said that his grandson is studying in the courtyard and that he would only get out after a year of seclusion. As his grandfather, he didn¡¯t dare to disturb him, so we didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Jiang Jinlu was much more obedient.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    He was so obedient when talking to the Crown Prince, but he dared to lose his temper when talking to his eldest senior sister!


    Little brat! Baby-faced coward!


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Xie Qiao sighed, she said to Xiao Yurong, ¡°Eldest Junior Brother, if your son wanted to go into seclusion, would you choose to let him stay in or let him out to meet the guests?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ to meet the guests¡­¡± Xiao Yurong was also embarrassed.


    Although seclusion was a promise to keep one¡¯s integrity, a person like their teacher would be missed for the rest of his life!


    He could go into seclusion any time, but for a schr, a person like their teacher, even if he were to see him from afar, he would have to rush to him without regard for his own safety.


    ¡°Also, that maid kept saying that this young master is smart and talented, and that Old Master Meng is prepared to get the him to take the imperial examinations. However, this person is already so old now, it¡¯s not appropriate to suppress him any further. Don¡¯t tell me he has to wait until he is 30 before he is allowed to take the examinations?¡± Xie Qiao added.


    At this moment, Jiang Jinlu did not dare to lose his temper.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The imperial examinations are not something that can be done in a day or two. If you really have the intention, you should first take the examination for elementary schr and high schr,¡± Jiang Jinlu added.


    ¡°Yes, but Meng Yin is not an elementary schr. He¡¯s not even a student,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°Then could it be that he¡¯s too stupid? Because there are too many praises for him outside, Old Master Meng is too embarrassed to let hime out to meet people. Is he afraid of losing the dignity of his family?¡± Jiang Jinlu added.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That is a possibility. It is fine to hide it from outsiders like us, but why do you have to hide it from your family? Does he have to hide it forever? If he really is a fool, they should slowly release him. They should even let him take over the business. It¡¯s the same if they tell the public that they have a sessor and don¡¯t go for the imperial examinations.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu fell silent.


    His senior sister was right.


    This Old Master Meng did indeed hide something from his descendants.


    ¡°But¡­ Senior Sister, why do we care so much? Old Master Meng might have some difficulties. After all, we are outsiders, so it¡¯s not appropriate for us to ask too much.¡± After Jiang Jinlu said that, he nced at the Crown Prince and felt that his tone should be quite gentle.. He did not offend him, right?

 Chapter 898 - Hard to Tell Whether It’s Real or Fake

    <h4>Chapter 898: Hard to Tell Whether It¡¯s Real or Fake</h4>


    Xie Qiao also knew that whether Meng Yin was willing to meet people or not was none of her business.


    ¡°I just think it¡¯s strange that Old Master Meng lied about such things.¡± Xie Qiao could not put her finger on it, so she added, ¡°Not only that, his grandchild might have had some idents. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be around for long.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not forget what the ghoul said.


    ¡°Senior Sister¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu felt a little helpless. ¡°It¡¯s terrible to curse others like this.¡±


    ¡°Since we think this family is strange, I¡¯ll ask Zhou Weizong to check it out.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not think what Xie Qiao said was inappropriate, ¡°Junior Brother is seriously ill, and the cause of his illness is unknown. He has been living in the Meng Residence these days, so we have to figure out the situation of the Meng family.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    So many of them had to stay here temporarily, how could they feel at ease if they did not even know if they were living in a rabbit¡¯s nest or a tiger¡¯s den?


    Jiang Jinlu and Xie Qiao thought differently.


    They had already troubled Old Master Meng a lot, but they were suspicious of Old Master Meng when they were living here. This made them seem like viins and his conscience was uneasy.


    However, His Highness said that he wanted to investigate, so his thoughts were not important.


    ¡°Fifth Junior Brother, the cold medicine that you brought back yesterday, is it effective after consuming?¡± Xiao Yurong did not forget about the serious matter.


    At the mention of this matter, Jiang Jinlu shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Senior Brother took itst night. The doctor came this morning and the situation is still terrible. Senior Brother is shaking less, but his face is still as cold as ice. If this goes on, he really can¡¯t hold on¡­¡±


    However, this illness had been going on for a long time. After such a long time, Jiang Jinlu could already foresee the future.


    The few of them were silent for a while.


    There were many doctors in Mengjiabao, and there were even more pharmacists. It could be said that they had done their best for so long. Whether Sang You could recover or not could only depend on fate.


    ¡­


    Yesterday, Xie Qiao was busy with other things, so she did not bring out the gifts. Today, after dinner, she began to give the gifts one by one.


    Naturally, she had to give it to her teacher first. It was another thick sheepskin painting.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude toward the sheepskin painting was even better than when she was in the imperial pce. After all, she did not have to pretend that she did not know the real thing at this moment.


    She carefully took out the item from the box and spread it out in front of Li Shiyan.


    ¡°Teacher, look, this is the ¡°world map¡± that I personally copied. I hope you like it.¡± Xie Qiao said respectfully, ¡°That authentic painting is currently in the imperial pce. If you want to see it in the future, you can look for the Crown Prince. However, that authentic painting has been around for a long time and there are some unclear parts on it. It is different from the one that I copied. It is simr to the authentic painting and has been slightly perfected. A few worn parts can be seen more clearly.¡±


    Xie Qiao had initially copied two paintings. Those two paintings were exactly the same as the original painting.


    This one, on the other hand, was modifiedter and was slightly different from the original one.


    As soon as she took out her fake world map, Xiao Yurong was stunned.


    ¡°When did Senior Sister copy this map? I spent a lot of time studying it in the imperial pce a few days ago, but I had only copied half of the map. There are still some parts that haven¡¯t beenpleted yet¡­¡± Xiao Yurong quickly went forward, his fingers carefully slid across the painting. ¡°Did Senior Sister copy this painting? If you had made it old, I¡¯m afraid it would be hard to tell whether it¡¯s real or fake!¡±


    Xiao Yurong looked at the painting with some fascination.


    This painting was not easy to paint. He had practiced the technique for a few days before he started to copy it.


    Even he had to be so serious, not to mention the others. Some time ago, all the masters had to gather together and study the painting together. They were very careful and focused..

 Chapter 899 - In the Presence of Something So Precious

    <h4>Chapter 899: In the Presence of Something So Precious</h4>


    Xie Qiao pondered for a moment, she said frankly, ¡°I live in the Xie Residence, so I naturally came into contact with the world map before you guys did. I had nothing to do, so I copied two copies. The copies are almost identical to the original map. But I thought that when the Baili family painted the world map, they must have wanted it to be perfect, so I restored the ruined parts of the map.¡±


    She also liked the authentic painting very much.


    Unfortunately, it was destined to not belong to her.


    However, it depended on her intention whether how good the fake was, right?


    Xiao Yurong looked at his teacher enviously.


    Li Shiyan took this painting seriously. After looking at it carefully, he repeatedly praised, ¡°Not bad. I really didn¡¯t dote on you for nothing!¡±


    Li Shiyan was really happy. He did not expect his eldest disciple to really give him too good a gift as a gift. After all, the only things that he liked were just some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. However, over the years, he had wandered around and collected a lot of them, Many of them had been ced in that small box for Xie Qiao.


    He had even secretly ced a famous inkstone in there that no one knew about. He was afraid that Xie Qiao would not have a suitable gift for him and that the other disciples would be inferior to her.


    Who would have thought that his good disciple would actually be able to obtain the world map!


    Even if it was a fake, it was still the world map!


    Li Shiyan was smiling. The junior brothers had mixed feelings.


    Their eldest senior sister¡¯s trick was really a hindrance to them. In the presence of something so precious, no matter what gifts they gave, it would not be enough!


    Xiao Yurong was a thirty-year-old man. There was still some hidden bitterness in his eyes. He took his time to take out his poem and a small wooden sculpture and presented them to his teacher respectfully.


    Li Shiyan knew his disciples well and he knew what was going on.


    However, when he saw the wooden sculpture, Li Shiyan looked at Xie Qiao in surprise.


    ¡°You carved this, right?¡± Li Shiyan looked at Xie Qiao and asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, I sell this at my shop.¡±


    It was all for¡­ dead people.


    She did not expect her eldest junior brother to be so brave. He took the wooden sculpture that she burned for dead people and gave it to her teacher!


    ¡°What kind of shop does Senior Sister run?¡± Jiang Jinlu was very curious.


    Xiao Yurong was stunned for a moment when he heard that. Then he looked a little strange when he saw his eldest senior sister looking at him with a smile. He said with a bitter smile, ¡°Teacher, I was ignorant. I thought Senior Sister¡¯s wooden carving was beautiful, so I chose the best one and gave it to you. I-I forgot that Senior Sister¡¯s shop¡­ sells funeral products.¡±


    His senior sister¡¯s wood carving was really good. He chose this one from a thousand choices.


    It was carved into a building. The building was very unique. It was like heaven. It was filled with otherworldliness and there were cloud patterns on the side. It was very beautiful.


    It was easy to forget what the original purpose of this thing was.


    Xiao Yurong looked very listless. Xie Qiao looked at him sympathetically. Jiang Jinlu was shocked. He did not mean to sow discord. He really did not know that his senior sister¡¯s shop sold such things!


    Besides, did Senior Brother Xiao not say that eldest senior sister¡¯s shop sold talismans¡­


    He just did not understand why she sold talismans and such beautiful decorations!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I think this thing is a good gift from you. It¡¯s precious because you are thoughtful and it was carved by your senior sister. It doesn¡¯t matter what the use of this thing is. It¡¯s just that you need to be careful when you treat others in the future.¡± Li Shiyan was not angry.


    Although his disciple was already thirty years old, he was not old among the schrs. Many people were still studying at his age, but Xiao Yurong had already be a teacher.


    The reason why he was so capable was because of years of hard work. He could not help but neglect other things. It was understandable that he did something wrong..

 Chapter 900 - Blood Phobia

    <h4>Chapter 900: Blood Phobia</h4>


    Xiao Yurong was relieved when Li Shiyan finished his words.


    Li Shiyan read his article again. After all, he was a disciple who had finished his apprenticeship. There was nothing wrong with the article. It was very good.


    Then came the gift from the Crown Prince.


    Zhao Xuanjing was very direct. He brought out a box of gold.


    The golden color was pleasing to the eye. Xie Qiao was stunned when she saw it. Fortunately, she still remembered that she was a master. She gulped and looked away, ¡°No wonder there was a carriage that leaves deep ruts. It was because of these¡­¡±


    ¡°Teacher has been working hard all year round. Gold can solve problems It can also settle down and establish one¡¯s life. It is the most reliable and useful thing. Senior Sister Mo and Senior Brother Xiao will prepare the other treasures. This is enough gift from me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled casually, he looked extremely free and easy.


    Gold was tacky.


    However, who could say that the gold given by the Crown Prince was tacky?


    Moreover, she also wanted such a tacky thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Although schrs should not be materialistic, since they have to live, they need to eat. Gold and silver are indispensable. The gift given by His Highness is appropriate.¡± Li Shiyan looked impartial.


    After giving his teacher the gift, Xie Qiao did not forget to bring the greeting gift for her junior brother.


    Sang You was sick, so she would keep the gift for him for the time being. As for Jiang Jinlu¡¯s¡­


    Xie Qiao took out a small box and handed it over.


    Jiang Jinlu was still a little embarrassed. After all, he still had some doubts about eldest senior sister. Now that he wanted to ept her gift, he thought it was quite embarrassing. However, the person in front of him was, after all, his eldest senior sister. If he did not ept it, he would be insensible.


    Jiang Jinlu took the box.


    Under his teacher¡¯s gaze, he opened the box.


    He only saw that there was a red¡­ snack inside?


    Xie Qiao smiled kindly. ¡°You don¡¯t look old, and you look like a child. You must like sweet things. So, after I came backst night, I personally went to the carriage to get a pot and made this red pastry. Junior Brother, have a taste and see if it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu felt a headache as he looked at the fiery red color.


    Red was his least favorite color.


    However, his teacher and the others were all staring at him, and he did not want to disrespect his senior sister. Fortunately, this thing was, after all, a snack, so¡­


    He braced himself and took a bite.


    This snack was the size of a palm, and it looked like a magnified mooncake. Although it was red, the patterns on it were pretty good.


    However¡­


    After taking a bite, Jiang Jinlu felt as if he was eating porridge. He then realized that something was flowing inside the snack. Not only that, it even flowed out of the snack. He frowned and looked at it


    ¡°Blood¡­¡±


    With a thump, he could not resist and fainted.


    Xie Qiao was surprised. ¡°Junior Brother, do you really have blood phobia? I didn¡¯t believe it when Junior Brother Crown Prince told me. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so serious!¡±


    ¡°His old problem is much better now. In the past, he couldn¡¯t even see anything red. Otherwise, he would have a terrible headache. The reason why he fainted now is probably because of the ingredients in Senior Sister¡¯s red pastry. It looks like blood¡­¡± Xiao Yurong was also shocked, their eldest senior sister could actually make such a terrible thing.


    Not to mention his fifth junior brother, even he was shocked. He thought his junior brother had identally bitten his tongue.


    ¡°I just used some flower and fruit juice,¡± Xie Qiao said casually. Then, she raised her eyebrows and looked at the person lying on the ground. She felt much better. ¡°Since Junior Brother has fainted, let¡¯s not wait for him. Let¡¯s go out for a walk first..¡±

 Chapter 901 - Ice Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 901: Ice Ghoul</h4>


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she bowed to her teacher and took her leave.


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately followed. Xiao Yurong looked at him and hesitated for a moment. He looked at his fifth junior brother who was on the ground sympathetically and followed his eldest senior sister.


    His fifth junior brother¡­ was naturally not as important as his eldest senior sister.


    It was a good time to spend more time with his eldest senior sister.


    In addition, their third junior brother was sick in Mengjiabao. They still had to check if there was a cold ce in Mengjiabao.


    By the time Jiang Jinlu woke up, the three of them had already gone far away.


    ¡°Senior Sister, where should we start looking now? Or should we go to the pharmacy like Fifth Junior Brother and watch over it to see if there is any cold medicine avable?¡± Xiao Yurong was gentle and polite.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°No, I want to find the ce with the most ghouls in Mengjiabao and ask them about the situation.¡±


    The corner of Xiao Yurong¡¯s mouth twitched, and he found it difficult to walk again.


    Another ghoul?


    Xiao Yurong carefully looked at the Crown Prince, but he was calm and did not look surprised at all.


    ¡°Ghouls¡­ can cure diseases?¡± Xiao Yurong did not understand that.


    ¡°No, Third Junior Brother¡¯s illness is strange. I think it¡¯s more likely that he has been possessed. Even I can¡¯t see the evil energy¡­ It¡¯s too strange. I¡¯ll look around to see if there are any powerful ghouls or if I just happened to see them. I¡¯ll find the reason and then I can take action.¡±


    Two hourster, Xie Qiao actually saw a ghoul.


    That ghoul also looked like it had frozen to death, and its entire body was filled with cold air.


    She was dressed in white, and her clothes were covered in ice. It looked as if there was ayer of ice on her body. She looked cold.


    This ghoul that was covered in ice was hovering around. Finally, she arrived in front of a bun shop. She squatted by the stove, almost stuffing herself into the stove.


    Unfortunately, the fire in the mortal world could not warm her.


    Xie Qiao walked to the front of the bun shop and looked at the shivering and pitiful ghoul. She said, ¡°If you want to feel warmer, follow me.¡±


    The owner of the bun shop looked at her in confusion.


    Xiao Yurong looked embarrassed and did not know what to do. ¡°What my senior sister means is¡­¡±


    ¡°Three packets of buns.¡± Zhao Xuanjing handed him the copper coins directly.


    The owner of the buns smirked. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    They were steaming hot. He immediately packed three packets of buns and handed them.


    The ghoul looked at Xie Qiao suspiciously and pointed at herself. ¡°Are you talking to me¡­?¡±


    As soon as she opened her mouth, the cold air spread. It looked like frost was about to fall.


    However, the owner of the bun shop felt refreshed. Business had not been good today. Now that he had suddenly sold so many buns, his mood was much lifted. The hot air from the stove fell on his face, yet it did not feel as hot as before.


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly.


    The ghoul hesitated for a moment and thought of what the other party said. Then, she slowly climbed out of the stove and stood next to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°The weather is getting colder.¡± Xiao Yurong rubbed his palms.


    He did not like it when it was cold. It was too hard to write and he did not even want to reach out his hand.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything. She turned around and went straight to the restaurant next door. She asked for a private room and the guard behind him held the three packets of buns. He hesitated for a moment and shared them.


    ¡°A-Are you really talking to me? How can you see me?¡± The ghoul¡¯s teeth were chattering.


    After Xie Qiao sat down, she looked at the ghoul and said slowly, ¡°How did you die? Why are you frozen?¡±

 Chapter 902 - Ice House

    <h4>Chapter 902: Ice House</h4>


    When Xie Qiao said that, the ghoul¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°You¡¯re really talking to me¡­ I¡¯ve been dead for so long, but this is the first time I¡¯m talking to a living person. This is really great¡­


    ¡°Nicedy, can you burn me a cotton-padded jacket? It¡¯s too cold, so cold that I can¡¯t stand it.¡± The ghoul hurriedly added, afraid that after a while, Xie Qiao would not be able to hear her voice.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Answer me first. Later, if you have any wishes, I¡¯ll fulfill them for you. If you want to be reincarnated, that¡¯s also possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll answer your questions!¡± The ghoul looked nervous. ¡°You¡¯re asking me how I died, right? ¡°I remember, I remember. It was a very cold winter, but my mother-inw wanted me to catch a fish to help my husband recover. Early in the morning, I didn¡¯t even have time to put on my cotton-padded jacket before I was chased out. I went to the frozen river to try my luck, but I didn¡¯t know how I fell in.¡±


    It was snowing heavily at that time.


    After she fell in, she drowned and froze to death.


    Winter would only go away after a long time. Her body floated up, but it was frozen by the ice. It had been too long before she was found.


    Xie Qiao expressed her sympathy.


    ¡°Do you know any ghouls like you? The kind that are cold and icy?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    For some reason, Xiao Yurong felt terrified.


    From the beginning, he had felt that the temperature in the room was getting lower and lower.


    Even if the weather had turned cold, there would not be such a big difference in one day, would there?


    ¡°Master, although Mengjiabao is rich, there are people who freeze to death every winter. It¡¯s just that the number of deaths should be lesspared to other cities¡­ There are many ghouls like me,¡± the ghoul said immediately.


    After death, she would take a few more nces at her own kind who also froze to death. She might even make friends with them.


    Since the ghoul had lived for so long, there was no living person to talk to. Of course, she would also chat with dead people.


    However, some of the ghouls would drift around and forget what they were doing. Therefore, her friends would always change.


    Xie Qiao thought about her third junior brother¡¯s situation and thought it was impossible for an ordinary frozen ghoul on the street to affect a person like that.


    ¡°Is there any ce near Mengjiabao that can freeze a person into¡­ an ice corpse? A ce that is colder than the ordinary cold river water during winter,¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while and asked again.


    Xiao Yurong could not sit still. Was his senior sister really talking to a ghoul?!


    The ghoul thought for a while and said, ¡°Yes. We ghouls are afraid of the cold, but we are also afraid of the heat. It is okay to go to the stove asionally to warm ourselves, but in the summer, we feel ufortable staying outside all the time. We feel weak all over as if we are going to vanish. Therefore, we often go to an ice house. Some rich families have an ice house in their homes.¡±


    An ice house?


    Xie Qiao came to a sudden realization.


    In winter, arge amount of ice was stored underground and used in summer. That kind of ce could indeed freeze people to death.


    She wondered if her third junior brother had been to an ice house before.


    ¡°Did anyone freeze to death in the ice house?¡± Xie Qiao continued to ask.


    The ghoul thought very carefully. ¡°Very few. Previously, there was almost a person who froze to death in the ice house, but he came back to life.


    ¡°He¡¯s the young master of a rich family. I heard from other ghouls. When that ghoul was enjoying the ice house, he saw with his own eyes that the rich young master went to the ice house to study as it was too hot during summer. However, the door was blocked by someone. He was frozen in there for a very, very long time, and he was already a block of ice. He almost did not survive. It was because the rich family had enough good medicine and good doctors that he managed to survive¡­.¡±

 Chapter 903 - Substitute

    <h4>Chapter 903: Substitute</h4>


    ¡°In a ce like the ice house, who can afford to have it other than rich and noble families? Naturally, fewer people died, but there are still many long-time workers transporting ice by the river who fell into the water and froze to death. Does that count?¡± The ghoul asked carefully.


    Xie Qiao did not really listen to the rest of her words. All that remained in her mind was the words ¡°rich young master¡±.


    These words were very familiar.


    She asked tentatively, ¡°Is the rich young master you mentioned the grandson of Old Master Shisan of the Meng Family?¡±


    His grandson¡­ must be sick from the cold, right?


    ¡°He should be from the Meng family, but I don¡¯t know which Meng family,¡± the ghoul said obediently.


    There were many people with the surname Meng in the entire Mengjiabao.


    Xie Qiao thought for a while.


    Although Zhao Xuanjing only heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, he could guess from her expression that she was suspicious.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this grandson of the Meng family? Does he have something to do with Sang You¡¯s illness?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but¡­ It¡¯s too coincidental. There was a person in the Meng family who had cold air in his body, and his life was hanging by a thread. I¡¯m wondering if¡­ someone found a substitute.¡±


    Xie Qiao stopped speaking.


    ¡°A substitute?¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt a chill run down his spine when he heard that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a kind of sorcery. Some people are seriously ill and don¡¯t have long to live, so they would make paper dolls and burn their eight character details. That¡¯s a substitute. However, it¡¯s just a dead object, so it¡¯s not very useful. There¡¯s another kind of substitute, which is to find a living person to rece them. Only people born in the same year, month, and day can do it. It¡¯s best if they have simr temperaments, looks, and even hobbies. The more simr they are, the greater the chance of sess,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°If Third Junior Brother was captured to be a substitute, then it¡¯s no wonder I can¡¯t see it with my eyes,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Being a substitute was not tainted by evil, and there were no ghouls around him.


    ¡°So you suspect that the young master of the Meng family, Meng Yin, who has been hiding¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly stood up. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, themps¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao also stood up quickly and put away the ghoul without saying anything. Then, she hurried back.


    If it really had something to do with the Meng family, then the reason why her third junior brother¡¯s life could be prolonged until now was probably because Old Master Meng not only wanted him to be a substitute, but also wanted to build a good rtionship with his teacher when his third junior brother was sick!


    He actively searched for cold medicine, perhaps just to deceive people and prove to his teacher that the Meng family or Mengjiabao was innocent!


    However, now¡­


    She was here.


    If nothing went wrong with themps, they could prolong his life for another 49 days at most!


    If she was the one who nned this, she would not have thought that there would be such a variable in the beginning. Now, in order to avoid another variable, it was very likely that he would speed up thepletion of the substitute!


    Xiao Yurong was confused. He could not understand at all. He just followed his senior sister and junior brother.


    Sang You¡¯s side was initially guarded by Zhou Weizong himself. However, Zhao Xuanjing ordered Zhou Weizong to bring people to investigate the matter of the young master of the Meng family, so he arranged for two other guards. They were in the courtyard where Li Shiyan and the others were. Logically, nothing should happen to them.


    However, when Xie Qiao and the others returned, her rooster was wrapped in a sack.


    Themps¡­ were not there either.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was terrible, and her gaze was gloomy.


    She hated others touching her things!


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± A guard immediately knelt down when he saw Zhao Xuanjing, ¡°Your Highness, we have failed our duty! Just now, Old Master Meng brought some people over and forcefully took Young Master Sang away. He said that he wanted to bring Young Master Sang to White Fog Peak outside the city to look for a doctor, but we stopped him. However, Old Master Meng said that the whereabouts of the miracle doctor are uncertain. If we werete, we might just miss him. The two of us¡­ are not a match for him, and with Young Master Jiang as the guarantor, w-we can only let him leave. I¡¯m waiting for Your Highness here, and Guard Xia went along with them..¡±

 Chapter 904 - Murder

    <h4>Chapter 904: Murder</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard the guard¡¯s words, she tried her best to control her emotions.


    With her body, anger would shorten her life. She was not angry. Anyway, there were many junior brothers. It did not matter if one of them died.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t themps here?¡± Xie Qiao exhaled and asked slowly.


    Her expression was as calm as usual. It was obvious that she had seen the world.


    ¡°When Old Master Meng took him away, Young Master Jiang was afraid that you would be angry, so he took away themps and the things ced around him. He also tried to ce them in the same direction as you ced them,¡± the guard immediately added.


    ¡°The formation has already been broken. How can he restore it so easily?¡± Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°Themps are still useful, but the formation has been broken. If the talisman did not fall, even if this person wanted toplete the substitute immediately, themps would still be able to forcefully hold on for a few hours.¡±


    If he wanted toplete the substitute, he had to perform a ritual. This Taoist master must also be in the Mengjiabao.


    She really wanted to see this kind of sorcery.


    ¡°Where is White Fog Peak? Get someone to lead the way.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were also a bit fierce and gloomy.


    Zhou Weizong was not here, but there were many other guards who had been following the Crown Prince. They immediately fulfilled his order, and not long after, they brought two people.


    ¡°Young Master, this is the head steward of the residence. When I went to capture him, he looked guilty. Perhaps he knew something, so we captured him. We hired this person outside. We¡¯ve paid him money, he¡¯ll guide us to the White Fog Peak.¡±


    The steward was a little upset. ¡°What are you doing?! Our old master has been nice to you. How can you do this?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about your young master?¡± Zhao Xuanjing sneered and looked at him sharply.


    The steward was stunned and very nervous.


    He did not know who this young master was. He was very noble. A simple sentence scared him.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± the steward kept his mouth shut and lowered his head.


    Zhao Xuanjing snorted. His cold posture was as if he was hiding in the dark night. He was full of vigor. ¡°Sever one of his legs first.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the guard drew his de.


    He severed it immediately. Fresh blood sprayed everywhere.


    The head steward immediately covered his wound and screamed.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyebrows jumped and she took a step back.


    Why did the Crown Prince not warn her beforehand?


    That scream almost scared her to death.


    As for the bleeding¡­ Xie Qiao did not have much of a reaction. After all, she saw many ghouls every day. Those ghouls were even more terrifying.


    ¡°How dare you¡­mit¡­ murder in our Meng Residence¡­¡± the person¡¯s face turned pale from the pain and cold sweat dripped down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. Are you going to tell me or not? If you don¡¯t, your other leg will be gone.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked like an emotionless ice sculpture, which was unreasonable.


    Xie Qiao stole a nce at him.


    Xiao Yurong covered his mouth and felt like vomiting.


    So much blood¡­


    He suddenly understood why his fifth junior brother had blood phobia. It was really, really disgusting¡­


    The guard raised his de again. The steward was well-versed in martial arts skills and had not fainted until now. Seeing that the de was about to fall again, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll spill!


    ¡°What do you want to know?!¡± He was in so much pain that tears were pouring.


    ¡°Where does your young master live? Also, where is the Taoist master who works for your master?¡±

 Chapter 905 - Amitabha

    <h4>Chapter 905: Amitabha</h4>


    When the head steward heard that, his heart had already turned cold.


    How could this be?


    How long had these people been here? How could they have found out about the matter so quickly?! That Old Master Li and his disciples had stayed here for a month or two, but they still had not found anything fishy!


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡± he looked at the de in fear. At this moment, he only had one leg left. If he lost the other leg, he would not be able to stand for the rest of his life!


    ¡°Young Master is not in the other residence. He is here¡­ in this residence. There¡¯s a side courtyard. Master Hu and Young Master live there. However¡­ the side courtyard is big. There¡¯s a suspicious formation inside. Ordinary people can¡¯t break in. Even if they do, the people inside would notice them. Then¡­ they can leave through the secret passage.¡± The steward was obedient now, because it hurt too much, his tone was urgent, and he was panting after he finished speaking.


    Zhao Xuanjing was a little confused. ¡°Not on White Fog Peak?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The steward gritted his teeth. ¡°There¡¯s indeed a miracle doctor on White Fog Peak, and that miracle doctor is indeed capable¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no need to put the two of them together for this substitution technique,¡± Xie Qiao exined, ¡°Even if Third Junior Brother is on White Fog Peak, as long as he does the ritual here, he can still take Third Junior Brother¡¯s life. Of course, the prerequisite is that the Taoist master has already obtained Third Junior Brother¡¯s hair, blood, eight characters, and some personal items in advance.¡±


    The steward¡¯s face became more and more terrible.


    No wonder they were exposed so quickly. It turned out that Taoist master knew so much!


    However, although this Taoist master was powerful, he still could not figure it out how she found out. The first young master¡¯s matter was well hidden. Except for a few confidants of the old master, no one else knew about it!


    The old master treated Old Master Li so well. How could she suspect the old master¡­


    The old master was worried that Sang You would die too quickly and attract suspicion, so he tried his best to dy it. Moreover, if he dyed it for a long time, the two of them would be able to get along better and the substitution technique would be more sessful.


    That was why he allowed Li Shiyan to call his other disciples over.


    Yesterday, he saw this Taoist master and heard that she had set up the Seven Star Lamps. The first young master¡¯s situation had be worse, so the old master was very worried. He was afraid that the longer it was, the more dangerous it would be, so he was prepared to stop¡­


    Sang You had been sick for so long. It was normal for him to die now.


    With the miracle doctor as a cover, even if he destroyed themps, it was absolutely understandable!


    Everything had been nned¡­


    ¡°Where does the secret passage lead to?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked again.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± his voice was weak, and he looked like he could not take it anymore.


    There was a lot of blood. If he was not treated, he would die too.


    ¡°Drag him and let him show us the way. A team of people will follow me to the side courtyard first! The rest of you, go to White Fog Peak and catch No. 5 and the others,¡± Zhao Xuanjing arranged.


    With that, the guard dragged the head steward out of the courtyard.


    The blood was still on the ground.


    Xiao Yurong tiptoed over the blood stain and chanted ¡°Amitabha¡± as he walked. He looked like a coward.


    He did not look like a schr, but more like a monk with long hair.


    ¡°Junior Brother Xiao, what are you saying in front of me?¡± On the way to the side courtyard, Xie Qiao could not help but roll her eyes at him when he heard him muttering.


    ¡°Senior Sister Mo, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what else to say¡­¡± There was so much blood. He felt better after chanting that.


    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten duck¡¯s blood and pig¡¯s blood before, right? They¡¯re all the same. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Xie Qiao looked at his pale face and felt quite pitiful. After thinking for a while, she took out a small paper bag and a candy. ¡°Eat it. It¡¯s a miraculous medicine. It¡¯s made from the water from the immortal mountain¡¯s spiritual spring and the five-hundred-year-old reishi mushroom. It can calm your mind and spirit. You won¡¯t have nightmares..¡±

 Chapter 906 - Understand it Roughly

    <h4>Chapter 906: Understand it Roughly</h4>


    Xiao Yurong was pleasantly surprised, but he was a little hesitant. ¡°It¡¯s so precious. It¡¯s such a small thing, but¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Xie Qiao directly raised her hand and stuffed the candy into his mouth. ¡°There is the flesh of the deity in it. You can live a long life if you eat it. You are my junior brother. You are no different from my own brother. If I don¡¯t love you, who will? That useless Jiang Jinlu?¡±


    Xie Qiao sneered after she finished.


    Jiang Jinlu had never experienced the beating and training of his senior sister!


    Xiao Yurong only felt a sweet taste in his mouth.


    He was already 30 years old. He usually did not eat candies. Xie Qiao made the candies herself. They were different from the ones sold outside. They tasted more delicious. For a moment, he forgot about the bloody scene.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face turned grim. He looked at Xiao Yurong with uncertainty.


    He spread his hand in front of Xie Qiao. ¡°Those who don¡¯t work get to eat it. What about me?¡±


    Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°How old are you? Why are you fighting for a medicine pill¡­? Come,e,e. I¡¯ll leave the rest for you. Eat more. It suits your status. You¡¯ll live forever.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing snorted.


    ¡®I don¡¯t believe you.¡¯


    Spiritual spring from the immortal mountain, 500-year-old reishi mushroom? The flesh of the deity?


    If she really had this thing, she would not be struggling to survive every day. Would she not be able to ascend to heaven and live forever?


    Only Xiao Yurong, the bookworm, believed her words without a doubt!


    Zhao Xuanjing calmly put the thing into his embrace. However, when he thought that Xiao Yurong had another one in his mouth, he really wanted to dig it out.


    It was fed by Xie Qiao herself!


    Hehe¡­


    The Meng family was scared silly by the blood all the way. Some ran away, some hid carefully, and some looked around. They did not know what had happened.


    The Meng Residence was too big. Even if they hurried over, they still had to walk for a while before they arrived at the side courtyard.


    The side courtyard was actually a back garden, separated from the front by a smallke. They had to take a boat from the pavilion in the center of theke to cross it. When they reached the shore, they saw a garden full of osmanthus flowers.


    The fragrance was oppressive, and the smell was too strong. It was somewhat intoxicating.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go in¡­ T-There are many bells in the osmanthus forest. They are all connected¡­ If¡­ someone¡­ identally bumps into them, Master Hu will¡­ immediately discover them¡­¡± since he had already confessed, the head steward did not care whether he had to say more or not. It was just that his voice was weak and he had no color on his face.


    Only then did Zhao Xuanjing ask someone to leave him here.


    Xie Qiao looked at the osmanthus forest and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple maze formation. I¡¯m not talented, but I understand it roughly.¡±


    There were many kinds of formations. Some used light, some used wind, or artificial mountains and city walls to createyers of barriers, making it difficult for people to tell the directions. Some negative emotions arose in their hearts, and they would not know what to do.


    The formation in front of them only had flowers and trees.


    The fragrance could cause one to lose their mind. If there were too many trees and branches, one would be dazzled.


    Some trees might even have some other medicinal powder hidden that could cause one to hallucinate or faint.


    ¡°Cover your nose and mouth. Be alert and follow me step by step.¡± Xie Qiao took out a few ¡°masks¡± from her bamboo basket and handed them out.


    She often had to dig up corpses. If she encountered a particrly smelly corpse, of course, she would use these to cover her face.


    After making preparations, Xie Qiao led Zhao Xuanjing and the guards into the osmanthus forest..

 Chapter 907 - Don’t Touch My Things

    <h4>Chapter 907: Don¡¯t Touch My Things</h4>


    Once they entered the forest, Zhao Xuanjing and the others could not see the directions clearly after a few steps.


    It was the same everywhere in front and behind them. There was nothing special about these trees, so it was difficult to distinguish them.


    However, Xie Qiao held apass in her hand. As she followed thepass, her feet were light and rxed. Sometimes she would turn, sometimes she would go in circles.


    It was impossible to go straight.


    Since it was a formation, the location of the exit must be specific. They had to go ording to the direction. Zhao Xuanjing and the others could not see the difference between the trees, but Xie Qiao was different. She could see it clearly.


    This kind of formation was more confusing. Even the person who set up the formation could easily be trapped, so there must be a way for the Taoist master to remember the location. It was nothing more than arranging the positions ording to the books or some formations handed down by the ancestors.


    It was daytime now. The positions of the stars could not be seen, but they were just a fewmon stars.


    They would just move step by step following the corresponding positions.


    The people behind Xie Qiao did not talk much. They were even extremely quiet at the moment.


    After walking for about two hours, they felt that they were going to vomit from the smell of the flowers. Finally, they saw the exit!


    ¡°The osmanthus flowers¡­¡± Xiao Yurong thought the spiritual medicine of his senior sister was almost useless.


    The smell was fragrant, but the fragrance was pungent. There were too many flowers.


    ¡°The bell didn¡¯t ring. The people inside shouldn¡¯t have received the news yet. Hurry up and don¡¯t let them escape,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    The guards nodded solemnly.


    Of course!


    This crime could not be taken in vain!


    As soon as they left the osmanthus forest, they really did see a rxed little courtyard with a few maids inside. When they saw who it was, they were shocked. As for the guards, they almost flew out and directly rushed into the house inside.


    Xie Qiao looked at this ce and almost wanted to stay and not leave.


    The feng shui was really good. Outside, there was the osmanthus maze formation protecting it. Inside the small courtyard, there was even flowing water. It was simply a paradise where hermits lived.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± A cry of surprise came from inside the house.


    Xie Qiao vaguely heard a crackling sound, but she did not know what it was.


    She quickly walked over to take a look.


    She only saw a few guards holding an old man in his fifties or sixties. This old man did not look like a hermit. His skin was slightly dark, hisplexion was not great, his body was a little hunched, and he could not walk well.


    This was a Taoist master who did evil deeds, and he was going to suffer the consequences.


    In the room, it seemed that the ritual had already begun.


    There was a person lying on the ground.


    This person looked¡­ very handsome, and his appearance was indeed somewhat simr to Sang You¡¯s. Their age should be about the same, and his face was pale, looking as if he was dead.


    He should be the famous Meng Yin.


    Xie Qiao walked forward and looked at the person on the ground. Then, she picked up a small wooden figure.


    The wooden figure was affixed with a talisman. It was a substitute talisman, and this wooden figure represented her third junior brother, Sang You.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t touch my things!¡± Master Hu was a little crazy. He looked at the thing in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand with burning desire.


    ¡°Your substitution technique isn¡¯t very good.¡± Xie Qiao removed the talisman and burned it before speaking slowly, ¡°You need sufficient eight trigrams and five elements energy. You have enough water, earth, and wood here, but youck metal and fire. Even if you got him to steal someone else¡¯s life in the end, he will still look weak in the future.¡±


    The fire element was thick. Too much fire would make one impetuous, light, and short-lived.


    The metal element was a strong element, there could not be too much of it. However, t would make one uneasy and weak if there was too little.


    It had to be more bnced.


    Xie Qiao thought this Taoist master should be quite powerful. Perhaps in the incidents that she had encountered in the past, he had participated in some of them. However, after seeing this substitute and this person¡¯s appearance, she drew up a conclusion.


    It should not be the sorcery that she thought it was..

 Chapter 908 - That Wretched Mo Lingzi’s Fault

    <h4>Chapter 908: That Wretched Mo Lingzi¡¯s Fault</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Taoist Master Hu heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, he was so angry that he felt like he was going to st into the sky.


    ¡°Who are you people?! Since you know that I¡¯m setting up a substitute, how dare you disturb me... Pfft!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Xie Qiao tore off the other talismans and burned them as well. The man immediately spat a mouthful of blood. It was unknown whether it was the result of the bacsh or his anger.


    After spitting out blood, heid on the ground directly. He stared with his eyes wide open, and his entire body was powerless.


    He looked like an old beggar.


    ¡°You dress well, but don¡¯t you know what mistakes you¡¯ve made? You forced your way into wealth, and you have to pay with your life.¡± Xie Qiao smiled coldly.


    It was not easy to obtain unjust wealth, especially for people like them who could ¡°pry into the secrets of the heavens.¡± Karma was heavy on them. One should not do evil deeds. It was inappropriate to be greedy for money, and even if one was greedy for money, there should be morality.


    Otherwise, they would be condemned by the heavens and their fates would be terrible.


    ¡°W-What do you know...¡± the Taoist master¡¯s mouth was full of blood, but he still said stubbornly, ¡°I-I have done many good things in the past... but I have never had any good fates...¡±


    Now, he was just asking for what he wanted.


    Xie Qiao ignored him and stared at Meng Yin a few more times.


    He was still breathing¡­


    He was really lucky.


    ¡°How many years has he been ill? Look at him, he¡¯s been well-fed, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s fair and chubby.¡± Xie Qiao reached out and pinched Meng Yin¡¯s face.


    After pinching him, Xie Qiao suddenly remembered that it was inappropriate. Then, she backed off and pretended that nothing had happened.


    This person was really... too fair.


    He had been hiding at home and had contracted a cold. His little face was cold, and his whole person was like... a snowskin mooncake, inviting people to pinch him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been almost nine years...¡± Master Hu¡¯s voice was hoarse, ¡°I was the one who dyed his death until now... yet you said that my substitute isn¡¯t good... It¡¯s not bad, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve spent too much effort all these years, and I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end!¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything.¡± Xie Qiao was no longer in a hurry.


    She had plenty of time to listen to the story.


    Master Hu nced at Zhao Xuanjing and chuckled after seeing his face, as if he also knew that his life wasing to an end.


    ¡°You think that I¡¯ve harmed another person¡¯s life. Isn¡¯t that repulsive? I have no choice!¡±


    ¡°Is there still someone holding a knife to your neck to harm people?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was indifferent. ¡°With your ability, those who aren¡¯t powerful won¡¯t be able to threaten you.¡±


    Some Taoist masters were ordinary and only knew how to chant scriptures and enlighten people. However, some Taoist masters were capable like her. They could capture ghouls and perform divination, and they could do anything.


    Although the person in front of her was not as good as her, he was not bad.


    Being threatened by someone? That could not be, right?


    ¡°What do you know! Back then, I was as high-spirited as you and went all the way to the capital to discuss dao. Who knew...¡± Master Hu suddenly thought of something, his face turned extremely pale, ¡°I was also harmed to such an extent by someone. My divination was not urate and my enlightenment-mind was not stable. At that time, I made a mistake by ident. In the end, I was chased out of the capital. I did not amass wealth and my rtives cut ties with me. I was worse than a dog! If I didn¡¯t seek refuge with the Meng family, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to eat!¡±


    Master Hu¡¯s lips trembled. He looked quite pitiful.


    ¡°So you made a mistake, shouldn¡¯t you be punished?¡± Xie Qiao was very calm. She had no sympathy at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re also in the same line of work! You should know how easy it is for us to make mistakes in this line of work! It¡¯s all that wretched Mo Lingzi¡¯s fault. If it wasn¡¯t for his words that provoked me, I wouldn¡¯t have done such a bad thing in order to win against him. It was he who ruined my cultivation! My whole life was ruined by him. Now.... I just don¡¯t want to be homeless. I just want to live a full life in the Meng Residence!¡±

 Chapter 909 - Gamble

    <h4>Chapter 909: Gamble</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Thinking back to the past, Master Hu was furious!


    Twenty years ago, at the capital¡¯s dao conference, he was filled with anticipation. Who knew that he would meet his sworn enemy in his life!


    That was not right either. That wretched Mo Lingzi was a sworn enemy of many. That person did not seem to be a cultivator at all. His mouth was cheap and annoying, but he was really capable!


    At that time, he had a conflict with Mo Lingzi, so the two of them had a fight.


    During the fight, in order to win, he had tampered with it. On the righteous path, it could be considered a sorcery. In the end, he was exposed by someone, and then he was chased out.


    He was even taken revenge on and had his leg broken.


    He had done something harmful to others, and there was a possibility of retribution on his family. Therefore, his family had directly cut their ties with him!


    All these years, he had wandered around, and the money he had earned through hard work in fortune-telling was lost.


    After a while, he became a beggar and arrived in Mengjiabao.


    When he met the gloomy Old Master Meng, he immediately went forward to read his fortune. At that time, Old Master Meng had no other choice, so he invited him back home. He put in a lot of effort, and only then did he manage to drag on a person who was bound to die for nine years!


    Nine years! His own hair had turned white!


    This was thest time he found such a perfect match. His birth date, eight characters, and figure werepletelypatible!


    Old Master Meng said that as long as he finished this time, he could stay here and retire. He did not have to do anything for the rest of his life!


    Now¡­


    He just took a gamble. If he won, he would never do this again. If he lost the gamble... he would lose his life.


    Now... the result was obvious. He had lost.


    When Xie Qiao heard the name Mo Lingzi, she felt a little guilty.


    She did not know what that old man had done back then¡­


    Beforeing to the capital, she had curiously asked the old man about the scene in the capital. The old man stammered, and it was obvious that there was something fishy going on. At that time, she had suspected that he must have made many enemies outside!


    It was as she expected!


    However, she knew her master. He was greedy, drunk, and lecherous, but he would not do bad things. Therefore, although there was some karma on him, it was not serious.


    ¡°A person who is bound to die has been dragged on for so many years. Either you have used precious treasures or many other substitutes.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him coldly.


    The aura on his body was no longer normal. He could no longer extend his life normally.


    ¡°You can kill me if you want.¡± Master Hu did not seem to have any will to live.


    Among the people who came, the man who stood there without saying a word looked extremely noble. Even the Meng family could not offend such a person. How could he hide?


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know you are going to die. I don¡¯t have to listen to you beg for mercy.¡± Xie Qiao said lightly. Then, the guards tied him up.


    ¡°What... should we do with this person?¡± Xiao Yurong looked at Meng Yin who was lying on the ground. To be honest, it was hard for him to have any unpleasant thoughts with such a face.


    This person was quite good-looking. When he was asleep, he looked even more unreal.


    ¡°If he isn¡¯t dead, then take him away. Although the substitution technique didn¡¯t backfire on him, his situation isn¡¯t optimistic. It seems that without this old man, he won¡¯t be able to live for more than a few days,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    It would not be easy to save him. After all, this person had been saved by an evil technique earlier.


    As the saying goes, good and evil were ipatible.


    In other words, if one took too many of the same medicine, if he took another medicine, the medicinal properties would sh and he would die even faster.


    The proper way to extend his life was that they would stop saving himpletely. If his condition was serious, it would be useless even if they tried to save him.


    He would be dead for sure.

 Chapter 910 - Sorcery

    <h4>Chapter 910: Sorcery</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The maid servants in the side courtyard were now in a mess, especially when they saw that Master Hu was tied up. They were all extremely frightened.


    They came quickly and left quickly.


    They dragged the people out of the side courtyard and returned in a small boat.


    The master was dealt with, all that was left was to wait.


    It was difficult for Li Shiyan not to know that they had caused such a bigmotion, especially with the fresh blood in the courtyard. He saw it the moment he stepped out of the door, and the guard that was left behind told him everything that he almost could not bear it.


    That obedient eldest disciple of his was young, how could she have seen such a scary scene?


    How could that brat, the Crown Prince, be so fierce in front of the girl? Even if there was something wrong with this person, he could just drag him out and kill him¡­


    Li Shiyan was not feeling very well.


    Especially when the guard said that Sang You¡¯s illness should be rted to the Meng family, he felt even more dispirited.


    After living in the Meng Residence for so long, he really did not suspect Old Master Meng at all. He initially thought that this person was just asking for his help and wanted him to teach the children in the family. That was why he treated him like this, but he did not expect that he had ulterior motives.


    There was amotion outside, and Li Shiyan immediately stood up to wee them.


    However, he saw the guard carrying a person. He initially thought it was Sang You, but upon closer inspection, he realized that this person... had never been seen before.


    ¡°What... is going on?¡± Li Shiyan was very confused.


    ¡°Teacher, this person is Old Master Meng¡¯s only grandson, Meng Yin. This half-dead one over here is a Taoist master. Old Master Meng invited him to extend Meng Yin¡¯s life, so Master Hu thought of a substitute technique, which is to get my third junior brother to die for his grandson. The birth characters of the two of them are exactly the same,¡± Xie Qiao exined.


    Hearing that, Li Shiyan was very shocked. ¡°There is such a sorcery!¡±


    ¡°There is, but most people who use this sorcery will not have a good ending.¡±


    Li Shiyan was silent for a moment. After a while, he said, ¡°Come to think of it, when I met the Old Master Shisan of the Meng¡¯s outside, he did not pay much attention to me. On the contrary... he had an ulterior motive and chatted with your third junior brother for a while. He also said that there were children and grandchildren in his family. It seemed that he casually asked about his birthday...¡±


    At that time, he only asked Sang You when he was born, which coincidentally happened to be that month. That was why Old Master Meng asked about the exact date and even specially took care of him when it was his birthday, he even managed to get information about when he was born.


    ¡°What a coincidence. There are so many people in the world, but only your third junior brother and his grandson were born on the same year, same month, same day.¡± Li Shiyan could not help but sigh.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? The date and temperament arepatible in all aspects. It¡¯s like heaven sending third junior brother to his grandson to prolong his life. Who can resist such a big temptation?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your third junior brother?¡± Li Shiyan asked again.


    He was old and he drank a few cups of winest night, so he slept soundly. The house he lived in was in the back of the courtyard, so he did not hear anything.


    ¡°I was about to tell Teacher about this,¡± Xie Qiao spoke first, and then she exined everything to her teacher.


    Li Shiyan frowned.


    This young disciple of his¡­


    Did not handle things well.


    He knew that the child had lost his mother since he was a child, and his mother was killed by a witch, so he could not help but feel some resentment in his heart. He also did not respect and trust his eldest senior sister, Xie Qiao.


    Compared to the miracle doctor outside, the eldest senior sister, Xie Qiao, he naturally thought the miracle doctor¡¯s abilities were better.


    However, he should not have made this decision alone.

 Chapter 911 - I Already Have Someone in Mind

    <h4>Chapter 911: I Already Have Someone in Mind</h4>


    Li Shiyan¡¯s expression did not look too good. He was a little angry, but even if he was angry, he still looked like an elegant old man.


    ¡°Handle these two people first,¡± Li Shiyan said. Then, he hunched his back and returned to the hall. He sat on the main seat with a cup in his hand. He took a sip to suppress his anger.


    Xie Qiao and the other two followed him in and sat down obediently.


    ¡°If themps are activated, will your third junior brother¡¯s life be lost?¡± Li Shiyan asked.


    ¡°That depends on his luck,¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°If the talisman is removed and all themps are extinguished, then everything will be just like before I came. It depends on when Master Hu will take his life. When I went to look for Master Hu just now, he was almost done with the ritual. So, it¡¯s hard for me to tell what will happen to Third Junior Brother.¡±


    If one was still lit, even if it was just one, then even if the masterpleted the ritual, death could still be dyed.


    Li Shiyan¡¯s expression became more serious.


    Seeing that Li Shiyan¡¯s expression was terrible, Xie Qiao quickly said, ¡°Teacher, a disciple is like your half-son. I see that you are in good spirits, so Third Junior Brother might be able to survive the disaster.¡±


    ¡°I hope it will be as you say.¡± Li Shiyan sighed, ¡°Your third junior brother¡¯s temperament is a little strange, but he is very filial to me. He is also quite talented and ys the zither well. He is still young now. If he dies early¡­ it would be too sad for me.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t worry. Third Junior Brother will definitely be fine.¡± Xiao Yurong could not bear to see her teacher so sad at his age, so she quicklyforted him.


    Li Shiyan did not dare to think too much about it.


    Sang You was only in his twenties now. He had been following him around all these years and did not have the time to have a family.


    ¡°I have been keeping you guys from learning and seeing the world, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to your marriage. Now that I think about it, it is toote to regret. After your third junior brother is saved, you all have to arrange your marriage well. Find a nice person, have a son or a daughter so that you can have a descendant.¡± Li Shiyan changed his tone and he said again.


    He really regretted it.


    The disciples he had taught were all good, except for the fact that they were too good. Therefore, they had a noble character. When they looked at thedies, they eitherined that they did not study enough or that they were too picky.


    Li Shiyan looked at Xiao Yurong.


    Xiao Yurong was very nervous. His face immediately turned red. ¡°Teacher¡­ I-I already have someone in mind!¡±


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Zhao Xuanjing stopped what he was doing and looked at him coldly. ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, have you read enough books? Do you dare say that in front of Teacher?¡±


    Xiao Yurong was just worried his teacher would think that he did not want to have a family!


    Whatever his teacher said, he had to follow immediately¡­


    ¡°Oh? Who is it? What¡¯s her temperament like? Sigh, people your age would have a child who can take the examination. Your life has really been dyed these years,¡± Li Shiyan sighed.


    Li Shiyan had high expectations of Xiao Yurong.


    Although Xie Qiao was the eldest disciple, in fact, Li Shiyan treated her as his daughter and granddaughter. He treated his other disciples differently, some close, some distant.


    Therefore, when he called Xie Qiao, his tone was close. In the past, he used to call her a good girl.


    Then, he had his second disciple, third disciple, fourth disciple, fifth disciple¡­


    As Xie Qiao¡¯s eldest junior brother, Xiao Yurong wanted to be the role model for the other junior brothers. Therefore, he had experienced the most rigorous academic career..

 Chapter 912 - Improper

    <h4>Chapter 912: Improper</h4>


    Xiao Yurong had been buried in books all day. He had neglected sleep and food for many years, which was why he had achieved what he had today.


    Where did he find the time to talk about marriage?


    The Crown Prince¡¯s marriage was not something that Li Shiyan could manage. However, the Crown Prince did not care about studying. He had many conflicts because of his arm. His marriage had always been paid attention to by the imperial court. As his teacher, he also hoped that he could rx a little, so he would not rush him.


    Then, there was Sang You.


    That child¡­ was more influenced by Xiao Yurong.


    He loved flowers and nts because of his obsession with cleanliness. He was too picky and had been dawdling for so many years.


    The fourth and fifth disciple¡­ were in the same situation.


    It seemed that the disciples he raised, other than the obedient girl and the Crown Prince, were all problematic?


    The more Li Shiyan thought about it, the more obvious his frown became.


    Xiao Yurong thought that his teacher was unhappy because of him, so he was very well-behaved at the moment. He did not dare to hide anything and immediately knelt down, he said, ¡°Teacher! I admire Senior Sister¡­ but I also know that I am far from Senior Sister, so I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask you to arrange a marriage for us. I just need to work harder. In the future¡­ We will talk about it again¡­¡±


    Li Shiyan was stunned.


    ¡°I offended Senior Sister. I was too reckless. But I will work harder in the future¡­¡± Xiao Yurong said immediately.


    Xie Qiao did not know what to say.


    Did he not give upst time?


    Why did he show his loyalty in front of his teacher now?!


    ¡°Junior Brother, it¡¯s inappropriate. To tell you the truth, I already have someone I like¡­ So no matter what you do, I won¡¯t be satisfied. I¡­ treat you as my younger brother. Don¡¯t have any improper thoughts again!¡± Xie Qiao stood up immediately.


    Improper?


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face was burning.


    Xie Qiao felt that Xiao Yurong did not really admire her.


    However, he had heard his teacher praise her a lot, so he thought her senior sister was the best woman in the world. Naturally, he had a good impression of her.


    ¡°Your senior sister is right. The two of you are not suitable for each other. You should be more careful in the future.¡± Li Shiyan snapped back to his senses and immediately reminded Xiao Yurong, ¡°There are many noble girls in the capital. Many of them are literate and reasonable. After you return to the capital, find a matchmaker to read your fortune.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, please take back your order.¡± Xiao Yurong suddenly bowed down when he heard that.


    He blushed and felt embarrassed. He immediately said, ¡°If it¡¯s not going to be senior sister, I¡­ can choose not to marry. I¡¯ll just spend my life with books. I don¡¯t care about that.¡±


    He only thought a person like him who was greedy for books probably did not have the extra energy to take care of his family and have a loving marriage in his life.


    The reason why he wanted to marry his senior sister was because his teacher thought she was good.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this when we get back. You¡¯re still young, and you still have a long way to go.¡± Li Shiyan did not immediately make a decision.


    After saying that, he nced at Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing.


    These two children were enough to make him feel at ease. They were getting married, and they were getting married to each other¡­


    Time passed quickly while they were talking, and before they knew it, it was already afternoon.


    On White Fog Peak, Jiang Jinlu was holding amp in his hand, and he looked a little nervous.


    He had brought it out on his own ord, and he would definitely be punishedter, so themp must not be extinguished. Otherwise, his senior sister might eat him up.


    Although he did not trust her, he did not dare to offend her for some reason.


    ¡°Why did you extinguish anothermp?! I told you to be careful!¡± Seeing that only thest twomps were left in his and Guard Xia¡¯s hands, Jiang Jinlu was so angry that his face was squeezed together

 Chapter 913 - Plucking the Hair From A Tiger’s Head

    <h4>Chapter 913: Plucking the Hair From A Tiger¡¯s Head</h4>


    After reaching White Fog Peak, he would have to climb the mountain. Those things could still be arranged ording to the direction in the carriage, but now that he had to climb the stairs, it was naturally impossible.


    Therefore, he asked the servant of the Meng family to help carry thesemps. It was the same for the scissors and other items.


    There were many stairs on White Fog Peak, and he did not get close to them even after rushing all the way here. He finally reached thest step, but another one was actually extinguished.


    He was so angry that he felt ufortable.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, it¡¯s all my fault. There are too many steps, and I identally tripped¡­¡± the servant looked anxious and fearful.


    Old Master Meng was furious. ¡°You piece of trash! What¡¯s the use of keeping you? After we go back, we have to go to the overseer to get you punished. You¡¯d better pray that Young Master Sang is fine. If you really affect Young Master Sang¡¯s life, you¡¯ll have to pay with your life!¡±


    Old Master Meng was even angrier than Jiang Jinlu.


    Jiang Jinlu felt embarrassed. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that¡­ He didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡±


    He and Imperial Guard Xia just needed to protect the remaining twomps.


    He hoped that this miracle doctor was as powerful as the rumors said, and it would be best if Senior Brother Sang was cured by the medicine!


    ¡°This was all Sage Mo¡¯s idea. I feel really bad that it was ruined by this piece of trash¡­¡± Old Master Meng sighed repeatedly, and his eyes could not help but fall on thest twomps.


    The oil was burning quite vigorously.


    The wind was quite strong on White Fog Peak as well. They swayed all the way and surprisingly, they did not extinguish.


    Meng Xiande also did not expect that Li Shiyan actually had a Taoist disciple. She even had such life-prolonging starmps, which almost ruined his big n.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Old Master Meng to look for the miracle doctor. We¡¯ll go wait in the front yard first. Thank you very much.¡± Jiang Jinlu was especially polite to Old Master Meng.


    Meng Xiande gave a signal to the servant and then went to look for someone at the back.


    After climbing so many stairs, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s legs actually felt a little weak.


    His mouth and tongue were dry.


    At this moment, the servant of the Meng family poured a ss of water from a water bag and carefully walked over. ¡°Young Master Jiang, are you thirsty? Drink some water first¡­ Ah!¡±


    His hand trembled and the water spilled.


    Jiang Jinlu was startled and quickly took themp to hide.


    The rapid movement caused the me of the starmp to flicker for a moment. In the blink of an eye, it was about to be extinguished. Fortunately, after he stopped, the little spark on it actually reignited.


    He looked at the spark and was a little confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ If it¡¯s still useful to reignite those extinguishedmps¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, you¡¯ve already offended Master Mo by taking these things and leaving. I advise you not to lie. When His Highness asks about itter, I¡¯ll have to tell the truth.¡± Guard Xia beside him felt a little helpless.


    If it were not for the fact that the Meng family had many people, he would not have let them touch Master Mo¡¯s things even if they went up the mountain to capture the miracle doctor!


    It was mainly because of Young Master Jiang. They could not stop him if he insisted on finding the miracle doctor to save him.


    Jiang Jinlu smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I was just thinking about it. I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Seeing that it had not been extinguished, the servants looked a little nervous and anxious.


    One of them opened a window on one side.


    Due to the gathering wind, the wind at the window was even stronger than outside.


    The sparks swayed.


    ¡°Close it, close it quickly,¡± Jiang Jinlu hurriedly shouted. After thinking for a while, he felt a little worried, ¡°Stay away from me. Although I don¡¯t want you to be punished, you were really careless in doing things. Only these two are left. If they are gone, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to crawl back on my knees.¡±


    It was not like he did not know how much his teacher doted on his senior sister. Right now, he was already plucking the hair from a tiger¡¯s head. He had to keep the hair properly after plucking it.. He could not just throw it away!

 Chapter 914 - Master Mo is Different

    <h4>Chapter 914: Master Mo is Different</h4>


    At this moment, it would be terrible to open the window again. The few servants did not know what to do.


    The old master had instructed that they should not be too obvious when doing that.


    In fact, they did not know why the old master had instructed them to do so. However, those who were able to follow the old master here today were all servants who had the master¡¯s trust and kept their mouths shut. From this point, they understood in their hearts that the matter the master had requested was very important.


    Whoever could do it would be more important in the future. On the surface, there would be punishments, but behind the scenes, there would be more rewards.


    After thinking through this point, the servants also began to think of their own ways.


    It was only twomps, how could they not be extinguished?


    After a while, the servant who was wrapped in Sang You¡¯s nket had a change of expression. ¡°Young Master Jiang,e over and see if Young Master Sang is not breathing¡­¡±


    As soon as he said that, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face turned pale. He quickly put down themps and rushed over to take a look.


    His hands trembled as he tried to catch his breath. A momentter, he let out a shaky breath. ¡°He¡¯s still breathing, it¡¯s just that¡­ He¡¯s barely breathing¡­ Someone hurry up and save him. Ask the miracle doctor toe over quickly.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the screen in the room fell down with a plop.


    Although it did not touch themp, the wind created from the fall caused themp he had put down to go out.


    Jiang Jinlu was in a daze.


    After all, it was a candle me. It was too fragile.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, don¡¯t you think¡­¡± Guard Xia looked at the servant and vaguely saw the strange expression among one of them. Suddenly, he was a little suspicious and pulled Young Master Jiang to the side, then, he said, ¡°I have a feeling that they did it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°They destroyed themps on purpose?¡± Jiang Jinlu also felt that something was wrong.


    Although the candlelight was weak, they had seven!


    There were just too many surprises.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s how it is.¡± Guard Xia thought for a while.


    ¡°But why¡­ It¡¯s just somemps¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu felt that it was inexplicable. Why did they destroy themps? Even if they had doubts about his eldest senior sister¡¯s ability, they would not want to go against her.


    If it were not for the miracle doctor here¡­


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, Master Mo isn¡¯t as useless as you think. She¡¯s really capable.¡± Guard Xia was helpless when he saw Jiang Jinlu¡¯s perfunctory attitude.


    ¡°I¡¯d believe it if she¡¯s well-versed in the Four Arts. I¡¯d also believe it if you say she¡¯s intelligent and unparalleled in the world. But this supernatural power¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu shook his head, ¡°Guard Xia, do you know how many people have died because of that witch in my hometown?


    ¡°Ever since I was young, there have been people in the vige who have fallen ill. They often look for the witch and casually throw a handful of herbs and hum a few incantations. Then, they leave people there to wait for death. If theye back to life, they will be blessed by the gods. If they die, they will be guilty of evil.¡± Jiang Jinlu forced a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the people there aren¡¯t educated. Master Mo is different¡­¡± Guard Xia immediately said.


    ¡°How is she different? After my mother left, I left that ce. Even after I became a disciple, I still had some doubts. Over the years, I visited countless Taoist temples and monasteries. I saw thosemoners who were suffering. They knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, but no gods ever came. I saw those monks who were well-versed in both worlds, but I never saw them releasing souls. I know that the so-called monks are just mortals. It¡¯s not life that is saved, it¡¯s just the heart.¡±


    All the people asked for was peace of mind, and all the monks did wasfort.


    As for the others¡­


    Talisman water, divine incantations¡­ They were all nonexistent tricks to deceive people..

 Chapter 915 - Repent

    <h4>Chapter 915: Repent</h4>


    Jiang Jinlu did not think that all monks in the world were bad people. He had never had such thoughts. In his eyes, monks were just likemoners, ordinary people!


    Or perhaps, they were just a little kinder.


    Other than that, all their abilities were fake.


    Guard Xia was a little speechless by Jiang Jinlu¡¯s words, but he still felt that it was terrible for him to be like this. Thus, he tried his best to organize his words and thought about it, he said, ¡°Young Master Jiang¡¯s words may be reasonable, but my brothers and I have been following the Crown Prince. We have seen Master Mo capture ghouls many times. This thing¡­ really exists. Master Mo¡¯s eyes can really see both worlds. I¡¯m not sure if themps are useful, but I believe in her words.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang is Master Mo¡¯s junior brother. One day, you will definitely understand what she is doing now,¡± Guard Xia added.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Jiang Jinlu said firmly. ¡°I will definitely persuade senior sister to repent in the future.¡±


    His rumored senior sister was incredible, how could she believe such nonsense?


    Guard Xia looked at Jiang Jinlu helplessly. ¡°Later, no matter what happens, I will not interfere. I will only be responsible for taking care of Master Mo¡¯smp!¡±


    The person was important, so was themp.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Jiang Jinlu did not care about these things.


    Just as he finished speaking, Old Master Meng returned with an anxious look. ¡°Young Master Jiang, quick, quick, quick. The miracle doctor is waiting in the room. We have to go as soon as possible, or else the miracle doctor will leave¡­


    ¡°Oh right, the miracle doctor has a strange personality and doesn¡¯t like to see too many people. So¡­ you and I will bring Young Master Sang in, and the others will stay outside. Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu nodded.


    Guard Xia thought for a moment and shone themp shade in the room on themp in his hand. Then, with a sh, he rushed out and leaped onto the roof.


    ¡°What does this young master want to do? This is the miracle doctor¡¯s ce, it¡¯s not appropriate to offend him like this¡­¡± Old Master Meng was also a little anxious.


    Jiang Jinlu also rushed out and looked at the roof in confusion.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, I only listen to my young master and Master Mo. Master asked me to protect thismp, so I will protect thismp. As for other things¡­ Please do as you wish. I will stay on this roof. The scenery is pretty good, and themp is more secure here,¡± Guard Xia shouted at the people below.


    ¡°This¡­ What should we do?¡± Old Master Meng frowned. ¡°What if the miracle doctor is unhappy and doesn¡¯t want to treat Young Master Sang?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu was put in a difficult position. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the miracle doctor first and give it a try¡­¡±


    Guard Xia was the Crown Prince¡¯s subordinate. He did not have the ability to order him around. Moreover, he had already offended him just now, so it would be terrible for him to provoke him again.


    Not only that, Guard Xia was not an ordinary servant. The people around His Highness were all of high status. They were not the same as the people around Old Master Meng.


    Old Master Meng was furious, but he controlled his anger well.


    He moved the people to the miracle doctor¡¯s side.


    However, the miracle doctor¡¯s face was cold. ¡°You went to my roof and you want me to treat you?! I have a temper too!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Jiang¡­ Please ask that person toe down and apologize to the miracle doctor. Young Master Sang¡¯s illness cannot be dyed any longer!¡± Old Master Meng¡¯s face was full of regret. He seemed to be more worried about Sang You¡¯s illness than Jiang Jinlu.


    Jiang Jinlu was also in a difficult position!


    ¡°Miracle Doctor, it¡¯s all our fault. Please be magnanimous and save this person first. After saving him, I can even stay behind to help you clean the roof,¡± Jiang Jinlu hurriedly said.


    Men had their pride. At this moment, he knew that his third senior brother was in an urgent situation. He lifted his robe to kneel and bow..

 Chapter 916 - Stir Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 916: Stir Trouble</h4>


    Jiang Jinlu looked sincere. The miracle doctor nced at Old Master Meng and then snorted.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t get him to kneel and apologize, I won¡¯t save him!¡± The miracle doctor said through gritted teeth.


    Jiang Jinlu clenched his fists.


    He could decide his own behavior, but could he decide others¡¯?


    ¡°If the miracle doctor is willing to save him, I¡¯ll give you a thousand taels of gold to thank you!¡± Jiang Jinlu started to negotiate with money.


    The miracle doctor¡¯s eyes were dazed for a moment, and he almost could not hold it in.


    A thousand taels of gold¡­


    That was a lot.


    However, he was still unmoved. He was like a hard stone, and he was filled with ruthlessness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Old Master Meng to take care of my senior brother. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Jiang Jinlu had no choice but to stand up and pass the order to Guard Xia.


    Guard Xia was on the roof, holding themp with a serious and pious expression.


    Master Mo¡¯smp was almost extinguished¡­


    When he was in the Meng Residence, he failed to protect themps and even followed them here. That meant that he had disobeyed His Highness¡¯ orders and had to take the initiative to receive punishment when he returned¡­


    That was right, this member of the Meng family was very strange. He had to talk to His Highness when he returned¡­


    ¡°The miracle doctor said¡­ If Brother Xia doesn¡¯t¡­ kneel and apologize, he won¡¯t treat my senior brother¡¯s illness¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu said with difficulty.


    Guard Xia stretched his head out, he looked down. ¡°Young Master Jiang, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to apologize, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t kneel to just anyone, but the heavens, the earth, and the Emperor. Although I¡¯m just¡­ a servant, I have pride. Moreover, my mission is to look after themps.¡±


    ¡°Please, my senior brother is in danger¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu felt his face burning.


    Guard Xia sighed.


    After all, this patient was His Highness¡¯ junior brother¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t kneel. Let me hide themp first.¡± As he spoke, Guard Xia leaped and disappeared.


    Jiang Jinlu did not think it was too much. He just waited patiently.


    After a while, he returned empty-handed.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Xia.¡± Jiang Jinlu bowed to him first.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Young Master Jiang is my master¡¯s junior brother. I should listen to your orders.¡± Guard Xia was very straightforward. After he finished speaking, he went outside the miracle doctor¡¯s room, he knelt on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being reckless and offending you. I deserve death. I hope you won¡¯t argue with a lowly person and save Young Master Sang!¡±


    Saving Sang You was more important at the moment.


    Jiang Jinlu would not allow Guard Xia to kneel alone and even apany him.


    Guard Xia looked at him and felt slightly better.


    After he finished speaking, the miracle doctor nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. It¡¯s just that¡­ there might not be any hope. After all, I¡¯m not a god. If I can¡¯t treat him, you¡¯re not allowed to stir trouble. Otherwise, I¡¯ll report to the authorities.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Jiang Jinlu was overjoyed.


    The miracle doctor went forward and began to take Sang You¡¯s pulse to check his body condition.


    The process was long and torturous. Jiang Jinlu was afraid that his senior brother would die in the middle of the night.


    ¡°The cold has entered his body, and it¡¯s very serious¡­ Old Master Meng, Young Masters, this young master¡¯s body shouldn¡¯t be able to endure it for a long time. He must have eaten a lot of precious medicinal herbs to be alive these days, right?¡± The miracle doctor said.


    Jiang Jinlu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He still had to thank Old Master Meng for spending a lot of money and manpower on his senior brother.


    Them, the master and disciples, also had money. They were clueless in Mengjiabao. They did not know who to look for if they wanted to buy medicine. Moreover, those precious medicinal herbs were rtively rare, so it was not easy for outsiders like them to buy them.


    It was all because of Old Master Meng¡¯s mediation. It was unknown how much effort he had expended in order to obtain the medicine.


    These days, he had seen Old Master Meng¡¯s hard work and loyalty, which was why he firmly believed in him and the miracle doctor..

 Chapter 917 - Kill Without Mercy

    <h4>Chapter 917: Kill Without Mercy</h4>


    Old Master Meng¡¯s face was polite and did not look like he took any credit. His calm expression made people feelfortable. They felt that this person was reliable and had a noble character.


    ¡°It¡¯s already difficult for him tost this long. Unfortunately¡­¡± the miracle doctor stroked his beard.


    ¡°Unfortunately what?¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart trembled.


    ¡°Young Master, this person¡¯s illness is too severe. He can¡¯t endure it even with medication. Let¡¯s prepare for his funeral! I dare to say that there¡¯s no one in the world that can save him since I can¡¯t save him. Moreover, his condition won¡¯tst until tonight.¡±


    It was a bolt from the blue!


    ¡°Doctor! Think of a solution!¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s eyes were red.


    The doctor shook his head. ¡°You should know about this kind of illness. Heavens have shown him kindness that he has endured until now. The cold has entered his body. Now, the patient is muddle-headed and doesn¡¯t know pain. Family members, please let him go!¡±


    After saying that, he waved at them.


    Jiang Jinlu stood rooted to the ground.


    His eyes were filled with tears. A momentter, he knelt in front of Sang You with a choked voice. He did not know what to do.


    Old Master Meng was silent. He did not seem to be in a good mood either. However, when Jiang Jinlu could not see him, he nced outside a few times.


    At this moment, the servants of the Meng family were also anxious.


    There was¡­ nomp on the roof!


    It was unknown where themp was hidden!


    They searched everywhere, but they could not find it. They could not carry out the order at all!


    They could not ask the guard openly. They were anxious!


    After Guard Xia stood up, he did not go to the roof again. However, he secretly stayed on the tree. Looking down, he saw that the servants of the Meng family were like headless flies. He did not know what they were looking for, the suspicion in his heart grew stronger and stronger.


    He looked down the mountain again and saw that¡­ his brothers were climbing the stairs quickly.


    After thinking about it, he immediately went to Sang You¡¯s side and stayed there.


    It was impossible to find the location of themp, so he did not have to worry. What he needed to do now was to protect Young Master Sang!


    Old Master Meng could not get a reply from the servants either, so he was a little anxious. Taking advantage of Jiang Jinlu¡¯s sadness, he went out to take a look.


    However, he happened to run into a group of people sent by Zhao Xuanjing!


    These people¡­ all looked like fiends, and they did note with good intentions.


    ¡°Arrest this old man! Bring him back for interrogation!¡± Without saying anything, the person ordered everyone to take action.


    Then, he rushed into the house. After he found Sang You, he carried him up and left quickly without exining anything.


    ¡°Xia Wei, how manymps are left?!¡± The person asked again.


    ¡°Only one,¡± Guard Xia replied immediately.


    ¡°The four of you go and fetch themp and bring it down the mountain. Kill anyone who dares toe near themp!¡±


    After saying that, the four of them immediately responded and quickly went to do it.


    Jiang Jinlu was a little dumbfounded.


    They¡­ did not even say a word and directly put his senior brother on a frame and carried him away. Now, they mentioned themp¡­ Did the Crown Prince and eldest senior sister know about it? Were they¡­ furious now?


    They even gave the order to kill without mercy¡­


    However¡­ Why did they capture Old Master Meng¡­


    Jiang Jinlu was very puzzled and had a bad feeling inside of him.


    Guard Xia ced themp inside a tree hole. It was blocked by ampshade outside and it was at a high altitude. Naturally, others would not be able to find it.


    After they found it, four people protected it from left to right. Each of them was a martial arts practitioner and did not have any stumbling idents. The journey was smooth and unimpeded. They sped up and returned to the Meng Residence when the moon rose.


    Sang You was the first to arrive, followed by themp, then Old Master Meng and Jiang Jinlu..

 Chapter 918 - Longevity of Pine and Crane

    <h4>Chapter 918: Longevity of Pine and Crane</h4>


    The courtyard was very silent.


    When they arrived, Jiang Jinlu knelt in the courtyard. On the ground beside him was a dirty stain. There was some light in the courtyard, but it was still a little dim. The stain looked a little dark red.


    It did not smell great, making him think of fresh blood.


    However he did not think of it that way. In fact, he even thought¡­


    This was probably his senior sister¡¯s teasing again, so he was still kneeling and remained conscious.


    Xie Qiao ced Sang You and Meng Yin together, then she took out the wooden figure with their eight characters carved on it.


    The substitute talisman was indeed destroyed. The substitute technique was more than halfplete, and the effort was almost wasted. However, destroying the talisman would not remove the substitute technique that had been going on for a long time. The death energy on Sang You¡¯s body must be removed too.


    The substitute technique was also a curse. Xie Qiao stuck the Calming Talisman at Sang You¡¯s three souls and seven spirits chakra. She sat cross-legged and chanted.


    After chanting for two hours, Xie Qiao finally got up.


    She took out another piece of high-quality white jade.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hand trembled a little.


    The towns near the Water Moon Temple produced high-quality jade. This piece was what she had gotten back then¡­ It was considered the best piece. She did not spend money on it. It was a gift from someone else. When it was in her hands, it was just an unpolished piece of jade. It took her several days and nights to carve this piece of ¡°Longevity of Pine and Crane¡±.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart ached. She had initially wanted to use this jade as her dowry¡­


    However, as his senior sister, she should not be stingy with her gift.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were kind as she ced the jade in Sang You¡¯s hand. ¡°This jade is pretty good. It energizes you. I¡¯ll let you keep it.¡±


    ¡°Girl, your junior brother¡¯s situation¡­¡± Li Shiyan looked concerned as he prepared for the worst.


    ¡°Although he suffered a little, he¡¯s fine now. Don¡¯t worry, Teacher. It¡¯s just that he¡¯ll be a little afraid of the cold these two years. After all, he¡¯s been frozen for so long. It¡¯s inevitable.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was calm.


    When she said that, Li Shiyan¡¯s brows rxed. ¡°Get someone to buy some fur cloakster. We¡¯ll give them to him during the winter.¡±


    Having his life back would be better than anything!


    ¡°But this person is in trouble.¡± Xie Qiao looked at Meng Yin indifferently. ¡°Now that the substitute technique ispletely useless, his life is gone. He won¡¯t be able to breathe for long.¡±


    Li Shiyan thought for a moment and said to Zhao Xuanjing, ¡°Send someone to bring his grandfather here.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    In a short while, Meng Xiande and Master Hu arrived.


    Master Hu¡¯s face was sallow and he did not look good. His hair was messy and he shivered from time to time. He hugged his body as if he had gone crazy.


    ¡°So cold¡­ so cold¡­¡± he was still mumbling.


    ¡°He¡­¡± Li Shiyan was a little surprised.


    Why did he feel cold?


    ¡°The spell backfired, and my junior brother¡¯s life was saved. However, this Meng Yin has relied on my junior brother to live for some days. Now, the karma should be on him, and his lifespan will be lost by a lot,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Therefore, a Taoist master who did not have the ability to avoid the backfire of karma was not suitable to do such a bad thing and reap what he sowed.


    ¡°Backfire?¡± Old Master Meng was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes lit up with intense anger. ¡°What does this mean?! He failed, didn¡¯t he?! What happened to my Yin¡¯er?! What did you do to him?!¡±


    The old man pounced on Meng Yin who was on the bed..

 Chapter 919 - Finally Dead

    <h4>Chapter 919: Finally Dead</h4>


    Meng Yin was barely breathing. Every time Sang You recovered a little, Meng Yin¡¯s life became weaker. His whole body was cold, and he could barely feel his breath.


    ¡°Grandson!¡± Old Master Meng was going crazy. He kept shaking his grandson, looking like he was about to break down. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have hesitated for so long!¡±


    If he had known¡­ if he had known, he would have saved him half a month ago!


    So what if people were suspicious?!


    As long as his grandson could live!


    He was wrong. He did not seize the best opportunity!


    Not long after, Meng Yin¡¯s vitality was gone. Xie Qiao saw a ghoul floating out of that body.


    Aftering out, he looked around in confusion.


    Then, he smiled bitterly. ¡°After enduring for so long, I finally died.¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Do you have ast wish?¡±


    A ghoul without an obsession would directly descend to hell.


    ¡°So Master can see me.¡± Meng Yin was a little surprised, ¡°These years, I¡¯ve been muddle-headed. Sometimes I¡¯m unconscious, sometimes I¡¯m awake. My days have been a blur and painful. Recently, I¡¯ve been unconscious a lot, but I can also feel that everything is different. It¡¯s not as cold as before. I know that my grandfather is looking for a solution for me¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, he was seriously ill. Even when he woke up, he could only vaguely see his surroundings. His entire body was weak and cold, and he could not even speak.


    That was why he could not make things clear to his grandfather so that he would stop being stubborn.


    Using someone else¡¯s life to prolong his own life was too evil.


    ¡°My grandfather has been proud all his life. When he was young, he had a son that he was proud of, and when he was old, he had a grandson that he¡¯s proud of. Unfortunately, the heavens didn¡¯t go ording to his wishes. My father and I have made him lose all his dignity. What he¡¯s stubborn about is the opinions of others. He doesn¡¯t want others to think that he¡¯s too pitiful in his old age.


    ¡°I do not have anyst wishes¡­ I¡¯ve been trapped in this body for too long these years. I still want to¡­ read and wander around,¡± Meng Yin added.


    The feeling of being trapped in a body was like being trapped in a cage for the past nine years.


    It was an ice cage.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?! Is it him?! Is it Yin¡¯er? Tell him toe back! Come back!¡± Old Master Meng suddenly rushed toward Xie Qiao.


    However, he was stopped by the guards and could not get close.


    ¡°Do you have no family to care about?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Meng Yin looked a little cold.


    He did not choose to hate. He was already¡­ very considerate of his grandfather.


    His own life had alreadye to an end, but he did not even have the right to take control of his life.


    Old Master Meng red at Xie Qiao. His old voice was filled with anger and struggle. Like an old lion, he let out an angry roar, ¡°What did he say?!¡±


    ¡°He said that he did not have any feelings for you. He should have died early and reincarnated,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    ¡°B*stard! This little b*stard! Who am I doing this for?! Let hime back! I¡¯m already so old. Does he want to die before I do? He doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him¡­¡± Old Master Meng actually cursed.


    Xie Qiao was a little surprised. After all, this person looked really warm before. Even when he used the substitute technique, he only thought that he was doting on his grandson. He did not expect him to still have a bad temper.


    ¡°Master, can I follow him?¡± Meng Yin did not bother about his grandfather. Instead, he pointed at Sang You beside him.


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re fated.¡± Meng Yin was silent for a moment, ¡°I can feel that I¡¯m very weak. I don¡¯t need Master to say much. I know that I won¡¯t be able to stay here for long¡­ Rather than hovering around aimlessly, I might as well follow someone from the start. However, I don¡¯t know if it will affect him¡­¡±


    He did not want to go to hell to be reincarnated, and he knew that he had stolen someone else¡¯s life. Who knew that he would be a cow or a dog in his next life?


    Rather than fighting for an unknown, it would be better to spend the remaining time wandering around..

 Chapter 920 - Follow Him

    <h4>Chapter 920: Follow Him</h4>


    Meng Yin had never seen Sang You before. Now that he was hovering in the air and looking down from above, it was his first time seeing this person.


    However, he felt as if they were old friends at first sight.


    He had to admit that this Meng Yin was really smart.


    This ghoul had been imprisoned and tortured for too long. After the substitute technique backfired, his soul became even weaker. If he hovered for a little longer, it would take three to five years. If it was short, it would take a few months. It was hard to say when he wouldpletely disperse.


    He could be nurtured, but if he was to be nurtured well, it had to be ced in a dharma instrument. It also had to stay in a ce where the five element energy was evenly distributed. It was also equivalent to imprisonment.


    However, Xie Qiao still told Meng Yin about the matter of nurturing the soul.


    ¡°You can follow me. I¡¯ll put you in front of the god. After ten years, your ghoul will be like a normal ghoul. If you follow him¡­ that¡¯s fine too. You can only stay in the dharma instrument beside him. This way, it will take a longer time to nurture you. If you hover around frequently, you shouldn¡¯t be able tost for too long. Even if you have a dharma instrument, you have to take great care of your body. At most, it will onlyst for a few decades. If you want to be reincarnated halfway, you can find a Taoist temple. You can also cross over and leave. But if you want to be an old monster for a long time, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Xie Qiao exined in a well-behaved manner.


    If she wanted to keep him, it would definitely be that pine crane longevity white jade artifact.


    This artifact was good enough, which was why it allowed this ghoul to hover for a few more days.


    ¡°But if you stay in the artifact, you can only hover within the range of the artifact. You can¡¯t go far,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Meng Yin¡¯s ghoul was too fragile. He thought he would either hide in the jade or he would vanish within three steps. He probably could not do anything else. After a few years, it might be better.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Meng Yin nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to tell him that I won¡¯t force him. If this guy thinks that it¡¯s inappropriate, I¡¯ll find a bookstore. It¡¯s the same if I¡¯m hovering inside.¡±


    It would not matter if he was wandering around for a few years less.


    He just felt that he really owed this guy by insisting on stealing his life.


    If he followed him, he might be able to protect him a little. Of course, if he would influence him, then he definitely would not be willing to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you in first. When third junior brother wakes up, you can ask him,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    Immediately after, she kept the ghoul into the white jade.


    Old Master Meng suddenly aged by more than ten years.


    He could not hear Meng Yin¡¯s words, but he could guess from half of what Master Mo said. He was angry and resentful.


    It was all because of Master Mo¡¯s appearance that all his efforts were wasted!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you cultivators have to do good deeds to umte good karma?! I¡¯ve already spent 60 years! My son is crippled, my grandson is dead, and I don¡¯t even have a descendant! I¡¯ve made so much money, who can I give it to in the future?! It¡¯s all the nsmen¡¯s! I¡¯ve worked hard all my life for the sake of someone else¡¯s child!¡±


    What a joke, what a joke!


    His grandson could have lived, he could have lived¡­ Who would have thought of letting him die!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you adopt a son?¡± Xie Qiao did not have any sympathy as she looked at this person¡¯s crazy appearance, ¡°If my guess is correct, you probably have other motives to have adopted this son, right? Is hepatible with the eight characters? Who is hepatible with? Is it you or that crippled son of yours?¡±


    Old Master Meng was stunned.


    Master Hu¡¯s confused eyes also became clearer. Suddenly, he grinned sinisterly. ¡°Ruined, it¡¯s all ruined!¡±


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment. ¡°Although this ritual wasn¡¯t performed by you personally as the grandfather, this person was chosen by you. This bad deed was also done by you. If my guess is correct, your adopted son¡¯s birth characteristics should be extremely prosperous for you. To you, adopting him is a good deed.. It can help you offset some of your sins and umte some good karma, right?!¡±

 Chapter 921 - Kind Enough

    <h4>Chapter 921: Kind Enough</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not suspect Meng Xiande. She thought he was just worried about his grandson.


    However, now¡­


    It was obvious that Meng Xiande cared more about his years of hard work and the opinions of others. How could such a person not want something from a Taoist master who could was capable of the substitute technique?


    When ordinary people met a capable Taoist master, they wanted to ask for help in fortune-telling and make a small fortune¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re really smart. You¡¯re as smart as that annoying Mo Lingzi from back then!¡± Master Hu shivered and said to Xie Qiao in disgust.


    This female Taoist master who appeared out of nowhere was right. The boy that Meng Xiande adopted had a fate of good fortune. Raising that child would only bring him benefits and no harm.


    That boy was not the child of Meng Xiande¡¯s savior, but was bought from a farmer¡¯s family.


    After all, it was a boy, and the farmer¡¯s family was not actually willing to sell it.


    However, the Meng family was arge family of this generation. How could the family dare to refute Meng Xiande¡¯s request?


    That child was four or five years old and already knew many words. Meng Xiande made up a lie and deceived him for a long time. When that child grew up, the lie would naturally be true. As for his biological parents, they would definitely be forgotten, he would never be able to remember them.


    Master Hu also knew that he would not have a good ending, so he was kind enough to speak the truth even though he was about to die.


    After saying that, Xie Qiao looked at him and said, ¡°You and I have already fought, but I forgot to tell you who I am.


    ¡°This penniless master is the descendant of the Water Moon Temple, Mo Chusheng. The Mo Lingzi you spoke of¡­ is from the same sect as this penniless master,¡± Xie Qiao said proudly.


    They were from the same sect, but they were not brothers and sisters on the surface. Instead, they were master and disciple.


    As soon as she said that, Master Hu widened his eyes and spat out another mouthful of blood!


    He pointed at Xie Qiao and trembled all over.


    His mouth was trembling, and he was so anxious that he was unable to breathe. In just a moment, he actually fell down!


    Thud. The sound of him crashing onto the ground, caused one¡¯s entire body to go numb. It was unbelievable.


    Even Li Shiyan did not expect that this esteemed Taoist master would be angered to death by his disciple!


    Was he not angered to death? His eyes were wide open, and there was not the slightest movement in his body!


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. His life hase to an end.¡± Xie Qiao was shocked as well. Then, she looked at her teacher with an aggrieved expression, ¡°It¡¯s true. This substitute technique has failed and he has done other bad things before. The damage to his morality is too severe. If it backfires, he will definitely die¡­¡±


    Now that he was triggered, he died even faster.


    However, she could not let this person die without a reason, right?


    He was the one who did the bad things first. He deserved it.


    Although Xie Qiao looked aggrieved, her gaze was very firm.


    Li Shiyan frowned. ¡°Drag him out first. Don¡¯t scare your senior sister¡­¡±


    Xiao Yurong suddenly became much more timid.


    ¡®Teacher¡­ I¡¯m afraid too.¡¯


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face did not change. The guards were very busy.


    Old Master Meng was also frightened by this scene. He looked at Xie Qiao with hatred and some fear. Apparently, he did not believe that Xie Qiao¡¯s simple words could anger someone to death. In his opinion, this Taoist master must have used some powerful spell to kill him!


    ¡°Master Li! I¡¯ve taken good care of you during this period of time. Could you please save me some dignity¡­¡± Meng Xiande was smart. When he saw that Master Hu was dead, he immediately crawled out from the pain of losing his grandson and began to beg for mercy.


    Li Shiyan sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    As there was already retribution..

 Chapter 922 - Not Fated

    <h4>Chapter 922: Not Fated</h4>


    Meng Xiande¡¯s grandson was dead and there was no heir. He probably would not be able to give birth at this age, and his son was crippled. If he could give birth, he would have done that long ago. Therefore, there should not be any other way for him to have another child.


    The Meng family was powerful. In the future, there would definitely be other nsmen who would force Meng Xiande to take over the family business.


    The family business that he cared about the most was someone else¡¯s.


    From today onward, he, Li Shiyan, would announce to the public that the Meng family had harmed his disciple. In the future, all the descendants of the Meng family were not fated to be his disciple.


    The word ¡°not fated¡± seemed simple.


    He had lived for so long, and indeed, he only had six direct disciples, but there were many others¡­ whom he had given pointers to and had some sort of master-disciple rtionship.


    Some of those people were in the imperial court, and some were also in the various academies.


    He could confidently say that unless this disciple of the Meng family was really talented and had a noble character, there would not be many famous teachers in the world who would give them pointers in the future.


    Offending a schr was not a good choice.


    Offending an old and somewhat capable schr like him¡­


    He was very reasonable, but also very protective of his disciples.


    Although the Meng family was rich, they had many nsmen who had tried their best to leave the business industry and venture into an official career over the years. However, this group of people would hate Meng Xiande very much in the future and the dignity that he cared about would naturally be lost.


    Meng Xiande saw Li Shiyan¡¯s cold look and was really panicking.


    Although the Meng family was big, they were just merchants after all. In front of powerful people, they really did not have any power!


    They could only hide in Mengjiabao and gather together to avoid being eaten by others.


    Li Shiyan did not give Meng Xiande any more chances and invited him out. ¡°Tomorrow morning, my disciples and I will move out of here. I hope you can take care of yourself.¡±


    Meng Xiande was almost dragged out.


    Jiang Jinlu, who was kneeling in the courtyard, was really frightened at this moment.


    In just a short while¡­


    A person wearing a Taoist robe passed by his eyes. He was out of breath, and Old Master Meng passed by him again. Although he was still alive, his appearance¡­ was worse than dead¡­


    As Jiang Jinlu was thinking to himself, another person was brought out.


    He did not recognize him.


    This man was simr to his third senior brother¡­


    Why was he in this courtyard? He seemed¡­ dead too¡­


    Jiang Jinlu felt ufortable all over. He felt that a great disaster wasing. He knelt even more carefully. He shrank his body and looked very humble.


    There were only his own people left in the house.


    They left the house and let Sang You have a good rest. Xie Qiao was also tired. After leaving the house, she went back to sleep without even looking at Jiang Jinlu.


    Since his eldest senior sister did not look at him, Xiao Yurong and Zhao Xuanjing naturally stood on Xie Qiao¡¯s side and left obediently.


    Even Li Shiyan did not say anything to him and went back to their respective rooms.


    Jiang Jinlu stayed in the courtyard for the whole night.


    The wind blew on his body and he sneezed a few times.


    What was colder than his body was his heart, fear, worry, and confusion.


    Ever since he became a disciple, he had had a smooth ride all these years, and it had been a long time since he had felt so uneasy. However, when he carefully thought about his decision, he did not regret it.


    It was daybreak.


    The master and disciples had their meal. Before they moved out of the Meng Residence, they called him over.


    ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡± Li Shiyan asked.


    Jiang Jin knelt on the floor of the hall, and he felt that he could not feel his legs anymore. After a moment of confusion, he said, ¡°Teacher, I shouldn¡¯t have taken third senior brother away without permission, but¡­ he was not feeling well. He should see a doctor. Old Master Meng said that the miracle doctor is very powerful. If I waste, I would¡¯ve missed the opportunity. I-I did not expect that the miracle doctor couldn¡¯t save third senior brother either¡­ Teacher, how is senior brother?¡±


    The doctor said he would notst long. It was a bit coldst night.. Could it be that third senior brother¡­

 Chapter 923 - Not Knowing How to Behave

    <h4>Chapter 923: Not Knowing How to Behave</h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: Endless Fantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s eyes were still a little red and swollen at this moment.


    Coupled with this baby face, Xie Qiao thought of¡­ a big boss in women¡¯s clothing.


    If this junior brother of hers were to change into women¡¯s clothing, he might be much more likable than a man. Oh right, if he was wearing women¡¯s clothing, he would add some props, hold a few boxes of dim sum or mooncakes in his hands, and open his innocent little mouse-like eyes. With his cheeks puffed up, he would definitely be a little cute.


    In short, it would be¡­ more interesting than looking at him now.


    ¡°Your senior brother is fine now. He¡¯s indeed still sleeping, but his body is not as cold as before, and his breathing is much calmer.¡± Seeing that he was worried about Sang You, the old master did not hide the disciple¡¯s illness.


    Hearing this, Jiang Jinlu was extremely shocked. ¡°Really, Teacher?! But that miracle doctor clearly¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly remembered the scene where Meng Xiande was dragged away yesterday. He was a little suspicious. ¡°Teacher, could it be¡­ that Meng Xiande lied to us? Could my senior brother have been poisoned? It was Meng Xiande who did it? That miracle doctor was also sent by him to deceive me?! But there¡¯s no hatred or resentment, why is this so?!¡±


    ¡°Meng Xiande has a grandson who was trapped in the ice house and almost lost his life earlier. Meng Xiande found a Taoist master to extend his life for many years. When he met your Senior Brother Sang earlier, it just so happened that the two of them had the same birthday, and their personalities were simr, so¡­ he got your senior brother to be a substitute, which was also a substitute puppet,¡± Li Shiyan exined politely at this moment.


    Jiang Jinlu felt as if he was listening to something in Greek. Substitute puppet?


    T-The cold disease¡­ could be substituted?!


    He was at a loss, Li Shiyan continued, ¡°Meng Xiande dragged this out for so long just to make the substitute technique go smoother. I didn¡¯t expect your senior sister toe and set up the Seven Starmps to ruin his n. Yesterday, he deliberately took you away in the name of the miracle doctor.


    ¡°Along the way, he thought of ways to get people to destroy themps in order to make the substitute technique seed.


    ¡°Fortunately, there was still onemp left yesterday. Otherwise, your senior brother would have been beyond saving.


    ¡°The Taoist master was killed by the bacsh. Meng Yin lost his life because of the failure of the life-prolonging method. Your senior sister worked hard to chant the spell to make the substitute technique disappearpletely. It won¡¯t be long before Sang You wakes up.¡±


    Li Shiyan said it clearly.


    Jiang Jinlu was stunned.


    He did not believe what others said, but his teacher¡¯s words¡­ he had to believe


    However, to believe his teacher¡¯s words was equivalent to shattering all his years of persistence!


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve told you everything clearly, do you know what you¡¯ve done wrong?¡± After a moment, Li Shiyan asked again.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s lips quivered slightly. ¡°I-It¡¯s my fault for not trusting senior sister¡­¡±


    ¡°You child, you still don¡¯t understand.¡± Li Shiyan shook his head, ¡°You¡¯ve followed me for many years, and I¡¯ve never worried about your studies. It was a


    smooth journey teaching you how to read, but I was a little careless in teaching you how to behave.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face turned pale when he heard that.


    He would rather his teacher say that he did not do well in his studies and that he was born stupid than to hear such¡­ments!


    Behave¡­ He did not know how to behave?


    Jiang Jinlu suffered a huge blow. Her mind was already muddled, and he knelt on the ground, trembling all over.


    ¡°Let me ask you, when you left yesterday, who was there in this courtyard?¡± Li Shiyan asked.


    ¡°There were¡­ two guards, a servant from the Meng family, and¡­¡± when Jiang Jinlu said that, he suddenly felt powerless and came to a realization, ¡®And you, Teacher¡­¡±

 Chapter 924 - Living Like A Dog

    <h4>Chapter 924: Living Like A Dog</h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: Endless Fantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu was sweating profusely. When he thought of what he did yesterday, he suddenly felt that he was being ridiculous.


    ¡°You also know that I¡¯m still here in this courtyard.¡± Li Shiyan¡¯s tone was calm, but it was even more intimidating, ¡°The Meng family wants to take your senior brother away. You didn¡¯t even ask me a single question and crossed the line directly. To put it lightly, you were careless. To put it seriously, you were disrespectful and unfilial.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu lowered his head.


    Disrespectful and unfilial¡­ He studied very hard, he read many books. What was that for?


    ¡°Your senior sister gave very serious instructions that these starmps should not be touched. Not only did you move them, you also deliberately avoided her and the Crown Prince. You broke the agreement without informing. That¡¯s unrighteous.


    ¡°The Crown Prince personally sent troops to protect the starmps. That¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s order. The Emperor¡¯s order must be fulfilled. If you insist on disobeying it, it is disloyalty!


    ¡°It is not wrong for you to seek help from the miracle doctor, and it is not wrong for you to not believe your senior sister. Your mistake is to insist on doing things your own way. You do not ask, you do not understand, and you do not care about others. ¡°On the surface, you respect your senior sister, but you do so behind her back. It can be seen that you despise her and are proud of yourself. Your master is extremely disappointed in you!¡±


    Li Shiyan¡¯s every word was like a knife cutting Jiang Jinlu.


    Li Shiyan was his teacher after all, and he knew his thoughts better than himself.


    At this moment, not to mention Jiang Jinlu being scolded until he cried, even Xiao Yurong and Xie Qiao lowered their heads obediently and did not dare to say anything when they saw Li Shiyan being so serious and angry.


    Xiao Yurong was even more afraid.


    Fortunately, although he did not believe that there were ghouls in the world, he still respected his senior sister¡¯s decision.


    Otherwise, he would be scolded together with his fifth junior brother at this moment..


    Fifth junior brother¡­


    Just kneel there¡­ Just bear it¡­


    Xie Qiao did not want to be too conspicuous. At this time, the atmosphere was heavy. She had to lower her presence so that people would not think that she was gloating They were senior sister and junior brother. There had to be some friendship between them


    This fifth junior brother was different from her stupid younger brother. Schrs were arrogant and thin-skinned, so they could not be beaten or teased. Otherwise, they might evenmit suicide if they could not think things through¡­


    As for the matter of touching her things, this debt had to be settled, of course,


    Take your time, there was no rush.


    Li Shiyan¡¯s tone had not changed much, but now he was like a Buddha statue. He sat there, making his disciples not dare to breathe too much.


    ¡°Do you agree with what I said?¡± Li Shiyan asked.


    ¡°Teacher! I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s my fault! Please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m willing to be punished! Please don¡¯t chase me away¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu cried on his knees.


    He had made such a big mistake.


    Disrespectful, unfilial, and disloyal!


    Jiang Jinlu only thought he had lived for 18 years in vain. He must have lived like a dog¡­ How could a reckless and ipetent person like him want to pursue an official career?


    He evenughed at himself for being stupid!


    ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. You¡¯re always crying. You¡¯re useless, ¡°Li Shiyan said lightly


    He looked young, but he was not really only 15 or 16 years old.


    Jiang Jinlu wiped his tears. ¡°Yes, I-I am useless.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re useless, then did I misjudge you back then?¡± Li Shiyan¡¯s tone rose slightly, ¡°Since you know your mistake, then you should make up for it. As a man, you should know your mistake and correct it. What are you afraid of, what are your fears, and what are you panicking about? Even if I expel you from the sect today, it¡¯d be your own fault. You should face yourself and not regret or reminisce. Do you understand?

 Chapter 925 - Past Events

    <h4>Chapter 925: Past Events</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart trembled. He prostrated himself on the ground and did not dare to speak.


    The meaning behind his teacher¡¯s words¡­ Was he chasing him away or not¡­ Now, he actually did not understand and did not even dare to understand.


    ¡°I admit my mistake¡­ I will definitely correct myself in the future.¡± Jiang Jinlu was very careful. It seemed that he had indeed suffered quite a shock.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then go ahead and do it. Let me see how you change in the future.¡± Li Shiyan was not angry, and he seemed to be very reasonable.


    Jiang Jinlu was also at a loss for a moment.


    Yes, he had made a mistake¡­ He had to change.


    In the future, he would definitely pay attention to his words and deeds, and would no longer do such disloyal and unfilial things. However, it would take a long time to prove that¡­


    His teacher meant for him to do something to express himself first¡­


    However, what could he do¡­


    ¡°You¡¯vemitted such a big mistake and almost killed your third senior brother. You can¡¯t just let this matter go. I¡¯ll punish you for this one year and make you submit a policy theory paper every three days. In addition, you have to make up for your mistakes to make your senior brothers and senior sister forgive you. I only have a few disciples. I hope that you can help each other and take care of each other like brothers and sisters.¡± Li Shiyan looked a lot more


    solemn.


    Jiang Jinlu immediately understood what his teacher meant.


    His teacher meant that if he¡­ did not get the recognition of his senior sister and senior brothers, then¡­ he would be excluded. In other words, he would be kicked out of the sect!


    Jiang Jinlu immediately put on his full spirit and quickly kowtowed. ¡°I understand! I will do my best to not make senior brothers and senior sister angry!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Li Shiyan replied. ¡°We can no longer stay in the Meng Residence, so let¡¯s move out together. When Sang You is better, we will return to the capital. ¡°Right, this adopted son of Meng Xiande¡­¡± Li Shiyan suddenly looked at Zhao Xuanjing, ¡°Your Highness, please get someone to investigate. Since we¡¯ve met him, it¡¯s terrible to ignore him. The child is young, so ask his parents properly. If there are any unspeakable secrets, we should uphold justice for him.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing that I need to talk to Teacher about.¡± Zhao Xuanjing paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Last night, Zhou Weizong was almost done investigating the Meng family. Meng Xiande¡¯s son¡­ was actually crippled by Meng Xiande himself.¡±


    ¡°How could this be?¡± Li Shiyan was shocked when he heard that. ¡°This Meng Xiande only has one son. When this son was in business, he bought


    a lowly woman and wanted to take her as his wife. Meng Xiande was naturally unhappy and felt that it was an insult to his family. At most, he would take her as a concubine. However, his son was still infatuated and actually ran away with the woman. However, he was caught not too far away and the woman was almost beaten to death. In order to force his father, this son insulted and scolded him. His leg was broken and in the end, the woman was spared.¡±


    After that, Meng Xiande told the public that his son had been identally crippled by a bandit outside.


    It was better for his dignity.


    Meng Xiande used the woman¡¯s life to threaten his son to marry a wife and give birth to a son. As his son was restless, the wife he married did not have a high social status and was unhappy. She died not long after giving birth.


    Later on, he took in many beautiful concubines for his son and they gave birth to several illegitimate daughters.


    Zhao Xuanjing exined the situation to Li Shiyan.


    At that time, the woman was much older and had been locked up all year round. She had lost her mind.


    She was releasedst night and was sent to Meng Xiande¡¯s son¡¯s house before dawn. In the future¡­ This son might have to cut ties with Meng Xiandepletely. After hearing this, the room fell silent for a while.


    Even Li Shiyan felt incredulous.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this person to have such a personality¡­ It¡¯s true that you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± Li Shiyan thought about the times he had seen Meng Xiande since they met and did not know what to say..

 Chapter 926 - He Doesn’t Believe Me

    <h4><strong>Chapter 926: He Doesn¡¯t Believe Me</strong></h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qjao could perform physiognomy, but some people hide their faces so well


    that she could only look at their short-term fate. If there were more, she could


    not see it clearly.


    Young people and old people¡¯s physiognomy were the most difficult to tell.


    They were still young, but old people had a lot of experience, so their faces


    were moreplicated.


    Meng Xiande was also a businessman. He was good at hiding his true


    character, so it was really difficult to see through him.


    That day, she had only nced at him at the dining table. Under the dim light,


    she could not see him clearly. She could only see that this person had fortune


    and that his children and grandchildren were not very happy.


    Therefore, when she heard that, she was very surprised.


    The person who was even more surprised was Jiang Jinlu.


    He really believed in Old Master Meng. That was why he ignored his senior


    sister¡¯s starmps and insisted on finding the miracle doctor. Now that the


    truth was in front of him, it was as if he had been ruthlessly pped. His face


    was burning.


    He lowered his head and did not dare to say anything.


    After a while, they began to move.


    Zhao Xuanjing bought a mansion in Mengjiabao. It was very quiet, which was


    good for recuperation.


    Before moving out of the Meng Residence, Xie Qjao suddenly stood in front of


    Jiang Jinlu.


    Jiang Jinlu blushed and stammered, ¡°Senior Sister¡­ I admit my mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xie Qjao answered simply, then pointed at the dirty spot on the ground.


    ¡°Are you not scared of blood anymore?


    ¡°What..¡± Jiang Jinlu was confused.


    ¡°Look at the blood. I saved it for you. I thought you would like it, but you didn¡¯t


    even look at it. Im so disappointed.¡± Xie Qjao¡¯s tone was light and her voice was


    melodious, but she sounded cold. She smiled faintly. ¡°You don¡¯t think the blood


    is fake, do you? And you think I¡¯m teasing you again? Mly dear Junior Brother,


    why don¡¯t you trust me at al..¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face turned red. ¡°No, Senior Sister..¡±


    ¡°See, I told you that it was blood, but you haven¡¯t fainted yet.¡± Xie Qjao


    chuckled.


    It was obvious that he still did not believe her.


    Then, Xie Qiao pulled Zhao Xuaning over. ¡°Your Highness, what do you think it


    is?


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s slender figure stood beside Xie Qjao.


    At this moment, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mind went nk. He suddenly felt that the Crown


    Prince and his eldest senior sister were somewhatpatible¡­ What was


    going on?


    His Highness had the Princess Consort..


    Yesterday, I was alone and chopped off one of the Meng family¡¯s butler¡¯s legs.


    It was just blood that spurted out. What¡¯s wrong? Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression


    was gentle, and his voice was like the low chirping of the morning, refreshing


    the mind.


    ¡°What about the leg? Xie Qjao asked at a moderate pace.


    ¡°Leg? Zhao Xuanjing chuckled. ¡°Who knows? Maybe a fool took it and used the


    flesh to make it into stew¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a pity. Fifth Junior Brother doesn¡¯t believe that it¡¯s blood. If I take


    that leg, I¡¯l show it to him to prove that what I said is true.¡± Xie Qjao sighed.


    She looked really regretful.


    Jiang Jinlu gulped and then looked at the area with dark blood stains in a daze.


    Yesterday, he had been kneeling there for the whole night.


    Retch


    Before he could vomit, his legs went weak and he fainted.


    ¡°I told you that he only believes in you guys and not me. He deserved it.¡± Xie


    Qjao had a rare expression on her face. She curled her lips and looked at her


    junior brother who had fainted on the ground with disdain.


    Xiao Yurong looked at Xie Qjao carefully. ¡°Senior Sister, how are you going to


    punish your junior brother..¡±


    Xiao Yurong was older after all. He knew that his senior sister had to calm


    down after Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mistake, so he did not n to plead for Jiang Jinlu.


    His fifth junior brother was not young anymore. He should be responsible for


    his own mistakes..

 Chapter 927 - Implicating the Entire Clan

    <h4><strong>Chapter 927: Implicating the Entire n</strong></h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qjao was a little embarrassed to face Xiao Yurong, especially when he saw


    how respectful she was. She felt a little guilty.


    Her tone softened a little. ¡°I just thought fifth junior brother didn¡¯t sleep well


    st night. He had suffered a lot. He shouldn¡¯t be able to sleepter. It¡¯s more


    convenient for him to faint. This is what I should do as his senior sister.¡±


    Xiao Yurong was stunned, and then he nodded.


    He did not refute.


    He had always been steady and thought his senior sister should be the same.


    However, now, he found that his senior sister was so mischievous that she was


    like a child even when it came to taking revenge.


    ¡°Now that he fainted, it¡¯s a waste of manpower to carry him away. Why don¡¯t


    we just leave him here? Zhao Xuanjing nced at Jiang Jinlu and did not look


    polite at al


    ¡°What if Meng Xiande went crazy and hacked him to death?¡± Xie Qjao looked


    serious.


    That¡¯s true.¡± Zhao Xuanjing snorted and got someone to carry him onto the


    carriage.


    If this was Xie Qjao¡¯s younger brother, Xie Qjao would directly drag him on the


    ground and show him know how powerful she was. Unfortunately, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s


    face was thin.


    It was difficult to deal with such a schr.


    Inparison, her owm eldest brother and younger brother were better.


    Although they loved to stir trouble and had a lot of problems.. They let her do


    whatever she wanted and were always full of vigor.


    Xie Qjao also got into the carriage and left.


    The new mansion was not too far away and they arrived soon. After settling


    down, it was already a littlete.


    The next day, the news of Li Shiyan moving out had spread.


    There were many schrs in Mengjiabao recently. Many young schrs from


    all around the area came to try their luck. Even if they were not selected by Li


    Shiyan, it would still be good if they were given some pointers.


    Although Li Shiyan was a great schr, there were some rules that could not


    be exempted.


    For instance, when he first arrived in Mengjiabao, in order to show respect to


    the local officials and big families, he would also attend some schrs


    banquets and choose some of the outstanding ones to give pointers to. After


    giving pointers, if he did not want to bother with those trivial things, he would


    shut his door and would not see any guests.


    Even so, there were still many people who paid attention to his movements.


    Now that he had left, many people had questions.


    After living in the Meng Residence for so long, they would have done so long


    ago if they wanted to move. Why did they only move now?


    Moreover, they heard that the old master¡¯s disciple was sick. They should not


    move at this time, right?


    The other members of the Meng family also received the news and went to


    Meng Shisan¡¯s ce to inquire about it. However, when they arrived, they


    discovered that there was a bereavement in the family.


    Not only that, Meng Xiande also had a face full of resentment. With one look, it


    was obvious that something big had happened.


    This matter was no longer a secret. The servants of the Meng family all knew a


    thing or two about it.


    After inquiring about it from these people, the members of the Meng family


    were dumbfounded!


    ¡°Meng Xiande! What kind of sin did our Meng nmit to have a family


    member like you?! Your grandson is destined to be unlucky! You actually did


    something evil to Old Master Li, is he someone you can afford to offend?!


    Great, you¡¯ve implicated the entire n now!


    It was a deadly enmity!


    Disciples were like half children, sometimes even closer than their own sons.


    Meng Xiande wanted to take the disciple¡¯s life, how could the enmity be


    resolved?!


    ¡°Bad news, Patriarch. Old Master Li was invited by the county magistrate to a


    banquet today. He met many schrs. For some reason, when he talked about


    Our Meng n, he actually spread the word that in the future. e would


    be enemy with us and would no longer give any pointers to anyone from


    the Meng n..


    ¡°Patriarch, what should we do now?¡±


    The old master did not mention the use of the substitute technique to prevent


    outsiders from finding out about it. Instead, they would be more interested.


    However, that did not stop him from telling others that Meng Xiande wanted


    to kill his disciple..

 Chapter 928 - Smell Bad

    <h4><strong>Chapter 928: Smell Bad</strong></h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: Endless Fantasy Trantion


    How could Meng Xiande care about others at this moment?


    His grandson was dead, and he had no descendants!


    In his eyes, he did not treat his granddaughters as a choice. At this moment,


    when he saw his nsmening over, he only thought these people were


    here to take his property. His gaze was filled with hatred as he looked at


    everyone, not listening to what these people were saying at al. He ordered his


    servants to chase everyone out directly.


    ¡°Crazy! He¡¯s really crazy! He¡¯s only thinking about property at this moment!


    Our Meng family iscking in everything except money!¡± The patriarch was


    very angry.


    He flung his sleeves and left.


    Thinking that his family had a lot of money, he immediately ordered people to


    prepare generous gifts and send them to the teacher¡¯s new residence.


    However, Li Shiyan was a man of his word. He did not take any of the apology


    gifts sent by the Meng family and retumed them al


    The Meng family did not dare to pursue too closely for the fear of angering Li


    Shiyan, and the result would be even worse.


    On the day they moved out, Sang You woke up for a while. They fed him some


    food, and fell asleep again in the blink of an eye. Xie Qjao also got someone to


    get a doctor toe over to prescribe some prescriptions to warm his body.


    With this treatment, Sang You¡¯s health improved day by day.


    When he woke up seven dayster, he was fully recovered.


    Sang You had been lying on the bed for more than a month. He did not eat or


    drink much, and now he was so thin that he had be malnutritioned.


    When he opened his eyes, he asked about the days. When he found out that so


    much time had passed, he was silent for a while.


    ¡°Junior Brother Jiang, please bring me a mirror.¡± Sang You¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    When he heard his voice, he could not help but frown.


    Jiang linlu had been living in fear for the past few days.


    After he fainted that day, he immediately apologized to his eldest senior sister


    when he woke up. However, she closed her door and did not want to see him.


    Day after day, he suffered a lot.


    Today, when he saw that his third senior brother was getting better and better,


    he felt much better.


    He immediately handed the mirror over.


    He looked at his senior brother respectfully.


    Sang You took the mirror with his trembling hand. Then, he saw his disfigured


    self in the mirror. His pupils constricted in disbelief. ¡°H-How did I be like


    this..¡±


    His face was all bones, his eyes were lifeless, and his skin was fair with a sallow


    tint. He looked like he was terminally ill!


    His appearance..


    Was so ugly.


    ¡°Senior Brother Sang, it¡¯s already not bad. That old master of the Meng family


    wanted you to be his grandson¡¯s substitution, so he harmed you. But don¡¯t


    worry, teacher has already avenged you. Now that Meng Xiande is in a terrible


    state, he won¡¯t have a good ending,¡± Jiang Jinlu immediately added.


    He had specially gone to find out that Meng Xiande had been suffering from


    internal and external problems recently.


    The Meng family was criticizing him from the outside. At home, his son did not


    stay 1dle either. He actually started to contact the other members of the Meng


    family. He was saying that his father had gone crazy and wanted to rece


    him.


    If he seeded, his father who broke his legs and forced him to marry and


    breed would probably never see the light of day in the future!


    ¡°Is it Old Master Meng? He really deserves to die.¡± Sang You frowned. ¡°By the


    way, I seem to have heard eldest senior sister¡¯s voice in my daze recently?


    ¡°Yes¡­ Ill call teacher and eldest senior sister over right now.¡± Jiang Jinlu


    quickly got up and was very attentive.


    Sang You felt that something was wrong with his appearance.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯l have to trouble junior brother¡­ to find some things for women to


    apply on their faces first. Also¡­ buy a few more sets of clothes with better


    materials. I feel like the clothes on me will rub off my skin. They¡¯re itchy and


    dirty¡± Sang You wished that he could take off his clothes directly, ¡°I still need


    to bathe.¡±


    After lying down for so long, he should smell bad, right? How could he see his


    senior sister like that?


    Tsk, the more he thought about it, the stronger the smell became.


    He almost could not breathe.

 Chapter 929 - I Hope You Can Understand

    <h4>Chapter 929: I Hope You Can Understand</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Sang You was very resistant to the bed and to himself. He fumbled around and took out a piece of white jade.


    He had seen a lot and could tell at a nce that this jade was of high quality. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Senior sister gave it to me. I heard that Meng Yin¡¯s ghoul is in it. If Senior Brother doesn¡¯t like it, you can tell senior sisterter and remove the ghoul away¡­ Well, senior sister¡­ is a Taoist master. She can capture souls. She¡¯s very powerful.¡± His voice sounded awkward.


    Did he¡­ really believe it?


    He did not know. He had never seen it before.


    However, after thinking about it for so many days, he finally came to a conclusion. Senior sister would not lie to him about such a big matter.


    His mind was in a mess. It was terrible.


    ¡°Senior sister is naturally the most powerful. Teacher told me earlier.¡± Sang You nodded. He was still a little weak, ¡°Senior sister won¡¯t dislike my appearance¡­ It¡¯s too ugly. I don¡¯t have any disposition at all. My appearance isn¡¯t what it used to be¡­¡±


    Sang You sighed after he finished speaking.


    ¡°Senior Brother, what about Meng Yin? He¡¯s a ghoul¡­¡± he did not know if the ghoul existed or not.


    ¡°Iknow. I dreamed about it.¡± Sang You did not care. ¡°He can stay in this jade, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu and Sang You had a good rtionship. Hearing his words, he thought for a while and asked seriously, ¡°Senior Brother Sang, do you think ghouls exist? But we can¡¯t see them, right? But why some people can? Is there really people who cultivate this world? If that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t it mean that


    even attaining the dao and bing immortal is not a dream?¡±


    Sang You reclined. ¡°The world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve been lying unconscious recently¡­ Junior Brother, believe it or not, it seems like there¡¯s someone else¡¯s life in my mind. The Meng Yin you mentioned, I actually know him very well¡­


    ¡°But I¡¯m also sure that I¡¯ve never seen that person before. This kind of thing can be considered very mysterious and weird, right?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu was a little speechless.


    He really wanted to convince himself, but every time he tried hard, the scene of his mother¡¯s death would appear in his mind, and he would think of that witch¡¯s unbridled way of harming others.


    Once he believed Xie Qiao, it would be like betraying his mother.


    He had to think carefully.


    Jiang Jinlu wanted to say something, but she stopped himself. Sang You had not fully recovered yet, so it was not suitable to have a long conversation with him.


    Moreover, he did not want to talk about this at all. He only hoped that he could wash his face and make himself smell good!


    Forcing himself to hold his body up, Sang You dressed up in a ¡°mboyant style¡±.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao appeared, she was really dumbfounded.


    Earlier, when Sang You was lying on the bed, although she could see that his looks were not bad, his temperament was somewhat affected by his sickly appearance. However, at this moment, this person¡¯s hair was neatlybed and he even stood upright stubbornly. He was wearing a royal blue ice silk


    robe and a crown of jade on his head. His face was slightly ruddy.


    And that smell


    Xie Qiao was very familiar with it. It came from rouge and powder.


    It was really thick with the fragrance of flowers. What a coquettish person!


    ¡°This disciple has made Teacher worried.¡± He cleared his throat and then bowed to Li Shiyan. After Li Shiyan asked him to sit, the fragrance became even stronger the moment his robe was lifted.


    Xie Qiao looked at the waist of her junior brother.


    There was actually a fragrance bag hanging on it!


    His junior brother cared more about his image than she did! He was already so sick, yet he still tidy himself up so neatly. He was simply a role model for the rest of them!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes revealed a look of admiration.


    However, Xie Qiao coughed dryly and said, ¡°Junior Brother Sang, have you seen that white jade? The quality¡­ is amazing, right? It costs 5,000 taels of silver. Remember to pay me backter. Of course, I¡¯ve also prepared a wee gift for you, but it has nothing to do with this¡­ This is a life-saving gift, so


    it¡¯s terrible for you to owe me that. I hope you can understand.¡±

 Chapter 930 - Senior Sister Is So Ugly

    <h4>Chapter 930: Senior Sister Is So Ugly</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Xie Qiao said that, she looked at Sang You, as if she was afraid that she would not pay.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao was staring at Sang You, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s heart was in his throat, and he almost killed Sang You on the spot. However, seeing that she was collecting the debt, Zhao Xuanjing was in a good mood.


    Xie Qiao gave him many things, but the money she received¡­ was not that much.


    ¡®There was still a gap in their rtionship.


    Sang You was stunned for a moment. ¡°This is¡­ senior sister?¡±


    Then, he frowned.


    Senior sister looked¡­ so ugly.


    ¡®There was a hint of disgust in his eyes, but considering her status, he seemed to be forcing himself to bow to Xie Qiao. His tone was still very respectful. ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Senior Sister. I¡¯ll pay you in a while.¡±


    His family was quite rich.


    After saying that, he hesitated for a moment and took another set of powder from the bedside and handed it to Xie Qiao. ¡°Senior Sister¡­ Your face is dark and gloomy. Apply it, you will look nicer¡­¡±


    ¡®Theer of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth twitched and she touched her face. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m ugly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Senior Sister¡­ Your charisma isn¡¯t bad. You¡¯re pretty well-kept for your age,¡± Sang You praised her.


    He was speaking the truth.


    He was born to like beautiful things. People and things were the same. His senior sister looked¡­ not bad¡­ but he liked those that were more beautiful.


    Previously, his teacher had praised his senior sister many times for her peerless beauty. When he heard it, he took it seriously. Now that he had seen her¡­ There was a difference.


    Xie Qiao was really angered to the point ofughing.


    In the past, she was the only one who despised others!


    Before Xie Qiao could say anything, he saw Sang You bow to Zhao Xuanjing with a very appreciative gaze.


    There was a smile in his eyes, it was so pretty!


    Those who did not know would think that his junior brother had taken a liking to the Crown Prince and wanted to keep him for himself!


    ¡°When will you change your temper? Look at you now, how can you despise your senior sister?¡± Li Shiyan was a little unhappy, then he said to Xie Qiao, ¡°This kid has no taste. He doesn¡¯t understand. Just ignore him.¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I think Senior Sister¡¯s hairstyle is a little old-fashioned¡­¡± Sang You listened to her and stared at Xie Qiao¡¯s head. He thought something was strange and wished that he could invite someone over to fix her.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s hairstyle was simple and convenient. After all, she was a Taoist master now, so she could not look shy.


    However, at this moment, she could not help but think of her face with makeup. If this kid saw through her and realized that something was wrong, it would be terrible. She frowned. With a serious face, she said, ¡°Junior Brother, how can you be so unruly? I¡¯m a woman. If you keep staring at me, don¡¯t


    me me for being heartless.¡±


    These junior brothers were all insensible!


    ¡°Tm sorry to have offended you.¡± Sang You quickly admitted his mistake, but he had already made up his mind. When he recovered, he would buy more beautiful things and give them all to his senior sister.


    Senior sister was in her thirties or forties, but she could still dress up. How could she wear this gray Taoist robe and look dull?


    Thinking about it, if he took care of her appearance, his senior sister could be considered a graceful beauty even if she would not be drop dead gorgeous.


    Xie Qiao did not dare to stay in the room any longer. After seeing him, she hurried out.


    ¡°Was he like this in the past?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask Zhao Xuanjing.


    There was such a strange person in this world. They had only met each other, but he already despised her appearance. Fortunately, he was a patient, and he met a weak person like her. If it were her eldest brother, he would have chopped him with an ax!

 Chapter 931 - Portraits of Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 931: Portraits of Beauty</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s small hands could not help but caress and touch her own face. The texture¡­ was indeed a little rough.


    However, she decided on her makeup after careful consideration. She was not as beautiful as a youngdy, but she was absolutely outstanding in the presence of a woman of the same age. Her temperament was perfect and could not be picked on!


    ¡°In Sang You¡¯s paintings or collections, there are countless portraits of beauty apart from the beautiful flowers and nts. More than half of these portraits are you.¡± When Zhao Xuanjing thought of that, he was a little upset.


    Sang You, this wretched man, actually did such a thing.


    Of course, he already knew about the portraits of his senior sister. Not to mention Sang You, even he was coaxed into painting a few when he first entered the sect. However, he matured young and he was the Crown Prince, so his teacher could not force him to do so. That was how he avoided painting Xie


    Qiao.


    Now that he thought about it


    Zhao Xuanjing thought these senior and junior brothers were eyesores.


    ¡°Then¡­ what does your senior sister in the painting look like?¡± Xie Qiao looked at Zhao Xuanjing curiously.


    ¡®When she raised her head, she found that Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his face was cold. She thought he was a little fierce and upset?


    ¡°Of course, she is unparalleled in the world.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was full of grievances. ¡°At that time¡­ they would gather together topete with their paintings and let Teacher judge who painted better.¡±


    Although these portraits of beauty did not sound like a proper task, it tested one¡¯s drawing skills.


    The artist drew the bone structure first, and then the emotions.


    Happiness, anger, sorrow, joy and the four seasons. Everyone¡¯s state of mind would be different. They also had to paint all of these in it. If they did not have enough skills, the beauty they painted would be despised by their teacher.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao found it hard to exin how she felt.


    Her teacher¡¯s love was as abundant as a mountain!


    She also knew that she was as smart and lovely as a little fairy when she was young, but being held up by her teacher like this¡­ She had good reason to suspect that her teacher was trying to kill her by coddling her.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s facial expression was a bit strange. Although those paintings absolutely would not offend her, in her eyes, these junior brothers


    Were like perverts.


    However, since the paintings were already done, it was probably impossible to take them back. After all, there were many paintings that were painted throughout the years. She would have to talk to her teacherter and get him to stop praising her like this in the future.


    If he praised her too much, she would be proud, right?


    Xie Qiao did not dwell on it for too long, but the more Zhao Xuanjing thought about it, the more unhappy he became.


    After Xie Qiao left, he returned to the house.


    Sang Youid back on the bed to rest. The reason why he was dressed so beautifully was to leave a good impression in the presence of his eldest senior sister.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all admired senior sister for a long time, right?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    The three senior brothers were all stunned. The old master sat at the side with a smile, looking at these disciples lovingly.


    No matter which one of his disciples, they would all be considered good men.


    ¡°Ljust think it¡¯s inappropriate for a man to keep a woman¡¯s painting. Senior sister is also a cultivator, so her reputation is sky-high. So when you return to the capital, hand over all of the paintings of senior sister. Don¡¯t keep any of them!¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face was cold and he directly requested.


    Li Shiyan heard it and wanted to say something, but he stopped. Zhao Xuanjing nced at him. ¡°Teacher, you can leave some of your paintings¡­ Five will do.¡±


    Li Shiyan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.


    Now that Zhao Xuanjing thought about it, the portraits of beauty in his teacher¡¯s hands were actually paintings of a little girl.


    In the past, he loved to draw the little girl the most. That little girl was sometimes cute, sometimes ignorant and weak, and sometimes strong and persistent


    At that time, the senior and junior brothers also asked who the child in the painting was, but what did their teacher answer?


    He said that was a little girl on a celestial mountain!

 Chapter 932 - Bring Honor to His Ancestors

    <h4>Chapter 932: Bring Honor to His Ancestors</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>


    EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Now that Zhao Xuanjing thought about it, he felt that his senior and junior brothers had been deceived by his teacher!


    However, there was no need to destroy the additional paintings in his teacher¡¯s hands. He would keep them¡­ as collections.


    Xiao Yurong forced a smile. ¡°These paintings have been lost a long time ago. There were some rats in the academy that had bitten and damaged many paintings earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao, how many paintings do you want to keep? You are not an elder. If you keep these paintings and others see them, how will you marry a wife in the future? If your disciples know that the person in all of your paintings is your senior sister from the same sect, won¡¯t people judge you?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing said coldly, he seemed unreasonable. He turned to Sang You and asked faintly, ¡°Junior Brother Sang, you won¡¯t refuse my decision, right?¡±


    Everyone knew that the Crown Prince was unhappy.


    However, they did not know why he was unhappy.


    In the past, they had all painted together, no?


    However, Sang You looked at Zhao Xuanjing and was stared at by that gaze. Looking at his extremely handsome face, he became very easy to talk to. ¡°Your Highness is right. Those paintings don¡¯t look like senior sister at all. It¡¯s useless to keep them.¡±


    To put it bluntly, senior sister really did not look good now. When he saw those paintings, he would think of the years he had been waiting for nothing. He wished he could poke his eyes out so he would not have to look at his senior sister ever again.


    In that case, he might as well destroy the paintings and pretend that senior sister had never been beautiful.


    ¡°When will Your Highness be avable? I¡¯m eager to paint a few paintings for you when I feel better.¡± Sang You did not forget to tter Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhao Xuanjing was used to this behavior of his.


    ¡°We will talk about it when you give me all the portraits of beauty you have.¡± Zhao Xuanjing agreed readily.


    Xiao Yurong and Jiang Jinlu immediately felt that Sang You¡¯s gaze became a little aggressive.


    ¡°When you were not in the capital, I nted many flowers and nts. If you do this well, I will give all the flowers and nts to you. Not to mention the ordinary flowers and nts, I can even give you the most exotic orchid that my father loves¡ªthe Green Cloud Orchid.


    Sang You almost jumped up from the bed.


    ¡®The emperor¡¯s flower!


    No, the point was not the emperor¡¯s flower, but the rare orchid. A few years ago, when he followed his teacher into the pce, he took a nce at the old seedling. From then on, he thought the other orchids paled inparison to it!


    The old seedling should have died long ago, but there was a new seedling!


    He wanted to give it to him?!


    Sang You suddenly felt a burst of energy.


    ¡°Brothers, you won¡¯t stop me from bringing honor to my ancestors, right?¡± Sang You said to Xiao Yurong and Jiang Jinlu with a burning gaze.


    Would carrying the royal family¡¯s item home not be bringing honor to his ancestors?


    Xiao Yurong and Jiang Jinlu looked at each other. They had no choice but to ept their fate.


    If they did not agree to that, Sang You might not be able to think things through and die from anger!


    A few years ago, a flower in his garden wilted for no reason. He could not sleep or eat well because of that flower. He was sick for the whole winter and autumn, he would recite a few poems when he saw the fallen flowers and leaves. He was so sad and sorrowful, it was almost fatal.


    ¡°As long as you recover from your illness, the portraits of beauty¡­ just take them.¡± Xiao Yurong felt sad.


    Jiang Jinlu was fine. He joined the sectter, so he did not have that many paintings in his hands.


    The deal was settled immediately.


    However, they were all a little puzzled.


    The Crown Prince was too concerned about the paintings of their eldest senior sister.


    Did she instruct him to do that?

 Chapter 933 - Carry the Rooster

    <h4>Chapter 933: Carry the Rooster</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>


    EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The three brothers could not figure it out either, so they decided not to think about it.


    Sang You could not recover from his illness in a few days. Xie Qiao would have to stay in Mengjiabao for a while, but it was impossible for her to guard the courtyard and not go out. After inscribing many talismans a few days ago and saving up all her money, she carried her bamboo basket and went out.


    ¡°Is Senior Sister going out to tell fortunes again?¡± Jiang Jinlu felt strange when he saw Xie Qiao holding the bamboo basket with one hand and holding the ¡°Sage Mo Who is Neither Dead Nor Alive¡± divination banner with the other.


    Could it be that senior sister was short of money?


    He was the poorest among his fellow senior brothers and sister, but he was a graduate after all and had quite some money. As long as his senior sister asked him to give her some, it would definitely be enough for her to spend!


    ¡°If you are curious, why don¡¯t you go with her?¡± Xiao Yurong thought for a while and said, ¡°Teacher wants you to make up for your mistakes. If you hide yourself and don¡¯t dare to see senior sister every day, I¡¯m afraid you will never be able to make up for your mistakes.¡±


    Xiao Yurong had finished his apprenticeship after all, so he could see things clearly.


    His teacher¡¯s intention was probably to show him his senior sister¡¯s ability to capture ghouls and monsters.


    He was just guessing and doubting whether he believed in Xie Qiao¡¯s ability. If he wanted to confirm if it was true, he had to understand it personally and see the proof with his own eyes.


    ¡°Tm afraid that senior sister is really annoying me now.¡± Jiang Jinlu felt a little helpless.


    ¡°That¡¯s also because a person like you who acts recklessly is really annoying to senior sister.¡± Xiao Yurong was telling the truth. ¡°You just have to perform well and try your best to change senior sister¡¯s opinion. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu thought it was difficult!


    However, if he did nothing, he could only wait to be kicked out of the sect.


    ¡®Thinking of that, Jiang Jinlu decided to bite the bullet.


    Xie Qiao had not gone far when he quickly chased after her. It did not take long for him to walk side by side with Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao came out to work because she was looking for a person whom she was fated to meet or a ghoul. It was not good for her to bring a guard with her. After all, who had ever seen a fortune-teller who brought a parade with her?


    She was alone, holding something that looked heavy. She looked a little down.


    Her appearance was quite simple and pure.


    ¡°Senior Sister, let me help you with your basket.¡± Jiang Jinlu stepped forward and immediately took action. He was ready to take Xie Qiao¡¯s bamboo basket.


    Xie Qiao pulled it back with a flip of her hand.


    ¡°All the things I have here are life-saving equipment. Some of them are extremely expensive. You don¡¯t believe me. If I meet with an emergency, I might lose them again. Trying to sabotage my livelihood? No way.¡± Xie Qiao snorted.


    Jiang Jinlu could not maintain his smile any longer. With a bitter face, he said, ¡°Senior Sister, I really know my mistake.


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying it. All mortals can do that too.¡± Xie Qiao snorted.


    So what if she was an expert? Even an expert could hold a grudge!


    However, seeing that he was looking at her pitifully, Xie Qiao opened the bamboo basket and carried Da Xiong out. Then, she stuffed Da Xiong into his arms. ¡°Help me carry this rooster. It will feel bored if it stays in the basket all the time.¡±


    Rooster?!


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s entire body froze. He felt the hairy, prickly feeling in his arms and the bright redb. His heart almost jumped out of his chest.


    He had been poor since he was young and he had kept roosters.


    However, he had never hugged a rooster like this before.


    ¡°Senior sister, why did you bring a rooster? But this rooster is really strong¡­ Ordinary people can¡¯t raise such a mighty rooster. With its high spirit, it can definitely be sold for a good price. However, we don¡¯t need to sell this one. If we send it to the kitchen, we can finish it,¡± Jiang Jinlu said with a ttering


    smile. He tried his best to praise his senior sister that she did a great job even in keeping a rooster..

 Chapter 934 - He’s Wrong Indeed

    <h4>Chapter 934: He¡¯s Wrong Indeed</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>


    EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu felt that he had really given it his all. In order to make his senior sister happy, he would not even spare a rooster.


    However, after Xie Qiao heard it, she looked at him in disbelief!


    Inan instant, she red at Jiang Jinlu with bloodshot eyes. Gritting her teeth, she said, ¡°Junior Brother Jiang, did a rat eat your brain? I¡¯l go and wipe out the entire family of whoever dares to take my rooster!¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Senior Sister¡­ Why¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Jiang Jinlu looked down at the rooster and suddenly realized something, ¡°Senior Sister, this rooster¡­ isn¡¯t it for sale? I¡¯m really sorry, Senior Sister. Please don¡¯t be angry, I really didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Senior Sister, I was wrong¡­¡±


    Jiang Jinlu jolted.


    How could he be so foolish? The cooks had to buy roosters, ducks, and fish every day. If his senior sister needed to sell her rooster, she could just sell it to the cooks


    Xie Qiao red at Jiang Jinlu. ¡°Junior Brother, what do you know? Since you¡¯re ignorant, why don¡¯t you ask more? That¡¯s right. Even if you ask, you will just say that you don¡¯t believe me!¡±


    Jiang Jinlu was embarrassed.


    ¡°If this humble master is Junior Brother Jiang¡¯s superior, I must think of a way to send you away as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will implicate others and get them killed from your ignorance.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know anything, then shut up and don¡¯t say anything. You almost killed Junior Brother Sang earlier, and now you want my Da Xiong¡¯s life. You¡¯re so good with your words, even better than the Crown Prince!¡±


    Why did he not seize the throne if he was so capable?!


    Xie Qiao harrumphed and was very upset.


    Jiang Jinlu almost cried from Xie Qiao¡¯s scolding, He looked like he had wilted and was covered in dust and dirt. There was no glory at all.


    ¡°Do you want to go back? If you do, return the rooster to me.¡± Xie Qiao stretched out her hand, wanting to take back her precious rooster.


    She spent a lot of money on this rooster. The worms it ate were expensive. Even if a single feather had fallen off, her heart would ache terribly. Jiang Jinlu, he actually wanted to eat her precious baby!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s anger rose rapidly.


    ¡°Tm not leaving.¡± Jiang Jinlu hugged it tightly. ¡°I¡¯m not talking anymore.¡±


    ¡®What kind of joke was this? If he left now, would he not offend his senior sister even more?


    He was wrong. He was wrong indeed


    ¡°Then remember this. If there¡¯s really danger, you can let my rooster fly. It¡¯s fine if you throw it away. It recognizes its master, I can still find it.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him and calmed her emotions.


    However, thinking that Jiang Jinlu wanted to follow her, she might still be angry for a while. In order to avoid any idents, Xie Qiao took out a pill and ate it first to protect her poor heart so that she would not die!


    Jiang Jinlu actually wanted to ask what his senior sister ate


    It should be a pill. What kind of illness did she have¡­?


    If there was anything that she needed his help with, he would definitely do it.


    However, he had just agreed to shut up, so he did not dare to speak now.


    Xie Qiao continued to carry the thing forward.


    In fact, she could have let Jiang Jinlu have the divination banner as well. However, thinking that her junior brother was very wary of people like a Taoist master, she understood and did not take revenge on him by doing that.


    ¡°Why do you feel dizzy when you see blood?¡± After walking for a while, Xie Qiao found a ce to sit down and asked.


    Jiang Jinlu was silent the whole way and thought that he would not be able to speak for the rest of the day. Hearing his senior sister¡¯s question, he immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°You followed me today to understand what I do, right? In that case, as a senior sister and junior brother, I should also understand your situation. Everything has a cause. It¡¯s either natural or caused by something. If it¡¯s thetter, I¡¯ll avoid it in the future to avoid triggering you. Of course, if you feel that


    it¡¯s inappropriate to talk about private matters, then just pretend that I didn¡¯t ask.¡±

 Chapter 935 - Fated Person

    <h4>Chapter 935: Fated Person</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>


    EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After taking the pill, Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was full of vigor, but she was still patient. Her voice sounded veryfortable.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s phobia was not a secret.


    He did not want to say more because he thought it was not good to add to other people¡¯s worries, but since his senior sister had said so, he could not hide it.


    ¡°I¡¯s not a secret. I wasn¡¯t born with this phobia. I saw blood when I was young and was traumatized.¡± Jiang Jinlu was quite embarrassed, ¡°Senior Sister, you also know how my mother died, right? To tell you the truth, on the day my mother passed away, she spat blood and sprayed it all over my face. I


    thought my eyes were blood red at that time. From then on, I have the phobia.¡±


    He actually felt much better after growing up.


    In the past, when he saw the color red and heard the word ¡°blood¡±, he would feel ufortable.


    Hearing this, Xie Qiao was silent for a moment.


    If that was the case, it was no wonder that Jiang Jinlu was so resistant to her career.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me to find out the truth. There are many people in this world who don¡¯t believe in gods and ghouls. It doesn¡¯t matter if I gain or lose someone who believes me. In the future, you and I will just avoid each other a little bit.¡± Xie Qiao was quite understanding.


    ¡®There was a saying that went ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in each other¡¯s business.¡±


    Moreover, if Jiang Jinlu did not believe in ghouls all his life. It was a good thing. It proved that he would not get into any trouble in the future. His life would be smooth and prosperous.


    The moment she said that, Jiang Jinlu suddenly felt that her senior sister had an unfathomable temperament.


    She was emitting a light that seemed like she was about to ascend to heaven.


    She was a born chatan.


    ¡°How long will it take for the fated person toe?¡± Jiang Jinlu could not help but mumble again. After mumbling, he thought he was talking too much, so he quickly shut his mouth and frowned.


    He realized that was the biggest problem he had.


    Talking too much¡­ He had to change, or else he could not work at the imperial court for the rest of his life! He would offend people!


    ¡°He¡¯s here, but he¡¯s busy right now. When he¡¯s done, we can go.¡± Xie Qiao pointed at the fortune-teller not far away.


    Was she kidding?!


    They were just talking about the fated person, and the fated person had arrived?!


    It was fine if it was any passerby, but his senior sister actually said that the fated person was¡­ the fraud across from them?!


    Jiang Jinlu had a feeling that his senior sister was stirring up trouble.

 Chapter 936 - Swindle

    <h4>Chapter 936: Swindle</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>


    EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was very serious. She sat there and kept staring across.


    The young swindler wanted to tell the fortune of the old swindler¡­ What was going on?!


    Jiang Jinlu could not help but mutter secretly. He could not help but be curious what his senior sister would say when she met this old manter.


    ¡°That old man has harmed people before. A ghoul is holding his eyeballs.¡± Xie Qiao took out some dried worms from the bamboo basket and handed them to Da Xiong.


    Jiang Jinlu looked over.


    There was nothing.


    The old man was wearing a gray robe. It was unknown how many years he had kept his beard. It was very long and covered his mouth. It had been trimmed, and he did not look particrly messy. He was thin and kind-looking.


    The old man was reading a woman¡¯s palm, It was unknown what he was saying, but his eyes seemed to be bewitched by the wind and sand. asionally, he would raise her hand and rub it.


    His eldest senior sister was bing more and more like a liar.


    ¡°What do you think of this Taoist master?¡± Xie Qiao asked casually.


    This person had the face of a boastful and fake person.


    ¡°Ican¡¯t see anything,¡± Jiang Jinlu said truthfully.


    ¡°If you can tell, I¡¯l give you this banner. I¡¯ve been learning for 30 to 50 years and have eyes that can see through people. You can¡¯tpare to me,¡± Xie Qiao was full of nonsense.


    ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re only 35 or 36 this year, right?¡± Jiang Jinlu felt a little helpless. He could no longer tell if his senior sister¡¯s words were true or not.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to care about such small details.¡± After Xie Qiao said that, the customer in front of the swindler left. She immediately carried her things over.


    The old swindler looked up again and saw the banner first, then he looked at Xie Qiao. A hint of contempt shed in his eyes. He said to her with a kind face, ¡°So you¡¯re in the same line of work? Business is bad for you? You don¡¯t look rich. If you want to run a business, you need to go out of the West City.¡±


    ¡°Of course. This is the East City. If I go West, I¡¯ll run through the entire Mengjiabao, and I¡¯ll easily meet a sucker on the way.¡± Xie Qiaoughed.


    The corners of Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mouth twitched.


    He thought this looked like two swindlers discussing how to swindle.


    ¡°Since you know that, why don¡¯t you leave quickly? Be careful not to leave toote, or you won¡¯t even meet one sucker.¡± The old swindler had quite a temper. ¡°I¡¯ve already upied this street. You saw how good my business is just now. If you want topete with me, you might have to go back and


    cultivate for another 20 years..¡±

 Chapter 937 - Given Money to Get His Fortune Told

    <h4>Chapter 937: Given Money to Get His Fortune Told</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>


    EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The old man looked at Xie Qiao with disdain. After ncing over at her, he even caught a glimpse of Jiang Jinlu, which made his expression even more strange.


    She was out to do fortune-telling to make money, and she even brought along a child?


    Look at this kid, he was already 15 or 16 years old? He¡¯s quite good-looking. With his appearance, he could have done many things, no? Why must he deceive people?!


    It was not easy to do business in their line of work. Only when one was old would business be good!


    No one would believe a bunch of words from a child!


    ¡°Who wants topete with you? This penniless master came to look for you because I saw that you¡¯re having a great disaster, so I came to help you go through the tribtion,¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips and said with a smile.


    Jiang Jinlu wished he could cover his face.


    He had lived for so long and had never thought that one day, he would do such a thing.


    Hearing that, the old manughed out of anger. Who could be more familiar with such words than him?! Showing off in front of him, she probably did not know who the master was, right?!


    ¡°Scram, scram, scram. Where did this mother and son paire from? If you¡¯re short of money, go beg for food and be beggars. You actually lied to me. How could you offend an immortals disciple? Be careful of the heavenly lightning that will strike you two blind.¡± This fortune-telling old man¡¯s


    temper was rising.


    If there was money to be earned, he could do anything! Initially, his ability was to make up nonsense to scare people. He was not a real master, so he did not have the backbone!


    Jiang Jinlu was stunned.


    He could not believe that her senior sister would pay for it.


    Although it was just a small piece of silver, it was at least one or two taels!


    The two fortune-tellers sat down facing each other. After they sat down, Xie Qiao looked to the side of the old fortune-teller.


    There stood a female ghoul. She was not old, and looked to be about 13 or 14 years old. She was covered in wounds, and there was not a single piece of flesh on her body. Her broken soul was filled with hatred as she stubbornly followed the old man. She just kept poking at his eyes


    If this continued, the old fortune teller might develop eye disease in the long run.


    However, Xie Qiao did not sympathize with the old man, but the ghoul.


    The little girl was injured, but she was born well. Even though she had turned into a ghoul and did not look good while her hair was disheveled, it could still be seen that she was a good-looking person.


    ¡°Why did you gouge his eyes? Why did you follow him with so much resentment? What makes you unwilling? Tell me, this penniless master might be able to resolve your enmity..¡±

 Chapter 938 - Beat Him up to Vent Her Anger

    <h4>Chapter 938: Beat Him up to Vent Her Anger</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Once Xie Qiao¡¯s words came out, Jiang Jinlu and the old fortune-teller were both stunned and confused.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The old fortune-teller dug his ears and looked left and right. ¡°Are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m asking the little girl next to you.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, but it made people feel a gust of cold wind.


    When the old fortune-teller heard that, he was a little scared.


    However, after thinking carefully, he said, ¡°Ha, I know what you¡¯re trying to do! You must be jealous that I made money, so you want to scare me, right? I canmunicate with both worlds, and I¡¯m not someone you can scare! What little girl? Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to earn this silver? If you want to earn it, just sit still. Wait until I ask you, then you can answer,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    The old fortune-teller choked.


    Of course he wanted to earn the piece of silver!


    He stopped talking.


    ¡°You are a ghoul. No matter how much you hate and resent him, it¡¯s not good for you to do anything to him. Otherwise, the one who would suffer will still be you. You see, this penniless master is different. I am a living person, I can do it for you,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    That ghoul did not have much sense at first, but when Xie Qiao approached, she could smell the faint fragrance on her body. It was a refreshing scent that made people calm down.


    ¡°He¡¯s a liar.¡± The little girl shed two streams of blood and tears.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a liar, but you are already dead. You can¡¯t sacrifice your soul because of this liar, right?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was gentle.


    The reason why Xie Qiao said that the little girl was her fated person was because of her looks and resentment.


    The little girl¡¯s face was also somewhat damaged, but the problem was small. It could be seen that she was good-looking and should have been a lively and happy child when she was alive.


    However, there was a lot of resentment in her. She could maintain her rationality for a short period of time, but in the long run, it would be hard to say.


    If the ghoul made a mistake, there would be fewer opportunities to start over.


    The little girl¡¯s ghoul was silent.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment, ¡°I am also a Taoist master, but I can see you, which shows that I am not a liar. If you have any wish, I can help you fulfill it. After you finish your wish, you can follow me. I will send you down there. What do you think?¡±


    She still did not say anything.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t kill him directly, you can have any wish.¡± Xie Qiao paused for a moment, ¡°For example¡­ I can beat him up to help you vent your anger. Look, I have a junior brother next to me. He¡¯s a man, and he¡¯s very strong. He can knock his head out with a punch¡­¡±


    The old fraud looked at her in disgust.


    Jiang Jinlu was speechless and innocent.


    ¡®What did it have to do with him?!


    Forget it, forget it. His senior sister was full of nonsense. He just needed to get used to it.


    ¡°Really?¡± The ghoul was moved.


    In fact, although she was a ghoul, she knew very well that if she continued to gouge his eyes for a long time, she could at most make this person suffer from eye disease in a few years. It was just a small problem. If it was really a big problem, that would prove that her resentment was getting stronger and


    stronger.


    Ifa ghoul harmed a living person, there would be punishment.


    If she did not have any other choice, she would not be willing to do this.


    ¡°This penniless master has helped many ghouls before. I never lie,¡± Xie Qiao looked in that direction and said seriously.


    Jiang Jinlu sighed.


    His senior sister¡¯s behavior seemed more and more real. The longer he stayed by her side, the more he would believe the ghoul she spoke of. It was no wonder that Senior Brother Xiao and Senior Brother Zhao were so convinced of her..

 Chapter 939 - Help the Starving but Not the Poor

    <h4>Chapter 939: Help the Starving but Not the Poor</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu was at a loss. He hoped that her senior sister¡¯s words were true, but at the same time, he hoped that they were not.


    At this moment, the ghoul hesitated for a moment.


    Xie Qiao looked like an expert, but after looking at her for a long time, one would feel at ease. That otherworldly aura gave the ghoul a sense of security.


    ¡°My family lives in a small vige near Mengjiabao¡­ Half a year ago, my father fell ill, and my grandmother and mother went to look for Master Ma¡­ It was him. He came to our house to look at the feng shui. After Master Ma finished looking at it, he said that my father was being restrained by someone.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s tears were still flowing, and it softened people¡¯s hearts.


    Xie Qiao listened quietly.


    ¡®The scene was very strange. That old fraud fixed his eyes on Jiang Jinlu, as if he was displeased that her son would not stop this woman from going out of her mind.


    She was talking to herself, and she was acting quite well!


    With this ability to scare people, she probably would not need 20 years. If she dressed a little older, she might be able to swindle people!


    Jiang Jinlu stood at the side with a big rooster in his arms. The rooster was fierce as if it had been staring at the ce where his eldest senior sister was looking. The quiet atmosphere made him feel quite awkward and did not know what to do.


    He tried his best to be shameless and pretended to be calm.


    When this ghoul mentioned the past, she was so angry that she trembled. She continued, ¡°My father had three daughters, and I was the second one. That day, Master Ma asked my grandmother to call all the children in the family over and ask for our eight characters clearly. Then he told my grandmother


    that it was my bad eight characters that made my father sick!


    ¡°At that time, my father was so sick that he was about to die. My grandmother was anxious and asked him how to stop the disaster. The master said that it would be better if they sent me away. If I don¡¯t live well, my father would be fine. Either my father or I can live well!


    ¡°At that time, I listened and believed his words. Although I was sad, if I could save my father, even if it would take my life, I would ept it¡­¡±


    The little girl was very sensible, but she copsed even more after that.


    ¡°My family couldn¡¯t live without my father, so my grandmother sold me to a brothel! I was beaten there, and I didn¡¯t want to ept clients. I was beaten to death!


    ¡°After I died, I thought of going to see how my father was doin


    Xie Qiao sighed repeatedly.


    Her father was naturally dead.


    Not only was her father dead, the rest of the family was also in a bad situation.


    Her grandmother had sold her granddaughter to a brothel. She was actually not very happy about that. The neighbors were still pointing fingers at her. If her son coulde back to life, she could still bear this sin, but it was all for naught. The olddy could not take it and hanged herself.


    Her mother was rather determined and wanted to lead a good life with her child.


    However, when she was looking for Master Ma to tell her fortune, she borrowed a lot of debts. The family was always worried about their next meal. She had no choice but to marry off her eldest daughter in exchange for some food.


    There were still young children left at home and they were suffering terribly. They did not know what to do in the future.


    ¡®When the ghoul saw this scene, she was unwilling to ept it.


    She thought that her family would be fine after she had sacrificed so much, but she did not expect it to be so miserable!


    If Master Ma had not lied to them, even if her father was gone, they would still have some money in the family. At least they would be able to survive for a while. Her elder sister would not have to marry a forty-year-old man, her grandmother would not have died, and her mother would not have to work


    so hard.


    ¡°At that time, he even said that he saw bad luck above my head!¡± The ghoul said hatefully, ¡°He lied. He didn¡¯t see anything. His eyes are bad, so I¡¯m going to dig them out!¡±


    After listening to the ghoul¡¯s words, Xie Qiao sympathized with the little girl.


    She was sent to the dirtiest ce by her family, and she was beaten to death. In the end, she died in vain. How could she notin?


    ¡°Then think about it carefully. What do you want? The matter of your family is already settled, but I can make their lives a little better,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Sometimes, when she received a job, she did not make any money. Instead, she would have to pay.


    It would be great if she could gather good karma. She could notin.


    Of course, even if she had to pay, Xie Qiao would usually help the starving but not the poor..

 Chapter 940 - Guessed It

    <h4>Chapter 940: Guessed It</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After all, the spirit of this little girl never thought that a Taoist master would suddenly appear one day to fulfill her wish.


    Therefore, at this moment, she was still a little confused.


    Should she take revenge, or¡­ let her family live a morefortable life?


    Perhaps it was because she was too aggrieved and pitiful when she died, but at this moment, when she thought of her family, she was still a little confused and resentful.


    Why did her mother agree to send her to the brothel? Why did they listen to Master Ma and abandon her.


    She was willing to do it for her father, but she also felt ufortable and sad.


    ¡°Thope you can get this chatan to return the money to my mother so that he can¡¯t swindle others¡­ That¡¯s all.¡± The ghoul thought carefully and finally made a decision.


    She knew that if she asked for too much, she would not be liked and would not get anything in the end.


    Thinking carefully, the reason why she hated Master Ma was mainly because he cheated her family of the money. For the money, he did not hesitate to ruin her life.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth curled up as she agreed.


    After she finished speaking, Xie Qiao left a harmless tasliman on her body, mainly because she was worried that she would go missing.


    ¡°How much longer do you want to chat?¡± The old fraud was a little impatient.


    This peer was a little scary.


    Her gaze was too convincing, as if there was really something dirty next to him!


    ¡°We¡¯ve just finished chatting.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, then she looked at the old fraud. ¡°I talked to this spirit and found that you have a big debt that causes your temple to turn ck. This is very difficult to solve. How is it? Do you want me to tell you fortune for you?¡±


    Xie Qiao yed with the silver in her hand.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± the old man scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re all in the same profession, so I¡¯m very familiar with your words! But for the sake of the silver, you can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡®When he said this, Xie Qiao smiled.


    She took out a turtle shell and ced copper coins inside, shaking it.


    Looking at the pattern of the copper coins, Xie Qiao frowned and then looked at this old man carefully.


    ¡®When she got closer, the lines on his face were very clear.


    ¡°You¡­ have two fathers?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said and added, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wide and square. It shows that your father is a rich man. However¡­ your ears are uneven with red and white. If you look carefully, your ears are a little different. One is big and the other is small. Therefore, although you had the


    protection of your elders when you were young, your family is declining and your family is ruined.¡±


    The old fraud¡¯s face trembled.


    She was being serious in telling his fortune.


    However, what she said¡­ was actually quite urate.


    ¡°Although your father¡¯s generation was wealthy and noble, it damaged your karma and it should be on you. Therefore, when you were around 12 years old, you had great ups and downs, and the difference was huge.¡± As Xie Qiao spoke, she gestured for him to open his palm.


    ¡°There are three tribtions in your life. One is affected by your elders, one by a woman, and the other one should be on you. It hasn¡¯t arrived yet, but it will soon.¡± Xie Qiao was mysterious, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you had a son in your life, but unfortunately, he died early, right?¡±


    About what happened to his son¡­ She only guessed it.


    This person was old and had experienced too much. Many things could no longer be seen clearly.


    The wrinkles on his hands were a little t, and there were too many wrinkles on his face. It was hard to tell.


    However¡­ When she got closer, she saw the old fraud¡¯s belongings. There was an old and faded toy inside. The color was a little dirty and dark. It was probably owned by his family.


    Things that were too detailed could not be seen, but Xie Qiao figured out that he had no children, no wife, and was a lonely old man..

 Chapter 941 - Old Fool

    <h4>Chapter 941: Old Fool</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was just making a casual guess.


    This fortune-telling, after all, relied on 30% calction, 30% contrast, and the rest was based on guesses. Not to mention¡­


    She had actuallye here yesterday and secretly sized up the surroundings.


    This old fraud woulde here every morning, When he had nothing to do, he would wander around. When he saw the boys ying on the street, he would be very kind. Yesterday, he even helped a little boy who had fallen down. He bought a piece of tanghulu for the boy and said, ¡®Daddy will buy it for


    you!¡±


    Due to that, no woman had ever scolded him for being shameless.


    Therefore¡­ She suspected that this old man had a son who died. When he met those children, he could not help but miss him. She could not tell that from his face clearly. It must have been a long time ago.


    ment


    At this moment, she did a good job of swindling.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao mentioned *son¡¯, the fraud¡¯s expression changed.


    Xie Qiao had an unfathomable look on her face. ¡°How is it? Is this penniless master urate? I can figure out where your cmity came from. You¡¯ve killed people before, and there were more than one. Even if you did not do it yourself, it must have been because of your mouth. Now that the evil debts have


    umted, your old age will definitely be bleak. All the disasters wille, and you won¡¯t have a good ending.¡±


    These words were half true and half false.


    However, they were mostly true.


    This was a professional fraud. It wasmon to deceive people and harm others. It was inevitable that some people would die after being deceived, just like that little girl. Although he did not kill her personally, she died because of him.


    She had just made a divination and could calcte some things. This old fraud would have some disasters in the next few days, and blood would be shed.


    Of course, these minor disasters were nothing at all. Almost everyone¡¯s luck would fluctuate a little every once in a while. As long as they did not hurt their family and did not interfere with their lives, it would not be a big deal. They could just bear with it.


    However, now, these minor disasters could be used to deceive people.


    At this moment, this fraud looked terrible. He was even a little angry.


    He had said all these things in the past, but now that Xie Qiao was the one who told his fortune, he could not help but feel angry when he heard it.


    ¡°Even if you say these things, I won¡¯t be scared. Don¡¯t you just want to swindle money from me? I know this method very well!¡± The old fraud was still quite firm.


    Xie Qiao smiled slightly. ¡°This penniless master is the sole heir of the Water Moon Temple, and my name is well-known in the capital. I¡¯m different from a fraud like you. Since I¡¯ve opened my mouth, I definitely won¡¯t lie casually. If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ take note of what happens these few days. This


    penniless master dares to say that you will definitely have money and physical losses.


    ¡°This penniless master is fated to meet you. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have said so much to you. I even wanted to give you some silver. If you have thought it through, go to thergest house on Ruyi Street and look for me,¡± Xie Qiao said. After she finished speaking, she stood up and was about to leave, however,


    just as she stood up, she seemed to have thought of something. She said again, ¡°Do you know that when a father sins, it involves the children as well? You have a heavy debt of sin. Your son will not have an easy time either.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Qiao left, not forgetting to leave the small piece of silver there.


    The old fraud¡¯s face trembled a few times, and his expression wasplicated.


    Jiang Jinlu hurriedly followed.


    After walking a few steps away, he hesitated and said, ¡°Senior Sister¡­ Why did you use his son to deceive him? Although this person is a fraud, isn¡¯t mentioning his son like adding salt to the wound? It¡¯s not very¡­ moral.¡±


    Moreover, he could not understand.


    His senior sister said that this fraud was her fated person, and she even gave him silver.. What was the reason for that?

 Chapter 942 - Cheat Him of His Money

    <h4>Chapter 942: Cheat Him of His Money</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao did not walk toward her residence, but walked slowly in another direction.


    ¡°Why should I talk about morality with him?¡± Xie Qiao was very calm, and her face was calm. ¡°I want to fulfill my customer¡¯sst wish. What does it have to do with me whether this chatan will die from the salt sprinkled by me?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu felt that there was something wrong with his eldest senior sister. ¡°This person¡­ is in the same line of work as you, and he does the same thing, right¡­¡±


    After saying that, he felt that he was done for.


    Xie Qiao stopped in her tracks, and a chill ran down her face.


    ment


    ¡°You can insult me for being ugly.¡±


    ¡°Tm not.. It was Senior Brother Sang who thought she was ugly¡­


    ¡°You can say that I don¡¯t have long to live!


    ¡°But you can¡¯t insult my profession. This isn¡¯t the first time!¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°Peers? Hmph, peers are those who do simr things. Do you think that all the chatans in the worlde from the same family and can be called a sage? If you insult me again, this penniless master will throw you into


    the Hundred Ghost Forest and let them eat you alive!¡±


    Yes, the Hundred Ghost Forest!


    She wondered if there was such a ce near Mengjiabao!


    If many abandoned mass graves became sunless woonds, they would most likely be ghost forests. Such ces were not verymon, but if someone barged in, they would suffer.


    Xie Qiao looked at him sinisterly and felt that it was necessary to see which ce had the heaviest dark energy nearby.


    Jiang Jinlu did not expect Xie Qiao to be so angry, and he immediately backed down. ¡°Then¡­ Senior Sister, in this world, are there¡­ many of your peers?¡±


    ¡°There are still quite a few.¡± Xie Qiao raised her face. ¡°In the capital, the high-ranking Taoist masters in the Yuxu Temple are not bad. I don¡¯t go out much, and I don¡¯t meet many of my peers. There are only a few.¡±


    However, when she was at the Water Moon Temple, she met quite a few experts.


    Jiang Jinlu nodded hard and forced himself to say something to please her. ¡®It¡¯s all because of my stupidity. Senior Sister is different from that kind of chatan. My knowledge is shallow¡­ Don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡±


    His senior sister was indeed different. How could a chatan give money to others?


    ¡°You are indeed inexperienced.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Jiang Jinlu choked and coughed dryly. He asked again, ¡°Senior Sister, are you sure that this person wille to our residence to look for you? Our ce is big and spacious. It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s not something that wandering Taoist masters can afford¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of this that he wille. If I were poor, he might think that I want to cheat him of his money. Of course, I do want to cheat him, but I have established an image that I don¡¯tck money. He will believe me more.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was light.


    ¡°Cheat him¡­ of his money¡­¡±


    Was she admitting it?


    ¡°Then you said that he is in trouble¡­ You¡¯ll have to find someone¡­ to put on an act¡­¡± Jiang Jinlong felt that his backbone was gone.


    Xie Qiao looked at him with genuine disdain. She could not help but cover her little heart. She was almost angered to death by this person.


    ¡°Teacher has been wise all his life. How could he be so stupid as to take you in?¡± Xie Qiao tried her best to calm herself down.


    No, this stupid junior brother would not be following her all the time, would he?


    Forget it that he followed her for a day. If he kept doing this, her enlightenment-mind would be destroyed!


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s ears were red and he was at a loss. He looked young to begin with, but with this expression, he looked like a b£¤stard son who had been reprimanded.


    Xie Qiao sighed. ¡°This penniless master can predict things. There is no need to secretly look for help for such things. If I say that he is in trouble, then it is true. If you don¡¯t believe me, just stand guard nearby and keep an eye on him. If it is as short as tomorrow or as long as three to five days, you will


    definitely be able to see it with your own eyes.¡±

 Chapter 943 - Dig Out

    <h4>Chapter 943: Dig Out</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu hesitated for a moment and decided to start tomorrow. He would stand guard near the stall and take a look for himself.


    However, he still followed his eldest senior sister closely.


    ¡°Where are we going now..?¡± Jiang Jinlu asked carefully.


    ¡°To dig a bone,¡± Xie Qiao said casually.


    ¡°What.. bone?¡± Jiang Jinlu did not quite understand.


    However, Xie Qiao ignored him and walked toward a side alley in Mengjiabao. After a few steps, she stopped for a while and looked left and right as if she was asking someone for directions. Then, she continued forward.


    After many turns, she arrived at a messy ce. There was aplicated smelling from that ce. There was a greasy smell of makeup and a pungent smell of sweat, there were also many dirty things around the alley, such as human feces and even strange stains that were extremely smelly.


    ¡®They were everywhere. The deeper they went, the more nervous Jiang Jinlu felt.


    ¡°Senior Sister¡­ This ce is not suitable for you. You should return quickly¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu wanted to cry but had no tears.


    Even though he did not trust his senior sister, in his eyes, she was still an expert. How could shee to such a ce?


    There were brothels, gambling dens, and a few shops. Other than these, the people living nearby were all poor people. Men mainly worked hard, while women did dirty and tiring work.


    Xie Qiao really did not care about these things.


    They were just walking through the streets and alleys anyway. She would be fine as long as no one would steal her air.


    ¡°Help me do a good jobter so that we can go back earlier.¡± Xie Qiao was very calm.


    After saying that, she stopped.


    Then, she looked at a house. The house looked very shabby, and the door was a bit broken. There was atch on the door, and he did not know what his eldest senior sister was going to do.


    ¡®Junior Brother, you are a man with great strength. Please kick the door open.¡± Xie Qiao turned to look at him.


    Since he followed her, he had to make some contributions, right?


    ¡°T-This isn¡¯t our house¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu was a little dumbfounded. If he kicked it open, would he not be treated as a thief? Breaking into a private house? That was not very good¡­


    ¡°The owner of this house asked me toe. Just kick it,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Jiang Jinlu was in a difficult position, but when he met his senior sister¡¯s gaze, he was too embarrassed to refuse. He braced himself and raised his foot.


    With a bang, the door opened.


    Xie Qiao walked in. There was a pomegranate tree in the courtyard. There were many fruits on the tree, but there were also many insects. With such a bigmotion, they had indeed chased out the person in the house. It was a man.


    This man had a sallow and thin face. Compared to him, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s fleshy baby face was filled with guilt.


    ¡°Who are you..2* The man¡¯s voice was weak and hoarse.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything more and pointed at the ground beside the pomegranate tree. ¡°Your wife said that she¡¯s hurt by the roots and asked you to move her body out from under the tree and bury her properly.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu red at her.


    Did he hear wrong? What did his senior sister say?!


    ¡®The man¡¯s face turned pale, and he was silent for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°This humble Taoist master canmunicate with both worlds. Your wife came to me toin about you, saying that you¡¯rezy and useless, and that you don¡¯t want to make progress. After she died, you hid her bones at home and refused to bury her properly. If she can do it all over again, she would


    have followed Butcher Wang, who ughtered pigs, and wouldn¡¯t have followed you. If you don¡¯t correct your mistake, she will find a lonely soul lover and make you a cuckold.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s words were harsh to the ears. However, her facial expression was light, as if she was chanting. There was no change of


    emotions at all.

 Chapter 944 - The Good Wife

    <h4>Chapter 944: The Good Wife</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s health was much better than before, but she would still calm herself down. Even if she spoke too fast, she could not help but worry that her body would not be able to withstand it, and it had be a habit.


    After she finished speaking, the man in the house was already red-eyed.


    ¡°Did she really say that¡­¡± the man suddenly squatted down with his hand covering his face. ¡®I¡¯m notzy, I just¡­ without her, I don¡¯t know what I would do..¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do anything? You can sweep the courtyard, can¡¯t you?¡± Xie Qiao mocked. She was still terrifyingly calm. ¡°You didn¡¯t cherish her when she was alive, and you made your wife tired, but you never thanked her. When she dies, no one will work for you. Do you remember how good she was? Even


    after she died, she still has to stay in this courtyard for you to reminisce. You really used your wife thoroughly.¡±


    ment


    Jiang Jinlu started to be on guard.


    He was afraid that this man would go crazy from his eldest senior sister¡¯s words and would take out a knife and chopped her up.


    He really did not expect that his eldest senior sister woulde all the way here and scold him.


    However¡­ was there really a corpse here?


    Judging from the man¡¯s attitude, there seemed to be. Then, how did his senior sister¡­ know about it? Was it because she couldmunicate with both worlds? Jiang Jinlu¡¯s senior sister¡¯s ability was different from what he had expected.


    Was the scope of work of a fraud so wide nowadays?


    He thought that she only needed to say some mysterious words and give some talismans¡­


    Speaking of which, if what his senior sister said was true, then the man in front of him was really a scum. Moreover, look at this courtyard¡­ It was really dirty, with fallen leaves all over the ground. There were also many caterpirs crawling around on the pomegranate trees. There were two chickens in the


    courtyard eating caterpirs, but chicken feces were everywhere.


    ¡°Go and get a shovel,¡± Xie Qiao said to the man.


    The man dawdled and seemed to be unwilling, but when he thought of the ¡®cuckold¡¯ that the Taoist master said, he moved anyway.


    In addition to a shovel, he also took a hoe and a rake. Obviously¡­ he did not want to work alone. He still hoped that the Taoist master, Xie Qiao, would work with him.


    He was reallyzy. He wished she would help him.


    This man¡¯s wife died of illness. She was tired all year round and her body could not take it. She died before she was thirty. She was too tired when she was alive and her body was not suitable for giving birth. This caused her to feel guilty toward her husband, so she kept the house in good order.


    However, one day, she died.


    She was even casually buried under the pomegranate tree. She could not help but feel resentful.


    Thinking of her life, she felt that she had been ruined by this man.


    Moreover¡­ When she was alive, her life was too regr. Every day, she repeated the boring and hard tasks, so it was the same for her to turn into a ghoul after she died. Every day, she would float from under the tree and go to the market to ¡°buy groceries¡¯, she would cook, take care of her husband¡¯s clothes


    and wash his face. She would have to ¡®clean the house¡¯. When the time came, she would have to go to the riverside to wash clothes to make money¡­


    Even if she became a ghoul, she was still forced to be a good wife.


    Then, Xie Qiao saw her.


    At this moment, all the workers had been brought in, so it was not good for Jiang Jinlu to stand still. After thinking for a while, she put the rooster back into the bamboo basket and prepared to dig.


    ¡°How long has your wife been dead?¡± Jiang Jinlu asked tentatively.


    ¡°Half a year,¡± the man said with red eyes.


    ¡°Then¡­ has the death been recorded in the official files?* Jiang Jinlu asked again.


    The man nodded. ¡°When she died, the coroner came to examine her. I thought that if I carried her body out of the city, I would have to spend a lot of time and effort to ask for help. Also, I would have to make some arrangements for the funeral. It¡¯s far from convenient to take care of her, so I buried her


    here¡­

 Chapter 945 - The Lazy Man

    <h4>Chapter 945: The Lazy Man</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu was also speechless. There was such azy person in the world.


    ¡®Was it not ufortable to be in the same courtyard as a corpse?


    However, such azy person¡­ Even if he buried the corpse, it was impossible to bury it too deep. Therefore, the two of them dug for a while and saw the rotting corpse. There were still some¡­ indescribable worms on it.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s hands trembled and he almost vomited.


    This man was veryzy. When he was digging, he actually did not have much energy. It was mostly because Jiang Jinlu was using all his strength. Otherwise, they would probably have to dig for another two hours before they could see the corpse inside!


    ment


    Jiang Jinlu turned his head and nced at his eldest senior sister who had been sitting next to him.


    However, her expression did not change. It was as if she saw an extremely ordinary object and was not afraid!


    ¡°Senior Sister, should we get a nket to wrap it up now?¡± Jiang Jinlu asked.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Get him to move the body out and clean it up. Someone will carry the coffin over in a while. I ordered it when I left yesterday.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu agreed.


    This man did not want to move. His wife loved to be clean when she was alive, but now¡­ she had been buried in the ground for so long. To be honest, it was not pretty. The stench was very pungent, and there were many parts of her body that were gone, her internal organs were also gone. Only her clothes


    and hair were left, and the texture of her flesh¡­ there was not much left. It looked very disgusting.


    ¡°Now that the corpse has been dug out, if you don¡¯t continue working, not only will your wife find a wild soul to apany her, she will probably be filled with resentment and make you suffer and be poor for the rest of your life,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡®When she said this, the man was moved.


    He had no choice but to believe the words of the master.


    Others thought that he had dragged his wife out of the city to be buried, but he had never denied it. Moreover, the people here were busy, and their rtionships were not that good. He also hardly spoke to his neighbors, therefore, he did not tell anyone that he had buried his wife in the courtyard.


    However, the master actually knew.


    So how could he not believe it?


    This person took his time and tiptoed around. As he vomited, he cleaned up. Xie Qiao found a stool to sit on. She was not in a hurry and waited slowly.


    ¡®When the sun set, the coffin arrived and a few people who yed music instruments came in as well.


    At this time, the corpse was also almost cleaned up.


    The body was too smelly, so it was not suitable to be left for a long time. They put it directly into the coffin and it was carried out.


    ¡°Senior Sister, where are they going to bury the person? Aren¡¯t we going?¡± Jiang Jinlu asked.


    ¡°We went outside of Mengjiabao yesterday and found a good ce with good feng shui. We have also made an agreement with them. Now that we have received the body, they will help us bury it. It¡¯ste now. We can go back after we receive the money,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    She had agreed with the people in the coffin shop yesterday.


    Therefore, she did not need to do it herself.


    This ghoul had low requirements. It was fine as long as she could leave from here and under the pomegranate tree.


    ¡°He¡¯s so poor¡­ Can he pay..?* Jiang Jinlu was a bit suspicious and almost persuaded his eldest senior sister not to take the money. Fortunately, when he was about to say it, he remembered his senior sister¡¯s angry look and held it in.


    To be honest, when his senior sister was angry¡­ She was very scary.


    ¡°He can¡¯t refuse to give me the money just because he says so.¡± Xie Qiao smiled and walked over.


    This man did not follow those coffin carriers out. After asking for the address, he copsed in the courtyard and stopped moving.


    ¡°Three hundred and fifty cash,¡± Xie Qiao said as she stood there.


    The man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I don¡¯t have money¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have money? Your wife said that the mouse hole in theer of your house has all your belongings. It¡¯s a total of 500 cash, and she left you 150 cash for food. If you can¡¯t find a way to make a living after spending it, you¡¯ll starve to death.¡±


    The man¡¯s face was ashen. How could that woman tell others where his family¡¯s wealth was?!


    Jiang Jinlu was stunned.


    How did she know?! He suddenly felt that someone was staring at his house¡­

 Chapter 946 - The Beautiful World of Ghouls

    <h4>Chapter 946: The Beautiful World of Ghouls</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu had a dazed look on his face, while Xie Qiao stood there like a pine tree, staring at the disheveled man.


    A momentter, the man seemed to have epted his fate and did not dare to provoke the two of them. Instead, he bent over with a dispirited look on his face and went into the house to take out the money jar. After taking out 150 cash, he reluctantly put the jar in the hands of the master.


    Xie Qiao nodded and put the copper coins in the bamboo basket with satisfaction. She then left in a carefree manner.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s footsteps were almost stiff. Before he could wash the dust off his hands, he hurriedly chased after her.


    He was behind Xie Qiao. Looking at his senior sister¡¯s thin and cold back, he thought she was more and more mysterious.


    ¡°Senior Sister, what does a ghoul look like?¡± After a moment, he caught up to Xie Qiao¡¯s side and asked after thinking for a while.


    Xie Qiao paused at the foot of the road, she pointed at an old water tank by the side of the road. ¡°There¡¯s one there. It¡¯s an old man. He was poor when he was alive and didn¡¯t even have a ce to live. He died in this broken water tank. He looked like a living person, only a little pale and¡­ ugly. However, there


    are also good-looking ghouls, but rtively speaking, there are fewer of them.¡±


    ¡®The water tank was ced upside down and had a big hole. If it was not big, one could curl up inside it.


    ¡°There¡¯s one here?¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He thought he could not look at the broken tank. ¡°Then¡­ can you put him away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he doesn¡¯t want to leave,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡®There were many ghouls along the way. She had seen them yesterday.


    ¡°Why? Jiang Jinlu could not understand.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Xie Qiao suddenly grinned at him. ¡°Your bed is morefortable. If he wants to sleep, he can sleep. But if he goes down there, it¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    ¡®The expression on Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face froze. He felt a rush of blood and qi rushing in his head. It was ringing in his head, he felt ufortable.


    ¡°Senior Sister, you¡¯re lying to me, right¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu had goosebumps.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m lying to you, then I¡¯m lying to you.¡± Xie Qiao smiled and walked to the water tank to look at the ghoul, she smiled. ¡°Tonight, this little brother next to me wants to invite you to stay at home for a night. Soft pillow in the high mountain, snacks and delicacies. Are youing?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu was dumbfounded.


    She could not pull a trick on him like this!


    Of course, that ghoul was happy.


    He had met this master yesterday and liked her a lot!


    At this moment, he looked straight at Jiang Jinlu. Without saying anything, he directly floated out of the water tank and clung onto Jiang Jinlu¡¯s head, afraid that he would get separated.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu wanted to cry but he could not.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? You don¡¯t believe me. Just pretend that there¡¯s nothing.¡± There seemed to be stars in Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes, and she was in a very good mood.


    This kid had offended her.


    Jiang Jinlu really wanted to say that after he dug up the corpse today, he started to believe that there really were ghouls in this world¡­


    However, now¡­ his eldest senior sister was too ruthless!


    Jiang Jinlu dared not say anything. When the breeze blew, the fallen leaves on the trees fell with the wind and flew back and forth like butterflies dancing.


    It was a beautiful scene.


    ¡°This is a pretty female spirit. She died at such a young age before getting married. Her parents are still alive and well, but she doesn¡¯t want to leave. It¡¯s pretty boring to be a ghoul. Isn¡¯t it pretty when she starts dancing?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice sounded like a call from the King of Hell. It was very frightening to listen


    to.


    Jiang Jinlu felt that he was not doing well at all¡­


    Initially, the fallen leaves, the old residence, the people, and the hustle and bustle. Although the scene that was pieced together was filled with liveliness and exhaustion, it also had an indescribable sense of the mundane world.. However, after hearing what his eldest senior sister said¡­

 Chapter 947 - You’re Carrying Him!

    <h4>Chapter 947: You¡¯re Carrying Him!</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Jiang Jinlu looked at the leaves again. No matter how he looked at them, they were really weird.


    He could not help but shiver.


    However, this was not the end.


    After a few steps, Xie Qiao said again, ¡°There¡¯s a child sitting on the wall. He must¡¯ve flown up, right? Sigh, it¡¯s quite pitiful. There are quite a number of teeth marks on his body. He was eaten by wild beasts in the wild. Perhaps there are many people here, so he floated over from outside the city.¡±


    She walked to the end of the alley. ¡°There¡¯s a patrol constable standing there. He was a rare upright person. When he was alive, he fell to his death while chasing after a thief. After he died, he wandered around the streets. When he saw those ghouls who did not follow the rules, he would go up and scold


    them. It was more or less useful.


    ¡°There¡¯s a beggar at your feet. He wants money from you¡­¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s hair stood on end. He looked down and saw nothing.


    ¡°No¡­ Senior Sister, stop tricking me


    iang Jinlu¡¯s voice was already trembling.


    ¡°I forgot. You can¡¯t see them.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled up.


    ¡°[-Then what should I do?¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s body tensed up. Even if this dead man begged, the money he gave could not be used, right?!


    ¡°You can pretend you don¡¯t know, or you can go to the abandoned Chenghuang Temple and burn some millet or joss paper. It¡¯s up to you,¡± Xie Qiao said and thought for a while, then she said, ¡°However, I advise you not to do good things casually.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Jinlu did not understand.


    It was just some joss paper. It would not take much effort and money.


    ¡°What if you took out a handful of silver and sprinkled them on the street?¡± Xie Qiao asked softly.


    Jiang Jinlu immediately understood.


    ¡®When he was traveling outside, he heard a ridiculous story about a rich young master who was distributing money on the street. In the end, the people fighting over the money got into a fight, and the rich young master was trampled to death.


    ¡®The living were like that, the dead were no exception.


    If he suddenly burned joss paper, those ghouls who were short of money would probablye looking for him.


    Thinking of this, Jiang Jinlu felt even colder.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯ve walked a long way. Think about it carefully. Do you feel that your shoulders are more tired than your legs?¡± Xie Qiao asked him.


    Jiang Jinlu subconsciously rubbed his shoulders. ¡°It seems like it. I feel that my shoulders are very heavy and sore today. Maybe I didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°Naive. You¡¯re carrying the old man who lived in the water tank. Of course you¡¯re tired¡­¡± Xie Qiao shook her head and nced at him with sympathy.


    Jiang Jinlu felt his shoulders be heavier.


    Was what his eldest senior sister said true?!


    It had to be, it had to be!


    Later on, Xie Qiao did not say anything else. She only looked around asionally and muttered to herself. However, this made him even more uneasy than when she exined.


    Fortunately, they finally made it to the residence.


    Jiang Jinlu almost ran to his own courtyard.


    ¡°Did you guys have a good time today?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked when he saw Xie Qiao smiling.


    ¡°No, this junior brother is stupid and foolish. I almost died of anger.¡± When Xie Qiao saw Zhao Xuanjing, she felt as if her meridians were cleared.


    They were both junior brothers, why was there such a big difference?


    Look at Zhao Xuanjing. He was the Crown Prince, but he never put on airs. He believed whatever she said. He did not dislike her for being ugly, nor did he think that she was ipetent. This was what a junior brother should do!


    ¡°Senior Sister is an unworldly expert. She was born with this exquisite mind. Jiang Jinlu is just an ordinary person. He¡¯s a bit smarter than ordinary people. He used all of his intelligence in his studies. It¡¯s inevitable that he¡¯s a bit clumsy andcking in manners. Senior Sister, don¡¯t be calctive with him.


    Your anger will ruin your body..¡±

 Chapter 948 - Senior Sister is Being Kind

    <h4>Chapter 948: Senior Sister is Being Kind</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s tone was gentle, and he knew how to coax people.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was satisfied. ¡°I just think that he is so stupid and insensible. When he really bes an official in the future, how would he be better? After all, we are a family of senior sister and junior brothers. At teacher¡¯s age, if I still have to worry about him in the future, it will make


    my heart ache.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words were filial.


    Her teacher was old, but he had many disciples. They were like his children. To start a family and establish a career, he had to spend a lot of effort to arrange both.


    ¡°No rush. In these two years, he won¡¯t enter the official career. Just teach him more. If he is still a little reckless and arrogant by then, transfer him to a remote small city to refine himself for a few years. He will suffer some hardships and gain some knowledge. There are many officials in the imperial


    court. When he is forty or fifty years old, he would suddenly be shrewd and capable. After all, he is still young.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not too harsh.


    In other words, there was no need to be harsh.


    He was not just a senior brother. He was the Crown Prince.


    If this person could be used, he would be used. If he could be trained, he would be sent out. Jiang Jinlu had read many books, so even if he had some shorings, he would still be useful. If he was useless, he would not have been epted into the sect.


    ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work, you can get teacher to kick him out of the sect and let him calm down.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was quite ruthless.


    ¡°How can I do that? I¡¯m teacher¡¯s disciple, and I¡¯m only a senior sister. How can I do that? Moreover, it¡¯s not necessary to do that.¡± Xie Qiao hurriedly shook her head, ¡°I do feel that his persistence in this matter is terrifying, but it¡¯s also understandable. But today¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at the rooster in the basket. ¡°He actually wanted to eat the rooster that I¡­ raised together with Young Lady Xie and he even said that I¡¯m in the same line as that fraud on the street! I almost could not suppress the thought of bringing him to the King of Hell.¡±


    She still had to continue pretending.


    However, when Xie Qiao said that, she sized up Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s attitude.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not seem to doubt her at all. ¡°Then he really should be beaten. Why don¡¯t we ask the kitchen to make a few bloody dishes tonight?¡±


    They should serve more chicken, duck, pig, and deer blood.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to eat today.¡± Xie Qiao was amused. ¡°I told him that he was carrying an old man on his shoulder and that this old man wanted to sleep in the same room as him.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really! I invited him personally. If it weren¡¯t for my sake, I¡¯m afraid the old man wouldn¡¯t be happy about it,¡± Xie Qiao said seriously.


    However, what she said was not wrong.


    As the old man died in the water tank, he would stay in the tank during the day and nevere out. However, at night.


    Going from house to house, which soft pillows of the rich man¡¯s in Mengjiabao had not beenid by him?


    Other than those who had powerful dharma instruments in their homes, the rest¡­ had all been visited.


    There was still some anticipation and excitement on Xie Qiao¡¯s face, but it was not particrly obvious. Then, she pretended to be calm and said, ¡°This penniless master didn¡¯t mean to bully him. Anyway, he can¡¯t see it. Ahem.¡±


    ¡°Tunderstand. Senior Sister is being kind and helping him train his courage.¡± Zhao Xuanjing gave a half-smile and his tone was indulgent.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Junior Brother understands me.¡±


    That night, Jiang Jinlu did not eat.


    He could not eat.


    He felt ufortable on his shoulders all the way home. After he got home, he felt much better. He could not help but suspect that something had gotten off his shoulders and moved into the house.


    However, he could not change rooms. If word got out, his senior sister would definitelyugh at him..

 Chapter 949 - Ask Him to Leave!

    <h4>Chapter 949: Ask Him to Leave!</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®The windows in Jiang Jinlu¡¯s room were also closed. He sat on the chair and drank a belly full of tea. He was prepared not to sleep tonight.


    It was too disgusting.


    Regardless of whether there were ghouls or not, he felt that he could not sleep well after hearing what his senior sister said. Therefore, he might as well focus and read more books.


    However, in a trance, he seemed to feel that the gauze curtain moved.


    An illusion¡­ It must be an illusion.


    It was dark.


    The lights in the room were quite bright.


    However, for some reason, the lights today¡­ were swaying although there was ampshade. From time to time, small sparks would explode from themp oil. The flickering light made him feel very ufortable. Also, this snack.


    Today¡¯s snack did not taste very good. It did not taste good at all.


    ¡°Creak-¡± the door was blown open by a gust of wind, and a cold wind poured in.


    Jiang Jinlu subconsciously gulped. The servant guarding the door outside was a little confused. He hurriedly said, ¡°Young Master, please read in peace. I¡¯ll close the door now. It¡¯s a bit cold tonight. Do you want the kitchen to make some soup?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s voice was still calm.


    However, he felt an unspeakable panic in his heart.


    ¡®The hand holding the book was a bit pale, and¡­ he felt that his eyelids were trembling as if he could not open them. He was not very sleepy, but¡­ he really wanted to close his eyes and rest.


    What was going on?


    Jiang Jinlu could not see that the old man was squatting on the table in front of him. His head was so close to his face, and his old and dark hands were pressing on his eyelids as if he was working very hard. He was closing his eyelids for him!


    ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep, young man¡­


    ¡°Young man,e to sleep. I¡¯ve warmed the nket for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re still young. You need to sleep well to grow properly¡­ Come on, let¡¯s rest. The bed is sofortable¡­ Hehehe¡­¡±


    The old man kept talking.


    After more than an hour, he won.


    Jiang Jinlu could not take it anymore. After thinking for a while, he decided to rest.


    However, after he got into the nket, Jiang Jinlu felt that something was wrong, The weather was indeed getting colder, but it was not so cold. Moreover, when he slept under the nket yesterday, he felt very hot, but today, he felt that his whole body was cold, but his head did not hurt. He should not


    be sick.


    He could not help but think of what his senior sister had said.


    His legs felt numb as he thought about it. He was lying on his back, as if something was pressing on him. His blood was not circting properly.


    In an instant, Jiang Jinlu jumped up.


    He rushed straight to the yard.


    ¡°Master?¡± The servant on night duty was confused.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face was pale. He gritted his teeth and did not say anything. He braced himself and ran to Xiao Yurong¡¯s ce next door to make do for the night.


    The next day, Xie Qiao saw a pair of panda-eyed junior brothers.


    ¡°Your Highness, get the imperial physician toe over. Junior Brother Jiang had a nightmarest night. He was full of nonsense. I don¡¯t know what scared him, but he was very scared. I didn¡¯t dare to sleep for the whole night. I was afraid that he would have a fever and get sick.¡± Xiao Yurong was quite


    concerned about his junior brother¡¯s health.


    One of them was already sick, so it was not good for another to fall sick.


    Theer of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°I have to say, Junior Brother¡¯s color looks like the ghoul of that old man I saw yesterday. It doesn¡¯t even look like blood. It¡¯s quite scary.¡±


    He begged his senior sister to stop talking!


    Jiang Jinlu was on the verge of tears. ¡°Senior Sister, I really know my mistake. C-Can you please ask that ghoul to leave? Last night¡­ He slept on my bed¡­¡±


    ¡°No, he said that you went to Junior Brother Xiao¡¯s cest night. He was worried about you, so he went with you and stayed with you..¡±

 Chapter 950 - He Met An Expert?

    <h4>Chapter 950: He Met An Expert?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were innocent, and her tone was calm. To Jiang Jinlu, what she said was¡­ extremely cruel.


    ¡°Retch-¡± Jiang Jinlu subconsciously vomited.


    If he did not find it dirty, then¡­ Sleeping with a ghoul was no different from living with a corpse in the same room.


    ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t forget that you have to go outside to watch that fraud suffer today, so you have to eat some food. As for the ghoul beside you¡­¡± Xie Qiao was still cold-hearted, ¡°You have already invited the guest. If you don¡¯t let him stay for three to five days, are you a good host?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu truly felt what it meant to be terrifying.


    Invisible and untouchable, but still present.


    Xie Qiao had always been a vengeful person.


    Destroying hermps, bullying her Da Xiong, humiliating her profession. He did not want to suffer a little bit of pain and wanted to turn the page? No way.


    Jiang Jinlu wanted to cry, but he could not.


    Xie Qiao calmly ate her meal. Her movements were slow, elegant, and beautiful. Her unchanging face was full of dignity and solemnity. Even Li Shiyan kept quiet at this moment and did not speak to judge the matter between the senior sister and brother.


    ¡°How about I apany Senior Sister out today?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Sure, it just so happens that you can umte more good karma.¡±


    There were also many vengeful and fierce souls in Mengjiabao. With Zhao Xuanjing around, it would be convenient to deal with them. As for Jiang Jinlu, she would never let him follow her today. This kid¡¯s words were too infuriating.


    ¡®When they reached the capital.


    Xie Qiao nced at Jiang Jinlu quietly. She would use Xie Pinghuai¡¯s identity as his grand-disciple to invite him in for a chat. By then, it would be best to let her eldest brother show off his skills!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t throw up. Eat more. It will nourish your body and make you strong.¡±


    He could take a beating.


    Jiang Jinluo was relieved when he heard the gentle voice.


    It would just be three to five days¡­ He would try his best to hold it in and it would be fine after he got over it. He would try to curry favor with his senior sister after she hadpletely calmed down.


    Xiao Yurong, who was beside him, felt a little uneasy. He felt that his senior sister¡­ seemed to be a bad person.


    After Jiang Jinlu had his fill, he went to look for the fraud. He sneakily found a seat nearby to sit and watch. However, there was nothing wrong that day.


    He was actually a little worried.


    Another day passed. Jiang Jinlu waited for a long time before he finally saw something happening.


    A family came to the stall and started to argue with the fraud. The old fraud was old and did not have any martial arts skills. He was pushed to the ground in just a few moves. His hand was even scratched and bled a lot.


    Not only that, in order to calm things down, that old man even took out two taels of silver and gave it away.


    Jiang Jinlu was there, so he knew what they were arguing about.


    It seemed that this old fraud had read the fortune of this olddy and coaxed her into giving him a lot of silver and benefits. He even said that her daughter-inw was bad luck for her mother-inw and mistreated her. The daughter-inw was the elder sister-inw, she was respected by her


    subordinates, so the entire family came to teach this old man a lesson.


    He had lost money and was hurt. Now that things had turned out this way, he could not even run his business today.


    This kind of thing could not have been arranged by Jiang Jinlu¡¯s eldest senior sister, so


    Did his eldest senior sister predict it?!


    Even if it was a disaster, it was not easy for one to bleed. It could not be such a coincidence, right?


    Even if it was one or two coincidences, how many unexinable mysterious events had happened over the past few days?


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart was pounding like thunder.


    At this moment, the old fraud was also panicking. After closing his stall, he immediately went to Ruyi Street and found thergest house. He casually asked around and found out that the great schr Li Shiyan and his disciples were living in this house!


    In other words, the female Taoist master who told his fortune¡­ had an extraordinary background!


    How could such a person lie to him for money?


    He had been swindling on the streets for dozens of years and he had actually met a true expert?!

 Chapter 951 - Hard to Get A Hold Of

    <h4>Chapter 951: Hard to Get A Hold Of</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®The fraud was also panicking. He was especially unlucky today.


    He had better not give in to that female Taoist master¡¯s words that day and had a bad ending!


    At his age, he was actually afraid of death, especially after so many years of not enjoying life. He had finally saved up some money and was thinking of buying a house and servants to serve him when he was older!


    However, now.


    The fraud¡¯s heart was beating fast. He asked the guard carefully, ¡°May I ask if there¡¯s a Taoist master in the house¡­¡±


    ¡°Taoist master? Are you talking about the eldest disciple of my master? Sage Mo?¡± The servant looked down at the fraud. ¡°You heard about our sage¡¯s ability, so you came to her for fortune-telling and feng shui? I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. She only serves her fated person.¡±


    Since Xie Qiao had given the address, of course she would make preparations in advance.


    At this moment, the fraud heard this and believed it a little more.


    ¡°Is your Sage Mo very capable?¡± The fraud thought for a moment. ¡°To tell you the truth, you can tell from my outfit¡­ Sage Mo and I are in the same line of work, but few people in our line of work are real¡­¡±


    Of course, there were real masters, but such masters were rare.


    He had lived for so many years, and he had met a lot of people in the same line of work. Many of them were true Taoist masters, and some of them could tell fortune, but most of them were quite ordinary. They only knew how to do some ordinary rituals and had memorized many scriptures.


    However, this Sage Mo was not quite the same.


    ¡°How can our sage be the same? She¡¯s the descendant of the Water Moon Temple! She canmunicate with both worlds!¡±


    Yes!


    The old man was stunned. She couldmunicate with both worlds. That day, she was obviously talking to a ghoul!


    At this moment, the old man became cautious. ¡°Master Mo said that I was her fated person. After I figured it out, I came here to look for her¡­ Can you tell her that?¡±


    ¡°She said that you are her fated person? How is that possible?¡± The servant frowned, with a look of disdain, he said, ¡°Where did youe from? When she¡¯s in the capital, it¡¯s hard to get a hold of her. Although she asionally met her fated person on the street, she¡¯d hardly approach them,


    ¡°Treally am! She even gave me a tael of silver!¡± The old man became anxious when he heard that.


    Why did he not believe it?!


    Pfft!¡± The servant was amused, ¡°Not only did your Taoist master tell your fortune, she also gave you silver in return? Are you crazy? Sigh, you¡¯re a pitiful person. Forget it, forget it. I¡¯l inform her for you. But don¡¯t me me for not reminding you. Although our Taoist master is kind-hearted, if it wasn¡¯t


    for fate, she wouldn¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    As he said this, the servant gave the fraud a sympathetic look and then went to inform Xie Qiao.


    The servant was new.


    Although he would not be staying for long, there were quite a few people in the residence and people were needed everywhere. It was impossible for the guards to do such trivial things as cleaning and guarding the door.


    After they left, they would either keep or sell the residence. They could bring these servants along with them.


    In order to leave a good impression on the master, the servant at the door had put in a lot of effort in acting.


    The more the old fraud waited outside, the more anxious he became.


    As time went by, the respect he had for Sage Mo rose to a higher level.


    People who were too easy to meet would not seem mysterious enough.


    After a while, he came back. When he saw the fraud, his expression wasplicated. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what kind of luck you have to be able to get a piece of advice from our Sage Mo. She said that there¡¯s no big problem with you. You just have to figure out when and where you did something wrong and


    make up for it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± The old man was stunned.


    Was he not fated? Why did she only give a sentence of advice?!

 Chapter 952 - Don’t You Know How to Express Your Gratitude?

    <h4>Chapter 952: Don¡¯t You Know How to Express Your Gratitude?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Thinking back to that day when he ignored this Sage Mo, only now did this old man truly regret it.


    ¡°beg little brother to go and inform her again. Honestly, this old man¡¯s cmity¡­¡± the old man smiled wryly, ¡°Look at my hand. I¡¯ve suffered a lot today. If master doesn¡¯t help me solve this cmity, I won¡¯t be able to eat or slee


    ¡°Our Sage Mo said that you leamed the same skill yourself. You know a little about it. Can¡¯t you solve it?¡± The servant said seriously.


    Not far away, Jiang Jinlu was watching.


    The more he watched, the more confused he became.


    That day, his eldest senior sister had given money to help this old man with her fortune-telling. Now that this person hade to her door, she disappeared?


    He thought about it carefully.


    He thought his eldest senior sister¡¯s trick was to retreat in order to advance. This old man was injured and had lost his money. He was probably in a panic and did not notice this.


    After thinking for a while, he walked out. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Jiang.¡± The servant immediately bowed.


    Hearing this, the old man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I remember you. That day, you came with Sage Mo to tell my fortune. At that time, you were holding a big rooster!¡±


    Jiang Jinlu did not want to recall that scene.


    ¡°Young Master, can you take me to see the master?! The disaster hase! And my son¡­ admit that I did have a son. He died when he was three years old. Later on, I didn¡¯t have a child anymore. I¡¯ve been alone all these years. In fact, it doesn¡¯t matter if I die or not in the future, but¡­ m-my son can¡¯t be


    implicated by me down there!¡±


    ¡°Seeing you like this, it makes people sigh with pity. How about this, I¡¯ll go and plead for you. Perhaps my eldest senior sister will meet you. You can wait a little longer.¡± As he spoke, Jiang Jinlu went in.


    Actually, he could have brought him in directly.


    However, thinking about his senior sister¡¯s scheme, he thought it would be better to make this old man panic for a while, and then it would be easier to manipte him.


    However, when he thought of this


    Jiang Jinlu felt quite awkward in his heart.


    He was too familiar with this trick. The old woman in his vige also fooled people like this. She made the patients or their family members¡¯ moods swing, In the end, they were like hairy crabs that had their ws removed and were at the mercy of others.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister.¡± When he entered his senior sister¡¯s courtyard and saw that her senior sister was feeding the rooster, he hurriedly walked over.


    Xie Qiao had juste back from the outside.


    ¡°The fraud outside hasn¡¯t left yet.¡± Jiang Jinlu looked embarrassed. ¡°I said I would plead for him. When do you think we should get rid of him?¡±


    He now understood that his eldest senior sister¡¯s customer should be a ghoul.


    This fraud was not only not fated, but also¡­ amb waiting to be ughtered.


    However, he had only heard his senior sister¡¯s words that day, so he did not know what kind of grievance that ghoul had suffered.


    ¡°ince Junior Brother has spoken, let¡¯s go and see him.¡± Xie Qiao dusted her hands and wiped them briefly before leaving.


    Was it that easy? In fact, it was not a big deal for that old man to wait outside


    Dumbfounded, Jiang Jinlu followed Xie Qiao out.


    However, Xie Qiao stopped and turned around to look at him. ¡°Since it¡¯s for your sake, does Junior Brother not know how to express your gratitude?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. When you ask for help, you have to have an attitude of asking for help. Although you¡¯re teacher¡¯s disciple, you¡¯ll have to go to the imperial court to refine yourself in the future. When you see others, it¡¯s better to be sweet-mouthed,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡®When there was an opportunity, Xie Qiao would target him deliberately.

 Chapter 953 - Usurping the Throne

    <h4>Chapter 953: Usurping the Throne</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    However, from what Jiang Jinlu heard, it sounded like his eldest senior sister was intentionally giving him pointers!


    Thinking about it carefully, she was right. He was a person who did not know how to speak and often offended people without even knowing it. If he were to be like this in the future, it was likely that he would make many people angry without him knowing. When that time came, his official career would


    also be very difficult.


    ¡°Iknow, but¡­ Eldest Senior Sister, I really¡­ don¡¯t know how to praise people. What should I do?¡± Jiang Jinlu asked.


    As soon as he finished his words, Zhao Xuanjing came over and looked at Jiang Jinlu deeply. Then, he walked between the two of them. ¡°I asked the kitchen to make pastries. They taste good. Do you want to try them?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I have to deal with some things first.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that together,¡± Zhao Xuanjing answered casually. ¡°What were you talking about just now?¡±


    ¡°T feel that I¡¯m not good with my words. I don¡¯t know what to say to make others feelfortable.¡± Facing the Crown Prince, Jiang Jinlu¡¯s voice became weaker and more respectful.


    Thinking of the Crown Prince ascending the throne in the future, he felt that the person in front of him was not his senior brother, but someone who controlled where his head would be and could not be provoked.


    If he offended his senior sister, there was still room for negotiation. If he offended the Crown Prince, then


    Even the gods could not save him.


    ¡°Comment on me and Eldest Senior Sister. Let me hear it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    Jiang Jinlu was inexplicably nervous, and his heart was in his throat.


    At this moment, he felt as if he had gone to the court examinations ahead of time and wanted to brag about the wisdom of the Emperor or the royal family.


    His Highness was his senior brother, but the two of them had only met a few times. After all, the Crown Prince was still very busy and had a lot of government affairs to deal with.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ you are all-rounded and have the heart to love the people. You are lenient and magnanimous. You have the heart of a hero¡­¡± After all, he was not writing an article, so Jiang Jinlu could only force herself to boast.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing could not help butugh.


    Xie Qiao was the same.


    ¡°Look at my identity. I have the heart to love the people and be magnanimous¡­ Do you think that I am secretly nning to usurp the throne and drive my father away to rece him?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked with a smile.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s legs gave way and he immediately knelt down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re out together and living together. You are my junior brother. Since I asked you to speak, you should say something sincere, not those words that are tiring to hear.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not angry and nced at him, ¡°Get up. You¡¯re already so flustered when I asked you to speak. You need to learn


    more.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat.


    He did not want to kneel, but the word ¡°usurp the throne¡¯ really scared him.


    After standing up, Jiang Jinlu wiped the sweat off his forehead and thought carefully.


    From the perspective of a junior brother.


    ¡°Theard from the teacher that¡­ Senior Brother has been smart since you were young. When you entered the sect, you already had a stomach full of talent. However, this talent did note from the sky, but from the hard work you umted. Senior Brother is a noble student, but your desire to learn is


    stronger than that of a poor student like me. Senior Brother is so strict with yourself. Either you like reading, or you read for the people of the world. You haven¡¯t cked off for so many years. This has always been what I admire the most.¡± Jiang Jinlu also tried his best to tell the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the case. There¡¯s nothing we can do if we¡¯re naturally intelligent. Just by working a little harder, others won¡¯t be able to catch up to us.¡± Zhao Xuanjing sighed lightly.


    The corner of Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mouth twitched.


    This other person also included him, right?


    As for him, he could already be considered to be very talented in reading. Otherwise, his teacher would not have epted him, but¡­ his senior brother, the Crown Prince, was indeed beyond the reach of others..

 Chapter 954 - Come Up for a Solution

    <h4>Chapter 954: Come Up for a Solution</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing was quite thick-skinned. After praising himself, he said, ¡°It¡¯s time to praise Senior Sister.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu was really stumped.


    He had been praising his senior sister since he was young, and he had said a lot of it. At that time, he had only said it to her teacher, and the words were very simple. They were aimed at three things¡ªappearance, bearing, and talent.


    They were all boastful. He used to be thick-skinned enough to say something like she could overrun cities and ruin states, and he believed it without a doubt!


    However, now.


    He was facing his real senior sister, not an imaginary one.


    He would be really stuck if he said she could overrun cities and ruin states.


    ¡°Senior Sister, you¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu was in a dilemma. When he was hesitating, he saw his senior sister looking at him with resentment, and he blurted out, ¡°Senior Sister is abnormally fierce¡­


    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu was anxious, ¡°What I mean is that Eldest Senior Sister is very brave. She can connect with the ghouls. In addition, Eldest Senior Sister is also very kind and helps the ghouls to fulfill their wishes. Although Eldest Senior Sister has a cold personality, she also cares about


    her junior brothers very much. I know how kind she


    After saying that, Jiang Jinlu gulped, afraid that he would be beaten up.


    He could not help but say the word ¡°fierce¡±.


    ¡°It must be hard for you to say that.¡± Xie Qiao snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Senior Sister is the most special person I have ever met,¡± Jiang Jinlu said honestly.


    Xie Qiao felt that the word ¡°special¡± did not mean anything good. However, this kid was more or less the same.


    ¡°Do you believe that there are ghouls in this world?¡± Xie Qiao asked faintly.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I do, I think?¡± Jiang Jinlu smiled bitterly. ¡°But¡­ if there¡¯s a chance, I hope I can¡­ take a look for myself.¡±


    ¡°Sure, go find cow¡¯s tears yourself, and I¡¯ll open the Heavenly Eye for you to look at them,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    ¡°Cow¡¯s tears?¡± Jiang Jinlu was a little curious.


    ¡°The tears of an old cow that worked hard for its whole life before it died,¡± Xie Qiao added, ¡°A old cow that worked his whole life. I heard that before it died, it would think about its whole life, so its tears were also very sad. After getting the tears of a cow, I¡¯d add some other medicines and squeeze some of


    it on your eyelids. Then, you will see¡­ a different world.¡±


    Hearing this, Jiang Jinlu feltplicated.


    An old cow that worked its whole life¡­ He already felt sorry for the cow.


    ¡°Tl try to find some.¡± Jiang Jinlu nodded seriously.


    He thought it was not enough to judge whether there were ghouls based on those gloomy winds and candles!


    He had to see it with his own eyes!


    Seeing how persistent he was, Xie Qiao even hesitated whether she should share a drop of the remaining cow tears with him¡­ However¡­ she really could not bear to. There were not many drops left, and now she was so poor, it was better to save them. Jiang Jinlu would have to find it himself!


    As she spoke, she arrived at the hall.


    She also asked someone to invite the fraud in.


    The fraud entered the big house. The deeper he went, the more he believed in Master Mo¡¯s ability.


    If she was not a master, she definitely would not live in this kind of house, right?!


    ¡®When he saw the master in person, the fraud was immediately subdued by her bearing. He immediately knelt down. ¡°I was blind to have offended you. I hope that Master won¡¯t take it to heart!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently. ¡°You came to me to ask me to get rid of your bad luck?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± After the old man got up, he said with a trembling voice, ¡°Today, my luck was not good. I was beaten by someone, and my hand was injured. I lost some money. This money¡­ is not important. But I thought of Master mentioning my son¡­ He is innocent. I don¡¯t want him to have a hard time in the


    underworld. I hope that Master can help mee up with a solution..¡±

 Chapter 955 - The Master Doesn’t Want Money

    <h4>Chapter 955: The Master Doesn¡¯t Want Money</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had always been very steady. She nced at him from top to bottom.


    ¡°Your cmity is very difficult to resolve,¡± Xie Qiao said faintly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know in your heart. Do you know how many sins you¡¯vemitted in the past years?¡±


    The old fraud¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Master, I¡­ didn¡¯t harm anyone. It¡¯s just that those people came to me hoping that I would help them find the reason for their misfortune. If I didn¡¯t tell them the truth, they wouldn¡¯t have given me the silver¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s all their decision. It¡¯s none of my business¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze deepened.


    That was right. This old man only said some simple words to those people who had nowhere else to go.


    For instance, that young girl¡¯s family. The pir of their family was about to die. If someone said that it was the young girl who was bad luck, should the people in this family believe it?


    If they believed it, the young girl would not have a good ending. If they did not believe it


    With the pir of the family dead, the family would inevitably have doubts. How good could the young girl¡¯s life be?


    There were many people in the same situation as the young girl.


    He did not personally kill people, but there were people who died because of him.


    Now, someone came looking for him.


    However, the young girl only wanted money, so she would not do unnecessary things.


    ¡°You have a good appearance, but your mouth reveals your wealth. Your beard is still ck, and you can still pretend. However, when you be a white-bearded old man in the future, you won¡¯t be able to hold on to your wealth. In yourter years, not only will you have no money, even your health


    won¡¯t be too good.


    ¡°Your eyes are often ufortable, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little itchy, and I can¡¯t help but want to rub them¡­¡± the old man hurriedly replied.


    ¡°This is it. When you get old, I¡¯m afraid that your eyes will bepletely blind. This is all because you¡¯ve caused the death of someone, and that¡¯s why you¡¯ve provoked something dirty,¡± Xie Qiao continued to bluff.


    ¡°[-Then what should I do?¡± The old fraud was also stunned.


    This master¡¯s predictions were very urate.


    No one knew that he had a son. Those who knew had either died of old age or forgotten about it.


    Also, his eyes were indeed ufortable, but there was nothing wrong with looking for a doctor to look at them. He thought that it was only because he was old that he had some minor illnesses and cmities.


    ¡°I¡¯s simple. I¡¯m just afraid that you won¡¯t be able to bear it.¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    ¡®When she said that, the old fraud¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Here it came.


    He used to talk to others like this in the past. After all, it was a cmity relief. Of course, he needed to pay money.


    The old fraud felt his heart ache a little. He did not have much money and had earned quite a lot over the years. However, he often lost money and idents happened. It was not easy for him to save up only 80 taels of silver. In order to avoid any idents, he put it in the bank.


    ¡°H-How much would I need to¡­ avoid cmity¡­¡± he braced himself and asked.


    He never thought that one day, as a fraud, he would say this to others.


    ¡°L don¡¯tck your few taels of silver. If you want to solve the cmity, you need to return this silver to the rightful owner. You have to return it back the way you earned it. You also have to give somepensation. Only then can you offset some of your sins. Go back and think about it yourself. Do you


    want your life or money? If you want your life, I don¡¯t need to say much about the rest, right?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    The old fraud was a little shocked and a little absent-minded.


    ¡®The master did not want money.


    However¡­ She was even more ruthless than asking for money!


    His silver was earned by deceiving people like this. Could it be that he could not keep any of it and had to give it all away?!


    He had cheated so many people, where could he find them?!


    He had a worried look on his face. Xie Qiao then said, ¡°Your current cmity mainlyes from the ghoul around you. Pacifying her will suppress half of her evil energy. This little spirit¡­ Because of your words, she was betrayed by her family and died tragically. The resentment lingered around her for a


    long time. As time goes by, you will be more and more unlucky.¡±

 Chapter 956 - Why Did You Lie

    <h4>Chapter 956: Why Did You Lie</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao directly told him about the origin of this ghoul, and the old man immediately recalled some past events.


    He did not like little girls.


    Back then, his son was taken out by a little girl from a neighbor¡¯s house, and that was why he died from the cold. Therefore, at that time, when he saw that there were many girls in that house, and one of them was dressed in sensible and lovely clothes, he was extremely disgusted. Then, he casually said


    that the young girl was bad luck to her family.


    Later on, when he found out that the young girl had been sold to a brothel, he felt very happy.


    However, when he heard that his bad luck was actually caused by this young girl


    The old man felt a bit more disgusted in his heart.


    That short-lived debt collector. She was already dead, yet she was still pestering him!


    ¡°Taoist master, can you take this evil spirit away? It¡¯s simply detestable for such an evil spirit to linger in the mortal world. If Master helps, I will definitely be grateful,¡± the old man quickly added.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao heard that, a chuckle was heard. ¡°You wish.¡±


    The fraud was stunned.


    ¡°Te already told you the solution. It¡¯s up to you whether you want to do it or not.¡± Xie Qiao, however, did not seem to care too much.


    The more Xie Qiao ignored him, the more that old fraud felt his heart itch, and he was filled with apprehension and fear.


    Xie Qiao did not keep him any longer. After she had said enough, she asked him to leave.


    She did not ask for a single cent.


    Walking out of the mansion, the fraud still felt that it was unreal.


    However, he listened to the master¡¯s words.


    Comparing silver and life, thetter was naturally more important. The master said that his main source of bad luck was that short-lived girl. As long as he could appease that girl¡¯s family, he would definitely be able to survive this cmity. Even if he could not, he would not be so miserable when he was


    older!


    Xie Qiao released the ghoul and asked her to go home with that old fraud.


    ¡°Senior Sister, why don¡¯t you take the opportunity to ckmail him¡­ And ask him to pay some silver? We even gave him some money before,¡± Jiang Jinlu asked immediately after he left.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to cheat and swindle, right?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him with hidden meaning.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face was burning.


    His senior sister was worried about her reputation, so it was not easy to collect money?


    However


    This fraud was not anything good. It was only right to collect some money. Even if she did not make money, she could not make a loss, right?


    Xie Qiao did not exin much to Jiang Jinlu.


    The next day, the old fraud went to the vige outside Mengjiabao and found the little girl¡¯s family.


    It had been a long time since this incident, but to the little girl¡¯s mother, every day was a torment. The moment the old man appeared, the woman¡¯s eyes turned red, and she could not describe her emotions.


    Back then, Master Ma had clearly said that if she sold the child, her man would be saved.


    Master Ma mustered his courage and walked in front of the woman. He took out 30 taels of silver. ¡°This penniless master has heard about your family¡¯s tragic situation. After thinking about it, I feel that it is better to return this silver to you. Back then, I took 20 taels of silver from your family. Now, I will


    give you another ten taels of silver to live on.¡±


    ¡®When the woman heard that, she was a little dumbfounded.


    Silver? Why?


    ¡°W-Why did you lie to us back then? My man couldn¡¯t be saved¡­¡± the woman was trembling a little.


    ¡°Who said that this old man lied to you? It was your family¡¯s ancestors who didn¡¯t give enough blessings, so even if you sold the child, that person couldn¡¯t be saved. This old man also tried his best at that time. Moreover, I also lost a lot of good karma because of your family¡¯s matter. After your child was


    sold, she died outside. Her resentment still haunts me. This old man really made a mistake in helping you!¡± Master Ma sighed.


    He hadpletely forgotten how he had begged for help yesterday.


    He was so used to putting on an act that he could not change it.


    When the ghoul next to him heard these words, her eyes turned red..

 Chapter 957 - Where is She

    <h4>Chapter 957: Where is She</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®The woman did not know if it was true or not, and the master in front of her did not dare to provoke her. Looking at the silver, she did not even know if she should take it or not.


    ¡°This old man has no fate with your family. I¡¯ve saved so many people, but I couldn¡¯t save your husband. I feel bad, and that¡¯s why I feel that this silver is too hot to take. Now, I¡¯ll return it all to you.¡± Master Ma sighed. ¡°If I was sincere in lying to you, why would I return the money now? Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡®The woman was ignorant. Upon hearing these words, she actually could not say anything to refute.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao arrived.


    ¡°Master Ma, don¡¯t you think that by returning the silver, you can make up for the debt of sin?¡± Xie Qiao said from behind.


    Master Ma was shocked. When he turned around and saw her, he felt as if he was struck by thunder. ¡°$-Sage Mo, you came here¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought that since Master Ma had returned the money today, the bad luck and resentments around you should be neutralized, so I wanted to see if I could release her. I didn¡¯t expect to hear Master Ma¡¯s words when I arrived here, and look at the bad luck on you¡­¡± Xie Qiao smiled faintly. ¡°It seems that


    the resentment is getting stronger. If this continues, I¡¯m afraid that it will directly kill you. Feel it for yourself. Is your chest ufortable?¡±


    ¡®When Xie Qiao said that, Master Ma subconsciously touched his chest.


    It was indeed so.


    It was not painful, but he felt suffocated, as if he could not breathe.


    At this moment, the ghoul¡¯s hand passed through his chest. The resentment was lingering around him. Even if it could not hurt him, it would definitely have some effect.


    After Master Ma felt this obvious difort, he immediately knelt down. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! Madam, I caused the death of your daughter. Just take this money! It¡¯s all my fault. I beg you to get your daughter to stop pestering me! I¡¯m also an old man. It¡¯s not easy for me either¡­¡±


    ¡®The woman was stunned. ¡°W-What did you say¡­¡±


    ¡°Tlied to you. I-I don¡¯t know any immortal spells at all. I just want to make a living¡­ But I didn¡¯t expect your daughter to die there after she was sold¡­¡±


    The old man was afraid that this woman would go crazy, so he quickly added.


    Xie Qiao looked at him coldly.


    It would be strange if he did not expect it.


    How many women would have a good ending if they were sold to a brothel? Moreover, that little girl was only 12 or 13 years old. When she went there, whether she obeyed or not, she would suffer a lot.


    ¡°y-You heartless man!¡± The woman immediately wailed, ¡°You harmed our family!¡±


    The man died, the mother-inw died, and in the end, even the child died!


    ¡°What right do you have to lie!¡± The woman rushed over and began to attack.


    Xie Qiao did not stop her.


    She watched as the woman went crazy. After about 15 minutes, she finally stopped and sat on the ground, crying non-stop.


    Xie Qiao walked over, ¡°Your daughter¡¯sst wish was for him to return the money to you, so keep this money well.¡±


    ¡®The woman wiped away her tears. ¡°Whatst wish¡­? She¡¯s already dea


    However, halfway through her words, she suddenly recalled what the unfamiliar master had said and immediately reacted. ¡°C-Can you see my daughter?!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°W-Where is she?! Where is she?!¡± The woman said frantically.


    Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul. When the spirit of the little girl heard Master Ma kneel down and make the statement, she did not have much of an emotion. ¡°Master, please help to pass on the message¡­


    ¡°When I was alive, my parents didn¡¯t really care about me. They loved my younger brother. They didn¡¯t say it out loud, but I could feel that even my own mother felt that I was in the way..¡±

 Chapter 958 - Fate Has Come To an End

    <h4>Chapter 958: Fate Has Come To an End</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ghoul continued calmly, ¡°When Mother agreed to my grandmother and sold me away, I¡¯m afraid she didn¡¯t have the intention to get rid of me as a burden, right?


    ¡°Regardless of whether Father can be saved or not, there would be one less person who needs food at home.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m gone, Mother doesn¡¯t have to be sad. In the end, I¡¯ve already repaid the debt that I owe Father and Mother...¡±


    After saying this, the ghoul did not say anything more.


    Xie Qiao told her word by word truthfully.


    The woman was stunned when she heard that.


    Her entire body trembled.


    ¡°Now that your daughter has helped you get this money back, it can also be considered as repaying the debt of your upbringing. You don¡¯t need to be so sad. In the future, you can just take this money and live a good life,¡± Xie Qiao also said very heartlessly.


    She could not understand the woman¡¯s thoughts.


    The person who lied was Master Ma, but whether they listened to him or not was up to them, right?


    No matter what the reason was, selling their own daughter to that kind of ce... was something that could only be done by a family member who was extremely heartless, right?


    This little ghoul was already kind enough. If she could not think things through, she would probably be reduced to a vengeful spirit, causing the death of her entire family for revenge.


    ¡°S-She¡¯s still my daughter, I¡¯m not...¡± the woman cried as she spoke. When she raised her head and saw the master¡¯s calm face, she stopped.


    Perhaps it was because she felt guilty, or perhaps it was because she was afraid of retribution.


    She did not dare to continue.


    She had many children. Back then, when the incident happened, there were really young and old people at home. Her family did not have much property. In order to treat the man¡¯s illness, she had spent almost all of it. Even the money for fortune-telling was borrowed.


    At that time, she was thinking of having less people at home and less pressure.


    After that, her man died. Her mother-inw kept having nightmares andmitted suicide. Her eldest daughter also married elsewhere in order to pay off the debts... All of a sudden, the house became empty.


    Therefore, every day, she became more and more regretful.


    ¡®The woman¡¯s eyes were red as she fell silent. Her hands were holding the small package that contained 30 taels of silver tightly.


    Master Ma felt a great pain in his heart.


    After Xie Qiao passed the message on behalf of the ghoul, she turned around and left. Master Ma hurriedly followed her, staggering step by step. When Xie Qiao stopped, he carefully asked, ¡°Sage Mo, is... the cmity solved...¡±


    He was extremely nervous.


    ¡°Well...¡± Xie Qiaoughed. ¡°Master Ma has been around for so many years. Don¡¯t you know that even an expert needs to pay a price to get advice?¡±


    Hearing this, Master Ma was stunned.


    The sage meant... money?


    Why did she suddenly.


    ¡°H-How much?¡± Master Ma asked carefully.


    ¡°A tael of silver,¡± Xie Qiao said frankly.


    Master Ma let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was only one tael. Previously, he had taken one tael of silver from Sage Mo, and now it was indeed time to return it!


    He took out the money and put it into Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    Xie Qiao put away the money and said directly, ¡°Half of your tribtion has passed. Nothing will happen to your eyes, and you can keep your life. However, it will still be a little hard for you in yourter years.¡±


    Master Ma panicked.


    It had not changed, had it?


    Only his eyes were saved?


    ¡°Then what should I do? Master, just tell me how much money you want...¡±


    ¡°Lwas fated to be with you before, but now that fate hase to an end, no amount of money is appropriate.¡± She got into the carriage parked by the side of the road and left casually.


    Master Ma stayed where he was and was dumbfounded.


    This Sage Mo had just left when a pair of constables walked over and took him down.


    Lying to others and harming others¡¯ lives was a crime that naturally had to be penalized by the authorities. The crime was not so serious as to be fatal, but he would have to be caned and imprisoned for a few years at least..

 Chapter 959 - Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 959: Revenge</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Of course, Xie Qiao would not do loss-making business.


    Jiang Jinlu had been secretly observing Xie Qiao¡¯s actions. When he saw that the man was caught, he was stunned.


    Eldest senior sister¡­ She was obviously better at lying than the fraud, but in the end, she actually got the officials to catch him? This was like¡­ a thief calling for a thief!


    He thought that his eldest senior sister would swindle this fraud out of all his money and let him starve to death alone on the streets. However, after working hard for a few days, she only got this fraud to return the money to that family


    She herself had received nothing!


    She had worked so hard just to collect debts for that family?


    Jiang Jinlu was a little embarrassed. These days, he had asked Senior Brother Xiao many times. He also knew that his eldest senior sister had a shop in the capital that sold a lot of expensive wood. He had heard a lot about it, he could not help but think that his senior sister was a person who loved money


    and was greedy for money.


    Now that he saw this fact, he felt that his pettiness was especially detestable.


    However, he did not have too many experiences in the past two days to let his imagination run wild.


    He did not sleep well at night.


    Ever since his eldest senior sister said that there was a ghoul following him, every night, he would feel chilly in the surroundings and there would be small movements from time to time. When he slept, his hands and feet would always feel ufortable as if they were being pressed down. For three


    consecutive days, he almost did not sleep.


    Three dayster, his eldest senior sister told him that the ghoul had left.


    He felt that his bed was notfortable enough and that it was not interesting, so he did not continue to be his guest.


    Hearing this, he was really relieved.


    That night, he really did not feel ufortable like before. He had a good sleep. When he woke up, he had no doubt about his eldest senior sister¡¯s words.


    Xie Qiao did not stay idle in Mengjiabao these days and had collected many ghouls.


    Sang You¡¯s body recovered quickly. After about a month, he waspletely normal again. However, this person was still a little thin and would not be able to make up for it in a short time.


    The Meng family had also undergone drastic changes.


    Meng Xiande¡¯s biological son had made Meng Xiande so angry that he copsed on the bed. He took charge of Meng Xiande¡¯s family business. However, he resented his father for the past few years for imprisoning, bullying, and forcing him. He was also driven mad by the woman he loved. Therefore, he


    was stubborn in his actions, he did not care at all whether the businesses could make money.


    All he wanted was to make Meng Xiande regret and be sad.


    Every day, he would give a business to a member of the Meng family.


    There were many members in the Meng family, and many of them did not have money. Young Master Meng specially picked these people to give the businesses away. After giving the business, he would bring them to Meng Xiande to thank him.


    What Meng Xiande cared about the most was his family business and descendants.


    Young Master Meng purposely used that to provoke him.


    The few daughters he was forced to give birth to were all married within a month. The people they married were all foreign merchants. They were all sent away, leaving no one behind.


    As for Young Master Meng¡¯s son, Meng Yin, he was only buried hastily.


    The wheel of fortune had turned. In the past, it was Old Master Meng who bullied his son. Now, it was the other way around. It looked like Old Master Meng would not be able to hold on for long.


    Sang You had initially taken it personally, but after hearing about the Meng family¡¯s situation, he did not have any thoughts of taking revenge.


    No matter how much he, an outsider, took revenge, it could not bepared to what First Young Master Meng had done.


    Forget it.


    As for Meng Yin.


    Sang You also knew about the existence of this ghoul. Without hesitation, he left the white jade behind.


    1


    Xie Qiao hade to Mengjiabao to pick up her teacher. Now that Sang You had recovered, the few of them should prepare to return to the capital.


    The house had not been sold.


    She had entrusted it to the dean of an academy in Mengjiabao. If there were poor students who had no ce to stay, they could stay there temporarily and study in peace..

 Chapter 960 - Two Business Deals

    <h4>Chapter 960: Two Business Deals</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    On the way back, they brought a lot of things with them. Their journey was a little slow, and they were dyed for half a month before they arrived at the capital.


    Li Shiyan had returned to the capital, and the schrs in the city reacted the most strongly.


    There were many more schrs appearing on the streets than before. Not only those who were alive, but Xie Qiao had also seen many dead schrs.


    However, these schrs were still obedient and tactful. Even if they were ghouls, they only dared to look at Li Shiyan from afar and did not dare to act rashly.


    The journey was tiring, After Xie Qiao returned to the capital, she first went to the Fortune Pavilion. Her teacher¡¯s reputation was too great, so he would be busier in the capital.


    However, no matter how busy he was, he still had time to see his disciples and grand-disciples.


    ¡°Boss, when you were not here, there were several business visits. Some of them have already found other solutions. There are still two left. Take a look.¡± Shopkeeper Chang respectfully showed the registration details to Xie Qiao.


    Recently, she had missed quite a few business deals.


    For instance, a certain someone¡¯s house was haunted. There was always noise in the middle of the night, or a certain family¡¯s young master was having fun in a brothel and fell to his death while using the toilet in the middle of the night. He probably had a lot of resentment and asked her to help him cross


    over.


    However, these were all business deals that had already been crossed out.


    The remaining two


    ¡°Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence?¡± Xie Qiao was quite surprised. ¡°The Princess is sick?¡±


    It was written that the firstdy of Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence was sick and had received Prince Ning Bei¡¯s rmendation to ask her to take a look.


    ¡°Yes, Boss. Recently, people from Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence have beening here several times. Every time, they return disappointed. It seems that thedy at home is quite sick, and even if they looked for others, they wouldn¡¯t be able to treat her well,¡± Shopkeeper Chang immediately said, ¡°Since you


    weren¡¯t around, I made the decision to ask a few more questions. The people from Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence also stuttered when they spoke. It seems that ever since the schr got married at the beginning of the month, thedy had started to be a little abnormal. She often muttered to herself,


    and she was also in a trance. Many people said that she had lost her mind because of lovesickness.


    ¡°But this family dotes on their daughter. It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t believe it, but during this period of time, the family has found quite a number of doctors. They came in one after another, but almost all of them were chased out.


    ¡°No one can tell what exactly is wrong with her. Prince Yong Lin also went to look for the people from the Yuxu Temple. I heard that the Taoist masters there also found it troublesome and didn¡¯t know what to do. They also rmended that they look for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Qiao was even more surprised.


    The Taoist masters in Yuxu Temple were quite capable.


    However, the older generation of Taoist masters were getting older and more well-behaved. They usually went into seclusion to cultivate and did not like to go out. No matter how much money and power they had, they were unwilling to get out.


    The Taoist masters who entered the mortal world were like Yuan Changzi. Their abilities were not bad either. They could easily solvemon problems with a raise of a hand.


    However, since Yuxu Temple had rmended her, there must be something dirty around the princess.


    ¡°This is the invitation from Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence. They said that as long as you are back, you can go there anytime,¡± Shopkeeper Chang added.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Tl go and take a look tomorrow.¡±


    She was not concerned about Zhao Jialing¡¯s life, but was curious about what had happened to this person.


    If it was a powerful vengeful spirit, she had to think of a way to get rid of it. Otherwise, it would not be good for her cultivation if she did not care about it even though she knew there was resentment.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the other one? You didn¡¯t write it down in detail,¡± Xie Qiao pointed at the list and asked.


    Shopkeeper Chang said awkwardly, ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know. It was a post from a person who asked for your whereabouts several times. He didn¡¯t say a word about the specific matter. That person¡­ seemed to be very mysterious. I wrote it down so that I wouldn¡¯t forget to report it.¡±

 Chapter 961 - Dodged a Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 961: Dodged a Disaster</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Oh right, they also gave you a post and a box. They said the box is the deposit. Whether you ept it or not, you don¡¯t have to return the deposit. I didn¡¯t dare to make the decision, so I put the box away and never opened it.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chang immediately took the things over.


    The post was a little ck and red in color.


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly and sniffed the post. There was a bloody smell in the post. It must have been smeared with a mixture of fresh blood and cinnabar.


    Xie Qiao put it aside in disgust. She wiped her hands and looked at the box again.


    Her eyebrows tightened.


    She was well-versed in both worlds. It was not just being able to see ghouls. She could also see some evil aura. At this moment, she saw that there was an evil aura on the box.


    It was fortunate that she could see that. Otherwise, if she had opened it rashly, she would have more or less been affected.


    Xie Qiao asked the shopkeeper to put the things down, then went to get the horsetail whisk to sweep it. She then slowly stuck a few talismans on it and took it to the second floor to clean it.


    ¡°Boss, is there something wrong with that thing?¡± After Xie Qiao came down from the second floor, Shopkeeper Chang asked worriedly.


    ¡°A llittle.¡± Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°What does that person look like?¡±


    ¡°He has one eye and is about forty or fifty years old. He looks a little creepy and ufortable. However, I saw that he was still polite and respectful that day, so I didn¡¯t ask too many questions. I was also worried that there was something wrong with this thing, so after I took it, I kept it in the box in the


    corner and didn¡¯t touch it,¡± Shopkeeper Chang immediately said.


    Ever since... he suspected that his boss was doing business with ghouls, he did not dare to touch anything.


    ¡°Congrattions, you dodged a disaster.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him seriously. ¡°Shopkeeper Chang, you have to be careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°ah?¡± Shopkeeper Chang was stunned. ¡°Is there really a problem?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s inside. I¡¯ll open the box in a few days to take a look. But Shopkeeper Chang, don¡¯t worry. Since you¡¯re working for me, I can¡¯t let anything happen to you. Everything in my room is good. Even if you don¡¯t carry them with you, being in their presence for a long time gives you


    some resistance to those dirty things,¡± Xie Qiaoforted him.


    Shopkeeper Chang¡¯s eyes went nk.


    ¡°Besides, you still have the talisman I gave you, don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    The corner of the shopkeeper¡¯s mouth stiffened, and heughed dryly.


    ¡°Tve lived for decades. I¡¯m not so timid.


    Ring, ring,


    As soon as the shopkeeper finished speaking, the bell outside suddenly rang violently. It sounded more intense than ever before, and it made his heart tremble and almost jumped up.


    Xie Qiao looked over.


    It was a ghoul.


    To be more precise, it was an old ghoul that had existed for a very, very long time. The clothes on its body looked a little expensive, and it was of the style of the previous dynasty, but they were all tattered.


    The aura on its body was also a little terrifying.


    It was different from those ghouls that had been floating around for a long time.


    It was not weak, and one could even feel that its soul was still very strong. There was a lot of resentment on its body, but it was well restrained. It was a powerful old monster.


    If such a ghoul were to fight


    Xie Qiao became more serious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk upstairs,¡± Xie Qiao said to the ghoul briefly. Then, she lifted her feet and went up the stairs.


    shopkeeper Chang was stunned. Then, he shivered and pretended... that he did not hear it.


    Teacher Xiao asked him to work here. Firstly, he trusted him and asked him to take care of the boss. Secondly... he also sent him to retire. Such a small shop was not busy. It was carefree


    However, now... it was getting more and more exciting.

 Chapter 962 - A Family of Ghouls

    <h4>Chapter 962: A Family of Ghouls</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The old ghoul floated up and looked very calm. After all, he was an old man who had lived for many years. His aura was indeed extraordinary.


    ¡°Theard that you can fulfill thest wish of ghouls, so I came to seek your help,¡± the ghoul said.


    ¡°TIl do my best,¡± Xie Qiao replied directly.


    She agreed too readily, the ghoul was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re not going to talk about the conditions? I¡¯m a ghoul that has lived for hundreds of years. I know a lot of things and have seen a lot of the world. I even know where to get a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any blood qi. It shows that although you¡¯ve lived for a long time, you haven¡¯t harmed anyone. Moreover, since you¡¯re here, you should also know that if I fulfill your wish, you will naturally be sent to hell to be reincarnated¡­ If you don¡¯t stay in this world and are willing to leave, then it¡¯s


    good karma for me. What else do I have to ask for?¡± Xie Qiao said frankly.


    There was nothing wrong with ghouls staying in this world.


    Those with obsessions would not have much of an impact.


    However, those with grievances¡­ the number should be reduced as much as possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I know the rules on your side.¡± The old ghoul nodded and then looked at the tea leaves that Xie Qiao was drinking.


    Xie Qiao politely poured him a cup of tea so that he could drink it too.


    ¡°What do you wish for? Do tell,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a wish.¡± The old ghoul pondered for a moment, ¡°My descendants¡­ In other words, their spirits have all disappeared. I hope that you can help me look for them. If you find them, you can send those spirits that remain in my family to hell. I am their ancestor, I can make the decision.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment. ¡°The spirits¡­ are living together?¡±


    The old ghoul nced at her and said in the end, ¡°Do you know the Baili family?¡±


    Xie Qiao immediately sat up straight. ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. During the previous dynasty, several hundred members of my Baili family were exterminated, and their fate was miserable. Even those who were rted to my family were implicated. After they died, some of them became spirits.


    ¡°As for me, Baili Ji, I was the first person to paint the world map. At that time, I only wanted to record this beautifulndscape. Because the painting wasn¡¯tpleted, I stayed in this world after my death. | initially wanted to wait for the world map to bepleted before looking for an opportunity to


    leave, but I didn¡¯t expect that because of this painting, none of my descendants would survive.¡± The old ghoul said again.


    Initially, he only had an obsession and did not have any resentment.


    However,ter, when he saw that his descendants had all died because of his painting, he became filled with resentment.


    He med himself and also the previous emperor.


    ¡°Little girl, you and I are quite fated.¡± Baili Ji looked at her faintly. ¡°Back then, I pestered the previous Emperor for some time. Later on, it was the Taoist master from the Water Moon Temple who took me away. That Taoist master must be your great-grandmaster.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    This origin¡­ was quite ancient.


    ¡°The rivers and mountains changed, and the enemies died long ago. The descendants of the previous Emperor also died. Although I still have this resentment, I have nowhere to vent it. So, I have been floating around, taking care of the souls of those descendants along the way, so as to prevent them from


    harming others or slowly dissipating.


    ¡°This old man has always hoped that they can be reincarnated.¡±


    Unfortunately, it was not easy for ghouls with resentment or obsession to be reincarnated.


    If they had no desires or obsessions, they might be able to go back when the gate of hell opened, but it was also entirely dependent on luck. Moreover, even ghouls had their own opinions. It was too difficult to truly have no desires or obsessions.

 Chapter 963 - It’s Quite Troublesome

    <h4>Chapter 963: It¡¯s Quite Troublesome</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao somewhat understood what this old ghoul was worried about.


    If he had left when he had just died, he would have been able toe up and take a breather during the festival in the future.


    However, if he had missed that opportunity, it would really be difficult to go downter.


    ¡°You just said that there were fewer ghouls in your family. What¡¯s going on?¡± Xie Qiao asked in detail.


    ¡°After all, the ghouls of my Baili family are all gathered together and often discuss with each other, so it¡¯s not as easy to drift away as those ghouls outside who don¡¯t know where they are. All these years, we¡¯ve been living in the old house of the Baili family. The ce is almost deserted, but in the eyes of


    our ghouls, it¡¯s the same as it was in the past.


    ¡°Everything was fine, but a month ago, there were suddenly five people missing. I first sent other children to look around, but when they were out looking, another three went missing. I thought that we could be considered as the more powerful ones among the ghouls. Back then, your great-grandmaster


    also told me that a ghoul like me, who has lived for a long time and is still not confused, is very powerful. If I¡¯m targeted by witchcraft, they would take me and keep me to do bad things.


    ¡°Twas afraid that something would happen to the other children in the family, so I had them hiding. I heard that you are proficient in both worlds and that you came from the Water Moon Temple, so I asked you for a favor.¡±


    Actually, he had wanted to look for her for a long time.


    Ever since the youngdy had spread the name of the Water Moon Temple, he had been thinking whether or not he should ask her for help and send all the descendants of the family down.


    However, with more people, there were more opinions.


    For instance, even if the husband and wife died, they would still be a ghoul couple. They could still stay together, but if they went down and reincarnated in the future, they would really¡­ not know each other anymore.


    After so many years of being together, they could not bear to part with each other.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, as a ghoul, I¡¯ve wandered enough. After we find them, regardless of whether they are willing or not, they will go down. They would still listen to me,¡± Baili Ji said.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°If we can find them, we can talk about thister. It¡¯s just that¡­ These ghouls are elusive and difficult to find. If we really want to find them¡­ we need to open the coffins.¡±


    ¡°Open the coffins?¡± Baili Ji was a little confused.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you guys are ghouls. I¡¯ve never seen them before, so how can I find them easily? The only way is to see if we can find the bones. If we can find hair or bones, just give me a random piece of bone. I can perform a ritual to determine the location.¡±


    This method was easy to say, but it was difficult to do, and it would consume a lot of energy.


    Coincidentally, the blood reishi mushroom that she had obtained earlier was used to search for souls, and it was just right.


    ¡°My Baili family¡­ My entire family was beheaded, and¡­ my bones were crushed and scattered. Although there are my ancestral graves in the outskirts of the capital now, it¡¯s a pity that most of them are just cenotaphs without bones¡­¡±


    The previous emperor was too ruthless.


    Not only did he crush the bones and scatter the ashes of the Baili family members at that time, he also dug up their ancestral graves in order to search for the world map.


    Therefore, the name of the Baili family was well known throughout the world, but the things that others gave them as sacrifices were not detailed enough¡­ So many of them could not be obtained. As a result, after bing ghouls, they were quite poor.


    Baili Ji looked at the clothes on his body and sighed.


    It had been a long time since someone had burned new clothes for him. The clothes on his body were all worn.


    However, after the matter was settled, perhaps this youngdy could call out his family members¡¯ names and the date of his death, and then burn things to them. This way, without any problems, he could wear a new set of clothes.


    At the moment, the most important thing was still their bones


    Baili Ji scratched his head, somewhat worried and uneasy.


    He thought carefully again, and after a while, he said again, ¡°Among the descendants that disappeared, perhaps there is one¡­ that has bones left behind¡­ But, it¡¯s quite troublesome¡­¡±

 Chapter 964 - Lively Scene of Ghouls

    <h4>Chapter 964: Lively Scene of Ghouls</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The old ghouls face was full of embarrassment, making his expression a little scary. His old skin was drooping, making people not dare to look at it.


    Fortunately, Baili Ji should have died of old age, so even if he had be a ghoul, he did not lose an arm or a leg. Hisplexion was good, and there was no blood dripping from his body. Xie Qiao could still ept that.


    ¡°Old Sir, please tell me the whereabouts of this skeleton. I will try my best to find it,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°I¡¯s not a skeleton. It¡¯s just a hand bone.¡± Baili Ji looked at her deeply, ¡°The previous Emperor was muddle headed and unreasonable. He forced my descendant to hand over the world map. My descendant did notply and was executed first. That piece of bone was polished and made into bone jade. It


    was embedded in a brush. After the dynasty changed, this thing belonged to the current Emperor. However, they probably did not know the origin of the brush. They thought it was made of the bones of some animal¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao was quite frightened today.


    ¡°Lwonder if this little bit of bone can be used?¡± Baili Ji was a bit worried.


    ¡°can try.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Since the thing was in the pce, it was better.


    ¡°Now in the Imperial City, it¡¯s not easy for the ghouls outside toe in. So whether this brush is kept in the storeroom or given to someone else, I¡¯m not sure. I only know that the muddleheaded Emperor of the previous dynasty even gave this brush a name, called Shocking the Snow, which means to stir


    up the wind with the stroke of the brush. With a name, I think it would be easier to find.¡± The ghoul said again.


    Xie Qiao continued to nod. ¡°I wonder if the ce where your family¡¯s ghouls are hiding is still safe? I have many dharma instruments in the Fortune Pavilion, and there are many good things on the second floor that can nourish souls. Since there are always people missing for some reason, I think it¡¯s


    better to move here for a period of time to avoid any idents.¡±


    Baili Ji looked around.


    Indeed¡­ It was quitefortable.


    His resentment had been suppressed by himself, so although the dharma instruments below were a deterrent to him, they were not too much.


    As for those wooden houses¡­ They were quite rare, much better than paper ones.


    ¡°Til ask them to move here tonight, but there are many people at home, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be too noisy.¡± Baili Ji was very polite.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Her pavilion was big, how many souls could it hold?


    Baili Ji was worried about the safety of his descendants, so he did not reject her too much. Seeing that the master had asked him to stay, he immediately agreed.


    After floating away, it did not take long for him to bring¡­ lot of ghouls over.


    Xie Qiao


    She had been waiting in the pavilion, but when she saw Baili Ji, her jaw almost dropped.


    ¡®There were so many people in this family!


    ¡°Back then, there weren¡¯t many descendants left in the human world. There were only about fifty of them. It was just that there were quite a number of families that were implicated in my family. Later on, they all gathered together. In addition, during the chaotic times, there were dead people


    everywhere, and the resentment was soaring to the sky. I saw that many lonely souls were quite pitiful, so I took them all in. There were many masters in the family, so it was inevitable that they would ask for some servants. So¡­ I found some sensible people to serve them. After a long time, it became a


    big family.¡±


    Xie Qiao almost fainted.


    It was indeed a big family.


    Hah, these ghouls were all blocking the entrance of the Fortune Pavilion. They queued in a long line. If she counted, there were at least five hundred of them!


    She had never seen such a long queue!


    Among them, some of the ghouls were more ordinary, no different from the wandering ghouls by the roadside. However, there were still some who were as strong as Bail Ji.


    This scene was really lively

 Chapter 965 - Big Job

    <h4>Chapter 965: Big Job</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The bell at Fortune Pavilion rang non-stop.


    Shopkeeper Chang almost wanted to cover his ears. His old face was flushed red, unknowingly from excitement or fear as he stared at the door.


    Xie Qiao stood there, a little confused. ¡°Even if one bes a ghoul, there should be no ss distinction. How can... a ghoul still be willing to be a servant?¡±


    That did not make sense?


    ¡°Our Baili family has a good reputation. Every year, there are quite a few people who offer sacrifices to us. It¡¯s just some wine and food, so we give them some. In addition, these ghouls were illiterate when they were alive. Regardless of gender, our Baili family is full of talent, so we teach them a thing or


    two.¡± Baili Ji said matter-of-factly.


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth twitched twice.


    One did not have to worry no matter where they went if they were skilled?


    ¡°Pleasee in. It¡¯s just that there are too many of them. When you have nothing to do, you can just stay in the bottle where I collect the souls and take turnsing out to get some fresh air.¡± Xie Qiao felt a little uneasy.


    There were so many souls. If she were to send all of them down to reincarnate.


    How much good karma could she gather?!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were almost burning with a small me. She wanted nothing more than to send all of them away immediately!


    However, she knew the rules. Baili Ji only asked her to help find a couple of ghouls. It was not fair for so many people to go down for such a small matter. Therefore, after the ghouls were found, she still had to try her best to fulfill these people¡¯s wishes so that they would be more willing to leave. Only


    then could she live with her conscience.


    Xie Qiao could not wait any longer.


    She had a room on the second floor. There were a few rows of shelves that looked like bookshelves. There were also a few smallpartments in the room, and there were a few bottles that were used to collect souls.


    Every time she collected a soul, she had to put a name on the outside of the bottle to prevent confusion.


    At this moment, she let them find an empty bottle to stay in.


    She did not put a talisman on it and perform the ritual, so these ghouls coulde and go freely without worrying about being imprisoned.


    After arranging that, Xie Qiao immediately went to the Royal Academy to look for Zhao Xuanjing.


    At this moment, the sky was already a little dark. She had originally nned to return home tonight, but it was more important to umte good karma now.


    Her teacher, Li Shiyan, also had a big house in the capital, but because all his disciples except Xie Qiao were now in the Royal Academy, the old man also stayed in the academy. There were also many good friends in the academy who could chat all night long.


    When Xie Qiao found Zhao Xuanjing, he was supposed to be listening to his teacher¡¯s lecture.


    He went to the East Courtyard only after he learned that she was here.


    He was in a hurry and walked briskly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that I don¡¯t think of you when I have good news.¡± Xie Qiao saw him and her eyes were burning with desire. ¡°I have a job today. I need to find a brush.¡±


    If Zhao Xuanjing helped to find the brush, there would be good karma, and he would naturally have a share of the good karma.


    In addition, if she needed help in the future, she had to ask him more. After all, this was her person, and she hoped that he would be better and better.


    ¡°What brush does Senior Sister have to work so hard for?¡± It was already sote, yet she still rushed over.


    It must be extremely important.


    ¡°A brush called Shocking the Snow. It was left behind by the previous dynasty. Have you heard of it? It doesn¡¯t matter if you haven¡¯t heard of it. Tomorrow, you can go to the pce to see if this brush is in the vault or if it has been given away...¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone became a little faster.


    Seeing her anxious look, Zhao Xuanjing knew that this matter was very important.


    ¡°Tseem to have heard of it, but it was many years ago. I¡¯ll have the Internal Affairs Department check its whereabouts tomorrow. Don¡¯t be anxious,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said immediately..

 Chapter 966 - Hinting

    <h4>Chapter 966: Hinting</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had taken a carriage here, but the carriage swayed. After entering the academy, she walked quickly. Her face was red and her forehead was covered in sweat.


    It did not look like her.


    Zhao Xuanjing asked her to sit down and poured her a cup of tea. ¡°What¡¯s the brush for?¡±


    Xie Qiao took the cup and took a sip. ¡°Baili Ji asked me to help find the ghouls of his descendants. He needed a corpse as a guide. After thinking about it, only the brush in the capital has the bones on it.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Bones?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded and told him about the previous emperor.


    Zhao Xuanjing subconsciously rubbed his hands twice.


    His father doted on him.


    If there was anything good in the pce, it would be given to him first. When he lived in the pce, he was rewarded with all kinds of gifts every day. Among them, there were many famous brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. He was alone, so he could not use them all. When he was young, he valued his


    father¡¯s gifts very much. Whatever he got, he would use it personally for a few days.


    Therefore, it was very likely that this brush had been given to him, yed with by him for a few days, and then kept in his private vault.


    The things in the private vault


    As he had gathered too many things, he would give it to others with his father¡¯s permissionter on.


    For instance, when his younger brothers celebrated their birthdays, even if they were not close, he should still give them some gifts, especially his fourth brother, who liked to read. Most of his brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone went to him.


    ¡°This brush has a good name.¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt a little helpless.


    ¡®When he thought about his poems and paintings made of human bones


    He felt a little disgusted.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Emperor of the previous dynasty died tragically.¡± Xie Qiao swallowed her words at this time. ¡°I have a lot of things to do recently. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to be filial to teacher, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you on that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    After saying that, there was a bit of silence.


    Zhou Weizong was guarding outside, and there was no one else inside. It was a man and a woman, and they were close to each other. If there was no rtionship, Xie Qiao would not think too much about it. However, they were going to be married in February next year, and she felt guilty facing him now,


    her ears tuned a little red.


    ¡°Senior Sister, why don¡¯t you rest in the academy tonight? It¡¯s already dark, and it¡¯ll be hard to hurry back,¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at her and said.


    Xie Qiao looked left and right. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just resting in the academy, not my East Courtyard. What are you thinking about? Even if you¡¯re willing to sleep in my courtyard, I¡¯m afraid Young Lady Xie will misunderstand.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled and looked at her deeply. ¡±


    Young Lady Xie.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    ¡°Ihave something to ask Senior Sister.¡± Zhao Xuanjing poured another cup of tea for Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao listened.


    ¡°T¡¯ve been hiding something from Young Lady Xie. If I don¡¯t tell her, I feel that I¡¯m not being honest enough. But if I tell her directly, I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll worry too much in the future and don¡¯t know what to do. Senior Sister is also a woman, why don¡¯t you give me advice?¡± Zhao Xuanjing seemed to be


    implying something, but when he spoke, he was full of sincerity.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. As she was too guilty, she felt like he was being hinted at.


    ¡°Whether you say it or not¡­ It¡¯s up to you. Young Lady Xie isn¡¯t the kind of person who will get to the bottom of things.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was ethereal.


    ¡°But honesty is the most important thing between husband and wife. If there are too many secrets, they don¡¯t seem to be a family.¡± Zhao Xuanjing sighed, ¡°For instance, I hope that I understand Young Lady Xie better than anyone else. I know her preferences, understand her intentions, and understand her


    thoughts. Only then will I be able to make her happy in the future..

 Chapter 967 - A Letter Between Lovers

    <h4>Chapter 967: A Letter Between Lovers</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s words made Xie Qiao blush, but there was makeup on her face, so nothing could be seen. Only her ears revealed some emotions.


    He really knew something, so he wanted her to tell her the truth, right?


    However, this man.


    Was fickle.


    ¡®When she did not say anything, she was still a senior sister and could do whatever she wanted. However, if he said it, how could he be so tolerant in the future?


    Moreover, he was the Crown Prince and might be the emperor in the future. His requirements for his wife were probably even higher. Even if he did not want to be gentle and virtuous, he had to be honest in protecting the family, right?


    Xie Qiao did not say anything.


    ¡°This hand of mine was once badly injured. asionally, I would hold a sword and bend the bow. It isn¡¯t a big problem, but every time I used force, when the wind and rain blew, the pain would be even more severe. Everyone around me knows that I have this problem, so they take care of me carefully. But


    the more they did so, the more I felt that I was really a cripple.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing suddenly showed weakness.


    He sighed slightly, lowered his head, and looked gloomy.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart tightened when she saw that, and she felt a little ufortable. ¡°I think you are no different from an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°Thave to endure more in front of Young Lady Xie and use my left hand. I¡¯m afraid that Young Lady Xie will see that my right hand is useless and think that I¡¯m weak and useless like the others,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    His voice became much deeper.


    ¡°Young Lady Xie might think that my hand is only slightly injured, so should I exin the serious situation to her? This is what I¡¯m worried about,¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked her.


    Xie Qiao did not know either.


    However, she.


    Did not know how to take care of others.


    So, since the concern was targeted at her, then it was not a big problem, ¡°Young Lady Xie¡­ is not in good health. If you get to know her, you should take care of her more. Even if you let her take care of your hand asionally, she wouldn¡¯t think that you are too weak. If there¡¯s a need for you to do it, she


    would ask for your help first.¡±


    That was right.


    He had to speak to the imperial physician first. If the imperial physician said that it could be used, then she could not treat this hand as a decoration andpletely ignore it.


    As far as it was usable, she could order him around however she wanted. She would not be conflicted, and she would not be so careful.


    ¡°Senior Sister is right. Young Lady Xie must be like this.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s clouds cleared up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send a letter to Young Lady Xie some day and be honest about it. A letter between lovers. I wonder if Young Lady Xie would also tell me some interesting secrets.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart clenched.


    Thank you. Perhaps¡­ she would not.


    The reason being it was different.


    Master Mo¡¯s name was used to save her life, while Master Yun Wei¡¯s name was used to make money.


    However, facing Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze, Xie Qiao¡¯s mood fluttered. ¡°Your Highness¡¯ mind¡­ is there a beehive in your stomach?¡±


    After talking for a long time, the more she listened, the more it sounded like he was reminding her of something.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Senior Sister is saying. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m worried about Young Lady Xie,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a faint smile.


    Young Lady Xie, Young Lady Xie


    This unfilial junior brother!


    An elder sister was like a mother, did he not know that?


    ¡°Twon¡¯t be at the Fortune Pavilion tomorrow. If you need to look for me, just go to Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence. I¡¯ll go there to see the princess of the family,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Okay. This thing is very important. If I find it, I will definitely hand it to you personally so that you don¡¯t lose it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said seriously.


    Xie Qiao sighed and frowned slightly. ¡°I have a feeling that bad luck is going to befall me recently, but I wouldn¡¯t dare to tell my own fortune. Otherwise, there will be more variables and it will be more troublesome.¡±


    ¡®The Baili family


    To her, it was a great benefit. However, it hade too suddenly, and she was afraid that something would go wrong.

 Chapter 968 - The Student Becomes the Master

    <h4>Chapter 968: The Student Bes the Master</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had a bad feeling.


    The spirits of the Baili family were all quite strong. If they were captured by witchcraft, it would not be easy for her to find them. If they were a strong enemy, she might not be able to defeat them.


    ¡°Senior Sister is protected by the dragon energy. Even if it¡¯s a little bad luck, it won¡¯t have much of an impact. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhao Xuanjingforted her very gently.


    In fact, Xie Qiao was just saying it casually. She did not want Zhao Xuanjing to worry about her.


    ¡°Moreover, Senior Sister¡¯s ability to tell fortunes, capture souls, and perform formations is the best in the world. Even if you encounter difficulties, you will definitely be able to turn misfortune into luck,¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a while and praised her.


    Anybody would be proud if they heard such ttery.


    ¡°We both have the same teacher, but what you say is much better than what Junior Brother Jiang said.¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything else, but my fortune-telling skill is pretty good. However, it¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration to say that it¡¯s the best in the


    world, After all, I still have a master. Even if the student bes the master, I can¡¯t be unfilial and step on my master¡¯s face.¡±


    In this line, there were many old seniors.


    It did not matter even if she sat in the back row.


    Now that Zhao Xuanjing said this, Xie Qiao felt that her worry had dissipated significantly.


    It waste, so Xie Qiao could not stay any longer. She arranged a room and went to rest.


    Early the next momning, Xie Qiao did not have time to go home. She immediately left for Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence.


    After she took out the invitation, she was politely led over by the servants.


    Prince Yong Lin was not in the residence. The one who weed Xie Qiao was the princess.


    This princess was in her forties, but she looked very young and dignified. However, perhaps it was because her daughter¡¯s condition was terrible, so she was dispirited at the moment. She even looked like she was forcing a smile.


    ¡°You are Master Mo? You really have the demeanor of an immortal. One look and I can tell that you are not an ordinary person.¡± Princess Yong Lin spoke with ttery, ¡°It has been hard on you, Master Mo. We do not wish to disturb you, but my daughter is in poor health. The doctor could not exin the


    cause of her illness, so we have no choice but to ask you to make this trip.¡±


    It was Zhao Jialing who had some conflict with her. Hearing the Commandery Princess¡¯ mother¡¯s words, she could not help but feel some respect in her heart.


    ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me.¡± Xie Qiao was also very polite. She first asked, ¡°What did the doctors say?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, these doctors insist that my daughter is¡­ suffering from lovesickness.¡± The princess¡¯ face was full of bitterness, ¡°I don¡¯t know which b*stard spread these words. Now, the whole city is talking about it. Even if my daughter returns to normal, these rumors will make her feel ashamed.¡±


    Thinking of this, the princess frowned deeply.


    Her reputation in Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence was actually not very good.


    In the past, her father-inw, the old prince, used his horse to drag the schr to death, which was equivalent to losing his life. However, this matter caused a storm in the city, and all the schrs in the world harbored malicious intentions toward the family. If it was not for the emperor¡¯s consideration


    of the brotherhood, taking care of the family¡¯s prince, Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence would have long declined.


    Fortunately, her son at home was still living up to her expectations.


    However, this daughter.


    She had been constantly worrying about her.


    ¡°This daughter of mine has been spoiled and, and her personality is not like the two of us. She has always been¡­ a little mboyant. However, if we were to say that she wanted to be the bride, perhaps as a mother, I would still believe it. But lovesickness¡­ that¡¯s simply nonsense..¡±

 Chapter 969 - Lovesick

    <h4>Chapter 969: Lovesick</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®There was a self-deprecating look on the princess¡¯ face.


    There was no one else in the hall, and the princess was afraid that what she said would affect the master¡¯s judgment. She continued, ¡°This child does indeed have some admiration for the schr, but he is the schr. On the day of the parade, there were so many youngdies on the street. Who would not


    fall in love with him?


    ¡°On the day of the schr¡¯s wedding, my daughter secretly ran out. I was afraid that she would cause trouble, so I even got four maids and two grannies. A total of six people followed behind. She only watched the wedding procession in the teahouse. Later, she went to the Wen family¡¯s door to take a stroll,


    and then she came back. At that time, she was full of vigor and vitality. She was really not lovesick.


    ¡°Twent to look for the Taoist master of the Yuxu Temple. Master Yuan Changzi said that my daughter had run into evil and lost her soul. He also said that the ability of the Water Moon Temple to capture souls is better, and that you guys won¡¯t harm the victim¡¯s body. Also¡­ Master Mo, you are a woman


    after all, so it¡¯s more convenient for you, so¡­¡±


    It was not that the Taoist master of the Yuxu Temple could not do it.


    However, she was afraid that it would affect her daughter¡¯s reputation. If Master Mo did not retum to the capital and they continued to endure for a period of time, it would really not work. Her reputation¡­ she would not care about it. Her life was more important.


    Xie Qiao nodded, indicating that she understood. ¡°T¡¯ll go and see the Commandery Princess first.¡±


    ¡°Sure, please follow me.¡± The princess immediately replied and led the way.


    After going to the backyard, they went around the garden. After many turns, they finally arrived at the bedroom.


    Zhao Jialing¡¯s bedroom was not an ordinary one.


    There were all kinds of decorations inside. It was very extravagant and had a faint elegant fragrance. Compared to her shabby house in the Xie Residence, this youngdy practically grew up in the golden nest. It was no wonder that she was so arrogant before.


    At this moment, this person was tied to the bed.


    Her eyes were dull, and her mouth was gagged.


    Seeing this, an awkwardness and heartache shed across the princess¡¯ face.


    ¡°I-If I didn¡¯t block her mouth, this child would always say nonsense. If others heard it¡­¡± the princess was afraid that Xie Qiao did not understand, so she quickly exined.


    ¡°Tunderstand. Princess, there¡¯s no need to say more.¡± Xie Qiao immediately expressed her understanding.


    Zhao Jialing was still a woman, even though she was a member of the royal family.


    It was fine to hear the rumors outside, but if the youngdy kept making a ruckus every day, the doctors and the servants who took care of her every day would hear it. It would be even more troublesome.


    ¡°This child wasn¡¯t like this in the past. She used to think that Xiao Yurong was good-looking, but in the past, she didn¡¯t want to kill herse


    Prince since she was young. She knows that the Crown Prince reads a lot, soter on, she will praise other young people who read well.¡±


    .¡± the princess sighed as if she felt that her words were inappropriate, then she said, ¡°It¡¯s just a little admiration, nothing else. My daughter has admired the Crown


    Zhao Jialing was the Crown Prince¡¯s cousin.


    She often went to the pce, and the Empress also doted on her.


    Xie Qiao was actually shocked by Zhao Jialing¡¯s state at the moment.


    ¡®When she saw her before, what was she like?


    She was in high spirits and full of confidence. Her words were filled with arrogance and indulgence. Although she was a little annoying, she looked young and full of vigor. However, now, her eyes were lifeless, her mouth was cracked and bleeding, and her hair was messy. She tilted her head, looking like a


    fool.


    Xie Qiao went forward and stretched out her hand to tap her forehead.


    There was no reaction at all.


    ¡°How long has it been like this?¡± Xie Qiao asked..

 Chapter 970 - Reward You With a Large Sum of Money

    <h4>Chapter 970: Reward You With a Large Sum of Money</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The princess thought about it carefully, then she said, ¡°About a month. The Taoist master from the Yuxu Temple said that if you don¡¯te back by the middle of this month, he would be the only one to solve it. He said that this soul detachment disease should not be dyed. It is best to solve it within 49


    days. Otherwise, she can¡¯t be saved.¡±


    Xie Qiao felt that other than Zhao Jialing, everyone else in Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence was sensible.


    Putting everything else aside, just the attitude of obeying the ¡°doctor¡¯s orders¡± was sensible.


    ¡°The human body has three souls and seven spirits. The two souls of heaven and earth are usually wandering outside. It¡¯s just that¡­ to put it inyman¡¯s terms, the Earthly Ethereal Soul usually won¡¯t go too far. It hides by one¡¯s side like a protectiveyer, allowing people to observe their surroundings and


    think about their choices. For Young Lady Zhao, it¡¯s because her Earthly Ethereal Soul is too far away from the body that her brain is cloudy.¡± Xie Qiao said it casually, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry too much. We just need to find her Earthly Ethereal Soul.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Where can we find it?¡± The princess was still worried.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask the maids in your house when Young Lady Zhao starts to show signs of abnormality. Three days, where did she go during these three days? We¡¯ll go through them one by one.


    ¡°Generally speaking, the three souls are one. The Earthly Ethereal Soul alone doesn¡¯t have the ability to go too far. It mostly stays in the ces it has passed by,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    In fact, Zhao Jialing¡¯s situation could be said to be lovesick.


    ording to the princess, she had seen Wen Lancheng get married and then started acting abnormally.


    It was very likely that she was too obsessed, so her Earthly Ethereal Soul carried out the order.


    In other words¡­ the possibility of it following Wen Lancheng was actually¡­ very high.


    Of course, it could also be some other ident, such as it identally encountering a soul-luring dharma instrument and being identally lured away.


    Or perhaps, she was frightened and her Earthly Ethereal Soul did not have time to follow her when she ran away and was lost halfway


    ¡°A maid¡­ Yes, my daughter¡¯s personal main servant girl, Huan¡®er, follows her every day. No matter what my daughter does or where she goes, she Inows. As she often needs to report to me, she remembers these things clearly. I¡¯ll get her toe over now. Master, take her around and look for her Earthly


    Ethereal Soul?¡± The princess seemed to be very careful.


    She was afraid that Master Mo would not be willing to help.


    Xie Qiao nodded and agreed. ¡°Yes, I will find her Earthly Ethereal Soul as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then I will have to trouble you, Master. Here¡­¡± the princess waved and someone took out a small box. ¡°Master, thank you for your hard work. This is something small. When my daughter recovers, I will reward you with arge sum of money!¡±


    She had also inquired with Prince Ning Bei¡¯s Residence. The amount of money given to the master could not be too little, nor too much. Her Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence was not inferior to Prince Ning Beis, so she naturally could not give her too little money. Otherwise, she would lose her dignity.


    Xie Qiao nced at it.


    It was really¡­ generous.


    Ten silver ingots, 50 taels each.


    This 500 taels of silver was only the deposit after all. If the matter was really settled, there would be more benefits.


    Xie Qiao did not stand on ceremony and kept it.


    She had originally thought that there might be something dirty in Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence. She had been prepared to fight, but now everything was dispensed with and she needed to go out for a stroll.


    However, after leaving the youngdy¡¯s courtyard, Xie Qiao looked left and right.


    ¡°Your Highness, who lives in that direction?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°There?¡± The princess looked to the east. ¡°That¡¯s the main courtyard where the Old Prince lived when he was still alive. However, after he died, it became empty..¡±

 Chapter 971 - Prosperous

    <h4>Chapter 971: Prosperous</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were many courtyards in the prince¡¯s residence, but the one in the east was the most prosperous one.


    It was a rtively good courtyard, but because the old prince had died a grievous death and lost his life because of a schr, his family felt it was bad luck and rarely set foot there.


    The residence was so big, it was not a big deal to lose a courtyard.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave that ce empty.¡± After all, Xie Qiao had taken the money, so she did not mind saying a few more words. ¡°If this house is a person, then that piece ofnd to the east is its heart. The heart needs to have blood cirction. It¡¯s empty all day long without any signs of life. If the duration is


    short, it won¡¯t be a big deal. But as time goes by, you¡¯ll lose your sons.¡±


    The princess was shocked.


    Her sons were not in the capital.


    ¡®They knew that the Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence had always been a joke, so their sons also had the ambition to fight. When they were seventeen or eighteen years old, they went out to earn military merits.


    ¡°But this house¡­ The Old Prince did not die of old age, but was sentenced to death¡­¡± the princess was somewhat hesitant.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. If your heart is not at ease, you can get the Taoist master from the Yuxu Temple toe over and perform a ritual to remove the bad luck. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Xie Qiaoforted her with a smile, and then said slowly, ¡°Almost all the residences in the capital are old, and many people have passed


    away. There are many who have died of illness, exhaustion, and old age. There¡¯s no need to be so careful, as long as they don¡¯tmit some big taboo.¡±


    ¡°What big taboo?¡± The princess asked again.


    ¡°For instance¡­ saying bad things about dead people. That¡¯s not appropriate.¡± Xie Qiao randomly found an example, ¡°The important thing is to have respect. Even if you don¡¯t have enough respect, don¡¯t show it on your face. It¡¯s not good to be too strong or too weak. Only a normal heart would be


    unapproachable.¡±


    The princess seemed to be deep in thought and nodded. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Master. I¡¯ll get someone to clean it up some other day. Then, I¡¯ll invite Master Yuan Changzi to perform a ritual. After that, I¡¯ll move in.¡±


    Xie Qiao could also perform a ritual to remove bad luck. However, this business was introduced by the Yuxu Temple, so she should return the favor.


    Xie Qiao had always been patient with her customers.


    ¡®When she came, she was anxious to check on Zhao Jialing¡¯s condition, so she walked a little faster and did not look too much. However, now, as she walked, she looked around to see if there was anything inappropriate.


    There was not much of a problem with this prince¡¯s residence. In fact, the feng shui was quite good.


    ¡°This residence of mine used to be looked at by an expert, and it was also good everywhere. I heard from the prince that living in this residence, the men in the family would definitely have a bright future.¡± The princess smiled bitterly. ¡°But if that was true, the Old Prince wouldn¡¯t have done that terrible


    thing back then.¡±


    Xie Qiao had heard a little about it.


    The dead old prince was a famous profligate old scoundrel.


    However, it is not enough for a person with good feng shui to do as he pleases. These things are just supplementary things. If you want to be prosperous, you¡¯d still have to restrain yourself. Only bybining the two can you be prosperous. If a person is


    is useless,¡± Xie Qiao said the truth.


    ¡°Feng shui is good, there is no doubt about i


    terrible, no matter how good the feng shui


    Just like the Academic Excellence Talisman, it was a good thing. It could calm one¡¯s mind and make it easier for them to think.


    However, if it was an idiot, even if he had the Academic Excellence Talisman, he would not be able toe up with any good sentences.


    It was the same for the Fortune Talisman. It could only be activated if there was fortune around.


    Feng shui was not omnipotent.


    ¡®When the princess heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, she smiled with relief. ¡°Master is right. For instance, my family got a good fish earlier, but the cook didn¡¯t know how to cook it. It was a waste of good ingredients.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the steward walked over quickly with a bow. ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Prince is here. He said he¡¯s looking for Master Mo..

 Chapter 972 - Destroy Him With Excessive Praise

    <h4>Chapter 972: Destroy Him With Excessive Praise</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The princess was stunned for a moment and nced at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Theard that¡­ Master Mo is the eldest disciple of Old Master Li. I wonder¡­ is this rumor true?¡± The princess could not help but ask.


    She did not know where these rumors came from.


    There were always people who said that when the Crown Prince saw Master Mo, he would call her senior sister. However, the Crown Prince only had one teacher. After all, Master Mo was a student of the dao, and Old Master Li was extremely strict in epting disciples. Therefore, many people doubted


    the authenticity of this rumor.


    ¡°Teacher stayed in the Taoist temple for a while many years ago. My luck was not bad, and teacher taught me for a few days,¡± Xie Qiao said modestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s really true?!¡± Hearing these words with her own ears, the princess was really envious of this master.


    The master was only a few years younger than her, but looking at her temperament, she had the demeanor of an immortal. She even took Li Shiyan as her teacher. It was definitely not just good luck.


    The princess had already sent someone to invite the Crown Prince over.


    Not long after, the Crown Prince arrived.


    In his hand was a narrow, small box.


    The princess was a little surprised. His Highness, the Crown Prince even brought a gift? It was quite exquisite, but she did not know what His Highness was going to give


    ¡°The matter Senior Sister entrusted me with has been settled.¡± Zhao Xuanjing walked forward and stuffed the item into Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    The princess¡¯ gaze shifted slightly.


    She¡­ thought too much.


    She had thought that His Highness would be so polite. She did not expect that he would still treat everyone with contempt as usual.


    That was not right. His Highness really respected Master Mo. From his gaze, it could be seen that she was different from others. It was no wonder that some people had said that Master Mo was a witch and had almost seduced the Crown Prince¡¯s soul.


    However, she felt that the people out there were spewing nonsense. The age difference between the two was too much. How could it be?


    ¡°Since Your Highness is looking for Master Mo for something, I won¡¯t disturb you. The two of you can do as you please.¡± The princess smiled and left with her servants.


    If it was in public, the Crown Prince would have called him aunt. However, he was the imperial family after all. She did not dare to act like an elder.


    Just like her father-inw.


    He was the uncle of the current emperor, but was he not killed in the end?


    The princess left happily. She even walked as if she was fleeing for her life, which confused Xie Qiao. ¡°The princess doesn¡¯t seem to be happy to see you. Could it be that there was some kind of grudge in the past?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any grudge, but I¡¯m afraid that no one in the imperial family wants to have any contact with me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not n to perform a self-reflection.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xie Qiao really did not understand.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡­ was quite good?


    He was also quite humble and never showed off his authority as the Crown Prince.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt that it was not good for him to hide it too deeply, so he said bluntly, ¡°I haven¡¯t married for many years and implicated the descendants of the imperial family. No one dares to have a family early. This is one of the reasons. The second reason is that because of me, Father is also very


    strict with the descendants of the family. He prefers talented descendants, so they have to work hard and live hard since they were young.¡±


    ¡®Was it that bad?


    He was already born into the imperial family. Even if he was just a member of the imperial family, there were very few people who couldpare to him. An ordinary family would even produce a good-for-nothing


    ¡°The Emperor dotes on you so much. People who don¡¯t know about it¡­ might think that he wants to destroy you with excessive praise.¡±


    Xie Qiao really thought so.


    ¡®The emperor that she knew knew the art of bnce. Even when he treated his children, a little plotting was required. It was not true love all the way.


    However, it was clear that the current emperor was different..

 Chapter 973 - B*stard

    <h4>Chapter 973: B*stard</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was not difficult to conclude from outsiders that the emperor loved the Crown Prince as much as his life


    Earlier, the Second Prince and Third Prince had been imprisoned for stealing the Crown Prince¡¯s candidate for Princess Consort, while the other had been demoted for speaking ill of the Crown Prince. The emperor¡¯s ability to make enemies for the Crown Prince was simply iparable.


    ¡°Father indeed¡­ loves me too much.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes revealed a helpless smile. ¡°To be honest, Senior Sister, when I was young, I also suspected that Father wanted to harm me.


    ¡°At that time, I was only five or six years old, and I understood some principles. If I hadn¡¯t been smart, I would be a b*stard now.¡± Zhao Xuanjing also thought that he was amazing.


    His father had taught him a lot from the history books, but there were more rewards and benefits than books.


    ¡°You worked hard too.¡± Xie Qiao nodded cautiously.


    It was hard to deal with the current emperor.


    ¡°I¡¯s not hard. I only struggled for a year, and then I epted my father¡¯s love. My life is quitefortable.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s lips curled up, looking a little arrogant.


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    Ahh


    She actually thought that Zhao Xuanjing had worked hard? She must be out of her mind.


    As the Crown Prince, he did not have topete with others for the emperor¡¯s favor, and he did not have to worry about the emperor suddenly being cold and heartless to him. He even had to be praised by his father often. This life was obviously enviable!


    If her father was half of the emperor¡¯s father, she would not have to painstakingly save up her money.


    Xie Qiao felt that she was under quite a lot of pressure.


    The emperor loved the Crown Prince so much. If she made the Crown Prince suffer in the future, would not that mean¡­ the entire family¡¯s lives would be lost?


    ¡°Father once told me that when Young Lady Xie joins the family in the future, we¡¯ll see what good things are in the private vault and let you bring them home. Just like themon people, we don¡¯t have too many rules.¡± Zhao Xuanjing seemed to understand what she was thinking, and he immediately


    reassured her.


    Also, when they got married.


    Everyone knew that the Xie family did not have money.


    In order to prevent the Princess Consort¡¯s dowry from being too little, the Ministry of Rites would add some appropriately. Since the Xie family gave his father the world map, they naturally could not mistreat them.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao heard the Crown Prince¡¯s words, her emotions were quiteplicated.


    If that was the case, after she got married to the Crown Prince.


    She should be like the Crown Prince and be the center of attention?


    Then the possibility of being exposed¡­ was even greater?


    Xie Qiao sniffed and touched the box in her hand. She lowered her head and opened it to take a look.


    ¡°Thi


    is indeed a good brush.¡± Xie Qiao was fearless as she picked it up to take a look.


    The brush was indeed made of wood, but there was a small section at the end of the brush that was bone. It was not very long, and it did not even look like a bone anymore. It was like white jade that was greasy now.


    ¡°Where did you find this thing?¡± Xie Qiao looked at it carefully and asked again.


    ¡°Father loved this brush the most in the past, and he gave it to me. I used it a few times and thought it wasn¡¯t very easy to use, so I put it away. I gave it to my fourth brother on his birthday and just got it back from him,¡± Zhao Xuanjing exined quite clearly.


    He was tall, and he lowered his head slightly, replying to Xie Qiao as he walked.


    ¡°You took it back from the Fourth Prince? Isn¡¯t that inappropriate?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡®The Fourth Prince was also a rare good brother. He did not even think aboutpeting with Zhao Xuanjing for the throne, but no matter how good a person was, he would still have some temper. What if he got angry and went crazy from then on?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I made it very clear to the Fourth Prince. I also picked a set of the four treasures of study and gave them to him. Besides, he doesn¡¯t use this brush much and keeps it in the vault to dust..¡±

 Chapter 974 - Looking for Her Soul

    <h4>Chapter 974: Looking for Her Soul</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was relieved when Zhao Xuanjing said that.


    The two walked out of the prince¡¯s residence. The maid called Huan¡¯er was still following them.


    ¡°Where is Senior Sister going now?¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not n to leave.


    ¡°Twant to find the soul of the Commandery Princess.¡± After Xie Qiao said that, she let the maid called Huan¡¯er sit in front of the carriage, ¡°Take the coachman and follow the road. A few days before the Commandery Princess¡¯ incident, where did she go and who did she see? Just tell me one by one. Don¡¯t


    worry that it¡¯d be troublesome to me.¡±


    At this moment, Huan¡¯er was so careful as if she had disappeared. She did not even dare to breathe loudly.


    She had seen the Crown Prince before!


    After all, her Commandery Princess was deeply loved by the empress. She also saw the Crown Prince quite often. When the Crown Prince faced the Commandery Princess... he had never been like this.


    ¡®When the Commandery Princess was young, the Crown Prince was still somewhat close to her. After she grew up, the Crown Prince did not smile much at her.


    It was as if... He disliked the Commandery Princess for being chatty, noisy, and willful


    However, now, the Crown Prince was actually able to speak to this Master Mo in a friendly manner!


    Huan¡¯er did not dare to express her opinion.


    After leaving the prince¡¯s residence, she first went to the schr¡¯s inn, It was a good ce. When the schrs toured the streets, they had taken this path. From the second floor, one could see everything clearly.


    ¡°On the day of Master Wen¡¯s wedding, he also passed through here. My youngdy was waiting for the wedding. Then, she followed the group and went to the Wen Residence,¡± Huan¡¯er said carefully.


    Xie Qiao nodded and got off the carriage to look around.


    There were many ghouls around, all kinds of them.


    Seeing the ugly ones, Xie Qiao tried her best to avoid them and did not take a second look. However, after looking for a long time, she still did not find Zhao Jialing¡¯s soul. It should not be here.


    Xie Qiao had seen other wandering Earthly Ethereal Souls before. Although the soul was notplete, it looked good. It was different from a private soul, so it was easy to be distinguished.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± After a while, Xie Qiao asked.


    The carriage continued to set off.


    However, not long after, they arrived at the next street, and they stopped again. ¡°My youngdy loves the food and jewelry on this street. Once she¡¯s out, she¡¯d look at almost all of them. She also likes the theaters on the street. She even gave them a reward.¡±


    It had to be said that the life of the Commandery Princess was very colorful.


    She had a lot of money and liked to buy anything she saw.


    The things on this street were extremely expensive. Xie Qiao had heard of a jewelry shop. A set of hair essories could be sold for a few hundred taels of silver there. If the materials were rare, it would be even more expensive.


    However, it was indeed beautiful.


    Xie Qiao had also seen many noble girls. They wore the jewelry. People who were already pretty could be made more beautiful.


    If it was cheaper, she would buy it.


    She looked at the shops one by one.


    There were no shops on the street or at the end of the alley.


    Even though they were traveling in the carriage, Xie Qiao was a little tired. However, as long as she epted the job, Xie Qiao would not be perfunctory. She had to put in a lot of effort. It was fine if she was a little tired.


    ¡°Since her soul has gone to the Wen Residence, why don¡¯t we go to Lancheng¡¯s ce first and ask around to see if there are any other clues?¡± Zhao Xuanjing paused and added, ¡°Jialing is stubborn. If she is obsessed with Lancheng, she will probably try to talk to him when he got married. Ms. Feng might


    have some clues.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then we will go all the way.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    The trip on the wedding day was the most important.


    In addition, Wen Lancheng was the main reason for Zhao Jialing¡¯s ¡°lovesickness¡±, so he was indeed an important clue..

 Chapter 975 - The Same Person

    <h4>Chapter 975: The Same Person</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao followed the route of the wedding and arrived at Wen Lancheng¡¯s house.


    At this time, Wen Lancheng was still working at the Royal Academy, so he was not at home. However, Feng Yingying was there, so Xie Qiao entered the house uninvited. She was a little embarrassed.


    Feng Yingying had seen the Crown Prince before, so she did not dare to reject him.


    She even invited him in nervously.


    Feng Yingying had never seen Mo Chusheng before. She had only heard of Master Mo¡¯s name earlier. Earlier, when she was trapped in the forest with Xie Qiao, she had sought out this master the next day to get rid of the evil spirits, therefore, when she saw the master, her face was filled with extreme


    respect.


    ¡°May I know why Your Highness and Master are here? My husband is not here at the moment, so I need someone to send a message¡­¡± on Feng Yingying¡¯s baby-fat face, her eyes were bright.


    Although she was nervous, she did not show any fear.


    From the moment she entered the door, Xie Qiao had looked around the Wen Residence and thought Feng Yingying, as the madam, should be doing very well.


    ¡°Tm here to find a soul. There¡¯s no need to inform Master Wen.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was soft.


    ¡°A soul?¡± Feng Yingying¡¯s eyes actually lit up. ¡°Master, please go ahead. I wonder if I can watch from the side?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Feng Yingying was a little excited. Then, she nced at the Crown Prince, more or less afraid. She wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Seeing her like this, Xie Qiao smiled and said, ¡°Madam Wen, if you have anything to say, you can say it. It¡¯s my fault foring here today to disturb you¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong, Master Mo? I¡¯ve long heard that you¡¯re very capable. Now that I¡¯ve seen you with my own eyes, I can¡¯t help but feel excited. Also¡­ My good friend is also here today, so it¡¯s not good to leave her alone in the backyard. She has always worshiped a person like Master, so¡­ I was


    wondering if I could invite her over to take a look.¡± Feng Yingying was excited but cautious.


    ¡°Good friend?¡± Xie Qiao was stunned. Then, she had an idea.


    Could it be¡­ Master Yu?


    However, Feng Yingying¡¯s words were not something that she could refuse. Xie Qiao nodded and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°ll wait for you outside,¡± the Crown Prince said. Then, he went straight to the carriage outside.


    ¡®Wen Lancheng was not at home. Although he was the Crown Prince, he was still an outsider. It was not right to meet Feng Yingying¡¯s good friend after meeting her. It was better to wait outside for peace and quiet.


    Xie Qiao understood and did not stop him.


    ¡®As soon as he left, Feng Yingying heaved a sigh of relief and immediately asked someone to invite her good friend over.


    Ia short while, she arrived.


    As expected, it was Master Yu!


    Yu Xian was still a little confused and did not understand why Feng Yingying suddenly invited her out to see a guest. However, at this moment, when she saw this immortal-like person, her eyes lit up and she strode over to Xie Qiao aggressively!


    Xie Qiao was about to smile, but Yu Xian suddenly kneeled on the ground with a thud and said, ¡°Celestial Master!


    ¡°In the past, it was me who was not sensible enough to doubt your ability. These days, I¡¯ve been regretting it endlessly. Unfortunately, I never saw Celestial Master again. I thought you had attained the dao and ascended to immortality! Now that we meet again, junior can rest in peace even if I die!¡±


    Xie Qiao was shocked and quickly moved to the side. She did not dare to respond to her!


    Feng Yingying could not help but exim, ¡°Oh my god, Sister Yu, I didn¡¯t expect that the master you were talking about is Master Mo! It¡¯s really fate!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Yu Xian still refused to get up and pped her slender hands together.. ¡°I¡¯ve been a fool! So many people in the capital say that Master Mo is amazing, but I never thought that Master Mo and the celestial master in my heart are the same person!¡±

 Chapter 976 - Lose Her Life

    <h4>Chapter 976: Lose Her Life</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yu Xian looked at Master Mo with fervent eyes. Her straightforward tone made Xie Qiao blush uncontrobly.


    ¡°Get up quickly¡­¡± Xie Qiao almost wanted to kneel down.


    She and Master Yu were good friends. It was really not good for Master Yu to bow down like this.


    ¡°Celestial Master, this is what I should do.¡± Yu Xian still did not get up, ¡°Your whereabouts are unpredictable. I was afraid that you¡¯d be gone in the blink of an eye. These days, I often think of you, and I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you. If I can be Celestial Master¡¯s disciple¡­ even if it¡¯s just an


    in-name disciple, it¡¯s good enough. I¡¯ll do my best to be filial to Celestial Master!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Xie Qiao was shocked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be like this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Celestial Master that I was able to find such a good livelihood. I even met Young Lady Xie and Young Master Xie. They¡¯re both top-notch people. They helped me find my cousin! Oh right, does Celestial Master not remember me? At that time, I was dressed as a man and was wandering on


    the streets¡­¡± Yu Xian hurriedly acted like a fierce man. She tried her best to show her heroic image that day.


    ¡°Idon¡¯t ept disciples. Quickly get up.¡± Xie Qiao was really anxious.


    ¡°I¡¯s my fault. Master, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Yu Xian quickly got up.


    She did not shamelessly want to irritate Xie Qiao, but she had always been straightforward. She liked and admired the master, so she had to express it. It was not good to dawdle and miss the opportunity.


    However, since the master was unwilling to ept disciples, she would not force her. She would still respect the master in the future!


    Speaking of which, after meeting the master, her luck became better and better.


    The master was really her lucky star.


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to kneel to me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yu Xian was stunned. ¡°This junior respects Master¡­¡±


    She would not lose a piece of flesh from kneeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s just inappropriate.¡± Xie Qiao was very persistent. As for the reason, firstly, they were good friends. It was already terrible enough for her to hide her identity. If she still tricked her into kneeling down, she would be a scumbag. Furthermore.


    ¡®When she knelt down, Xie Qiao felt that her chest was a little tight and her aura was not right. Perhaps¡­ she was going to lose her life from the admiration she was getting?


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t kneel.¡± Yu Xian did not dawdle. ¡°Master, what are you going to do today? If there¡¯s anything you need me for, feel free to ask.¡±


    She patted her chest.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao saw her like this, she felt a little irritated.


    Yu Xian looked¡­ very handsome, but her boorish appearance made her think of her eldest brother, that ugly freak, and she could not look at her directly.


    Of course, if she was wearing men¡¯s clothes, she would look more pleasing to the eye. However, today, she was wearing cherry pink, such a delicate and lovely dress, coupled with such a bold and uninhibited action. It was as if she was possessed by a terrifying tiger.


    Xie Qiao exhaled, then she looked at Feng Yingying and said, ¡°Madam Wen, I want to ask you, on the day of your wedding, did anything unusual happen?¡±


    Feng Yingying¡¯s face turned red, and she looked a little embarrassed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Id Master asking about¡­ my husband? N-Nothing is unusual about him, he was just a little clumsy. No, he identally fell off the bed¡­¡± after saying that, she was so flushed that it looked like she was bleeding.


    Xie Qiao almost choked.


    ¡°Tm not talking about that¡­¡± Xie Qiao wanted to cry, but no tears came out. She felt that at this moment, Feng Yingying must have thought of her as a doctor, so when she asked, even if it was a private matter, she would obediently tell her.


    Feng Yingying said shyly, ¡°Then forget about it


    She could not forget about it.


    Xie Qiaoughed dryly and turned to ask, ¡°On the day of the wedding, did you see a youngdy who wore many jewelleries and was full of nobility? She was called the Commandery Princess..¡±

 Chapter 977 - Bring Prosperity to the Family

    <h4>Chapter 977: Bring Prosperity to the Family</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Xie Qiao asked, Feng Yingying did not think much about it and directly nodded.


    ¡°We have met before. When my husband and I were not married, we had met before. That Commandery Princess was very good-looking and also wealthy. On the day of the wedding banquet, I covered my head and only vaguely heard the sound and saw the clothes she was wearing, Later, I heard the


    steward say that the Commandery Princess was not invited to the wedding banquet. I don¡¯t know why she came, but because of her noble status, it would be bad to treat her terribly.¡± Feng Yingying said very carefully.


    ¡°Then what did the Commandery Princess say?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking this question¡­ because she isn¡¯t lovesick, but possessed? Recently, I have been hearing that the Commandery Princess is not feeling well, and I feel quite guilty¡­ but if she is sick, she should not look for Master.¡± Feng Yingying frowned slightly.


    She did not like the Commandery Princess.


    That person liked her husband and wanted her to give up her position. No matter how good-looking she was, she would only feel disgusted.


    However, she thought the girl was still young and only started to fall in love. It would be a pity if she lost her mind because of this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that she¡¯s possessed. She just lost her soul. I¡¯ll look for it and bring it back to her when I find it,¡± Xie Qiao said casually.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to look for it. It¡¯s rumored that this happened because of my husband. It¡¯s really terrible.¡± Feng Yingying sighed.


    Yu Xian saw her like this and said, ¡°Master, although we don¡¯t like the Commandery Princess, we still hope that she can get better. Ms. Ying¡¯s life would be better if she gets better.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Qiao did not understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s all that gossip outside. They can say anything they want.¡± Yu Xian was so angry that she clenched her fists.


    Feng Yingying did not hide it. ¡°Some people say that Lancheng and the Commandery Princess are a match made in heaven, but he married ady from a small family like me. I don¡¯t bring honor to the family. Because the Commandery Princess is very sick, and some people say that I may have poisoned


    her¡­ I really have a grievance toin about. Firstly, the Commandery Princess didn¡¯t drink the tea I poured, and secondly, she didn¡¯t touch the pastries I made. Could I have spit out a few drops of saliva and poisoned her to death?


    ¡°They only want to say what they want to say. Who cares about others?¡± Feng Yingying was also very depressed.


    Her husband was too good.


    However, she never felt that she was not worthy!


    Yes, she came from a small family, but she was diligent and sensible. She was reasonable, virtuous, and good-looking. If her husband married her, she would definitely bring prosperity to the family, so he would not criticize her!


    ¡°After the marriage, Lancheng¡¯s colleagues should have some contact with each other, but after the rumors spread outside, those women did not dare to invite me out, for fear of offending the Prince¡¯s Residence,¡± Feng Yingying added.


    Xie Qiao understood.


    It would be bad to offend such a noble family. Even if Wen Lancheng was the new top scorer, his foundation was not stable. It was quite troublesome for such rumors to spread at this time.


    ¡°Then do you know if the Commandery Princess spoke to Master Wen that day? How long did she stay?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°She did.¡± Feng Yingying felt a little awkward and nced at Xie Qiao, she said honestly, ¡°That day, after the ceremony, I was sent back to my bedroom. My husband went with me and drank the wedding wine. He had to deal with the guests at the front, so he left. But when he reached the door, he was


    blocked by her.


    ¡°Twas inside. I wanted to sit in a reserved manner, but I heard a familiar voice. I couldn¡¯t ignore it, so I sneaked to the door and listened.¡±


    Feng Yingying did not feel that there was anything wrong with what she did.


    After going through the ceremony, Wen Lancheng became her husband, her own husband. She could not be at ease when he chatted with the youngdy who admired him. She had to understand the content, or it would be detrimental to the rtionship between the husband and wife in the future..

 Chapter 978 - Where Did She Go?

    <h4>Chapter 978: Where Did She Go?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At this point, Feng Yingying¡¯s chubby face was as red as a cooked prawn.


    ¡°The Commandery Princess asked Lancheng, what she said was that I¡¯m just a youngdy from a vige, how can I be worthy to be his wife? However, due to her dignity, it was not good for her to stop the ceremony just now. Now, she avoided others because she wanted to tell him something. If his family


    didn¡¯t arrange for me for him, would he like her¡­¡± Feng Yingying imitated the Commandery Princess¡¯ tone as she said it in a serious tone.


    Yu Xian could not help but feel disgusted.


    ¡°can¡¯t see her expression, but from her voice, she did sound like she was crying.


    ¡°Her family is quite strict. Otherwise, when she was at the ceremony that day, she might really tun the world upside down.¡± Feng Yingying looked relieved, ¡°Lancheng¡¯s attitude was as firm as ever. He said that even without me, he wouldn¡¯t care about my family background and would care more about


    whether his wife is virtuous or not.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master Wen to say that?¡± Xie Qiao was very surprised.


    ¡®Was it not obvious that he was saying the Commandery Princess was not virtuous?


    ¡®Wen Lancheng had always given people the impression that he was like a warm steamed bun. He was a weak schr who was only intelligent.


    ¡°Actually, he¡¯s just a little gentle on the surface. He¡¯s not a pushover. On the day of our wedding, the Commandery Princess even chased away the outsiders at the door of our bedroom. Lancheng was naturally very angry that she did that,¡± Feng Yingying immediately added.


    ¡°From what you said, the possibility of this person¡¯s soul remaining in this house is quite high.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was solemn.


    Feng Yingying¡¯s expression was strange.


    It could not really be staying in their house, right?


    She wanted the master to quickly find the soul, but if the soul of this Commandery Princess stayed by Lancheng¡¯s side


    Even thinking about it, Feng Yingying felt terrible and instantly became listless.


    She was angry and powerless.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Feng Yingying cried out for help.


    Her cry was soft and delicate. Fortunately, she was not a man. Otherwise, she would have done it even if she had to fight a sea of fire.


    ¡°Can you show me your bedroom and study? As long as it¡¯s a ce that Master Wen usually visits, show me,¡± Xie Qiao said worriedly.


    ¡®Wen Lancheng¡¯s house was quite clean. Other than some wandering ghouls that did not have much consciousness, she had not seen any of those terrible ghouls.


    After all, Wen Lancheng was a top scorer. He had the aura of literature and prosperity. In addition to his noble character, he also had some ability to restrain ghouls. Of course, it was not big, and it could notpare to the fate of the dragon vein.


    The living souls were different from the souls of the dead. There was no such thing as restraining them.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Feng Yingying immediately replied.


    Without thinking much, she brought Xie Qiao along and walked towards the backyard.


    ¡®The yard was very elegant. There were not many fancy things. The bedroom was even more elegant. As they had just gotten married, they could still see some bright red colors. However, apart from the red candle and red curtains, the rest were all in colors.


    Xie Qiao nced at them and shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Feng Yingying immediately heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the study. If it¡¯s in the study, I can still ept it.¡±


    She usually helped her husband grind ink. In the study, they did not do anything inappropriate. However, their daily interactions could be considered sweet. If the Commandery Princess saw it, she might have given up long ago.


    However, other than the rows of books in the study, there was still no sign of a living soul.


    Immediately after, Feng Yingying led her and walked around the entire Wen Residence.


    The residence was not big, so it did not take long for them to walk around. In the end, they found nothing.


    Where did this Commandery Princess go?

 Chapter 979 - What Are You Hiding?

    <h4>Chapter 979: What Are You Hiding?</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was also a little worried.


    She had thought that the soul was most likely to be in the Wen Residence, but he had not expected that the residence was so clean that it made people want to take a few more breaths of air. There was no trace of it at all.


    ¡°Still nothing?¡± Feng Yingying was also a little disappointed. ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°This penniless master will go out and look for it again,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡± Feng Yingying sighed.


    Yu Xian wanted to say something, but she stopped herself.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said to her, ¡°If you¡¯re curious, you can follow me to look for it, but the process should be boring.¡±


    However, for Yu Xian, she was extremely excited.


    This was the celestial master she had been waiting for and thinking about for so long!


    How could she be bored of the search?


    ¡°Tll protect Master,¡± Yu Xian quickly said.


    She even wanted to say that she could be the master¡¯s personal guard... However, thinking about it, she had also agreed with the Xie family that if she wanted to be their martial arts master for at least five years. It would be difficult for her to pursue the dao with the master.


    At the thought of the master, Yu Xian felt that sparring with Xie Pinggang every day was not that interesting anymore.


    Fighting every day without any tricks, while the master would travel from ce to ce and experience the life of the outside world. It would certainly be more exciting.


    How about... she spoke to Xie Pinggang? It would be great if she was given half of her time every month to devote to the master.


    Yu Xian was dreaming.


    After leaving the Wen Residence swiftly, she left with Xie Qiao. Today, she also took a carriage and left the house, so the carriage followed behind.


    After leaving the Wen Residence, Xie Qiao suddenly thought of something. She looked at the lingering ghouls outside the Wen Residence and finally fixed her gaze on one of the ghouls.


    That ghoul... was covered in water stains.


    It was hanging by the side of a well by the road.


    ¡°Are you here every day?¡± Xie Qiao got off the carriage and walked over, asking with a calm expression.


    That ghoul looked at Xie Qiao, then looked left and right, before pointing at itself with a puzzled expression. After seeing Xie Qiao nod, it stammered, ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯m always here. D-Do want to s-seal the well?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head.


    The ghoul breathed a sigh of relief, it was not so nervous anymore. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re not... The pond where I died was filled up. It was not easy to find such a quiet ce without other ghouls fighting for it... If you¡¯re not here to seal the well, then what are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Twant to ask you about something.¡± Xie Qiao looked at this ghouls rather innocent appearance, she could not help but smile. ¡°Some time ago, when the family next door was celebrating their wedding, did you see a youngdy passing by? That youngdy...¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at Huan¡¯er.


    Huan¡¯er did not know who the master was talking to. She could not help but tremble twice. After understanding the master¡¯s meaning, she said honestly, ¡°M-My Lady was wearing a water-blue dress that day. She wore an eight-treasure chrysanthemum hairpin on her head. That hairpin was very


    beautiful, and she would not forget it. After leaving the Wen Residence, she was in a bad mood, so she did not take the carriage and asked us to go home first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Have you ever seen such ady?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The ghoul nodded seriously. ¡°I recognize most of the people who pass by every day. That day, this ce was the liveliest. The youngdy you mentioned sat here for a while. At that time, a woman came to fetch water, but she was not willing to move. She red at her and scared the woman away.¡±


    It was obvious that she was a rich youngdy. How would ordinary people dare to provoke her?


    ¡°How long did she sit here for? Where did she go after that? Was there anything unusual?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    After she said that, she felt that Huan¡¯er¡¯s expression seemed to have be terrible.


    Her leg unconsciously trembled. Xie Qiao frowned, turned around, and looked at her. ¡°Could it be.... that you lied about what you said to the Princess? What are you hiding?¡±

 Chapter 980 - Frightened

    <h4>Chapter 980: Frightened</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    As soon as Xie Qiao finished speaking, the maid immediately knelt down. ¡°Master! I didn¡¯t mean to hide it. I-It was the youngdy who didn¡¯t allow me to speak!¡±


    She knelt down, but Xie Qiao did not pay much attention to her. Instead, she looked at the ghoul.


    The words of a ghoul were sometimes more truthful than what a living person said.


    That ghoul had not spoken to a living person for a long time, so she was quite excited at this moment. When she saw Xie Qiao looking at her, she immediately said, ¡°I know! That youngdy was a Commandery Princess. At that time, the servant called her that! They sat here for almost fifteen minutes


    before leaving, In between, they said a lot of things and even scolded someone!¡±


    ¡°This humble servant apanied the Commandery Princess to scold a vige woman. She said that she was dying soon. She also said that the schr would divorce her sooner orter! She even called her a slut. There were many terrible things like that!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to borate on the scolding, Tell me something else that you know,¡± Xie Qiao said. ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you this time. If you have any wishes, I can help you fulfill them.¡±


    ¡°Really?! I want you to talk to that person in the alley over there. Her name¡¯s Liu Gui. Every time she pretends to fetch water, she would spit a mouthful of phlegm into the well after she finishes. It really disgusts me. Please tell her not to do it again. It¡¯s not easy for me to find a well¡­¡± the ghoul said with


    some grievance.


    Xie Qiao nodded with mixed feelings.


    It was quite hygienic.


    The ghoul was even happier. ¡°The youngdy you mentioned said something before she left. She said that she was very angry that a vige girl could step on her head. Then, this servant said that perhaps the vige girl was lucky, so she might as well find an expert to look at her fate. This servant


    introduced a fraud and said that he was extremely spiritual.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Tt was said that it was a Taoist master named Liuming who could concoct many medicinal pills and read fortunes. It was very urate. However, he¡¯s in the suburbs. After that, they left.¡± The ghoul said everything she knew.


    After she finished speaking, Xie Qiao looked at Huan¡¯er.


    Huan¡¯er had never mentioned before that she had brought the Commandery Princess out of the city.


    ¡°You left the city? Who was the Taoist Master Liuming you were looking for?¡± Xie Qiao asked directly.


    Hearing her words, Huan¡¯er was so scared that her face turned pale. She looked at her in disbelief, then, she cried, ¡°We were going to find the Taoist master. I heard from my good friend that there¡¯s a very powerful Taoist master outside the city. Under his guidance, he even made a small fortune. I wanted


    tofort the youngdy, but I didn¡¯t know what to do. I suddenly thought of the Taoist master¡­


    ¡°I think that even if the master couldn¡¯t change the fate of that vige girl, as an expert, he must have a way tofort her. Perhaps he could even tell the youngdy¡¯s fortune in marriage¡­¡±


    ¡°And then? Why was your youngdy frightened and lost her soul?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    She was probably frightened.


    ¡°W-We hired a carriage. First, we went to find my lover. His name is Bao Yi, but he didn¡¯t expect that we were going out of the city alone. The coachman was old and timid¡­ It was quitete, and he actually had evil thoughts and robbed my youngdy. At that time, he still wanted to do¡­ that kind of thing.


    Iwas afraid that something would happen to the youngdy, so I desperately used a rock to knock Bao Yi unconscious¡­¡±


    The coachman was old, so he did not dare to resist.


    After Bao Yi fell, they took their belongings back, but there were some marks on the youngdy¡¯s body.


    Her clothes were also torn. Worried that others would find out, the youngdy told her to keep her mouth shut.


    Moreover, at that time, the youngdy was very angry. After Bao Yi fell, she even lifted a rock and smashed him twice. At that time, she thought¡­ Bao Yi was smashed to death.


    Then, on the way back, the youngdy kept trembling and said that she had killed someone.


    However, she really did not dare to reveal that. At that time, she thought that Bao Yi was dead. Moreover, if the Princess found out that she was the one who instigated the Commandery Princess to leave the city, then¡­ she would lose her life!

 Chapter 981 - Short Lifespan

    <h4>Chapter 981: Short Lifespan</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At this moment, Huan¡¯er¡¯s entire body was trembling. She had no choice but to tell the truth.


    Her heart was already half-dead. She knew that after she returned, she would definitely not have a good ending.


    Putting everything else aside, the Princess would not tolerate her for concealing the truth. However, at this moment, she had no choice but to tell the truth. After all, the master was too amazing, She was actually able to investigate such a matter!


    This kind of miraculous ability made her even more afraid.


    ¡°This servant really didn¡¯t intend to harm the youngdy¡­¡± Huan¡¯er sobbed.


    ¡°Take me to the ce you went to that day. If you can¡¯t find that ce, then I will have to find that Bao Yi you mentioned. Since you have made a mistake, you should work hard to make up for it. It¡¯d be better for your conscience.¡± Xie Qiao did not dare to say that she could definitely protect this maid


    servant¡¯s life.


    She was not her maid servant. Moreover, it was an unintentional act to lead Zhao Jialing out of the city. However, it was intentional to conceal the Commandery Princess¡¯ itineraryter on.


    The most important thing for this maid servant was loyalty.


    Now that her loyalty was gone, the Prince¡¯s Residence would definitely not be able to keep her. As for whether to sell her or kill her, it was hard to say.


    If she tried her best to save Huan¡¯er, when the Princess learned about itter, she might be able to show some mercy.


    Huan¡¯er did not dare to refuse and agreed obediently.


    Before leaving the city, Xie Qiao first went to look for that unhygienic woman.


    ¡®When the woman saw Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage, she was already a little nervous and afraid. When Xie Qiao opened her mouth to say what she had done secretly, her face turned even redder.


    ¡°Twontt do it again! I won¡¯t do it again in the future. I really know my mistake. Please don¡¯t punish me for my money¡­¡± The woman was so scared that she was about to cry.


    Of course, the guard who followed Zhao Xuanjing was the one who did it.


    ¡®The guard was extremely brave and had a waist token and a knife. He was obviously not an ordinary person. How would she dare to lie?


    The reason why this woman spat into the well¡­ was even more bizarre.


    She had a well in her house, so she did not need to go to the well outside to fetch water. However, the neighbor next door did not have one. This neighbor¡¯s words were a little harsh. Usually, she would always say that her family used to be rich and noble, but now that her child was useless, she could not


    beat them in the argument. Not only that, they were telling the truth, and this made her feel aggrieved


    There were also other neighbors who kept saying that her child was fat and insisted that he eat less. They also said that her child was so fat that he would not be able to marry a wife in the future and would even have a short lifespan!


    How vicious were these words?!


    She was really angry, so she secretly did that. She felt much better when she saw those people drinking her spit every day.


    ¡®When Xie Qiao was at the door, she really saw the child of this family.


    He was¡­ quite fat.


    Being rich was great, it would not bother other people. It was just that it was not beneficial to one¡¯s health. Moreover, the neighbors had probably watched this child grow up and watched this mother disregard everything. Perhaps they could not help but worry for her family, so they spoke frankly.


    This woman must have listened to a lot of advice.


    However, she did not take any of it to heart, so at this moment, Xie Qiao did not say much, wasting her breath.


    After dealing with this matter, Xie Qiao took advantage of the fact that it was not dark yet and went out of the city.


    It was not too far away. It was a vige near the outside of the city. There was only a small path with weeds by the side of the road. It was said that the vige was also sparsely popted, so there were very few people passing by. It was no wonder that the person called Bao Yi dared toy his hand on the


    Commandery Princess at that time and not worried of being discovered by passers-by.

 Chapter 982 - Living Soul

    <h4>Chapter 982: Living Soul</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were not many people on this path. Halfway through, Huan¡®er pointed at a fork and turned inside.


    ¡°Bao Yi didn¡¯t behave. He was chased out of the vige long ago. He found a way to earn some money and built a house nearby¡­¡± Huan¡¯er added.


    Xie Qiao was fed up.


    Since Huan¡¯er knew that Bao Yi was a bad person, she actually dared to bring the Commandery Princess here!


    There were few people outside, and the weeds in some ces were taller than people. If something was really done inside, the pedestrians on the road would not be able to see it!


    They took a few steps toward the fork in the road and stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯s here. We happened to meet Bao Yi when he came over, so we met before we reached the small house. We got off the carriage, and I chatted with him for a while. Then he became disobedient and began tomit the crime.¡±


    As she spoke, Huan¡¯er pointed at a rock at the bottom. ¡°That should be the rock that youngdy and I used to smash him¡­¡±


    She thought that the person had been smashed to death, and that was why the youngdy was so afraid.


    However,ter, Bao Yi found her again and asked her to give him money to see a doctor.


    At that time, the youngdy was already in a daze. She had secretly told the youngdy that Bao Yi was still alive, but the youngdy still had not recovered.


    Xie Qiao looked around.


    Finally, she saw a living soul under a tree.


    The living soul curled up and it was shivering. Xie Qiao walked over and found that besides Zhao Jialing¡¯s living soul, there was also an earring. It was very beautiful and was slightly blocked by the fallen leaves.


    She raised her hand and picked it up.


    ¡°This is my youngdy¡¯s!¡± Huan¡¯er hurriedly said, ¡°Young Lady stole a hairpin back then, but because she was too nervous, she did not notice that an earring was missing.¡±


    The living soul stared at the earring and was very nervous when she saw Xie Qiao picking it up.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said to the living soul, ¡°Are you afraid that Bao Yi¡¯s body would be found? When the authorities investigate, they will find the earring and then find you?¡±


    Zhao Jialing was stunned.


    She was also a little confused. After all, her soul was notplete, so she had some obsession, but not much intelligence.


    In addition to being frightened, when she heard these words, she was very nervous and could not even speak.


    Xie Qiao guessed that the Commandery Princess found that the earring was gone halfway and was so scared that her soul left her body. She did not dare to go back to pick it up, but she could not help but think that her soul was left halfway and she ran to the ¡°crime scene¡±, However, she did not expect that


    Bao Yi did not die, and her soul could not go back.


    As she was obsessed with the earring, her living soul could not go back.


    Xie Qiao also knew that it was useless to say anything to her now.


    She lit a soul-nourishing incense and put it away.


    The living soul had been wandering outside for so long, and it was very weak. It looked like it could disappear at any time.


    Xie Qiao guessed that when Zhao Jialing¡¯s living soul returned to her body, this person would also be weaker. It was impossible for her to be as strong as before.


    She deserved it.


    At such a young age, after listening to the maniptive words of others, she actually wanted to get a master to change someone¡¯s fate!


    Fortunately, she did not seed. Otherwise, if she really encountered a witch, Ms. Ying would be the unlucky one if that really happened.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Today¡¯s task was a bit far, but it was not difficult.


    Xie Qiao was well-versed in both worlds. Otherwise, who could find such a ce?


    ¡°That Bao Yi¡­¡± Xie Qiao looked at Zhao Xuanjing. ¡°How should we deal with him?¡±


    He dared tomit a murder in broad daylight, which was a terrible thing. If he was left uncaptured, he would harm others. However, it was not good to spread the news of the crime of a noble youngdy. Otherwise, Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence would hate her and the Crown Prince..

 Chapter 983 - Masterpieces

    <h4>Chapter 983: Masterpieces</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Xuanjing knew the severity of the matter. Although Zhao Jialing was arrogant and even a little vicious, this matter was also rted to the dignity of Prince Yong Lin.


    ¡®There was another Commandery Princess in Prince Yong Lin¡¯s family. She was quite obedient. If something happened to her biological sister, her reputation would be tarnished. After all, she was his cousin and a member of the imperial family. It would not be good to be too ruthless.


    ¡°Tl tell Uncle Yong Lin about the matterter. He will decide how to deal with it.¡± Zhao Xuanjing would not offend people so openly anymore.


    1


    In the past, he was alone and crippled. He had even resigned from the position of Crown Prince, but he did not get the permission to do so.


    Seeing those people targeting him all day long, he felt unhappy. He became a little heartless when he did things.


    However, in the future, Xie Qiao was going to marry into the family.


    He should be a little more restrained and not make enemies for no reason.


    Yu Xian was still following her. She was very quiet along the way. She only looked at Xie Qiao with admiration in her eyes.


    Now that the matter was settled, she also heaved a sigh of relief. She could not help but interject, ¡°Master, did you not say that the Commandery Princess was looking for a master? This master is definitely not as upright as you, right?


    ¡°After all¡­ he gave pointers to people like Bao Yi and made a small fortune. It can be seen that he has no principles in doing things. Presumably¡­ he¡¯s not a good person,¡± Yu Xian added.


    ¡°He must have his own reason.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded.


    ¡°Lhave never heard of this Taoist Master Liuming before. Next time, if I meet Yuan Changzi of the Yuxu Temple, I will ask him about it. He must know many of his peers in the capital. He should know a thing or two,¡± Xie Qiao replied.


    Xie Qiao thought if things did not go well, she would spend the night outside. However, looking at it now, the city gates should not be closed when she returned to the city.


    She immediately set off.


    After returning to the city, Zhao Xuanjing returned to the Royal Academy.


    Xie Qiao was a little envious of him.


    ¡®As the Crown Prince, he usually had to live in the Imperial City to prevent idents from happening that would crush the foundation of the country.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing¡­ was really indulged to the point of wlessness.¡± He could find something to do at the criminal division to pass time and settle down in the Royal Academy. He was really at ease.


    Just based on the emperor¡¯s indulgence and love for him, if he could not be the emperor in the end, it was probably because he did not want to advance.


    Everyone left, but Xie Qiao still could not sleep peacefully.


    She still had to deal with serious matters.


    The Baili family members were still waiting for her at the Fortune Pavilion. It was also an important matter, so she did not dare to dy.


    Since she came back from Mengjiabao, she had not had the time to go home to see her brothers and sister. Life was really difficult, and it was hard for her to survive.


    Baili Ji really treated her ce as his home.


    ¡®When she left early in the morning, she specially burned a few books for him. This person was sitting in her armchair, sipping tea and reading at the same time, leisurely and carefree. He really did not look like he had lost his descendants.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re back?¡± Bai Liji did not forget to greet her when he saw her. ¡°Do you have any other good books to read? These books aren¡¯t very good. The people who wrote these books can¡¯t bepared to those young kids in my family.¡±


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded.


    It was only natural that they could not bepared!


    ¡®The Baili family was a big family in the past. They had umted wealth and knowledge for many years. Therefore, even if the people in their family were good-for-nothings, they were definitely good-for-nothings who were better at reading than ordinary people!


    Even in the imperial court, there were many Baili family members at that time!


    This was also why, after the Baili family was wiped out, there were people who began to rebel!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a few masterpieces that have been passed down for generations? Burn them and let me broaden my horizons, okay?¡± Baili Ji said again..

 Chapter 984 - Respect for Her Idol

    <h4>Chapter 984: Respect for Her Idol</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Xie Qiao heard Baili Ji¡¯s words, her heart trembled and she almost went out of her mind.


    ¡°Masterpieces passed down through generations?¡± She was a little uneasy. ¡°If I have good things like that, I naturally have to keep them for future generations¡­ Wouldn¡¯t they be gone if I burn them?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s true¡­ Then can you copy them for me¡­? My entire family is filled with schrs. All these years, I was afraid that I would forget my abilities, so I always recruited some little ghouls to teach them so that they would be able to remember firmly,¡± Baili Ji added.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment. ¡°When I have time, I will spend money to hire people to copy them. After finding your descendants, I will burn them for you.¡±


    Once he reached the bottom, he definitely would not be able to reincarnate immediately. He could pass time by reading a book.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Baili Ji looked quite amiable. ¡°I heard from the shopkeeper downstairs today that you are not only a Taoist master, but also a disciple of the great schr Li Shiyan? That¡¯s amazing. I have heard of this Li Shiyan before. He¡¯s a very capable person.¡±


    ¡°although my teacher is powerful, he respects and admires you very much, Senior.¡± Xie Qiao was telling the truth.


    This Baili Ji could be considered the most powerful person in the Baili family.


    He was the first creator of the world map and the leader of the Baili family.


    How could he be ordinary?


    ¡°We can be considered fated. Since you are the disciple of the great schr, then I think your abilities are not bad. Paint something and let me have a look. Baili Ji requested without any courtesy.


    Xie Qiao nced at him, but in the end, she obediently followed his instructions.


    In fact, she was a little tired.


    Later, she still had to prepare for the soul summoning. After running for another day, she felt a little dizzy.


    However, the person in front of her was Baili Ji.


    She had been reading since she was young, and she had heard a lot about the Baili family. Her teacher had also shown her the Baili family¡¯s posthumous works. Those were indeed works that people looked up to, and she liked them very much.


    So even if Baili Ji did not give her anything, she would still help.


    This could also be considered¡­ respect for her idol.


    ¡°My health iscking. I¡¯ve been tired all day, so I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be very steady when I paint.¡± Before Xie Qiao put down her brush, she said something first.


    Baili Ji nodded. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll take a look first.¡±


    If this Master Mo in front of her really had the ability, even if shey down on the bed, closed her eyes, and painted like an earthworm looking for its mother, he would be able to tell whether this person had the ability or not.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and painted an orchid.


    Although the orchid was simple, it tested one¡¯s ability to control the brush.


    After she started painting, Baili Ji was shocked.


    He thought that this master would not be proficient in this, but he did not expect her to paint so smoothly, and her strokes were exquisite. Her strokes were as carefree as moving clouds, and it was veryfortable to look at!


    She was a good seedling!


    ¡°Your ability is really not bad. Even those b*stards in my family might not be able topare to you¡­¡± Baili Ji was jealous.


    He was initially quite proud, but now that he saw this simple painting, he felt that he had died for too long, and the world had changed?


    Even a Taoist master could paint like this?


    Xie Qiao even mentioned a poem at the side.


    Baili Ji became even more silent after reading it.


    ¡°Your technique is amazing, and your brush strokes are steady. It¡¯s just that I can see that you¡¯re still a little out of breath. Perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯re tired, but I can¡¯t me you. If there¡¯s a w¡­ your ink mixing ability isn¡¯t very good, and the ink isn¡¯t even enough. Also, this brush and ink make a lot of


    difference. You need to buy some good brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. You should also have a maid who is proficient in grinding ink beside you. In short,pared to this old man, your brush strokes are a little immature, but with your age, it¡¯s good enough.¡±


    Baili Ji was not stingy with his praise.


    ¡°This painting of yours should be able to sell for a lot of money. Why are you still so poor?¡± Baili Ji could not help but ask again.


    It was true that the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone that Master Mo had were not good enough. It was not like those rich calligraphy masters and artists who were picky about everything for the best. Only then could they be worthy of their own calligraphy and paintings..

 Chapter 985 - Make Ends Meet

    <h4>Chapter 985: Make Ends Meet</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    All capable schrs cared about their vision and mood. They should be picky about every object they use. Cultivating a good vision would also be beneficial to writing.


    However, if one looked closely around Master Mo


    Tsk,


    Baili Ji was annoyed.


    Her armchair and table were ordinary and were not worth much money. There was not even a rosewood or red sandalwood object in the room. It was fine if she did not pay attention to the material, but the design was not good either. The top was bald, there was no pattern at all.


    At least carve some plum, orchid, bamboo or chrysanthemum to show a gentleman¡¯s style, right?


    Sigh, a pair of good hands were wasted.


    There were many things downstairs, but they were actually carved for dead people.


    Feeling Baili Ji¡¯s disdainful gaze, Xie Qiao could not help but feel wronged.


    Her hands trembled twice, and she hurriedly put down the brush. She slowly took out a pill and ate it.


    ¡°Senior, if you want me to copy books for you, I only have a pair of hands. I can only ask others to copy. If the handwriting is not good, the copy will be ugly. You won¡¯t like it, so you¡¯d have to spend more money to look for those who write well, don¡¯t you think so?


    ¡°You see, it¡¯s just a small matter, and it requires money.


    ¡°Your family is staying here with me. The ce is a little small, but it¡¯s still quitefortable. Why? This spice nourishes the soul.¡± Xie Qiao wanted to cry, but there were no tears. ¡°The daily cost is not less than one tael of silver¡­


    ¡°The bottles you guys are living in are simple, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯d have to use the best porcin if not jade. Even the slightest w requires money.


    ¡°The talismans are top-notch, so is the cinnabar¡­ Look into my basket¡­ Tell me again why I¡¯m so poor¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought her life was really difficult!


    Poor, that was not what she wanted.


    Really, she could not make ends meet. What could she do?


    Working for these ghouls, not every one of them had silver to pay. Even if there was, she could not spend it all on herself. She had to use a lot of money to do good deeds for them, to umte good karma, so that in the future, she would be better off down there.


    Her paintings were worth money, but she did not dare to paint too much. If she sold one every day, the price would definitely be greatly reduced!


    Xie Qiao put on a bitter face. It was really pitiful.


    ¡®When she thought of her sadness, she even coughed a few times.


    After that, Baili Ji could not help but feel conflicted. He was really afraid that this child would identally cough to death.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore¡­ This old man knows that it¡¯s not easy for you¡­¡± Baili Ji looked at the golden item in the bamboo basket, ¡°You¡¯re just a Taoist master, why would you use gold for? Isn¡¯t it too tacky? Moreover, when you¡¯re outside, it¡¯s easy for people to rob you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was serious.


    She liked it, she was right.


    It was a handy ¡°weapon¡±. She would be more spirited when she was using it!


    Baili Ji was a little speechless, looking at her orchid painting, he sighed. ¡°Your painting is really good, but it¡¯s a pity that the brush and ink aren¡¯t good. There¡¯s a treasure chest, you¡¯ll have to dig it out when you¡¯re free. There should be a lot of money inside, you can use it all to buy brushes, ink, paper, and


    inkstones. Thene over every night, I¡¯ll teach you how not to waste those expensive good things.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked from the side of her eye and was slightly surprised.


    This meant¡­ that he was going to be half her master!


    ¡°My Baili family doesn¡¯t have a living descendant anymore. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t pass on my abilities. Your abilities are not bad, so I¡¯ll give you some pointers. I hope that you can take in a few good disciples on behalf of my Baili family in the future so that I can rest in peace..¡±

 Chapter 986 - What is This Money Bag Even

    <h4>Chapter 986: What is This Money Bag Even</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao was not someone who did not know what was good for her. Baili Ji had said that he wanted to teach her, so there was no need for her to be reserved.


    She immediately bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Baili Ji. I will definitely study hard.¡±


    She still had to inform her teacherter.


    Her teacher knew that she couldmunicate with both worlds. If he heard that she saw the famous Baili Ji, he would definitely be even more excited than she was. However, Baili Ji should not have stayed in this world for too long, so she had to put in 120% effort to learn. If she could learn more, she


    had to work hard to learn more. In this way, she would not let herself down, and she would not let down Baili Ji¡¯s good intentions.


    Xie Qiao felt that she had to bring all the pills from her house.


    Baili Ji looked like he was consoling her. He nodded at Xie Qiao with satisfaction. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I would still be able to teach the living after dying for so long. It seems that you and I are really fated.¡±


    To be able tomunicate with both worlds was amazing.


    Baili Ji also knew that Master Mo could rely on this ability to obtain some benefits. However, simrly, she would have to give up even more things. Not all the ghouls in the world were as reasonable and elegant as him.


    Just like today when he was reading in the Fortune Pavilion, there were two ugly and dirty ghouls floating outside


    A youngdy who looked at this kind of thing every day did not lose her mind because this child was brave enough.


    Xie Qiao did not say much. At this moment, she put the painting aside.


    Then, she took out the bone brush.


    Looking at that small bone, Baili Ji¡¯s expression was as usual. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about other things. This brush is indeed not bad. Master Mo, what do we need to do now?¡±


    ¡°Tl remove it first. I still need to prepare some other things. I definitely won¡¯t be able toplete it in a short while,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If all my descendants arepletely gone, I can¡¯t me anyone for going. After existing for a long time, I can still think things through.¡± Baili Ji looked quite carefree.


    However, that was just a nice way of saying it.


    Xie Qiao understood that all of Baili Ji¡¯s descendants were dead. If they became ghouls and were all destroyed, they might feel wronged. They might even be vengeful spirits.


    She took out that small piece of bone.


    Then, she asked Baili Ji for the descendant¡¯s birth characters.


    Xie Qiao ground the bone into dust and dropped it into the talisman water bowl. She chanted an incantation with her hands up. A wooden figure was ced next to her.


    Awisp of light qi floated out of the bowl andnded on the small wooden figure that had the birth characters written on it. However, this wisp of qi was still too faint, and she was afraid that it would be unstable. Therefore, she had been sitting cross-legged the entire time, chanting the incantation


    non-stop.


    The color of her lips had turned a few shades paler.


    Baili Ji had also been standing by the side the entire time. In the middle of the night, there were a few other spirits from the Baili family who hade out to get some fresh air. They had also seen this scene.


    Their feelings were quiteplicated.


    ¡°This master doesn¡¯t seem to have a very healthy body. Is it alright for her to chant like this? Don¡¯t give up your life for the sake of our family¡¯s little trouble?¡±


    ¡°But how many people in this world are able tomunicate with both worlds? Even those who have a pair of yin and yang eyes don¡¯t have her ability, so we can only make things difficult for her.¡±


    The Yuxu Temple also had powerful Taoist masters.


    However, they only acquired the heavenly eyester on in life, unlike Master Mo, who couldmunicate with them anytime and anywhere.


    ¡°You have to thank her properly. By the way, when I was floating outside, I once saw someone¡¯s money bag being thrown in the wilderness. No one saw it, so the money bag should still be there. I¡¯ll tell herter as a token of appreciation?¡±


    ¡°Our ancestor has already told her the location of the treasure chest.. What is this money bag of yours even?

 Chapter 987 - Her Skin Fell off Again

    <h4>Chapter 987: Her Skin Fell off Again</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The ghouls of the Baili family were chatting happily.


    Xie Qiao finally stopped when it was almost noon the next day. When she stood up, she shook her head and wiped her forehead with a confused look.


    Abig piece of makeup fell off.


    Baili Ji and the others were shocked.


    Her skin fell off?


    ¡°Is her face fake?!¡± Some ghouls could not help but exim, ¡°It¡¯s so scary. She¡¯s a Taoist master. Could she be the kind of evil that will absorb essence energy and change her skin to keep it young forever?¡±


    Baili Ji rolled his eyes at his useless grandson. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple disguise. Why are you panicking?¡±


    ¡°The old ancestor is right¡­¡± the ghouls nodded obediently.


    They all sneakily hid next to the cab, their voices as soft as mosquitoes.


    That piece of skin had fallen too much. Xie Qiao also noticed it, so she got someone to bring a basin of water and washed up briefly.


    The makeup on her face was washed off, and she had to put it on again.


    As for the ghouls next to her, Xie Qiao did not care too much. After all, there were some ghouls who knew her identity. If these ghouls were really curious about her, she would not be able to hide even if she wanted to.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re actually so young?!¡± Baili Ji¡¯s old face could not help but tremble.


    ¡°Yes, because I¡¯m young, when I was pretending to be a Taoist master, others didn¡¯t believe in my ability, so I had to change my appearance,¡± Xie Qiao told the truth.


    Baili Ji suddenly felt some heartache. ¡°You¡¯re able to paint such a painting at such a young age, so you should focus more on that. What¡¯s the point of learning from your great Confucian teacher and the dao¡­¡±


    If he had such a talented child in his family, he would definitely make him focus on nothing but learning!


    Other misceneous things would only be a waste of time!


    It was not just Baili Ji who hadints. Even the other members of the Baili family looked at Xie Qiao with a look of contempt at this moment.


    ¡°My main duty is to take care of ghouls, and my secondary hobby is reading,¡± Xie Qiao emphasized.


    Secondary¡­ secondary?!


    The Baili family members were all a little angry.


    In this world, how many disciples of the humble ss had no way out? If they had the opportunity to study, they would do their best to climb up thedder!


    Although she was only a youngdy, she could rely on her own ability to be a talented woman of a generation, right? It was not as if there were no noble women in history who were famous for a long time!


    What a pity, what a pity!


    The group of ghouls had fierce eyes.


    Xie Qiao, however, calmly put on her makeup and wore a gray Taoist robe. Then, she took the living soul that she had collected yesterday and left the Fortune Pavilion.


    She had not slept the whole night and her footsteps were a little shaky. Fortunately, after entering the carriage, she was still some distance away from the Prince¡¯s Residence and could take a nap in between.


    ¡°Ancestor, if this is my child¡­ I will definitely break her legs. I would rather let her stay home with nowhere to go than to detain her to study¡­¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, no one would help you find your rtives.¡± Baili Ji sighed in the end.


    Everyone had their own fate, and everyone had their own theorem.


    This youngdy was very opinionated. Since she liked to be a Taoist master, there was no reason for others to stop her. He was not a stubborn old geezer, so he could still try to ept what young people think.


    ¡°After the youngdy finishes helping, she will send those who are not capable away first. Those who are capable will stay behind and teach her properly,¡± Baili Ji added.


    It was not easy to meet a disciple that he liked. It was even more rare to meet a talented disciple.

 Chapter 988 - One More Calamity

    <h4>Chapter 988: One More Cmity</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    On the way to Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence, Xie Qiao slept for a while, but it did not help her spirit much. Her entire person was still listless.


    ¡®The maid Huan¡¯er from yesterday had already been sent back to the residence. The princess already knew the ins and outs of the matter.


    She was so angry that she had people drag her out on the spot and beat her up 20 times.


    If her daughter was still alive, this maid who was hiding the truth could be spared. However, if her daughter was dead¡­ she could not tolerate it!


    After suffering for an entire night, when she saw the master today, the princess¡¯ heart jolted and she felt a little uneasy.


    ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The princess asked carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was busy for an entire night yesterday and I¡¯m not in good spirits.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was a little hoarse and weak.


    The princess let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Master, you¡¯ve worked hard. There are a few good old ginseng nts in the residence. I¡¯ll bring them to you in a while. You must take care of yourself.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not stand on ceremony and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The mountain ginseng nts in the Prince¡¯s Residence were definitely rare and top quality. It was good to keep them and make medicinal pills to be consumed.


    She would just take less money.


    Zhao Jialing was still crazy and silly today. As she was tied up, there were many bruises on her body. She looked quite pitiful.


    If only she was a simple teenage girl.


    Unfortunately, this girl was spoiled.


    ¡®Xie Qiao released her living soul.


    As she chanted the incantation, the living soul went into Zhao Jialing¡¯s body. Almost instantly, she suddenly stopped moving. She was a little confused and a little scared.


    She turned around and saw the princess. ¡°Mother!


    ¡°I killed someone, I killed someone¡­ I¡¯m so scared!¡± Zhao Jialing directly shouted at the top of her voice.


    This scream made the princess cry with joy. She rushed over and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, my child! That person didn¡¯t die! It¡¯s not your fault, he¡¯s a bad person, a bad person. You did a good job, you did the right thing!¡±


    She was not wrong.


    Zhao Jialing initially had evil thoughts, but after thinking about it, she actually did not do anything.


    That Bao Yi was even more evil to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so scared, Mother¡­ He bullied me, I almost¡­¡± How could Zhao Jialing still have an arrogant look?


    The princess had someone loosen the rope and thenforted her daughter. Zhao Jialing¡¯s heart was suffering a great deal, and she could not leave her side.


    Xie Qiao handed over an ordinary jade pendant. ¡°It¡¯s used to nourish the soul. Wear it for 49 days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± The princess quickly thanked her.


    ¡°and¡­¡± Xie Qiao nced at Zhao Jialing. ¡°She still has one more cmity.¡±


    ¡°Master, please enlighten me!¡± The princess¡¯ heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your daughter has a rich and noble fate. Logically speaking, she can marry a good young man and have a stable life for the rest of her life. However, there is still some bad luck on her body. She needs to let things go, don¡¯t be angry. As she had lost her mind since her soul left her body, it¡¯s


    easy for her to have resentment. If she has resentment, no matter how good her fate is, it won¡¯t be able to save her.¡± Xie Qiao continued.


    ¡®When the princess heard that, she looked at her daughter worriedly. ¡°Ling¡¯er, did you hear that? It¡¯s all thanks to the master who saved you this time. Otherwise, you would have been crazy and foolish for the rest of your life!¡±


    Zhao Jialing¡¯s eyes were hazy.


    ¡°People out there say that you got lovesick because of a man. Think about it carefully. Do you feelfortable listening to these words?¡± The princess did not spoil her child. The reason why her daughter behaved like this was mainly because this child had been pampered by the people around her since


    she was young, She had not suffered any blows.


    Now, she did not mind giving her daughter a few more blows so that she would understand some things in the future!

 Chapter 989 - Would Not Dare to Do It Again

    <h4>Chapter 989 Would Not Dare to Do It Again</h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Jialing¡¯s face turned a little pale when she heard the princess¡¯ words. ¡°Mother, did they really say that about me?¡±


    Lovesickness?


    Her dignity was gone!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? You didn¡¯t even have an invitation and you went to someone else¡¯s wedding banquet. After you came back, you became ill. Who wouldn¡¯t think that?


    You can¡¯t me anyone on this. Mother dotes on you in her heart, but this time, you were indeed wrong. You see, the master also said that if you hold a grudge in


    your heart, there will be a big cmity in the future¡­¡± the princess tried her best to persuade her.


    Zhao Jialing was truly frightened.


    Ever since she was young, she had never suffered such a huge blow.


    She was doted on by the Emperor and the Empress, almost as if she was their half daughter. Even the princesses in the pce were probably not as glorious as her,


    so everyone around her would support her.


    She did not even dare to think about how those people who had always supported her would look at her?


    They wouldugh at her, right?


    The more Zhao Jialing thought about it, the more she felt that she could not live anymore. ¡°Mother, just let me die.¡±


    The princess was shocked.


    Xie Qiao said indifferently, ¡°Yes, this penniless master will take back your living soul. After wandering for so long, your living soul is very weak. Since you don¡¯t want


    to live anymore, why don¡¯t you just go to hell?¡±


    As she said that, Xie Qiao wanted to make a move.


    ¡°No!¡± Zhao Jialing was shocked.


    How could this Taoist master be so terrifying?!


    S-She just wanted her mother to dote on her and help her think of a solution. It was not that she really did not want to live anymore!


    ¡°Is it or not? Princess, this penniless master doesn¡¯t have an easy time doing this ritual. Why don¡¯t you just give her a quick death so that I can make this money


    more easily?¡± Xie Qiao said shamelessly.


    Zhao Jialing hid in the princess¡¯ embrace, her tears falling down like they were free.


    The princess did not scold Xie Qiao. She knew that the master¡¯s words would calm her daughter down.


    ¡°Ling¡¯er, with your status, who would dare tough at you? As long as you don¡¯t humiliate yourself in the future, no one will be able to step on your head. If you feel


    ashamed, go to the other vige to rest for a year. After a year, those people will almost forget about the matter. When the timees, get the Emperor to help you


    find a suitable husband,¡± the princess continued.


    ¡°But what you did to that schr¡­¡±


    The princess was more worried about this matter.


    In fact, she was still very angry in her heart. Her daughter actually wanted to change Madam Wen¡¯s fate.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Zhao Jialing immediately shook her head.


    ¡°Commandery Princess, do you know that karma circtes and retribution is never pleasant?¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°If you usually do good things, it¡¯s fine for you to be


    arrogant and indulgent. However, if you offend too much with your words, it will harm your marriage. If you harbor evil thoughts and want to harm others, even if


    you don¡¯t receive retribution while you¡¯re alive, you¡¯ll probably suffer after you die.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not lie.


    It was a good thing to persuade or scare this girl while she still had time to turn back. Otherwise, even if she did not hurt anyone this time, what about the next


    time? If she met someone blocking her way again in the future, would she also want to kick them away?


    Zhao Jialing did not believe in these things in the past.


    However, now, she believed in them.


    Even though the words of this terrifying Taoist master were very annoying, when she heard them, she actually felt warm and felt that this Taoist master was doing


    it for her own good. It was really strange¡­


    When Zhao Jialing¡¯s living soul was drifting, it was Xie Qiao who led her back.


    She had only stayed by Xie Qiao¡¯s side for one night, but it had indeed given this living soul a sufficient sense of security. Now that the living soul had returned to


    her body, this feeling was natural, and Zhao Jialing could clearly feel it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t harm anyone in the future.¡± Zhao Jialing nodded carefully, as if she was afraid that Xie Qiao would be angry.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything. Even if you encounter a small disaster in the future, you will be able to get through it safely.¡±.

 Chapter 990 - Thank You Gift

    <h4>Chapter 990 Thank You Gift</h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words about the Commandery Princess having another cmity were also true.


    It could be considered a cmity in love, but the problem was not particrly big. The main thing was that she should rx and not be persistent.


    Once one became persistent in everything, they would lose their rationality. Their rationality would run away, and their luck would not be able to catch up even if


    they wanted to.


    In a person¡¯s life, there were all kinds of cmities and tribtions. Some innate environments and cmities weren not easy to change. For example, her eldest


    brother¡¯s lonely fate, but Zhao Jialing¡¯s current situation was formed after birth, so it was easy to avoid it.


    What she was afraid of was that if Zhao Jialing was like Dong Yiyun back then and did not listen to her advice, then she would have no choice.


    However, now it seemed that there were some benefits to Zhao Jialing¡¯s previous shock. At the very least, she looked much more timid now. Presumably, for the


    sake of her fragile life, she would be apprehensive and careful in the future. She would not dare to act recklessly.


    Zhao Jialing really knew fear.


    In those foolish days, she did not know what she was doing, but she could recall that feeling of fear and panic.


    Moreover, her heart was empty, just like duckweed without any support. That kind of emotion was too terrifying.


    Schr, Feng Yingying¡­


    If her mother did not mention it to the master, she would not be able to remember it at all¡­


    ¡°Since the Commandery Princess is already doing well, then there¡¯s nothing for me to do,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    The princess let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on Master. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what else my daughter needs to pay attention to these days, such as eating


    and drinking¡­¡±


    ¡°Just look for a doctor to take a look at her. You can eat whatever the doctor tells you to eat.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The princess nodded andforted her daughter. Then, she asked the new maid servant to apany her daughter while she went to send the master


    off.


    The main thing was to present the thank you gift.


    Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence was indeed extravagant.


    Two pairs of top-quality hundred-year-old mountain ginseng, some blood bird¡¯s nests, and some high-quality dry goods were followed by 5,000 taels of silver.


    ¡°Thank you for this, Master. I hope you will ept these gifts.¡± The princess was very generous.


    It would be terrible to take so much. However, it was indeed difficult to buy such good quality mountain ginseng out there. Furthermore, they were big. Recently,


    she needed many pills, so she epted them. As for the money, Xie Qiao returned 2,000 taels of silver.


    ¡°It¡¯s just looking for a living soul. It¡¯s enough that I ept these.¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already heard from Huan¡¯er that it was you who couldmunicate with both worlds that we¡¯re able to find my daughter from such a remote ce. If it was


    anyone else, how could it be so fast? Although Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t that great, my family is indeed wealthy. How can these things be


    pared to my precious daughter? It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not good to go against Prince Ning Bei¡¯s side, so I have to give these rewards. I would be willing to give even


    10,000 or 20,000 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much. 3,000 taels of silver and these mountain ginseng are really enough. If the Princess feels uneasy, you can use the rest of the money to do good deeds.


    You can also umte some fortune and benefit your children and grandchildren.¡±


    Seeing that Xie Qiao was very persistent, the princess could not persuade her anymore.


    ¡°I will definitely listen to Master.¡± The princess was very solemn.


    These things were ced on Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage. After sending the gifts back, Xie Qiao took the wooden figure and looked for the ghoul of the Baili family.


    However, after chanting a few times and performing divinations a few times, she could only confirm that the ghoul was in the southwest direction. After waiting for


    an entire afternoon, she did not see the ghoul float over.


    It was strange.


    Being able to sense the location meant that the ghoul was still there and had not dissipated.


    Did it mean that the ghoul was imprisoned?


    Xie Qiao could not find the ghoul for the time being, so she could not do anything about it. She was too tired, so she decided to sleep for the night. She nned to


    bring the wooden figure around the next day. If she got close enough, she would definitely be able to see it from the wooden figure..

 Chapter 991 - Possessive Aggression

    <h4>Chapter 991 Possessive Aggression</h4>


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had already exined the situation to Baili Ji. Baili Ji knew that things were difficult, so he did not rush her.


    Of course, it was useless to rush her.


    This master was not the kind of person who would ck off. Seeing that she could not even sleep well, Baili Ji also wanted to cherish her talent. He even wanted her


    not to worry too much. His attitude was great.


    However, Xie Qiao had something on her mind that she could not be at ease.


    After thinking about it, she asked Zhao Xuanjing to help her check if there were any suspicious people appearing in the southwest region, especially some


    chatans. It was best to first understand them, whether they were Taoist masters or monks.


    If there were some special dharma instruments or grave sites, it was possible to imprison the souls of the dead.


    However, Xie Qiao could not help but think of the box that someone had given her previously.


    She had not opened it yet, but she already knew that it would not be anything good inside. It was just that she did not know when she had made this enemy, and the


    other party was hiding in the dark, so she was afraid that it would be impossible to guard against that person.


    Zhao Xuanjing had a team of guards by his side, so it was not difficult for him to send some people.


    Xie Qiao often wandered around the streets and alleys in the southwest, but the capital city was too big, and she would not be able to finish visiting it in a day or


    two.


    At this moment, in the Xie Residence, Xie Pinggang was looking at Yu Xian with a serious expression, as if he was about to fly into a rage. If it were anyone else, they


    would have long turned pale with fright. However, Yu Xian had a great imposing manner. She was fearless.


    ¡°Tell me if you think that ten taels of silver a month is too little. I¡¯ll get the old master to add ten taels to it and deduct it from his monthly allowance!¡± Xie Pinggang


    frowned. ¡°In any case, you can¡¯t leave!¡±


    Yu Xian had asked to leave because she wanted to negotiate with Xie Pinggang.


    She knew that if she had asked to protect the Taoist master from time to time, the eldest brother of the Xie family would have rejected her outright.


    He was good at everything except for one thing, which was possessive aggression.


    Whatever he liked was a chicken drumstick, and no one could take it away from him!


    Meanwhile, her ability was the chicken drumstick that Xie Pinggang valued.


    He wished that she could spend 12 hours every day circling around that brat Xie Pinghuai, and he absolutely did not want her to waste a quarter of an hour outside!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about money. It¡¯s already good enough that I have food and drink. I just feel that Master has given me a favor, so how can I repay this favor? If you


    really aren¡¯t willing to let me go, then that¡¯s fine. But every month, on the odd days, I have to apany Master and protect her,¡± Yu Xian added.


    Xie Pinggang chuckled coldly.


    ¡°So that¡¯s your n from the beginning. Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at her. ¡°What kind of master are you talking about?¡± Tell me. At most,


    I¡¯ll hire someone at a high price! Your cousin has many retired guards around him. Those who have noble statuses cannot be used, but there are also some who


    e from humble backgrounds. They will definitely be happy to do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence. I¡¯ve heard you mention her. It¡¯s Master Mo!¡± Yu Xian quickly said, ¡°She¡¯s really an expert!¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s Master Mo?¡± Xie Pinggang was stunned, then heughed out loud. ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to go! Master is so powerful. If there¡¯s danger, why would she need


    you? Martial artists like us are not as smart as her. If we follow her, we will only be a hindrance. However, if Master asks for my help in the future, I would invite you


    over. How about that?!¡±


    Xie Pinggang felt even more at ease.


    Master Mo was an enigmatic and unpredictable person. She did not like people following her at all, right?


    Yu Xian was a little discouraged and a little listless.


    When Xie Pinggang saw her like this, he felt rather apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to be out. That cousin of yours is really annoying. He insisted that I


    keep an eye on you and forbid you from going out as a man. Otherwise, I can even rmend you to work at the criminal division!¡±

 Chapter 992 - Familiar Person

    <h4>Chapter 992 Familiar Person</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s words were not polite, but sincere.


    There was no limit to how many people were employed in the criminal division. As long as Yu Xian had the ability, she could really go on duty. However, she could not be a high-ranking official, so she could just be an


    interrogator.


    With Yu Xian¡¯s ability, she could be a minor general, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    ¡°This is all your cousin¡¯s fault. He¡¯s been dawdling and asking me all day. Are you eating well? Are you learning the rules well? If I knew that you were with Master, he would have something to say. I really don¡¯t want to


    deal with him.¡± Xie Pinggang pushed Zhou Weizong hard.


    ¡°My cousin is indeed strict with me.¡± Yu Xian nodded and thought so too.


    Xie Pinggang nodded. ¡°You can go to Master¡¯s shop often in the future. It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    As long as she did not run away with the master, it would be fine.


    As for giving half of her time to master every month... would that not mean that this person would half belong to the master and half belong to him?


    That was not good. He had a straightforward temper and was not liked by others. Master was so powerful. If they spent too much time together, Yu Xian would definitely not be happy toe back.


    Yu Xian had a big heart. She did not mind Xie Pinggang stopping her.


    After all, she had agreed to the long appointment with the Xie family first, and the Xie family was the employer. It was indeed not good for her to have any other thoughts.


    ¡°Then can I look for Master Now? Does Brother Xie know what she likes? I didn¡¯t thank her earlier, but now I have finally saved some money. It is not a problem to buy something small for her,¡± Yu Xian said again.


    Actually, her cousin had given her a few hundred taels of silver.


    She did not want the silver.


    Her cousin¡¯s rtionship with the family was not particrly good. He earned all the money by working hard every day. He had not married yet, so it was better for him to keep the money for himself.


    The Xie family did not treat her unfairly.


    ¡°Master likes strange things, but I do know that she has a rooster that she raised with my sister. That rooster likes to eat dried insects, and Master loves that rooster very much.¡±


    ¡°Good! Then I¡¯ll go look for dried insects! Thank you, Big Brother!¡± Yu Xian cupped her fists and thanked him, then she left quickly.


    Like a gust of wind, she disappeared in a sh.


    She had always been so straightforward, and Xie Pinggang did not think that she was rude. Instead, he felt that this person was easy to get along with. Straightforward and not maniptive. He felt at ease talking to


    her!


    It was difficult to find dried insects.


    After Yu Xian went out, she wandered around, but after searching for a long time, she did not find what she wanted.


    Not only that, she was tired for four hours. Just as she sat down to rest, there was a person in front of her.


    She had seen this person before.


    ¡°I remember you.¡± Young Lady Zhou looked at Yu Xian and said, ¡°Last time, you were with Young Lady Xie and Ms. Ying. I thought you looked familiar that time...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before. You¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± Yu Xian¡¯s eyes flickered as she braced herself and said.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Young Lady Zhou frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely seen you before. Y-You...¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Yu Xian did not even dare to eat the dishes she ordered. She quickly put down some loose silver and immediately rushed out.


    This youngdy also looked familiar.


    In the capital, she could not recognize many people. Other than the Xie family, it was the Wen family. If she had to guess, she would be the rtive of the Zhou family.


    However, she could not remember if this person was her cousin¡¯s step-sister or cousin.


    She had only visited once many years ago. After so long, her appearance had changed. It was impossible to recognize her. However, she was afraid that this youngdy would recognize her. If she were to inform the


    Zhou family, it would be troublesome for her!


    After Yu Xian left, Young Lady Zhou could not help but pat her head. ¡°I really have seen her before, but why can¡¯t I remember her...¡±


    ¡°Qiao¡¯er, do you know her?¡± Young Lady Zhou looked at the maid servant next to her and asked..

 Chapter 993 - Leaving

    <h4>Chapter 993 Leaving</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At this moment, the maid servant was in a daze.


    ¡°Young Lady, this person looks familiar. She seems to be...


    ¡°Oh right! First Madam¡¯s brother¡¯s daughter...


    ¡°Young Lady, is she the cousin of Dong¡¯an¡¯s uncle¡¯s family?¡± The maid servant was, after all, a few years older than the youngdy. When this cousin came, the people in the residence liked her very much, so they


    remembered her. However, after such a long time, her appearance seemed to have changed a little, so she was not very sure.


    ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± Young Lady Zhou¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I knew it. Thest time I saw her, I thought she looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t remember her!


    ¡°But why is she here?¡± The maid servant asked.


    ¡°I know. I heard from mother that our family received a letter from Dong¡¯an, saying that they had arranged a marriage for my cousin, but she ran away. My mother said that she was very bold. They¡¯re still waiting for


    her to go home to get married. They have sent letters urging her several times, but grandmother still couldn¡¯t find her. I really didn¡¯t expect that she was right under our noses!¡± Young Lady Zhou smiled.


    She did not know what kind of marriage Dong¡¯an had arranged for Yu Xian.


    However, she knew that her grandmother was troubled by this matter. If she said that she saw her, her grandmother would definitely reward her.


    ¡°Young Lady, are you going to tell old madam?¡± Qiao¡¯er was a little worried.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Young Lady Zhou said immediately.


    ¡°But after all, there¡¯s a distance apart. Although you call her cousin, she is a rtive of the first madam. If you don¡¯t inform them and directly tell did madam, I¡¯m afraid you will offend the first madam... Not to mention


    other things, I¡¯m afraid that the first madam will not be happy.¡±


    The first madam that Qiao¡¯er mentioned should be Yu Xian¡¯s biological aunt.


    The first madam was the first master¡¯s concubine.


    She only gave birth to Zhou Weizong, and was ranked third in the residence.


    He had two older brothers, both of whom were from the first wife.


    Due to that, the Zhou family did not like the first madam. They were afraid that she had the intention to fight for the family property, so they took care of the two young masters, but they did not care much about Zhou


    Weizong.


    That year, the Zhou family sent several children to protect the Crown Prince, but only Zhou Weizong was chosen.


    It was because his position in the residence was awkward. Even if the Crown Prince was closer to him, he did not need to give too much face to the Zhou family. In fact, the better the Crown Prince treated Zhou


    Weizong, the more the Zhou family feared this third young master, and they did not dare to treat the first madam coldly. In order to let his own mother live a better life, Zhou Weizong would certainly be more loyal.


    When Young Lady Zhou heard the maid servant¡¯s words, she was also somewhat hesitant.


    ¡°But what if for some reason, Yu family¡¯s cousin can¡¯t get married? She ran all the way to the capital city. It can¡¯t be just to escape the marriage, right? She must be looking for the first madam, her aunt, to call the shots.


    If I told old madam, she wouldn¡¯t send her off immediately. She¡¯d bring her to the house to stay for a while. When the timees, she can just tell first aunt what she thinks. I won¡¯t interfere with their matters.


    ¡°Moreover, first aunt might not even know where she is! Even if she feels ufortable when I find her, she still has to thank me on the surface. She only has third cousin under her, so what am | afraid of?¡± Young


    Lady Zhou thought. She felt a little relieved.


    She immediately got into the carriage and went home.


    On the other side, Yu Xian scratched her head fiercely as if she had seen a ghost.


    Her hair was in a mess.


    ¡°Brother Xie...¡± Yu Xian seemed to have suffered a huge blow. After entering the residence, she sighed heavily, ¡°It¡¯s over. | met a cousin of the Zhou family today. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll be recognized. She saw me with Young


    Lady Xie and Ms. Ying earlier. She¡¯ll know that I¡¯m here after asking around. When the timees, the Zhou family will definitely pick me up.¡±


    If the Zhou family came to pick her up, she really had to leave.


    She was the only rtive in the capital. If she did not go, she might bebeled as disrespectful and unfilial. Even the Xie family, which had taken her in, would be scolded..

 Chapter 994 - Shameless

    <h4>Chapter 994 Shameless</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yu Xian was very irritable. She did not think that this cousin of the Zhou family would be so smart. After so many years, she still thought she looked familiar.


    Facing Xie Pinggang, she felt a little guilty.


    ¡°If the Zhou family wants to control me, Brother Xie, it¡¯s not good for you to interfere. This time, I didn¡¯t keep my promise. You can beat me up to vent your anger!¡± Yu Xian sighed with a face full of regret.


    Previously, she said that she wanted to look for the master, but that was just for fun.


    The situation of the Zhou family was different.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he said, ¡°If theye to pick you up, you can go. Stay for two days and thene back. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able toe back. When I was in Dong¡®an, I was imprisoned by my grandparents for three years...¡± Yu Xian was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If you can¡¯te back, I will personally go to the house and ask for you. You¡¯ve signed the contract to be a martial arts master, can you leave just because you want to?¡± Xie Pinggang was


    halfway through his sentence when he suddenly thought using martial arts master¡¯s identity was indeed not great, then, he continued, ¡°Tell the public that you are my second sister¡¯s teacher and that we have already


    paid you. If the Zhou family wants you, just ask them topensate you.¡±


    ¡°Then what if they really pay?¡± Yu Xian had a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? I would make tens of thousands of taels of silver for nothing.¡± Xie Pinggang was quite happy. ¡°When the timees, you will have to stay in their house more often and cry about being poor. Didn¡¯t


    they tell you to go back and marry someone? Since you guys are rtives, and they want to take you back in the name of being rtives, then you have to let them make the decision for you. Bring up Dong¡¯an¡¯s matter,


    and if it bes chaotic, I¡¯m afraid the Zhou family would not dare to send you away. At most, they would get people from Dong¡¯an toe and bring you back.¡±


    Dong¡¯an¡¯s side wanted to marry Yu Xian to an old man from arge local family,


    Her parents were gone, and her grandparents making such a decision was already considered bullying an orphan.


    As long as Yu Xian made this matter known to everyone, the Zhou family would have to make peace on her behalf for the sake of their dignity. They would never dare to personally send her away. Otherwise, what


    others would remember would not be the vicious rtives Dong¡¯an, instead, it would be the indifferent and uncaring Zhou family.


    Yu Xian looked at him in surprise and pped her tiny hands. ¡°That¡¯s a good move!


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it a little too thick-skinned and shameless?¡± Yu Xian¡¯s expression was somewhat restrained.


    ¡°They clearly know that your marriage isn¡¯t good, yet they still want to meddle in other people¡¯s business and send you away. What dignity do you have to talk to them about? If it were me, I would definitely cause a


    ruckus!¡±


    She was about to be thrown onto the shelf and ruined for half of her life, so why should she care about other people?


    When Yu Xian heard that, she felt like she had met a confidant.


    She had been locked up for three years and thought a lot. When she escaped, she also thought about what she should do if her rtives in the capital city also wanted to step on her. At that time, she wanted to run


    away again and run far away.


    However, now, Xie Pinggang was right.


    It was not good for her to feel wronged.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t tens of thousands of taels of silver a little too much? Others will definitely not believe it, right?¡± Yu Xian began to discuss with Xie Pinggang seriously.


    ¡°Outsiders know that my little sister is naive, and she is a little silly. So, tell them that we¡¯re fated. We think that you¡¯re extraordinary. We didn¡¯t want to mistreat you, so we gave you five thousand taels of silver. We


    have agreed that after five years of service, the person who has signed the contract will have to pay a 10-to-1pensation if you leave now. Fifty thousand taels of silver is not a lot at all.¡± Xie Pinging thought it was


    too little.


    The Zhou family was very wealthy.


    ¡°Then... Let¡¯s draw a new contract before they arrive, shall we?¡± Yu Xian rubbed her palms. ¡°This contract is for external use. In private, you can write another secret contract and we¡¯ll be the only people who know


    about it.¡±


    She was not a fool. Even if the Xie family was great, she could not sell herself.


    No matter what she did, she had to leave a way out..

 Chapter 995 - Would Not Hit People in the Face

    <h4>Chapter 995 Would Not Hit People in the Face</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang was quite happy that Yu Xian had paid attention. ¡°Master Yu, with your ability, if you were a few years older, we would have made a lot of military merits when


    we fought the barbarians together. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not a man. Otherwise, we would have be sworn brothers!¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m a woman? From now on, you¡¯ll be my big brother!¡± Yu Xian alsoughed heartily.


    ¡°No, you can be my brother, but I¡¯d rather you not be my sister.¡± Xie Pinggang was silent for a moment. ¡°My father doesn¡¯t make much money, and our family business is


    small. | still have a younger brother and two sisters who have yet to settle down. Right now, only my eldest sister¡¯s dowry is left, and I¡¯m almost out of money. If I have


    another sister, I won¡¯t be able to afford the dowry.¡±


    He was not from a poor family. There were people who sold their daughters and sisters to save up for their family business.


    He could not afford to lose a sister.


    The betrothal gifts and dowry had to go with his sister. After all, she was marrying into the imperial family, and he needed to spend a lot of money!


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Yu Xian nodded. She felt that Xie Pinggang was really a good brother.


    ¡°I think that my useless younger brother will have to settle down after 20, and my younger sister will have to wait until 18 to discuss marriage. In that case, I still have a few


    years to catch my breath. When my eldest sister marries the Crown Prince and has a firm footing, I¡¯ll think of a way to dig out the money from her hands. It¡¯ll be the same...¡±


    Yu Xian silently retracted her thoughts.


    While they were talking, the two of them found a piece of paper and signed a contract.


    That was not enough. Xie Pinggang even dragged Yu Xian into a spar.


    Yu Xian had something on her mind and could not perform well. She was punched in the face, and not long after, half of her face was swollen.


    When the steward saw Master Yu¡¯s pitiful look, he could not help but feel sorry for her.


    How was she here to be a martial arts master? She was clearly here to be a sparring partner.


    She was such a nice woman, why did she have to do that?


    She was beaten to such a state by such an unscrupulous thug, yet she still did not know how to show weakness and cry a little bit. She even exaggerated that the young


    master was doing well?! His fist technique had improved?!


    Sigh. Although Master Yu had beaten the young master in the past and this was the first time she had been beaten, he still felt that Master Yu¡¯s small arms and legs were


    powerful...


    Xie Pinggang did not care at first.


    He had already beaten her up, it was not intentional.


    When these two people sparred in martial arts, it was inevitable that they would be injured. Therefore, seeing that her face was injured, Xie Pinggang only bring the


    ointment for external injuries.


    However, after a while, she finished applying the wound and came out. Xie Pinggang¡¯s emotions wereplicated.


    Master Yu¡¯s skin was really tender.


    He was usually knocked around, and even if he was bruised, it would not stand out. However, this Master Yu had only been punched by him. Half of her face was bruised and


    swollen, and she looked very miserable.


    She was a woman.


    it was the first time Xie Pinggang had such an understanding. He was silent for a while.


    He thought in the future... he would not hit people in the face.


    it was not right. The bones in a woman¡¯s body were soft and thin, and they could not be hammered. The chest... No, the stomach... It was rted to a woman¡¯s fertility. He


    could not hit that. Now that he thought about it, this person could not be touched?


    Thinking of this, Xie Pinggang became depressed.


    Yu Xian did not know what he was thinking. When she saw that he was listless, she thought that he was feeling guilty that he had hit her too hard.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. When I was in Dong¡¯an, I was beaten up terribly. I didn¡¯t even make a sound. Your fist is not nothing. I was just careless this time. After I rest, I will


    definitely not lose.¡± Yu Xian stood on her tiptoes, she patted Xie Pinggang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s nothing serious!¡±


    Xie Pinggang kept mumbling.


    He felt ufortable in his heart.


    It was not easy to find an expert who could fightfortably, and now it was not easy to learn from her?.

 Chapter 996 - Not Being Able to See the Light of Day

    <h4>Chapter 996 Not Being Able to See the Light of Day</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At the same time, Young Lady Zhou had returned home.


    She immediately went to her grandmother¡¯s courtyard and told her about the encounter with Yu Xian.


    ¡°This girl from the Yu family doesn¡¯t follow the rules at all. When she came to the capital city, she didn¡¯t pay her respects to her elders. Instead, she climbed up thedder


    first. Those who don¡¯t know would think that my Zhou family bullied her.¡± The olddy snorted. ¡°Ask around and find out what kind of rtionship Yu Xian has with the


    eldest daughter of the Xie family. Then, go to the Wen Residence and send some gifts. That Madam Wen should know some intel.


    ¡°When that child Weizonges back, ask him toe and see me.¡± The olddy added.


    Zhou Weizong still did not know anything about his cousin at the moment.


    He was following the Crown Prince¡¯s side and paying respect to Old Master Li.


    At night, a servant from the Zhou Residence came to inform him. Only then did he get someone else to rece him and return home.


    However, when he reached home, he did not even have a sip of hot tea before he was called to the olddy and was being lectured.


    ¡°I told you before that the Yu family¡¯s cousin from Dong¡¯an hase to the capital. If any of you see her, you must let me know...¡± the olddy was emotional. ¡°Weizong,


    have you seen your cousin sister?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Weizong¡¯s expression remained the same.


    He had never seen his cousin sister.


    What he saw was his ¡°cousin brother¡± .


    The olddy mmed the table. ¡°You¡¯re still lying to me! Your cousin only has two rtives, you and your mother. Why didn¡¯t shee all the way here to look for you


    first?! If she didn¡¯t look for you, how did she get involved with the eldest daughter of the Xie family?!¡±


    The olddy was very clear about this.


    The third grandson was with the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince¡¯s future wife was the Xia family¡¯s eldest daughter. She was also involved with Yu Xian. Did this


    rtionship need to be exined?


    It must be that her third grandson asked the Crown Prince to help and arranged for the Xia family¡¯s eldest daughter to take care of her, right?!


    When Zhou Weizong heard that, he knew that he could not hide it anymore, so he said calmly, ¡°Grandmother has indeed wronged me. The Xie family got to know my cousin


    first. I initially wanted to bring her back to the residence, but unfortunately, my cousin is Young Lady Xie¡¯s guest. I can¡¯t make the decision for her.¡±


    ¡°What can¡¯t you do?! That¡¯s your biological cousin. Even if Young Lady Xie is the future Princess Consort, can she stop the cousins from meeting?¡± The olddy snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that she can¡¯t, but Young Lady Xie loves to chat with her. The Xie family also extended a helping hand to my cousin when she was down and out. It¡¯s only right for


    my cousin to stay and repay their kindness.¡± Zhou Weizong remained expressionless.


    He looked like no one could do anything to him.


    The olddy was so angry that she red at him.


    The first madam beside him also appeared calm, as if she had not heard anything.


    The mother and son¡¯s attitude was getting more and more annoying, so she sent them away.


    After leaving the grandmother¡¯s courtyard at the back, Zhou Weizong said to his mother, ¡°Cousin is doing well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s better thaning to this residence and not being able to see the light of day.¡± The first madam¡¯s tone was indifferent. ¡°Help her a little more. Your cousin


    has her own opinions. Let her do whatever she wants. Her parents are gone, and I, her aunt, don¡¯t care. Others don¡¯t have the right either.¡±


    Dong¡¯an... They were not afraid of being punished.


    Back then, even though she knew that the position of the Zhou family¡¯s first madam was not easy, she still sent her all the way here. All these years, when she became a wife,


    other than her son being sensible, she did not have a single thing going her way.


    It was fine that she was here, but now, they would not let go of the young one.


    ¡°Mother, bear with it. When your son is sessful in the future, I¡¯ll get you divorced. I won¡¯t stay idle anymore.¡± Zhou Weizong also knew his mother¡¯s thoughts.


    His biological father was much older than his mother. He was stubborn and had never shown any warmth to her. He only asked her to take care of the house every day. His


    mother had been living the same life as the steward in the courtyard all these years..

 Chapter 997 - He’s Smart Now

    <h4>Chapter 997 He¡¯s Smart Now</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was not the same in the high-ss courtyard. The higher-ups had mothers-inw and sisters-inw, while there were countless juniors among the descendants and


    concubines.


    Every day, a trivial matter would cause a great disturbance.


    His mother had been an ignorant young woman, and she had suffered for more than 20 years.


    ¡°Alright, go rest. When they found out about your cousin¡¯s situation, there would still be trouble.¡± The first madam seemed to be in a good mood.


    Zhou Weizong obediently bowed and left.


    The first madam was right. The next day, the old madam sent someone to the Xie Residence to pick her up.


    The first madam did not want to go. She said that she was ill and did not go out. The steward was sent instead as none of the people in the house wanted to go.


    Xie Qiao had been busy for the past two days, but she still could not find the ghouls of the Baili family. She could not stay away from home all the time. This morning, she


    took the time to go home. It was exactly the same time as the person sent by the Zhou family.


    When the Xie family servants saw that she had returned, they were all extremely affectionate. It was as if they did not see the Zhou family¡¯s horse carriage, and they directly


    went up to wee her.


    ¡°First Young Lady! You¡¯re finally back. Master hasn¡¯t been able to eat these days. He said that you weren¡¯t home, so he doesn¡¯t feel at ease in his heart!¡± They were quite


    sweet with their words.


    In reality, it was because the First Young Lady was not at home that Chun Er became a lot fiercer, and they did not dare to eat the food she made.


    Chun Er¡¯s cooking skills were good, so the kitchen would always ask her to help make some snacks. Everyone was secretly happy when she did that.


    However, ever since the First Young Lady was not around, Chun Er¡¯s looked more and more terrible day by day. She had not been in the kitchen for a long time, and she had


    lost a lot of weight.


    The steward of the Zhou family was stunned for a moment. He quickly went forward to greet Xie Qiao. ¡°It¡¯s First Young Lady Xie. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you. I am from the


    Zhou family of Earl Fengming¡¯s residence. Today, I specially came to invite Young Lady Yu home...¡±


    ¡°From that family?¡± Xie Qiao lightly replied, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Then, Xie Qiao ignored him and entered the door.


    The steward of the Zhou family was stunned for a moment and was a little confused.


    What was the meaning of this First Lady Xie? She should at least... respond to him?


    When would this persone out? She did not even give him a message? Or he could go in and urge her...


    However, this was not an ordinary youngdy. He did not dare to express his dissatisfaction, so he could only wait outside.


    Fortunately, not long after, the cousin came out.


    She stood at the entrance of the Xie Residence with a straightforward expressio. She directly said, ¡°I know that Grandmother Zhou dotes on me, but it¡¯s also my fault that I


    was terrible when I first came to the capital. I was dressed in tattered clothes and wanted to visit Grandmother Zhou, but I didn¡¯t expect to be chased out. When I was tired


    and hungry, it was thanks to the Xie family that they invited me to be the Second Young Lady¡¯s teacher that I managed to survive.¡±


    The steward was a little confused. ¡°Um... We¡¯ll talk about it when we get back?¡±


    However, Yu Xian ignored him. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll talk about it when we get back. These are the gifts that the Xie family has prepared for me. Please move them into the carriage.¡±


    They were not valuable items, but they were allrge items, piled into baskets and boxes.


    They looked quite intimidating.


    The steward only wanted to pick her up, so he did not think too much about it. He immediately moved the items into the carriage. Then, Yu Xian got into the carriage and


    headed toward the Zhou Residence.


    Xie Qiao watched her from the courtyard. She was not ina hurry. She even looked at her eldest brother, whom she had not seen for a long time, and said in surprise, ¡°These


    gifts were prepared by Eldest Brother? It¡¯s been a long time. How did your brain suddenlye to life?¡±


    Since they gave gifts to the Zhou family at the crowded ce at the entrance, the Zhou family would not be able to really escort her back in the future.


    In fact, if there was even a slightest rumor, the Zhou family would be talked behind their back for a while.


    Moreover, what Yu Xian said at the beginning already made people think that the Zhou family was being dishonest. They even told others that in the capital city, Yu Xian


    trusted the Xie family more and even asked the Xie family to prepare gifts...


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been smart, but you¡¯re stupid and can¡¯t see it.¡± Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at Xie Qiao, and then he became even more disdainful. ¡°Did you not go to the


    Fortune Pavilion to recuperate? Why do you look like... you haven¡¯t gained any weight? Don¡¯t you have any food there?¡±


    Initially, she had gained a little bit of weight, but these few days, she was busy with the Baili family¡¯s matters, so she had lost weight again.


    She thought that she had a good restst night, and that she looked good this morning, so she eagerly came over.


    Who would have thought that her eldest brother would be so vicious..

 Chapter 998 - Lose Favor Before She Gets Married

    <h4>Chapter 998 Lose Favor Before She Gets Married</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang scanned Xie Qiao from head to toe and sighed.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t eat more meat to nourish your body and marry the Crown Princeter, how are you going to have children?¡± Xie Pinggang was really worried. He turned


    around and called the steward. ¡°Cook more good dishes today and make them more sumptuous.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The steward was very happy.


    Xie Pinggang looked at the excitement of the servant and for a moment, he had mixed feelings.


    His eldest sister was not around these days, so the family did not have much money.


    Of course,pared to ordinary families, the family was considered luxurious. However,pared to the other official residences, the difference was like heaven and


    earth.


    Moreover, before Xie Xi took charge of the residence, Ms. Lu had managed the house for several years. She was a little too generous to everyone in the residence.


    She was not like the stingy Xi¡¯er.


    Xie Xi did not treat the servants harshly and treated them the same as before. However, it was different for him and his father.


    The amount of alcohol was half of what it used to be. Every day, there were at most two meat dishes on the table. The rest were vegetarian dishes and some fruits and


    snacks¡­


    However, those were not filling. Which man would like that?


    tt was the meal that Xie Xi had arranged after asking the doctor about it.


    Her intentions were great, but he was so big and he was only eating a tiny bit of meat every day. He was hungry everyday. These days, he had spent a lot of his private


    money to buy meat outside to add on his meals.


    n the past, when he asked the steward to arrange for the kitchen to cook more good dishes, the steward was already in a difficult position. He insisted that Xie Xi, that


    stinky girl, would not agree.


    However, now, when his sister was home, there was no excuse at all!


    ¡°You should stay home. It¡¯s sad and boring to have one less person to eat with,¡± Xie Pinggang said shamelessly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat with you guys in the past either, right?¡± Xie Qiao replied casually. She had a small kitchen. Other than the asional gathering with her family, she would


    always eat with Chun Er and Granny Wan.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he immediately red at her fiercely. ¡°I¡¯m your Eldest Brother. Just listen to what I say!¡±


    ¡°Eldest Brother, have you forgotten what my fate is?¡± Xie Qiao did not know why he was so stubborn.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, his heart sank. He was in a bad mood.


    Her fate was not easy to change. Blood ties were bound together, so the fate was lethal.


    It could be suppressed by talismans, but the talismans would be used up as well.


    ¡°What will you do if you give birth to a child in the future? It won¡¯t be gone after you give birth, right?¡± He suddenly thought of a very important point and began to worry.


    Xie Qiao was startled.


    This matter¡­


    She had never thought of it before.


    Her heart became heavy. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Eldest Brother, what do you think? The one I¡¯m marrying is the Crown Prince. If I can¡¯t give birth to a child¡­¡±


    The husband and wife would not be in harmony.


    It was easy for members of the imperial family to take in concubines, right? It would be quite annoying if concubines were taken in one after another.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. My body is not good and I can¡¯t give birth. If my life is terrible, then I¡¯ll just hide. When I be a Taoist master, I¡¯ll say that I¡¯m praying for the


    imperial family. Zhao Xuanjing will give me some face and agree to it, right?¡± In the blink of an eye, Xie Qiao came up with a solution.


    ¡°You¡¯re even calling the Crown Prince by his name now?¡± Xie Pinggang was really angered to death by this youngdy. ¡°There are only a few months left until the marriage.


    If others hear what you call him, those grannies sent by the pce to teach you will be punished. Moreover, don¡¯t you have any feelings for the Crown Prince? You¡¯re about


    to get married and still want to be a Taoist master. If the Crown Prince finds out, you would lose favor before you get married!¡±


    Xie Pinggang thought that this silly sister of his was not suitable to enter the pce and be the Princess Consort, right?.

 Chapter 999 - Won’t Be Able to Enjoy Her

    <h4>Chapter 999 Won¡¯t Be Able to Enjoy Her</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao had been using her identity as the senior sister a lot recently, so she did not treat the Crown Prince as a junior brother so politely. She just did not react in time and


    called him by the wrong name.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, don¡¯t worry about these trivial matters.¡± Xie Qiao did not want to bother with him.


    Chattering non-stop¡­ How long had it been since theyst saw each other? He was like an old woman.


    ¡°How can I not worry? I heard from others that all thedies who enter the pce have topete for the favor. The emperor¡¯s harem is still on fire, and those concubines


    are not easy to deal with. The Crown Prince¡¯s harem will be simr in the future. If you are dumb and can¡¯tpete with them, you will die even faster!¡± Xie Pinggang was


    unyielding as he still asked.


    ¡°Hearing Eldest Brother¡¯s words, | really feel like I am going to die.¡± Xie Qiao walked to the hall, sat down, and took a sip of tea while panting.


    She had been very tired recently, and her energy was not what it used to be!


    ¡°More or less.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s face was serious. ¡°A few days ago, someone gave me a suggestion. They said that if you¡¯re not in good health and can¡¯t serve the Crown Prince


    often, I¡¯ll have to get the Crown Prince two beautiful concubines and keep them in my hands.¡±


    He did not understand. If there were many women in the harem, would it not be more noisy?


    However, he had asked around and found out that there were very few wealthy families in the capital that did not have concubines.


    Not to mention the Crown Prince.


    Xie Qiao almost choked.


    Just as she was about to speak, Xie Pinggang said, ¡°I have already chosen a candidate for you. She is very good-looking and has a thin waist. I have asked someone to keep


    her. I will bring her over tomorrow for you to look at?¡±


    Before his eldest sister had taken a fancy to her, he could not bear to spend money to buy her.


    However, it would be a pity if someone else bought her. Therefore, he thickened his skin and asked that person to keep the youngdy for a few days¡­ He paid a small


    deposit. If he did not buy her in the end, the deposit would be lost, and the loss would be small.


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re really my good brother.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Our mother died early. If 1 don¡¯t care about you, can you count on our father?¡± When Xie Pinggang mentioned Xie Niushan, he rolled his eyes and almost spat.


    ¡°A concubine to give him a child¡­ you can keep her for yourself. His Highness the Crown Prince will not be able to enjoy her.


    ¡°Since he wants to marry me, regardless of whether he is the Emperor or the Crown Prince, the residence must give me peace and quiet. If I can¡¯t give birth and he can¡¯t


    bear it, I will leave by myself. There is no need to trouble others by putting in so much effort.¡± Xie Qiao was very calm.


    ¡°Your words are naive. He is the Crown Prince. How can you give up on the position just because you don¡¯t want it?¡± Xie Pinggang thought his eldest sister was silly, and he


    began to worry again.


    ¡°If I have no other choice, then there¡¯s still a way to deal with it. It¡¯s just that he wants me and other women, that definitely won¡¯t work. Either I cultivate, or¡­¡± Xie Qiao said


    slowly, ¡°I won¡¯t scare Brother with the rest of the words.¡±


    She was the descendant of the Water Moon Temple. If anyone insisted on bullying her, she was capable of destroying his feng shui and making him suffer for the rest of his


    life.


    Of course, she did not marry him because of that.


    She was a broad-minded person.


    That was her fate. She did not dare to force anything. As for the marriage, she only hoped for a smooth and indifferent life. She was neither shocked nor angry. She was like


    warm water or smoke floating in the air, neither cold nor hot. That was the best.


    Xie Pinggang pursed his lips in disdain.


    ¡°You are not very capable and you are not narrow-minded. | initially wanted to buy someone at a high price to give you as a gift, but it just so happens that I have a sum of


    money left to buy two good sabers,¡± Xie Pinggang mumbled.


    However, he took those words to heart.


    When he met the Crown Prince, he still had to ask His Highness about his thoughts. If the two of them had far-reaching thoughts¡­


    Taking advantage of the fact that the marriage was still three to four months away, he would think of a way to break it..

 Chapter 1000 - Heartless Person

    <h4>Chapter 1000 Heartless Person</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression became more and more serious, as if Xie Qiao owed him 10,000 taels of silver.


    Today, he still had to go to the criminal division. With such a cold face, his colleagues were so scared that they did not dare to approach him.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s trip home was just to see her brothers, sister and father, and then she went to her own courtyard to chat with Chun Er and Granny Wan, so that they could rest


    assured.


    There were no other trivial matters.


    Xie Pinghuai was still rushing to the academy for sses, so he could not talk to Xie Qiao much.


    However, he was full of bitterness and wanted to tell his sister about it¡­


    After the legendary grandmaster came back, his teacher, Xiao Yurong, treated him even more horribly. Recently, he had been very obedient and sensible, but Xiao Yurong


    was still able to pick on him. He scolded him three times a day, which was even more punctual than eating.


    That grandmaster¡­


    Sigh, he said that he would see him in a few days. If he looked down on him, he would kick him out of the sect.


    It was a little scary¡­


    Xie Pinghuai did not feel a sense of belonging to the sect. It was already rare for him to have some fear and respect for Xiao Yurong, but to Old Master Li¡­


    He had no feelings at all.


    He only felt that he was a very annoying old man.


    Compared to Xie Pinghuai, Xie Xi was apletely obedient child.


    asionally, she would secretly go to Aunt Lin¡¯s house behind Xie Pinghuai¡¯s back and spend the rest of her time in the academy studying diligently.


    Without Ms. Lu in the house and that so long had passed, Xie Xi¡¯s personality had more or less changed. Since she started managing the house, she had be more


    sociable and her mind had be more active. In the blink of an eye, she had already been promoted from the Begonia Courtyard to Snowball Bush Courtyard. Her


    progress was great.


    Not only that, Xie Xi even got an excellent evaluation in her arithmetic ss and did very well in her exams.


    Xie Xi startedte. Xie Qiao was already very satisfied with her current improvement.


    Her father¡¯s official position was already high enough. It would be difficult for him to advance in his life. At most, he could rely on her rtionship with the Crown Prince to


    be conferred a rank. That would be the limit. However, her brother¡¯s future was still very promising. Even if her father was gone in the future, he would still be able to


    protect her.


    Xie Qiao was worrying like a mother.


    After spending an entire morning in the residence, she left again.


    Chun Er had already sent her to the main entrance. She was very reluctant to part with her. She kept calling her as if she was going to marry someone.


    This caused Xie Qiao to feel a lot of pressure. She felt like she was a heartless person.


    In the afternoon, Xie Qiao changed into Mo Chusheng¡¯s disguise and went to the teahouse that they had agreed on.


    The guards sent by the Crown Prince also arrived on time to report the situation to her.


    The leader was Qin Zhi.


    He did not have the right to protect the Crown Prince, but he could do these things.


    ¡°Master, we have searched the southwest area and found many Taoist masters, but we didn¡¯t find anything unusual. Besides, most of the neighbors know them.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone with the Dharma name Liuming?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly thought of it and asked.


    She thought that since that hooligan, Bao Yi, admired this Taoist master very much, then this Taoist master was probably not a very kind person. He would know some


    unorthodox ways, which would suit this hooligan¡¯s appetite.


    Xie Qiao asked casually.


    After all, she did not recognize any Taoist master in the capital except for Yuan Changzi.


    ¡°Liuming?¡± Qin Zhi thought for a while and took the notebook and flipped through a few pages. ¡°Yes, here. Take a look.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at the ck and white words on the notebook, which were quiteplete.


    This Taoist master Liuming came from a small Taoist temple. He was in his forties or fifties and had only been active in the capital in thest month. It seemed that the


    Taoist temple he used to live in was no longer in operation.


    ¡°I remember this person too. He doesn¡¯t look special. Like the other Taoist masters, he has a long beard. He looks like a very powerful immortal,¡± a guard said..

 Chapter 1001 - Suspicious

    <h4>Chapter 1001: Suspicious</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao read a few more pages and frowned. ¡°Are there no one-eyed Taoist master?¡±


    ¡°One-eyed? No.¡± Qin Zhi thought about it, he still could not think of such a person. ¡°Master, if there is one, my brothers would definitely remember him very clearly. You knew that most of these Taoist masters are quite good-looking. Even though they are old, they are all good-looking people. Those who are ugly and scary are all staying in the Taoist temple. They won¡¯te out to perform rituals for people.¡±


    Everyone in this world knew how to differentiate between beauty and ugliness.


    Good-looking Taoist masters looked kind-hearted. People would feel at ease when they asked them to perform the ritual.


    Those with vicious facial features would definitely make people want to avoid them.


    For instance, the eldest son of the Xie family. If he became a monk or a Taoist master... Hah, he would definitely be the number one evil cultivator in the world. If he was within three steps from a person, that person would be so scared that his legs would go soft. Who would dare to ask him to tell their fortune and perform rituals?


    ¡°No...¡± Xie Qiao was silent for a moment.


    ¡°But...¡± Qin Zhi hesitated. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should tell you.¡± ¡°You can tell me.¡± Xie Qiao immediately nodded.


    ¡°Well, Taoist master Liuming actually... has something strange.¡± Qin Zhi scratched his head, ¡°Master, I don¡¯t know. I was once possessed. When I fainted and didn¡¯t know anything, Half-immortal Xie was performing a ritual. Ever since then, my instincts have been sharper.


    ¡°Liuming lives in a house with two courtyards. In this house... how should I put it? The feng Shui seems to be different from other ces. There are some strange things under the eaves. If I just look at the environment, I think this Limning is quite capable.


    ¡°But when I was looking for him, I spoke to him a few times and felt that he was just an ordinary Taoist master. There was nothing special about him. However... When I was in that house, I would feel a little gloomy and ufortable,¡± Qin Zhi added.


    ¡°Ufortable?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s brows furrowed tighter and tighter.


    ¡°Yes, when I was there, my heart was flustered and my back was cold. It was the same feeling as when I followed His Highness to the ghoul forest in the past. However, it wasn¡¯t that serious this time and I didn¡¯t lose my mind to hurt myself.


    Therefore, I thought that it was because my body wasn ¡®t in good condition and I


    was afraid of the cold.


    ¡°Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed windy in that residence. Perhaps I was overthinking.¡± Qin Zhi smiled embarrassedly.


    He only had a little doubt.


    The reason being other than him, the other brothers did not think there was anything wrong with Liuming.


    ¡°They are all fine. I¡¯m the only one who was like that. I¡¯m a joke to the master. My physique is too weak.¡± The more Qin Zhi thought about it, the more he felt that he was weak.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she took it seriously. ¡®Xo, you¡¯ve been haunted by vengeful spirits before, so your feelings for ghouls must be stronger than others. If everyone feels cold, maybe it¡¯s because of the weather, but if it¡¯s just you... It¡¯s possible that something is wrong with the house.¡±


    Xie Qiao immediately turned back to that page and looked at the address.


    ¡®Your body isn¡¯t good, so don¡¯t go anymore. If there really is a problem, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t save you. The others can follow me,¡± Xie Qiao immediately said.


    Qin Zhi felt sour in his heart.


    It was all his fault for being reckless back then... When he was ying in the river, he actually took the bone as a treasure...


    If it was not for that matter, he would not have been afraid now!


    Qin Zhi still nodded obediently and waved at his brothers, his eyes filled with longing.


    Xie Qiao brought a lot of things that she had prepared recently.


    The guards were used to dealing with living people, so they had to be brought along. In addition, she had been in low spirits recently, and there were many men around her, so the Yang energy was sufficient, which was also beneficial to her spirit.


    The Crown Prince lived a good life. He was surrounded by such a group of...


    eye-pleasing brothers all day long. It was really great..

 Chapter 1002 - Evil Path

    <h4>Chapter 1002: Evil Path</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Qiao put the things into the carriage. The ten guards also rode on their horses, opening the path left and right in an awe-inspiring manner.


    She looked for it ording to the address recorded earlier.


    It was indeed an ordinary house. There were no official residences around it, and they were all homes for themon people. Presumably, the ie of the people living in the two-courtyard house should be quite good.


    After all, this was a house in the capital, and the price was not cheap. Some low-level officials who did not have backers could not even afford it.


    The guard knocked on the door.


    In a short while, a young Taoist opened the door.


    This young Taoist¡¯s face was somewhat pale, and his expression was also timid. ¡°Who¡­ are you looking for?¡±


    He was very short. As the guards were worried that Master Mo would be in danger, they stood in front of her. Xie Qiao could not see this little young Taoist clearly.


    ¡°Is your master, Taoist Master Liuming, home?¡± The guard asked.


    He sounded fierce and threatening.


    When the ????? Taoist heard that, he buried his neck and nodded carefully. ¡®Yes, y-you cane in¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he made way.


    The guards did not stand on ceremony and led Xie Qiao in.


    After entering, Xie Qiao looked around and found that the feng Shui in the courtyard had indeed been changed. Most people changed their feng Shui for the sake of the safety of their homes, the prosperity of the four seasons, and the prosperity of their children and grandchildren. However, the feng Shui in this house was different.


    If it was said that the feng Shui was not good, then that was not it. For the time being, there was not much harm.


    There were indeed a few dharma instruments ced in this ce. They were h!ng in several ces. It was unknown whether the Taoist master had done it on purpose. The feng Shui created by these dharma instruments and furnishings should be able to gather souls to generate wealth.


    The so-called gathering of souls to generate wealth was not the same as ordinary fortune.


    To put it bluntly, it was to attract the souls of the dead. Through the influence of the souls of the dead, he would be able to make money. This kind of fortune either consumed the luck of the souls of the dead, or the souls would take action and steal the fortune of others. These were things that should not be owned in this lifetime¡­


    Just like how evil spirits absorbed the Yang energy of humans, in this house, the souls of the dead were like evil spirits. The Taoist master behind them¡­ could be considered an old demon from the ck Mountain¡­


    It was indeed an evil path.


    However, the influence of this evil path was not particrly great, and it did not harm people¡¯s lives. Therefore, the decent Taoist masters in the world probably would not care too much.


    There were quite a number of Taoist masters who used this method to make money, and they could not control it.


    The feng Shui was harmless to outsiders.


    However, if the ghouls really gathered, then the dark energy in this ce would be heavier and heavier. Even if they were lucky now, they might be unlucky in the future.


    Therefore, most of the Taoist masters who used this technique were Bjor and could not live on, so they would use this method to solve their urgent problems first.


    After entering the courtyard, Taoist Master Liuming appeared.


    Xie Qiao looked over.


    Just as the guards had said, this Taoist master did not look ugly. In fact, his facial features could even be considered good-looking.


    However, what Xie Qiao saw was slightly different.


    This person¡¯s bone structure was great. He could also be considered a sage-like person. However, he was very thin. If a person was thin, no matter how many spots there were on his face, it would not be great. There were dark spots on his fair skin. He was intelligent and lustful.


    His skin was fair and yellow. He was very ignorant.

 Chapter 1003 - What’s Wrong With Him

    1003 What¡¯s Wrong With Him


    Taoist Master Liuming also sized Xiao Qiao up, but his eyes were not focused. He did not dare to look too much, so he cupped his hands and said, "My lords, I didn''t do anything wrong..."


    "Have you seen any suspicious people passing by recently?" The guard asked casually.


    Liuming quickly shook his head. "No."


    "Then do you know Bao Yi?" Xie Qiao also tried to find a topic to talk to this person, so that she could look more carefully.


    When Liuming heard that, he quickly nodded, "I know him. He''s a hooligan who lives outside the city. Earlier, when I was out of the city, I happened to meet him. I talked to him a few times and we became friends. Sir, did something happen?


    "Ah, I told him long ago that he would be unlucky if his temples turned ck, but he didn''t listen..." Liuming sighed. After saying that, he looked embarrassed.


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    "Are the two of you the only ones living here?" Xie Qiao asked again.


    "Yes, it''s just the two of us. I was lucky a few days ago. I made some money and bought this ce. Finally, I don''t need to rent a house." He was quite happy.


    However, when he met the guard''s eyes, he was a little absent-minded and quickly looked away.


    Xie Qiao felt that there was something wrong with this person, but she could not tell what was wrong with him.


    "Did you set up a soul-gathering wealth-generating formation?" Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows and looked at every expression of this person carefully.


    "Formation? Yes, yes, yes, I set it up. The purpose is to gather wealth. I don''t want to be poor anymore..." Liuming smiled awkwardly.


    He did not look like an expert at all.


    The guards only think that he was a Taoist master, but the difference was too big. Master Mo seemed to be more powerful, but she was never so flustered and terrified when faced with trouble. Moreover, she always had a calm appearance, calm and unrestrained like an immortal.


    there would definitely be some souls that died due to greed around here. However... there''s nothing


    here." Xie Qiao looked around.


    Xie Qiao asked a few more questions.


    It was nothing more than when he usually went out and who he met.


    After listening to him, she did not find anything wrong with it.


    She could not stay here forever, so she led her people out of the ce.


    "Take care, officers." Before closing the door, the young Taoist bowed respectfully to Xie Qiao and the others.


    However, Xie Qiao stopped in her tracks.


    Something was wrong.


    She remembered what was wrong¡­


    This ce... was too clean.


    "What''s wrong, Master?" The guard saw her serious expression and quickly asked.


    "There''s a soul-gathering wealth-generating formation. Logically speaking, with this formation, there would definitely be some souls that died due to greed around here. However... there''s nothing here." Xie Qiao looked around.


    "When I came to this ce, I walked through a few streets and alleys. After many twists and turns, I also met quite a number of people.


    "At first, there were also ghouls on the side of the road. However, after entering this street and alleyway, it seemed that... there are no more ghouls.


    "However, there are quite a number of residents in the surroundings. Logically speaking, there should be more or less some ghouls in the ces where there are residents¡­


    "Something is indeed wrong with Taoist Master Liuming!


    "However..."


    Xie Qiao knocked on her head. She felt a slight headache, so she decided not to leave. She sat at the door and thought carefully while sitting in the carriage.


    After about two hours, the door opened again. The young Taoist walked out and bowed respectfully. Then, he went out to buy something.


    "Do you think master will take in a disciple? Master Mo is so powerful that I want my son to learn from her!"


    "You wish. Master is an expert and also Old Master Li''s disciple. No matter what kind of disciple he is, she won''t ept him easily, right? Your son... Don''t tell me you want him to be a young Taoist?"


    "What''s wrong with being a young Taoist? Cultivate more and live a long life, that''s fine too!"

 Chapter 1004 - Young Taoist

    <h4>Chapter 1004 Young Taoist</h4>


    The two guards outside the carriage were mumbling, and Xie Qiao could hear them.


    Young Taoist¡­


    Young Taoist?


    Xie Qiao felt as if electricity had passed through her brain, and she suddenly understood what was wrong!


    ¡°Quick, take down Liuming first, then chase after that young Taoist!¡± Xie Qiao immediately said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The guards did not ask any more questions. They first rushed into the courtyard and took Liuming directly.


    In a short while, Liuming was dragged out. He was still struggling. ¡°Why are you arresting me?! I haven¡¯tmitted any crime!¡±


    The guards did not say anything.


    The Crown Prince had ordered them to obey whatever Master Mo wanted. They could not disobey her. Therefore, even if they did not understand, they had to obey her orders first!


    They threw the man onto the horse and quickly chased after the little boy.


    However, when they reached the intersection, there was nothing left.


    ¡°Master, he is just a little boy. Why are you so nervous?¡± A guard asked in confusion.


    ¡°I suspect that this boy is the person I am looking for.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze was cold. It was not suspicion, but confirmation.


    As the boy was a child, she did not look at him twice when she saw him. However, when she thought about it carefully, she realized that something was wrong with his eyes. They were not as ck and white as a child¡¯s eyes. He had different bone structure, facial features, and demeanor, there was something wrong with him. It was as if a pot of hodgepodge had been mixed together. At first nce, there seemed to be no problem, but if one thought about it carefully, they would find him very strange.


    ¡°That child?¡± The guards were all shocked.


    This time, they had followed the master out to look for a Taoist master. She only said that he practiced the evil path, but they did not know exactly what he was like.


    However, they had never thought that he was a child at all?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a child. His head is a little small, but the whites of his eyes aren¡¯t clean, and his pupils are dull. If he¡¯s a child, his eyes should be more lively and spirited, and he should be younger.¡±


    With that said, the guards thought about it carefully.


    It seemed that the master was right.


    ¡°That young Taoist¡­ His skin doesn¡¯t seem as good as an ordinary child¡¯s. His skin isn¡¯t fair and tender, and his eyes¡­ are a little old.¡± The guards thought about it carefully and nodded.


    When the young Taoist saw them, he seemed to be in a panic. However, when a child was in a panic, his eyes should have left a deep impression on people.


    However, the young Taoist¡¯s eyes seemed to have be much calmer.


    ¡°But what¡¯s going on with this head?¡± They still did not understand.


    ¡°There must be some people with stunted growth in this world. It¡¯s rare to see them, but they exist,¡± Xie Qiao said. ¡°Master, if what you said is true, then this person will not be easy to catch. He looks like a five-or six-year-old child and has the intelligence of an adult. If he wants to hide, it would be too easy,¡± the guard said nervously.


    Xie Qiao had a headache. She did not expect this person to slip away right under her nose.


    It was all her fault for being too careless.


    She did not dare to look at a child¡¯s face too much, so she tried her best to avoid looking at the child. She did not want to see too much of it and identally tell his fortune, which would affect the child¡¯s life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s bring Liuming back first.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment. ¡°This person isn¡¯t a criminal, so it¡¯s not good to take him to the criminal division or the administrative office. Let¡¯s go to the Fortune Pavilion.¡±


    The criminal division was, after all, the administrative office of the imperial court, so one should not use it casually.


    If they found out that this person had a criminal record, it would not be toote to send him back.


    The guards agreed. These few days, they belonged to Master Mo. With them guarding, they would definitely not let Liuming escape.

 Chapter 1005 - Master and Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 1005 Master and Disciple</h4>


    The bell at the Fortune Pavilion was still ringing non-stop.


    The ghouls of the Baili family on the second floor were bored. Many of them were sitting at the door, watching the passers-by. Shopkeeper Chang had already tried his best to calm down his uneasy heart. There was an unchanging smile on his face. Obviously, he had already gotten used to it.


    He even spent some money to buy some offerings and food, as if he was afraid that the ghouls in the Fortune Pavilion would starve.


    As soon as Xie Qiao arrived, the ghouls dispersed. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. These men who are full of Yang energy are here again. It¡¯s too intense. Our souls are weak, so we won¡¯t apany you.¡± A few weak ghouls said kindly to Xie Qiao, then they went upstairs and hid in the bottles.


    Xie Qiao went upstairs quickly. She sat on a chair and took a breath.


    Previously, the guards did not go to the second floor, but this time, they caught someone, so they had to follow behind to prevent this Taoist master from going crazy and hurting the master.


    When they went up to the second floor and saw the decorations on the second floor, the guards were shocked.


    The second floor was huge, but there were only a few rows of cabs and the altar. There was almost nothing more.


    Taoist Master Liuming was directly pressed down and knelt down.


    ¡°Let me ask you, who set up the formation in your house?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    She was very straightforward and did not beat around the bush. When Liuming heard that, he trembled twice. ¡°I-It was me¡­ Why are you asking this¡­ It¡¯s for making money, and i-it doesn¡¯t harm people¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It looks like you don¡¯t know where this is.¡± After saying that, Xie Qiao suddenly snapped her fingers. There were many ghouls here, and they immediately lit up the candles. The candles had dark energy, so it was not difficult for them to do that.


    In an instant, all themps in the surroundings instantly lit up.


    The guards were all shocked.


    This ability¡­ could not even be done by magic, right?


    ¡°Since you know such an expert, you should also know that there is someone better than him in this world. There is always someone better out there. That person can help you make a soul-gathering and wealth-generating formation. Then, I can break that formation and set up a White Tiger Star-Swallowing Killing Formation for you at the same time. I will let you die without leaving even a bone,¡± Xie Qiao threatened.


    When Liuming heard that, his entire body shivered.


    White Tiger Star-Swallowing Killing Formation. He had heard of it before¡­


    It was just a formation. If it waspleted, the person inside would be in the star position. The surroundings would be filled with ferocious tigers. The person with the star position would definitely be disturbed by the white tiger¡¯s evil energy every day. He would definitely die miserably!


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me¡­ who did it. It was Master who did it. He wanted to help me make some money to live.¡± Liuming said again.


    ¡°Who is your master?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    The evil formation was just a casual remark by Xie Qiao.


    One would need to bear the consequences if they did anything that harmed people. If they did something bad, they would definitely suffer karma, or their rtives and descendants would. She would never do such a foolish thing


    ¡°I-It¡¯s that young Taoist you saw¡­ A few months ago, I could no longer live in the Taoist temple anymore, so I came down the mountain to make some money. But it wasn¡¯t easy to make money, and I was almost beaten up. Later, thanks to Master¡¯s guidance, my fortune came.¡± Speaking of the master, he still had a face full of admiration.


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°It looks like you think your master treats you very well?¡± ¡°Of course! If Master didn¡¯t look young and like a child, it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for him to do things. Why would he need me?¡± Liuming immediately said.


    ¡°It seems that you really don¡¯t have much ability. You actually don¡¯t know that this formation that gathers souls to make money uses up your own karma and luck. Now that you¡¯ve earned some money, it won¡¯tst for long. This kind of formation canst for three years at most. Within three years, you¡¯ll definitely be able to rely on the ghouls to make a fortune. However, after this formation reaches a certain date, no matter how lucky you were in the past, you¡¯ll suffer ten or a hundred times more in the future. You¡¯d suffer the karma. In the future, the one who will be unlucky will naturally be you. That¡¯s a legitimate thing that will shorten your life¡­¡±

 Chapter 1006 - Be Honest

    <h4><i>Chapter 1006</i> Be Honest</h4>


    There was no need for Xie Qiao to bluff Liuming.


    How could there be any free benefits in the world? After all, the fortune that he had stolen through the souls of the dead was not his. If he borrowed money and did more good deeds, he could make up for it. It would not have much of an impact.


    However, looking at Liuming¡¯s face, he was afraid that he had done a lot of bad things instead of good things. If that was the case, he would definitely suffer a bacsh and would not end well!


    When Liuming heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, he was skeptical. ¡°Impossible! Master wouldn¡¯t lie to


    me!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Xie Qiao sneered. ¡°So naive.¡±


    Xie Qiao did not think of proving the power of this soul-gathering and wealth-generating formation. It was unnecessary.


    It did not matter to her whether Liuming believed that young Taoist or not.


    Her contempt actually made Liuming panic a little. ¡°M-My master said that this is fortune. He guaranteed that there won¡¯t be any harm¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already like this. It doesn¡¯t make any difference to you whether there will be any harm.¡± Xie Qiao nced at him indifferently, as if she was looking at a dead body. ¡°What is your master¡¯s background? Tell me everything, so that you won¡¯t suffer.¡±


    Liuming did not want to tell.


    However, he was timid.


    He thought about how the female Taoist master could instantly ignite the lights in the room with a snap of her fingers. This ability was probably sky-high, he felt that he really could not afford to offend her.


    He could not help but feel sad.


    He was too unlucky¡­


    ¡°Why do you ask? My master is amazing. He did not hurt anyone. He is so small, like a child. He can¡¯t hurt anyone even if he wanted to,¡± Liuming said while shrinking his head.


    ¡°The things in your house are obviously the setup of the soul-gathering and wealth-generating formation, but when I went there, I couldn¡¯t see any ghouls. Do you know why?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Liuming shook his head. How would he know?


    He had once inherited a Taoist temple, but it was particrly dpidated. Almost no one had set foot in it, and the surrounding wilderness was uninhabited. It was actually just a shabby house.


    He really did not have the ability. He only knew how to recite a few scriptures.


    ¡°This kind of formation will attract the souls of the dead toe closer. A capable Taoist master canmand the souls of the dead toe here for wealth. I think you must have made a lot of money. Now, if you don¡¯t have too much greed for money, your master can take all those souls away.¡±


    Not just those in the formation, but those outside as well.


    What the formation attracted should be those souls of the dead who died for money.


    These souls of the Baili family did not fit, but since this person would take those souls of the dead, it was possible that he also had the intention to take in other souls.


    Liuming could not see the souls of the dead. As for what Xie Qiao said, he was muddle-headed and ignorant.


    Seeing that he was not being honest, the guard immediately ced the de around his neck.


    Feeling the cold de, Liuming was so scared that his whole body trembled. Like a coward, he said immediately, ¡°I-I really don¡¯t understand these things¡­ It was all arranged by Master¡­


    ¡°My master, his name is Wan Jiulei. I only know that he looks young, but in fact, he is already forty years old. Master is an expert in cultivation. I heard that when he was young, he had already cultivated the dao, so he¡¯s able to maintain his youthful appearance¡­ Master is indeed very powerful¡­


    ¡°I only met him two months ago. I only know his name, but I really don¡¯t know anything else¡­¡± Liuming wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was so scared that he almost fainted.


    What were these officials trying to do?!


    ¡°Then have youe to the Fortune Pavilion before?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Taoist Master Liuming¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°It was Master who asked me toe. He said that he had something to give to the owner of this ce¡­¡±

 Chapter 1007 - Animal

    <h4>Chapter 1007 Animal</h4>


    At that time, Liuming had a vague feeling that the gift his master had asked him to give him was not anything good, so he was quite nervous and afraid.


    He also knew that his master seemed to hate the owner of the Fortune Pavilion. He wanted to contribute and ask his master to teach him more, so he had dressed himself up carefully, changed into a gray robe, and even made a fake eye, sticking it on his eyelids¡­


    He just thought that the owner of the Fortune Pavilion was a woman, and he was so scary, so the other party would definitely feel uneasy. In that case, he couldplete the task his master had given him better.


    ¡°H-How did you know¡­ it was me¡­?¡± Taoist Master Liuming could not help but ask.


    ¡°I guessed.¡± Xie Qiao gave him a disdainful look. ¡°What does your master usually do at home?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Then where would he go if he went out?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    Taoist Master Liuming still shook his head. ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment, she looked at the guards and asked, ¡°Did you search the house they lived in?¡±


    ¡°We did. As the young Taoist had run away, we only took out the things in the young Taoist¡¯s house,¡± the guard replied respectfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± Xie Qiao pursed her lips into a smile. ¡°Bring them up and let me take a look.¡±


    Soon, the things were brought up. There were not many. Other than the bedding, there were a few ordinary books and some daily necessities.


    e was


    Xie Qiao took a look at the bedding and found that it was clean. There was not a single strand of hair on it. It could be seen that Wan Jiulei was indeed a very smart and careful enemy. He knew that she was very capable, so he did not leave any evidence on his bed. Hair and blood were very important.


    However¡­


    It was okay if there was no hair.


    Xie Qiao walked to the side of the row of cabs and found a small bottle at the bottom.


    She let out the ghoul inside.


    It was a dog.


    The ghouls of animals were weak. Many animals went down directly after they died. There were also some that were reluctant to leave the human world. However, they were not as powerful as humans, so most of the ghouls were not formed, just like the ethereal fog in this world, they floated around and disappeared as they floated.


    However, there were very few that could maintain their appearance when they were alive.


    This was the case for the soul of this dog.


    She had received it when she was at the Water Moon Temple.


    The reason why she did not send it down to reincarnation was that this dog had a lot of resentment.


    This dog was too miserable when it was alive. It was initially kept by a profligate son and was used to scare people. It was born with a good sense of smell and was fierce enough to listen to its master. When its master told it to bite someone, it would recklessly rush over and only know how toplete its master¡¯s orders.


    However, after it listened to hisst order, it bit a person to death. In order to repay the deceased, its master just casually tortured it to death and threw it to the family of the deceased.


    When it was alive, itmitted evil, and it was unwilling to ept it. Its resentment condensed, allowing its spirit to maintain its form like a human.


    However, it had resentment, and it was an animal. After death, it would always bite people.


    That person¡¯s family often heard dogs barking, and they thought it was a ghoul, so they asked her to collect it.


    This dog was hateful, but also pitiful. It was gued by resentment and had a muddle-headed life, so she collected it and kept it by her side. She wanted to resolve all of its resentment before sending it down.


    However, animals were all stubborn, so the resentment was not easy to resolve. So until now, it still stayed by her side.


    ¡°Da Fu,¡± Xie Qiao shouted into the air.


    The dog was much better now. The resentment on its body was still there, but it was also rtively faint.


    It was very big. Its entire body was covered in ck hair, and only there was a wisp of white on its forehead. It looked awe-inspiring. After hearing her voice, its voice sounded like it was choked with sobs as it wagged its tail.

 Chapter 1008 - Cover-up

    <h4>Chapter 1008 Cover-up</h4>


    When the guards and Liuming saw Xie Qiao talking to the air, they felt a chill in their hearts.


    Fortunately, the guards had seen her many times and were prepared. They were not scared, but Liuming was different. He looked at Xie Qiao with fear in his eyes.


    ¡°W-Who is she talking to?!¡± Liuming quickly crawled back and immediately took a few steps away from Xie Qiao.


    However, with the guards watching, he could not run away.


    ¡°Master might be talking to her ancestor. Get used to it. If you miss your father, you can give her some money to call your father over. You can stay in the same room with him for a while.¡± The guard looked at this chatan and said viciously.


    Liuming¡¯s eyelids twitched. He did not care whether the guard was criticizing him or not. This ce was too scary¡­


    There were clearly so many lights, but at this moment, he still felt a chill all over his body. ¡°Da Fu, smell these and find someone for me.¡± Xie Qiao stretched out her hand and scratched Da Fu¡¯s head.


    Of course, to others, she was just touching the air and smiling kindly.


    Da Fu wagged its tail and sniffed the nket.


    After a while, it barked at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao immediately got up and led the dog to the ces passing by the house.


    Da Fu¡¯s spirit was in front. It was different from a human¡¯s spirit. It walked on all four and would not float unless it was in a hurry.


    When Zhao Xuanjing appeared, he saw Xie Qiao and his guards walking slowly on the road.


    They did not sit in the carriage. Instead, they moved step by step. asionally, they stopped and stood there for a while as if they were waiting for someone.


    With so many guards turning their heads, the people on the street were scared. They stayed far away and did not dare to get close to them.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was also curious. ¡°It looks like hunters using hunting dogs to hunt for prey.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly!¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°The spirit of a dog?¡± Zhao Xuanjing had never known what the spirit of an animal looked like.


    ¡°Well, Da Fu is very impressive. It was tamed by its master when it was alive. Finding people and things is easy. At the critical moment, it can even fight!¡± It was not that she was bragging, but even a human ghoul could not beat Da Fu.


    Its fangs were sharp. They had been polished when it was still alive. When it bit, it wasparable to a tiger or a wolf. ¡°By the way, what are you doing here?¡± Xie Qiao had been staring at Da Fu the whole time and did not even look at Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s heart was bitter.


    What if he did note here?


    He was afraid that she would forget that there was a living person like him in this world.


    ¡°Did Senior Sister not say that you would call me when you¡¯re umting good karma? I thickened my skin and came to ask for benefits myself.¡± Zhao Xuanjing walked behind Xie Qiao and nodded. Looking at her back, he could not help but rx his eyebrows. Xie Qiao did not want to chase him away.


    It was good for him to follow her. He might even be able to save her at the critical moment.


    Da Fu did not leave the city. In the end, it actually arrived at the entrance of a house. Then, it called Xie Qiao a few times. It guessed that this person was inside.


    Xie Qiao looked at the house and frowned.


    She felt that something was wrong. She thought about it and looked around again. She found that this ce looked ordinary, but in fact, there was something else. There were some things ced outside that formed a formation to change the five elements of the aura. To put it simply, it was used to conceal the evil energy and trick fellow Taoist masters.


    ¡°There¡¯s a cover-up here. This house doesn¡¯t seem to have any problems, but if this cover-up is removed, I¡¯m afraid the evil energy will soar to the sky.¡±


    She held apass in her hand, and the disy on thepass was the same as usual. If other Taoist masters were to pass by, they would definitely not be able to see anything with just thepass. However, she could faintly sense a bad aura, and she could also faintly hear the¡­ howls of ghouls.

 Chapter 1009 - Property

    <h4>Chapter 1009 Property</h4>


    The aura she sensed and the sounds she heard did not match the calm scene before her. That was why she wanted to search for the formations around.


    If she did not have this pair of heavenly eyes, she would have missed it.


    ¡°This humble one knows about this house,¡± a guard suddenly said. ¡°I have rtives living nearby. This house has always been empty and no one lives in it. I heard that there are ghouls inside.¡±


    Seeing that the master and the Crown Prince were staring at him, the guard immediately exined himself.


    ¡°The master of this house didn¡¯t cultivate. I heard that he was a very lustful man. When he was alive, he secretly kidnapped a woman and killed her. That woman¡¯s family came looking for him. The man was ipetent and pushed his wife out to deal with them. His wife was attacked by those who came to stir trouble and those who were watching the show. After being pushed, she even had a miscarriage. She was so sad and ashamed that shemitted suicide and died.


    ¡°Later on, the man drank himself to death, his parents fell ill one after another, the servants died and ran away. The nsmen sold the house, but after the buyer moved in, something happened to the family. There were many rumors saying that the house was filthy.


    ¡°But that was many years ago. The house had gone through a few owners. The people who bought it would notst more than half a year and would sell it again. Now, even if it was sold at a low price, no one would dare to buy it. It has be a famous haunted house in this


    area.¡±


    The guard knew quite a lot. In reality¡­ he did not know about such a mysterious rumor.


    It was just that he had seen Master Mo too many times, so he began to be interested in this kind of thing. When he heard that there was a haunted house nearby, he asked his rtives about it.


    ¡°The location of this house is not bad, and the price is also very cheap. So¡­ I initially thought of buying this house and then spending some money to hire a master to perform a ritual to chase the ghouls away. If that works, I will live here from now on¡­¡± The guard smiled embarrassedly.


    ¡°Your idea is pretty good. It makes sense.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    The guard was delighted, ¡°Can you ept this job of mine, Master?! Although I have that idea, I¡¯m also worried about dying Master¡¯s matters, so I haven¡¯t dared to speak up!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you pay me? Of course I can.¡± Xie Qiao acted as if it was a matter of course, then she was very serious. ¡°I¡¯m desperate for money. The rest of you are the same. You can voice your request¡­ If you ask me to perform a ritual, I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡±


    After saying this, the guard was about to jump up.


    He looked at the Crown Prince with anticipation.


    His family was doing quite well, but he had brothers at home. He was not the eldest son, so he would be chased out sooner orter, so he had always wanted to find a suitable house¡­


    After following the Crown Prince for all these years, he had saved up quite a lot, but the houses in the capital were expensive¡­


    The house next to it was alright and of the same size. It was sold for 18,000 taels of silver!


    However, this one only cost 7,000 to 8,000 taels of silver!


    It was more than cheap! It was almost like giving it away for free!


    ¡°Go.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was quite lenient to the guards. He knew that this person could not wait to go to the middleman toe up with a deal before Xie Qiao got rid of the bad luck, so he did not stop him.


    ¡°Great!¡± The guard was over the moon. ¡°Master, this house is mine. I¡¯ll give you a deposit to get rid of the bad luck first!¡±


    After saying that, he stuffed a hundred taels of silver notes to Xie Qiao and ran away.


    The other guards had envious looks on their faces.


    ¡°This kid ran so fast. Could it be that he¡¯s afraid that us brothers would fight with him?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there was such a good ce. If I had known before he did, I would definitely have bought it. Brothers are brothers, and real estate is real estate. Of course, I can¡¯t give it to him! It¡¯s a pity that we have to miss such a big house!¡±


    Saying so, everyone could not help butugh. They were really envious, but they were also quite happy. After all, with the words of the master, they could look for such houses in the future and gain some properties and benefits.

 Chapter 1010 - Committed A Sin

    <h4>Chapter 1010 Committed A Sin</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not find it funny at this moment. She stared at the house in front of her with a serious expression.


    Zhao Xuanjing also saw that she did not look good and thought for a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s just a house. Even if there¡¯s a powerful Taoist master here, it¡¯s just one person. I¡¯ll send a team over. It won¡¯t be difficult to take him down.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult,¡± Xie Qiao admitted, ¡°If we attack with the upper hand of numbers, then the evil sect isn¡¯t that powerful. However, this ce is a haunted mansion. It¡¯s very likely that something would happen to those who enter. Even if we capture him, they will have to pay a price.¡±


    It was either Yang energy or lifespan.


    Perhaps everyone would be able toe out alive, but sometimes, the danger was invisible.


    One¡¯s fate could be changed if one was tainted with evil energy.


    The guards had the duty to carry out orders, but it was not appropriate to affect one¡¯s fate.


    Zhao Xuanjing had always been very kind to these guards. Hearing her say this, he naturally would not insist. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°For now, I don¡¯t know what the situation in this house is, but I think that if the souls I¡¯m looking for are rted to that Wan Jiulei, I might not be able to deal with him alone. Why not¡­ ask the experts of the Yuxu Temple for help?¡± Xie Qiao said humbly.


    It was the first time Zhao Xuanjing heard Xie Qiao say something like this!


    In the past, even when she encountered difficult cases, she would still gritted her teeth and rushed forward!


    ¡°Yuxu Temple is not far from the city. I¡¯ll send someone to bring them over. However, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back earlier tonight and make ns for tomorrow. What do you think? You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ll send someone to guard the house. Not even a fly can fly out.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked into her eyes, his heart ached a little.


    She could not hide her tired eyes at all.


    She must not have rested well these days.


    ¡°Okay, send someone to follow me to the Fortune Pavilion. Bring some talismans and distribute them to everyone. As long as they don¡¯t go in, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡± Xie Qiao thought about it and felt embarrassed. After all, she was a Taoist master, these guards were doing her a favor, and she did not have any gifts to thank them¡­


    Her purse¡­ was not full.


    Some of the guards came from poor families, while some were wealthy. Their sries were high, and they probably would not value the benefits she gave them. ¡°After we finish this, I¡¯ll weave a tassel for them to keep them safe!¡± Xie Qiao thought about it and said.


    It could be hung on swords and sabers. At critical moment, they might be able to save their lives.


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned for a moment and wanted to refuse subconsciously. After all, it was an arduous task, so why was it necessary to work so hard?


    However, in the end, he smiled and agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ll take time. I have a lot of things to do recently. I can¡¯t do it in a short time.¡± Xie Qiao looked dignified.


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Senior Sister.¡± Zhao Xuanjing wished that she would go home to rest for a while.


    Even now, when he thought of the old him and thought of ways to get Xie Qiao to carve gifts for him, he felt he hadmitted a sin. That night, Zhao Xuanjing sent someone to invite the people from Yuxu Temple.


    When Yuan Changzi heard that it was Mo Chusheng who invited him, he did not hesitate at all and left the temple directly. Not only that, he also heard that this matter involved an evil sect. His heart was somewhat heavy, and he brought three other senior brothers with him. ¡°It has been more than 20 years since a powerful evil sect appeared in the capital, right?¡± After Yuan Changzi arrived in the city, the senior brothers sat in the inn and chatted casually.

 Chapter 1011 - The Unremarkable Mo Chusheng

    <h4>Chapter 1011 The Unremarkable Mo Chusheng</h4>


    Twenty years ago, there were quite a number of highly cultivated monks in the world.


    At that time, every three to five years, there would be a dao discussion. Taoist masters from all over the world would gather together topare their disciples and themselves.


    However, there were many Taoist masters from the righteous sects and many Taoist masters from evil sects.


    One of them was the most terrifying.


    That person¡¯s Daoist techniques were profound and he was initially from a righteous sect. The power of the talismans he inscribed was great. When it came to the use of formations, it came naturally and he was lucky in that aspect. However, he pursued the limits of Daoist techniques too much and felt that as long as he truly pursued the dao. One day, he would definitely ascend to heaven and be a true immortal sage!


    However, rational people knew that although they understood the five elements and respected the immortals and gods in the world, even when they inscribed talismans, they were still mortals after all. Immortality was just a vague request.


    However, that person never believed it.


    He could not seek immortality from the righteous sect, so he went to seek the evil sect.


    Due to that, he even caused the deaths of many of his fellow Taoist masters. It could even be said that half of the famous Taoist masters at that time had died because he failed in the battles.


    Of course, that person did not end up well either.


    Even after so many years, Yuan Changzi and the others still felt uneasy when they heard the word ¡°evil sect¡±.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen this Mo Chusheng. She and Mo Lingzi are from the same sect, and her abilities are not inferior to Mo Lingzi¡¯s. Moreover, she¡¯s naturally proficient in yin and yang. Including her innate abilities, she is even more capable than Mo Lingzi. Even she said that she can¡¯t handle it herself, I¡¯m afraid this evil sect is quite powerful!¡± Yuan Changzi sipped his tea, trying to calm himself down.


    A few of his fellow disciples did not believe him. ¡°Mo Lingzi didn¡¯t mention that he had a junior sister back then. Could she really be from the Water Moon Temple?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Yuan Changzi said firmly.


    Xie Qiao also came at the appointed time.


    As soon as she appeared, Yuan Changzi immediately stood up. ¡°Master Mo!¡± The other three fellow disciples looked over in a daze.


    This was the Mo Chusheng that Yuan Changzi had mentioned¡­ Mo Chusheng, who had superb Daoist skills and was very capable? She looked¡­ as calm as water and did not have much imposing manners. At most, she looked a little more indifferent and elegant. Other than that, she was not any different from the other Taoist masters, right?


    Looking at her appearance¡­


    It was unremarkable!


    However, there was still one of them, Yuan Changzi¡¯s senior brother, whose Dharma name was Guanglun. With a nce, he thought that this woman¡¯s bones and appearance were not right. She had probably disguised her appearance.


    However, he did not ask.


    ¡°Thank you foring here, Taoist masters.¡± Xie Qiao stepped forward and was especially polite and respectful, ¡°I¡¯ve asked you toe here today mainly for the matter of the evil sect. I haven¡¯t been in the capital for a long time, and I don¡¯t know if there are any special rules in the capital and how to deal with an evil sect, so I¡¯d like to ask you for some advice¡­ After learning the rules, I¡¯ll know what to do no matter what happens.¡± The state had itsws, and families had their rules. Even between ethnic groups, there were also n rules.


    Therefore, there should be a set of rules among Taoist masters that were different from the statews. However, she was not knowledgeable, so she was not clear about it.


    ¡°Ordinary chatans are mostly dealt with by the government. If Taoist masters use some forbidden techniques, it¡¯s usually the Taoist masters¡¯ seniors who call the shots, crippling their cultivation so that they can¡¯t harm others,¡± Yuan Changzi immediately said.


    Most of these forbidden techniques had a more serious impact.


    For instance, keeping evil ghouls, using vengeful spirits to harm living people¡­


    Or using the blood of women or children as sacrifices¡­


    In such a situation, a Taoist temple with a well-known reputation like Yuxu Temple absolutely could not ignore it. Although the bad things were done by evil sects, once it was spread out, it would bring shame to the entire Taoist sect.


    However, in the past few years, very few evil sects had dared tomit crimes. Even those who used forbidden spells were usually spells that did not cause much harm.

 Chapter 1012 - The Abilities of the Ancestors

    <h4>Chapter 1012 The Abilities of the Ancestors</h4>


    As for how to abolish cultivation, that required another kind of ability.


    After Xie Qiao had a general understanding, she said, ¡°I believe that everyone has heard about what happened yesterday. If it¡¯s possible, let¡¯s go into that house to take a look today?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Yuan Changzi said with a smile.


    Xie Qiao paid for the waiter to send some good food over. After they ate together, they walked to the house.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s bodyguard had already bought the house. He was also waiting outside the house with an expectant look on his face.


    Zhao Xuanjing was also there.


    The four of them were shocked when they saw Zhao Xuanjing, and their attitude immediately became much more respectful.


    They had seen this nobleman before. They had even applied cow¡¯s tears on his eyelids back then. Whether it was back then or now, they could see that the person in front of them looked extremely noble. Taoist Master Guanglun could even see the aura of an emperor. He was even more careful.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in with you,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said after approaching Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Okay, take care of yourself.¡±


    Taoist Master Guanglun¡¯s heart twitched.


    Yuan Changzi was also a little surprised. ¡°No, it¡¯s not good, right? I don¡¯t know what dangers are in here. This young master isn¡¯t a Taoist master. If something happens¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s hand brushed past his waist.


    Yuan Changzi subconsciously looked over and was stunned.


    He was really¡­ rich and noble.


    Xie Qiao also saw it.


    There was a row of things hanging on his waist. There were talismans that she had given him, there were many¡­ There were also some dharma instruments and things like the peach wood sword that she had given him. In addition, there were two old and expensive pendants hanging on his waist that she had never seen before.


    Seeing Xie Qiao¡¯s eager eyes, Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I searched my father¡¯s private vaultst night and found these two evil-warding objects. They should be useful, right?¡±


    As he spoke, he took one of them and hung it on Xie Qiao¡¯s waist.


    The one hanging on Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s waist was a yellow dragon jade token.


    The one given to Xie Qiao was a round eight trigram jade token.


    It was really¡­ good stuff. It was so good that Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Your family¡­ is really rich.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the ability of my ancestors.¡± Zhao Xuanjing sounded humble, but the five Taoist masters, including Xie Qiao, were jealous.


    Their ancestors¡­ did not have the ability?


    These two jade tokens were not dharma instruments, but they naturally had the ability to restrain ghouls. Firstly, it was because these two jade tokens were ancient jade that had been around for a long time and had abundant luck. Secondly, it was because this thing had been carried by several emperors¡­


    ¡°Since we have these things to protect us, I think¡­ We can save our lives,¡± the Taoist masters said bitterly.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked much braver than the Taoist masters.


    Yuan Changzi felt a little helpless. He always felt that he was an errand boy. This nobleman had a confident look on his face, as if he knew how to capture souls better than them. He felt alright, so he walked in obediently.


    As soon as they entered the house, they immediately felt that things were different.


    They hade early today. It was when the sun had just risen.


    However, when they entered, they instantly felt as if the scene of them talking outside was like a dream¡­


    It was like night in front of them. The house was not rundown, and it was very prosperous.


    ¡°This scene¡­ isn¡¯t right. The vengeful spirits here aren¡¯t ordinary. They actually pulled all of us into an illusion!¡± Taoist Master Guanglun also thought that it was incredible.

 Chapter 1013 - Divine Song of the Human World

    <h4>Chapter 1013 Divine Song of the Human World</h4>


    It was an illusion, or it could be said that it was a dream. It was not real, but after entering, it was very difficult to leave!


    There were not many vengeful spirits who could have this kind of ability.


    ¡°What are you all standing here for?! The master invited you here to sing and celebrate his birthday, not to enjoy the scenery here!¡± Suddenly, a steward appeared out of nowhere and shouted at the six people This steward¡¯s feet¡­ did not touch the ground and his face was pale. It was obvious that he was not human.


    At this moment, they could not take action directly. They listened to the steward and walked into the courtyard.


    There werenterns and streamers everywhere, and a lot of red silk was hung.


    ¡°Is your residence holding a wedding?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The steward nced at her. ¡°What? You want to be a bride? I¡¯m afraid not. Although you smell good, your face is too old. My master doesn¡¯t like it, but my master would ept this young brother.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing chuckled with a gloomy face.


    ¡°Are there many brides here?¡± Xie Qiao asked shamelessly.


    ¡°You talk so much!¡± The steward looked disgusted. ¡°My master has a lot of money. It¡¯s just a few more wives. What¡¯s the big deal? You guys should talk less and do more!¡±


    Xie Qiao was silent for a while.


    There were a lot of ghouls in the house, but it was hard to say who was the master and who were the servants.


    ording to the guard, the woman that the master had abducted from the house was dead.


    The master was also dead. There was also the master¡¯s wife. She died with a baby in her belly. The death was even more tragic.


    These three people might have a lot of resentment after they died and be the masters of the ghouls in the house.


    However, the possibility of the old master being the master here was not high.


    After all, this person diedst. In a short while, they were brought to a room. They were going to change their clothes and perform on stage.


    They heard that the old master and the others were already prepared to watch the show.


    The few Taoist masters looked at each other. Yuan Changzi said, ¡°This penniless Taoist master doesn¡¯t know how to perform¡­ Master Mo, this ce is filled with ghouls. Why don¡¯t we take action directly? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°We can attack directly, but since the ghouls have arranged this illusion, if we don¡¯t follow the steps of the illusion, the power of the illusion will be even greater. I think we have to break the illusion first and return to reality before we can attack,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Yuan Changzi sighed.


    In fact, he also knew that in the illusion, even if they attacked, they probably would not be able to hit the ghoul who had arranged the illusion.


    Only when they returned to reality would they be able to take action.


    However, he really did not know how to sing¡­ Yuan Changzi looked miserable, but Taoist Master Guanglun was very calm. He changed into his costume. ¡°This penniless Taoist master will sing. You can just stand behind with your things.¡±


    Taoist Master Guanglun was quite fast. He changed his clothes in a sh.


    He looked quite decent.


    Xie Qiao had good reasons to suspect that this Taoist master was not decent in private.


    Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing also changed their clothes and went on stage.


    Below the stage, Xie Qiao saw¡­ a master and a dozen brides.


    Those brides wore the same makeup and bright red wedding clothes. They looked very strange and scary. Taoist Master Guanglun was very calm. He could still sing in such a situation.


    The only thing was that their voices were rough, dry, and unpleasant.


    However, the people below were listening very attentively, as if they had heard a peerless divine song.


    While they were singing, the scene below the stage changed. It turned into a ridiculous hell.


    The old groom was tied up, he was standing on a brazier. There were ten brides. Some had soldering irons in their hands, and some had scissors. They started to attack the old man.


    ¡°Ah-¡± The old man¡¯s scream was creepy.

 Chapter 1014 - Swallowed

    <h4>Chapter 1014 Swallowed</h4>


    The soldering iron was imprinted on the old master¡¯s chest, and the scissors fell on his hair. In a short while, all kinds of marks appeared on his body.


    Scalded, bitten, punched¡­ and even pricked by needles.


    Taoist Master Guanglun really could not sing anymore.


    They stood there awkwardly.


    ¡°That vengeful spirit doesn¡¯t want us to save the master, does it?¡± Yuan Changzi asked.


    He could capture a soul, but¡­ he did not know what was the story behind it! ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head, ¡°The master of this house is very lecherous. When he was alive, he caused the death of someone. I suspect that he has some strange fetishes, that¡¯s why he tortured a woman to death. Now that he¡¯s dead, he¡¯s just being tortured by someone else.¡±


    Yuan Changzi sighed. ¡°When will there be an end to this?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him with aplicated gaze.


    ¡°She died tragically. It¡¯s understandable for her to vent a little.¡± Xie Qiao looked at this scene and her mood was serene. ¡°However, there¡¯s no debts without creditors. There were innocent people who died in this houseter on. That¡¯s a little different.¡±


    Yuan Changzi did not know much about this house, so he was also observing at this moment.


    After a while, the brides were hung on the tree like torn dolls. The wind blew, and they fluttered.


    And under the tree, there was actually a banquet.


    Many ghouls began to congratte the master on his marriage. ss after ss of wine was stuffed into the master¡¯s stomach.


    Yes, it was stuffed, not drunk.


    As the stomach was dug open, the wine was poured in.


    The impact of the scene was quite strong. Xie Qiao and the others still did not move. Soon, they did not need to sing anymore. After a while, there was a fierce knock on the door.


    Xie Qiao knew that this was still an illusion.


    Although the Taoist masters around her had cultivated before, they could not see the ghouls directly. However, now that they could see, it meant that they were still in a dream.


    The door opened, and many people barged in.


    They wanted to find the bride.


    However, there were too many brides, and they could not tell which one was the real one.


    Those outsiders looked at Xie Qiao and the others.


    ¡°Are they asking us to find her?¡± Xie Qiao was a little speechless. ¡°This is troublesome. They¡¯re all in heavy makeup. Who knows which one is the real one?¡±


    However, as soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Xuanjing walked over and pointed at one of them. ¡°This one.¡±


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded. ¡°Why?¡±


    Yuan Changzi and the others did not understand either.


    They were in the same ce just now, and everything they saw was exactly the same. How could this nobleman be so sure about who the bride they were looking for was?


    ¡°When we were watching the show, she was the only one who smiled, even though her smile was uglier than crying,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said disdainfully, ¡°The other brides were expressionless when they tortured this man. Only she didn¡¯t dare toe forward. She was a little scared, and her eyes were filled with fear.¡±


    Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    After thinking about it carefully, it seemed that it was true. At that time, this ghoul was holding a candle and dripping wax oil on the master¡¯s body¡­


    After dragging the bride out, the people who barged in were all delighted.


    Just as they were about to take the bride away, a mouth suddenly appeared in midair. With a howl, it actually swallowed the ghoul! Chew, chew, chew. Fresh blood dripped like raindrops, dripping onto the bodies of those people.


    Ugh¡­


    Although it was an illusion, Xie Qiao was really disgusted.


    After chewing, the scene changed, and they returned to the scene when they had just entered the house.


    The steward hade and they were going to be asked to sing again.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this? Does this vengeful spirit want us to watch the bride being found and then eaten?¡± Yuan Changzi had a headache.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and looked at the steward. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve just entered the house and heard that Madam is celebrating a joyous asion. I have some small gifts to give to her. I wonder if you can spread the word and introduce us?¡±

 Chapter 1015 - Gold Ingot

    <h4>Chapter 1015 Gold Ingot</h4>


    Xie Qiao felt that this was not an illusion, but a way for the vengeful spirit to vent her anger.


    If they wanted to break out of this illusion, she should find this vengeful spirit and see what she wanted.


    Moreover, she felt a little tired.


    If she stayed in this illusion for too long, she would lose her Yang energy. If the scene was repeated a few more times, she would probably die.


    Xie Qiao took out a piece of yellow paper and quickly folded it. In the blink of an eye, a gold ingot made of paper appeared and she ced it in the steward¡¯s hand. ¡°This is a gift from me. Can you please lead the way?¡±


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡®Are you sure this works?¡¯


    The Taoist masters were also confused. Folding a gold ingot in front of this ghoul, did she think that he was a fool?!


    The steward looked at the gold ingot with aplicated look, then he put the gold ingot away and silently led them to another ce.


    ¡°Why does this work?¡± Zhao Xuanjing was really curious.


    ¡°Many stewards of rich and noble families have the habit of looking down on others. It¡¯s normal to give money to them. Even if they be ghouls, they should still have this habit in their bones. However, money in the human world is useless. This is an illusion. I told him that I gave him money. Perhaps he has epted this setting subconsciously?¡± Xie Qiao smiled profoundly. ¡°I was just trying my luck. I didn¡¯t expect it to work.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing had nothing to say.


    It was Xie Qiao¡¯s good luck.


    Perhaps Xie Qiao had given him too much ¡°gold¡±, so the steward brought them into the inner courtyard.


    As soon as they entered the inner courtyard, Xie Qiao saw a woman.


    When the woman saw that someone wasing, her gaze immediately became much grimmer. She nced at them and found that Xie Qiao was the only woman. Her expression seemed to be better.


    This woman was the madam of the house. Xie Qiao saw that her hand was ced on her lower abdomen, and her face was filled with happiness.


    ¡°You are here to celebrate the old master¡¯s birthday, right? Aren¡¯t you supposed to sing? Why are you looking for me? I don¡¯t have any money to reward you.¡± The woman nced at them, and her voice was filled with disgust.


    Xie Qiao could not be bothered to chat with her, so she said bluntly, ¡°As the madam of the house, the old master is now acting wantonly in the backyard. Won¡¯t you stop him?¡±


    Xie Qiao also knew that this woman was very pitiful.


    However, there were some things that she had to say. The people in this house had already passed away. She could no longer do anything about what had happened back then, but it would not be good for her to kill more people in this house.


    Besides, that evil person was in this house.


    That person would not be in this illusion. After all, it was not good for the body if a living person had been here for a long time. However, if they were outside, how could they avoid the illusion? Without even thinking, it was obvious that this vengeful spirit must have cooperated with that person. It was just that he did not know what kind of conditions this evil person had set for the vengeful spirit to allow her to stay in the house.


    When the woman heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, she sneered, ¡°You are teaching me how to do things?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Seeing that you are foolish, I couldn¡¯t help but give you some advice.¡± Xie Qiao nodded seriously. ¡°As the madam, you don¡¯t even have this bit of boldness? You¡¯re just watching your man make a mess at home. You¡¯re useless¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was cold and sounded a little cruel.


    This woman was full of resentment. ¡°What do you know?! He¡¯s a man and he wants to find those b*tches. What can I do?! My family is a rundown household. My younger brother wants to go to school and my father needs his medicine. If I don¡¯t listen to him and let him do whatever he wants, what will I do if he divorces me?!¡±

 Chapter 1016 - 6 Innocent or Deserved It

    <h4>Chapter 1016 Innocent or Deserved It</h4>


    The woman¡¯s voice was a little mournful, and it gave people goosebumps. Xie Qiao was silent for a moment.


    ¡°If you need to suffer all kinds of humiliation for your younger brother to be sessful, he can forget it. If your father knew that he needed to use your life to make money for his medical treatment and medicine, I¡¯m afraid he would rather die than wanting you to do so much. I know that your fate is pitiful, but since you¡¯re already living in the mud, you either die or live. I wonder how your father and brothers will feel when they see your current state. ¡°Instead of seeking life, you seek death but live in resentment. If you have resentment and harm people¡¯s lives, doesn¡¯t that mean that you have gone from being innocent to deserving it?¡±


    When the woman heard that, her eyes turned red, as if she wanted to swallow Xie Qiao alive. ¡°Your husband is detestable. He is greedy and violent. I¡¯m afraid that the woman who was killed by your husband also intended to seduce him on purpose. She deserved it that she died. However, you are not decisive enough. You couldn¡¯t bear to throw away your wealth, and couldn¡¯t muster your courage. You are weak by nature, and it is wrong to be weak. In the end, this is the path you chose. Those who harmed you are all dead. Who else do you want to me?¡±


    There was something fishy about the show just now.


    Zhao Xuanjing said that one of the ten brides smiled while watching the show and panicked when the old master was ambushed. She felt that something was wrong.


    She thought¡­ Back then, the old master had some fetishes. As he had a lot of money, it was easy for him to hook up with some frivolous women.


    He invited that woman home to watch the show, and even¡­


    He even yed a ¡°role-ying¡± game, making that woman wear a bride¡¯s dress and pretend to be holding a wedding¡­


    The old master wanted to be a groom every day.


    However, he did not expect that he would actually go overboard on his ¡°wedding night¡±.


    He had identally tortured someone to death.


    Thinking back to those people who came looking for trouble¡­


    Since they were able toy their hands on the madam of the house and cause her to miscarry, it could be seen that these people were unreasonable scoundrels. They said that they wanted to seek justice for their dead rtive, but in fact, they wanted something else as well¡­


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words were undoubtedly provoking the woman in front of her.


    ¡°Men! Kill them all with a cane!¡± The woman suddenly howled and the steward immediately brought people over. In this illusion, there was no way to escape. Even if the ghouls in the illusion died, they would fake their deaths. Once the scene changed, they could start again at any time. Therefore, it was useless to escape and it would be a waste of effort.


    The only way was to find a way to break this illusion.


    ¡°Are you angry out of embarrassment?¡± Xie Qiaoughed sarcastically. ¡°If you had the ability to kill people with a cane when you were alive, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. The funny thing is, you¡¯re already dead and you still want to create such an illusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of abusing and venting when you¡¯re in this fake scene? These ghouls are just putting on an act. If they keep doing it over and over again, the most they¡¯ll do is suffer a little.


    ¡°Meanwhile, you have to keep thinking about what happened back then. What¡¯s the point?


    ¡°I think you¡¯re pregnant, right? When your child was dying, the moon was still young and the ghouls weren¡¯t formed yet. I¡¯m afraid even you won¡¯t be able to find him. But I can help you find him.


    ¡°I believe that no one other than me can do such a thing,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    She kept talking. At first, the woman was very upset, but after she heard what Xie Qiao said, her arrogance faded a lot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Even the Taoist master who came to find her earlier could not do it!


    ¡°Why would I lie to you? Soul searching is my specialty. All I need is your bone and some good tools to attract that soul. However, your child is still young and might have disappeared long ago. I have to make this clear.


    ¡°Also, if you are lucky and the child is still around, even if his soul is found, he won¡¯t be as lively and powerful as aplete ghoul. Even if he¡¯s sent to reincarnation in the future, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to be a human, right?¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Who knew if he might be a butterfly, bird, or grasshopper in his next life¡­ Who knew?

 Chapter 1017 - Break

    <h4>Chapter 1017 Break</h4>


    Xie Qiao would not lie just to break the illusion. She would do whatever she could to find the soul. She would not lie to anyone.


    However, in the eyes of Yuan Changzi and Taoist Master Guanglun, she was lying.


    Moreover¡­ She was lying in a measured manner.


    This kind of deception was the most brilliant. If she did not give people hope, they would think that her words were true!


    They all felt that this ghoul was quite pitiful.


    She had died so miserably when she was alive, and even after she died, she met the Taoist master from the Water Moon Temple.


    ¡°Why should I believe you¡­ What If you¡¯re tricking me?!¡± The woman was not a fool.


    ¡°Do you know why I came to find you?¡± Xie Qiao was neither fast nor slow, and she looked extremely sincere. ¡°I came here to search for souls, but I¡¯m looking for a few very strong souls. They should have been taken by a Taoist master. I¡¯ve been searching for these souls for a long time. If my guess is correct, the Taoist master hiding here must have a powerful dharma instrument that can keep the souls inside and hide their aura. Am I right?


    ¡°Since I found this ce, my abilities are still trustworthy. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll make another vow.¡± Xie Qiao pointed to the sky. ¡°I, the sessor of the Water Moon Temple, Mo Chusheng, swear to the heavens. If I don¡¯t help you¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zuo or Young Lady Sang.¡±


    ¡°If I, Mo Chusheng, don¡¯t Help Ms. Zuo find her child, my enlightenment-mind will be destroyed and I won¡¯t have a good ending,¡± Xie Qiao said seriously.


    Xie Qiao really did not want to fight against the strong resentment of the ghoul.


    It would take a lot of energy. After all, there was an enemy hiding behind them.


    Young Lady Sang was moved.


    Her greatest resentment was the child. However, she was a little hesitant. There were other people in her house. Taoist Master Wan was very powerful and had many dharma instruments. She had no choice but to let them live in the house. If the Taoist masters in front of her lost in the end, if Taoist Master Wan was to finish them off, they would probably have to settle the score with her¡­


    Just as she was hesitating, Xie Qiao sensed that the evil energy in this illusion was at its weakest.


    She suddenly threw out a talisman!


    ¡°Heaven and Earth, light up the gate. Golden crow and arrows in the clouds, Northern Dipper¡­ We beseech you, Benefactor, to all the Gods, show us the five directions, and destroy the chaos! Hear mymand, break!¡±


    Xie Qiao pointed with three fingers, and the talisman exploded in the air. Almost instantly, Xie Qiao and the others felt their vision go nk for a moment. When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves standing in a dpidated courtyard.


    The fallen leaves around them were withered and yellow, and the crows on the branches were chirping.


    Yuan Changzi looked at Xie Qiao in shock. ¡°Master Mo, what kind of talisman is that? Why is it so powerful?!¡±


    They could break a formation too, but it would definitely take a lot of effort. Even their own strength would be exhausted.


    However, this Master Mo just cast a spell and it was done?


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s our Water Moon Temple¡¯s ability. It¡¯s not much,¡± Xie Qiao said modestly.


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at her.


    Liar.


    When they were at Mengjiabao, Xie Qiao either went out to capture souls or locked herself in the courtyard to inscribe talismans. The one she used just now had a familiar pattern. He had seen Xie Qiao inscribe it with his own eyes.


    However, the talisman was indeedplicated. He remembered that when Xie Qiao had inscribed it, she had failed several times. After she had finished inscribing it, her entire body felt as if it had been soaked in cold water.


    He had seen through her, but he would not expose her.


    It was also a good thing that Xie Qiao had been modest, so as to prevent these Taoist masters from the Yuxu Temple from pestering her in the future and making her busy again.


    Yuan Changzi was very envious, and he nced at the bamboo basket beside Xie Qiao.


    However, before he could say anything, a chilly wind suddenly blew. The fallen leaves around them fluttered like knives and struck at them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Yuan Changzi panicked.


    He quickly took out thepass and calcted with one hand. His expression changed drastically. ¡°Master Mo, the evil energy in this ce is too strong!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? We¡¯re being surrounded.¡± What Xie Qiao saw were many ghouls.

 Chapter 1018 - Puppets

    <h4>Chapter 1018 Puppets</h4>


    Taoist Master Guanglun and the others also took out their dharma instruments with solemn expressions.


    Especially after listening to Xie Qiao¡¯s words, they immediately took out a bottle. Each of them put a drop of cow¡¯s tear on their eyelids. In the next moment, they saw a horrifying scene around them.


    ck energy almost covered the entire house.


    Hundreds of ghouls floated over, and a gust of strong wind swept over. That evil energy could wrap someone up in the blink of an eye.


    Taoist Master Guanglun was very smart. He knew that Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s identity was not ordinary, so he also gave him a drop of tears and dragged them to the center.


    ¡°These ghouls are all puppets! They¡¯re being controlled!¡± Yuan Changzi frowned and was enraged. ¡°That evil person is really detestable. He won¡¯t even let dead people go!¡±


    Fortunately, he did not see much blood. It seemed that this evil person did not use the blood of children or women as sacrifices.


    Otherwise, the power would be even greater.


    It made sense. If there was a big case at the feet of the Emperor of the capital, the government would definitely investigate every household. It would be difficult for the evil person!


    They were in the light, the Taoist master was in the dark. It was useless to say these things now.


    They had to crack the Taoist master¡¯s spell.


    The ghouls looked a little numb. Some of them extended their hands toward Xie Qiao and the others. Some of them were emitting cool air. One of them seemed to have been an entertainer when he was alive. His mouth was spewing fire, the fire instantly lit up the fallen leaves, mixing with the wind and burning. Xie Qiao had seen a lot of the world. At this moment, it was useless to kill the spirits. Moreover, these spirits were also very innocent. It was pitiful for them to disappear for nothing


    Xie Qiao took out the soul-summoning banner.


    That evil person could capture spirits, and so could she. It would depend on who had the stronger ability to control the spirits! The bell on the soul-summoning banner rang, causing the spirits to be in a daze for a moment. Xie Qiao lit another incense, and the fragrance went up, making it even more efficient. Xie Qiao then took out a stack of talismans.


    When Yuan Changzi and the others saw this scene, they had already chosen to protect each other tacitly.


    One talisman after another was casted.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s talismans seemed to be free, causing Yuan Changzi¡¯s heart to ache.


    All of this was painstaking effort!


    The power of the soul-summoning banner grew stronger and stronger, and the spirits became more and more hesitant and absent-minded. In a short while, many of them flew toward Xie Qiao¡¯s soul-summoning banner.


    Time passed slowly.


    The spirits in the vicinity became fewer and fewer.


    Finally, thest spirit was gone, and Xie Qiao also seemed to be exhausted.


    However, this was not the end. Xie Qiao used all her strength to pull down the soul-summoning banner. She took out a small jar, and wiped away a smear of red cinnabar ink. With a hint of gold, she inscribed a talisman on the soul-summoning banner, it was done in one go. After making the gesture, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yuan Changzi knew what she was doing.


    Although those ghouls had been taken in, they would still be affected by the evil person. Thest move of the master hadpletely cut off their connection with the evil person!


    At this moment, in a dry well in the house, the child-like Taoist master fell down with a puff.


    His eyes were wide open and he could not believe it.


    His spell had been broken?!


    His whole body was twitching, and he kept spitting blood. His whole body was blue and purple, and there was a ck energy.


    It was a bacsh.


    The sky was clear.


    At this moment, only did the vengeful spirit of Ms. Zuo dared toe out. She looked at Xie Qiao withplicated eyes.


    She still had many souls in her hands. They were the people she had killed all these years. At this moment, she obediently released those souls as well. ¡°Master¡­ You promised me to find the soul of my child¡­


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll let these people go¡­¡±

 Chapter 1019 - Quite Capable

    <h4>Chapter 1019 Quite Capable</h4>


    Xie Qiao calmly collected those ghouls, then she looked at Ms. Zuo and asked, ¡°Where is the evil person?¡±


    ¡°In my well,¡± Ms. Zuo immediately said. Xie Qiao nodded.


    Under her guidance, they went to look for her. Zhao Xuanjing saw that her footsteps were weak, so he helped her by her side.


    Sure enough, not long after, they saw a bloody person lying at the bottom of the well. It was a half-grown ¡°child¡±.


    When Yuan Changzi saw that, he was shocked. After pulling the man up, he said in surprise, ¡°Is this the evil person? Why is he so young?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just dwarfism,¡± said Xie Qiao. Then, she kicked the man. ¡°He¡¯s still alive, but the bacsh is so great that it¡¯s no different from death.¡±


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and found a rope to tie him up. Then, she took out one of her pills and stuffed it into the man¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Master Mo, why?¡± Yuan Changzi asked.


    ¡°He asked someone to send me a message and even used a dharma instrument to harm me. Fortunately, I found it in time. Otherwise, I would have fallen into his trap. I have no enmity with him, so I have to ask him why he targeted me,¡± Xie Qiao exined. With Xie Qiao¡¯s medicine, Wan Jiulei quickly woke up.


    When he saw Xie Qiao, his expression was ferocious. ¡°You are quite capable!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, but even if you praise me like that, I would still say that you are a good-for-nothing.¡± Xie Qiao said each word very seriously.


    Wan Jiulei¡¯s expression became even worse.


    ¡°What enmity do we have?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    She had unknowingly taken out a copper bell in her hand. She raised it and smashed it at Wan Jiulei. With a crisp sound, she said, ¡°Tell me the truth!¡±


    ¡°You broke my formation!¡± Wan Jiulei¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°The wooden figure under the five element tree outside the city belonged to me. In the end, it was destroyed by you. You even stole my reishi mushroom!¡± Xie Qiao did not feel guilty at all. She was not the one who did the immoral thing.


    Xie Qiao nced at him from top to bottom and smiled sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re at most 40, right? The wooden figure outside the city isn¡¯t young anymore. Could it be that you did it when you were young? It doesn¡¯t look like it!¡±


    This person looked like a child, but now that she was close to him, Xie Qiao could guess his true age by looking carefully at his eyes and hair.


    Wan Jiuli¡¯s expression changed, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.


    The bacsh was so severe that it was naturally not something that a pill could solve.


    This person¡¯s mouth was quite tight, and the pain of the bacsh was not something that an ordinary person could endure. However, his expression did not change much.


    It should be useless to ask more questions. ¡°Let us bring this person back. With his condition, he definitely won¡¯t be able to live for long. However, people like him are afraid of bing vengeful spirits after death. If we bring him back, we will be able to avoid this harm,¡± Taoist Master Guanglun said.


    Xie Qiao wanted to say that she could do it too.


    However, the Taoist masters had gone through a lot of trouble toe here. She had to give face to them, so she nodded in agreement. Xie Qiao felt that the reason why this person came to find her was probably not just because of the wooden figure outside the city. It was also possible that¡­ it was because of Old Master Li¡¯s feng shui¡­


    He was great at looking at feng shui. An ordinary Taoist master would definitely not be able to do it.


    Perhaps she had offended someone long ago, but she did not know it.


    Xie Qiao was not worried. She had some confidence in herself.


    Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing were not in a hurry to leave. She put Ms. Zuo away first and then sat in the carriage. While resting, she went outside the city to dig up the bones. In one go, she wanted to attract the child¡¯s soul.


    Xie Qiao could basically confirm that the little ghoul was still there.


    After all, mother and son were connected. When the mother turned into a vengeful spirit, the little one should be the same. It was just that the power was small, so it had not formed yet, so it floated elsewhere.


    It was indeed not difficult to look for it.

 Chapter 1020 - Do They Still Take In Disciples?

    Chapter 1020 Do They Still Take In Disciples?


    Xie Qiao had not used up all the reishi mushrooms she had. The soul guiding incense that she had lit earlier hade in handy now.


    After digging out Ms. Zuo¡¯s corpse, Xie Qiao began to perform a ritual.


    She muttered a spell and not long after, a ghoul floated over.


    It was even faster than Xie Qiao had thought. The ghoul should be floating near the grave of Ms. Zuo and should not be too far away.


    Mother and son were born with a natural instinct. When Ms. Zuo saw that weak soul, she could feel that it was her child. The resentment in her body instantly weakened.


    However, she had caused the deaths of many innocent people. The evil energy on her body could not be removed. ¡°In the future, I will send both your souls down together,¡± Xie Qiao looked at Ms. Zuo and said. Ms. Zuo smiled bitterly. ¡°I will ept it if I can be with my son.¡±


    Back then, her family was in decline. Her parents made the decision to marry her to Tao Yuan. The man was twenty years older than her, and she was his second wife.


    When she got married, she found out that Tao Yuan had married several wives before, and the cause of their death was a mystery. He had a big family, and in order to hide his identity, the wives he married were all lowly women. Since marrying him, she could only be obedient.


    Fortunately, as he was not young anymore and really wanted to have a child, he treated her fairly well and did not dare to go overboard.


    After they got married, Tao Yuan behaved for two years. He took health supplements and got her pregnant. After that, he started to mess around again. The woman who messed around with him was initially from a good family.


    <b>was</b>


    Seeing that Tao Yuan¡¯s family was rich, she often came to the house for the reason of selling flowers and apanied Tao Yuan to watch a show and have fun. She had also advised the woman that Tao Yuan had a strange fetish with that it was better to stay away from him. However, the woman said that she was just a worn-out wife. She only said that out of jealousy.


    Then, something really happened.


    Tao Yuan had been holding back for so long, so he decided to indulge himself. He was ruthless. The wounds on the corpse were obvious and could not be concealed. Furthermore, the flower woman was not a ve and she had many brothers and sisters in the family. Therefore, she was found and they insisted on reporting it to the authorities. Due to the death of the person, she criticized Tao Yuan. When Tao Yuan met those people who were looking for trouble, he was upset and pushed her out to deal with those people.


    Those people... insulted, scolded, pushed, and yelled. She had a miscarriage.


    Tao Yuan med her for being useless and for being a jinx. That night, he actually came to abuse her again. She thought that she would have a hard time in the future and really did not have the courage to go on, so she took her own life.


    She hated them. She hated Tao Yuan, hated that woman, and hated those people who came looking for trouble.


    Her resentment grew stronger and stronger. In the end, she killed Tao Yuan and lingered in the house for many years...


    Ms. Zuo¡¯s resentment had not been dispelled. It was impossible for such vengeful spirits to be released again. Therefore, Xie Qiao kept the mother and son together and she would send them away together the next time the gate of hell was opened.


    She did not intend to help her dispel her resentment.


    She was pitiful for whatever she sowed, but the people who moved into the houseter were also pitiful. Many died because of her.


    She had to bear the cost herself.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face turned pale after doing all this at once.


    Her feet were weak, but she pretended to be calm as she climbed into the carriage and asked Zhao Xuanjing to send her back to the city.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at her and felt his heart sink. He felt terrible.


    However, he knew nothing about what she knew or learned. He could not help her, so he was even more helpless and annoyed.


    ¡°I wonder if the masters of the Water Moon Temple still take in disciples?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked her.


    Xie Qiao nced at him. ¡°Why do you ask? Don¡¯t tell me... You have a junior at home who wants to be a disciple?¡±


    ¡°I see that Senior Sister is working so hard. If I can learn a thing or two, I can help you in the future, so you won¡¯t have to work so hard,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said seriously.


    Xie Qiao looked at him in surprise.

 Chapter 1021 - Affectionate

    Chapter 1021 Affectionate


    Many thoughts shed through her mind. In the end, she shook her head firmly.


    ¡°My master... senior brothers won¡¯t ept any more disciples. I don¡¯t want a disciple as old as you either. Your Highness, your status is important. It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t learn such things. Otherwise, if you abandon your position as a supreme being and go to a Taoist temple to cultivate in the future, what would you be? Moreover, as the Crown Prince of the country, holding thepass to tell the direction and talking in a mysterious manner... It won¡¯t be good for your reputation...¡± Xie Qiao immediately exined.


    After thinking for a while, Xie Qiao added slowly, ¡°As the Emperor, it¡¯s taboo to learn from a Taoist master. You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t know how ruthless time is. When you¡¯re old, you¡¯ll start to fear death and learn the dao all day long. What if you¡¯re thinking about refining pills? What should you do?¡± Xie Qiao did not dare to lead the Crown Prince down a path of no return.


    Zhao Xuanjing was doing well. When he heard that, he said helplessly, ¡°Thank you for thinking so far ahead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a temporary measure to ask Your Highness to break the formation together. I will figure out your problem sooner orter. When the timees, it will bepletely cured. Your Highness will no longer need to lower your status in the future,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    These were her heartfelt words. ¡°Moreover, Your Highness should do more serious things. I see that you don¡¯t look particrly good. I think you must be very busy every day. I also feel very bad that you have to squeeze out time to help me,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    The Crown Prince must be busy.


    Xie Qiao was not a fool. The emperor trusted the Crown Prince, so he would definitely let him participate in national affairs. Zhao Xuanjing was not azy person. He was probably working hard on things that she did not see!


    When Zhao Xuanjing heard that, he was in a good mood.


    Xie Qiao was concerned about him, right?


    He thought that it was his own wishful thinking, but seeing her soft attitude, she must be ¡°affectionate¡± toward him. Unfortunately, in order to take into ount her two identities, it was not appropriate to tease her at this moment. It made his heart feel like it was being scratched by a cat, and it was very ufortable.


    Xie Qiao saw the corner of his mouth rise, and he was a little high-spirited and proud...


    She could not understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter, and it doesn¡¯t require much of my energy. With my body, even if I don¡¯t sleep for seven days and seven nights, I can still be energetic when I see Senior Sister. You don¡¯t need to worry about me so much,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a smile.


    Xie Qiao gently covered her chest.


    She took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, your body is good.¡±


    Like an ox.


    Unlike her, she had been busy for the whole day, and she was so tired that her head was spinning and her mind was not clear!


    <b>as</b>


    Her words were sarcastic, and Zhao Xuanjing knew what she was thinking. He did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°The descendants of the Water Moon Temple bear the order of the Heaven, to capture souls and send ghouls away. They are different from ordinary people, so they are inevitably a little weak. In the future...¡±


    He would definitely feed her until she was chubby.


    It was not good for him to be too close to Mo Chusheng now. He was a man and Xie Qiao was a woman, so they could notmunicate too much.


    When Xie Qiao married him, the amount of food in his residence would increase a little.


    No matter what, he could not let her be so weak.


    Thinking of this, Zhao Xuanjing frowned again.


    Xie Niushan, his useless father-inw, did not know how to make more money. Xie Qiao had been in the capital for so long, but she was still skinny. He was really useless as a father. He could not even afford to raise his own daughter.


    ¡°Xie Pinggang has been working hardtely. When I return, he will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said inexplicably.


    Xie Qiao tilted her head.


    Was he not talking about the future just now? He did not finish the second half of the sentence. Why did he suddenly mention her eldest brother?


    ¡°I suddenly remembered that when we went to Mengjiabao, Xie Pinggang had handled several big cases by himself. It was very impressive. He had to be rewarded for such a talent. So I thought about getting some moneyter. I will send some ginseng, deer antler, and blood swallow to nourish his body.¡±

 Chapter 1022 - Without Worries

    <h4>Chapter 1022 Without Worries</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing did not care about these things. He just hoped that Xie Pinggang, that stupid cow, would understand what he meant. He did not want him to enjoy the good things alone. He wanted to leave some for this poor and weak girl.


    Xie Qiao did not know what kind of case the criminal division had, so she only listened to Zhao Xuanjing and did not reply.


    The carriage was swaying. Her head was already spinning, so she fell asleep in a short while.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze fell on her face.


    He took off his yellow dragon jade token and ced it in the bamboo basket by Xie Qiao¡¯s feet. He covered her with his cloak and told the coachman to go slower.


    When Xie Qiao woke up, it was already dark.


    Zhao Xuanjing had left at some point. The cloak on her body smelled of ambergris, which was quite nice.


    She opened the curtain and saw that she was at the entrance of the Fortune Pavilion.


    She had used up a lot of energy today. Although she had slept well just now, her body was still weak and tense. When she got off the carriage and the cold wind blew, she could not help but cough twice.


    It was extremely warm inside the Fortune Pavilion.


    Xie Qiao was afraid that Baili Ji would be worried, so she did not dare to slow down. After she went upstairs, she immediately released the ghouls that she caught today.


    She casted a spell on these bottles containing the ghouls, so she did not have to worry about these ghouls escaping.


    She did not even have the time to ask about their identities, so she did not know if there were people from the Baili family inside.


    Her eyes were solemn and worried.


    ¡°Patriarch!¡± When a few of the ghouls came out and saw Baili Ji, they immediately knelt down.


    Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    Baili Ji was also much more relieved. He did not chat with the descendants and looked at Xie Qiao. ¡°Little girl, it¡¯s been hard on you. This old man also saw that it wasn¡¯t easy for you because of this matter.¡±


    For several days in a row, she did not eat well or sleep well. Not only did she go out to search for the ghouls, even in the Fortune Pavilion, she was also refining things like the soul incense.


    Moreover, this child¡¯s health was not good.


    Even if she only spent two to three hours every day searching, she would not say much. However, she was even more attentive than him, the old ancestor of the Baili family. She was afraid that if she was one stepte in searching, his descendants would be gone. ¡°I¡¯veplied with Senior¡¯s request. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to aplish it.¡± Xie Qiao said seriously, ¡°Senior, do you see if anyone is still missing?¡±


    What was this?


    It was all for the sake of survival.


    ¡°They¡¯re all here.¡± Baili Ji was very satisfied, and the way he looked at her was somewhat doting. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the location of a treasure chest a few days ago? I reckon you haven¡¯t gone to look for it yet, right? When you¡¯ve rested well, you can keep that treasure chest. Don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    ¡°Senior, don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t forget.¡± Xie Qiao was quite looking forward to it, and she did not know how big the treasure chest was.


    This time, she waspleting a big task. It was okay to get more benefits.


    Of course, a part of it was used to umte good karma and to burn incense for them. Good things could not only be enjoyed by one person.


    ¡°I have many descendants. It won¡¯t be long before the gate of hell opens, right? By then, besides me, six of them will be left behind. The rest can be sent away,¡± Baili Ji said.


    Xie Qiao nodded. Those who stayed behind were naturally the most knowledgeable and capable.


    He had already thought it through. He would have to trouble Xie Qiao again.


    Firstly, it was to teach her. Secondly, it was to dictate for Xie Qiao to help record the contents of the books. It would not be a waste of his life when he was alive. ¡°Winter Clothes Day is just around the corner. If you have any wishes, I will do my best to fulfill them. If I really can¡¯t fulfill them, I will wait until the Qingming Festival next year. There is no need to be in such a rush.¡± Xie Qiao was still human.


    Although sending away the ghouls could umte good karma, she still hoped that she could do her best to let them leave without any worries.

 Chapter 1023 - 3 I Forgot

    <h4>Chapter 1023 I Forgot</h4>


    Sending away ghouls was Xie Qiao¡¯s job, so no matter how tired she was, she would notin.


    What she should do, she had to do well. The customers were tolerant, but she could not indulge herself because of their tolerance.


    Rubbing her eyes, she got up and went to get a brush and paper. She invited the Baili family members to line up and register their wishes one by one.


    Baili Ji was both happy and worried when he saw how diligent she was. There were still five days left for the Winter Clothes Festival, so she could more or less settle some wishes.


    Xie Qiao was so respectful, so the Baili family members did not casually say a wish to fool her. They all thought carefully.


    Their wishes were actually quite simple.


    Some wanted to find thest book they read before they died, hoping to finish it so that they would not keep thinking about it.


    Some of them wanted her to go to the mausoleum of the previous Emperor and scold him.


    Of course, even if they wanted to scold him, their words were polite and tactful.


    Some of them also hoped that Xie Qiao could draw a portrait of them, build a shrine, and hang their portraits in it so that all the schrs in the world could admire them.


    Unknowingly, Xie Qiao worked hard all night before she finished writing down their wishes.


    Her eyes were ck and blue. She was a little dazed. Xie Qiao scratched her hair and sniffed. In her hand, she carried a stack of wishes that were rtively easy to fulfill. When she went downstairs, Shopkeeper Chang looked at her and was scared out of his wits.


    ¡®I wonder what¡¯s wrong with our boss. She¡¯s acting like a crazy Taoist master today¡­¡¯ Shopkeeper Chang was also a little worried.


    The boss was not in good spirits!


    Xie Qiao was really anxious. After all, there were so many things to do. If she was not hard on herself, she would not be able toplete it!


    Moreover¡­ she was actually already used to this state. She had been like this since she was young. When she was running around for the ghouls, although it was bitter and tiring, her life was fine. On the contrary, the more idle she was, the less luck she would have with her, that was why her body was worse back then.


    It could also be said that she was afraid of being poor. With so many wishesing to her door, she did not dare to let any of them go. If she let any of them go, she might lose one day of her life and luck. She would rather work harder!


    Xie Qiao bought many things at the bookstore.


    She kept moving them into the carriage.


    She stood there and waited slowly. She supported her tired body and looked as if she was going to fall when the wind blew.


    At this moment, Yu Xian was wearing a vermillion peacock cloak. When she saw her standing at the entrance of the bookstore in the cold wind, she was shocked and ignored the people beside her. She rushed up with big steps and asked, ¡°Master! Why are you standing here on such a cold day?¡±


    Master¡¯s eyes were a little red¡­


    What kind of grievance did she suffer?


    ana


    Xie Qiao turned her head numbly and saw Yu Xian. She smiled and said, ¡°You look good in this.¡±


    Yu Xian looked handsome. In this vermilion suit, she looked good. She was full of righteousness, and Xie Qiao felt refreshed andfortable just by looking at her!


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Master!¡± Yu Xian was not shy at all. She looked at the things Xie Qiao had bought and said, ¡°There are so many things. Why don¡¯t you just ask them to send them to the Fortune Pavilion? Why do you have to watch them?¡±


    ¡°Right, I forgot.¡± Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Master, you are not in good spirits. What happened? If there is anything I can do, I will definitely do it!¡± Yu Xian was very worried.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just some trivial matter. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was slow. ¡°How¡­ are you doing?¡±


    She did not know if she was doing well in the Zhou Residence.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Yu Xianughed and said, ¡°In a few days, I will think of a way to go back to the Xie Residence.¡±


    As she spoke, the person who apanied Yu Xian came over, ¡°Cousin, who is this? Why is she dressed like this? She looks like a fraud. People like us better stay away from such strange people. Otherwise, if people see her, they will gossip.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s condition today was indeed below par. Her hair was a little messy. Although she stood straight and did not lose her prestige, she did not look good.


    The immoral aura on her body kept dropping.

 Chapter 1024 - Life Is So Hard

    <h4>Chapter 1024 Life Is So Hard</h4>


    Xie Qiao lowered her head slightly and smoothed her slightly wrinkled clothes.


    When she went out today, she forgot to change into a new one¡­


    She raised her arm again and sniffed. Fortunately, her body was still rtively clean and did not smell bad.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to speak, then shut up! Master is my benefactor. If you continue to spew nonsense, I¡¯ll punch you!¡± Yu Xian turned her head and shook her fist to scare her cousin.


    There was more than one person next to Yu Xian.


    The person who spoke just now was the second cousin of the Zhou family. Her name was Zhou Sijin, and beside her were the other three step sisters and cousins of Zhou Weizong.


    When they heard Yu Xian¡¯s words, they looked terrible.


    Zhou Sijin was a little upset. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. You used to know many shady people, so you didn¡¯t return to the Zhou Residence and let grandmother worry for you. Now that you¡¯re in our family, you naturally have to abide by the rules!¡±


    In reality, Xie Qiao did not really listen to her.


    The wind blew until her head hurt.


    Her ears buzzed.


    As soon as Zhou Sijin finished speaking, Xie Qiao¡¯s legs gave way and she fainted. Yu Xian was quick, which she immediately pulled her into her arms.


    Then, she red angrily at Zhou Sijin. ¡°You shrew, you¡¯ve angered Master that she fainted. If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll definitely chop you up alive!¡±


    With that, she carried Xie Qiao in her arms and asked the attendant to send Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage and things to the Fortune Pavilion. She then carried Xie Qiao to her own carriage and asked the coachman to bring her to the medical hall immediately.


    Xie Qiao was always fainting. Back then, in the vige at the foot of Water Moon Temple, she would faint several times a day and was often sent to the medical hall.


    It was just that over the past year, her body had gotten much better.


    She had been a little tired just now, but she had not expected that she would not be able to take


    it.


    Yu Xian was badly frightened and felt that the master was very weak and pitiful. Thinking that the members of the Xie family seemed to be very familiar with the master, she called someone over to the criminal division and asked Xie Pinggang toe over and make a decision.


    On the other hand, Zhou Sijin was so angry that her face turned red. ¡°Ugh! She is so rude! I was clearly trying to persuade her to care about her reputation out of goodwill, but she actually insulted me?! You all heard it. She was the one who bullied me first, right?! Who does she think she is? She¡¯s said to be a cousin, but she¡¯s just an orphan that no one wants. If my Zhou family treats her a little more courteously, does she really think that she¡¯s the eldest daughter of a wealthy family?!¡±


    ¡°Third Sister, don¡¯t be angry. I see that Cousin is nervous. Perhaps this Taoist master is really very important?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a Taoist master, what¡¯s so special about her?!¡± Zhou Sijin was very angry. She thought for a moment and then spat again, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look. I want to ask which nobledy this Taoist master is, to be able to make her disregard her kinship!¡±


    Zhou Sijin stomped her feet and immediately got on the carriage, following Yu Xian.


    The carriage ran all the way and soon arrived at the medical hall.


    After the doctor¡¯s diagnosis and treatment, he frowned so much that he could squeeze a fly to death. ¡°This Taoist master¡¯s body is very weak. She doesn¡¯t have enough energy. She has been weak since she was born¡­ I¡¯m afraid she must have overworked herself, which is why she fainted. I have no way to treat this illness. However, after resting for a while, she should be able to wake up on her own.¡±


    The doctor shook his head.


    ¡°Weak since birth?¡± Yu Xian frowned. ¡°Is this illness¡­mon?¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few cases, but not many that are this serious,¡± the doctor said.


    It was unknown how this Taoist master had lived to this age.


    Yu Xian looked at the Taoist master and muttered to herself, ¡°What kind of strange coincidence is this? The youngdy of the Xie family that I like has a weak body. I heard that she¡¯s also been weak since birth. She wheezes every three steps she takes and coughs every five steps she takes. It¡¯s very pitiful. I didn¡¯t expect the master to be like this too¡­ Sigh, so it turns out that everyone else¡¯s life is so hard¡­¡±

 Chapter 1025 - Fake?

    <h4>Chapter 1025 Fake?</h4>


    Xie Qiao was lying on the bed in the medicine hall. It was extremely quiet. Yu Xian muttered to herself and did not forget to take a few more nces at her.


    When she took a look, she felt that something was strange. Master¡¯s ears were really round, fair and clean. She was really good-looking¡­


    However, her face was also not bad. She was just a little older, but if she could be as good-looking as master when she reached his age, she would be very satisfied!


    Yu Xian stared at her and saw that there seemed to be something dirty on her face.


    She was not sure, but she felt that the part of her chin was a little darker than her neck, like the color of her skin, but it also seemed to be stained with something dirty. She did not want to offend her, so she hesitated for a while and still felt a little ufortable looking at her. Then, she took out a handkerchief from her embrace and wiped the spot where the master¡¯s chin was.


    After wiping it a few times, the dark color was indeed gone. What reced it was a small piece of fair skin, which was even smoother than the one on her neck?


    Yu Xian took back her handkerchief and was a little dumbfounded. Master¡¯s face¡­ What was going on?


    Her chin was wiped clean, but why did it look¡­ Rather, her entire face seemed¡­ dirty?!


    Yu Xian was not a fool. She recalled how she hade to the capital from Dong¡¯an. Even though she practiced martial arts, she was still a woman. It was difficult for her to fight against four hands with two fists. For the sake of her safety, she had smeared her face dark and dirty along the way, and she had even disguised herself as a man¡­


    <b>ne</b>


    Could it be that the master was the same? Was her face fake to deceive others?!


    Yu Xian was nervous. Subconsciously, she wanted to see the master¡¯s true appearance, but her hand dropped again.


    This was master¡¯s secret.


    If she exposed her, would she not be a viin? Yu Xian withdrew her curiosity and let the master rest here.


    The doctor said that this person fainted from overwork, so it was not a good time to disturb her rest.


    As for the master¡¯s face¡­ Yu Xian was also worried that others would think too much of it. She pondered for a moment, then went to the back of the medicine hall to find some pot ash and smeared it there.


    Her abilities were limited, so the appearance she smeared was not great. It was as if she had grown a stubble. Fortunately, the master¡¯s face was not ugly to begin with. Even after smearing the pot ash, she still looked alright.


    In the blink of an eye, Zhou Sijin and the others had arrived.


    They directly barged into the inner hall and said angrily, ¡°Cousin, I think this Taoist master fainted strangely. I¡¯m afraid she has no good intentions and wants to stay in our house, right?¡±


    She did not say anything over the line just now, but this person actually fainted. Looking at the torn clothes she was wearing, it was most likely that she wanted money.


    Yu Xian did not expect that her cousin from the Zhou family would actuallye after her. She was extremely annoyed.


    ¡°Master is my friend. Cousin, you should be more respectful when you speak. I can apologize to master on your behalf for the matter of you insulting her just now. I won¡¯t hold it against you. However, if you are still insensible, I will have to ask Grandmother Zhouter where you learned the rules?¡± Yu Xian said unhappily. ¡°You still think I¡¯m insensible?¡± Zhou Sijinughed in anger. The person who was insensible in this world was probably Yu Xian!


    She clearly had rtives in the capital and did not know how to seek refuge with them, yet she went to the Xie family and worked as a ve. She even asked the Xie family to send gifts to their Zhou Residence. Was this not clearly telling others that the Xie family treated her better than the Zhou family?!


    Although the Xie family did note from a high status, they had a Princess Consort. They could only swallow their anger.


    After Yu Xian returned to the Zhou Residence, her grandmother initially wanted to talk to her about her marriage in Dong¡¯an.


    However, before she could open her mouth, Yu Xian smashed the table.

 Chapter 1026 - Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 1026 Dilemma</h4>


    At that time, Yu Xian was furious and scolded her future husband¡¯s family in front of her grandmother!


    She said that they were shameless and used money to trick her grandparents and uncles. She also said that the family was ruthless and was a gangster in Dong¡¯an. Even if she were to shave her head to be a nun, she would not marry that person. She was powerful with her words. She only scolded the future husband¡¯s family, but anyone who heard it would think that her grandparents and uncles of the Yu family were greedy and ungrateful. It was fine that she scolded the Yu family, but she changed her tone and said that the Zhou family was kind and amiable. They must have asked her toe back to make a decision for her, right? It was pitiful that before her grandmother could speak, Yu Xian had already praised her like she was a kind bodhisattva. It was really infuriating!


    That was not the most annoying thing.


    Even her grandmother did not expect that Yu Xian would actually sign a contract with the Xie family.


    At the moment, they were in a dilemma.


    Since she had already started working for the Xie family, if she did not hand her over to Dong¡¯an, Dong¡¯an would definitely not be on good terms with them in the future. If anything happened, they might have topensate her. However, if she handed her over¡­ She would have topensate the Xie family with 50,000 taels of silver!


    Yu Xian was initially only the niece of the first madam of the house. For this person, it was not worth it to spend this much money¡­


    In short, it was really a mistake to bring her back to the Zhou Residence. Now, the grandmother was still ming her. She felt that she had talked too much and told them about Yu Xian¡¯s whereabouts. If the family had not known about it, they would not have gotten into this troublesome matter that would harm themselves.


    Zhou Sijin was upset.


    How could she have known that Yu Xian was so annoying?


    So now, when she looked at Yu Xian, she really did not like her no matter how she looked at her. She also wished that everyone in the world would know how thick-skinned and shameless she was!


    ¡°Cousin Yu, this kind of swindler is really good at deceiving people. I¡¯m doing this for your own good. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask someone else. For an unmarrieddy like you to stay with such a Taoist master who wanders the streets, is that right?!¡± Zhou Sijin said righteously, ¡°The elders asked me to take care of you. How can I watch you act recklessly and ruin my reputation?¡±


    When Yu Xian heard that, she scratched her head in worry.


    Why did this cousin not understand humannguage?


    However, on ount of this cousin¡¯s young age, it was really not appropriate for her to take action. She could only hold back her temper and say, ¡°Master is not one of those swindlers. Cousin, don¡¯t worry. Although I¡¯m a guest in the Zhou family, I¡¯m only a guest. Cousin doesn¡¯t need to use your family¡¯s rules to demand of me. Otherwise, I think I¡¯d better leave today. I won¡¯t be a nuisance to your family.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou Sijin¡¯s eyes widened in anger.


    She also wanted Yu Xian to get lost!


    However, the truth was that she could not!


    Yu Xian had only been a guest of the Zhou family for a short period of time. How could she seriously invite her into the family and let her leave in just a few days? If words got out, what kind of a family would the Zhou family be?!


    However, she could not win against Yu Xian.


    After all, Yu Xian was a guest. With her status, she could not say anything.


    Nevertheless, it was impossible for her to do nothing


    She looked at the Taoist master who was sleeping, she simply sat down and said, ¡°Since Cousin insists on saving this Taoist master, I will stay here and apany her. I have to see which Taoist temple this master belongs to, whether she is an expert or a street-wandering fraud.¡±


    She was kind-hearted and refused to leave.


    Yu Xian was lucky to be able to curry favor with the Xie family! However, how could a person¡¯s luck be endless? How long had she been in the capital? The so-called master in front of her was in dire straits!


    Zhou Sijin did see Xie Qiao at the entrance of the bookstore, but she did not believe that she bought the cart of things with her own money.

 Chapter 1027 - Distant Relatives

    Chapter 1027 Distant Rtives


    It was also because Xie Qiao was really not in good spirits today.


    Her clothes did not have many patterns, and she did not wear a good-looking hairpin on her head, which made her look shabby.


    Yesterday, Xie Qiao had gone to the suburbs to dig up bones, and her shoes were also stained with some dirt. After working all night, she did not change her shoes.


    Unlike Young Lady Zhou and the others, whose feet were not stained with dirt.


    Yu Xian did not want to talk to her.


    Xie Qiao fainted, but she did not sleep for long. In less than an hour, she woke up while rubbing her head.


    When she saw Yu Xian, she was still a little dazed. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Master, have you forgotten? You saw me before you fainted.¡± Yu Xian stared at her nervously, ¡°How do you feel now? Master, you really are not well. Why were you out alone? You should bring a young Taoist with you. Otherwise, what if you faint again on the way?¡±


    ¡°This penniless master¡¯s body is much better now. It¡¯s probably because I¡¯ve been too tired recently. I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern.¡± Xie Qiao knew her current status, so she was very polite.


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Zhou Sijin smiled sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at pretending.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Xie Qiao looked at her and had an impression of her.


    It was not the impression she had before she fainted, but when she had seen this youngdy with the princess of the Prince Yong Lin¡¯s Residence in the past. At that time, this youngdy looked like ackey.


    She was not familiar with her either. She did not know what she did to be so agitated.


    ¡°This is my cousin¡¯s younger cousin, a distant rtive,¡± Yu Xian said bluntly.


    Zhou Sijin red at Yu Xian. She did not know what was good for her. Their Zhou family had a noble title! Yu Xian¡¯s parents were gone, and she said this as if their Zhou family would not let go of the Yu family!


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she only nodded. ¡°Sorry to trouble you today, but I¡¯m much better now and my body is fine. I won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still shameless,¡± Zhou Sijin said sarcastically.


    Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, Yu Xian immediately scolded her back. ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. I¡¯ve chased you away so many times, but you still have the cheek to stay here. Those who don¡¯t know better would think that you mom is lying on the bed!¡±


    Xie Qiao turned around to look at her, then she nodded seriously, ¡°That¡¯s not right. I wouldn¡¯t have given birth to such a shameless youngdy. Don¡¯t insult me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Master. I was angry and spouted nonsense,¡± Yu Xian hurriedly replied in embarrassment.


    In reality, she did not want to target this cousin of the Zhou family.


    After all, she was ady younger than she was, and they were rtives. They had to leave some face between each other. It was not good to go overboard, but this cousin was really a little annoying


    She was a bbermouth. It was one thing for her to tell the old madam of the Zhou family about her, but within the Zhou family, she was also a shrewd person.


    When an ordinary matter came to this cousin, she would twist it many times. It was truly unpleasant!


    Today, she had even offended her a few times.


    Zhou Sijin had never been scolded like this before, and her eyes turned red on the spot.


    She immediately cried, tears flowed down her cheeks. ¡°Cousin Yu, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. How can you bully me like this? For such an unimportant fraud, you actually insulted me. How can you be so rude to your deceased parents?!¡±


    There were many patients in the medicine hall as well.


    Although Yu Xian had asked for a ¡°single bed¡±, in reality, there was only a screen between them. If there was anymotion, the people nearby could hear it clearly.

 Chapter 1028 - He’s Angry

    <h4>Chapter 1028 He¡¯s Angry</h4>


    There were also murmurs and discussions outside, as if they were very curious about what was going on inside.


    Yu Xian felt that she had let down the master.


    She was already in poor health, and she was even cursed for no reason! ¡°You¡¯re like a bitter old woman. I really hate you. I know that your Zhou family is in trouble, that¡¯s why I¡¯m not willing to go back.¡± Yu Xian said in annoyance, ¡°Get lost quickly. Don¡¯t let me see you, okay?!¡±


    She was really afraid that she could not hold it in anymore and would start hitting her!


    ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re going too far!¡± Zhou Sijin suddenly stood up and sobbed. She held her skirt and ran out. After running for a few steps, she turned back. ¡°You came to the capital alone, and my family was kind enough to take you in. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not grateful, but you¡¯ve insulted me many times. When I go back, I¡¯ll definitely tell grandmother that it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t go by the family rules, and you still associate with people who are indecent!¡±


    With that, she ran off.


    ¡°Does she think that I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s trying to say?¡± Yu Xian pointed outside, sighed, and shook her head.


    She insisted on going outside and shouted.


    Even if she cried, it was fake. How would she be afraid of such a threat?


    Even if what Zhou Sijin said was true, she, Yu Xian, was only an orphan. Her parents were no longer around, so what was there to be afraid of? She only gave face to the Zhou family because her aunt was the first madam of the Zhou family. Otherwise, she would ignore them!


    Xie Qiao looked at Yu Xian sympathetically.


    She tidied up her clothes and was ready to leave.


    However, before she stood up, someone barged in from outside.


    Xie Qiao saw Zhao Xuanjing. He had a cold face, he looked serious and scary. Then, Xie Pinggang also came. He looked menacing and scary. Yu Xian¡¯s cousin, Zhou Weizong, also came, his expression looked much more innocent.


    ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Xie Qiao was a little shocked. ¡°The news spread a little too fast¡­¡±


    ¡°I sent someone to look for Brother Xie,¡± Yu Xian quickly imed the credit. ¡°I was really scared by Master¡¯s situation just now. I don¡¯t know anyone else, so I asked Brother Xie to make the decision.¡±


    To put it more bluntly¡­


    It meant that if master died on the way, she could ask Xie Pinggang toe over and help dispose of the body.


    Of course, she would not say that out loud.


    ¡°Master, are you okay? The messenger said that you were lying on the street, unconscious, as if you were going to die¡­¡± Xie Pinggang heaved a sigh of relief.


    When he heard that, he wanted toe immediately, but thinking that master was His Highness¡¯ senior sister, he quickly went to look for His Highness, so he was dyed significantly on the way.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face was gloomy, and he did not say anything. For some reason, Xie Qiao was a little flustered.


    He was angry?


    Why was he angry?


    ¡°It¡¯s just a tiny problem. It¡¯ll be fine in the blink of an eye¡­¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was gentle, and she tried her best not to provoke him.


    However, to Zhao Xuanjing, what she said was looking for trouble.


    With a cold face, he restrained his emotions and wanted to pack Xie Qiao up and carry her away, but when he saw the gray thing on her chin, he stopped and held it in. ¡°Senior Sister didn¡¯t have a good restst night?¡±


    Xie Qiao buried her head slightly and looked at Xie Pinggang as if she was asking for help.


    ¡°Master, why are you looking at me? I didn¡¯t stay with you yesterday!¡± Xie Pinggang replied straightforwardly. ¡°I can¡¯t help you fool anyone as I¡¯m not a woman!¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Teacher is old, and he cares about Senior Sister the most. If anything happens to you, what will he do? You have a teacher to show respect to and a niece like Young Lady Xie to take care of, yet you still act so willfully. I think you are not seeking to survive but seeking death!¡± Zhao Xuanjing gritted his teeth. He was a little angry and a little heartbroken, but he could not bear to scold her. He could only lower his voice and suppress his anger.

 Chapter 1029 - Are You a Fool

    Chapter 1029 Are You a Fool


    Zhao Xuanjing exuded an intimidating aura. The moment his temper red up, Xie Pinggang took a step back to avoid being hurt.


    Yu Xian looked at Xie Pinggang and suddenly understood that this person could not be provoked.


    Rubbing her nose, she stood up awkwardly and squeezed between Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong.


    Xie Qiao felt a little helpless.


    Was her brother and Master Yu¡¯s reaction a little too realistic?!


    They went through quite many things together, but now they were actually watching her being scolded alone?


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Junior Brother, you¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing. Look, I¡¯ve only fainted for a while, and I got better immediately. My spirit is a hundred times stronger, and I don¡¯t feel any difort at all.¡± Xie Qiao straightened her neck, she disyed her prestige as a senior sister.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m meddling in your business?¡± When Zhao Xuanjing heard that, his instincts told him that he was being thrown into a pot to be cooked.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Xie Qiao was not an ingrate. Seeing how angry he was, she immediately said, ¡°Your Highness, Why are you so angry? This lowly Taoist master doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her. Don¡¯t be upset. It¡¯s also because I¡¯ve been very busy recently and did not have time to rest. But after hearing your reminder, Junior Brother, I understood now. I won¡¯t do anything else today. When I go back, I¡¯ll sleep for 12 hours...¡±


    She was just used to being busy.


    When she was at the Water Moon Temple, although the old man was controlling her, he let her do as she pleased. His temper was not as bad as hers, and in addition, her body was special. Every time she fainted, she would be able to endure it. The more times she fainted, the less the old man cared.


    However, the Crown Prince was too fierce.


    She was the senior sister. She was embarrassed in front of so many people. He deserved to be beaten up.


    ¡°No, I think you are scolding me secretly,¡± Zhao Xuanjing observed her eyes and said carefully.


    ¡°I swear to God! If I scold you, I will never get married.¡± Xie Qiao raised her hand and was quite ruthless to herself.


    When Xie Pinggang heard that, he was amused. ¡°Master, you are already so old. You can¡¯t marry anyway...¡± Yu Xian stretched out her hand and nudged Xie Pinggang¡¯s waist. ¡°Brother Xie, are you a fool?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth. His Highness is not a fool. Even if I believe these words, His Highness won¡¯t believe it either, right? Moreover, His Highness is doing this for the good of Master. Master Yu, you don¡¯t know that the people from the Water Moon Temple, no matter their age, have poor bodies. How can they joke about their bodies?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s a master. If my sister dares to work hard day and night, I¡¯ll definitely chop off her legs! She can die of illness, but if she dies of exhaustion... I still want my dignity. If word gets out and people will think that I¡¯m a good-for-nothing who can¡¯t even afford to raise a sister, I¡¯ll exhaust her until she dies!¡± Xie Pinggang put himself in his shoes and thought for a moment. ¡°You see, His Highness is also her junior brother. With the master acting like this, it¡¯s obvious that he doesn¡¯t take His Highness, the junior brother, seriously...¡±


    Xie Qiao wanted to shut Xie Pinggang¡¯s mouth immediately!


    The Crown Prince smiled faintly and said, ¡°You heard it too. Minister Xie isn¡¯t wrong. Could it be that all five of your junior brothers are useless?¡±


    Xie Qiao felt that she did not look like a senior sister now, but more like a loser.


    ¡°Yes, you are right. If I have something to do next time, I should call you guys out to run errands for me.¡± Xie Qiao did not refute and just said honestly.


    She wanted to order these junior brothers around, but she was embarrassed. The junior brothers were all schrs, and Xiao Yurong and Sang You were both teachers. They had to teach students on a daily basis. How could she trouble them with such a small matter...

 Chapter 1030 - A Hero’s Sacrifice

    Chapter 1030 A Hero¡¯s Sacrifice


    However, now, whatever the Crown Prince said was true. Xie Qiao did not have the ability or courage to refute.


    It was all her teacher¡¯s fault for his poor judgement. Why did he take in such a difficult disciple?


    How was he a junior brother? He was practically a bully! Xie Qiao sniffed and rubbed her head. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately held back his anger. He did not know whether to scold her or not. He stared at her for a long time, but he did not dare to bet whether she was really dizzy. He could only helplessly swallow his anger, he turned to look at Xie Pinggang. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and call the doctor.¡±


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He should not bully people like that.


    He went to call the doctor slowly and fiercely. Then, he leaned in front of Zhou Weizong and muttered, ¡°Your Crown Prince can¡¯t do anything to the master, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it too...¡± Zhou Weizong had always been very sensible. He firmly refused to say anything he should not have. In his opinion, His Highness should be fuming in his heart now.


    His Highness had never been a good-natured person. All the people who had offended him in the imperial court had been thoroughly exposed. Those who had done illegal and bad things did not have a good ending.


    However, now, he had forcefully restrained his desire to scold someone...


    It was quite rare.


    No one knew what was going through Xie Pinggang¡¯s mind. Not long after, the doctor arrived.


    While the doctor was checking the master¡¯s pulse, Xie Pinggang moved in front of Zhao Xuanjing. He said especially respectfully, ¡°Sigh, the master is a woman after all, and her health is not good. It¡¯s only right to give way. My younger sister is also like this. She¡¯s so angry that no one can do anything about it. However, Your Highness, don¡¯t hold back your anger in the future. If my younger sister makes you angry, don¡¯t scold her and beat her up. I have tough skin and thick flesh. It¡¯s the same if you punish me... I don¡¯t care at all...¡±


    Yu Xian and Zhou Weizong heard what he said.


    They felt that it was a hero¡¯s sacrifice. His Highness was already in a fit of anger. This stupid bear even came to remind the Crown Prince to let Young Lady Xie have her way in the future...


    It was not easy for His Highness. How could he have such a stupid brother-inw? However, Zhou Weizong felt helpless in his heart. On second thought, he felt that this brother-inw might not be really stupid.


    Looking at how His Highness treated the master, he seemed to be a little too nervous and concerned. Xie Pinggang mentioned Half-immortal Xie because, firstly, it would remind His Highness that his future wife was someone else. Secondly, even if His Highness did not care about Half-immortal Xie, when he saw how weak she was in the future, he would think of the master. He might even love her and be lenient. Zhou Weizong did not know if he was thinking too much.


    He had been secretly looking at Xie Pinggang.


    Thinking about Xie Pinggang...


    He had been by His Highness¡¯ side for so long, but he had never offended His Highness¡¯ bottom line. He did things that no one could find fault with...


    Was It... a coincidence, or was he born intelligent?


    Zhou Weizong had been peeking too much, and he found that his cousin¡¯s eyes were flirty.


    She was also staring at Xie Pinggang!


    His heart skipped a beat.


    He inched closer. ¡°Cousin, if you don¡¯t have anything to do, you can go back first... And aren¡¯t you out with your cousins today? Are they waiting for you at some shop?¡±


    Yu Xian was stunned. ¡°En? Oh, I don¡¯t have anything to do, that¡¯s why I have to stay here! My cousins and I just had a fight, and I don¡¯t want to see them. Cousin, I¡¯ll stay at the Xie Residence tonight, okay?¡±


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s heart turned cold.


    Xie Pinggang! What charm did he cast on his cousin?!

 Chapter 1031 - Love Stumbles One’s Heart

    <h4>Chapter 1031 Love Stumbles One¡¯s Heart</h4>


    Zhou Weizong was so upset that he wanted to fight with Xie Pinggang. Little did he know that at this moment, Yu Xian was thinking about what Xie Pinggang had said just now.


    Master¡­ and Young Lady Xie had too many simrities!


    Their bodies were weak, and they came from the same Taoist temple, yet they seemed to be able to understand yin and yang!


    She had lived in the Xie Residence for a long time and had often chatted with Xie Pinggang about his siblings. Therefore, she knew a lot about Young Lady Xie¡¯s habits and abilities. Thinking about it carefully¡­


    Some time ago, she heard that the master had gone to Mengjiabao. However, Young Lady Xie was not at home at that time. She said that she had gone to the Fortune Pavilion to recuperate.


    However, it was not to the extent of not being able to see anyone while recuperating, right?


    Master¡¯s face was fake¡­


    Could it be¡­ could it be¡­ Yu Xian had a feeling that an answer was on the tip of her tongue!


    However, she could not believe it!


    After all, there was still the Crown Prince among them!


    His Highness was close to master and was also Young Lady Xie¡¯s future husband. If the two of them were the same person, did His Highness know about it?! If he did not know, then how did master split herself into two to fool people?!


    Yu Xian was both excited and a little nervous.


    However, she really did not dare to say much. After all, people who knew too much would not end up well. The secrets of others must be kept confidential and must not be exposed. She could not even let that person know that she already knew, otherwise, she would be feared and hated for no reason!


    She knew the rules.


    However, this matter was too shocking for her. It was as if there were a hundred ants scratching her heart, and her whole body was itchy!


    Yu Xian could not hold it in any longer. She looked at Xie Qiao, then at the Crown Prince, and then at Xie Pinggang, who was standing next to her in a daze. Her eyes were filled with resentment, excitement and irritation. She became a little listless, what she was feeling was veryplicated.


    Zhou Weizong realized that his cousin looked like she was stimted.


    He did not know why.


    She was twitching and listless.


    The doctor treated Xie Qiao, and it was not much different from before. As for the headache¡­ The doctor did not dare to say that it was fake. He just said that her body was too weak to be stimted.


    That instantly made Zhao Xuanjing rest his strength. If he met Xie Qiao again, he would lose his temper.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have scolded you. It¡¯s just that your health iscking. You should pay more attention in the future. If you have anything that is not important in the future, just get someone to do it. Whether it¡¯s Sang You or Jiang Jinlu, if they dare to disobey, I will call the shots for you.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was like the sunshine on a snowy day. It was cold and gentle.


    Xie Qiao did not dare to meet his eyes. She only nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    She felt more and more guilty. Indeed, the kindness of people in the world was the most important and also the most frustrating.


    ¡°What else do you want to do? If you¡¯re worried, I¡¯ll personally handle it for you. You can only go back and rest now,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added. After thinking for a moment, he was afraid that she would ignore what he said when she returned to the Fortune Pavilion, so he added, ¡°Go to the Royal Academy, I¡¯ll send someone to tell teacher to keep an eye on you.¡±


    Xie Qiao knew that she was doomed.


    She did not dare to provoke Zhao Xuanjing, but teacher¡­ even more so.


    A teacher was like a father, and she did not dare to offend him.


    It was fine with that old man Mo Lingzi. He was initially an arrogant person who did not care about trifles. In front of him, it was easy for her to talk back. However, Li Shiyan was different. He was steady, old, and upright. In her teacher¡¯s heart, she had always been obedient and sensible. She could not destroy this good impression herself.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow what you said.¡± Xie Qiao was like a kite that fell from the sky. She did not fight to fly anymore.

 Chapter 1032 - Treat Her Better

    Chapter 1032 Treat Her Better


    Before she left for the academy, Xie Qiao did not forget to entrust the task to Zhao xuanjing.


    It was indeed not a difficult task. Zhao Xuanjing looked at her list and felt helpless.


    Why did she have to personally run errands for such a small matter? However... thinking about the scene where she went to dig up the bones, he was not surprised.


    She had always been serious when dealing with the ghouls. Perhaps she felt that it was more sincere to do it personally so that the ghouls would feelfortable. That way, the ghouls would be able to leave more easily.


    Xie Qiao boarded the carriage and was sent to the Royal Academy by Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s guards.


    Yu Xian could not stay any longer and took her leave obediently. However, she was not in a hurry to go to the Xie Residence. Instead, she went to look for Feng Yingying. She did not dare to tell Feng Yingying about the master¡¯s matter, but she urgently needed someone to talk to and chat with her to ease the excitement in her heart.


    Zhao Xuanjing sat in the carriage while Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong rode on horses.


    The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder. Zhou Weizong hesitated for a long time before asking, ¡°What do you think of my cousin?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Xie Pinggang red at him, ¡°What? You just realized how good your cousin is and you want topete with me for her as the martial arts master?! Let me tell you, there¡¯s no way. I signed a five-year contract with her. For the next five years, she¡¯s mine!¡±


    Zhou Weizong was so angry that his face turned red. ¡°Shameless!¡±


    ¡°What? Anyway, whoever fights with me for the master is my enemy. Even if I peel off his face and use it as a weapon, I will still beat him far away. Brother Zhou, you have to be more open-minded. The person who falls into my hands is mine. Do you want to take her away? Unless you are my father!¡±


    ¡°If I were your father...¡± I would have strangled you to death when you were born!


    How infuriating!


    ¡°If my father stole my things, he would have to suffer a sh from me!¡± Xie Pinggang smiled elegantly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you be my sister? She will fall when the wind blows. She is soft and weak. I can¡¯t do anything to her!¡±


    ¡°Then let me ask you, if a bandit kidnaps your cousin and your sister one day, who will you save?!¡±


    He suspected that Xie Pinggang had done something unspeakable to his cousin!


    Otherwise, how would he call her ¡°his¡±?


    Also, the look in his cousin¡¯s eyes was really... deep. With one look, it was obvious that there must be something fishy between the two!


    Poor cousin!


    ¡°What kind of madness do you have today? I am a bandit. Who dares to capture my family in front of me?¡± Xie Pinggang looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that all the other bandits in the world are scared out of their wits when they hear the name of my Xie family?¡±


    They were the pioneers of bandits!


    ¡°I mean if!¡± Zhou Weizong tried his best to behave.


    He did not want to argue with this man!


    ¡°You¡¯re dawdling like a woman.¡± Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°If both of them are captured... Do I need to think about it? I¡¯ll definitely save my sister!¡±


    ¡°Why?! My cousin is not important anymore?!¡± Zhou Weizong was angry. Xie Pinggang looked at him with a strange and disdainful gaze. ¡°My sister is weak. She can¡¯t run, jump, or hop. She¡¯s as beautiful as an immortal. How can she be good in the hands of bandits? If I can save her, I¡¯ll definitely save her first, right? Master Yu is fierce and powerful. Her ability is not inferior to mine. She can definitely save herself! She is not a good-for-nothing!


    ¡°Besides, have you forgotten that my sister will marry into the imperial family in the future? If I don¡¯t save her and save the master, the master would have to die even if she survived.¡± Zhou Weizong heard this and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yes, he had almost forgotten that Young Lady Xie was the future Princess Consort. As a subject, one had to make some sacrifices...


    ¡°Then you should treat my cousin better in the future.¡± It was a pity that his cousin followed this stupid bear who could not even lie!

 Chapter 1033 - Selfish

    <h4>Chapter 1033 Selfish</h4>


    Zhou Weizong¡¯s voice was full of bitterness.


    Xie Pinggang did not understand either. He just felt that Zhou Weizong was a fool. He was delirious today, so there was no point in saying these meaningless words to him!


    With Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s help, Xie Qiao did not have to worry too much. After she went back, she paid a visit to her teacher and obediently went back to rest.


    The next day, Xie Qiao found that he had indeed bought all the things that she needed.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here today, let¡¯s seize the opportunity and for gather the children and test their abilities to see how they are doing.¡± Li Shiyan also learned from the Crown Prince that his good disciple had been very busy ever since she returned from Mengjiabao. She did not have time to rest, and his heart ached very much. He took this opportunity to let her rx a little.


    Coincidentally, Xie Qiao also had something to say to her teacher.


    At this time, it was still early, and her junior brothers were not around. ¡°Teacher is right, Junior Brother Xiao has taken in two disciples, and they¡¯re both¡­ not bad. They should be taught more and acknowledge their masters,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    Li Shiyan took a sip of his tea and acted like an old immortal. ¡°I heard that your younger brother is a rascal? I¡¯ve heard a few things from others during my time here. They say that the child is mischievous and insensible. Since it¡¯s so difficult to take care of him, why did you hand him over to your Junior Brother Xiao? He¡¯s the most old-fashioned. I¡¯m afraid that the master and disciple won¡¯t get along?¡±


    He also knew that Xie Qiao¡¯s health was not good, so she was not suitable to take in disciples.


    Fortunately, she was young. If she could recover in the future, it would not be toote to take in a few more.


    Li Shiyan had already given Xie Qiao face and did not say that Xie Pinghuai was a little bandit.


    The rumors that he had heard were much worse than what he had said.


    Among them, the most popr one was this child, Xie Pinghuai¡­ was lustful. If he was an ordinary lustful person, it would be understandable. However, it was said that this person had gone to the brothel at such a young age and had been thrown out by the procuress¡­


    It was not a glorious thing to go through, and he would never be able to wash himself clean again.


    ¡°Sigh. I am not satisfied with the two disciples that Yurong took in.¡± Li Shiyan sighed. ¡°But I have epted both of them. It¡¯s not good to chase them out of the sect unless they have made a big mistake.¡± ¡°Both of them have made mistakes, but if they repent, please let them off this time, Teacher.¡± Xie Qiao was embarrassed. After all, she had to go through a backdoor to get her brother to be Xiao Yurong¡¯s disciple.


    Xiao Yurong had two disciples. The eldest disciple was Chu Jian.


    He could not have entered the sect either, but Xie Pinghuai had lost the white jade and Chu Jian had taken it. It could be said that they were fated.


    It was improper how Chu Jian obtained the white jade, and Xiao Yurong was a person who respected his teacher and respected the dao. Naturally, he would exin the whole story to his teacher.


    Whether it was Xie Pinghuai who had lost the jade or Chu Jian who had gotten the jade, his teacher would definitely not like it.


    Not to mention his teacher, even Xiao Yurong had spent a lot of time epting these two disciples.


    ¡°It¡¯s also because my teacher and junior brother dote on me. Otherwise, it would be difficult for that little brat of mine to even receive a few pointers, let alone be a disciple.¡± Xie Qiao quickly refilled her teacher¡¯s cup of tea. She sincerely said, ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just taking in a disciple. Your junior brother won¡¯t feel wronged.¡± Li Shiyan¡¯s tone immediately changed. ¡°It¡¯s also fortunate that you interfered. Otherwise, I still wouldn¡¯t have a grand-disciple! The other few rascals only care about their own advancement and don¡¯t know how to teach the younger generation. They¡¯re all selfish and aren¡¯t good people!¡±


    Xie Qiao rubbed the tip of her nose and chuckled.


    It really was not her who snitched to her teacher¡­

 Chapter 1034 - Old Senior

    <h4>Chapter 1034 Old Senior</h4>


    Li Shiyan could not bear to see Xie Qiao ming herself and holding back. She was a poor child to begin with. It was already very hard for her to be in poor health. How could she bear such a trivial matter?


    ¡°They are just two grand-disciples. Just ept them. If there is a problem, teach them well. If they are not taught well, it¡¯s your junior brother who is useless. Punish him as well.¡± Li Shiyan thought for a moment and said, ¡°In that case, if my sect only has good children who are eager to learn, no one will be able to disgrace my sect. My name will be more and more famous, but it also makes me look hypocritical. As the saying goes, there¡¯s no discrimination in teaching. If any kind of child cane to my sect and be good, that¡¯s what I and your junior brothers are capable of.


    ¡°They¡¯re all young children. Although their personalities are fixed, their character can still be changed. It¡¯s good to ept them.¡± Li Shiyan added.


    ¡°Teacher is forgiving.¡± Xie Qiao immediately ttered him. After saying that, Xie Qiao said mysteriously, ¡°Teacher, do you know who I have seen recently?¡±


    Seeing her excited face, Li Shiyan could not help butugh. ¡°Alive or dead?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡± Xie Qiao sat up straight.


    ¡°To be able to make you so happy and speciallye to show off in front of me, it must be a long-dead schr, right? This person¡¯s reputation is probably great, but I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s from the current dynasty or the previous dynasty¡­¡± Li Shiyan could not guess.


    If it was a living person, there were not many famous schrs in the current dynast. He could still guess it.


    However, if it was a dead person, then the range would be huge. Xie Qiao did not keep him in suspense. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve seen many ghouls left in the world by the Baili family of the previous dynasty. There are many of them, and the most famous ones are also here. The most important one is an old ancestor of the Baili family, Baili Ji. I¡¯ve talked to him a lot!¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, Li Shiyan¡¯s hand that was holding the teacup trembled. ¡°Who?!¡±


    ¡°Baili Ji!¡± Xie Qiao was very satisfied with her teacher¡¯s reaction.


    Although her teacher¡¯s talent might not be inferior to Baili Ji, the era was different. Baili Ji was an old senior. Not only that, Baili Ji¡¯s ¡°representative work¡± was one of the reasons that caused the dynasty to change!


    This person was bound to be a legend.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually that old senior!¡± Li Shiyan was so excited that his face was flushed with yearning. ¡°Is he as powerful as the rumors say?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been busy with other things recently and didn¡¯t chat with him about calligraphy and poetry. However, he said that he would spend some time to teach me. If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll help him select some students to give pointers to,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯m old, and I don¡¯t have enough energy, so there are only a few of you as disciples. However, over the years, I¡¯ve seen many talented people. If their character is suitable, he can guide them. Even if he wants to ept disciples, he can ept as many as they want!¡±


    However, all the Baili family members were dead.


    They could not ept disciples in the name of the Baili family. ¡°But your health iscking, I¡¯m afraid your energy is not as good as mine.¡± Li Shiyan was a little worried.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush in this matter.¡± Xie Qiao smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in the future. Perhaps Senior Baili has his own ideas about epting a disciple? In a few days, we¡¯ll let him choose for himself.¡±


    Although the Baili family was gone, the family must have had some good friends in the past. Even if they had nothing to do with the Baili family as time had gone by, there was still the friendship from the past. Perhaps the Baili family already had their own ideas and arrangements.

 Chapter 1035 - Monk’s Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 1035 Monk¡¯s Shelter</h4>


    Xie Qiao did not like to take in disciples. It would be exhausting.


    However, it would be terrible to not give anything after receiving guidance from others. Especially if the Baili family paid attention to the inheritance. If she did not appreciate the benefits and stopped the inheritance to be passed down, it would be immoral.


    At the moment, Li Shiyan was still excited and asked her a lot of things rted to the Baili family.


    After finding out that she was going to copy down the things that the Baili family dictated, he went to the storeroom and got a lot of good paper and ink. He almost gave all his good stuff to her.


    When the other disciples came, they saw the teacher ¡°fawning¡± on the eldest senior sister.


    When they faced their eldest senior sister, Xie Qiao, their eyes became moreplicated. Up until now, Xiao Yurong and the others did not know the eldest senior sister¡¯s abilities. No one couldpete with her in the four arts, and she had never been obsessed with these things herself. She was obsessed with Taoist skills. Therefore, they were even more puzzled¡­


    What kind of excellent character did the eldest senior sister rely on to make the teacher favor her so much?


    ¡°Yurong, bring your two disciples to see me today.¡± Li Shiyan did not forget about that.


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s heart tightened when he heard that. He started to get nervous. ¡°Yes, I will ask them toe over now.¡±


    ¡°Go to the Octagon Garden. I will test them,¡± Li Shiyan arranged.


    Xiao Yurong nodded.


    The Octagon Garden was one of the favorite ces for schrs in the capital. The scenery inside was amazing. It was suitable for poetry recitation and writing. It was also suitable for ying the zither and ying the flute.


    There were also many flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies in the garden. There was also a greenhouse. Even on a cold winter day, one could still see the sceneries of spring and summer. It was the most rare scene.


    However, most of the schrs who went there would always be in a nervous state. There were too many masters in the garden. They might identally run into someone and be dragged to the poetrypetition. Therefore, those who were not prepared would not dare to go.


    Of course, it was also a good ce to make a name for themselves.


    Li Shiyan meant what he said. Xiao Yurong could not say no. He immediately went to look for his two disciples.


    The master and disciples went together after a simple breakfast.


    Xie Qiao had been in the capital for a long time, but she had never been to the Octagon Garden. She wanted to see what was there.


    However, the news that Li Shiyan wasing had spread. When Xie Qiao went in, she found that it was quite lively outside the Octagon Garden.


    Young masters and youngdies came in an endless stream.


    Other than the children of decent families, there were also some courtesans and girls. It was normal for them toe and go.


    Xie Pinghuai rode on his horse and arrived at the entrance of the Octagon Garden. He looked around and said, ¡°Chu Jian! Look at that person. She¡¯s a courtesan, right? She¡¯s so pretty!¡±


    Chu Jian was shocked and could not wait to cover Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mouth. ¡°Keep your voice down! Grandmaster is here!¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s here, then he¡¯s here. What are you afraid of? Isn¡¯t the courtesan here to be looked at? If others can look at her, why can¡¯t I look at her? Can they chase me out of the sect just because I took a few nces at the courtesan? How can they be so petty?¡± Xie Pinghuai had a heroic look on his face.


    He felt that he was the most outstanding.


    Recently, he had been neglecting his sleep and eating. He had been studying and writing very seriously, and he had improved a lot!


    Looking at courtesans would not mean that he was not good at studying, so it would not affect him, right?


    Chu Jian¡¯s face was flushed red. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to be like this. Look at grandmaster, master, and the other martial uncles. They are cold and aloof, and they don¡¯t like beauties. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to shout like this.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart was a little listless.


    It was true. The martial uncles¡­ did not seem to be people of character.


    They were like a group of old monks, and if he entered the monk¡¯s shelter, he would probably be a monk in the future. It was too pitiful!

 Chapter 1036 - Would a Cripple Laugh at a Dwarf?

    <h4>Chapter 1036 Would a Cripple Laugh at a Dwarf?</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai instantly lost his spirit.


    In the carriage, Xiao Yurong¡¯s head was almost buried under the carriage. He was almost embarrassed to death by this useless disciple.


    The carriage was very big and the interior was spacious. Except for Sang You who was outside enjoying the scenery, the rest of the disciples were sitting inside.


    Xiao Yurong did not dare to say anything.


    Xie Qiao was no better, but she was thick-skinned. She coughed dryly and said, ¡°Teacher, look at your grand-disciple. He is such a straightforward and good kid!¡±


    Xiao Yurong widened his eyes and looked at his eldest senior sister in disbelief!


    Zhao Xuanjing pursed his lips into a smile. ¡°Only Senior Sister could say such¡­ uniquements.¡±


    She was shameless enough to speak up for her younger brother openly! The expression on Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face was even moreplicated. ¡°It turns out that Senior Sister likes this kind of child¡­¡±


    as even


    No wonder she had always been upset with him.


    It turned out that he was not bold enough?


    ¡°Speaking frankly is one of the few good points of that child. Sheng¡¯er has good taste. She can even find good things in such a child,¡± Li Shiyanmented without being objective at all, then, seeing that the other disciples all had looks of disdain on their faces, he added, ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to have such prejudice. Since you are here today, I will also give you some homework. All of you either have disciples or qualified to ept disciples. You should also learn to look at the disposition and outstanding points of your juniors.¡±


    ¡°What Teacher means is that you want us to¡­ look for the good things in the two martial nephews?¡± Jiang Jinlu was shocked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Li Shiyan felt that if the disciples said more nice things, he might also feel that the two children had inner talents, and the more he listened, the better he would feel when he judged them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too difficult¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu was really at a loss.


    That Chu Jian was alright, he looked like a paper person. Although the way he entered the sect was a bit improper, he was still okay in person, but that Xie Pinghuai¡­


    ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯re still doing your discipleship. Do you think a cripple wouldugh at a dwarf?¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    When Jiang Jinlu heard that, he lowered his head in grievance. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m bullying you. Junior Brother Jiang, you¡¯re really narrow-minded.¡± Xie Qiao lied with her eyes wide open, ¡°Look at this Xie Pinghuai. He¡¯s a good young man who is constantly striving for self-improvement. His father and brother are like that, and he was born a bandit. Now, he¡¯s actually starting to study hard and improving. Isn¡¯t that harder toe by than ordinary students?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu really did not want to admit that.


    It was said that Xie Pinghuai went to the brothel to have fun.


    It was said that Xie Pinghuai used his identity as a bandit to scare children of the same age¡­


    Even now, this kid was misbehaving in the academy. If he had some conflicts with others, he could immediately fight with them¡­


    Unreasonable, insensible, and arrogant. That was him.


    With his biological sister being the future Princess Consort and his teacher being Xiao Yurong, this kid had been showing off a lot.


    Xie Qiao also knew that her younger brother was a little foolish, but if he really made a mistake, she would punish him a lot when she went home. He would have to pay the price.


    With such a younger brother, she could not be killed in one blow, so she had to be patient and teach him.


    Recently, he was indeed much better than before¡­


    ¡°Since Senior Sister praised him so much, let¡¯s take a closer look. Maybe this kid really has something we admire.¡± Jiang Jinlu let out a sigh and thought that he had to observe him carefully.


    Xiao Yurong felt even more pressured.


    How could he not know what his disciple was like?


    He was really not a good disciple¡­

 Chapter 1037 - 7 Embarrassed

    <h4>Chapter 1037 Embarrassed</h4>


    At this moment, the culprit, Xie Pinghuai, did not know anything and only wanted to watch the show.


    The scenery of the Octagon Garden was good to begin with. Today, with the arrival of Li Shiyan, there were many more people in the garden at thest minute.


    The group of people sat in a pavilion. There were screens around them, and not far away, there was ake. There was a thinyer of ice and mist, and the fragrance of plum blossoms was overflowing from thekeside. After Xie Qiao got off the carriage, there was a silver cape behind her, and her entire body waspletely wrapped up. Half of her face was covered, so people could not see her clearly.


    ¡°Chu Jian, do you think there¡¯s something wrong with our grandmaster¡¯s brain?¡± Xie Pinghuai rubbed his hands and shook twice. ¡°It is freezing today. It is terrible to go anywhere. Why do I have to stay here to enjoy the cool breeze? I am freezing to death!¡±


    He was wearing very little!


    When Chu Jian heard what he said, he became nervous. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Our grandmaster has a heater.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have one here!¡± Xie Pinghuai shouted.


    Xiao Yurong, the old-fashioned man, said that they woulde to the garden to enjoy the scenery today. When he heard that, he thought that it was a good ce. This was a good ce. Of course, the guests would not be frozen. Unexpectedly, it waspletely different from what he thought!


    Grandmaster, his teacher, and his martial uncles were sitting in the pavilion. There were screens blocking the wind around them, and he¡­ was outside at the moment!


    Other than him, there were many other schrsing in one after another. They all pretended to have run into his master coincidentally as they wandered around. From time to time, they would even recite a few terrible poems.


    The weather was cold to begin with. Hearing these voices, his entire body trembled.


    Chu Jian saw that he was indeed wearing very little today, he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s also because you don¡¯t understand the rules. Our grandmaster did not intentionally want to keep you cold. The weather today is really nothing. If it snows, this ce would be extremely beautiful. At that time, it will be very difficult to enter the Octagon Garden. If you really can¡¯t stand it, tell the servant to buy you some clothes, or go and drink a cup of wine to warm your body. However, what you need to do now is to draft a script. Based on this situation, think of some poems and essays¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai really had a headache.


    The weather was terrible, yet he still had to make up poems and essays.


    It was too tiring! At this moment, they were all seated. There were quite a few seats outside the pavilion, but in a short while, they were all upied. Those who camete could only watch from a distance and did not dare to make a noise.


    Xie Qiao sat for a while and looked around.


    Out of habit, she looked to see if there were any ghouls around.


    There was indeed one, and it was a water ghoul.


    In theke, half of its head emerged from the ice. A pair of greenish-ck eyes stared at the lively scene here, which looked very creepy.


    ¡°Teacher, my two disciples¡­ the older one is okay, he started early. He¡¯s not young anymore and is also a graduate. His abilities are not bad, but the younger one¡­ is indeed terrible. There are many people outside now, and I¡¯m afraid that they will target himter. If he doesn¡¯t perform well, I¡¯m afraid that he will embarrass you. Why don¡¯t I¡­ ask him toe in and sit?¡± Xiao Yurong was a little worried.


    ¡°Since he doesn¡¯t have the ability, he deserves to be embarrassed. Why is he afraid that others will talk?¡± Li Shiyan did not care.


    Xiao Yurong did not dare to say anything after hearing that.


    He looked at Xie Qiao as if he was asking for help.


    Xie Qiao looked at her silly brother outside and took out her small stove. He asked Xiao Yurong¡¯s errand boy to deliver it to Xie Pinghuai.


    However, before she could take the item out, Zhao Xuanjing called him back and stuffed it back into her hands.


    Zhao Xuanjing went to buy a new one. There was no shortage of this kind of thing in the Octagon Garden. It was very convenient and fast.

 Chapter 1038 - 8 Admit Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 1038 Admit Defeat</h4>


    Xiao Yurong felt that his senior sister cared more about Xie Pinghuai than he did.


    However, she only cared about his health. She did not care about Xie Pinghuai¡¯s embarrassment at all.


    Xiao Yurong could ept most of what Xie Pinghuai did as long as his master was not angry. After all, Xie Pinghuai was his disciple and he was prepared for it. Not long after, the things were delivered to Xie Pinghuai¡¯s hands.


    With a cloak and a stove, he looked much warmer.


    However, before he could enjoy the warmth, a schr mustered up his courage and walked over. He bowed to him politely and said, ¡°I have heard that Teacher Xiao has taken in two disciples. Are you two his disciples?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Jian was also mentally prepared. He immediately became alert.


    Xie Pinghuai also nodded. ¡°What do you


    want?¡±


    The other party smiled awkwardly. Then, a few people walked over from behind and said to Xie Pinghuai, ¡°For Second Young Master Xie to be epted as Teacher Xiao¡¯s disciple, there must be something special about you, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xie Pinghuai could tell that they were praising him for his ability.


    The few of them smiled. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I believe that you wouldn¡¯t mind talking about poetry and painting with us?¡±


    ¡°I think the scenery today is pretty good. Why don¡¯t wepose a poem for theke scenery? After we finish writing it, we can pass it on to Old Master Li for him to see. Second Young Master is so confident that he will definitely win first ce and be famous for it!¡±


    ¡°We can tell that Young Master Xie is different from the rest with a nce. You must be secretly capable. Such a simple matter will definitely not be a problem for the two of


    you¡­¡±


    As they said this, it was as if this matter was set in stone.


    The few of them began to ponder on it. With the brush in their hands, they rolled up their sleeves and started to write.


    Xie Pinghuai was a little dumbfounded. He looked at Chu Jian and then at the few of them. He looked confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to write a poem, right?¡± ¡°Stopining. Think about it quickly. If we lose face now, we won¡¯t have the dignity to learn from teacher. We¡¯ll just wait to be kicked out of the sect! Didn¡¯t you say that your sister has high expectations for you¡­¡± Chu Jian quickly reminded him.


    At the mention of his sister, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn.


    His poor sister¡¯s body was not in good health and could not take it.


    However, writing poems¡­ This was really not something he was good at!


    The requirements for writing poems in theing year¡¯s examination were not high either?!


    How old were these shameless people? They were actuallypared to a child like him..


    <b>wer</b>


    ¡°The jade mirror and the clear river formed shadows. The jade peak is a thousand miles tall and the dust is billowing. The lonely boat float alone in the sea, the plum fragrance sweeps over the pavilion¡­¡±


    In the blink of an eye, someone finished and recited.


    Xie Pinghuai frowned.


    Before he could speak, the others began to recite their poems one after another. Then, they looked at the two of them.


    Chu Jian was still alright. He had been to many such asions since he was young and could still cope.


    Moreover, he was not their target.


    Xie Pinghuai was different.


    He made people feel unconvinced.


    Teacher Xiao was the most talented person among the younger generation. He would be the sessor of Old Master Li in the future. In another ten years or so, he would be the best candidate for the next dean of the Royal Academy.


    Such a person had taken in a disciple like Xie Pinghuai.


    ¡°Second Young Master, have you thought about it?¡± Everyone looked at Xie Pinghuai provocatively.


    Xie Pinghuai rolled his eyes at them. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°So Second Young Master Xie has admitted defeat?¡± The other party smiled, and the others could not help but look at him in mockery.


    ¡°I¡¯m not admitting defeat.¡± Xie Pinghuai raised his head. ¡°I¡¯m notpeting with you at all. Why should I admit defeat?¡±

 Chapter 1039 - Asking for Advice

    <h4>Chapter 1039 Asking for Advice</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai did not feel embarrassed. He did not agree from the beginning to the end. It was these people who took the initiative to recite poems. What did it have to do with him?


    However, those peopleughed. ¡°Second Young Master neither admitted defeat nor wrote a poem. Aren¡¯t you being shameless?¡± ¡°You are obviously being shameless, yet you still want to frame me? I don¡¯t care about you!¡± Xie Pinghuai snorted. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I don¡¯t even have a title on me. You guys have been studying for many years, so you guys are definitely capable. Compared to me, you¡¯re just bullying me! If you have the ability, why don¡¯t wepete with sparring?¡±


    When he said that, everyone¡¯s heart sank, and they looked at Xie Pinghuai with even more disdain.


    ¡°Since Second Young Master has taken Teacher Xiao as his master, you should have outstanding talent. Now that you can¡¯t even write a poem, why not give up your position as soon as possible so as to not tarnish Teacher Xiao¡¯s reputation!¡± Someone immediately said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! How can a mediocre talent like you join Teacher Xiao¡¯s sect?!¡±


    ¡°I heard that you were able to join the sect because Teacher Xiao¡¯s senior sister rmended you?¡± Someone said.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she sat up slightly and listened attentively.


    This was actually not a secret.


    When Xie Pinghuai had taken him as his teacher, Xiao Yurong had observed him for a long time. In his words, he asionally mentioned Mo Chusheng, who often lived in the Xie Residence. Some people in the academy had heard of her before.


    Even Xie Pinghuai knew what was going on.


    The target shifted in an instant. The people outside could not help but look into the pavilion.


    There was only one woman. She was wrapped up tightly. Many people did not know her identity, but some people had already inquired about it.


    ¡°I heard that the eldest disciple of Old Master Li is the owner of Fortune Pavilion, the very famous Taoist master, Mo Chusheng¡­¡± Someone whispered.


    Everyone was shocked again.


    A Taoist master?


    ¡°I heard that this Taoist master once worked with the Crown Prince¡­ It can¡¯t be her, right?¡± Someone whispered.


    Schrs had the highest expectations of schrs.


    Especially schrs like Li Shiyan. They all hoped that their disciples would be clean and would only add glory to the name of schrs and not tarnish the reputation of the schrs.


    ¡°They are talking about me!¡± Xie Qiao was quite excited.


    ¡°Senior Sister, you don¡¯t need to care about this,¡± Xiao Yurong said immediately. Li Shiyan sighed. ¡°You are so talented, but you don¡¯t know how to show off. Now, you are being criticized by these juniors. Isn¡¯t that terrible?¡±


    Xiao Yurong and Jiang Jinlu were actually quite curious about Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Actually, I also want to know what Senior Sister¡¯s talent is¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu added.


    Since he had already offended his senior sister, he might as well go all out now. It would be irritating if he kept it a secret.


    ¡°You want to know so many things. Must everything go your way?¡± Xie Qiao snorted.


    Jiang Jinlu was pushed back again. He was not disappointed at all. He had even gotten used to it a little bit now.


    Eldest senior sister¡¯s willful look was quite cute.


    Unfortunately, the people outside were getting more and more curious about Xie Qiao, and their blood was boiling. Someone stood up and walked to the pavilion. After bowing, he said in a neither servile nor overbearing manner, ¡°Junior would like to ask Master Mo for some advice. May I?¡±


    The Octagon Garden was a ce where all the students sparred. It was not considered offensive for them to behave like this.


    ¡°Do you want to ask me to teach you a Daoist technique?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a benevolent look on her face.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. This junior isn¡¯t proficient in it¡­ I wonder if Senior is capable of anything else¡­¡±

 Chapter 1040 - The Mysterious Master

    <h4>Chapter 1040 The Mysterious Master</h4>


    As a disciple of Li Shiyan, it would be a joke if she only knew Dao techniques and did not know anything else.


    Xie Qiao thought about it. It was not that she could not spar with these people.


    She just had to be careful.


    Moreover, she could not let his teacher lose face in front of him.


    At that moment, Zhao Xuanjing tilted his body slightly. ¡°Generally speaking, if this kind of sparring attracted many people to watch, there would definitely be some rewards. Gold, silver,mon objects, brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Let¡¯s see what the garden has prepared.¡±


    Xie Qiao became more spirited and said to the people out there, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. You can bring it up as you wish.¡±


    When she said that, everyone could not help but be shocked. These words were much more arrogant than what Xie Pinghuai said.


    ¡°How about¡­ how¡¯s your go skills?¡± That person thought for a moment and asked. They did not know what the Crown Prince was like as Li Shiyan¡¯s disciple, but Teacher Xiao was the best. Teacher Sang¡¯s zither and painting skills were excellent, and Young Master Jiang was experienced. It was more likely that this eldest disciple¡¯s go skills were superb.


    Besides, it was difficult and time-consuming to learn poetry, so learning chess was rtively easy. Even if this Master Mo lost, she would not lose too much of her dignity.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xie Qiao replied casually. The steward of the Octagon Garden immediately went to make arrangements.


    In a short while, he invited that person into the pavilion. Outside, he arranged for someone to show the situation of the move to the others in real time.


    Xie Qiao curled up into a ball and huddled in a corner. She held a white chess piece in her hand and her gaze swept across the chessboard. She looked a little more serious.


    Xie Pinghuai also moved closer.


    He could understand the ck and white pieces.


    It was just that he had just learned how to y this game and did not understand it very well.


    After the game began, the people outside could not care less about the cold anymore. All of them gathered in a corner and nervously watched the development of the game.


    Xie Qiao was calm andposed, but she was not nervous. On the other hand, the young master across from her was nervous when he saw Li Shiyan, the Crown Prince, and the others sitting nearby and watching. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    The prize given by the Octagon Garden was a good piece of ink and 500 taels of silver¡­


    Studying required a lot of money, the steward of the garden was quite sensible.


    With the temptation of silver, Xie Qiao put down her pieces very quickly, as if she did not think at all. It only seemed fast, but there were no mistakes in every part. Even after she put down her pieces, the people outside had a sudden realization, their hearts turned cold. Zhao Xuanjing was not worried at all.


    He had seen Xie Qiao¡¯s go skills. Compared to him, they were on par.


    As expected, Xie Qiao won quite quickly.


    Evenpared to Xie Qiao, that young master¡¯s face was shockingly pale after ying the game. His hands were trembling, but he was quite sensible. ¡°It¡¯s my ignorance that offended Senior¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just a discussion of chess skills.¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    That person fled in panic.


    The people outside looked at the chessboard and could not help but gulp.


    Xie Pinghuai looked at it for a long time and did not understand, but it did not stop him from being shocked. ¡°Master, you¡¯re really amazing! If I knew this would happen, why would I acknowledge a teacher? Can¡¯t I just learn from you?! You¡¯re my sister are senior aunty, both of you are from the same Taoist temple!¡±


    She was much more suitable to be his teacher than that old geezer Teacher Xiao!


    He looked at Teacher Xiao, and then at Master Mo, who was calm and mysterious!


    Obviously, Master Mo was better!


    ¡°It¡¯s already good enough that you have a teacher, yet you still dare to be picky?¡± Xie Qiao was disgusted when she heard that. ¡°You are so insensible. Why don¡¯t you kneel and apologize to your teacher?!¡±


    ¡°Why should I¡­¡± Listen to you?!


    Xie Qiao looked at him quietly.


    For some reason, Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart sank. He felt that this feeling was a little familiar. He subconsciously admitted defeat and kneeled in front of Xiao Yurong. ¡°Teacher, I shouldn¡¯t have despised you. I know I was wrong!¡±


    With that, he kowtowed with a thud.

 Chapter 1041 - Strange Words

    Chapter 1041 Strange Words


    Xiao Yurong looked at Xie Pinghuai in surprise. He did not expect this kid to listen to his senior sister so much...


    Xie Qiao was still indifferent. ¡°If I ever see you disrespecting your teacher again, I will tell your eldest brother and throw you into theke to cool your brain.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai did not dare to talk back. He nced at Xie Qiao and mumbled, ¡°Got it...¡±


    ¡°Very well, be sensible. It¡¯s not easy for your sister to help you get through the backdoor.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Xie Pinghuai frowned and scratched his head. ¡°Senior Aunty, why do I feel... that you look so much like my sister?¡±


    Xie Qiao was shocked.


    She stared at him.


    In broad daylight... under the watchful eyes of everyone, what nonsense was this brat talking about?!


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re just like my sister. You¡¯d mention Xie Pinggang to threaten me. You guys are the same,¡± Xie Pinghuai said honestly, ¡°And the way you looked at me just now is exactly the same as when my sister red at me! If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll bring a bronze mirror over for you to take a look. Your eyes really look simr as hers... I suspect that my stepmother didn¡¯t give birth to my sister, but it was you!¡±


    Xie Qiao choked.


    She kept coughing and felt a little guilty.


    Xiao Yurong carefully recalled the appearance of Young Lady Xie and then looked at his eldest senior sister in front of him seriously. ¡°They look somewhat simr...¡±


    Sang You and Jiang Jinlu had never met Xie Qiao, but they knew that this Young Lady Xie was the Crown Prince¡¯s future wife.


    Therefore, they could not help but look at the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Senior Aunty, are you my stepmother¡¯s sister?¡± Xie Pinghuai asked again.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was a little red. Even with makeup, one could see that something was wrong with her expression.


    ¡°Your Highness, does Young Lady Xie and eldest senior sister really look that simr?¡± Sang You was quite curious. ¡°I¡¯ve been back for so long, but I¡¯ve heard people say that Young Lady Xie looks devastatingly beautiful...¡±


    Eldest senior sister, on the other hand, looked... a little more ordinary.


    ¡°Yes! They really look alike! She¡¯s just a little older than my sister,¡± Xie Pinghuai insisted.


    Xie Qiao wanted to knock him out with a hammer and make him stop talking.


    Li Shiyan looked at Xie Qiao with a smile. He found that Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were conflicted and angry. He felt that his eldest disciple was really delightful.


    ¡°There are simrities between people. Xie Qiao, that child, was raised by me. The child who was raised looks like the one who raised her. It¡¯s normal,¡± Xie Qiao said seriously.


    Jiang Jinlu could not help butugh when he heard that. ¡°It¡¯s indeed normal if there are simrities in their behavior. However, it¡¯s really too coincidental that they look the same. I heard that Senior Sister has always been very concerned about the Xie family. Even Second Young Master Xie thinks that Senior Sister looks like her, I¡¯m afraid that even if you guys are not rted, your ancestors might be rted.¡±


    Xie Qiao chuckled. ¡°Who can exin the matters of one¡¯s ancestors? It¡¯s not good to invite the old ancestor toe up and exin himself, right?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu felt that his eldest senior sister¡¯s expression was a little strange.


    Logically speaking, even if she looked somewhat simr to a junior, she should not care so much.


    At this moment, Teacher Xiao also had some doubts in his heart.


    He was closer to the Crown Prince, so he knew that the Crown Prince was also very affectionate toward their eldest senior sister, and also toward Young Lady Xie. In the capital, there were many rumors about the Crown Prince and their eldest senior sister. They were all extremely excessive, but he never saw the three of them have any rebuttal or displeasure...


    And teacher...


    The gifts prepared for their eldest senior sister were very strange.


    Some of them were brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but there were also some that were head essories. Furthermore, they were extremely valuable, pretty, and young-looking. Earlier... his teacher had even said something, but thinking about it, it sounded even more strange now...

 Chapter 1042 - Commentary on Her Painting

    Chapter 1042 Commentary on Her Painting


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s teacher doted on his eldest senior sister and prepared the best gifts for her. When he first returned to the capital, he took stock of the items. He saw a few brocade satin that his teacher bought when he was traveling. They were extremely gorgeous and unique. Although they were pretty, they were not suitable for his senior sister.


    However, what his teacher said at that time was that these items were not bad to be his eldest senior sister¡¯s dowry...


    He was almost certain that he did not hear wrongly.


    Later on, he asked his teacher in confusion, but his teacher refused to admit that he had said that...


    Strange! Very strange!


    His teacher¡¯s relieved and amused expression was even more strange!


    They had a secret...


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s heart was beating fast as he tried to think of the key points. At this time, the students outside were also getting restless. They were even more curious about the eldest disciple, Mo Chusheng.


    Someone else immediately stood up and wanted topete with Xie Qiao in calligraphy and painting


    Of course, not everyone was qualified topete with Xie Qiao. The one who had justpeted with her was a young teacher from the Gn Academy. Meanwhile, the one who had showed up now was also quite famous in the capital. He looked to be around 40 years old.


    Xie Qiao agreed to thepetition.


    However, she had limited energy, so she made it clear to the public that this would be thestpetition. If there were other people who were eager to learn, they could participate together.


    Painting with theke scenery in front of her.


    Xie Qiao was still a little nervous. She was worried that the people here had good judgment and could see the simrities between her and Yun Wei¡¯s painting.


    After all, the style of this painting was really difficult to changepletely. Even if she changed her hands, the style would still make its way into the painting, making people suspicious.


    Fortunately...


    With her identity as Mo Chusheng, she was not too young. Even if someone found out that she was the same person as Yun Wei, the price of this painting should not be too different...


    <b>W</b>


    Xie Qiao was also helpless. If it were any other time, she would have restrained herself. However, her teacher was here and her skills had not been tested for many years. She really did not want her teacher to lose face.


    She sighed. When others looked at her, it was as if she was put in a difficult position.


    Xie Qiao looked at theke scenery. She thought for a while and started painting.


    Xie Pinghuai was quite well-behaved. He actually took the initiative to help Xie Qiao grind the ink. He had been working as an ink-grinding helper by Xiao Yurong¡¯s side for a long time. His ability to grind ink was quite


    good.


    He could move freely in the distance.


    Zhao Xuanjing could not help but rx when he saw Xie Qiao painting.


    She had such charm that made people calm and at ease.


    Xie Qiao was painting realistically. Since they wanted theke scenery, she would paint theke scenery. She drew flowers with her brush and finished it quickly.


    After she finished, she waited for another 15 minutes before disying the flowers andparing them with each other. It had to be said that those who dared to show off their skills in the Octagon Garden were all great. Just by looking at the paintings, some of them were majestic, some of them were exquisite, and some of them were very fascinating.


    However, almost everyone first looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s painting.


    Everyone was curious about her ability, and they wanted to know the difference between themselves and Li Shiyan¡¯s disciple.


    However, when they looked at it, they were shocked.


    This painting... At first nce, it looked ordinary. There was nothing exaggerated about the scenery and everything was in. However, when they took a closer look, they felt that theposition was very exquisite. Not a single w could be found in every detail!


    On the other side of theke, there was an old man who sighed and swept the leaves. The old man bent down and his worried expression could be seen clearly. Not far away from the old man, the wind was blowing rapidly, causing the fallen leaves to flutter. One could not help but feel a little sorry for the old man.

 Chapter 1043 - Strengths

    Chapter 1043 Strengths


    In the distance, there was fog in the forest. Looking from afar, the scenery was beautiful and elegant. In the middle, there was an iceke and clouds. Even the sunlight was slightly colder. Under the tree, the plum blossoms were frozen. It was a lonely scene. Looking closer into the painting, one could see the beautiful face of the crows. It was mesmerizing. One could feel the warmth in it. The entire painting was different in an instant, making people unable to take their eyes off it.


    A few schrs who had brought their confidants over could not help but blush in excitement.


    <b></b>


    Look at this painting. It actually included the various postures of the women around them clearly. Each one of them was different. Some were charming, and some were gentle. They were all exceptionally beautiful.


    ¡°When was there a person blowing a reed pipe over there? He actually brought this painting to life.¡± Someone took a closer look. From afar, on a plum blossom tree, there was actually a person sitting there. He was blowing the reed pipe and looking at the youngdy under the tree. The painting was filled with warmth.


    This painting had something that made people sigh and feel a sense of longing and warmth. It was indeed unique.


    Master Mo¡¯s ability to observe was indeed something that ordinary people could notpare.


    ¡°I was thinking about the painting, so I was obsessed with the scenery and ignored the people. I was afraid that the people would mask the scenery. However, I didn¡¯t expect that Master Mo¡¯s painting is abination of the people and the scenery. Theyplemented each other and are indispensable. I admire your ability.¡±


    ¡°This painting... The painting is poetic on its own. If a poem is written on it, it would be an eyesore. It wouldn¡¯t look beautiful. This is just right...¡±


    ¡°As expected of Old Master Li¡¯s eldest disciple. I¡¯m convinced...¡±


    ¡°Me too. It¡¯s so embarrassing topare with you...¡±


    Xie Qiao rubbed her wrist, looking quite modest.


    If it were not for the fact that this senior aunty was a woman, Xie Pinghuai would have rubbed it for her.


    ¡°You are really amazing... We all use brushes, so why are the things we draw so different?¡± Xie Pinghuai could not help but sigh. Could it be that he was born to make up the numbers?


    He could not tell the good from the bad, especially thendscape paintings. They were all the same,ndscape and trees. There was nothing special about them.


    However, Master Mo¡¯s paintings were different. He wanted to take a few more looks after he finished looking at it. To him, this was a good thing.


    ¡°This disciple of mine... is a little foolish, but he does have a good point.¡± Xiao Yurong was satisfied with Xie Pinghuai¡¯s attitude. ¡°He knows his own limits. He doesn¡¯t feel ashamed when he backs off. He is magnanimous.¡±


    ¡°He can advance and retreat. He is not fickle-minded and hypocritical. It is indeed a strong point.¡± Sang You nodded.


    Jiang Jinlu had to admit that Xie Pinghuai was not all bad.


    Take the matter of others asking him to recite poetry for example.


    If he knew it, then he knew it. If he did not know it, then he did not know it. Only he could trample on his own face and did not care about others¡¯ opinions. This could be said to be thick-skinned, but it could also be said that he was open-minded.


    In addition, when Xie Pinghuai learned of their eldest senior sister¡¯s abilities, he was not stingy with praise. His eyes were filled with admiration. He could be considered to have the intention to learn. His attitude was pious and his character was great. It was better than those hypocrites.


    There was something wrong with this child, but it was precious that he had a straightforward and pure heart. Of course, they were also troubled.


    Since their teacher asked them to find out Xie Pinghuai¡¯s strengths, then... they could only judge from another angle... They had no choice!


    ¡°This painting...¡± After judging, the painting was taken back. Zhao Xuanjing nced at it and was stunned.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Zhao Xuanjing shut his mouth at the right time and did not say anything.


    Xiao Yurong stared at it again and again and suddenly said, ¡°Senior Sister... Have you met Master Yun Wei?¡±

 Chapter 1044 - It’s Her

    Chapter 1044 It¡¯s Her


    He saw it through!


    Zhao Xuanjing did not expect Xiao Yurong to have such good eyes. He had noticed it just after taking a few nces!


    Xie Qiao had really tried her best to restrain herself.


    In the past, when she was painting in the academy, the method was a little simpler. The painting was not too big and it was not as borate as this painting. Therefore, the technique could still be hidden.


    However, this painting was different. There were too many details and it could not be hidden.


    Xie Qiao wanted to be thick-skinned and deny it, but Li Shiyan had already opened his mouth. ¡°This girl is so humble. Her paintings have been famous for a long time, but she usually hides it and never shows her strength.¡±


    ¡°Teacher is saying...¡± Xiao Yurong was shocked and immediately sat up straight. ¡°Could it be that Eldest Senior Sister is Master Yun Wei?¡±


    ¡°Maybe... Yes?¡± Xie Qiao buried her head.


    ¡°Are you really Master Yun Wei?!¡± Xiao Yurong suddenly lost hisposure and changed the way he addressed her. After his surprise, he did not forget to look at Xie Qiao a few more times.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. I heard that Master Yun Wei is already in his 60s!¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    That was because the paintings of a master in his 60s were more valuable. Li Shiyan hoped that his eldest disciple would be famous, but he did not care much about money.


    After all, as the number one schr in the world, he... really did notck money.


    Naturally, he could not understand his eldest disciple¡¯s stingy behavior.


    In his opinion, he had no children and only had these few disciples. After he passed away, all the property under his name would belong to his eldest disciple, and she would have a mountain of gold and silver in her hands. What was the small fortune from selling paintings even?


    ¡°It¡¯s just a title, Junior Brother Xiao. Don¡¯t be so stubborn...¡±


    ¡®Stop talking. I can continue to bluff in the future if less people knew about it.¡¯


    However, Xiao Yurong was going crazy.


    He could not hear Xie Qiao¡¯s words at all. He began to look at the painting carefully andpared it to the Master Yun Wei in his impression.


    Zhao Xuanjing had aplicated look in his eyes. However, he was still the Crown Prince, so he was still able to control himself at this moment.


    On the other hand, Jiang Jinlu and Sang You were in the same situation as Xiao Yurong.


    They did not really believe it.


    The three of them gathered together and studied the painting. Seeing them like that, Xie Qiao felt that she was in trouble. She found an opportunity to talk to her teacher. She took Xie Pinghuai with her and walked around the garden.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s identity was too unique. There were too many people here, so it was difficult for him to follow them.


    ¡°This technique is indeed simr...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just simr, right? It¡¯s exactly the same...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right... I remember... that Master Yun Wei... not only is his painting famous, he is also an excellent sculptor. I once spent a high price to buy a cloud hairpin... I heard that Master Yun Wei personally drew and sculpted that thing...¡± Sang You suddenly came back to his senses.


    Zhao Xuanjing chuckled. They were not that stupid and reacted rather quickly.


    Master Yun Wei...


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I almost forgot! Two years ago at a jewelry store, as long as they said that the pattern of the jewelry was designed by Master Yun Wei, the price would definitely be doubled!¡±


    ¡°Teacher also has a jade screen in his collection. The pattern is extremelyplicated...¡±


    The disciples looked at Li Shiyan.


    <b>as</b>


    Li Shiyan looked proud. ¡°That¡¯s right. It was painted by your senior sister. Unfortunately, she is not in good health. Usually, she only carves small objects. She can¡¯t bear to sit to carve such a big screen.¡±


    At that moment, Xiao Yurong felt that he had realized something..


    It was as if he did not realize it. His mind was empty and he felt that he had overlooked something.

 Chapter 1045 - Ungrateful

    Chapter 1045 Ungrateful


    Even Zhao Xuanjing thought Xie Qiao was lucky.


    Their teacher had already given such an obvious hint, but the junior brothers had not realized it yet.


    It was fortunate that Xie Qiao did not meet many people, so she was easily overlooked.


    Although she had stayed in the academy for a while, after such a long time, even Xiao Yurong did not think of her for a while. Otherwise, when he recalled that the two of them were both weak and what Xie Pinghuai said just now...


    He should have realized the truth. Unfortunately, Xie Qiao had escaped another disaster. Now that they knew that eldest sister was Master Yun Wei, they were already so excited. If they knew her real identity, they would probably kill themselves from the embarrassment.


    At this moment, Sang You and Jiang Jinlu werepletely convinced by their eldest sister.


    They used to think that she was very powerful when they heard their teacher¡¯s praise. However, after they met, she was reserved and did not say much. They could not see the depth of her ability. They only felt that their teacher loved her more and that her ability was a little exaggerated.


    However, now...


    Even Jiang Jinlu felt that all his bad guesses about his eldest senior sister were him being ungrateful...


    When they finished looking at the painting and wanted to worship their eldest senior sister in person, they realized that she had already left.


    The three of them were a little embarrassed.


    They were so engrossed in looking at the painting that they forgot that Yun Wei was beside them.


    ¡°Where is Eldest Senior Sister...¡± Xiao Yurong felt his heartbeat had returned to normal.


    He really... could not let go of such a powerful eldest senior sister!


    There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.


    ¡°Maybe it was because you looked at the painting so unsightly that you drooled and stared nkly at it. It was so scary that she couldn¡¯t help but run away,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said slowly.


    Xiao Yurong rubbed his chin subconsciously and felt a little annoyed.


    It was a pity that he had looked at the painting first and did not say anything to his eldest senior sister!


    Sang You took out a small bronze mirror from his pocket and looked at his face in disbelief.


    He would never show such an ugly expression...


    ¡°I did not expect Eldest Senior Sister to be so good at painting. Thendscape painting is really good. I think I will think about it carefully when I go back. I will write a poem to be stamped on the painting...¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Xuanjing asked, ¡°Did Eldest Senior Sister agree to that?¡±


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s heart sank.


    She did not.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for her to say yes. Perhaps she intends to sell the painting,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    It all depended on who paid more money. Xiao Yurong sighed. He really hoped that he could paint with his senior sister. Even if it was not painting, it would be great to do other things. ying the zither, ying the flute, climbing the mountains and and following the stream. Even if it was to help senior sister lead the horse, it would definitely be great... His face was slightly red. At this moment, Xie Qiao was strolling elsewhere with Xie Pinghuai when she ran into Young Lady Zhou. Of course, it was not only Young Lady Zhou. There were also other people from the three academies. They should be holding a poetry meet here. It was quite lively.


    Xie Qiao knew many people from the Royal Academy, but most of them were women. Those women were the same age as her. They were also preparing for marriage. She had left the academy for a few months and most of their marriages had been decided.


    She had received many letters after returning from Mengjiabao. She also learned that her good friends in the academy were all staying home waiting to be married and were not going to the academy anymore.


    For instance, Fang Muxue had decided to marry the second son of a wealthy family. Although he was the second son, his talent was not bad and he had a bright future.


    As for Qin Liu, she said that she had decided to marry the family of a martial general and was also the descendant of a distinguished family.


    They had promised earlier that they would get together again when she was in better health, but she had been busy since she came back. They have not had the chance to meet yet.

 Chapter 1046 - He’s Right!

    Chapter 1046 He¡¯s Right!


    The ce where these young people held the poetry meet was really not suitable for a Taoist master like her.


    There were not many acquaintances inside, so Xie Qiao was prepared to take a detour to leave. However, before she could leave, someone stopped Xie Pinghuai. Xie Pinghuai felt that he was quite innocent.


    He was only out to protect his senior aunty. ¡°I heard that Old Master Li is here? Second Young Master Xie is here with the old master, right? I wonder if we are lucky enough to ask Second Young Master to introduce us?¡± The person who came said. Xie Qiao understood.


    Today¡¯s poetry meet was probably organized at thest minute because of his grandmaster.


    ¡°Grandmaster is in that broken pavilion. If you want to see him, you can just walk over. But there are quite a lot of people.¡± Xie Pinghuai also tried his best to be patient.


    If it was in the past, he would have long thrown a tantrum. However, considering that if he took the initiative to stir up trouble, his eldest sister would be angry when she found outter.


    So he suppressed his temper. He was young, but he was quite tall. His face was still a little childish. When he was calm, he did look like he was a pushover.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because there are so many people that we want you to bring us there? Let¡¯s not talk about the others. After all, they are not from our academy, but the few of us...¡± That person smiled, ¡°We are all ssmates. Second Young Master won¡¯t look down on us and think that we are not even qualified to meet Old Master Li, right?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai frowned. ¡°Why are you asking if you know?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± That person was stunned.


    ¡°Since you know that you are not qualified, why are you saying this?¡± Xie Pinghuai was a little impatient. ¡°There are many people who want to see the old master. Even I, the grand-disciple, only saw him once today. Isn¡¯t it normal for you to not see him? You asked me for a referral, and he asked me for a referral. Everyonees to me. What should I do? Who should I choose?!


    ¡°If I chose you, the others would be unhappy. If I chose someone else, you¡¯d think that I look down on you. I can¡¯t collect money, right? Whoever gives me more money, I¡¯ll bring them to see the old master?


    ¡°I won¡¯t fall for it!¡± Xie Pinghuai felt that this person wanted to harm him.


    Just like the person who gave him the grasshopper, he would be implicated and beaten up.


    When Xie Qiao heard Xie Pinghuai¡¯s words, she was extremely satisfied.


    His words might offend people, but he was right!


    She was extremely gratified!


    That young master was angered by Xie Pinghuai¡¯s words until heughed. He did not think that he would not give him any face at all and would even say such harsh words. In front of so many people, his face was also a little red, he said, ¡°Second Young Master, a few days ago, we were still talking about... things?¡±


    At that time, it was a horse riding lesson and a few sses were mixed together.


    A few people gathered together and were talking about the capital¡¯s number one courtesan. He was a little closer to Xie Pinghuai, so the two of them spoke a little more.


    ¡°I know. At that time, you said that the courtesan¡¯s body needed to be nourished with medicine. I was curious and asked a few more questions.¡± Xie Pinghuai nodded and admitted that he knew him, ¡°But courtesans and courtesans, Grandmaster is Grandmaster. I can¡¯t bring anyone over. Someone will break my legs.¡±


    His consciousness was very clear. Bringing someone over would offend his grandmaster, and Teacher Xiao would hit him in the palm. Right now, the Crown Prince was his senior uncle. If His Highness were to mention this matter to his eldest sister in the future, she would definitely cry in disappointment and hurt her body.


    Most importantly, there was Master Mo Chusheng standing beside him. She was also someone who wouldin to Xie Pinggang. That young master¡¯s name was Ding Mao. At this moment, he felt really embarrassed.


    ¡°This Taoist master.¡± Zhou Sijin suddenly stood up and said with a smile, ¡°A few days ago, my cousin saved you on the street. I wonder if you still remember?¡±

 Chapter 1047 - Steal the Limelight

    Chapter 1047 Steal the Limelight


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I remember. It¡¯s all thanks to Master Yu. Otherwise, I would have broken my old bones.¡±


    ¡°Master and Second Young Master Xie should be very familiar with each other and have a good rtionship, right? May I ask Master to put in a good word and bring us to see the old master?¡± Zhou Sijin probed.


    At least it could be considered half a life-saving grace.


    Fainting could be a serious matter.


    ¡°Well...¡± Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°As far as I know, it¡¯s not difficult to meet the old master.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone immediately pricked up their ears.


    Xie Qiao continued, ¡°After the old master returned to the capital, he knew that many schrs wanted to meet him. So he asked all the teachers from the three academies to test their knowledge. If their knowledge is outstanding and their rank is higher, he can personally guide and take care of them.¡±


    Fame was great, and sometimes it was not a good thing.


    After the old master returned, it was not easy to leave the house, and he was often blocked by people.


    It was said that a few years ago, when the old master went out in a sedan, he actually encountered several dramas along the way. Most of them were schrs who wanted to attract the old master¡¯s attention and specially found people to cooperate with them to put on bitter scenes. Some of them were kicked out by their families because they were studying, some of them were so busy studying that they neglected their wives, and their wives ran away with other men...


    At that time, her teachermented deeply. He did not expect that there would really be... all kinds of strange monsters in this world!


    From then on, her teacher loved to conceal his identity and travel the world.


    Therefore, it was not that Xie Qiao looked down on these people. It was just that her teacher had already set the rules.


    ¡°If you want to see him, you have to arrive earlier than the others or win the opportunity openly. As long as you are diligent enough, it is not impossible for you to be epted as his disciple personally,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Her attitude was very soft.


    Ding Mao pouted in annoyance.


    Where did this stupid Taoist mastere from to say such superfluous words!


    Who did not know that there were rules when meeting the old master?


    However, it was because they could not meet the academy¡¯s requirements that they asked for Second Young Master Xie¡¯s help, no?


    Second Young Master Xie was his grand-disciple! Was this not a shortcut closer than any other ways?


    ¡°Just now, you said that Young Lady Zhou¡¯s cousin saved your life, but now she¡¯s not even willing to help with such a small matter. Sigh, ethics are changing everyday. The grace of saving a life is repaid with enmity!¡± Ding Mao carelessly shouted, ¡°We all have the intention to learn. When we see the old master, we will definitely work hard and not lose face, yet Second Young Master is still so cautious. Are you worried that someone among us will gain the favor of the old master or Teacher Xiao and steal your limelight?¡±


    Xie Qiao nced at the others.


    A few of them had already retreated to the side with furrowed brows because Ding Mao¡¯s words were a little overboard.


    However, there were still a few people left. They did not mind watching the show, or perhaps, they wanted to take advantage of Ding Mao¡¯s influence to gain some benefits.


    They did not think that this was just a meeting. It might not seem like much, but in reality... if it was done properly, their lives could be changed. Her teacher¡¯s identity was important, and he was the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher. As long as they were judged by him, regardless of whether they were good or bad, if they were thick-skinned, they could tell others that they had received Li Shiyan¡¯s guidance. Those who did not know the truth would think highly of them.


    Moreover, they were all so young. If they were really lucky and were chosen by her teacher, whether they were epted as disciples or grand-disciples, there was no need to mention their future.


    After Jiang Jinlu became his disciple, he went from a humble student to a talented young man. He was very popr.


    Xie Pinghuai, this son of a bandit who had embarrassed himself many times, since bing his grand-disciple, even though many people thought that he was still a little yful now, they would still believe that after many years, he would definitely have a bright future and would not be too bad.


    Even the entire Xie family seemed to have been ted with ayer of gold because of Li Shiyan. They were no longer a simple and crude martial arts family.

 Chapter 1048 - A Taoist Master Taking a Great Scholar as Her Teacher

    <h4>Chapter 1048 A Taoist Master Taking a Great Schr as Her Teacher</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s teacher liked her. No matter what she did on a daily basis, in her teacher¡¯s eyes, it was fine and he could turn a blind eye.


    If she had brought people over with great fanfare, her teacher would definitely not be angry.


    However, she did not want to abuse her teacher¡¯s love.


    Moreover, at this moment, these people¡­ Some were unfamiliar, and some were even strangers to her!


    ¡°You say that I repay kindness with enmity?¡± Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°May I ask, Young Lady Zhou, was it you who saved my life?¡± Zhou Sijin¡¯s face was slightly red as she shook her head.


    ¡°Since it wasn¡¯t you, how could there be kindness?¡± Xie Qiao stood straight, her demeanor unshakeable. She looked dignified and magnanimous, and she spoke softly to Ding Mao, ¡°Young man, you use your words well. If you have the spare time, why don¡¯t you write a few articles and send them over?¡±


    ¡°Are you mocking me?!¡± Ding Mao frowned, looking as if he was going to beat someone up.


    Xie Pinghuai pulled Xie Qiao behind him and blocked her in front. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Second Young Master Xie, this has nothing to do with you.¡± Ding Mao did not like Xie Pinghuai, but to be honest, he did not dare to provoke this person. ¡°Since Second Young Master Xie won¡¯t lead us there, we can¡¯t force you. There are drinks and snacks here, so we want to invite Second Young Master Xie over and have a heart-to-heart talk. We can all be friends, but this stinking Taoist master¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s really annoying. This Octagon Garden is a ce for studying and discussion. It¡¯s not for this kind of Taoist master to swindle people. We should get someone to throw her out, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Ding Mao said.


    ¡°Bullsh*t! Even I cane in, why should my senior aunty be thrown out?¡± Xie Pinghuai immediately flew into rage. ¡°She¡¯s a Taoist master. So what if we throw her out?!¡± Ding Mao roared. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he realized what Xie Pinghuai had just said.


    At this moment, there were also a few people secretly following Xie Qiao all the way here. When they heard Ding Mao¡¯s words, they were also extremely surprised and quickly came forward.


    Can


    ¡°What are you all arguing about? This is Old Master Li¡¯s eldest disciple, Master Mo. How can you all be so disrespectful to your seniors at such a young age? And you dare to shout?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Taoist masters? Although Master Mo is a Taoist master, she is a great artist! All of you can¡¯t catch up to her!¡±


    As for Master Yun Wei¡¯s name, these outsiders did not hear it just now.


    There were also others who discovered that her painting and Master Yun Wei¡¯s techniques were somewhat simr, but because they did not look at the painting for a long time. They did not have the time to study it carefully. They just had some doubts in their hearts and did not think much about it.


    At this moment, Ding Mao was shocked. Zhou Sijin looked at Xie Qiao in disbelief. ¡°Y-You are Old Master Li¡¯s disciple?¡±


    How did Yu Xian know Old Master Li¡¯s disciple?!


    With such an identity¡­


    If Yu Xian had sought the help of this master and relied on the rtionship between the master and the Crown Prince, then the so-called engagement would not have much of an impact at all?!


    No matter how rampant the people in Dong¡¯an were, who would dare to offend the Crown Prince?!


    Zhou Sijin¡¯s face was pale, and she felt that she was in deep trouble.


    During this period of time, she had really offended Yu Xian thoroughly. She had said all kinds of nasty things, and she had also thrown a lot of attitude. She had even angered Yu Xian to the point that she went back to the Xie Residence¡­


    However, all of this was because she thought Yu Xian was a poor rtive.


    Her parents were gone, and she had no backing. She also wanted to put on the airs of a youngdy, which was really annoying. That was why she disliked her!


    However, if she knew these important figures¡­


    Zhou Sijin was about to cry. Ding Mao was not doing much better at the moment. He was a little speechless. After holding it in for a while, he said with a flushed face, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    In this world, would a Taoist master take a great schr as her teacher?!

 Chapter 1049 - He Would Be Xie Pinggang in the Future

    <h4>Chapter 1049 He Would Be Xie Pinggang in the Future</h4>


    At this moment, the two of them had lost their arrogance from before.


    The few people behind them who were watching the show wanted nothing more than to cover their faces.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s our fault for not being able to recognize you¡­ I hope that you will forgive us for our wrongdoings. Please don¡¯t take it to heart with the students.¡± Ding Mao immediately admitted defeat. After he reacted, he lowered his head, and he bowed to Xie Qiao.


    If he lowered his head now, he could still save himself. It would be terrible for him to continue being arrogant.


    There was no anger on Xie Qiao¡¯s face. She only nced at him indifferently and said, ¡°Xie¡¯er is only the grand-disciple of Old Master Li. Since he¡¯s the grand-disciple, it would be better for me to introduce you to him. Why are you keeping quiet now?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± Ding Mao broke out in cold sweat instantly.


    ¡°Is this bullying the weak and fearing the strong? That¡¯s right, everyone has their own aspirations. A unique person like you is also rare in this world. It¡¯s not bad to live a rare life,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    These words immediately set Ding Mao on fire.


    This Taoist master¡­ What a vicious mouth!


    His eyes were red and he looked very angry. On the other hand, Xie Qiao¡¯s smile was even more benevolent. She was initially going to walk around. At this moment, she sat down beside a stone stool not far away and beckoned Xie Pinghuai toe forward. It was a test of his knowledge.


    Xie Pinghuai was very excited.


    In the past, he felt that it was not good to acknowledge a teacher. Not only was he subject to control, he was often provoked by others. For some reason, he was hated by others. He was full of trouble.


    However, now, when he saw that his senior aunty could say such a casual sentence and made Ding Mao so angry that he was stifling his anger, he admired her even more now.


    ¡°Senior Aunty, look at how angry he is. We should seize the opportunity to attack him. Let him kneel and admit his mistake, right?!¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes were shining.


    ¡°If he admits his mistake, would you feel happy?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but smile.


    ¡°Of course, make him kneel and say that he was wrong! In the future, when he sees me turn around and leave, he wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke me anymore!¡± Xie Pinghuai immediately patted his chest and said, as if he had already seen that daying. When Xie Qiao heard that, she was quite helpless. ¡°So, you want to learn from your eldest brother and be a person like him in the future.¡±


    ¡°No! I live my own life. Who wants to be like him?¡± Xie Pinghuai was upset.


    In this world, the person he hated the most was Xie Pinggang!


    Xie Qiao chuckled lightly. ¡°Your eldest brother is like that. When he is angry, he would want to beat up whoever he hates. When he is angry, he would rush up and hit someone. In such a situation, he would probably have to crush Ding Mao into a pit before he is willing to give up. He would be so tired that his fists would be half dead. Only then would he feel happy. If you are like that, won¡¯t you be exactly like your eldest brother?¡±


    Xie Pinghuai was silent for a moment.


    After thinking for a moment, he realized that it was indeed the case.


    In other words, he would be like Xie Pinggang in the future?


    He despised him very much. ¡°Sometimes, you don¡¯t have to use violence in order to be happy.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him and said seriously, ¡°You see, this penniless master is sitting here now. Those arrogant people just now wanted to leave, but they couldn¡¯t leave right away. Those who stayed have to do things ording to this penniless master¡¯s intention. They didn¡¯t dare to make a loud noise or vent their dissatisfaction. Thatment of mine would cause him to be ridiculed for a few years. This is much more painful than being beaten up,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    If she were to make the other party kneel and admit his mistake, it would be that she, as an elder, was too petty and humiliated the younger generation.


    Xie Pinghuai thought for a moment and admitted it.


    ¡°Just like how that procuress threw me out back then. She only said one sentence and made me aughingstock for several years?¡± Xie Pinghuai said.


    This matter still made him upset!


    ¡°It makes sense. For instance, eldest brother¡­ Your eldest brother once beat up the teacher of the Royal Academy. Although he felt happy at that time, after that teacher was beaten up, even if it was his fault at first, he became a weaklingter on. The one who suffered was still your eldest brother,¡± Xie Qiao added.

 Chapter 1050 - Twisted Reasoning

    <h4>Chapter 1050 Twisted Reasoning</h4>


    When Xie Pinggang first arrived in the capital, someone said something unpleasant. He could not help but beat that person up. Due to that matter, he could not go to the Royal Academy to ¡°make money¡±. That was secondary. The most important thing was that from then on, his rudeness made schrs loathe him.


    To put it more seriously, even in the imperial court, those civil officials would be prejudiced because of this matter.


    ¡°If you put it that way, it seems to make sense.¡± Xie Pinghuai nodded. ¡°Back then, I clearly went to the brothel with a few people, but those people pretended to be good to me, but behind my back, they actually let the procuress humiliate me, making me aughingstock¡­¡±


    Later on, he also fought with those people a few times, and on a few asions, he also made them cry for their parents, so it could be considered as revenge. However¡­ Only when he beat them up was he happy.


    After that, they would pretend to be pitiful, and everyone would call him a bandit. ¡°Senior Aunty, how can I be different from my eldest brother?¡± Xie Pinghuai sat down obediently and asked with his head stretched out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t show your emotions, restrain your desires, be tactful and reject people nicely. If you persist for a long time, it will definitely be effective,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    He did not understand.


    Happiness was happiness, and anger was anger. He could not even express it?! ¡°Do you think that your teacher likes you more or Chu Jian more?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s Chu Jian. That kid is too obsequious. After seeing my teacher, he was still smiling. Sometimes when my teacher punishes him, he actually happily agrees and kneels willingly!¡± Xie Pinghuai sighed.


    He was different. If his teacher punishes him, he could not be happy because he figured he would have to work hard again.


    ¡°But do you think Chu Jian likes being punished?¡± Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows and asked.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Xie Pinghuai said without hesitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. He doesn¡¯t like it, but he shows courtesy. This is his ability. If you can control your emotions better than him, even if your talent is not as good as his, your teacher will definitely like you more.¡± Xie Qiao felt that her twisted reasoning was not bad.


    She taught her stupid brother to be a scheming person.


    Although Chu Jian was ambitious, he was indeed a sensible schr. It was not that he could tolerate Xiao Yurong¡¯s honor and courtesy. It was that he learned the way of Confucius and Mencius and had filial piety in his heart.


    However, no matter how much she talked to Xie Pinghuai about these principles, he never paid attention to them.


    She could not teach him. Even though he was much more restrained now, he was still less sensible than an ordinary person.


    If he could understand a little of what she said and not make others think that he was a fool that was easy to fool, it would be enough.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Senior Aunty was also angry just now. You only acted like you weren¡¯t angry. They could not see it either. On the contrary, they were afraid of you?¡± Xie Pinghuai asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded helplessly.


    In reality, she was indeed not angry at all.


    She was not angry because she was not in good health. She had learned to adjust her emotions and would not be upset over such a small matter.


    ¡°Then I will learn from you in the future.¡± Xie Pinghuai felt that his senior aunty in front of him was much more powerful than his teacher. ¡°Senior Aunty, you are the most reasonable one and you don¡¯t like to scold me. You speak gently and it makes me feelfortable!¡±


    ¡°Is Xiao Yurong so annoying to you?¡± Xie Qiao was also helpless.


    Her foolish younger brother did not know the price of disrespecting his teacher.


    It was also because Xiao Yurong had tolerated him many times that he was allowed to continue learning from him. If it were other teachers, they would have kicked him out of the academy long ago.


    ¡°Teacher loves to lecture me. His words are too profound and I can¡¯t understand him. If I ask him, he will make me copy books in order to make me remember those allusions. If I don¡¯t ask him, he will punish me even more severely the next time¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai felt that it was difficult for him too!

 Chapter 1051 - Winner in Life

    <h4>Chapter 1051 Winner in Life</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai looked a little pitiful at the moment.


    He did not really hate his teacher.


    He knew what was good for him. Xiao Yurong cared more about him than his own father. He punished him by getting him to copy books and asked him about his studies. It was all for his own good. He knew that.


    He had indeed made progress recently and received a lot of praise. However,pared to others, he was still not good enough. He always made his teacher sigh.


    Hearing that irritating teacher sigh, he felt uneasy. He always felt that he was too stupid and was not the same kind of person as his teacher.


    Her foolish younger brother did not have the ability to understand Xiao Yurong¡¯s words. At this point¡­ Xie Qiao really could not help him.


    ¡°You can copy another two years of books and you will understand by then. The road to knowledge is always hard at the beginning,¡± Xie Qiao lied.


    The truth was¡­ it would always be hard.


    With a strict and demanding teacher like Xiao Yurong, it would be impossible for him to turn over a new leaf in his life.


    However, her foolish little brother had such a good life!


    When he was a bandit, he was still young, and the family was busy beating up barbarians. No one cared about him. He was free to go up and down the mountains and rivers. He was very carefree. When he grew up, his father became an official and he became a young master. He was doted on by Ms. Lu. After Ms. Lu left, Aunt Lin doted on him. When he was about to walk on the right path, he even had such a good teacher¡­


    In that case, he was really a winner in life¡­


    Inparison, she and her eldest brother had a much harder time.


    Xie Qiao looked at him with envy. Xie Pinghuai could not tell. He only felt that his senior aunty was kind and gentle, as if he was his aunt!


    Xie Qiao stayed there for a while. Ding Mao, Zhou Sijin, and the others waited for the others to stop staring at them. Then, they braced themselves and went to Xie Qiao.


    She was sitting there quietly.


    There were many people who were curious about her, but most of them knew their manners and would not disturb her.


    Xie Qiao tested Xie Pinghuai. She had a thorough idea of his current progress.


    It was just that he was not diligent, but his mind was still quite active. With Xiao Yurong urging him, his progress was actually very big. It could not bepared to Chu Jian, who was already a high schr.


    Xie Pinghuai startedte, so there was no need topare with him.


    In her opinion, he should be able to take the examination next year.


    Seeing that he had made great progress, Xie Qiao was even more gentle to him.


    After approximately two hours, he saw people whispering to each other not far away. She did not know what they were talking about.


    Xie Qiao looked around and saw the ghouls of a few schrs floating toward a ce. They were muttering to each other. From the sound of their voices, it seemed that¡­ someone had died?


    ¡°Senior Aunty, what¡¯s wrong? Test me again. I can answer such simple questions!¡± He had written many of them more than a hundred times. How could he not know it?!


    Xie Qiao stood up. ¡°Someone died. Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Someone killed someone?¡± Xie Pinghuai was instantly energized. He even took out a knife from his pocket. ¡°Senior Aunty, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m very capable! If a murderer dares toe near us, this young master will finish him off with a knife!¡±


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t show your emotions.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai smiled awkwardly when he heard that. He looked left and right before scratching his head. He sheepishly put away the knife and looked serious. However, his gaze was still a little uncertain, it was obvious that he was still mischievous.


    It was already good enough that he could keep his expression. He could take his time.

 Chapter 1052 - Ugly Bear-like Man

    <h4>Chapter 1052 Ugly Bear-like Man</h4>


    Xie Qiao followed the ghoul to the ce where the ident happened.


    As they walked, they actually arrived at thekeside not far from the pavilion.


    This ce¡­ Xie Qiao was very familiar with it. She had just painted a picture of a man blowing reed pipes for a youngdy¡­


    As she approached, she saw Xie Pinggang.


    Besides Xie Pinggang, the Crown Prince, Sang You, and Jiang Jinlu were all there.


    ¡°Senior Brother Xiao sent teacher off to rest,¡± Zhao Xuanjing exined when he saw her wandering gaze.


    Xie Qiao nodded. Teacher was old, and his energy was not as good as before. It was cold today, and it seemed like it was going to snow. Indeed, he would not be able tost long.


    ¡°Why are the people from the criminal division here?¡± Xie Qiao was somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Today, the Octagon Garden is too crowded. The administrative office is responsible for the safety of the students inside. It¡¯s just that they don¡¯t have enough manpower, so they borrowed some people from the criminal division. It just so happens that I¡¯m here, so this case naturally belongs to the criminal division.¡± Zhao Xuanjing lowered his head and exined patiently. Xie Qiao finally understood.


    Xie Pinggang was looking at the corpse.


    Xie Qiao took a look and found that the dead person was actually the youth who blew the reed pipes. In the painting, this youth was full of vitality, young and beautiful. She did not expect that in the blink of an eye, he would be lying on the ground.


    She looked carefully, but she did not find his soul.


    Could it be that he went down directly?


    However, usually, a person who died suddenly would stay in the world of the living¡­


    ¡°This is¡­ His Highness¡¯ brother-inw?¡± Sang You was greatly shocked by what his eyes saw!


    He could not care less about the corpse on the ground and could not help but look at Xie Pinggang. The more he looked at him, the more terrifying he felt. His expression was horrified and shocked.


    This man was too ugly!


    It was not his facial features that were ugly, but his temperament!


    He was as strong as a bear and taller than the others by a head. When he wanted to see his appearance, he even had to lift his neck. It was really tiring!


    His height was already very attention-seeking. However, he did not pay attention to his appearance. Half of his face was covered by stubble. From his eyes, he looked like a young man. However, when faced with that beard, those who did not know would think that he was a savage in his thirties or forties!


    His skin was rough, his eyes were fierce, his voice was rough, and his clothes were crude and embarrassing!


    He was in ck and gray, and his boots were stained with dirty mud. He had a saber on his waist, a soft sword on his body, and even the hair tie on his head seemed to be a sharp weapon!


    Sang You could not help but take a step back, and his hands suddenly felt ufortable. He could not help but take out a handkerchief from his pocket¡­


    ¡°Senior Brother Sang, are you okay?¡± Jiang Jinlu looked at Sang You sympathetically.


    The corner of Sang You¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°The mud on his feet¡­ it¡¯s really an eyesore¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? Senior Brother Sang, you should try your best to bear with it. First Young Master Xie is working on a case¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu also knew his senior brother¡¯s taboo¡­


    He could not bear to see something dirty, and he would feel ufortable inside!


    If it were not for the fact that there were people everywhere, he might have lowered his head to clean Xie Pinggang¡¯s boots!


    Of course, Sang You was not always like this.


    He did not like to see people who were close to him being so careless.


    What was strange was that if the farmers were like this, not only could he tolerate it, but he could also work with them.


    However, in this kind of situation, he did not like to be dirty when he did not need to work. Moreover, in Jiang Jinlu¡¯s eyes, it was not the boots that Sang You could not tolerate, but Xie Pinggang


    His bear-like temperament provoked Senior Brother Sang¡¯s aesthetic judgment to death.

 Chapter 1053 - Dirty Things

    <h4>Chapter 1053 Dirty Things</h4>


    Sang You stood there stiffly.


    After about 15 minutes, Xie Pinggang finished examining the body and wiped his hands on his clothes. Seeing that, Sang You could not bear it any longer, so he quickly walked forward. He handed a green handkerchief to Xie Pinggang. ¡°Young Master Xie, please take


    it.¡±


    Xie Pinggang turned his head to look at him.


    Then, he looked at the handkerchief.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just wipe on my clothes.¡± Xie Pinggang was very straightforward.


    Look at that handkerchief. Tsk, tsk, tsk. It really looked like it was used by a woman. Not only was it clean, it was also embroidered with flowers?


    Xie Pinggang nced at it and almost threw this woman into theke. Fortunately, he knew that the Crown Prince was here, so he was too embarrassed to do that.


    ¡°Use this handkerchief.¡± Sang You gritted his teeth.


    There was nothing wrong with the corpse checked by the people of the criminal division. The corpse was human and had just died. There was no smell or rot, so there was nothing wrong with it.


    However, the corpse was drowned, and there was a lot of sand in its mouth. Xie Pinggang reached out and dug for a while. Besides the sand, he also saw that he took out some¡­ strange mucus¡­


    How could he¡­ just wipe it on his clothes?!


    Xie Pinggang really wanted to shout. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use it. This is none of your business¡­¡±


    However, on second thought, he was His Highness¡¯ brother-inw, so he did not want to embarrass His Highness in front of others. Therefore, he patiently took the handkerchief and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He pinched the handkerchief, looked at it, and rubbed it in his hand. After a short while, the initially t and fragrant handkerchief instantly turned into a dirty thing.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± After Xie Pinggang wiped it, he did not forget to thank him. He directly stuffed the handkerchief into Sang You¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s your name? Are you His Highness¡¯¡­ junior brother?¡±


    The only people who could stand with His Highness today were probably people from the same sect.


    Sang You¡¯s face instantly turned pale.


    The handkerchief hung on his chest just like that. He let go of it and held it tightly. He only felt countless dirt rolling and wreaking havoc in front of him, which gave him goosebumps.


    However, the rules of the world prevented him from throwing the thing away.


    It was Jiang Jinlu who could not stand it and took the handkerchief over. Only then did he regain his normal breathing.


    Sang You really could not smile at this moment. He looked at Xie Pinggang as if he had seen the most difficult mountain to cross in his life. He had the urge to never see this person again.


    ¡°Your Highness, he drowned. Theke is cold today, and his clothes are thick and heavy. He did not float up immediately.¡± Xie Pinggang had been working in the criminal division for a long time, so he had the ability to identify the cause of death. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why he went to theke and how he fell. Fortunately, there are many people today, so there might be someone who saw him.¡±


    ¡°Although there are many people today, everyone¡¯s eyes are focused on the pavilion. This ce¡­ is not particrly eye-catching,¡± Jiang Jinlu could not help but say.


    Xie Pinggang observed it in private and found that it was indeed so.


    It was quiet here, but the scenery was not the best.


    He was not a schr, so he did not know what special things were in the pavilion that would cause so many people to swarm over. However, since the Crown Prince was there, there was no need to mention the others.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to check his identity,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    In reality, there was no need to check.


    After such a big incident, the person who knew the deceased was standing in the crowd, and she was especially eye-catching.


    It was a youngdy.


    The youngdy was very pretty and cute, but at this moment, her eyes were red and swollen, and her body was trembling. She looked like she was on the verge of copse. Xie Qiao had painted her before, and when she was painting, she had never thought that the youngdy would have to face such a heartbreaking scene.

 Chapter 1054 - Poor Young Lady

    <h4>Chapter 1054 Poor Young Lady</h4>


    Xie Qiao could not help but sympathize with this youngdy and sighed softly.


    At this moment, the youngdy was also invited over for questioning.


    In order to avoid too much of an impact, Xie Pinggang red at the onlookers and chased them to the pavilion.


    Sang You was almost sent away by Xie Pinggang¡¯s fierce gaze.


    ¡°It really is the famous First Young Master Xie¡­ He is more courageous than the rumors say.¡± Sang You¡¯s tone was troubled. After saying that, he also chose to go to the pavilion and did not dare to stay any longer.


    This Young Master Xie seemed like he was going to eat people. He always felt that he could hit people at any time.


    However, before he left, he did not forget the Crown Prince and eldest senior sister. He looked at them deeply and said, ¡°Your Highness, Senior Sister, let¡¯s wait over there¡­ We can¡¯t help with the case¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother, just leave first. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Xie Qiao waved at him, unmoved.


    ¡°Senior Brother Sang, I¡¯ll stay and take a look too,¡± Jiang Jinlu quickly added.


    Sang You was not used to such a brutal scene, especially now that the Crown Prince and the people from the criminal division were here. As a teacher who taught Taoism and zither skills, he was of no use, so he chose to wait somewhere else.


    At this moment, Xie Pinggang stared at the youngdy. ¡°Do you recognize this person? Did you guyse together?¡±


    He had tried his best to be kind, but he was born with a fierce temperament. This kind of temperament could not be changed, and it still scared people. When the youngdy heard his words, her body trembled even more, she was so nervous that she could not even speak.


    Xie Pinggang was very helpless.


    Women were really troublesome. They were even more timid than mice. The person close to her was dead, but she could not even open her mouth to speak. It was a waste of time.


    Although he thought so, Xie Pinggang still had his friendly subordinate beside him step forward and ask again.


    He turned around and did not let this youngdy see his face.


    Sure enough, this youngdy¡¯s mood was much better now¡­


    ¡°Fu Hanwen¡­ Brother Hanwen¡­ He l-lives next door. A few days ago, someone sent two invitation cards to my house. I gave them to Brother Hanwen. I heard that it was very lively here today, so we came to take a look¡­ Just now, I heard that there was a troupe singing over there. We were supposed to go together, but Brother Hanwen said that he met someone he knew, so he let me go first. But I waited for a while, and he still hadn¡¯te¡­¡± The youngdy sobbed hard after she finished speaking.


    ¡°Do you know who he wanted to meet?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s subordinate asked.


    The youngdy shook her head and said with misty eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Brother Hanwen only said that they were ssmates¡­¡±


    ssmates?


    ¡°Get someone to investigate. Anyone who has seen the dead in this garden must be brought here. Then, go to the dean of the academy and get the name list of his ssmates.¡±


    Apart from that, they also had to investigate the youngdy. After all, she was notpletely innocent since the two came together.


    Xie Pinggang did not have any sympathy for the youngdy. He looked at everyone as if they were all suspects. There was no difference at all.


    Since the murder case in the Octagon Garden happened, many things had been stopped.


    Xie Qiao and the others rested for a while in the distance. After four hours, someone came.


    Fu Hanwen came from a decent family. He was from an ordinary wealthy family, and the youngdy next door was Pan Jiao. The two families were of equal status, and they were childhood sweethearts.


    They also had the intention of getting married.


    Now that Fu Hanwen was dead, their parents hade, and they were crying sadly.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao finally found Fu Hanwen¡¯s ghoul.


    When his parents arrived, he finally emerged from the bottom of theke¡­

 Chapter 1055 - The Culprit

    <h4>Chapter 1055 The Culprit</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at Fu Hanwen¡¯s ghoul. She only saw that Fu Hanwen¡¯s expression was a little numb, and he did not look like a ghoul that had just died.


    A normal person who had just died would not be able to ept it, especially when they saw their loved ones. They would either cry, unwilling or angry, or they would tell their story. They would try to let their loved ones hear it so that they could avenge themselves.


    However, Fu Hanwen did not.


    He was like a statue, without any reaction at all.


    <b>ere some</b>


    Looking at his parents¡¯ eyes, there were some tears of reluctance, but his pale mouth was tightly shut. He did not say a word.


    It was very strange.


    Now that Xie Qiao encountered this murder case, it was not good to pretend that she had not seen it. Since she could see ghouls, it was only natural that she should ask.


    Xie Qiao extended her hand to Xie Pinggang. ¡°Do you have any copper coins?¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not understand. He felt his body and took out a few copper coins. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°This is the reward.¡± Xie Qiao stuffed the things into his arms and walked to thekeside.


    The ghoul floated on the surface of the water and was still a short distance away from the corpse. Xie Qiao¡¯s actions were not particrly eye-catching, especially for Fu Hanwen¡¯s family. At this moment, they were all immersed in sadness. Everything around them was no longer important to them.


    Xie Qiao and the ghoul faced each other.


    Fu Hanwen was not bad-looking. He was about seventeen or eighteen years old and was very handsome. He was refined. At this moment, he had turned into a ghoul, but there was an additional cold air. His entire body was emitting a faint cold mist, there was a bit of frost on his eyebrows, and he was not ugly.


    ¡°You have resentment. Do you want to resolve it?¡± Xie Qiao asked softly.


    There was a lot of resentment, but it was still restrained. It seemed that he had no intention of taking revenge.


    The ghoul slowly looked at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Taoist master,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly and patiently. ¡°If you have anything to say to your family, I can pass it on to them for you. And that youngdy¡­¡±.


    Before Xie Qiao could finish her words, she clearly felt that the ghoul seemed to have more resentment.


    However, his expression was slightly pained.


    He suddenly jumped back into the iceke.


    Xie Qiao was silent for a moment, feeling a little suspicious.


    It should not be like this¡­ After all, just a moment ago, Young Lady Pan was still lovey-dovey with him. Even if he died pitifully, he should not have shown such an expression when she mentioned Young Lady Pan, unless¡­


    Xie Qiao felt her heart turn cold.


    She turned around to look at that youngdy¡­


    The youngdy¡¯s eyes were red and she was very sad. After her parents arrived, she cried until she was out of breath. No one would doubt her at all with such an appearance, but from the look of that ghoul¡­ This murder case was probably rted to her?


    It could not be?


    Xie Qiao was a little shocked.


    When she painted that painting, she had seen these two people the most carefully. Although they were far away, that warm and beautiful scene made her feel very clearly.


    Just as Fu Hanwen¡¯s ghoul went down, another ghoul crawled up from the bottom of the water.


    Fu Hanwen had just been by theke and had not left the water. However, this ghoul was different now. He came out of the water excitedly and went ashore step by step.


    He was wet and a little bloated. His eyes were ck and blue. He did not look as good as Fu Hanwen.


    ¡°Are you the water spirit in thiske?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The water spirit was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at her. ¡°Are you talking to


    me?!


    ¡°Yes, you. Did you pull that person into the water?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.

 Chapter 1056 - The Murderer

    <h4>Chapter 1056 The Murderer</h4>


    There was a kind of water spirit that needed to find a substitute. Without a substitute, they would be stuck at the bottom of the water and would not be able to get ashore. The one before her should be like that.


    When the water spirit saw her clothes and the aura that she was emitting, its heart constricted and it could not help but be nervous. ¡°I did not! I know that it is not good to use someone as a substitute! ¡°I¡¯m also very pitiful. I lost my footing and fell into theke. It¡¯s been so many years, but I still have no way of escaping. It¡¯s also the heavens that pity me. In a ce like this, there¡¯s actually someone who would kill someone. That¡¯s why I got lucky!¡± As he said that, the ghoul rubbed his hands together. He was both terrified and happy.


    ¡°You just came ashore. Do you have any ns?¡± When Xie Qiao saw him like this, her tone became much gentler.


    The ghoul in front of her thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Someone has be my substitute. I should be able to reincarnate in seven days. I¡¯m going to visit my family first. I¡¯ll leave after I¡¯m done.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at his situation carefully.


    After finding his substitute, he did not have any lingering resentment. It was indeed possible for him to be reincarnated.


    Xie Qiao took out a talisman from her embrace and struck it on his body. ¡°This talisman is used to nourish the soul. It¡¯s to prevent you from identally injuring your soul during these seven days.¡±


    When the ghoul heard that, he was very happy. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I want to ask you.¡± Xie Qiao was much more polite. ¡°How exactly did your substitute die? Do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know, Master!¡± The water spirit immediately nodded. ¡°He was pushed and drowned! I saw that person too. He was at that pavilion over there! It was a man, very young. At that time, the two of them were standing by theke and talking. I heard it very clearly.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what they said?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± The ghoul immediately nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like that man who harmed him. I should have caught him earlier!


    Jam


    ¡°I was buried under the water to watch the show. Later, I heard from those people that there was a painting in which a man and a youngdy looked verypatible, so I swam over to have a look. I just came over, and the man and youngdy were about to leave. However, the youngdy left first, and the man said that he saw an acquaintance and stayed.


    ¡°After the youngdy left, someone came over. At first, the two of them talked calmly, but as they chatted, the man said some unpleasant words¡­¡±


    The ghoul seemed to be a little shy and found it difficult to speak.


    However, looking at the dead body on the ground, he thought that the other party was his substitute and could be considered his benefactor, so he could not hide it and not tell the truth.


    ¡°What I know is that the man imed to be the youngdy¡¯s cousin. He was talking about how close he was to the youngdy, and he also said that the two families wanted to be closer to each other when they were young. After hearing those words, my substitute¡¯s mood became bad.


    ¡°Later on, when my substitute was not paying attention, he pushed him. He was still struggling, but the cousin said that he already had intimacy with the youngdy. He also said that the reason why the youngdy invited him out today was to cut off all ties with him. However, seeing how pitiful he was, he couldn¡¯t say anything. The cousin even took out a hairpin and said with a vicious expression that a person like him should die, why drag others down with him? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was pitiful, his cousin wouldn¡¯t have given him another look no matter what¡­¡±


    ¡°A person like him? What does that mean? Does Fu Hanwen have any ws?¡± Xie Qiao did not notice it earlier.


    ¡°It seems like his hand isn¡¯t very good. When he struggled, he could have climbed up, but I saw that his hand did not seem to have any strength. After grabbing for a long time, he still couldn¡¯t grab anything. When he heard what the man said and saw the hairpin, he simply stopped struggling and sank.¡±

 Chapter 1057 - Too Many Rules in the World

    <h4>Chapter 1057 Too Many Rules in the World</h4>


    At this point, the water spirit seemed to sympathize with his substitute and even let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Women are all liars!¡± The water spirit did not forget to spit in Pan Jiao¡¯s direction. ¡°When no one was around, Fu Hanwen asked her why she did not wear the hairpin. She said she was afraid of losing it! She wasn¡¯t afraid of that, but she gave it to someone else to show her love!


    ¡°When she was with Fu Hanwen, she smiled so beautifully. It was impossible to tell that she had moved on! Hmph!¡± The water spirit rolled his eyes.


    Hearing this, Xie Qiao shook her head helplessly.


    ¡°Was what the murderer said true? No matter what, we should at least let that youngdy defend herself, right?¡± Xie Qiao felt that what she had seen earlier should not be fake.


    Even though they were far away, Pan Jiao¡¯s smile was very infectious. At that moment, she only felt that the ce where the two of them stayed was like the warm sun shining down.


    <b>S SO warm</b>


    <b>vas</b>


    It was so warm and did not seem like it was fake.


    Besides, although she did not look closely at Pan Jiao, she could vaguely tell that this youngdy did not have any evil intentions.


    ¡°I have to thank you for reminding me of this.¡± Xie Qiao thanked the water spirit.


    ¡°You are too kind, Master.¡± After saying that, the water spirit floated away. Before it left, it was still humming a little tune. It could be seen how happy he was to regain his freedom.


    This kind of water spirit was trapped for a very long time. After a long period of time, the resentment would usually be very heavy. It was the same for the water spirit just now. However, after having a substitute, the resentment would more or less be transferred to the next water spirit¡­


    As a substitute, it would not be easy for Fu Hanwen to leave.


    As a Taoist master, she could take Fu Hanwen away, but she would have to pay a higher price than the average ghoul.


    Now that Fu Hanwen did not show up, Xie Qiao turned around and walked back.


    After staying by theke for a while, her face was cold from the cold wind, and the cloak on her body was even tighter.


    Zhao Xuanjing, Xie Pinggang, and the others were already used to it, and they knew that she was not in good health. Seeing her working so hard, one felt sorry for her, and the other was even more impressed.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s so cold, and you still have to be out there. It seems that it¡¯s not easy to be a Taoist master!¡± Xie Pinggang thought life was hard!


    Look at this master. She made a teacher her master, and she had to follow him to learn some skills. Otherwise, others would think that she was wasting someone¡¯s talent.


    There were too many rules in this world!


    Of course, Xie Pinggang¡¯s idea was entirely because this person in front of him was the Master Mo that he respected.


    If it was Xie Pinghuai¡­


    That brat had already followed such a powerful master, yet he still did not make any progress. He should beat him to death so that he would not ruin Teacher Xiao¡¯s reputation!


    As for the weather¡­


    Hmph, he would not freeze to death!


    ¡°Young Master Xie, I¡¯ve just asked some questions. Do you want to hear them?¡± Xie Qiao raised her head to look at him. She felt that it was quite strenuous.


    No wonder Sang You could not be bothered to look at him after raising his head for a while.


    ¡°Of course I want to hear them!¡± Xie Pinggang did not hesitate. ¡°This case is the responsibility of our criminal division, but this victim was raised by his parents. If we can catch the murderer earlier and relieve their parents¡¯ worries, of course I would be willing!¡±


    ¡°Okay, then please go and arrest Young Lady Pan¡¯s cousin. He should be in the pavilion over there. However, the ghoul¡¯s words cannot be used as evidence. It will take some effort to get the truth,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Master, is this person a suspect or¡­ has it been confirmed that he is the one who did it?¡± Xie Pinggang confirmed again.

 Chapter 1058 - Acting Clandestinely

    <h4>Chapter 1058 Acting ndestinely</h4>


    If there was a suspect, they should restrain themselves during the interrogation and not use torture to avoid hurting the innocent.


    However, if they were sure that he was the murderer, then it would be different¡­


    The officials in the criminal division were not soft-hearted when they started to fight.


    ¡°Call him over first. I want to see his face before deciding.¡± In order to be sure, Xie Qiao did not insist.


    The water spirit¡¯s words were still very credible, but after all, it involved a person¡¯s life. Now that she did not even see that person, it was not appropriate for her to insist that the other party had made a mistake.


    Xie Pinggang nodded and sent someone to look for him.


    In her opinion, there was something wrong with the cousin.


    It was alreadyte at night, and it had already been six to eight hours since the case started. As early as the time of the case, he had already asked everyone in the Octagon Garden who knew the deceased toe over. There were quite a few ssmates who were questioned by the officials, however, the so-called cousin was still in the crowd and did not show up?


    Did it mean that this person¡­ had concealed his identity from the very beginning and was hiding to watch the show?


    If he hid his identity so well, he must be up to no good! The official asked the parents of the Pan family to go over to identify him.


    The couple was puzzled at first, but when they saw Pan Jiao¡¯s cousin, they were surprised.


    How could they not recognize their own rtives? Even though this man was hiding in the crowd and dressed slightly differently than usual, they could tell at a nce and he was immediately taken to the corpse.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s him. This man is called Yan Kebao.¡± The official pushed him over.


    Yan Kebao was a schr, but he looked very strong


    The Fu family and the Pan family were puzzled, especially the Fu family. They said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sir¡­ W-What are you doing¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you! Why are you hiding in the crowd and not showing yourself? Are you guilty?¡± Xie Pinggang said fiercely.


    Yan Kebao was not short, but he was still far from Xie Pinggang. With one head lowered, his imposing manner was suppressed, and his whole body shivered.


    ¡°I only heard that you are looking for Brother Fu¡¯s ssmate¡­ I am not his ssmate, so¡­ I don¡¯t dare to go forward, so as to avoid dying your investigation.¡± Yan Kebao¡¯s voice was a bit shaky.


    Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°Where were you when Fu Hanwen fell into the water?!¡±


    Now, there was no one in the Octagon Garden who did not know about the case, and the time of the victim falling into the water was no longer a secret.


    Yan Kebao quickly lowered his head. ¡°Sir, I was near the pavilion¡­¡±


    There were many people near the pavilion, they were not familiar with each other. If Yan Kebao said that he was there, no one could prove it for him. However, many students present also came to the Octagon Garden alone like him, so it was hard to say that he was being unreasonable.


    While he was speaking, Xie Qiao was observing his facial features.


    This person looked pretty good, not ugly.


    His facial features were upright, there were no spots on his face, his shoulders were wide and his back was straight. He was pretty good.


    However, he had other shorings.


    His eyes were pretty good, but the blood vessels in his eyes were slightly more than that of an ordinary person. When his eyes were looking straight ahead, his pupils were slightly nted and not very obvious. His eyes were fierce, and he waspetitive and greedy. This feature was not a big problem.


    What Xie Qiao was concerned about was his luck this year.


    In the life of a mortal, there were ups and downs in luck, good and bad luck.


    A face was divided into more than a hundred parts, each part representing a year. Looking at the color of the corresponding parts, it could break his luck.

 Chapter 1059 - The More She Looks at Him, the More Unlucky He Became

    <h4>Chapter 1059 The More She Looks at Him, the More Unlucky He Became</h4>


    Yan Kebao should be around 20 years old.


    After 15 or 16 years, his forehead would bepletely formed. At Yan Kebao¡¯s current age, Xie Qiao was looking at the position of the auxiliary horn.


    The so-called auxiliary horn was actually the position of the two sides of his forehead that were slightly off.


    It was terrible.


    In the past two years, he should have encountered many things. His heart had changed greatly. There was a green qi above his lip. There was a sign of him going to hell. The qi in the dream hall was scattered. The appearance was fierce. The white qi in the sky was the main cause of the bad luck. His parents were sent to theherworld.


    After Xie Qiao finished reading his face, she was also a little shocked.


    This person did not look like much at first nce. When she looked carefully, the more she looked¡­ the more unlucky he became?


    Losing money, mourning, ominous dreams, andwsuits. Within two to three years, everything had happened to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± At this moment, Xie Qiao waspletely sure. She nodded and said to Xie Pinggang


    After Xie Pinggang heard that, he looked at Yan Kebao with an even colder gaze. He was only one step away from putting the big de on the other person¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Tell me, why did you push Fu Hanwen into the water?!¡± Xie Pinggang asked fiercely.


    As soon as he said that, the Fu and Pan families looked over in shock, their faces full of disbelief. Pan Jiao was even more dumbfounded. ¡°H-How could it be my cousin¡­¡±


    Fu Hanwen¡¯s father also seemed to have been greatly provoked. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ it can¡¯t be. He¡¯s the son of my good friend. After my good friend died, I treated him as my own. How could he kill my son?!¡±


    He did not know if he was asking the others or himself.


    Yan Kebao¡¯s face was pale. ¡°Do you have proof of your words, sir?¡±


    After saying that, he looked at Xie Qiao.


    ¡°Master Mo, I respect you as a senior, but you can¡¯t just say things like that. This is a human life. Fu Hanwen and I are like brothers. Why would I harm him?!¡± Yan Kebao said indignantly.


    ¡°Look at your face¡­ Young Master Yan, you¡¯ve been in a lot of trouble in the past two to three years. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so stubborn and did something wrong,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°My face¡­¡± Yan Kebao sneered. ¡°Master, can we judge a case based on someone¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°Indeed not,¡± Xie Qiao admitted, but in the next moment, her eyes were like torches as she stared at Yan Kebao. She said word by word, ¡°If it can¡¯t be used as evidence, then it doesn¡¯t matter what I say, right? Young Master Yan, your family used to do business rted to waterways, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Master Fu could not help but nod. ¡°His father and I used to do business together. We relied on waterways. However, two years ago, when we were walking on waterways, water bandits appeared out of nowhere. In the panic, his father¡­ actually sank in the water and drowned¡­¡±


    When Master Fu said that, Xie Qiao observed that Yan Kebao slightly pursed his lips.


    ¡°Master, this child¡­ has a hard life. His mother¡¯s health was not good to begin with. After his father passed away, his mother learned that her illness had worsened and that the family had debts. She had no choice but to sell the family assets to fill in the hole. However, after such hard work, his mother passed away in a few months.¡±


    It had been nearly two years since he mourned. Yan Kebao had arrived here, but he did not drink or have sex, so there was not much of a problem.


    When Master Fu mentioned the past, he revealed a sad expression.


    ¡°My son¡­ He died unjustly, but this child¡­ has no enmity with my family. He would never do such a thing¡­¡± Master Fu said as he supported his wife, who was about to faint from crying.


    Yan Kebao stood there. ¡°You merely looked at my face. If we can break cases with just that, is there any justice in the world?¡±


    Xie Qiao was calm when she heard that.

 Chapter 1060 - My Poor Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 1060 My Poor Daughter</h4>


    She looked at Yan Kebao and said, ¡°Young Master Yan, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t throw that hairpin away, did you?¡±


    Yan Kebao¡¯s expression changed when he heard that.


    ¡°Search him!¡± Xie Pinggang ordered.


    Yan Kebao was just a schr. How could he withstand these officials?


    After a few seconds, they took out a hairpin from his pocket.


    Seeing that, Pan Jiao was a little surprised. ¡°Cousin? That¡¯s mine¡­¡±


    Brother Hanwen bought the hairpin, so it was not a surprise. However, Brother Hanwen had strung a pink pearl on it. It was not big, but she really liked it, but she had only worn it twice and then lost it. She did not dare to tell Brother Hanwen that¡­


    ¡°I picked it up by ident. I didn¡¯t expect it to be Cousin¡¯s.¡± Yan Kebao¡¯s expression remained the same.


    With that, he handed it to Pan Jiao.


    Pan Jiao¡¯s hands were shaking as she held the hairpin, looking very sad.


    Xie Qiao took out a piece of talisman from her pocket, threw it into the air, chanted a few incantations, and threw it directly at the surface of theke.


    A momentter, Fu Hanwen¡¯s ghoul was forcibly pulled up from the bottom of theke, looking a bit innocent and embarrassed. After all, it was his first time being a ghoul, so he was still a bit flustered and confused.


    Xie Qiao only tied him up and did not speak to him directly.


    Instead, she asked Yan Kebao, ¡°You once said that you had intimate rtions with the Pan family¡¯s youngdy. Is that true?¡±


    Pan Jiao¡¯s face instantly turned red when she heard that and she said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s not true! Master, how can you say such nonsense!¡±


    Xie Qiao was unmoved, but when Yan Kebao heard that, his heart began to panic.


    He said this when he pushed Fu Hanwen. How did Mo Chusheng know?


    Could it be that¡­ she was nearby at that time and saw it?


    It was impossible. He looked left and right at that time and there was no one nearby. Fu Hanwen fell into the water in a ce that was even more remote than the tree they were at the beginning. They could not see him from the pavilion!


    ¡°Master, how can you ruin a youngdy¡¯s reputation? My cousin and I are innocent,¡± Yan Kebao said, pretending to be calm.


    ¡°Do the two of you like each other? In the future, when you¡¯re done mourning, will you be husband and wife?¡± Xie Qiao continued to say.


    Pan Jiao was so angry that she cried.


    The other members of the Pan family did not look too good either. The Fu family did not know the reason.


    ¡°Master, why do you say that? Brother Hanwen and I a-are a couple! Brother Hanwen said that he would marry me¡­ We also said that we would wait until spring next year for our parents to decide on our marriage. We are neighbors and are close to each other. Even if my parents do not want me to leave and let me stay at home for two more years, that would not be a problem¡­¡±


    The two families were not considered poor, but they were not consideredrge families either. Their children had already intended to marry each other, so it would not be a problem for them to interact with each other.


    ¡°My poor daughter!¡± Pan Jiao¡¯s mother cried as she held her daughter in her arms.


    They had watched that child of the Fu family grow up. He was like half a son to them!


    Now that he was suddenly gone¡­


    How could she still have the heart to marry someone else for her daughter in the next two or three years? Even if they wanted their daughter to be happy and get married as soon as possible, they knew their daughter¡¯s character. It would be difficult for them to put aside their past friendship in such a short time!


    ¡°Mother¡­ I¡¯m not going to marry Cousin¡­ Master is talking nonsense¡­ She¡¯s talking nonsense¡­¡± Pan Jiao cried uncontrobly.


    Xie Qiao also knew that she had gone too far, but there were some things that she had to rify.


    Xie Qiao looked at Fu Hanwen, who was floating not far away, and saw that he was a little moved.


    His face was full of sorrow and pity.


    ¡°Young Lady Pan, is there anything wrong with Young Master Fu¡¯s hand?¡± Xie Qiao continued to ask.

 Chapter 1061 - Separated by Death

    <h4>Chapter 1061 Separated by Death</h4>


    At this moment, Pan Jiao really hated this Taoist master.


    en wa


    Her Brother Hanwen was still lying there, his body not even cold. She really wanted to go with him, but the master still said such cold words, insulting her and Brother Hanwen!


    She red at Xie Qiao as if she were looking at an enemy.


    It was only because Madam Pan knew that there were noblemen here who were not to be trifled with that she stopped her daughter from baring her fangs and brandishing her ws. She hurriedly said, ¡°Hanwen was beaten up by someone. I don¡¯t know why, but he hurt his hand. Since then, his hand has been crippled and he can¡¯t exert any strength.¡±


    Xie Qiao was unmoved by Pan Jiao¡¯s reaction, she continued coldly, ¡°Then, do you dislike his useless hand? Do you think that he can¡¯t take the examination for fame, that he would embarrass you, and that people wouldugh at you? But because the two of you are neighbors, you can¡¯t directly break off the engagement. That was why you invited him over today. It seemed like you guys were having fun, but in fact, you wanted to cut off all ties with him?¡±


    After hearing this, Pan Jiao broke down. ¡°No! I did not!¡±


    ¡°Youngdy, you have to tell me the truth. Look, he¡¯s dead, and no one will guard against you marrying someone else. Don¡¯t you feelfortable?¡± Xie Qiao was disgusted by herself.


    The moment she asked this question, Pan Jiao was about to pounce on her and tear her apart.


    Yan Kebao¡¯s face was pale, and he could not help but tremble when he heard these words.


    ¡°Master! My daughter is really not the kind of person you say she is! Every day, she kept talking about Hanwen. Hanwen hurt his hand, and she felt very sorry for him. She even went to a doctor to learn a massage technique, thinking of taking good care of him after marriage! My daughter has been obedient since she was young. She will never change the things and people that she has set her mind on¡­¡± Madam Pan cried sadly.


    ¡°Yes, Master. I watched Ms. Jiao grow up. The two kids are really close. That cannot be¡­¡± The Fu family members said.


    Xie Qiao looked at Fu Hanwen¡¯s position. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s words were light and airy.


    From the perspective of the Pan and Fu families, it was unknown who the master was talking to, but it suddenly sent chills down their spines.


    ¡°I believed her¡­¡± Fu Hanwen said.


    ¡°I just¡­¡±


    Due to this hand, he was initially worried that he could not give Ms. Jiao a good future, and when he heard Yan Kebao¡¯s words, he felt ufortable. In addition, he really did not have the strength to struggle back then, so¡­ he gave up.


    Now that he had be a ghoul, he realized that it was not just his hand that was bad.


    He did not even have the ability to save his own life.


    If he believed in Yan Kebao, he would not have any lingering feelings. He would not have to feel sorry for Ms. Jiao, and with this, he would be able to¡­ let go¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who let her down¡­¡± Fu Hanwen looked at Pan Jiao, his eyes also red, ¡°We¡¯re separated by death, so how can I wrong for the rest of her life? Master, please tell her that this has nothing to do with her. Let her find a suitable husband in the future and live a good life¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you want to let the person who killed you get away with it and make your parents sad and unwilling?¡± Xie Qiao sneered.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words were obvious.


    Everyone present could hear it.


    ¡°M-Master! Who are you talking to?! Is it my son? Is It?¡± Madam Fu rushed over and knelt down. ¡°I beg you, Master! I beg you to save my son!¡±


    Xie Qiao hurriedly took two steps back. ¡°This penniless master doesn¡¯t have the ability to revive the dead. It¡¯s just that¡­ I can see things that others can¡¯t see. If you have anything to say to him, this penniless master can pass it on.¡±


    Sn

 Chapter 1062 - A Cripple

    <h4>Chapter 1062 A Cripple</h4>


    Madam Fu suddenly raised her head and looked around. She was a little crazy.


    ¡°Where is my son?! Son! Where are you?! I¡¯m here! Tell me, who did this to you?! Who did this to you?!¡± The woman was crying hard.


    Fu Hanwen finally could not take it anymore. ¡°Master, Please¡­ help me make a decision. It was Yan Kebao who killed me.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s quite thick-skinned and doesn¡¯t admit it. Seeing that you didn¡¯t seem to care about it, it wasn¡¯t easy to capture him,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Master, please give me some advice!¡± Fu Hanwen also cried.


    Xie Qiao sighed and took out a small bottle from her pocket. She asked someone to hold Yan Kebao down. She dipped a drop on Yan Kebao¡¯s eyelids. Then, she casted a spell and made spell water. She sprayed it over.


    Yan Kebao was still shouting that he was not convinced.


    However, after a moment, everything he saw and looked at changed.


    The scene around him became a little gloomy. There were also some things floating in the air¡­


    His face instantly turned pale. ¡°T-There are ghouls¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao used a spell to drag Fu Hanwen out of theke. ¡°If you have anything to say, you can tell him yourself. It¡¯s best to make him admit what he has done honestly.¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, Fu Hanwen flew over.


    He charged straight at Yan Kebao, and Yan Kebao was shocked. However, when he thought of his situation, he resisted it with all his might. He did not say a word. His face was pale, and his legs were trembling.


    It was his first time killing someone, so how could he not panic?


    Now, the person he had killed was right in front of him, and he looked ferocious¡­


    ¡°Brother Yan¡­ I can¡¯t ept this! I trust you so much, why did you kill me?!¡±


    As he spoke, his hand grabbed Yan Kebao¡¯s neck.


    Xie Qiao felt a little helpless. These ghouls and the way they entwined with people were so simr. They must strangle the enemy¡­


    After all, they were ghouls. They could blow a cold breeze, right?


    However, his action was quite scary. At the very least, it made Yan Kebao, who had seen ghouls for the first time, unable to take it anymore. His legs went weak and he directly knelt on the ground.


    The others did not understand.


    ¡°If you want to me someone, me yourself!¡± Yan Kebao suddenly shouted.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    The cow¡¯s tear¡­


    Was not for nothing.


    When Jiang Jinlu saw this scene, he looked at the bottle in Xie Qiao¡¯s hand with a faint gaze. He wanted to snatch it and drip it in his eyes so that he could have a good look¡­


    What kind of thing was it that made Yan Kebao¡¯s expression change all of a sudden?!


    ¡°It was your father who caused my father¡¯s death!


    ¡°You stole my cousin! It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    Yan Kebao trembled. At this moment, he knew that he was doomed. When he saw Fu Hanwen stop in front of him, he cried andughed, he was a little crazy. ¡°My father and your father went out together. Before they left, your father personally promised me that he would take good care of my father. He assured me, but in the end, my father sank to the bottom of the river, and your father made a small fortune!


    ¡°My father¡¯s business was gone, and the clients became your family¡¯s. What about my family? I was in debt, I had to sell my house andnd!


    ¡°When my cousin was young, I was a guest at her house. Aunt once said that when I grew up, if I like, I could be even closer to her! Butter, your family moved over, and from then on, my cousin became yours¡­


    ¡°Aunt praised me for my talent, but in the blink of an eye, you were admitted to a better academy! And you surpassed me, so¡­


    ¡°I asked someone to cripple your hand. I hope you would step back!¡± Suddenly, his face darkened.


    ¡°I thought that you, a cripple, could no longerpete with me.¡±

 Chapter 1063 - Do You Believe It Now?

    <h4>Chapter 1063 Do You Believe It Now?</h4>


    After Yan Kebao finished speaking, the Fu family¡¯s parents were shocked. If not for the fact that they wanted to listen to what he had to say, they would have rushed up to him right now and cut him into pieces!


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect my cousin to love you so much. No matter how much I tried to persuade her, she had to have you!¡±


    ¡°The Pan family got this post from the Octagon Garden¡­ They didn¡¯t think about me, and they gave it to you¡­¡± At this point, Yan Kebao was also filled with despair and unwillingness.


    He only had his aunt, uncle, and cousin¡¯s family left.


    He was also a schr, and he also wanted to visit the Octagon Garden. However, he never thought that he would ask Fu Hanwen and his cousin to go together. As for him¡­ Today, he shamelessly followed behind a rich young master. He could only enter after saying all sorts of nice things..,


    He finally managed to get a seat and saw the famous Old Master Li¡­


    He even saw¡­


    That painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s you two¡­ who don¡¯t know your ce! You¡¯re not even married yet and you¡¯re already so intimate! It¡¯s you who deserves to die! You seduced my cousin!¡± Yan Kebao shouted in a reserved manner.


    Everyone said that in that painting, there was a golden couple, saying that they were a match made in heaven!


    He could not take it anymore.


    Xie Qiao did not expect to hear such words.


    Was it her painting that triggered Yan Kebao¡¯s killing intent?!


    ¡°Yan Kebao!¡± Master Fu¡¯s eyes were red as he scolded, ¡°Your father¡­ drowned in the river and died, but¡­ he deserved it. I didn¡¯t hurt him!¡±


    Yan Kebao looked at him angrily.


    ¡°Your father kept a mistress, and that woman was beautiful. I didn¡¯t expect that a local gangster took a fancy to her. He took her away, and that¡¯s why people targeted him. They wouldn¡¯t stop until he was dead! But I thought that if you, an orphan and your widowed mother heard such news, you guys would probably feel bad, so I hid the truth!¡±


    As long as one paid money, they could do business smoothly.


    The reason for the ident was that he had offended others first!


    Yan Kebao was stunned.


    Liar¡­ impossible!


    Master Fu also did not expect that Yan Kebao would hate his family for so long just because of this incident. A little misunderstanding, umted resentment over the years, took his son¡¯s life!


    On the other side, Madam Pan also cried, ¡°I did intend for you to marry my daughter, but your mother wasn¡¯t willing! When the two of you were young, your mother found out that I had this intention and was much harsher toward my daughter. She thought that she was too naive, and in between the words, she thought she wasn¡¯t worthy of you! It ended after my discussion with your father!


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, you never bothered to find out. You actually caused Hanwen¡¯s death, and you¡¯ve destroyed your cousin¡¯s life!¡± Madam Pan was really disappointed and resentful toward her nephew.


    Yan Kebao was dumbfounded on the spot.


    ¡°Impossible! You lied to me!¡± He was like a mad man, ¡°You lied to me, right?! My father wouldn¡¯t have an affair. My mother knew that I liked my cousin, and she wouldn¡¯t refuse the marriage on my behalf! You lied to me!¡±


    ¡°Hanwen is dead, why would we lie to you?!¡± Madam Pan was so angry that she rushed up and pped him. ¡°If I lie, your cousin and I will die without aplete corpse! Do you believe it now?!¡±


    Yan Kebao trembled twice.


    He knelt on the ground, holding his head and crying bitterly.


    Although Fu Hanwen had be a ghoul, he had never harmed anyone. At this moment, seeing Yan Kebao in this state, he did not attack again.


    ¡°Master¡­ I want to see my son¡­¡± The Fu parents pleaded.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Your bodies are not suitable to do that now.¡±


    Using cow¡¯s tears had repercussions.

 Chapter 1064 - No More

    <h4>Chapter 1064 No More</h4>


    She had once used cow¡¯s tears on a pair of parents, but it was also because the two of them were in good health and their daughter had died a long time ago. They had already endured the most difficult times and their spirits were still stable, so there would not be any idents.


    However, the two of them were too sad now. If they used the cow¡¯s tears, they would probably suffer.


    Moreover¡­


    Although Fu Hanwen looked better than most ghouls, he was still far from what he looked like when he was alive.


    His whole body was cold and pitiful. As his parents, it would be even harder for them to get over this.


    ¡°Life and death are determined by fate. I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Xie Qiao said with a sigh.


    After saying that, Xie Qiao looked at Pan Jiao and said apologetically, ¡°I was forced to say something inappropriate just now¡­ I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Pan Jiao cried and shook her head.


    ¡°That painting¡­¡± Xie Qiao choked as if she had swallowed a stone. ¡°This penniless master¡­ At that time, I only saw the two of you together in a beautiful scene, so I put you in the painting without permission. I didn¡¯t expect that it would provoke Yan Kebao¡­¡±


    Xie Qiao felt very guilty.


    She bowed and cupped her hands at the Fu parents and bowed in shame.


    The Fu parents cried again, Master Fu quickly helped her up. ¡°Master, it was just a coincidence. This child¡­ already has resentment in his heart. Even if he doesn¡¯t do this evil thing today, in the future¡­ I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to avoid it¡­¡±


    Mother Fu also cried and nodded.


    They were not ignorant people.


    Their son had a good rtionship with Ms. Jiao and often had to get together. They were supposed to get married in the future.


    Yan Kebao had a good rtionship with both families, and he would have to move around in the future. If he had the intention to kill, he could hide it now, but he could not hide it forever.


    ¡°Now that things havee to this, this penniless master can only try other ways to make up for my mistakes¡­ Young Master Fu is trapped in thiske, and this penniless master will take him away to nourish his soul and burn more incense for him. I hope that he will have good fortune in his next life¡­¡±


    This was the only way.


    The Fu parents could only nod their heads helplessly.


    ¡°When his soul is nourished, you should also try your best to make yourself stronger. After a period of time, if you still want to see him again, that¡¯s fine too. However¡­ you have also seen Yan Kebao¡¯s current appearance. These eyes, seeing things that shouldn¡¯t be seen, you will more or less have to pay a price. Apart from being a little frightened, your body will also be weak for a while,¡± Xie Qiao exined seriously.


    With that said, the Fu family¡¯s parents and the others hurriedly nodded. ¡°Good! We¡¯ll definitely take good care of our bodies! As long as we can see our son¡­ We¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°And Young Lady Pan, you can do that too.¡±


    Three people, that was all¡­ There really were not any more cow¡¯s tears.


    As she counted¡­


    It had reached the bottom.


    When she was done with the matters at hand, she had to look for cow tears.


    Why was life so hard?


    Xie Qiao sighed. At this time, Yan Kebao kept pulling at his hair as if he had gone crazy. However, his pitiful appearance could not change his current situation, Xie Pinggang had people take him away.


    Xie Pinggang also chased away all the random people in this area.


    Only then did Xie Qiao start to collect his soul.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked a little distant and did not seem to be in a good mood, which made people panic.


    Today, he had intended for Xie Qiao toe out and rx. He wanted her to take a look at the scenery of the Octagon Garden and listen to some poems and songs to cultivate her body and mind. It was ruined again.


    He could only watch as she started to expend her energy to collect the soul.

 Chapter 1065 - Give the Task to You

    <h4>Chapter 1065 Give the Task to You</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing also knew that there was no reason for him to stop Xie Qiao from doing what she was doing now.


    It was just that his heart ached when he saw how hard she was working.


    Fu Hanwen¡¯s ghoul was not easy to get rid of. Xie Qiao even threw a wooden toy into theke, and only then did he swap Fu Hanwen out.


    He had the resentment of several generations of water spirits. Even if she could restrain it, it would still implicate him and make him unable to go down. It would take a lot of time to get rid of this resentment.


    Xie Qiao put it away.


    ¡°Remember toe to the Fortune Pavilion before the Qingming Festival next year.¡± Xie Qiao handed a wooden token to Master Fu.


    The other party agreed sadly.


    However, with Xie Qiao around, they were also trying their best to suppress their emotions. Their son was already dead, but they still hoped to see their child once more. They could still say a few words, so they had some hope.


    As parents, they did not want their children to see their haggard side, so as to avoid¡­ feeling uneasy when he left.


    Xie Qiao asked someone to bring the painting she had painted.


    ¡°Young Lady Pan, I¡¯ll give this painting to you.¡± Xie Qiao gave the painting away. Pan Jiao did not know what painting it was. At this moment, she took the painting and saw her and Brother Hanwen in it. She burst into tears and held the painting in her arms without letting go.


    After that, Xie Qiao left.


    Xie Pinggang would take care of the rest.


    Putting her life aside, Xie Qiao had suffered a great loss today¡­


    She was in a bad mood.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister, can you sell me a drop of the cow¡¯s tear? With my own ability¡­ I really can¡¯t find it,¡± Jiang Jinlu, who was still a little young, said at this moment. Sang You also followed them back at this time, but he immediately noticed that his eldest senior sister was not in the right state. When he heard Jiang Jinlu¡¯s words, he could not help but shake his head.


    This child¡­ had be a dummy from studying too much.


    He was too inexperienced!


    Xie Qiao looked over with a faint gaze. ¡°50,000 taels of silver per drop. Pay me.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°50,000 taels?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded solemnly.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s facial muscles twitched a few times. ¡°Senior Sister, you used one drop today, and you promised three more drops¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, my 200,000 taels of silver is gone.¡± Xie Qiao was indeed in pain.


    However, in fact, it was not that expensive. What she meant was that this thing was rare.


    ¡°T-Then I don¡¯t think I should buy it¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu looked at his senior sister and became nervous. ¡°I-I will find it myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Last time you said that you would find it yourself, but you haven¡¯t found it after searching for so long. Can you do it?¡± Xie Qiao was not polite at all.


    ¡°Yes! I can do it¡­¡± He had to do it!


    Fifty thousand taels of silver!


    He was different from his other senior brothers. He was born in a low family, he did note from a wealthy background. He thought that the tears would be worth at most 300 to 500 taels of silver, and he could buy them by biting the bullet.


    However, they were actually worth 50,000 taels of silver each drop?!


    ¡°Junior Brother is so powerful, then I¡¯ll give you the task of collecting all the tears I need¡­ About ten drops, the more the better. Junior Brother, go look for them. After you find the tears, I¡¯ll craft a product that allows one to see ghouls. We¡¯ll work together. You¡¯ll save the money and I¡¯ll save the effort, okay?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she stared straight at Jiang Jinlu.


    Sang You subconsciously looked over.


    He found that his eldest senior sister had a pair of very beautiful eyes.


    Her eyes looked very young. They were clear, and there was no turbid look in them at all.


    ¡°But this thing¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be easy to find¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu felt that it was feasible.


    After all, it was too expensive. Even if he went to other Taoist temples to buy them, he could not afford them¡­

 Chapter 1066 - Useful Junior Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 1066 Useful Junior Brothers</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard Jiang Jinlu¡¯s words, she knew that her chance hade.


    This kid was quite easy to fool.


    The Crown Prince was right. She had so many junior brothers. What was she going to do with one or two? Naturally, she was going to order them around. They were all from the same sect, just like her own brothers. If she left her own brothers unmoved, it would be a waste of talent. Instead, it would be a hindrance. The more she used them, the closer she would be with them, and the more effective it would be!


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to find. I¡¯ll give you a way!¡± Xie Qiao was delighted, ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t stay in this city. Go to the viges outside the city and take a look. If you walk through a few more viges, there will definitely be an old cow that can¡¯t do anything. When it sees that it¡¯s about to die, you will wait there. If it cries before it dies, you will immediately take its tears¡­


    ¡°As for whether the tears that you obtained can be used, you can bring them back and I will know after I take a look.¡±


    Some of the tears were taken from the old man, and some were obtained from the old cow after she worked hard to wait for it.


    Putting aside whether the tears were good or not, watching the old cow die was not a pleasant scene.


    The eyes of the old cow, that had worked hard all its life, would make people sad when it died in front of them. When it recalled the hard work of its life, the people around it would be affected as well¡­


    ¡°Then¡­ should I try?¡± Jiang Jinlu hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°Go, go. Some old cows might not be able to survive this time of year. Besides, it will be a good opportunity as the old cow will have to work hard next spring,¡± Xie Qiao said seriously.


    Jiang Jinlu was a little confused. Next spring?


    What she meant was¡­ if he went out to look for the tears of the cows, he would not be able toe back for a few months?


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister¡­¡± Jiang Jinlu thought he had just returned to the capital and did not want to go anywhere.


    ¡°Junior Brother! I¡¯m entrusting an important matter to you! In the past, I had some prejudice against you and thought that you were arrogant and looked down on me as a Taoist master. Now that I see you, Junior Brother Jiang, you are actually such a tolerant and magnanimous person, and you even want to look for cow¡¯s tears for me¡­¡± Xie Qiao looked kindly at Jiang Jinlu. ¡°Thank you, Junior Brother! When youe back, I will definitely wee you with a fanfare!¡±


    Jiang Jinlu looked at his senior sister¡¯s grateful expression and nodded. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Sang You quickly turned his gaze over.


    He was ashamed of his senior sister¡¯s ability to trick her enemies.


    Anyone who met her eyes would probably not be able to stand it and do as she asked!


    Fortunately, his eldest senior sister was not good-looking¡­ If she was beautiful and had such pure eyes, even he would be controlled by her!


    Xie Qiao nodded with satisfaction and held the bottle of tears in her hand.


    The task of the tears was finally settled.


    Jiang Jinlu was a person who cared about his reputation. Now that he had promised her, he would note back if he could not find the tears.


    Poor Junior Brother Jiang, you must work hard!


    Do not worry and go!


    However, it was thanks to the Crown Prince¡¯s reminder. So at this moment, Xie Qiao looked at the unpredictable Crown Prince and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    Sang You and Jiang Jinlu did not quite understand why their eldest senior sister suddenly said that to the Crown Prince.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s useful.¡± Xie Qiao was in a good mood, and the Crown Prince was in a good mood.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed not bad.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    The Crown Prince had bought all the things she needed yesterday, which made her worry less. As expected, the more junior brothers, the better.


    However, although the things were all purchased, Xie Qiao¡¯s time was still limited.


    During this Winter Clothes Day, she could not send away many people from the Baili family. away. Xie Qiao pursued perfection, and those who did not have theirst wishes fulfilled had to wait before they left, so that they would go at ease.

 Chapter 1067 - Digging for the Treasure Chest

    <h4>Chapter 1067 Digging for the Treasure Chest</h4>


    The souls that she sent away were all souls with extremely simple wishes. Xie Qiao also made sure that they did not have too deep of an obsession before making her move.


    With so many souls, Xie Qiao was busy for the rest of her time.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing would asionallye and stare at her, so she could only restrain herself and rest as much as possible.


    When it was the end of the year, Xie Qiao had learned a lot of skills from Baili Ji. Only then would she be able to make progress in all aspects.


    She had been eager to learn since she was young and had talent to begin with. With some knowledge, Baili Ji only needed to give a few simple hints and she would be able to draw inferences. She was so intelligent that the people of the Baili family wished they could take her away and reincarnate together.


    It was the new year, so Xie Qiao could not stay at the Fortune Pavilion and not go home.


    Moreover, this should be thest new year that she would spend in the Xie Residence. There was not much time left until her marriage.


    If it was Xie Qiao¡¯s identity, staying in the Xie Residence would mean that her days would be much more leisurely.


    She would eat the snacks made by Chun Er, drink the fine wine brewed by Chun Er, watch her foolish younger brother practice martial arts, and then watch her foolish younger sister settle the score. asionally, her father would shout a few times, just like a few wolf howls that suddenly appeared in the quiet forest under the setting sun. It was a thrilling yet interesting experience.


    At this time of the year, there were more peopleing and going. Looking at Xie Xi, her heart ached so much that she was about to cry.


    The Xie family did not have many rtives. Currently, only the Lin family was close to them, so it was only right for them to send some gifts for the new year. It was just that Xie Qiao had be the Princess Consort, so the number of peopleing and going with the Xie family had increased by a lot.


    Since the other party had sent gifts, it was not good for her not to return.


    Moreover, those big families had aplicated poption, unlike the Xie family, so they could not be too stingy with their gifts this time.


    Seeing that Xie Xi was working so hard, Xie Qiao finally remembered an important matter.


    Senior Baili had previously told her the location of a treasure chest, but¡­ She had not dug it out yet!


    Taking this opportunity, it would not be too bad to give her younger siblings a surprise. ¡°The weather today is pretty good. How about we go for a walk?¡± Xie Qiao said to her younger siblings with a smile.


    It was the new year, so Xie Pinghuai could rx a little for two days.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. It¡¯s snowing so heavily. I¡¯m freezing to death.¡± Xie Pinghuai said with disdain.


    Eldest sister was not sick, right?


    With the current weather, even her snot could be frozen into ice. Would it not be looking for trouble if she went out?


    How amazing would it be to stay in this house? There was a heater in the house. When one wanted to practice martial arts, they would move around in this courtyard. The sky was filled with snow as one danced with the sword. It would be extremely cool and free. However, if they went outside, they would have to bury their necks. Everyone would be like a quail.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going? Then Xi¡¯er, apany me.¡± Xie Qiao looked at her biological sister


    again.


    Xie Xi was a little hesitant.


    In reality¡­ she did not want to go either.


    However, her sister rarely apanied her. Now that they could go out together, she was also looking forward to it. However, the weather was so cold¡­ Why not¡­ bring more things to protect herself from the cold¡­?


    She nodded in all seriousness. ¡°Okay, Eldest Sister, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make you regret it.¡± Xie Qiao was amused.


    She also saw that her two younger siblings were having a hard time. It was the new year, so she should give out some new year¡¯s money. That was why she thought of bringing them out to dig for the treasure chest. Everyone who see it would have a share. Who knew that the silly kid would not go¡­


    He would be jealouster.


    Xie Qiao had a mysterious look on her face, but Xie Pinghuai did not care at all.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, your health is not good. If you freeze to death outside, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you¡­¡± He was still making sarcastic remarks.


    Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him and got someone to prepare the carriage.


    In the past, she did not dare to go out on such a day, but now that her health was much better, there was no problem!

 Chapter 1068 - I’m Familiar with This

    <h4>Chapter 1068 I¡¯m Familiar with This</h4>


    Under Xie Pinghuai¡¯s doubtful gaze, Xie Qiao led Xie Xi out the door.


    It was covered in snow outside.


    However, the streets of the capital were rtively clean. There were people cleaning up the snow, so it did not hinder the passersby.


    However, at such a time, there were many new ghouls.


    Most of them froze to death.


    The current dynasty could be considered to be peaceful. With the current weather, the government would send people out to patrol. One could almost guarantee that there would not be many frozen people on the side of the road.


    Especially after the Crown Prince cleaned up the patrolling guardsst year, it was peaceful inside and outside the city.


    It was just that the old and the weak would not be able to survive the winter.


    The number of ghouls was less than what Xie Qiao had seen at the Water Moon Temple.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, are we going out of the city? The roads outside are slippery¡­¡± Xie Xi frowned and said worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too far.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was especially gentle.


    Xie Xi was a little puzzled. She thought that her eldest sister just wanted to go out shopping to buy some things, but she did not expect that she would go out of the city¡­ It was such a cold day, what if something happened?


    Xie Qiao did not lie. After leaving the city, they walked for five miles and arrived at a City God Temple.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Put on a cloak, take a hoe, ande with me,¡± Xie Qiao arranged.


    Xie Xi was even more confused.


    Seeing her eldest sister get off the carriage before her, she did not want to stay in the carriage, so she jumped down too. She saw her eldest sister at the gate of the old City God Temple. She turned around and took a few steps to the right, then went straight forward, she counted as she walked. It was as if she was possessed.


    It made Xie Xi a little scared.


    She hid her head and followed behind her eldest sister. Her small steps were very nervous.


    Xie Qiao suddenly stopped and in front of her was a big tree.


    ¡°This is it. Let¡¯s start digging!¡± Xie Qiao looked at the big tree and then said to her sister.


    ¡°Dig? What are we digging for?¡± Xie Xi was stunned.


    What was wrong with her eldest sister¡­ She brought her all the way here just to dig something¡­


    She was so scared.


    ¡°We¡¯re digging a treasure chest.¡± Xie Qiao was excited. ¡°I will give you some of the things that I dig as new year¡¯s money. When we go back, show that brat that he must listen to his eldest sister!¡±


    Xie Qiao was serious. Then, she squatted down and started to dig.


    This scene shocked Xie Xi.


    Her eldest sister was actually squatting on the ground and digging a hole¡­


    ¡°Eldest Sister! Your body isn¡¯t well, let me do it! You, look at me, I¡¯m like a calf¡­ I¡¯m strong. L-Let me do it!¡± She was a little anxious.


    She was really afraid that her eldest sister would faint.


    Xie Qiao smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar with this job. I¡¯ve done it a lot in the past. Don¡¯t worry, just do it.¡± Xie Qiao was the most rxed when she was digging the hole.


    Her movements were slow. It did not seem like she was digging something, but more like she was embroidering. Her movements were slow. She stopped digging for a while and then looked around slowly.


    Seeing her like this, Xie Xi could only let her do it. However, she did her best. It was as if someone was fighting with her for the soil on the ground. After a while, she was so tired that she was panting.


    ¡°What are you in a hurry for? It¡¯s still early. Just dig slowly. The things are right here. They won¡¯t run away.¡± Xie Qiao knew that she was being kind, but she still deliberately joked.


    The soil in Xie Xi¡¯s hand¡­


    The skin on her body was dirty, and there was a lot of snow.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not something urgent, you have to be calm andposed. Just like you, you have to take your time to settle the score. You have to take your time. When others see you, they will think that you are powerful.¡± Xie Qiao looked at this girl. She really liked her.

 Chapter 1069 - Debt

    <h4>Chapter 1069 Debt</h4>


    Back in the day, Xie Qiao tricked Mo Lingzi like this too.


    Mo Lingzi was quick-tempered and spoke in a hurry. However, when he was very young, there were often people who wanted to settle scores with him. It was all because he would offend someone the moment he opened his mouth.


    The most serious time was when Mo Lingzi was beaten until his face was swollen.


    From then on, she knew that she had to speak slowly, especially when she was fortune-telling. She had to look at the other party¡¯s personality. If the customer was impulsive and short-tempered, it was best to be tactful so that she would not suffer a great loss.


    As for her younger sister, she was not an impatient person, but she was simple enough to be understood at a nce.


    Just like a clear spring, she was nice but also easy to bully.


    ¡°You are now fourteen years old. Do you have any thoughts on marriage?¡± Xie Qiao chatted as she dug.


    Her younger sister was too young, so it was impossible for her to get married immediately. However, nowadays, when a woman turned 19, she could be considered an olddy. The Xie family did not have a madam, so if she did not ask, who else would? Aunt Lin? It was beyond her reach.


    When Xie Xi heard about marriage, her face did not turn red, which made Xie Qiao very surprised.


    ¡°I want someone obedient. Someone with a lot of money, good-looking, and not fierce.¡± Xie Xi¡¯s request was very clear.


    Xie Qiao thought that she would be too shy to talk about it!


    ¡°Not fierce¡­¡± Xie Qiao smacked her lips and thought about it. She realized that there did not seem to be such a person by her side¡­


    Junior Brother Jiang? No, he was too poor. He could not even afford 50,000 taels of silver¡­


    Fourth Junior Brother should not have gotten married either. It¡¯s just that¡­ up until now, she still did not know what he looked like.


    Furthermore, she heard from her teacher that out of the five junior brothers, Fourth Junior Brother was the least capable. The reason why he epted him as a disciple was because Fourth Junior Brother was too shameless and annoying. Thus, he could only nod helplessly, thus, this person¡­ must be quite scheming.


    Who else was there?


    The grandson of Old Master Li, Li Qingyu, was also a rather talented young man¡­


    Even though he had been possessed, his character was still not bad¡­


    There was also Zhou Weizong? His future would not be bad either, but he was a little old¡­


    Xie Qiao had already thought of all the men that she had an impression of in her mind. There were some that she was satisfied with, but it was also difficult for her to find the perfect one. She thought they werecking.


    Her sister was truly a beautiful girl.


    At this moment, if Sang You knew what she was thinking, he would probably have to clear his eyes again.


    Indeed, people would always praise people of their own. If others knew about it, their eyeballs would fall out.


    Xie Xi¡¯s appearance could not be considered to be devastatingly beautiful. At most, she was just a pretty girl from a small family. Her appearance was delicate, but her biggest advantage was that she was cute and pure.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, can we really find a treasure chest?¡± Xie Xi dug until her hands were numb, but she still could not see any trace of a treasure chest.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xie Qiao nodded firmly. Senior Baili would not lie to her. This was the reward, the reward for a Taoist master. Who would dare to lie to her?


    ¡°Eldest Sister, did you hide it? Why do you have to hide it in such a ce¡­¡± Her voice was filled with resentment and pity.


    ¡°Someone else hid it.¡± Xie Qiao could not exin, so she said, ¡°I wanted Xie Pinghuai toe over and dig it. We could just sit in the carriage and watch. Who knew that brat wouldn¡¯te!¡±


    Xie Xi was careful, she did not know how to criticize someone, but she could not help but nod along with Xie Qiao. ¡°When we go back, I¡¯ll ask Second Brother to pay me back.¡±


    ¡°The brat still owes you money?¡± Xie Qiao was surprised. ¡°Is it a lot?¡±.


    Xie Xi stopped and said seriously and solemnly, ¡°Second Brother owes me a total of 79 taels of silver. And Eldest Brother, he owes me a hundred taels of silver. Father owes me 150 taels of silver.¡±

 Chapter 1070 - You’re So Rich

    <h4>Chapter 1070 You¡¯re So Rich</h4>


    Xie Xi was afraid that Xie Qiao would not believe her. After she said that, she took out a stack of paper and handed them to Xie Qiao. ¡°This is their loan slip,¡± Xie Xi said seriously.


    Xie Qiao was shocked and opened her mouth. ¡°You actually brought them with you?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re unreasonable. If I did not bring them with me, they would steal them,¡± Xie Xi analyzed seriously.


    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡± Xie Qiao admitted that her father and brother were terrible. ¡°What about the things in your room? Won¡¯t they rob you?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t steal jewelry and clothes. They only steal money and paper contracts. They don¡¯t touch the ounts and only touch my private stash. Therefore, I hide my other belongings very well.¡± Xie Xi¡¯s small face was a little proud.


    ¡°Then¡­ may I ask¡­¡± Where did she hide them¡­?


    Did she forget it again?


    Xie Qiao did not finish her words, but Xie Xi actually understood her. She smiled very brightly. ¡°I hid it in your courtyard, Eldest Sister!¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips.


    She¡­ really did not know!


    If she went back and looked for it¡­ maybe she could make a fortune?


    However, looking at Xie Xi¡¯s trusting look, Xie Qiao did not know whether tough or cry. Forget it, it was not easy for her to find a good ce. It was better for her to hide it so that she would not have to hide the silver in someone else¡¯s wallet in the future.


    As they were talking, Xie Xi¡¯s hoe suddenly hit a hard object and she almost jumped up. However, her legs went numb and she fell on the spot.


    Xie Qiao was amused. ¡°We finally found it. Let¡¯s try harder.¡±


    Xie Xi stared at the object. Her movements were much more agile than before, and she dug the soil a few times.


    However, the hole was getting bigger and bigger. In the end, it was a big box that was five to six feet long!


    The weight was even more shocking. The two of them could not lift it with their little strength!


    They could only reluctantly open the chest to take a look.


    However, when the chest was opened, Xie Qiao and Xie Xi were both shocked.


    Xie Qiao thought that the treasure chest that Baili Ji mentioned should be of normal size. There should be about a thousand taels of silver inside.


    However, the reality was not like that. What was ced in front of them was not silver, but gold!


    A whole chest full of gold! Moreover, this chest was much bigger than an ordinary chest!


    Judging by it, this chest should have about 1,500 taels of gold?!


    Xie Xi could not stop staring at it.


    ¡°E-Eldest Sister¡­ so many gold ingots!¡±


    Xie Qiao scratched her nose and concealed the shock in her heart. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a mere chest¡­¡±.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you¡¯re so rich!¡± Xie Xi heard her words and said in admiration.


    Xie Qiao almost choked.


    She had seen a lot of money before. The two princes and the imperial tutor had paid her a lot of money, but they had only given her silver notes. It would be too heavy for her to carry them if they were silver.


    Therefore, it was her first time seeing so much cash.


    They were shining gold¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t carry them¡­¡± Xie Xi was about to cry. Seeing so much gold and not being able to move them made her feel extremely sad.


    ¡°Just move the things to the carriage bit by bit.¡± It was aborious task, but fortunately, it was gold that was being moved, not other things, so this task was not tiring!


    Xie Xi nodded aggressively. There was no need for Xie Qiao to hurry her. She began to move the gold piece by piece and ran with her short legs.


    The coachman was dumbfounded when he saw that.


    He also came over to help.


    The coachman had been following Xie Qiao all along. He was a very loyal person. He was old. Just now, when the two girls were together, it was not appropriate for him to help.


    However, he could still do the task of moving things.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao did not have to worry about this person¡¯s greed. Of course, those who saw would have a share. He had also helped to move the items. She would have to pay him when they returned.

 Chapter 1071 - Exposed

    <h4>Chapter 1071 Exposed</h4>


    They had spent a lot of time moving so much gold.


    They were about to leave, but Xie Qiao looked at the pit and thought for a while. Then, she used a lot of strength to pull up the remaining empty box. When she looked again, there was another box at the bottom¡­


    This windfall was quite big.


    Xie Xi thought that she had finished her work, but she did not expect another box. At this moment, she was so scared that she did not dare to move.


    ¡°Eldest Sister¡­ the money is too much. I don¡¯t dare to take it¡­¡±


    What if the box below was also gold? What if the carriage was crushed?!


    ¡°What are you panicking for? It¡¯s just a broken box¡­¡± Xie Qiao gritted her teeth and said with an unfathomable expression, ¡°Dig!¡±


    Xie Qiao was Xie Xi¡¯s backbone. If her eldest sister did not panic, she could restrain her excitement and fear.


    The soil around the second box would be cleaned up and it would not be too troublesome. This time, when she opened it again, it was not gold, but¡­ it was also some valuable items.


    Pearls, agates, jade pendants, gems, and many other gold items. They were of a very delicate andplicated type.


    They were not as heavy as the box from before, but they were not light either.


    Fortunately, there were no other boxes at the bottom.


    When the two boxes of good stuff were put into the carriage, it was alreadyte at night.


    There were too many heavy things on the carriage. They were afraid that they would crush the frame and tire the horses, so Xie Qiao and Xie Xi got out of the carriage and walked.


    They walked toward the city step by step.


    Xie Xi¡¯s hands were still shaking.


    She always looked left and right when she felt guilty.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, there are so many things. Who buried them¡­? If we dig them up, will someonee and look for us? What should we do if they find us? Should we return them¡­¡± Xie Xi felt uneasy.


    After all, it was a windfall, so it was normal for Xie Xi to panic.


    Xie Qiao was also afraid that if she kept thinking about this matter, it would damage her character, so she said patiently, ¡°This is my reward. Earlier, I did something for someone and saved many people¡¯s lives. In order to reward me, the other party pointed out this ce. Don¡¯t worry, the money here is ownerless, just take it.¡±


    This money had been buried for a long time. Xie Qiao counted it and it was fine.


    Xie Xi still trusted her eldest sister Xie Qiao. When she heard that, she nodded carefully.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you were not at home recently. Were you out doing something for someone? But your health is not good. Father told Eldest Brother that you can¡¯t run around. You have to take care of your health,¡± Xie Xi said.


    She identally exposed herself.


    Xie Xi was so concerned about her. The way she looked at her was so pure that people could not bear to do it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Eldest Brother about this. Otherwise, our money will be taken away by him,¡± Xie Qiao instructed.


    Now that her health was much better, there was no problem telling her eldest brother that she was Mo Chusheng.


    No matter how fierce her eldest brother was, he still hoped that she would be alright. Now that she had proven that catching ghouls could heal her body, he would definitely not object.


    However, the big problem now was¡­


    She had lied to her eldest brother for too long. Moreover, when she was Mo Chusheng, her eldest brother was especially polite and respectful. If he found out that she was deliberately lying to him, would he not rip her head off?


    Xie Qiao was a little scared.


    If her eldest brother did not know Mo Chusheng, that would be great!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, is your body really okay?¡± Xie Xi was quite persistent.


    ¡°Of course. Look, I went out with you today. We dug pits and carried gold. We walked so far together. I still look fine. I look very healthy, right?¡± Xie Qiao was actually a little tired, but to prove herself, she straightened her back.

 Chapter 1072 - None of Your Business

    Chapter 1072 None of Your Business


    Xie Xi was skeptical, but she thought that her eldest sister was indeed in a good condition and should be fine.


    Compared to her eldest brother, she trusted her eldest sister more, so now she was obedient and decided not to spread the news about her eldest sister.


    In the evening, the two returned to the city.


    It was a little strange that they did not enter the city in the carriage, but on foot instead.


    However, it was obvious that they were youngdies from a big family. It was inappropriate for the guards at the city gate to investigate. They only asked a few questions.


    However, after taking a few steps into the city, they were stopped by a person. ¡°Young Lady Xie.¡± Meng Jifang did not expect to see the future Princess Consort here.


    Xie Qiao had good memories. She remembered that this person was the nephew of Imperial Concubine Meng. Back in the Royal Academy, he had caused a lot of trouble. He was a good-for-nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master Meng?¡± Xie Qiao asked straightforwardly. There was no extra expression on her face.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s heart jolted.


    What was the matter?


    He had not seen this youngdy for a long time. Now that he saw her, he thought it was a coincidence and came over to say hello. He thought that she would give him a smile, but he did not expect Xie Qiao to be so cold, it was as if he owed her money.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I talk to Young Lady Xie if I have nothing to do?¡± Meng Jifang said as he looked at Xie Qiao carefully.


    After a long time, Xie Qiao looked even more beautiful.


    He had to admit that Xie Qiao was the most beautiful youngdy he had ever seen.


    Moreover, she was very talented.


    Unfortunately, such a person was taken by the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Maybe... you can¡¯t.¡± Xie Qiao did not have a good impression of Meng Jifang.


    This person was born rich and noble. He was a little mischievous and was not the same type of person as her.


    The people she admired, regardless of whether they were men or women, had to be steady and mature. Even if they were like her eldest brother, even if they were fierce and unreasonable, they were not muddle-headed when it came to matters of great importance.


    Meng Jifang was a person who was muddle-headed when it came to matters of great importance.


    The Fourth Prince clearly did not have any ambitions. Imperial Concubine Meng was also a generous person. However, the Meng family was arrogant. When Meng Jifang saw the Crown Prince, he did not show much respect.


    She did not like people who did not think outside the box and only cared about their own interests.


    When Meng Jifang heard Xie Qiao¡¯s words, his self-esteem was hurt.


    In the past few months, he had asked around for information about the Xie family. He knew that this Young Lady Xie seemed to be in poor health again. She went to a certain manor to recuperate and never showed up.


    He could not help but worry. He thought that it would be a pity if thisdy died.


    Seeing her from afar today, he was happy and immediately walked forward. However, he was treated coldly and she was not polite at all...


    He was unhappy and subconsciously said, ¡°Young Lady Xie, why did you enter the city without taking the carriage? Could it be that this carriage is hiding something shameful?¡±


    After saying that, he felt a little regretful.


    However, it was already toote. Due to his dignity, he could not take it back. So, he maintained his proud look and looked at her coldly. Xie Qiao frowned slightly. ¡°It is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°How could it not be?¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s voice was a little anxious. ¡°Or maybe Young Lady Xie was coerced by someone outside the city, and some evil person is sitting in this carriage? I think this horse is walking strenuously. It shouldn¡¯t be empty inside.¡±


    As he said that, he looked at the guards at the city gate and said, ¡°Are you all useless? If there are suspects of such, you should search for them. If a thief sneaks into the city and hurts the people, I¡¯ll see how you are going to take responsibility for that!¡±


    Xie Xi red at Meng Jifang, as if this person had stolen her gold.

 Chapter 1073 - A Carriage Full of Good Stuff

    Chapter 1073 A Carriage Full of Good Stuff


    Xie Xi¡¯s gaze was too persistent and angry, causing Meng Jifang¡¯s face to burn.


    ¡°What are you looking at? This young master is just thinking about your safety. If you want to thank me, forget it!¡± Meng Jifang snorted and said with his head held high.


    Xie Qiao felt a little helpless. This Young Master Meng had gone crazy for some reason. He was extremely childish.


    Now that he had said that, the guards had no choice but to investigate.


    They stood guard at the city gate and checked the people and vehicles passing by. That was what they were supposed to do.


    They had let the two youngdies go and did not investigate because they knew that they were either rich or noble, so they could not offend them. However, now that Young Master Meng had pointed it out, they could not turn a blind eye.


    Meng Jifang had other boys by his side.


    He had always been like this. There were always many people by his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,dies. Can you lift the curtain of the carriage? We will take a look.¡± The guard was very polite.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xie Qiao agreed easily. The patrol guards at the city gate also let out a sigh of relief. Meng Jifang¡¯s expression was a little ufortable, however, he still did not let them off. ¡°It¡¯s such a cold day. It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t bring your sister around with you. In a short while, it will be your wedding day with the Crown Prince. If you don¡¯t live until then, the Princess Consort will have to be reced.¡±


    Xie Qiao raised her head numbly and nced at him a few times. She smiled sarcastically. ¡°Young Master Meng, you¡¯d better take care of yourself. You don¡¯t look well. I¡¯m afraid there will be a disaster.¡±


    Meng Jifang was neither angry nor surprised when he heard that.


    Everyone in the Royal Academy knew that Xie Qiao was from a Taoist temple and her words had always been mysterious.


    ¡°A disaster? Young Lady Xie, you¡¯re saying this to please the Crown Prince, right? I also know that the Crown Prince has a senior sister who is a Taoist master. Her witchcraft is extraordinary, and she has charmed the Crown Prince so much that he is disoriented. When you marry, if you act ording to the Crown Prince¡¯s preferences, perhaps he will take a few more nces at you,¡± Meng Jifang added.


    After he finished speaking, he hoped to see some reaction on Xie Qiao¡¯s face.


    This Xie Qiao must be a fool.


    She knew that the Crown Prince had a rtionship with the witch, yet she still fell into his trap. In the future, when she got married, she would not receive any love, and her body would not be in good shape. She might die in less than two or three years.


    Xie Qiao felt that there was something wrong with Meng Jifang.


    Earlier, there were people who said that Mo Chusheng¡¯s identity was unclear to the Crown Prince, but now it was much better.


    Everyone knew that Mo Chusheng was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister. Was it not only right for him to be respectful and courteous to his senior sister?


    There were not many people who would say such gossip.


    Only Meng Jifang was like this. He had always had a problem with the Crown Prince, so he deliberately picked on him. He wished he could pour all the dirt on the Crown Prince.


    As Meng Jifang spoke, the curtain was lifted.


    The patrolling guards were shocked.


    When Meng Jifang saw the change in the expressions of those people, he thought that there was something shameful in the carriage. His heart tightened, and he quickly looked over.


    When he saw this, Meng Jifang was also dumbfounded.


    He only saw that the carriage was filled with gold and assets?!


    Those gold were arranged in a messy pile, just like some useless bricks...


    The seal of the treasure chest was good quality, and the chest was coated with something like wax oil, which also caused the treasures inside to not be damaged. It was slightly old, but it was still eye-catching.


    So much gold, the passers-by were all dumbfounded.


    If it was not for the presence of the officers and guards, they might have wanted to stretch out their hands to snatch it!


    How many copper coins could those golds be traded?!

 Chapter 1074 - Shady Source

    Chapter 1074 Shady Source


    The officers and guards¡¯ faces were stiff as they stared at the gold in a daze. They could not take their eyes off it. Not to mention them, even Xie Qiao almost lost herposure as a master when she saw these things for the first time!


    ¡°You went out to get rich?!¡± Meng Jifang felt that it was a little ridiculous. Where did this Young Lady Xie get so much money?!


    <b>)</b>


    <b>m</b>


    ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± Xie Qiao did not feel guilty at all and answered frankly.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s expression was a little broken. He did not know what he was feeling at the moment.


    The youngdy of the Xie family, the future Princess Consort, went out with her younger sister on a snowy day. She did not even bring a maid servant with her. She only had a coachman with her. She went out to get a carriage full of money, and she still thought there was no problem with that?


    He kept feeling that the money was from a shady source...


    ¡°Young Lady Xie, this wealth...¡±


    Before Meng Jifang could finish his words, Xie Qiao asked, ¡°Where did your family¡¯s moneye from? Did I ask?¡±


    Meng Jifang¡¯s face turned green.


    Of course, he could not ask.


    ¡°As the saying goes, one¡¯s wealth shouldn¡¯t be revealed. Initially, my gold was safe. Now, Young Master Meng insisted on opening your mouth to examine it, causing so many people to see the things in the carriage. My family is still quite a distance away from the city gate. I¡¯ll have to trouble everyone to send me off and ensure that my wealth is safe,¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    ¡°Why?!¡± The boys behind Meng Jifang subconsciously refused.


    Meng Jifang did not have the time to stop her.


    ¡°Do you know what you will face if we sisters are robbed?¡± Xie Qiao asked faintly.


    Of course, Meng Jifang understood.


    Although Xie Qiao¡¯s words were not very pleasant to hear, it was not considered bullying.


    m


    However, if the sisters had carried so much money and were robbed, their lives might be threatened. Not long before the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding, something happened to the bride. The Meng family would definitely be implicated.


    The others thought about it carefully and came to a realization.


    They were all somewhat helpless and could only admit defeat.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll escort the two of you home.¡± Meng Jifang looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s proud appearance and felt a little depressed.


    Xie Qiao was always more powerful than he had thought. He lost his dignity several times when he met her.


    With such a strong personality, what good would he get if he met the Crown Prince?


    Meng Jifang did not feel good.


    The families behind these young masters were mostly on the Fourth Prince¡¯s side.


    It would be strange if they felt happy following Xie Qiao, the future Princess Consort, as bodyguards.


    Xie Qiao was very calm. Not far from the city gate, there was a ce that rented carriages. She rented another carriage, and Meng Jifang and the others each chose a horse to escort them from left and right.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the Xie Residence, the guards at the gate panicked when they saw so many people. When they saw their youngdies getting off the carriage, they became even more panicked. They felt as if the youngdies had been coerced by the bad guys...


    At this moment, Xie Pinggang had also returned from the criminal division.


    When he saw this scene, he immediately became angry. He quickly came over with a fierce expression and shouted at Meng Jifang and the others, ¡°What are you all doing?! Why are you following my sister?!¡±


    His voice was violent and loud.


    When he was not angry, he was already scary enough. Now that he was angry, he was like a monster on fire. With a re, he scared a few of the young masters so much that their footsteps became stiff and they almost fainted out of fear.


    Even Meng Jifang could not maintain his stance when facing a fierce beast like Xie Pinggang

 Chapter 1075 - Not a Big Deal

    Chapter 1075 Not a Big Deal


    The horses were a little restless. Fortunately, the young masters knew to restrain them properly and quickly pacified the horses.


    They had thought that Young Lady Xie would exin.


    However, she did not.


    With a calm expression, she said to Second Young Lady Xie and the coachman, ¡°Bring the carriage directly to my courtyard and get Chun Er put the things away.¡±


    Since her eldest brother was here, she had to hide the gold first so that he would not take it from her.


    If she brought them back to the courtyard first, Xie Pinggang would not be able to do it in front of her. She would lock the things in her private vault. No matter how unreasonable Xie Pinggang was, he would not do it.


    She was not as easy to bully as Xie Xi.


    Moreover, she would bring up Mo Chusheng¡¯s identityter. If she said that she and Mo Chusheng shared this thing, Xie Pinggang would naturally be obedient.


    After all, they were siblings by blood. She knew the morals of bandits. If she did not guard against him, who else would she guard against?


    Making a prompt decision, the coachman brought the things in.


    Xie Pinggang did not think too much about it. After all, this sister of his often got Chun Er to go out to buy things. Every time, she would bring a carriage full of things in.


    For instance, the fruits that were in season were used to make fruit wine. If the quantity was small, it would not be enough, so she would buy a lot every time¡­


    Seeing that she did not speak, Meng Jifang could only force himself to speak. ¡°We escorted the twodies back home¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Under the feet of the Emperor of the capital, why would my sister need you to escort her?! Speak! Did you scare her?! I think you are tired of living!¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes were red with anger.


    When his temper red up, even the gods could not stop him. He really wanted to kill someone. Meng Jifang was also a little flustered. ¡°Young Master Xie, just ask your sister about it. We just saw that the things in her carriage were expensive. We were afraid that something might happen to her, so we followed her all the way here!¡±


    Expensive? Xie Pinggang snorted. His sister was stingy!


    Even if she liked to buy things, she would not buy a bunch of expensive things!


    Who was he trying to fool?!


    ¡°That¡¯s really what happened. Young Lady Xie brought back a lot of gold from outside the city. Many people saw it and were afraid that it would not be safe. That¡¯s why we came¡­¡±


    el


    ¡°With her identity, what can we do to her?¡±


    The group of young masters felt quite wronged.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s brother alone was enough to make many people tremble in fear.


    He was too fierce and they did not dare to provoke him.


    Xie Pinggang was an official, but he was more like a fugitive.


    When Xie Pinggang heard all of themining, he looked at Xie Qiao and asked, ¡°What gold?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just some small property. It¡¯s just that these little brothers are too kind. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Xie Qiao lied through her teeth.


    The few young masters could not help but roll their eyes.


    It was not a big deal?!


    If that carriage of gold was exchanged for silver at the bank, it would at least be close to 20,000 taels of silver, right?! There were also many other things inside. It was not like they had not seen the world before. They could almost say with certainty that that carriage of gold, jade, pearls, gemstones, and gold articles were definitely worth more than 50,000 taels of silver!


    Yet she said that it was not a big deal?


    Xie Qiao had an innocent look on her face. It was really infuriating to look at her.


    ¡°The one that Young Lady Xie brought over¡­¡±


    A young master could not help but open his mouth, however, Meng Jifang cut him off. ¡°Young Lady Xie came all the way from outside the city. It was a tough journey. Although transporting the items is a small matter, Young Lady Xie is the Crown Prince¡¯s wife after all. It is not appropriate for her to go out without a maid servant apanying her. We had nothing to do, so we are happy to follow and take a look¡­¡±

 Chapter 1076 - Dismissed!

    Chapter 1076 Dismissed!


    Xie Pinggang thought these young masters had quite a lot of problems.


    ¡°You¡¯re all so old already, why are you all blindly joining in the fun? If you¡¯re curious about my sister¡¯s prestige as the Princess Consort, wait until the day of the wedding. You can just watch from afar in the crowd!¡± Xie Pinggang snorted lightly.


    He then thought that although his sister was born thin and weak, she was beautiful, so he did not care too much about it.


    ¡°I know my sister looks good, but no matter how good-looking she is, she¡¯s still my sister. She¡¯s the Crown Prince¡¯s future wife. What does that have to do with you? If you have the intention to admire her, just look at her from a distance. If you have nothing better to do, pray to the Gods and Buddhas for my sister to get married smoothly. Pray that she¡¯ll have two children in three years and live a long life. That¡¯s enough!


    ¡°As a man, be more open-minded! Don¡¯t do such sneaky things!¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    Even Meng Jifang, who had always been unrestrained, blushed at Xie Pinggang¡¯s words.


    The others were the same. They looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s face and wanted to say that they had been wronged, but they actually felt that their words were pale!


    That was right! With Young Lady Xie¡¯s appearance, anyone who looked at her would think that they had ill intentions!


    Perhaps, during the journey just now, there were already many people who thought that they were following her in a wretched manner!


    ¡°We¡­ didn¡¯t¡­¡± A few of them felt a little helpless.


    Xie Qiao was indeed good-looking, but they were not tired of living. How could they possibly admire the Crown Prince¡¯s woman?!


    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Xie Pinggang said with disdain, ¡°A man does things openly. You¡¯re just dilly-dallying and putting on an act. You¡¯re terrible! Although the Crown Prince loves my sister, he will not tolerate people like you. After all, my sister is so beautiful. There are many people in the world who are infatuated with her. The few of you are nothing!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face did not turn red. She thickened her skin and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Meng Jifang felt that he was blind.


    With Xie Qiao¡¯s shamelessness, nobody will live a good life in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence!


    There was also this eldest son of the Xie family.


    This was a person who was even more shameless than anyone.


    They were helpless. In the end, they could only say aggrievedly, ¡°Yes, in the future¡­ We will stay away from Young Lady Xie.¡±


    If they did not say that, what else could they do?


    Fight with Xie Pinggang?


    It was not that they were exaggerating. If ten more of them came, they probably would not be able to defeat this scoundrel, Xie Pinggang.


    Although many people looked down on Xie Pinggang¡¯s background, they had to admit that he was someone who had fought on the battlefield. His strength was as great as an ox. With a single p, he would probably be able to knock out young masters like them!


    Meng Jifang had never underestimated himself. However, he also knew that fighting with Xie Pinggang was not a wise move.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s wedding was imminent. At this time, it was not appropriate to have too much involvement with the Xie family.


    They obediently admitted defeat. Only then did Xie Pinggang nod. ¡°Alright then, you guys are dismissed.¡±


    Meng Jifang gritted his teeth in frustration.


    He had lived for so long. Other than suffering a little in front of the Crown Prince, there was really no one else who could make him so angry.


    The few of them were led by Meng Jifang. At this moment, they were all looking at his stance.


    He snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After saying that, the others turned their horses around and left in a sorry state.


    ¡°A group of noble young masters.¡± Xie Pinggang was a little envious. ¡°They are so tender. If I were a lion, I would want to eat them alive.¡±


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips. She did not want to talk about such a cruel topic with her eldest brother. Instead, she said, ¡°That Young Master Meng is going to have bad lucktely.¡±

 Chapter 1077 - Hard-Earned Money

    <h4>Chapter 1077 Hard-Earned Money</h4>


    Xie Pinggang did not care at all. Whether or not this noble young master had bad luck had nothing to do with him.


    Moreover, he remembered that his family and the Meng family did not have a good rtionship. When Ms. Lu was still around, they had given gifts to the Meng family. Later, the golden condor was sent back.


    If he were a member of the Meng family, he would feel extremely ufortable if the golden condor he had obtained was gone!


    Xie Qiao did not sympathize with Meng Jifang:


    She just felt¡­


    That the Meng family was rich and noble.


    Meng Jifang was not a bad person, but he was a littlecking


    In fact, he was not young anymore. It was said that there had been news of the engagement several times, but the engagement had all fallen through. No one knew what the reason was.


    As soon as the young masters left, the entrance instantly became quiet.


    ¡°What gold and silver were they talking about? Don¡¯t fool me. Do you think I¡¯m really stupid?¡± Xie Pinggang actually said.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face stiffened.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, so you¡¯re not stupid?¡± Xie Qiao chuckled.


    Xie Pinggang rolled his eyes at her. ¡°I¡¯m your eldest brother. This brain of mine grew a few years earlier than yours. How can you hide this little trick of yours from me? I saw the wretched faces of those young masters. I didn¡¯t want to talk about you in front of them!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him helplessly and said honestly, ¡°Master Mo helped some ghouls before. In order to repay her, the ghouls gave her a treasure chest. But she hasn¡¯t been free recently, so she asked me to go and get it.¡±


    ¡°Treasure chest? How much is it?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    ¡°A lot. But Eldest Brother, do you dare steal money from Master?¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    This was the benefit of having another identity!


    ¡°Am I that greedy? I¡¯m just curious.¡± Xie Pinggang thickened his skin, then he said, ¡°Since Master got you to move the treasure chest, she must have given you a share, right? And you brought Xie Xi with you. It seems that the share given to you is not little. Sister, everyone who sees it has a share. It¡¯s the new year, and the weather is so cold. Your brother doesn¡¯t have any good leather to block the wind!¡±


    ¡°I do have a share. It¡¯s not much.¡± Xie Qiao also knew that she had to shut him up.


    With so much gold, she could take out a small portion and share.


    Of course, Xie Pinghuai was an exception. Who asked him not to help out with thebor


    work?


    Xie Pinggang thought that the master¡¯s treasure chest should have 1,000 taels of silver.


    This was the most that the security guards would put in the chest.


    The money given to Xie Qiao would definitely not be arge amount. It would be good enough to have 200 taels of silver.


    After giving it to him and Xi¡¯er, it was estimated that each person would have 50 taels of silver.


    It was not much. It was just a wager.


    He was not in a hurry to get the money. He went back to his own courtyard to change his clothes while Xie Qiao went back to her courtyard. Chun Er and Granny Wan were all helping to move the gold from the carriage to the storeroom.


    They moved very quickly. It was already dark. After lighting themps, they were done moving the things.


    Xie Qiao found a few small boxes and came over.


    Inside the box for Xie Xi, she ced 50 taels of gold. ¡°This is the new year¡¯s money. It¡¯s also the hard-earned money that you went to dig for treasures with me. Don¡¯t hide the money. After the weather clears, the market outside should be lively. Take this money out and spend it all. Buy some things for yourself.¡±


    She was still young, so she should not stay at home all the time to settle ounts.


    She should go shopping and buy some clothes and jewelry to make herself happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much¡­¡± Xie Xi was quite embarrassed.


    On the way, she evenined that they had to leave the city that was very far away!


    Speaking of which, she did not do much. She just helped dig a few times. Without her, her sister could still find others to dig up thetreasure chest. She used to be an errand girl at the academy. She could also make a few silver or copper coins at a time.


    Her eldest sister gave her 50 taels¡­ and it was gold!

 Chapter 1078 - Gone Crazy From Craving for Gold

    Chapter 1078 Gone Crazy From Craving for Gold


    In reality, Xie Qiao wanted to give Xie Xi more.


    However, thinking that Xie Xi was still young and that the money was not in the family¡¯s public ount, she kept it for herself. It was likely that it would not be long before the three prodigal men in the family borrowed all of it.


    So, she just needed to give her some pocket money.


    Half of the gold would be taken out to fulfill thest wishes of the Baili family members, to buy incense, and then use their names to do some good deeds. The other half would be split and ced in the Fortune Pavilion to maintain the daily expenses.


    The remaining quarter was the quota that she could allocate freely. When the time came, she would split another two portions to save up for her younger siblings.


    Her eldest brother was not young anymore and should have married, but he had already passed the age. The matter of saving up for the assets was up to him. As his younger sister, she could only give him encouragement and not help him save up.


    At this moment, Xie Xi happily agreed.


    ¡°Remember to walk around in front of your second brother and make him regret not going,¡± Xie Qiao did not forget to remind her.


    Xie Xi nodded happily.


    After she left, Xie Qiao went to split the money.


    In the room, there were two boxes. They were the assets that Xie Qiao had saved up for Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi. The first time, she had put 2,000 taels of silver in each box. Later on, she had put some money in each box. Now, she put around 3,000 taels of silver in each.


    It was difficult to put gold in them, so Xie Qiao exchanged the gold for silver notes in her private vault. Then, she put 3,000 taels of silver in each of them.


    It was not bad to have such assets at such a young age.


    They were only fourteen years old. It would take them two to three years if short, and three to five years if it took longer for them to get married.


    The Xie Residence was brightly lit.


    Xie Xi carried the small box to Xie Pinghuai.


    Her clothes were still dirty. When Xie Pinghuai saw it, he could not help but feel disgusted. Xie Xi opened the box.


    Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes immediately widened.


    ¡°Where did you get this?! So much gold?!¡± Xie Pinghuai jumped up and wanted to take it.


    Fortunately, Xie Xi hugged the box tightly. ¡°Eldest Sister gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Why? Where¡¯s mine?! Is there any for me?!¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s eyes were widered and his face was full of anticipation.


    He was really too poor. He also wanted gold! ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why! Am I not her biological brother!?!¡± Xie Pinghuai could not believe it. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. You must have half of mine!¡±


    Xie Pinghuai shouted again.


    ¡°T-This is what Eldest Sister gave me as a reward. We went out together and dug out the gold. If you didn¡¯t go, there wouldn¡¯t be any for you. Eldest Sister said that since you didn¡¯t listen to her, she won¡¯t give it to you,¡± Xie Xi said seriously.


    Xie Pinghuai felt wronged. ¡°She did not say that she was going to dig up gold. If she did, I would have gone even if I had to go through mountains and rivers!¡±


    After he finished shouting, he remembered what Senior Aunt Mo had said about not showing his emotions¡­


    Immediately, his expression looked as if he was crying or smiled, but he tried his best to pretend to be expressionless. It was extremely strange.


    When Xie Xi saw that, she panicked and ran away.


    Her second brother had gone crazy from craving for gold.


    She ran very fast and went to the main courtyard. Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang were sitting together and drinking wine. When they saw her, they were also a little puzzled. When they looked again, they saw that Xie Pinghuai was actually chasing after her. His expression looked as if he wanted to kill someone.


    Just as Xie Pinghuai was about to rush through the door, Xie Pinggang kicked him.


    ¡°Why are you scaring your sister?¡± Xie Pinggang was even fiercer than Xie Pinghuai.


    Xie Pinghuai felt extremely wronged. ¡°Who¡¯s scaring her? She has gold. I just want to borrow some from her¡­¡±


    ¡°Gold?¡± In an instant, Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang¡¯s eyes were fixated on the box in Xie Xi¡¯s hand.


    Xie Xi pouted.

 Chapter 1079 - Different Treatment

    Chapter 1079 Different Treatment


    She had juste out of the tiger¡¯s den, and now she was in the wolf¡¯s den.


    Fortunately, before she could protect her things, Xie Qiao arrived. Behind Xie Qiao were Chun Er and Granny Wan. Each of them was carrying a small box in their hands.


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to steal Xi¡¯er¡¯s things?¡± Xie Qiao nced at her father and eldest brother as soon as she entered the courtyard. Then, she red at Xie Pinghuai.


    Her familycked everything except excitement.


    They were a bunch of tigers and wolves.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s carrying!¡± Xie Niushan immediately said, ¡°My daughter, what good things are you carrying?¡± Xie Qiao walked forward and stuffed the things in her hands into Xie Niushan¡¯s hands. ¡°Father, I made a small fortune today. This is money for Father to buy some wine.¡±


    Xie Niushan¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He opened it.


    The box was not big. There were two 20 taels of gold ingots and a few silver ingots in it.


    Xie Niushan was under Xie Xi¡¯s strict control. He was already very happy to have some pocket money. He was not picky. ¡°My daughter still loves me!¡±


    His eldest daughter gave him pocket money while the younger daughter took care of the family assets. Look, this family was bing more and more prosperous.


    However, his sons were terrible. They did not know how to show filial piety to their father!


    ¡°So these two sets belong to me and my second brother?¡± Xie Pinggang took them over.


    He opened them and found that his own set was exactly the same as his father¡¯s.


    The gold ingots were not much, so it was more convenient to exchange them for silver. In such a small box, there was the value of 500 taels of silver.


    She was very generous.


    It was sad for Xie Pinghuai¡¯s part.


    There were only silver ingots, a total of a hundred taels.


    ¡°Why do I have so little¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai felt unbnced.


    The other three people had the same amount of gold and silver. Of course, gold was more valuable. His sister had more.


    Only he had silver ingots, and there were not many of them.


    ¡°Are you not willing to take this free money?¡± Xie Qiao frowned. ¡°No!¡± Xie Pinghuai quickly shouted, ¡°No! I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too little!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Initially, you and Xi¡¯er should have been given 50 gold ingots each. But today, when I looked for you to go out with me, youined that I was seeking death and refused to go, so you won¡¯t be given the same amount,¡± Xie Qiao said with a smile.


    Xie Pinghuai felt extremely regretful. If he had known this would happen, he would have crawled out even if he had to crawl!


    ¡°Oh right, I heard that you still owe Xi¡¯er money. It¡¯s the new year, so it¡¯s time to settle the debt, right?¡± Xie Qiao said very calmly.


    If she did not stand up for Xie Xi, she really could not expect them to pay back the money that they had borrowed!


    Her biological father had clearly settled the debt. Showing filial piety was showing filial piety, and paying debt was paying debt!


    Xie Pinggang was also quite happy.


    He returned the money he had borrowed on the spot. However, he was thinking that Xie Qiao had done quite a number of things. The share that the master had given her was more than what he had expected. He wondered what kind of treasure chest it was that she was able to dig out to have so much gold and silver¡­


    Now that he had received the benefits, it was inappropriate for him to ask about it anymore.


    He had returned the money, and there was still a profit. It was the same for Xie Niushan. He still had to be happy with the money.


    Xie Pinghuai was the only one left¡­


    He only got a hundred taels of silver, yet he had to return nearly 80 taels of silver¡­


    However, the other two men in the family had already paid the debt. If he did not pay, he would not be able topare to his biological father and eldest brother. Since he was inferior, he gritted his teeth and handed the silver over.


    Xie Xi was giving back his change in a decent manner.


    She brought out a small scale and was going cut the silver into pieces. Xie Pinghuai was not even willing to look at it. ¡°I¡¯ll return 80 taels of silver to you. You don¡¯t have to cut them up. It¡¯s troublesome.¡±


    After saying that, he even cautiously nced at Xie Qiao.


    In his eldest sister¡¯s eyes, was he different from eldest brother?


    She had given so much to his eldest brother, yet she had given so little to him¡­


    It was not that he disliked theck of things, but he did not like the¡­ different treatment.

 Chapter 1080 - Her Loyal Father by Blood

    Chapter 1080 Her Loyal Father by Blood


    Xie Qiao knew that Xie Pinghuai would feel ufortable, but she did it on purpose.


    Xie Pinghuai had never suffered since he was young. In fact, due to the indulgence of Ms. Lu, he always felt that he was different from others. He was more or less arrogant.


    She just wanted to let her younger brother know that in this family, no matter how fierce and unreasonable Xie Pinggang was, he was more responsible than him. Hence, she had offended and provoked Xie Pinggang a lot, however, the eldest brother was still an eldest brother. His status was the same as her biological father.


    In her eyes, this little brother of hers was a child who could not grow up.


    If there was too much new year¡¯s money for the child, it would not be good.


    Xie Qiao seemed to not see Xie Pinghuai¡¯s gaze. It was a little cold and emotionless.


    Xie Pinghuai was very disappointed.


    Was it like what Senior Aunt Mo said? He was not sensible enough and was not likable enough? Therefore, even his eldest sister did not really like him that much¡­


    Even though he had gotten the money from his eldest sister, he suddenly felt like something was missing in his heart.


    However, he did not want others to see it.


    It was the first time he had truly restrained his emotions.


    He stood silently at the side and did not say much. However, when he saw how happy the whole family was, he did not dare to ruin it. Instead, he revealed a very ordinary smile.


    Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang both noticed it, but they tacitly chose to ignore it.


    This little brat. If he was not taught a lesson, he would not grow up.


    Xie Qiao had obtained so much money. When she needed to spend money at the Fortunate Pavilion, she would be even more generous.


    After the new year, Xie Qiao began to draw the Baili family members¡¯ portraits one by one.


    Baili Ji also knew that Xie Qiao had worked hard. He did not ask for everyone in the Baili family to be drawn. He only chose a few ghouls who had studied extremely well or had left behind works to represent the Baili family.


    Just like that, in the blink of an eye, there were less than ten days left until Xie Qiao¡¯s wedding day.


    The wedding would happen after the new year. As the weather became warm, the capital became more and more lively.


    More and more nobles returned to the capital from all over the world. On the bustling streets every day, one could see many sons of nobles ostentatiously passing through the city and throwing money away.


    There were many Commandery Princes in the current dynasty, most of them only having titles of nobility. There were not many princes with real power, and among them, there were only two brothers of the current emperor.


    These two people were honorable.


    As the wife of the Crown Prince, the Xie family was also very popr. Many of these nobles who suddenly appeared also gave them big gifts.


    Xie Xi could not decide easily, so Xie Qiao taught her and made the necessary arrangements.


    The gifts they gave were all based on their status. If they exceeded the rule, it would be difficult to ept them.


    For instance, Prince Rong¡¯s gift was not small.


    It was actually a blood red coral that was nearly two feet long. It was extremely beautiful. Other than the coral, there were also some high-quality snow ears and other items. They were all expensive.


    There were too many things and they were too expensive. Xie Xi was shocked.


    Xie Qiao pushed the matter to Xie Niushan and Xie Pinggang directly.


    Xie Niushan¡¯s official position was not low either. He went to the pce directly to look for an audience and told the emperor about this feeling of fear.


    Xie Niushan was very good at pretending to be fearful.


    He also knew that the emperor promoted him because he felt that he was bing more and more loyal. Therefore, when he saw the emperor again, he put on a loyal and honest appearance.


    ¡°I have never seen such a red and beautiful coral. I don¡¯t know how much manpower was used to dig it out from the sea, but it¡¯s incredible. I¡¯m making enough money to support my family now. I wouldn¡¯t appreciate such a good thing even if I put it in my home. It would be a waste to sell it, so I brought it to you, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 1081 - External Family

    Chapter 1081 External Family


    It was easy for Xie Niushan to pretend to be loyal and honest. Now, he was giving out good stuff again. The emperor looked at him and felt happy.


    Xie Niushan was once an out-and-out bandit. He had thought that this bandit would not be able to make it to the grand hall, but he did not think that he was still honest. He was not greedy for power or money. His private vault was full from the gifts that he gave.


    It was a good one.


    Thinking about Prince Rong again, he was a little upset.


    He had to do what he did with his identity.


    Prince Rong¡¯s identity was important. He was a rtive of the emperor. Even if the Xie family was the Crown Prince¡¯s external family, they were still officials. Yet, he was so eager to give such good stuff to the Xie family. Those who did not know better would think that he was trying to rope in the officials.


    After so many years, Prince Rong only grew old, but he was still immature.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, but it¡¯s not good to keep taking stuff from your family. Men, bring me my golden ck tassel spear and give it to my beloved minister! The Crown Prince is about to get married in a few days. Your daughter is really not bad, but your family background was still a little thin. I¡¯ll give you a thousand acres of goodnd to prevent the reputation of your poor family from spreading outside and making the Crown Prince worry,¡± the Emperor said.


    He was giving them a piece ofnd? Xie Niushan was happy. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!¡± It was still better to be an official, much morefortable than being a bandit!


    As long as he knelt down and went to train soldiers to do some minor work every day, he would be given sries and rewards. On this day, even if an immortal came, he would not trade it for anything!


    The golden ck tassel spear that the emperor had given was actually just a decoration.


    If it was really used to fight, it would not be suitable. The spear shaft was wrapped with ayer of particrly beautiful golden silk pattern. The spearhead was also iid with white jade and red and blue gemstones. It looked dazzling in golden light and was very beautiful, but if it was swung, the spear would definitely be broken.


    Such a valuable thing could not be sold.


    It could only be kept as a family heirloom and be worshiped in the ancestral hall. In the future, it would be told to future generations how much a certain ancestor was favored to be able to obtain such a good item¡­


    As for the good farnd that the emperor had given¡­


    Xie Niushan took a closer look aftering out of the pce. The manor was not in the capital, and it was very far away.


    However, the soil there was fertile, and there was a bumper harvest every year. It was indeed a good manor. Once the decree was issued, the future production would be handed over to the Xie family to arrange.


    The Xie family was rewarded again. On the side of the capital, there were some who were envious, and some who were jealous.


    They were envious of this bandit family. They were actually able to gain favor of the Crown Prince and turn over a new leaf, unting their might.


    They were also envious of the Emperor¡¯s favor. From the moment the Crown Prince¡¯s marriage was decided, the rewards had never stopped. Initially, they were from a small family, but they were rewarded withnd. It was estimated that on the day of the wedding, it would be grand!


    Just as the emperor¡¯s reward came down, more guests came to the Xie Residence.


    When they saw the note, they found out it was actually the Crown Prince¡¯s external family.


    The Gu family had long fallen, but the Empress¡¯ father was still around. This was to deter the descendants of the Gu family and prevent these children from acting recklessly.


    Now that the Crown Prince was getting married, the members of the Gu family naturally had to visit.


    The ones who wanted to meet Xie Qiao were two women, both of whom were the Empress¡¯ sisters-inw. The Gu family was quite prosperous.


    Since they had arrived, Xie Qiao definitely had to meet them.


    After they were invited in, the eyes of the two madams of the Gu family lit up when they saw Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Young Lady Xie is extremely beautiful. Today, I can see that it¡¯s true. When I think of those monkeys in my family, I really feel ashamed of my inferiority!¡± The person who spoke was the first madam of the Gu family.


    The Crown Prince had five or six uncles and three direct rtives.


    None of them were up to the task. The most ridiculous one was his third uncle. He was initially a prodigy, but he suddenly had a leg disease and his temperament changed drastically. Many years ago, he killed a woman, which made the Gu family even worse. He angered his grandfather to death.

 Chapter 1082 - Problems with the Ancestral Grave

    Chapter 1082 Problems with the Ancestral Grave


    No one mentioned these old matters anymore, but the other families also knew that very few dared to marry into the Gu family.


    It was said that the Gu family¡¯s sons and descendants could only be married to the people in their hometown in Kangchuan. The madams¡¯ family backgrounds were low, and they were all personally chosen by the old master of the Gu family. They were very virtuous.


    After all, most of the sons and grandsons were b*stards. If the wife of the family did not marry well again, then the whole family would really be finished.


    The first madam and the second madam were both very kind and intelligent people.


    When they entered the Xie Resident, they were more or less worried. Especially when they thought that the male members of the family were all bandits, they could not help but feel anxious and fearful. However, these two people¡¯s expressions were normal. They even looked at Xie Qiao very close and their expressions were very natural.


    Xie Qiao politely greeted them and was immediately held by the two of them.


    ¡°I took the liberty toe here today. Firstly, I want to acknowledge the family. From now on, we are all family. If there is anything that you need, please feel free to say it. Secondly, I want to express my gratitude,¡± the first madam quickly added.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she roughly knew what was going on.


    When she entered the pcest year, she saw that the empress used the wrong m beads, so she reminded Zhao Xuanjing of that.


    ¡°It was our carelessness. We never thought that there would be a problem with the gift given to the Empress. I heard from the people that His Highness said that if it weren¡¯t for your good eyesight and seeing the problem at a nce, the Empress¡¯s health would have been destroyed!¡± The first madam said, she was also somewhat resentful.


    ¡°Since I saw it, there¡¯s no reason not to say it. I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Xie Qiao said politely.


    ¡°What do you mean you didn¡¯t do anything? To you, it¡¯s just saying something, but to our Gu family, it¡¯s the lives of our entire family!¡± The first madam quickly added.


    If something really happened to the empress, what if the person behind her told the emperor that there was a problem with the m beads? By then, would the Gu family still be able to survive?


    Moreover, the empress was the Gu family¡¯s biggest backer. If she fell, the Gu family¡¯s future would also bepletely ruined.


    In the past, the Gu family had been glorious¡­


    Now, they did not want to be as prosperous as they were in the past. They only wanted to have a ce in the capital. The descendants of the family were of noble character. As long as nothing happened, everything would be fine.


    ¡°The most important thing is still the ancestral grave¡­¡± The second madam was afraid that the first madam had forgotten, so she quickly spoke up, ¡°The person sent by His Highness said that there was a problem with the ancestral grave in Old Master Li¡¯s family, which resulted in ack of descendants. I¡¯m afraid that there is something wrong with our Gu family¡¯s ancestral grave as well, which is why we have been repeatedly met with misfortune. After receiving the news, father invited several powerful masters to take a look. With one look, they really discovered something fishy.¡±


    It was unknown who had watered the soil near the ancestral grave with blood!


    There was even a ce where a lot of cat carcasses had been buried. When the soil was removed, it really smelled fishy!


    There were also many other problems that they did not understand. However, the masters said it would affect the fate of the future generations.


    Thinking about how the children in the family had not made much progress in the past few years, they could not help but feel resentful in their hearts.


    They really did not know who had harmed them so much behind their backs!


    ¡°It is already a blessing that we have found the reason. I heard that the Gu family has strict discipline now. Without these external influences, our children and grandchildren will definitely have great prospects in the future.¡± Xie Qiao was not very surprised when she heard the oue.


    The situation in the Gu family was a little strange. The possibility of problems in the ancestral grave was already the greatest.


    If there were children in the family with strong Yang energy and good luck, they would not be affected. However, if they were ordinary people, their luck would definitely be damaged.


    ¡°Thank you for your good words.¡± The two madams looked at Xie Qiao and were really happy no matter how they looked at her.


    It was just that their Gu family was currently weak and could not help the Crown Prince.


    As the two madams spoke, they even took off the bracelet that they were wearing and forcefully gave it to her.

 Chapter 1083 - Bully

    Chapter 1083 Bully


    The bracelet was green and shiny. It was a good thing. Xie Qiao guessed that it must have been specially brought here to be given it to her.


    This was also a gift from the elders. Xie Qiao could not refuse, so she epted it.


    This item was given privately. On the surface, the Gu family had also sent other gifts.


    After epting so many gifts, Xie Qiao began to feel a little nervous about getting married.


    She had always been calm and did not dare to have too many emotions in her heart. However, at this moment, she could not control herself. Looking at the increasing red color of the house and the peopleing and going, she felt that her heart was about to jump out of her chest.


    There were few members in the Xie family. If she married someone, there would probably not be many elders who would give her wedding gifts. However, right now, the noble women in the capital, with different statuses, came one after the other.


    If they came, they would also have to say some auspicious words to her.


    Settling down and getting along well, give birth to children soon, live in harmony, treat each other kindly, grow old together, and stay together as one¡­


    How could she sit still listening to that all day long?


    It was not easy for her to wait until the night before the wedding. The second aunt of the Lin family came again. She was mysterious, and her face was strangely red.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not my ce to say. I just thought that your family doesn¡¯t have a madam, and I¡¯m worried that the grannies in the pce only cared about the Crown Prince. So, they got me to exin it to you, youngdy¡­¡± Lin Sangzhi blushed, she stuffed a book into Xie Qiao¡¯s hand.


    Xie Qiao opened her mouth and froze for a moment.


    The Lin family¡¯s first aunt was the oldest, but she had never been married in her life, so it was not appropriate for her to teach her this.


    However, she had to do it.


    Nevertheless, she was actually young, and she was only twenty-seven years old. The situation in the Xie family was really hopeless, so she could only bite the bullet and say, ¡°Y-You can¡¯t be too hasty when you¡¯re getting intimate with your husband¡­ This is your first time. If you¡¯re too nervous, you might hurt your body, so you have to control yourself. Especially when you¡¯re not feeling well. If you feel that it¡¯s inappropriate, you have to take care of yourself first¡­ Take a look at this book. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    Lin Sangzhi¡¯s face was so flushed that she could not say anything. She stuttered and looked very conflicted.


    If she were to tell Xie Xi that, she would be more shameless.


    However, she was facing this youngdy.


    This Young Lady Xie was like a fairy. Normally, she did not dare to get close to her. However, now, she had to say such indecent things in front of her. She felt like she was bullying this youngdy. It was so embarrassing!


    Lin Sangzhi blushed, and Xie Qiao also felt her face burning.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt, for your guidance.¡± Xie Qiao was so well-behaved now.


    Lin Sangzhi looked at her so lovely, then, she said, ¡°You have a gentle personality, and you¡¯re not in good health. Your father and brother must be very worried about you marrying off just like that. I don¡¯t know much about such a powerful family, but I know that in an ordinary family, a husband and wife must discuss everything. As a wife, you should be filial to your parents-inw and take care of your husband. But if you¡¯re really wronged, you shouldn¡¯t hide it. You¡¯re so beautiful. Just act more coquettishly, and don¡¯t be shy and talk to others¡­¡±


    Lin Sangzhi was really worried about this youngdy¡¯s health.


    They were from a small family, so they did not know how the Crown Prince was.


    The people did not know much about the Crown Prince either.


    They only heard some things from Xie Xi from time to time, but most of them said that the Crown Prince had given something to the Xie family.


    They did not know what kind of personality the Crown Prince had. They were also worried that if he was a brutal man, Xie Qiao¡¯s weak body would not be able to withstand it.


    However, they thought that if he was really a bad person, the father and son of the Xie family would definitely not be happy about this marriage. They could only swallow their worries.

 Chapter 1084 - Getting Married

    Chapter 1084 Getting Married


    There were many people like the Lin family who felt that Xie Qiao¡¯s body was weak.


    However, they had good intentions and concerns, but it was hard to say for others.


    At this time, Lin Sangzhi had told Xie Qiao many things, mostly to ask her to learn to use her own strengths and not suffer losses.


    Xie Qiao would be married to the most honorable family in the world. If she did not have a good life in the future, her family would not even have the ability to call the shots for her.


    That night, Xie Qiao did not sleep for long.


    Before dawn, it was already bustling outside.


    The groomingdy also came over and helped her dress up.


    The wedding dress was heavy. It was embroidered by an embroiderydy in the pce. The patterns wereplicated, but it was extremely luxurious and dignified. However, when the wedding dress was worn, it was so heavy Xie Qiao could not breathe.


    The dress was fine, but what was more important was her face. She only felt that ayer of skin had been scraped off her face, and then a lot of makeup was applied on her face. A group of people swayed in front of her. She did not even have the time to look in the mirror. She only felt that she must look like a thousand-year-old female ghoul at this moment. Her red lips and fair face were definitely frightening. ¡°Eldest Sister, you¡¯re really beautiful.¡± Xie Xi did not know anything and just stood by the side to apany her.


    Xie Qiao forced a smile, looking as if she had nothing left to live for.


    <b>as</b>


    ¡°Youngdy, are you tired?¡± Thedy who was putting on makeup looked at her and was a little afraid. She was worried that the youngdy would faint from exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried my best to make things easier for you today. This phoenix cor has been altered a few times. His Highness the Crown Prince has personally checked it. He keeps thinking that it¡¯s too heavy and is afraid that it would hurt your neck.¡±


    Xie Qiao understood.


    Ordinary people would be exhausted to death during a wedding, not to mention the imperial family.


    Xie Qiao nced at the phoenix cor ced by the side. It was indeed beautiful.


    It looked a little lighter than an ordinary colored cor, but the workmanship was probably even moreplicated. The golden wings on the top were very thin. With a light movement, it would be as if they were about to spread their wings and fly high.


    Xie Qiao took a breath and braced herself.


    This was just the beginning.


    After a while, many women who gave blessings came. Under the guidance of auspicious officials, they said auspicious words before the wedding.


    ¡°First brush brings peace and health, love wouldst forever.


    ¡°Second brush brings good luck, may youth and beautyst forever.


    ¡°Third brush brings peace and prosperity, may you bear many children and live long. There is no worry about wealth and honor.¡± They were picking up the bride-to-be.


    <b>as</b>


    There was music and drums ying outside, as well as firecrackers. Xie Qiao¡¯s long hair was tied up, and the phoenix cor fell down, blocking her view.


    W


    The surrounding celebrations were getting louder and noisier. Xie Qiao could not hear what the people were saying clearly.


    She did not know how long she had waited, but she was led out hand in hand.


    She bid farewell to her father and brother and entered the bridal sedan chair.


    It was swaying, the streets were lively. Along the way, she could hear the surrounding hubbub. After being busy for a long time, Xie Qiao could only see the hem of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s clothes for a short while. She did not know what this person looked like today.


    Her heart was beating fast.


    Just as she was thinking, a ghoul floated over from the bridal sedan chair.


    ¡°The patriarch said that you¡¯re getting married today, Master, so he asked us to send you off. As ghouls, we don¡¯t have anything to send you off. Today, we¡¯ll try our best to block some of them for you. Let those wandering souls stay away from you so that they won¡¯t collide with you,¡± said the ghoul of the Baili family.


    He only leaned against the curtain and said a few words. After he finished speaking, he floated away.


    The clothes that Xie Qiao was wearing today, from inside to outside, were exquisite. She did not carry many talismans with her, and the bamboo basket was not with her. She felt a bit uneasy in her heart, and when she heard these words, she was indeed very happy.


    There were still quite a number of ghouls from the Baili family who had not left yet, so this bit of help could really be of help.


    Usually, the ghouls wandering on the street would not care about what the living were doing. It was verymon for them to rampage.


    The ghoul guards beside the Crown Prince also opened a path on both sides. It was just that the line was too long and there were not enough of them. Now that Baili Ji and the others were watching, the other ghouls also tried their best to avoid them.

 Chapter 1085 - Nervous

    Chapter 1085 Nervous


    The journey was unimpeded and lively as they entered the imperial city.


    Xie Qiao was tired after sitting in the sedan chair for a long time. When the sedan chair came to a stop, she let out a sigh of relief. The red silk curtains were listed. As she was about to get out, she suddenly lost her bnce. She was shocked.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at the person in front of him. The smile on his face was obvious. He carried her, so that she would not have to walk.


    The ceremonial officials in the pce were also shocked. However, the Crown Prince was overjoyed today, so they did not dare to say that he did not conform to the rules. All of them were well-behaved and only responsible for the process.


    Then, they paid their respects to their parents.


    Xie Qiao really understood what a puppet was now.


    She was well-behaved and obedient.


    It was not until she heard the ceremonial officials say ¡°the ceremony is over¡± that she let out a sigh of relief and was sent into the bridal chamber.


    Xie Qiao had also brought a maid with her today. Chun Er stood gloriously by her side. When everyone in the room had left, she would secretly give her some snacks. ¡°Chun Er, how was the Crown Prince¡¯s performance today?¡± Xie Qiao took advantage of the fact that no one had arrived and asked first.


    ¡°His Highness is exceptionally glorious today.¡± Chun Er scratched her head and was a little perfunctory.


    How would she dare to look at His Highness the Crown Prince?


    Xie Qiao was also anxious. She had agreed to this marriage on her own and was in a daze. In the blink of an eye, she had really married him. She felt that it was a little unreal, especially since she was so tired today. Her little head seemed to be unable to think.


    After entering the bridal chamber, her mind was filled with¡­ obscene scenes. It was not suitable for children!


    This bed¡­ was quite big. When she flipped over, it would not fall off¡­


    ¡°Enlightenment-mind, enlightenment-mind¡­¡± Xie Qiao muttered.


    ¡°Young Lady, what did you say?¡± Chun Er was a little doubtful, but she immediately became nervous. ¡°Is your heart not feeling well? Should I call the imperial physician?!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Xie Qiao sat up and quickly said.


    If she really called the imperial physician, then tomorrow, all the noble families in the capital would know that on the day of the Princess Consort¡¯s wedding, her little life was almost tormented to death¡­


    Would it be appropriate?


    No, no, no


    ¡°Have you brought the medicine?¡± Xie Qiao asked first.


    When Chun Er thought of this matter, she hurriedly took out the things. ¡°Young Lady, why don¡¯t I put them under your pillow? If anything happens, you can take it in time.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was flushed.


    A little physicalbor¡­ It was not a big deal! She was not even tired from digging the hole earlier!


    Was she not feeling nervous? She had lived for so long, and her heart was beating the fastest today. If it kept beating so fast, she was worried that she would faint before she even had the chance to consummate the marriage.


    So, she took one and ate it directly.


    Not long after, another person came.


    She took the wedding wine, lifted the veil, and listened to some auspicious words.


    Xie Qiao was numb from listening.


    She drank the wine to her heart¡¯s content and downed it in one gulp. The people who ran over to join in the fun were dumbfounded by what they saw. They thought this Young Lady Xie seemed to be a bit bold and unrestrained, and she really did look like the daughter of a bandit. If not for the fact that many people had already seen Xie Qiao and knew that she was beautiful, they would have suspected that she was burly.


    When the veil was lifted, Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up. She finally feltfortable.


    However, the person who came into her sight¡­


    Made her tiny face blush.


    Zhao Xuanjing was indeed exceptionally beautiful today.


    He also wore a golden crown on his head. He was awe-inspiring and had sharp eyebrows that reached his temples. He was born with a noble aura that people did not dare to look directly at. His red clothes and golden threads were not too much. He looked more like a god who had descended into the world and was solemn.


    Xie Qiao was stunned when she saw that. Then, she felt the gazes of others, so she pretended to lower her head obediently.


    A thick smile appeared on the corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth. He looked like a beast who was about to eat Xie Qiao alive.


    Today, she would be his.

 Chapter 1086 - Night Falls

    Chapter 1086 Night Falls


    Seeing the shy look on the youngdy¡¯s face, the others also teased her a little. However, it was the Crown Prince¡¯s big day after all, so they did not dare to make a fuss. They retreated.


    Even Chun Er had to leave obediently at this moment.


    Not long after, the room was empty.


    There were only two people left.


    Xie Qiao then raised her head to look at him again.


    They stared at each other.


    For a moment, he froze. Zhao Xuanjing felt that Xie Qiao was like a deer in the woods. Looking at him, as if she had seen a hunter. Her eyes were wide and round, and she was quite panicked.


    Zhao Xuanjing reached out his hand¡­


    Xie Qiao closed her eyes.


    The phoenix crown was taken off. Xie Qiao¡¯s head lightened, and she could not help but blush guiltily.


    She really could not be med for being a pervert. In fact, she had been silent all this time, and when she heard other people say all kinds of things, she could not help but start to imagine¡­


    She was also a person with an enlightenment-mind who was not lustful! However, after a ss of wine and with the red candles around her burning, she could not help but have her mind run wild.


    ¡°ording to the procedure, you should help undress me now,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said when he saw her sitting there motionlessly.


    Xie Qiao wanted to roll her eyes at him.


    You wish!


    ¡°I¡¯m older. Although I don¡¯t have much experience, I¡¯m still a man. I don¡¯t need the Princess Consort to do this personally,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said briskly. Then, he took his golden crown off and took off his clothes, the bright red robe fell down.


    Xie Qiao suddenly panicked.


    Was this not a little too direct?


    Should he not cover himself with the nket and chat first?!


    However, the Crown Prince¡¯s clothes inside were very neat. After taking off his robe, he did not seem to be in such a hurry to do it. Xie Qiao encouraged herself and revealed an obedient smile. ¡°I¡¯m not in good health. Your Highness, could you¡­ be gentler?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s chest trembled and he coughed a few times.


    Xie Qiao looked at his embarrassed expression and smiled even more brightly. Her eyes seemed to be shining.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qiaoqiao. I¡¯ll definitely be careful and gentle.¡± After Zhao Xuanjing sorted out his emotions, he moved closer. His eyes were somewhat seductive.


    His warm breathnded on her face, bringing with it the fragrance of wine.


    The red candles in the brocade tent made the two of them look flushed.


    Xie Qiao also knew that it was impossible to cover herself with the nket and chat. If Zhao Xuanjing did not do anything on this beautiful day, he would not be a man.


    Obviously, he was.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s appearance was really attractive.


    He wanted to tell her the truth. After all, the wedding was already done. Even if he told her that he knew she was Mo Chusheng, this person would not be able to escape.


    However, at this moment, there was nothing in his mind.


    It was as if fireworks were blooming outside and blood was flowing.


    With a soft waist in his hand, how could he endure it?


    He forcefully pressed her down.


    As soon as the red curtains fell, the two shadows intertwined. Their bodies became one, and their minds traveled across the Milky Way. There was music ying and lion dance performance in the pce. They were rolling around in the bed. They were in love with each other, and the flowers bloomed together with the lotus.


    The night was falling, but they did not feel cold.


    After all this work, Xie Qiao¡¯s entire body seemed to be about to copse.


    She was covered in sweat and she was embarrassed as she hid under the nket. She only revealed her head, and the person next to her seemed to want to melt her into her bones.


    ¡°I have something¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should say it.¡± Xie Qiao felt that she was probably the most terrible person in the world.


    At this time, it was time for sweet talk. She should be saying something nice, like her feelings for him were growing, and she liked him more and more now.


    However, she did not have time to say it just now because this person was too impatient.


    Zhao Xuanjing knew what she wanted to say.


    He knew Xie Qiao¡¯s matter better than her biological father. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? Go to sleep.¡± Zhao Xuanjing put his arm around her head and covered her eyes with his hand.

 Chapter 1087 - Live For Another 90 Years

    Chapter 1087 Live For Another 90 Years


    Xie Qiao felt warm all over. After some thought, she decided not to be a party-pooper. She snuggled into his arms again and fell asleepfortably.


    What she wanted to say was that she brought about a lethal fate to her family.


    Earlier, she had wanted to bear a child, but now she did not know how powerful her lethal fate was. She was afraid that she would not be able to bear a child.


    It was a serious matter. She should have said it long ago. However, she was also a little selfish. The appearance of the Crown Prince made her really happy. To her, he was really gullible and easy to manipte. She had been calm for so many years. Looking at this person, she wanted to be intimate with him. She wanted to experience the feeling of a fish swimming in the water.


    However, when this person was in her hands, she felt a little guilty. That was also true.


    She fell asleep in a daze and slept extremely well.


    Early in the morning, an auspicious aura surrounded the house and it was filled with happiness.


    When she opened her eyes, she was still in a daze.


    She was married¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Zhao Xuanjing leaned against her back and looked at her sideways. ¡°I asked the cook to make lotus seed soup, lily bulb cake, and longevity noodles. After you get up and eat them all, we can go to the pce to see Father and Mother.¡±


    It had already been arranged.


    Xie Qiao scratched her head and said sleepily, ¡°Aren¡¯t longevity noodles for birthdays¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhao Xuanjing pinched her nose as he said, ¡°Take good care of your body in the future and live with me for another 90 years. It¡¯s not much.¡±


    Xie Qiao was a little confused and yawned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s so early in the morning, do you have to tell my fortune? Everyone knows that I¡¯m short¡­¡±


    ¡°Short of what?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyes were smiling, but there was a bit of a threat.


    Xie Qiao perked up. ¡°What outsiders say is wrong. I am also a half-immortal. I am the Princess Consort. I am very powerful.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded in agreement. His hand was always naughty. He stopped pinching her nose and pinched her earlobe this time.


    Xie Qiao was tickled by his pinching. She gently scratched her ear.


    On the first day of their marriage, Xie Qiao could not stay in bed. After rolling in the bed for a while, she went to wash up.


    From time to time, she peeked at Zhao Xuanjing.


    His waist¡­ was so nice. Now it was hers. She could admire it carefully every day.


    His face¡­ It was dark yesterday. She could not see him clearly in the dark red everywhere. Now that he was so close, she could see him more clearly than ever before.


    Everything was perfect, and his body emitted a special but not greasy fragrance.


    His shoulders were broad and thick, his chest was firm, his back was straight, his waist was thin and he had a nice butt. He had long legs and was tall. He had long, fair fingers, and he was full of grace.


    Zhao Xuanjing had long noticed that Xie Qiao was looking at him.


    He felt proud and even slowed down his speed of dressing. A wisp of morning sun shone in through the window, and it was as if his whole body was glowing. He had a seductive smile on his lips, his eyebrows were raised, and his bearing was rxed. He was like the sun in the sky.


    Xie Qiao was very satisfied.


    <b>W</b>


    When she went out in the past, she was most worried about bumping into a person with a face full of sadness. She would feel that the whole day would be ruined. However, now, when she opened her eyes, it was him. Only now did Xie Qiao realize that she was very satisfied with this marriage.


    Even though she did not like Zhao Xuanjing very much, she still attached great importance to him. Otherwise, she would not be thinking of umting good karma for him at all times and ces.


    Xie Qiao had a blissful expression on her face.


    After a while, breakfast was served.


    Only then did Xie Qiao realize that the longevity noodles that Zhao Xuanjing was talking about¡­ were not just noodles.


    The breakfast seemed to be too sumptuous.


    Rather than saying that it was noodles, it was more like ginseng chicken soup. There were some medicinal herbs that could replenish qi in it, but the taste was extremely delicious. There were other dishes that were very light, but they looked very appetizing. The lily bulb cake and lotus seed soup were just¡­ two of the underrated dishes.

 Chapter 1088

    Chapter 1088 Worried About Gains and Losses


    Even Xie Qiao had no idea where to start.


    ¡°Eat some of everything. It will be like this every day in the future. Your health is not good, and your bones are too thin. Also, every two days, the imperial physician will take your pulse.


    ¡°I also told Father that your body is weak. Unless it¡¯s necessary, you will go to the pce to visit Father and Mother. If I¡¯m not here, you don¡¯t have to greet them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like living in the pce. After you return, you can stay in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence outside the pce,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    ¡°His Majesty¡­¡± After Xie Qiao spoke, she thought that this title was inappropriate, so she changed her words. ¡°Isn¡¯t Father being too indulgent with you? It¡¯s understandable that you live in the Royal Academy, but you actually set up the Crown Prince¡¯s residence outside the pce? You¡¯re already married, yet he still agreed and let us live outside together?¡±


    It was safer in the pce, and there were many guards.


    If someone wanted to assassinate him outside, the possibility of an ident would be higher.


    ¡°Father is used to indulging me. If he doesn¡¯t indulge me for a day, he¡¯ll be worried about gains and losses,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said seriously.


    Why did Xie Qiao feel that he deserved a beating?


    ¡°You should be clear about the situation in the pce. It¡¯s just that a few princes havee to the capital recently, so it¡¯s a little noisy. If you run into them on a normal day, you don¡¯t need to say anything when I¡¯m around. If I¡¯m not around, you can say whatever you want. It doesn¡¯t matter if you say harsh things.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°There are stewards in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence to manage the ounts. They are all trustworthy. You can leave the trivial matters to them. It¡¯s okay to go out and take a look when you have time,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with hidden meaning, ¡°From now on, you and I only have onemon goal¡­¡±


    He stared at Xie Qiao. Xie Qiao thought for a moment and tried to get the hint from the Crown Prince.


    She hesitated and asked suspiciously, ¡°Live a long life?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded. ¡°You and I have to fight for our lives. If we live longer, we can be together for a longer time.¡±


    Xie Qiao felt that she did not have enough confidence.


    It seemed that Zhao Xuanjing was serious. He wanted her to live a long life first.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Crown Prince of the country. Isn¡¯t this goal a little too easy? I¡¯ll work hard on my own. You¡¯d better make a promise to the sea, the river, and the peace of the world¡­¡± Xie Qiao did not want to be tied to him.


    Look at the food today. It was too sumptuous. She could not afford it!


    How much money did a meal cost¡­


    It would not be good if such a luxury lifestyle spread out!


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. The peace of the world is my responsibility. I¡¯ll try my best, but my grand wish is to let you live for a long time.¡± Zhao Xuanjing had made up his mind yesterday. He liked to see her bright and arrogant appearance. Whether it was by pinching his waist or staring at him to slow down, it was only when she was full of life that he felt happy.


    He did not want to see her half-dead and gasping for breath.


    Xie Qiao now felt that her life did not belong to her anymore.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Xie Qiao nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s no need to worry about the matter of bearing a child. You and I can umte more good karma, and our health can be better. Our fates will be the same. We can definitely change,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    Xie Qiao nodded obediently.


    Alright, alright.


    Xie Qiao was good at pretending to be honest. She nodded no matter what Zhao Xuanjing said. Although she felt the pressure of risking her life, she still had some expectations in her heart.


    After eating and drinking, she changed into her court attire and went to pay her respects to the Emperor and Empress.


    The Emperor was busy with administrative affairs. He went to the imperial study after seeing her, but there were many wives of the officials here on the Empress¡¯ side.


    ¡°Your Highness is already married. This year, there will be many happy events. The pce will be more and more lively in the future,¡± said one of the Emperor¡¯s concubines.


    Xie Qiao had an impression that this person was Concubine Ruan who was by the Emperor¡¯s side. She was the mother of the Emperor¡¯s eldest daughter.


    The marriage of the eldest daughter had already been decided. She should be married in a few months.

 Chapter 1089 - Looks Human

    Chapter 1089 Looks Human


    The three princesses were also present. They were all sisters-inw, so she had to recognize them roughly. Xie Qiao did not forget to take a second look.


    The eldest daughter of the Emperor was already eighteen years old. The concubines gave birth to beautiful children, so this child was not too bad either. Moreover, although the current emperor was already in his forties, he looked like a handsome old man. With such parents, these few heirs of the imperial family were all beautiful.


    Of course, the Crown Prince was the most beautiful.


    However, Xie Qiao discovered that this eldest daughter had a romantic fate on her face and was slightly worried. There was a red blotch at the end of her eye. It was not big, but the position was not very good.


    She was going to the pce to meet her inws today, so it was not appropriate to talk about this.


    It was a women¡¯s asion, so it was not suitable for the Crown Prince to stay any longer. After a while, she was the only one left.


    However, Xie Qiao was quite confident and did not have stage fright.


    Especially recently, the Gu family had visited her and she solved a major disaster. It was also thanks to Xie Qiao¡¯s reminder, so the Empress was very satisfied with her.


    It was a pity that her body was not in a good condition. She was only worried about what the Crown Prince would do if he did not have a legitimate son in the future. ¡°The Empress¡¯ daughter-inw has really opened my eyes today. She¡¯s so pretty. I heard that her father was actually a bandit who was recruited? She really doesn¡¯t look like one!¡± Suddenly, a teasing voice came from the side.


    These words were said gently, but it did not seem like much.


    Xie Qiao did not care either. Her father was initially a bandit. In the past, he was indeed an unpresentable person, but now that he had been walking on the correct path and became an official.


    To put it bluntly, the first emperor of this dynasty was the traitor.


    ¡°Princess Consort, this is Concubine Rong. She has only recently followed Prince Rong into the capital. She isn¡¯t very familiar with the matters in the capital,¡± the Empress briefly introduced.


    When Xie Qiao heard the word ¡°Prince Rong,¡± she could not help but nce at this person a few more times.


    Her facial features¡­ were not the type that Xie Qiao liked.


    After taking a few nces, she felt that it was too eye-piercing. She did not want to look at her anymore and sat down obediently.


    ¡°Your Highness, although I have just entered the capital, I have not heard much about the matters of the Xie family. I am really curious about this Young Lady Xie. Earlier, I begged the Royal Highness to give more gifts to this Young Lady Xie. Who knew that this bandit knew very well of the etiquette? He gave the gift to the Emperor just like that.¡± Concubine Rong kept smiling, it looked like she was saying something very simple.


    However, yesterday, Xie Qiao had just gotten married. Today, in front of her, she was trying to show her off.


    Xie Qiao smiled gently, it was very pleasing to the ear.


    ¡°Why are you smiling, Princess Consort? Do you agree with what I said?¡± Concubine Rong asked again.


    The Empress did not speak.


    Xie Qiao was no longer the youngdy of the Xie family, she was the Princess Consort.


    With such a status, if she could not even handle such a small matter, then it would not be good for her to go out in the future. It would be more appropriate for her to lock herself up at home and hide.


    ¡°Concubine Rong is right. Nowadays, even bandits can be officials. What is impossible? My father knows the etiquette. In Concubine Rong¡¯s eyes, it¡¯s funny and rare for a monster to eat with chopsticks. And if you¡¯ve given a gift that oversteps, it might be like¡­ a living person who does not care about human affairs and learns to bite people like animals. It is a rare sight.


    ¡°Fortunately, my father looks human. I wonder when Concubine Rong will be willing to take off the animal skin on her body,¡± Xie Qiao said gently.


    ¡°Princess Consort!¡± Concubine Rong was so angry that she stood up. ¡°You dare to humiliate me and the Royal Highness like this?!¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± Xie Qiao looked at her innocently. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just respond to Concubine Rong¡¯s statement? I didn¡¯t refute you.¡±

 Chapter 1090 - Inexperienced Fool

    Chapter 1090 Inexperienced Fool


    Xie Qiao was still sitting calmly. She was not angry, nor was she flustered. She was smiling as if it was natural.


    The expression on Concubine Rong¡¯s face changed. She was very angry, but she did not want to get angry. She could only suppress her anger. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s so special about the Princess Consort that the Crown Prince has taken a fancy to you.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because it makes me special that my father is a bandit?¡± Xie Qiao casually replied.


    When she said that, a few people could not help butugh.


    Was that not special?


    In hundreds of years, they had never met such a person who was sessfully recruited and raised his daughter to be the Princess Consort.


    ¡°Since the Princess Consort has already married into the imperial family, she needs to learn more etiquette. It¡¯s not good to keep saying that she¡¯s a bandit. Otherwise, what do you think the imperial family is?¡± Concubine Rong also tried her best to suppress her emotion, she wanted to make herself look more dignified.


    She dared to criticize Xie Qiao because Prince Rong was the emperor¡¯s younger brother, and she was also considered an elder of the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort.


    As an elder, it was fine to reprimand her a little.


    After all, she was only talking about the Princess Consort, not reprimanding the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Concubine Rong is right. Who doesn¡¯t have a past? My father took the wrong path in the past. Fortunately, he repented in time and fought to redeem himself. The bandit from the past died on the battlefield long ago. Now that he has been destroyed, he has been established. He is General Xie, Master Xie.¡± Xie Qiao deeply agreed, she said it with a very approving look.


    Concubine Rong took a deep look at Xie Qiao.


    This youngdy was indeed not a simple person.


    She had a sharp tongue and was intelligent enough. She also had looks that could be tempting. It was reasonable for the Crown Prince to marry her.


    Xie Qiao seemed as if nothing had happened. She was still sitting calmly. No one could find any fault with her bearing.


    However, when Concubine Rong was about to speak to her again, Xie Qiao suddenly clutched her chest and frowned. She looked as if her heart was palpitating and ufortable.


    The Empress took a look and hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Mother, it¡¯s nothing serious. I am just a little weak and can¡¯t take it. Fortunately, I am married to His Highness. With Father and Mother protecting me, the inexperienced fool would not be able to anger me to the point of illness,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently.


    With this said, what else could Concubine Rong say?


    Was she that inexperienced fool?


    ¡°Your health isn¡¯t good, and the Crown Prince is waiting in the side hall. You should go back first.¡± The Empress smiled and said to the other concubines, ¡°The young couple just got married, they¡¯re in the honeymoon phase.¡±


    The others also repeatedly agreed.


    Xie Qiao bowed and left, her footsteps were


    light.


    After she left, Concubine Rong said again, ¡°I heard that the Princess Consort¡¯s health isn¡¯t good, it¡¯s not appropriate to only have this one by the Crown Prince¡¯s side. Since the official consort has been appointed, it¡¯s time to appoint two more side concubines to serve him. Even if the side concubines need to be carefully selected. It¡¯s still possible to choose a few good ones.¡±


    The Empress was also worried.


    Even though she was the official wife and had a deep rtionship with the Emperor, she still had to tolerate the Emperor taking in concubines.


    If the Crown Prince¡¯s wife was strong, it would be good to wait for three to five years. When she gave birth to a child, it would not be toote to consider having a concubine. However, with this youngdy¡¯s poor health, she did not know if she could give birth¡­


    Her son was the Crown Prince after all, and he was not young anymore. It was indeed not good to dy any longer.


    Of course, her son had just gotten married. She had not thought of making her daughter-inw unhappy at this time.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. The Crown Prince has his own thoughts. If he really likes ady, he will naturallye and talk to us. There¡¯s no need for me to make the decision.¡± She had a dignified look on her face.


    Her son understood this.


    He truly liked Young Lady Xie. He was afraid that she would melt in his mouth, and he was afraid that she would be lost in his hands.


    At this time, it would be strange if he would look for someone else.

 Chapter 1091 - Too Stubborn

    <h4>Chapter 1091: Too Stubborn</h4>


    The Empress understood the Crown Prince, so she did not want to interfere in his affairs.


    Her son had his own ideas. If she still wanted to interfere, sooner orter, there would be a distance between them. She knew that the Crown Prince was not muddle-headed when it came to important matters. That was enough. It was not to the extent that there would be no heir.


    With this thought, the Empress became more and more broad-minded.


    Concubine Rong thought the Empress was silly.


    She had chosen from a thousand choices to marry such a youngdy who was weak and had a sharp tongue.


    However, now that the Empress did not express her stance, she could not say anything more.


    On the other hand, Xie Qiao saw Zhao Xuanjing and did not stand on ceremony. She directly told him about Concubine Rong targeting her. ¡°Did you offend Prince Rong in the past?¡±


    ¡°She and Royal Uncle were driven out of the capital because of the horse incident. The location of the fiefdom isn¡¯t very good either.¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and said, ¡°He rarely returns to the capital. In all these years, he has returned about three times. It¡¯s because he was bullied.¡±


    ¡°Bullied by who?¡± Xie Qiao was quite curious.


    Zhao Xuanjing probably was not the kind of person who would take the initiative to look for trouble.


    ¡°Royal Uncle Rong isn¡¯t old. When he was just driven away, he was only in his teens. After a few years, he was only allowed toe back once. I saw that he was a bit violent and did things very arrogantly, so I asked someone to make things difficult for him. He could have stayed in the capital for the new year, but he was driven away again.


    ¡°Then he returned again. He was quite obedient. Father was mindful of the brotherhood, so he was not so harsh on him. He rewarded him quite a lot,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    After all, Prince Rong was still young when hemitted the crime. He was also guided by the old prince, so he was implicated.


    The Emperor also felt that he was too harsh on him. When he first announced his return to the capital, he wanted to let him stay in the capital, but he did not expect him to make a mistake again.


    Prince Rong died because of his mistake. He had also made a mistake. If he did not change, the Emperor would not be kind to him. Otherwise, the people in the residence would not be happy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Concubine Rong has a good appearance. She should be a person who likes to be jealous and absurd,¡± Xie Qiao said subconsciously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep in touch with her in the future.¡± Zhao Xuanjing pinched her hand.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°Oh right, your eldest sister doesn¡¯t look too good. I¡¯m afraid that there will be a romantic tribtion,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Zhao Xuanjing could not help but be amused when he heard that. ¡°Your habit isn¡¯t simple. You¡¯ll see everything clearly once you enter the pce.¡±


    ¡°I did not mean to do that either.¡± Xie Qiao was also helpless.


    Outside the pce, if she did not want to look at people¡¯s faces, she could just lower her head. Even if others thought that her carelessness was not respectful enough, it would not have much of an impact. However, it was not the case in the pce.


    She could not look at the Emperor and Empress rudely, but in front of others, it would be a big problem if she did not even look at them.


    Xie Qiao also did not want to meddle in other people¡¯s business, but she had already seen it. If she did not say anything, she would appear cold.


    ¡°Can you ask your eldest sister to give me two copper coins, then?¡± Xie Qiao was a bit conflicted, looking at him and asking again.


    Zhao Xuanjing could not help butugh.


    He saw that Xie Qiao did not want to hide anymore.


    ¡°I know. The Taoist masters of the Water Moon Temple charge money for fortune-telling. I¡¯ll send someone to ask for two copper coins from herter. You take it.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s gaze was indulgent.


    Xie Qiao looked a little conflicted.


    Fortune-telling revealed the secrets of Heaven. How could she feel at ease if she did not ask for copper coins?


    However, as she revealed more and more, it became harder and harder to hide her identity.


    Seeing that she still did not tell the truth, Zhao Xuanjingpletely yielded.


    She was too stubborn. He had reminded her countless times, but she still pretended not to understand?

 Chapter 1092 - Pinnacle of His Life

    Chapter 1092 Pinnacle of His Life


    On the way back to the East Pce, Zhao Xuanjing thought for a while. When Xie Qiao was looking around, he suddenly spoke. ¡°I received a letter from Jiang Jinlu. He only found six drops of that cow¡¯s tears. He spent a lot of effort in order toe back early, but he did not reach the amount you told him to obtain. He¡¯s ashamed, so he asked me to put in a good word for him.¡±


    ¡°He found six drops? So fast? He¡¯s really lucky. It had only been three or four months. He must have searched all the viges around? It¡¯s not a small number. Come back if he wants to,¡± Xie Qiao replied subconsciously.


    Zhao Xuanjing chuckled.


    Xie Qiao looked back at him and suddenly realized something!


    She was Xie Qiao!


    Not Mo Chusheng!


    Jiang Jinlu did not know Xie Qiao at all, and she had no right to decide whether he coulde back or not!


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face turned pale, and he suddenly clutched her chest. ¡°How dare you trick me!¡±


    She looked irritated.


    ¡°Qiaoqiao, what did you say? Why can¡¯t I understand?¡± Zhao Xuanjingughed. Seeing her pitiful look, he could not help but soften his heart, ¡°Senior sister is senior sister, and you are you. Alright? I can continue to pretend that I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything in the first ce!¡± Xie Qiao said with a serious face.


    She could also continue to pretend that she did not know that he already knew!


    Great. When she called him junior brother now, she could not be as straightforward as before.


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Zhao Xuanjing restrained himself. ¡°I see that you are tired of pretending in front of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired at all. I¡¯m very happy,¡± Xie Qiao said seriously.


    Zhao Xuanjing was really helpless. ¡°In the future, you¡¯ll be Xie Qiao at home. When you¡¯re outside, you¡¯ll still call me junior brother. It¡¯s the same as before.¡±


    ¡°Then do you still want to put up a tough act?¡± Xie Qiao frowned and began to be unreasonable. ¡°I was in a good mood today, so I identally let down my guard against you. Otherwise, you think you could trick me with your skills?¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Zhao Xuanjing leaned close to her ear with a doting look. ¡°But since you¡¯ve let down your guard, don¡¯t pretend anymore, okay? You and I, husband and wife, on the first day of our marriage, I want to be honest with you.¡±


    Xie Qiao blushed.


    What did he mean by being honest? Was he shameless?


    Zhao Xuanjing did not know why she blushed.


    He felt that her eyes were in a trance, and she looked incredibly shy. After a while, she came to the room and suddenly understood. He closed the door and ate her up.


    This marriage life was really¡­ There was no shyness involved.


    Fortunately, she was in good health now. Otherwise¡­ she would not be able to eat three meals a day.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day for her to return home.


    Xie Qiao brought Zhao Xuanjing back to the Xie Residence.


    If it were any other family, the Crown Prince would be too nervous to say anything. However, Xie Niushan was a crude man. When he saw the Crown Prince, he forced a smile on his face. ¡°Son-inw! Let¡¯s get drunk today!¡±


    Xie Qiao almost fell.


    Who would not want to get drunk with you¡­? ¡°Okay, Father-inw, sorry to bother you today.¡± Zhao Xuanjing actually responded very straightforwardly.


    When Xie Niushan heard it, he was even happier andughed.


    That big hand even patted Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I did not get to see you properly before. Now that you¡¯re here, let¡¯s have a good chat between father-inw and son-inw. We have plenty of wine and drinks. Oh right, I also called my godson over to have a few drinks together! My biological son, godson, and half-son are all here!¡±


    Xie Qiao believed that this sentence was definitely the pinnacle of her father¡¯s life.


    She was married to the Crown Prince, but in all the dynasties, no Crown Prince¡¯s father-inw dared to be so rude.

 Chapter 1093 - Leave Them

    Chapter 1093 Leave Them


    Xie Niushan did not know how to show courtesy, so he was really happy now.


    On the other side, Wen Lancheng, who was forced to take leave to be here, had an awkward and helpless smile on his face.


    He only hoped that the Crown Prince did not mind. He was an outsider who came to join in the fun, how annoying¡­


    ¡°You brought your wife too? Perfect.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nced at Feng Yingying and then said to Xie Qiao, ¡°I¡¯ll chat with my father-inw for a while. Youdies haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. Let¡¯s get together. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him sympathetically. ¡°My father can really drink.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still have two brothers-inw to apany me.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked quite brave.


    The Xie Residence was definitely no different from the bandit¡¯s mountain stronghold today.


    Zhao Xuanjing was such a fair and tender person. She was really worried that he would not be able to return in one piece.


    However, she did not want to get involved in themunication between men. Her father was stupid, but her elder brother and Wen Lancheng were not. They would not force Zhao Xuanjing to drink so much that he would be drunk.


    After Xie Qiao pretended to be concerned, she dragged her sister and Feng Yingying to the backyard.


    Coincidentally, Yu Xian also returned to the Xie Residence today.


    ¡°How could the Zhou family let you go so easily?¡± Xie Qiao asked people to prepare snacks and chatted as they ate.


    At the mention of the Zhou family, Yu Xianughed. ¡°How could they not let me go? My cousin from the Zhou family k-knows that I know Master Mo. She respects me now. How could she dare to offend me? The Zhou family even sent a letter to put an end to the wedding in Dong¡¯an on my behalf. I¡¯m guessing that the letter has clearly stated the pros and cons. In the future, I won¡¯t have to worry about being sent back.¡±


    When Master Mo fainted earlier, she saw that the master¡¯s face was slightly off.


    After some guesses, she thought the master and Xie Qiao were the same person.


    However, it was only a guess.


    Before and after Xie Qiao¡¯s wedding, she went to the Fortune Pavilion a few times. The shopkeeper said that Master Mo would only return a few days after she had some matters to attend to.


    She was even more certain in her heart.


    Now that she looked at Xie Qiao and thought of Master Mo, her heart was filled with admiration.


    They were both youngdies, how could there be such a huge difference?


    Look at Young Lady Xie. It was one thing for her to be good-looking, but her fortune-telling ability was so amazing. Furthermore, she was Old Master Li¡¯s disciple. In this world, other than the imperial family¡¯s daughters, who couldpete with her?!


    Now that Xie Qiao had married into the imperial family, there was no one who couldpete with her!


    ¡°I only know Master Mo. How could the Zhou family take it so seriously?¡± Xie Qiao did not quite understand.


    ¡°They are not good-natured, and they want to do evil things.¡± Yu Xian did not hide it from her and said directly, ¡°I don¡¯t like to hide things, and I don¡¯t have the intention to cling to the powerful. Therefore, I¡¯ll make it clear to Young Lady Xie so that there won¡¯t be any misunderstandings in the future.¡±


    She was so serious that Xie Qiao was shocked.


    ¡°Just say it,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    ¡°My cousin works for the Crown Prince, and I know Master Mo. Master Mo is also the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister. Everyone knows that the Crown Prince respects Master Mo very much. In addition, I have lived in the Xie Residence for so long, and my rtionship with you can be considered close. That olddy from the Zhou family thinks that this is a heaven-sent opportunity. She wants my cousin to find an opportunity to offer me to the Crown Prince. She thinks that I, an orphan, will definitely pay her back when I be rich in the future. Moreover, once I enter the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, in order to seek the support of my family, I will definitely be closer to the Zhou family.¡± Yu Xian said clearly.


    ¡°They are terrible. My cousin is also very angry. Everyone in the residence is putting pressure on my aunt. My aunt is very annoyed now. She says that she has long wanted to divorce. If she is forced to do it again, she will stir up trouble in the Zhou family. Then, she will leave them and live a carefree life!¡±

 Chapter 1094 - Righteous Heart

    Chapter 1094 Righteous Heart


    Yu Xian felt that the old shrew of the Zhou family was crazy.


    She only knew that she knew Master Mo, but she actually thought of such a ridiculous thing!


    Xie Qiao and Feng Yingying were both stunned.


    Feng Yingying was even more stunned. ¡°The Crown Prince is Young Lady Xie¡¯s husband...¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. That¡¯s why I scolded them. I even told Brother Xie about this matter. He drank with me and criticized them for an entire night yesterday. He almost raised his de to sh them. Fortunately, I still had some sense and stopped him.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, you stopped him.¡± Feng Yingying sighed.


    ¡°Of course I stopped him. After all, the Zhou family is my rtive. Even if I wanted to kill them, I would do it myself. I can¡¯t implicate others,¡± Yu Xian said boldly.


    ¡°What if your aunt really divorced?¡± Feng Yingying asked carefully.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to divorce?¡± Yu Xian did not hesitate.


    Xie Qiao and Feng Yingying did not dare to say anything in front of Yu Xian¡¯s murderous aura.


    Xie Xi, who was next to them, also listened obediently without blinking.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that my aunt was also half-sold and half-married by my grandparents to the Zhou family. Otherwise, why would a youngdy be willing to rece the wife who passed away? Moreover, the wife has two young sons... Why would she want to be a stepmother for no reason?


    ¡°In the past, my cousin was young and she had no choice but to endure it. Now that my cousin has grown up, my aunt no longer has anything to fear. If they really divorce, outsiders will point fingers at her and it won¡¯t look good. However, my aunt lives in seclusion and it¡¯s not a big deal for her to live a carefree life at home. As long as my cousin is filial, these small matters won¡¯t be difficult,¡± Yu Xian added.


    Others said that it was better to tear down a temple than to tear down a marriage.


    However, this did not apply to her aunt.


    Her uncle was cold and indifferent, and he was extremely fearful of her aunt. The entire Zhou family was afraid that her aunt would harm the children of the first wife.


    From the moment she married into the family, they had never shown her aunt a single bit of sincerity.


    All these years, her aunt had suffered too much. After suffering for so long, why would she want to continue to torture herself? She should have left long ago even though she knew it was a pit of fire.


    ¡°From what you said, it¡¯s indeed good to leave that ce,¡± Xie Qiao echoed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yu Xian nodded. ¡°Other things aside, the Zhou family doesn¡¯t have good eyesight either.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re blind?¡± Feng Yingying asked curiously.


    Yu Xian chuckled. ¡°What I mean is, if they want to send a youngdy like me to seduce the Crown Prince and steal a man from Young Lady Xie, isn¡¯t that just bad eyesight?¡±


    Forget it if they wanted her to fight, but they wanted her to steal a man?


    Just kill her! Make it quick!


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Xie Qiao was also amused.


    In fact, she had not said anything that made Yu Xian even angrier.


    What the Zhou family meant was that Xie Qiao¡¯s health was not good, and outsiders said that she would not live long. She would die in a year and a half. Yu Xian was close with thedy of the Xie family, and with this momentum, she might even be able to be a concubine or something...


    She scolded the Zhou family¡¯s patriarch on the spot.


    What the heck.


    ¡°If the Zhou family has such thoughts, then I am also embarrassed. I feel sorry for the kindness you have shown me, Young Lady, but I also think that since the matter has already happened, we should think of a way to resolve it. Since I am familiar with you, it is not right for me to waste your trust in me. If there is anything, I will tell you in detail myself. I will also let you know whatever I think. I¡¯m not a stinky ditch,¡± Yu Xian added.


    Xie Qiao held her hand: ¡°You are right, I admire you very much.¡±


    To be able to say this matter so frankly, Yu Xian was open-minded enough.

 Chapter 1095 - How Does She Know?!

    Chapter 1095 How Does She Know?!


    Yu Xian heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that Xie Qiao did not take it to heart.


    Together with Feng Yingying, they asked her how she was doing in the pce after marrying the Crown Prince.


    No matter how thick-skinned Xie Qiao was, she could not tell the truth. She could only say that the Crown Prince was not bad.


    Feng Yingying was also married. Seeing how shy she was, what else could she not understand? If it was not for the fact that the little sister of the Xie family was still present, she would have tried to persuade her to take care of her body and not put her body in danger for the please the Crown Prince, putting her own body at risk..,


    She was too embarrassed to say that.


    After chatting for a while, Yu Xian wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°Young Lady Xie, can I have a few words with you in private?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Although Feng Yingying was curious, she did not ask much. She held Xie Xi¡¯s hand and went out to guard the door.


    After they left, Yu Xian said awkwardly, ¡°Master, I know your secret...¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°What secret? Why don¡¯t I know it?¡±


    ¡°I called you master... And you still don¡¯t know it...¡± Yu Xian scratched her head. ¡°I know it, and I didn¡¯t want to keep it from you, but I didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. I¡¯ll keep it a secret from now on.¡±


    Xie Qiao wanted to cry, but no tears came out.


    Another person know about it?


    How did she know?! Could it be that her disguise was not perfect enough?


    She looked confused, and she had taken a huge blow. Seeing how pitiful she was, Yu Xian quickly said, ¡°Master is really amazing. I won¡¯t doubt your ability just because of your age! In my heart, Master is both my good friend and my benefactor. There is no conflict at all!¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s gaze was still a little lost.


    She was actually mentally prepared that the Crown Prince knew, and she could ept it.


    However, how long had Yu Xian known that?! Especially with Master Mo¡¯s face, she had only met Yu Xian a few times, but she had been exposed?!


    This was an insult to her profession, a doubt about her appearance, and a blow to her long future career!


    ¡°You...¡± Xie Qiao wanted to cry, but no tears came out. ¡°How did you know...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence. When Master fainted, I saw that Master¡¯s Chin was a little dirty, so I wiped it, but the more I wiped it, the more it was off. I realized that yout skin is delicate, like that of a young girl in herte teens. Then I thought about how you and Young Lady Xie never existed at the same time, so I had some doubts... and then I slowly confirmed it,¡± Yu Xian exined to Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao could notugh.


    She... was too miserable!


    She had been exposed again!


    In reality, Yu Xian still had many things that she was curious about.


    For instance, why were these two people with such different statuses able to acknowledge a master? Did His Highness the Crown Prince know, and did Old Master Li know?


    However, curiosity was just curiosity. She could think about it herself and would not ask too many questions.


    Now, she could only tell Xie Qiao the truth that she knew, and be an honest and good girl.


    Xie Qiao suddenly thought of something very important and hurriedly asked, ¡°My eldest brother...¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him,¡± Yu Xian immediately replied, ¡°But... Brother Xie really respects and admires Master. If he knew, you would probably have to run far away. I¡¯m afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to take the stimtion and hit someone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± Xie Qiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be nervous, don¡¯t be nervous.


    ¡®Only Yu Xian knew about it. It¡¯s fine...¡¯


    It was just a careless mistake. It would never happen again in the future.


    She was fine... really fine!


    Xie Qiaoposed herself and said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it a secret together. If I identally expose myself in front of my eldest brother one day, Master Yu, you must save me!¡±

 Chapter 1096 - Only Brings Lethal Fate to Her Family Members, Not Husband

    Chapter 1096 Only Brings Lethal Fate to Her Family Members, Not Husband


    Xie Qiao had an exaggerated look on her face. Yu Xian smiled and said, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Feng Yingying and Xie Xi did not know what Yu Xian and Xie Qiao were whispering to each other. They only knew that Xie Qiao¡¯s expression had be very cautious, as if she had been provoked. It was very pitiful.


    At the same time, the main courtyard of the Xie Residence was even more lively. There was a table full of food and five men.


    Only Xie Niushan was not afraid of death. He poured a bowl of wine for the Crown Prince one after another.


    Other than Wen Lancheng, even Xie Pinghuai had wine in front of him. Wen Lancheng, on the other hand, was lightweight. He really could not drink it and did not dare to drink it.


    At the beginning, there was not much interaction. After a few big bowls of wine, Xie Niushan had his guards down. ¡°My good son-inw, my daughter is not bad, right?! I dare say that no one¡¯s daughter is better than my daughter in this world!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing had never seen such a wine tasting before.


    No one would be like this in front of him.


    Only his father-inw dared to drink himself to the point of passing out.


    Such a foolish father-inw, his wife had worked so hard. Fortunately, he met a straightforward and upright Crown Prince. If he met a narrow-minded person, this father-inw would not have a good ending if he was so indulgent.


    Zhao Xuanjing took a sip of wine. ¡°That¡¯s right, Qiaoqiao is the best girl.¡±


    ¡°Of course! In my family, my sons are useless and only my daughter is good. My eldest daughter is even more beautiful than a flower. She is like her mother. She is the best thing that I can show. I have given her to you...¡± Xie Niushan sighed.


    Zhao Xuanjing wanted to know how Xie Niushan could say that.


    Thing?


    Xie Qiao was not an object.


    Sigh, since he was drunk and he was Xie Qiao¡¯s biological father, he did not care about such details!


    ¡°Your Highness! Drink! Take big mouthfuls. Don¡¯t be like Lancheng. He¡¯s such a sissy. He doesn¡¯t even know how to drink!¡± Xie Niushan shouted.


    Wen Lancheng was quite innocent.


    In the past, his god-father had praised him for being gentle and filial. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer favored?


    ¡°Your Highness, you have to treat my daughter well! It¡¯s not easy for her, and I, as her father, have never cared about her. I made her follow that stinky Taoist master since she was young, and I don¡¯t know how much she has eaten and drank...¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing almost swallowed the wine.


    ¡°Father, this is your fault. My sister¡¯s health is not good, and that¡¯s why people need to care about her. If she had been staying at home, then my sister would definitely be... better.¡±


    If his biological sister had been with him since he was young, he would definitely be very obedient!


    Xie Pinghuai also drank some wine and his face turned red.


    ¡°What do you know? Isn¡¯t it all because of you useless things?!¡± Xie Niushan suddenly shouted angrily, he mmed the table. ¡°It¡¯s all because I wanted to protect your little lives that I sent her away. Otherwise, of course, I will take care of my daughter myself!¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Xie Pinggang coughed to remind


    him.


    Wen Lancheng felt that he had heard something incredible.


    He wanted to cover his ears.


    It was toote.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I say that? Isn¡¯t there someone out there who told my daughter¡¯s fortune and said that she has a lethal fate? It¡¯s not a secret.¡± Xie Niushan was so drunk that he could spit bubbles. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. My daughter only brings lethal fate to her family members, not her husband!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing took another sip of wine.


    Drink, he should take this opportunity to drink a few more mouthfuls.


    After today...


    The sky was warm, and he felt that Xie Niushan should stop drinking.


    Under the table, Xie Pinggang stretched out his foot and gave his father a fierce kick. This useless thing, how could it show off his sister¡¯s ability in front of His Highness!


    This old geezer, he should have shoved chicken feet into his mouth today!


    Now he did not know who he was after two sips of wine!

 Chapter 1097 - He Won

    <h4>Chapter 1097: He Won</h4>


    Even though Xie Niushan was kicked by Xie Pinggang, it did not stop his mouth.


    He drank by himself, but he did not forget to shout at others. After a while, Xie Pinghuai fell first. Wen Lancheng really did not want to hear more. He gritted his teeth and drank a mouthful of wine. He also passed out.


    Xie Pinggang and Zhao Xuanjing who remained were both strong opponents.


    Their tongues were numb, but they were still sitting.


    Of course, there were different ways of sitting. Xie Niushan was squatting on the chair, and he was still shouting that he wanted to y rock-paper-scissors with the Crown Prince. Xie Pinggang was sitting upright, but his chin was buried, and his eyes were looking up. He shrugged as he breathed, looking very scary.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s phoenix-like eyes were slightly narrowed. He leaned lightly on the chair, and his neck was red. There was some alcohol smell, but he was still pleasing to the eye.


    Xie Niushan drank too much and talked more and more.


    Fortunately, he did not know Xie Qiao well. All he talked about was that his daughter was good-looking but why was her life so miserable and her health so poor¡­


    After that, he said that he had let his wife down. He almost knelt down and cried on the spot.


    When Xie Qiao thought it was about time to leave, she saw everyone in the courtyard was either lying down or leaning. It was like a murder scene. Feng Yingying and the others were so scared that their souls almost flew out!


    Feng Yingying was worried about her husband and quickly went to help Wen Lancheng up.


    This person drank the least, but he was the drunkest. If not for the fact that he was still breathing, they would have thought that he was dead.


    Xie Qiao moved closer to Zhao Xuanjing and poked his shoulder.


    Suddenly, he stood up and looked down at her. He stared at her with his dazed eyes and smiled. ¡°I won.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xie Qiao was stunned.


    What did he win? Did he win the game of rock-paper-scissors with her father? Congrattions. She did not know if he had won money or not.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    Xie Qiao did not understand, but it waste. In the future, she would have to live in the pce or the Crown Prince¡¯s residence outside, so it was not good for her to stay in the Xie Residence. Today, she had to go to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence outside to meet the people, so she asked the steward to take care of her father and brother. She helped Zhao Xuanjing leave gently.


    ¡°I can still walk steadily.¡± He was quite stubborn. After taking two steps, he looked at her and even became angry. Suddenly, he picked her up, bent his steps, and stuffed her into the carriage.


    Behind him, Feng Yingying looked at her husband¡­


    Forget it, he would not dare topete with Xie Niushan again.


    Zhao Xuanjing squeezed into the carriage. In the narrow space, the smell of alcohol was even stronger.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s breathing tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t drink with my father in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t drink with your father in the future.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nodded seriously.


    Xie Qiao tilted her head to look at him. Was he being sincere!


    ¡°What did you win?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    ¡°Alcohol tolerance, alcohol tolerance.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s thoughts were actually very clear. He said this to Xie Qiao seriously, but after saying that, he opened the curtain to get some air. Then, he closed his eyes slightly. It was unknown whether he was drunk or not.


    For ordinary people, drinking with the son-inw was a big challenge.


    It was Zhou Weizong who said that.


    He was right. If he did not have a good alcohol tolerance, he would be like Xie Niushan, revealing all secrets. Fortunately, he was more rational and kept the secret of his beloved wife.


    The window opened, and Xie Qiao breathed a lot better now.


    She turned her head to look at him and could not help but smile.


    How could this man be so good-looking?


    Not long after, they arrived at the Crown Prince¡¯s residence.


    It was a newly chosen residence. It was not too far away from the Xie Residence or the Fortune Pavilion, and it really satisfied her. Everything in the residence was already prepared, and the two of them could settle down immediately.


    They first sent Zhao Xuanjing to rest, and then the steward reported to her about the allocation of the Crown Prince¡¯s residence¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°The Crown Prince said that thergest guest courtyard on the east side is reserved for you to receive guests. There are many things that have not been added to it. If you need anything, just tell me.¡±

 Chapter 1098 - Greedy

    <h4>Chapter 1098: Greedy</h4>


    When Xie Qiao heard the steward¡¯s words, she almost understood what this courtyard was for immediately.


    She did not have many guests.


    If it was really so luxurious that she needed to use thisrgest and best guest courtyard, it would be for none other than Mo Lingzi.


    In the future, she would have to support Mo Lingzi in his old age.


    Perhaps when Mo Lingzi could not manage the Water Moon Temple well anymore, he woulde looking for her eagerly. At that time, he would need a ce to stay.


    Xie Qiao asked the steward to leave and someone to fetch a basin of water to take care of her Crown Prince.


    However¡­


    A man who was drunk and was flirty should not be touched.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao¡¯s life in this residence was quite smooth. However, Zhao Xuanjing was busy with errands. Within two days after returning home, he started to leave early and return homete. He also had to go to the imperial court and handle some government affairs.


    Xie Qiao also found that there were some mementos in the study asionally.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s father was really something. He probably already nned to get his son to ascend the throne early.


    With the Emperor¡¯s love for the Crown Prince, Xie Qiao suspected that she might not be the Princess Consort for long. Perhaps one day, the Emperor would directly give in!


    Perhaps... She should find time to observe the weather.


    The Crown Prince was busy, and she was bored guarding the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, so she went to the Fortune Pavilion.


    A guest visited.


    It was Meng Jifang.


    Xie Qiao turned into Mo Chusheng to meet him. She only saw that his eyes were ck and blue. He should not have rested well and was listless. Moreover, when he went out today, he did not have a group of boys with him. It was quite strange that he was alone.


    When Meng Jifang saw Mo Chusheng, he also felt a little awkward.


    Mo Chusheng was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister. To put it bluntly, she was not on the same side as him and could be considered half an enemy.


    However, considering his recent experiences, Meng Jifang still gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°I heard that you can capture souls. How much does it cost?¡±


    ¡°Did something happen to you?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a look of certainty.


    Meng Jifang nodded uneasily. ¡°It¡¯s just a little weird. It¡¯s not a big problem. I came to see if you, the so-called master, are urate.¡±


    He did not like Mo Chusheng. An old woman like Mo Chusheng seduced the Crown Prince. She could not bepared to Xie Qiao.


    Only the Crown Prince was blind to care so much about this person.


    Others said that the Crown Prince respected his senior sister, but he thought it was nonsense. The Crown Prince had a senior brother, but was not his attitude toward Xiao Yurong the same as usual? He was not cold, but he was not overly enthusiastic!


    How could it be so different when it was his senior sister?


    He had even seen the Crown Prince¡¯s attitude toward Old Master Li. It was respectful, but not cordial!


    He initially wanted to go to Yuxu Temple outside the city, but he wanted to see what kind of ability this witch had, so he changed his mind and came here.


    ¡°Your situation...¡± Xie Qiao took a look and then said, ¡°A hundred taels of silver for divination and 500 taels of silver for removing the disaster. If there are other requirements, I will ask for more.¡±


    ¡°You are quite greedy.¡± Meng Jifang smiled sarcastically.


    She asked for a hundred taels of silver. Did she know that an ordinary family could survive for a year with three to five taels of silver?


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you spend this silver on yourself or not. However, I advise you not to save it.¡± Xie Qiao saw that he was full of bad luck and said.


    Meng Jifang simply took out a hundred taels of silver and ced it in front of Xie Qiao. ¡°Let¡¯s do the divination first and see if you are right. If you are not, I will have someone destroy your shop. Don¡¯t argue with this young master and say that you are wronged!¡±


    Xie Qiao epted the silver happily.


    She took out a few copper coins and tossed them. After two rounds, she counted with her fingers and asked, ¡°Have you been to a ce like the wild forest recently? More importantly... Did you lose your way?¡±

 Chapter 1099 - How Many Things Have You Done?

    <h4>Chapter 1099: How Many Things Have You Done?</h4>


    As soon as Xie Qiao finished speaking, a look of surprise shed across Meng Jifang¡¯s face.


    However, he quickly calmed down. ¡°That¡¯s true, but there¡¯s nothing strange about it. Outside of the capital, there are many mountains and forests. It¡¯s hard not to pass through them. It¡¯s normal to get lost when you¡¯re in there.¡±


    A few days after the new year, a group of people moved into a shabby City God Temple to seek shelter from the wind and snow.


    A person was hungry, cold, and tired. When he saw the statue in the City God Temple, he kowtowed to it sincerely. Not long after, the wind and snow stopped. He picked up his bag and left, he stepped on a round pearl.


    The pearl waspletely white and was big. It looked quite good. It was hidden in the snow and could not be easily detected. Yet, it was stepped on by him!


    In such a deste ce with noke or sea around it, did the pearl fall from the sky?


    The man took the pearl and sold it for 700 to 800 taels of silver. With this money, he solved the problem he had at that time, and his family business flourished!


    He felt that his fortune was all thanks to the guidance of the gods. So, he made a big fuss about it. In a short time, the City God Temple became a sacred ce for people to offer incense.


    Recently, many people liked to go to the City God Temple to pray.


    When he heard about it, he felt that it was strange, so he went to see it too.


    After he went, he asked someone to look around. There was nothing special, only that there was something wrong with the soil under the tree. He thought about the day when Xie Qiao entered the city. There was a lot of soil and snow all over her body, there seemed to be hoes and other things in the carriage, as well as things like pearls and bracelets. There was nock of them. When he thought about it, he thought the pearl at the City God Temple was most likely dropped by Xie Qiao.


    He thought that it was somewhere fun, but he did not expect that it was just being embellished by others.


    He felt bored, so he rode his horse around.


    At that time, he was in a bad mood, so he rode a little further. He was confused in the forest and actually lost his way. In the end, he finally found a dpidated vige to settle down in.


    The vige was filled with strange rocks and many big pits. For some reason, there were many trees around and the ce was surrounded. The vige had been dpidated for a long time, so it was no different from the wild mountains and forests. The sky was too dark. At least there was a shabby house to shelter from the wind, so he stayed there for the night.


    However, after that night, he felt that something was wrong with him.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao listened to his stubbornness, she only snorted andughed. ¡°Your bad luck is in the north, where the grass, trees, metal, and stone are located. The time should be around Wu Yin and Chou Shi. On that day, you collided with the north where the snake demon was, and you collided with Ren Shen. It is definitely notpatible with your character. On that day, you should avoid breaking the ground, burying, praying for blessings, and traveling... Young Master Meng, how many things have you done?¡±


    Xie Qiao lifted her head slightly and looked at him with a smile.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s face stiffened.


    Wu Yin? Thinking about it, that was indeed the day he spent the night outside¡­


    Apart from that, he was the only one in that shabby vige that day. He was really scared and could not sleep, so he counted the number of cows he raised. However, it was useless. He thought about how other people prayed to the gods, so he gritted his teeth, he secretly prayed to the gods and prayed for peace.


    Also¡­


    There were rats in that ce, and they were big.


    When he found a shabby house to stay in, he saw a rat and was shocked. Fortunately, he had a saber with him, so he sliced the rat. However, it was bloody and ufortable, so he casually dug a small hole outside the house and buried the rat under the moonlight¡­


    Was that considered breaking the ground and burying?


    He looked very ufortable.


    He did not expect this stinking Taoist master to be so capable¡­


    .


    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking for a long time, but you¡¯ve only told me where I went. You haven¡¯t told me what¡¯s wrong with me yet...¡± He stubbornly refused to admit it.

 Chapter 1100 - Shadow Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 1100: Shadow Ghoul</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at the shadow ghoul behind Meng Jifang and let out a faint chuckle.


    This chuckle caused Meng Jifang to feel a chill run down his spine. It was a strange feeling.


    ¡°Do you feel that no matter where you go, it¡¯s as if someone is following you? When yound on your feet, he willnd on his feet. It¡¯s like the sound of falling leaves drifting past. There are faint gray shadows, but even if you suddenly turn your head, there¡¯s nothing behind you other than your own shadow?¡±


    Meng Jifang gulped.


    Xie Qiao was not done yet.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re hearing things, right?¡± She asked faintly.


    Meng Jifang nodded. ¡°I think so. Don¡¯t tell me there really is a ghoul...¡±


    Of course, even though he said that, he was still afraid. Otherwise, he would not havee to the Fortune Pavilion today.


    ¡°Your problem is serious. There are quite a lot of people with the same problem, but everyone¡¯s situation is different. It all depends on you. If your heart is full of fire, you¡¯ll recover in a few days. But if you¡¯re timid, it¡¯s best to spend money and hire someone to get rid of it for you. With a dirty thing following you around, it will naturally hurt your body,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Meng Jifang had a conflicted expression on his face.


    Dirty thing?


    Did this witch mean that there was indeed a ghoul?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Taoist master? It¡¯s your responsibility to rid the world of evil and defend the dao. Are you ignoring it after you see it? If I don¡¯t pay, won¡¯t you treat me?¡± Meng Jifang said, asking for a beating.


    ¡°But if you have the guts, this illness can be cured without medicine. Although Young Master Meng doesn¡¯tck money, I can tell at a nce that you¡¯re a brave person. If you don¡¯t open your mouth and say that you¡¯re too cowardly and can¡¯t stand it, then this penniless master won¡¯t be able to make a decision directly.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude was quite unrestrained. After saying this, she looked at Meng Jifang, as if she thought he was trying to make a fool out of himself.


    She was a serious person.


    She had no enmity with Meng Jifang, but he wanted to destroy her shop. Then, do not me her for throwing a tantrum.


    With her words, Meng Jifang really could not bring himself to throw his dignity away.


    ¡®Call me timid? That¡¯s impossible!¡¯


    With a cold expression, he stood up and turned to leave.


    He did not take a single step. It was as if someone had taken a step behind him. He stopped, and so did the sound. His heart was irritated, and he quickened his pace. However, the sound of steps could be heard.


    It was still daytime, so this feeling was not very obvious.


    Recently, he dared not go out at night. He could not even take a few more steps in the courtyard!


    Meng Jifang¡¯s problem was not difficult to solve, but it would take some effort. Xie Qiao was not willing to help him directly because of this person¡¯s arrogance, but also because she wanted to lower his arrogance, only then could he cooperate obediently.


    There were all kinds of ghouls in this world.


    Some ghouls were free and could float around on the street, but there were also many whose movement was restricted.


    For instance, Fu Hanwen had be a water ghoul, so he had to find a substitute. For instance, the hanging ghoul had to be hung by a rope after death, and its feet were not allowed to touch the ground.


    The one following Meng Jifang was a shadow ghoul.


    These spirits were not valued when they were alive, and were like shadow puppets. After they died, they were no different than that. They did not have a sense of existence, but they were filled with resentment.


    After bumping into a new person, they were attracted by the living qi of the new person and followed them around. Their souls covered their shadows¡­


    Although it was the same as the shadow, it was not his own after all. It was inevitable that he would discover it. After discovering it, he would not be able to see anything. As time passed, it would cause him to be upset and the fire in his heart gradually weakened. Moreover, this kind of ghoul that would cling onto others would not be of any benefit to the body if it stayed by his side for a long time.


    Of course, Xie Qiao did not lie to Meng Jifang.


    If he was bold enough, just like her eldest brother Xie Pinggang¡¯s temperament, ghouls would definitely not stay close to him. Even if the ghouls clung onto him, it would not take long before they would be scared away by his masculine qi.

 Chapter 1101 - Heavenly Eye

    <h4>Chapter 1101: Heavenly Eye</h4>


    At this moment, Meng Jifang, who had just left the Fortune Pavilion, felt extremely unlucky.


    Even though he was sitting in the carriage, he still felt that something was wrong with his body.


    At first, he thought that perhaps he was overthinking things. Who knew that even this witch was saying that there was something dirty about it? Although he did not want to believe it, his heart was filled with unease...


    He thought about it for a moment. Someone had said that drinking would embolden him, so he went to a restaurant and ate his fill beforeing out.


    However, after drinking too much, his senses be sharper.


    The feeling of being followed like a shadow was unbearable.


    He really could not eat or sleep.


    Another two days passed, and his spirit was even worse. He did not seem to be getting any better. Not only that, his face was even more unsightly. His face was ck and blue, and even his parents could sense his weakness. However, their son had always been a troublemaker, seeing his state, they thought that he had kept a woman outside, and that he had been indulging in debauchery. It was a good lesson for him.


    Meng Jifang was also unable to speak.


    He did not want to tell his parents that he had been possessed.


    If word got out, he could not bear to lose his dignity.


    After enduring these two days going around in circles and visiting the Fortune Pavilion, he had considered going to Yuxu Temple. However, he thought that although Mo Chusheng was annoying, her abilities were outstanding. She had told his own situation clearly. If she were to clean up this dirty thing, perhaps it would be smoother!


    When she saw Meng Jifang, Xie Qiao could not help but smile.


    It had not been long, but this person had really lost a lot of weight. His eyelids were drooping, and he looked as if he had just drunk alcohol. His skin had also darkened a lot, and he did not look like a young man who was in high spirits.


    ¡°Are youughing at me?¡± Meng Jifang felt that Witch Mo¡¯s gaze was very piercing.


    Also, what was sheughing at?


    She had an enigmatic look on her face, pretending to be so kind and mysterious. She was obviously evil!


    ¡°Are you sure this penniless master isughing at you?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s lips curled up, and her voice was somewhat sinister.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else here...¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Jifang remembered that there was still a dirty thing beside him, and he immediately swallowed his words. He could not help but shiver. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you guys know each other? If you do, that¡¯s perfect. Chase him away! Don¡¯t follow me!¡±


    Xie Qiao sat still.


    Meng Jifang was so angry that his heart ached. He took out 500 taels of silver and ced it in front of Xie Qiao. ¡°This should be enough, right?¡±


    Xie Qiao nodded slightly. ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡±


    After Xie Qiao finished speaking, she lit up the incense.


    This shadow ghoul could hide. Once it entered the shadow, it would be like a water ghoul going into the water. It would be very difficult to catch it. If it was forcefully taken away, it would also affect Meng Jifang¡¯s body.


    Meng Jifang took in two breaths. The fragrance was very strange. It was not bad, but it was different from what he had smelled in the past. It was strange.


    Xie Qiao covered the curtains around him again and lit a candle.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s shadow became even more obvious.


    Xie Qiao saw it even more clearly. She stared at the soul and said, ¡°Did this stupid young master offend you? Tell me. If he owes you something, I¡¯ll make him pay.¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s heart trembled. Was she not talking to him again...


    Was she actuallymunicating directly with the ghoul?


    Was that the legendary heavenly eye?


    Meng Jifang¡¯s gaze was fixed on her. He was a little curious, but also a little incredulous.


    Just as he was thinking, he turned his head and suddenly realized that his shadow... was not right!


    He was clearly sitting there obediently, but the shadow that was projected on the wall actually extended a hand?!

 Chapter 1102 - Too Hard

    <h4>Chapter 1102: Too Hard</h4>


    Meng Jifang could not help but tremble, and his back went cold.


    When he imagined it, he could still lie to himself that it was just an illusion. However, now, his eyes actually saw the extra hand in the shadow!


    That hand seemed to be digging something out, and bit by bit, it squeezed out of his shadow.


    Finally, with his feet as the center, another shadow formed next to him.


    However, this shadow... had no head!


    A shadow without a head!


    He trembled.


    Xie Qiao also looked at Meng Jifang sympathetically. Shadow ghouls were like that. They liked to scare people. Now that it was lured out by her incense, it did not forget to provoke Meng Jifang.


    What Xie Qiao saw was different from what Meng Jifang saw.


    What she saw was a ghoul, and what Meng Jifang saw was a strange shadow.


    This ghoul was dim and gloomy, and it indeed did not have a head. It held its head in its arms, ced it in front of its chest and looked at her.


    There was not much blood on her head, and it did not look like she had been beheaded. The reason why she had taken her head off was to scare people.


    She was a woman. When she died, she should have been in her thirties or forties.


    She had a sorrowful look on her face. There were obvious wrinkles between her eyebrows. When she was alive, she frowned a lot.


    She wore a simple, coarse linen shirt. Even though she had be a ghoul, it could be seen that her skin was rough and dark, her hands were chapped, and her slightly hunched back.


    ¡°Your life was hard when you were alive,¡± Xie Qiao said. She looked at her and sighed.


    ¡°Hard?¡± The shadow ghoul¡¯s voice was hoarse. Her hands touched her head and touched her thin, dry hair. ¡°Maybe it was...¡±


    In her entire life, she might have only tasted that. After tasting the hard life for a long time, she could not tell what it was like.


    ¡°Pestering this person is ultimately not good. It¡¯s not good for your next life.¡± Xie Qiao looked at her. She did not say much, but her words were gentle and pleasant to the ears.


    When Meng Jifang heard that, he raised his head and looked at her in astonishment.


    At this moment, he actually felt somewhat at ease.


    This witch¡¯s voice was quite warm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for the next life. I want to take a break.¡± The shadow ghoul said again.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she could not help but feel exhausted. ¡°Tell me, what were you like when you were alive? It¡¯s always good to vent a little. Also, I can help you fulfill your wish. As long as you don¡¯t harm others, I will do my best to do what I can for you.¡±


    Perhaps the shadow ghoul had drifted for too long.


    Or perhaps, when she was alive, no one liked to listen to her. At this moment, when she heard Xie Qiao¡¯s request, she actually did not resist and nodded seriously.


    She sat down while holding her head in her hands.


    She was very skinny, andpared to her, Meng Jifang¡¯s face looked very clean and spirited.


    ¡°Everyone calls me Erniang but I don¡¯t have a name...¡± The mouth on her head slowly opened. It was not connected to her neck, but she could speak, and her voice seemed to be illusory.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about my life... It¡¯s just that before I got married, I worked, after I got married, I worked, I had children... .¡± She seemed a bit confused.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. There must be something that makes you feel different, something that makes you feel resentful,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    This ghoul¡¯s resentment was very strong.


    She seemed to think seriously for a moment. Suddenly, that mouth actually smiled. ¡°Oh, there is...


    ¡°The vige I lived in... was Wanya Vige. It¡¯s like a crescent moon. It¡¯s very small and beautiful. After I got married, I gave birth to several children. I have inws and a husband... they¡¯re all alive, but I¡¯m the only one who died.¡±


    ¡°Why did you die?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been forgotten...¡±

 Chapter 1103 - An Ominous Land

    <h4>Chapter 1103: An Ominous Land</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes dimmed. When she heard the ghoul¡¯s words, she could not help but feel a sense of sadness.


    ¡°How did you... get forgotten by others?¡± Xie Qiao asked slowly.


    ¡°Thinking about it carefully, nobody ever remembered me.¡± The ghoul¡¯s voice was very cold and light. When it hit people¡¯s hearts, it was as if it was snowing.


    ¡°Every day, I cleaned the chicken coops, took care of the children, and worked on the stove. When I was busy with farming, I was like an ox. My head burrows in the soil and I was so tired that I couldn¡¯t stand up straight every day. When springes, my husband, mother-inw, and children wore new clothes. My body would always be dirty and old. When the harvest was good, we made chicken stew. I have never tasted that... Everyone said that I didn¡¯t like fish and meat...


    ¡°The vigers said that I was a busy person. My neighbors praised me, saying I was a good wife and mother...


    ¡°They were living well, and I was fine. But... how could they forget about me?


    ¡°In winter, the stars fell from the sky and fell near the vige. There were people who were injured. I was outside and was in a hurry to go home to look for them. I slipped and fell. I don¡¯t know how, but I died.¡±


    After she died, she still thought about her family, so she stayed in the world.


    The vige was very small, with only twenty to thirty families. Her family was unlucky. A small fireball fell and half of the house was destroyed.


    No one was hurt, but the chickens and ducks raised by the family were all gone.


    Her ghoul watched helplessly as the whole family cried about the chickens and ducks, cried about the house, and shouted about their fate.


    The vige was in chaos, and they gathered together to discuss what to do.


    After one night, two nights, no one came to look for her.


    The son, daughter, husband, and inws all had their own things to worry about. They had no idea that she had not returned for such a long time, whether something had happened to her.


    Three days. Her body had been left outside for three days. In the end, the vigers found it and sent it back. Only then did they remember that she was there.


    They cried a few times, then reported her death to the officers. They got a share of the money.


    She had clearly fallen to her death, but she had died because of a natural disaster.


    After the money came, she was buried here, but her family had moved away.


    The vige was too small, and the stars had smashed holes in it. It was an ominousnd, and no one could continue to live there.


    Her memorial tablet was supposed to be taken away, but before they left, they had to move too many things. Once again, they forgot about her.


    She did not understand. She had lived such a hard life, and had given her entire life to her family. Why did no one take her seriously?


    The ghoul spoke calmly, but the grief was so intense that it made people¡¯s eyes turn red.


    Her resentment was so strong that Xie Qiao could not help but suppress her emotions. Meng Jifang did not know what was going on with him. He had been fine, but gradually, he felt like crying?


    He suddenly felt down, and thought of a few things that made him unhappy!


    His family was a noble family, and his aunt was an imperial concubine in the pce.


    Although he was young, he had never been wronged since he was small.


    There were not many things in the past that made him feel wronged. One of them was that when he was young, he had offended the Crown Prince. He was beaten up by him and almost died.


    It had been a long time and he had almost forgotten about it.


    At this moment, he suddenly remembered it!


    His eyes were red and he looked like he was about to cry, he suddenly said, ¡°My parents never hit me, but he almost took my life! But even so, everyone sided with him. I was beaten, and I still have to kneel and apologize!¡±


    As soon as he got emotional, he suddenly shouted. Xie Qiao was shocked, and her eyes opened wide.

 Chapter 1104 - Offense

    <h4>Chapter 1104: Offense</h4>


    Meng Jifang¡¯s endurance was so bad?!


    This sudden shout gave Xie Qiao a fright!


    Meng Jifang himself was stunned for a moment and patted his own forehead. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m in a bad mood. Did you hear what I said just now? Don¡¯t spread it out!¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him with thoughts running through her mind.


    With the status of the Meng family, the only one who could make him kneel and apologize was probably a rtive of the imperial family.


    Considering that Meng Jifang had a great opinion of the Crown Prince, she suspected whether the person who hit him was the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Have you discussed with this dirty thing? Tell her to leave quickly!¡± Meng Jifang said instantly.


    This dirty thing must have affected him and made him lose his cool!


    ¡°How can she leave just like that? I still have to ask why she followed you.¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him, then looked at the ghoul and said, ¡°You were forgotten in the vige. What happened after that?¡±


    The ghoul still did not put her head back on her neck.


    ¡°In the beginning, many people came. They wanted to see what the falling stars looked like. Later, the stars were moved away by the officials, and the vigers left one after the other. In the end, they all left. There were also a few ghouls, and they all gathered together...¡±


    Those ghouls looked down on her and never interacted with her.


    They even gathered together and said that she was a fool, serving men and children like a ve. In the end, no one even knew that she had died. Everyoneughed at her. Perhaps her temper had gotten worse after she died, and one day, she could not stand it anymore, so she ate all those ghouls.


    ¡°Why are you haunting this young master?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    She felt that this shadow ghoul was even more powerful than the average one. To be able to let a living person see her terrifying shadow, she must be quite capable.


    That head lifted slightly, and suddenly, a strange smile appeared.


    She did not speak.


    Half of her soul was still hidden in the shadows, and Xie Qiao really could not do anything to her.


    Xie Qiao sighed and put out the burning incense, she looked at Meng Jifang helplessly. ¡°What unusual thing did you do in that vige? Usually, the shadow ghoul was not very brave. If it was found out, it would not refuse to leave. But the one beside you is different. I saw that she seemed to be very dissatisfied with you. Did you offend her?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Meng Jifang still felt like crying. ¡°That night, I...¡±


    He stood up and suppressed his imposing manner. He looked left and right, and in the end, he was a little angry, he said in a low voice, ¡°I was really scared that night. After burying the little mouse, I didn¡¯te out of the house. I sat on the ground and stayed up all night. The next morning, I left immediately!


    ¡°Besides, what could I see in such a run-down vige? It¡¯s all rotten wood, dust, spiders, rats, weeds, rocks, and dry wells. I can¡¯t even be bothered to look at such a ce. Who could I have offended?¡±


    He felt wronged!


    It was better to follow him!


    Meng Jifang was a young master who loved cleanliness. In such a ce, he probably would not even want to touch the ground.


    ¡°Since you can¡¯t remember, then go back to the vige with me. Investigate carefully, find out the reason, and apologize to her. Only then can you think of a way to make her forgive you. If I take her for you by force, the ghoul¡¯s resentment will be even greater, and it won¡¯t be good for your own virtue,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°You want to go again?!¡± When Meng Jifang thought of that ce, he had goosebumps all over his body.


    That vige was really terrifying.


    Especially in the middle of the night, just the sound of the wind could make people¡¯s scalp go numb!

 Chapter 1105 - A Man and a Woman Alone

    <h4>Chapter 1105: A Man and a Woman Alone</h4>


    Meng Jifang was resisting from head to toe. He did not look too good.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given you money. Can¡¯t you think of another way?¡± Meng Jifang asked again.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Qiao said concisely, ¡°We¡¯ll go first thing tomorrow morning. Since it¡¯s so far away, I guess I¡¯ll have to stay there for the night. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to prepare the things for the night. I¡¯ve already epted the money, but if you¡¯re a coward and quit halfway and die, the money won¡¯t be returned.¡±


    Meng Jifang red at her.


    This was really annoying.


    Why would he not get the money back? Although he had an extraordinary status, his money was still quite tight. His family was strict with him, and he had to save up for a long time before he could squander so much money on this witch.


    Moreover, he did not dare to dy this problem.


    ¡°Only you and me?¡± Meng Jifang frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not good for a man and a woman to go alone, right?¡±


    Even though the other party was a Taoist master.


    As Mo Chusheng, Xie Qiao had never cared about gender.


    However, since he said so...


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll bring a few people as helpers,¡± Xie Qiao said after some thought.


    Since she was going to spend the night outside, she had to inform the Crown Prince. Since that was the case, she might as well bring her family along. It was also a good opportunity for her to have a spring outing with the Crown Prince to rx.


    However, as Mo Chusheng, it would not be good for her to get too close to the Crown Prince. If that was the case...


    She might as well invite her other junior brothers along, so that they could take care of each other. Moreover, she did not have to worry about rumors spreading.


    When Meng Jifang heard that she was going to bring someone along, he became even more worried.


    Could this Taoist master be trying to harm him secretly? If he was gone, his father would definitely be greatly affected. He would not be able to stumble on the Crown Prince for a while!


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring a few people with me!¡± It was also time for his good friends to help!


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Qiao did not refuse.


    After saying that, Xie Qiao took out a talisman and gave it to him. ¡°Keep it close to your body. You will sleep well tonight and keep your spirit safe.¡±


    When Meng Jifang saw the talisman, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    When he saw that headless shadow just now, he was really afraid. He thought that he would be scared again tonight. Now that he had this talisman, he could finally feel at ease.


    Unknowingly, he did not doubt Mo Chusheng¡¯s words.


    After sending this person off, Xie Qiao went to the Royal Academy to look for her junior brothers.


    Coincidentally, Jiang Jinlu was also travel-worn and rushed back in a carriage when she had just arrived.


    He looked a little disheveled. The beard on his face was prickly. When he saw Xie Qiao, he called out to her and brought over the cow¡¯s tears that he had collected with a guilty look.


    ¡°After searching for so long, I visited almost all the viges outside the city, but there are so few old cows that shed tears. It¡¯s really too few...¡± Jiang Jinlu looked much older.


    He had only been out for three to four months.


    However, it was even harder than when he had gone traveling with his teacher!


    The first time he found an old cow that was about to die, he could not help but feel sad.


    The old cow no longer had the strength to work. It was old and looked particrly haggard. Finally, ity on the ground, its eyes seemingly looking into the distance. He carefully squatted in the cow shed, and when he went to take the cow¡¯s tears, he could not help but think of the hard work of the old cow all its life. He thought that his life was good, so he was reincarnated into a human.


    Later, he wandered around the vige and found that the cows worked really hard.


    When there was farm work, they had to loosen the soil. When there was no work, they had to pull the cart.


    The farmers were also as tired as the old cows.

 Chapter 1106 - Chase Him Out of the Sect

    <h4>Chapter 1106: Chase Him Out of the Sect</h4>


    When Jiang Jinlu thought about what he had seen these days, he felt that the prosperity of the capital was somewhat unreal.


    When he was young, he was epted as a disciple by his teacher, and he was given food and shelter. Some people spoiled him. Although he did not get as much money as his senior brothers,pared to ordinary families, it was still much better.


    He could not be considered a poor student.


    When he was searching for tears in the countryside, he had seen farmers who were as tired as an old cow. He had seen schrs who forgot to eat and sleep. The ones he had seen the most were children who knew nothing but walked the path their families told them to.


    It reminded him of the suffering he had suffered when he was young.


    Jiang Jinlu looked much more stable than before and spoke less. After passing the bottle to Xie Qiao, he was not in a hurry to ask when the cow¡¯s tears would be ready.


    ¡°It seems that you learned a lot out there.¡± Xie Qiao was quite surprised.


    ¡°I just saw the lives of ordinary people...¡± Jiang Jinlu quickly lowered his head and said respectfully.


    Of course, he also suffered a lot. Due to the tears, people treated him as a lunatic and beat him up.


    ¡°When you followed teacher, you didn¡¯t have to worry about food and drink. Even if teacher didn¡¯t reveal his identity, with his bearing, he wouldn¡¯t let your life get any worse. It seems that if you need to travel in the future, it¡¯s better for you to go by yourself.¡± Xie Qiao saw his smile disappear, she actually felt that IT was quite good.


    Jiang Jinlu forced a smile helplessly.


    After this trip, he realized how happy he was with his teacher.


    Moreover, he had not gone too far!


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve obtained the tears, you can travel with me tomorrow. I¡¯ll show you what you¡¯ve always wanted to see,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Jiang Jinlu nodded obediently, looking forward to it.


    Zhao Xuanjing sat next to his teacher and did not say much. Xie Qiao nced at him asionally, and he looked serious. He pretended to bepletely unfamiliar with her.


    Zhao Xuanjing was better at pretending than she was.


    He sipped his tea and looked dignified.


    If he were in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, he would havee up to chat with her.


    ¡°Junior Brother, I¡¯m going to exorcize the young master of the Meng family tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?¡± Xie Qiao asked tentatively.


    ¡°The Meng family?¡± Zhao Xuanjingughed. ¡°Is he possessed? That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ll take some time to take a look at him.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, you just got married not long ago. Don¡¯t you need to spend more time with the Princess Consort?¡± Sang You asked kindly.


    On the day of the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding, he also went.


    When she lifted the veil, he sneaked a look at the crowd.


    The Princess Consort¡¯ appearance...


    Was stunning.


    In the past, he thought that the Crown Prince was handsome and unparalleled in the world. He felt that it was a pity that he had to marry an ordinary woman. However, after that day, he felt that the two of them were a perfect couple. There was nothing to be picky about!


    He wished that he could see the beautiful two together every day. It would be best if he could paint them and keep it forever.


    Unfortunately, after the Crown Prince got married, he did not invite them to his residence.


    He wanted to take a few more nces at the Princess Consort, but he did not have the chance...


    Of course, Sang You did not know that Zhao Xuanjing actually wanted to invite them. However, when he thought of Sang You¡¯s terrible behavior, he gave up on the idea.


    It was enough to have the eldest senior brother to be in love with Mo Chusheng. If Sang You was shameless enough to secretly fall in love with her because of her good looks in the future, then he would probably chase him out of the sect for his teacher.


    At this moment, Zhao Xuanjing heard what Sang You said and nced at Xie Qiao, he said deliberately, ¡°Qiaoqiao is gentle and considerate, virtuous and amiable, and she respects and admires eldest senior sister. If she knows that I¡¯m going out with eldest senior sister, she will feel assured and at ease.¡±

 Chapter 1107 - Little Fairy

    <h4>Chapter 1107: Little Fairy</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing looked straight at Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Young Lady Xie likes peace and quiet. It¡¯s good that Junior Brother Crown Prince isn¡¯t home.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing did not know whether tough or cry.


    Li Shiyan saw his two disciples flirting and his old face trembled, he coughed dryly. ¡°Sheng¡¯er, this Xie Qiao is your junior niece, right? This child is also Xie Pinghuai¡¯s biological sister. If you have time, bring her over and let me take a look.¡±


    Xie Qiao was speechless.


    His teacher was also quite good at acting.


    ¡°Oh right, Teacher, if we were to talk about this Young Lady Xie, then she is truly a talent. I don¡¯t know who her teacher is, but she¡¯s already full of knowledge at such a young age. Earlier, I wanted to take her in as a disciple, but we¡¯re not fated...¡± Xiao Yurong sighed.


    When Li Shiyan heard that, he was very proud.


    Whose disciple was she?


    Of course she was his!


    Li Shiyan was in a good mood, especially when he heard that this kid wanted to take in a disciple but he was rejected. He could not help but feel happy. He looked at him with sympathy, which made Xiao Yurong feel strange.


    Sang You was very interested in Xie Qiao.


    ¡°I heard from the steward in my courtyard that before the Princess Consort¡¯s wedding, she identally damaged the flowers in my garden and raised them back easily... Your Highness, I wonder if the Princess Consort has any flower-raising recipe... If you can ask for me, I would be very grateful!¡± Sang You said and secretly sighed.


    Such a beautiful youngdy, yet he did not get to know her early.


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    Now that this person was married and became the Princess Consort, he probably would not even have the chance to speak to her in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hire two gardeners for you another day. Don¡¯t trouble the Princess Consort for such a small matter.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was worried about all the senior brother and junior brothers in the room.


    Sang You could see that the Crown Prince seemed to be jealous, so he could not continue begging.


    ¡°Your Highness is really lucky.¡± Sang You sighed.


    There was another reason why he had a deep impression of the Princess Consort. He felt that this person was like the eldest senior sister that his teacher had mentioned in the past.


    Before seeing the eldest senior sister with his own eyes, he had painted the image in his mind countless times. Every frown and smile was like a fairy. When he saw the Princess Consort, he could not help but fit the image with her, whether it was her temperament or her appearance. It was perfect.


    Unfortunately, the real eldest senior sister was ugly.


    She was far inferior to the Princess Consort.


    He loved to look at her face. His eldest senior sister¡¯s face was not good-looking. No matter how good her painting was, it would not inspire him!


    In the past, when he wrote poems, he would not stop writing. Ever since he saw his eldest senior sister, he always felt that he had been deceived all these years. After so many months, he could not even write a single poem¡­


    Thinking of this, he looked at his eldest senior sister with a bitter gaze.


    Her junior brothers were all crazy, and Xie Qiao could not do anything about it.


    She was very calm and tried her best to maintain her dignity so that these junior brothers would not be rude.


    She was quite capable. After looking at her for a while, Sang You sighed and averted his gaze. ¡®My eldest senior sister is getting uglier and uglier the more I look at her¡­¡¯


    Teacher was indeed old. How could he describe such an ordinary appearance as a little fairy?!


    Ha¡­


    The whole family of senior and junior brothers gathered together to chat. After chatting for a while, Xie Qiao went to the Fortune Pavilion to prepare the cow¡¯s tears.


    The things had been prepared long ago, and the process was fast.


    At night, she still had time to return to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence to live as husband and wife.


    The next morning, she invited her junior brothers to the Fortune Pavilion.


    When the time came, Meng Jifang arrived with several of his brothers. He was very aggressive, afraid that he was not powerful enough.


    However, when he saw the other people in the Fortune Pavilion, Meng Jifang was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1108 - Can’t Be Too Ostentatious

    <h4>Chapter 1108: Can¡¯t Be Too Ostentatious</h4>


    There were seven or eight people in the Fortune Pavilion!


    The Crown Prince sat in the main seat. He was looking at a wooden house in his hand carefully. Zhou Weizong, who was holding a sword, stood behind him with a cold face. He looked at him as if he was an assassin, but his face was not kind.


    On both sides of the table were Teacher Xiao and Teacher Sang from the academy. Beside Teacher Xiao sat Jiang Jinlu, one of the schrs in the capital.


    The rankings of the schrs in the capital were divided by age. They had yet to reach the age of ceremony.


    Opposite Jiang Jinlu, next to Master Sang, sat¡­


    The fierce and unreasonable Xie Pinggang?!


    As for Mo Chusheng, she was nervous. She stared at the things in these people¡¯s hands and looked like she was throwing them a tantrum.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s feet froze.


    There was no need to mention the other people behind him. At this moment, their faces seemed to have been frozen. They did not dare to show any expression at all. They looked at the people inside, and they did not even dare to breathe.


    Meng Jifang gulped and coughed dryly, trying to make himself not be so cowardly and useless. ¡°Mo Chusheng... W-When are we leaving?¡±


    The moment he spoke, the Crown Prince¡¯s hand froze.


    The Crown Prince did not say anything, but Teacher Xiao frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re the young master of the Meng family, right? You¡¯re already so old, what kind of books have you read? Why don¡¯t you even know some manners?¡±


    It was true that his eldest senior sister was a Taoist master, but with her age and achievements, it was enough for him, Young Master Meng, to call her master, Teacher Mo, or Senior Mo¡­


    If it really did not work out, he could also call her Master Mo, right?


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    Meng Jifang¡¯s expression wasplicated, and he was on the verge of breaking down.


    This Mo Chusheng was too vicious!


    They had agreed to go out to treat his illness, but she actually called so many people!


    It was fine to call a few people, but who were these people?!


    She clearly knew that he was the Fourth Prince¡¯s man, but they still called the Crown Prince?! Was this not intentional?! Furthermore, he was a student of the Royal Academy, so he had to pay his respects to the teachers of the academy. In front of him, there were two teachers sitting there¡­


    Meng Jifang had the temperament of a young master, but he also knew that as a student, he could not be arrogant in front of the teachers of the academy.


    Otherwise, if word got out, he would be like Xie Pinggang, ridiculed by schrs, and would not have a good life!


    Moreover, although he was a profligate, he also wanted a good future. A teacher was like a brother to a father. As long as he was still in the Royal Academy, he would not be rude to the teachers of the academy¡­


    Meng Jifang was a little hesitant, feeling that he was really weak.


    He turned to look at his friends, trying to boost his courage.


    However¡­


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.¡± After hearing what Teacher Xiao said, they immediately bowed and cupped their hands. Then, they quickly said, ¡°Greetings to Master Xie, Master Zhou, Teacher Xiao, Teacher Sang, Master Mo...¡±


    They all looked terrified.


    The corner of Meng Jifang¡¯s mouth twitched twice, and he instantly felt that he had lost all his dignity.


    He brought his brothers here to show off and let Master Mo treat him obediently. He did not want her to pull any tricks on him!


    However, what happened in the end?!


    ¡°Rise.¡± Zhao Xuanjing nced at them and said indifferently, ¡°Why are you all here?¡±


    ¡°We... heard of Master Mo¡¯s reputation and came here to see her. Now that we have seen her, we are astounded...¡±


    They were full of nonsense.


    In fact, they had not seen what Master Mo looked like yet.


    However, it was enough to say nice things.


    They really could not offend those present. At least on the surface, they had to serve them respectfully.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen her, why are you still standing there? Go back.¡± Zhao Xuanjing yed it down and nced at Meng Jifang. ¡°We¡¯re just going out of the city gate. We can¡¯t be too ostentatious.¡±

 Chapter 1109 - What Did You See?

    <h4>Chapter 1109: What Did You See?</h4>


    Meng Jifang almost vomited blood from the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    How can he say that?!


    Ostentatious?!


    ¡®Who is the ostentatious one?! Crown Prince, when you say these words, you should at least open your eyes and see clearly. Don¡¯t open your mouth and lie casually!¡¯


    However, his friends hurriedly nodded at this moment. Without saying a word, and without even looking at him, they actually... left?!


    Meng Jifang was a little stunned and felt a chill in his heart.


    After his friends left, he felt like amb that had been left in a pack of wolves.


    ¡°I suddenly feel much better. I don¡¯t need to go...¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s an appointment, how can you go back on it? The weather is nice today and the spring scenery is pleasant. Do you feel wronged by going out with us?¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice sounded quite kind.


    He had been in a good moodtely.


    Meng Jifang felt really irritable in his heart and wanted to curse out loud. However, the truth was that he could only nod his head listlessly like a defeated rooster, looking somewhat innocent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Jiang Jinlu asked.


    He asked this question to remind his eldest senior sister that it was time to the cow¡¯s tears.


    This was the thing that he was most persistent about, and it was also something that he had been curious about.


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    Xie Qiao did as she said. At this moment, she happily took out the cow¡¯s tears and ced it on his eyelids. Then, she sprayed some talisman water on it and waited for the effect to take ce.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart was beating fast as he sat nervously.


    After confirming that it was done, he slowly opened his eyes.


    The moment he opened his eyes¡­


    His face instantly turned pale.


    His entire body tensed up, and his hair seemed to stand on end. If he had not been mentally prepared, he would have definitely fainted from fright at this moment!


    In the midst of all this, in such a small room, other than living people like them, there was actually something else!


    Right in front of him was a bearded old man. His face was full of wrinkles, and his strange expression was obvious that he was dead!


    Also, there were two or three people hanging on the screen. There were a few people standing behind Senior Brother Xiao. They were looking at senior brother with their heads stretched out as if they were very satisfied with him. Only the Crown Prince had a clean side¡­


    That was not right!


    He swept his gaze across and through the window, he saw the outside of the Fortune Building.


    There were actually quite a few spirits that were lined up neatly and were staring at him seriously!


    They were dressed like guards, like the guards of His Highness!


    His breathing was a little hurried. Xiao Yurong and Sang You were very curious. They kept staring at him, waiting for his reaction. Seeing that he did not say anything, they were even more puzzled. ¡°Junior Brother Jiang, what did you see?¡±


    ¡°Look, look, look...¡± He opened his mouth with difficulty, but he stuttered and could not speak!


    There were really ghouls in this world. Not only that... There were many of them!


    ¡°This little friend is not very brave.¡± Having seen Xie Qiao¡¯s courage, Baili Ji looked at Jiang Jinlu and began picking on him.


    Hearing his words, Jiang Jinlu was more like a frightened cat, and all the hair on his body trembled, he opened his mouth with great effort. ¡°D-Did you hear that... T-There¡¯s someone there... It¡¯s an o-old man...¡±


    ¡°Old man?¡± Sang You could not help but speak up for him.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You saw it too?!¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Sang You shook his head as if it was a matter of course.


    Where did the old mane from?


    The room was full of young and aggressive young men.


    Jiang Jinlu felt as if someone was strangling him. He was nervous and scared.

 Chapter 1110 - No Grudges

    <h4>Chapter 1110: No Grudges</h4>


    The ghouls of Baili Ji and the others were just here to join in the fun. They had only heard from Xie Qiao that the few people who came today had great backgrounds and were good seedlings. That was why they came down to have a look.


    It was just as Xie Qiao had said. These juniors were all very good.


    Xiao Yurong looked like a bookworm, but his schrly aura made even an old man like him want to protect him a little. Sang You was also great. One look and they could tell that he loved cleanliness. He looked like white jade. He was clean and wless. He was delicate and pretty. His eyebrows and eyes were like a painting. He looked like a woman.


    This Jiang Jinlu... was not bad either.


    He was a bit impetuous, but he was the most down-to-earth one.


    In the world, people like the Crown Prince, Xiao Yurong, and even Sang You looked like they grew up drinking morning dew. They were rare after all.


    This Jiang Jinlu was young and vigorous, reckless and ignorant, stupid and foolish, but he was a normal schr. He had all the vigor and all the possibilities.


    Not bad, not bad at all.


    Seeing such a junior, the spirits of the Baili family were all very satisfied.


    Most of the spirits died when the world was at its most chaotic. At that time, the imperial court was muddle-headed, and the people were suffering unspeakably. Many schrs had all their talents and had nowhere to put them to use.


    However, when they saw these people now, they felt as if they had suddenly grown out of the mud and seen the light.


    The world today was definitely iparably peaceful!


    They had satisfied expressions on their faces, but Jiang Jinlu was innocent and did not understand.


    After a while, Baili Ji beckoned the ghouls of the family to go upstairs. Only then did Jiang Jinlu let out a sigh of relief.


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    At this moment, he finally saw the spirit by Meng Jifang¡¯s side.


    The spirit had been hiding in the shadows and did not show itself. However, it seemed to be curious about what was happening outside, so it asionally shed by and was seen by Jiang Jinlu.


    He almost vomited.


    Although the spirits of the Baili family did not look good. Some of them were covered in blood, and some of them even had their heads separated from their bodies. However, they had cleaned up properly. They did not intend to scare Jiang Jinlu, so they all looked normal. They had put on the clothes that Xie Qiao had burned, and they still looked quite cool and dignified. They were really not scary.


    However, the spirit of Erniang was different.


    Her dull eyes swayed up and down with her head.


    Her empty neck made people feel a chill on the back of their neck.


    She even shed by, hiding and revealing herself, which made her even scarier.


    ¡°Maybe you can take it?¡± Xie Qiao asked with a smile.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s stiff body moved slightly. Just as he was about to shake his head, Xie Pinggang said, ¡°It¡¯s just a dead person. What¡¯s the big deal? Even Master, a woman, can take it. You¡¯re such a big man. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu wanted to cry but had no tears.


    Xie Pinggang did not dislike Jiang Jinlu, but he thought of his sister.


    His sister was younger than Jiang Jinlu, and she had seen these things since she was young. Was she not still alive?


    Jiang Jinlu had only seen it for one day. If he could not bear it anymore, he would be useless.


    Sang You did not like to listen to Xie Pinggang¡¯s words, he could not help but frown. ¡°Master Xie, you should be more polite. I have a book at home. Why don¡¯t I give it to you some other day and you read it a few times? It will definitely change you and make you feel like a new man.¡±


    Xie Pinggang turned to look at Sang You. ¡°Read? Forget it. Last year, I read books all day to win a spear from Jianghai Academy. I vomited a few times from reading. We have no grudges against each other, why are you trying to harm me?!¡±

 Chapter 1111 - Castration

    <h4>Chapter 1111: Castration</h4>


    When Xie Qiao went to Mengjiabao, Xie Pinggang went to Jianghai Academy to stir trouble. He was fierce and aggressive. At that time, all the big gambling houses were in an uproar. Many people went to bet, but most of them did not believe that he could win.


    However, the truth was that he did it.


    During those days, some bravedies threw handkerchiefs at Xie Pinggang.


    He became famous for a while. He was majestic.


    When Sang You heard that, he thought of the handkerchief that Xie Pinggang had ruined¡­


    He had mixed feelings.


    Jiang Jinlu was ignored.


    Meng Jifang became invisible and did not dare to speak. He was as obedient as a little chick that had just hatched.


    Soon, they set off.


    In Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s carriage sat Xie Qiao and Xiao Yurong. Zhou Weizong and Xie Pinggang were on both sides of the outside to protect them.


    Meng Jifang himself was in a daze. He was confused and was arranged to sit in the same carriage as Jiang Jinlu.


    As for Sang You, he wanted to see the scenery. He rode a snow-white horse and followed behind the team.


    His horse was really beautiful. There was even a braid on a bunch of the hair on the horse¡¯s head. There was a flower on it! Sang You was carrying a zither on his back. The boots on his feet were iid with jade chips. From afar, they looked like they were extremely precious. It was as if they were shining.


    Manydies turned around to take a look at him.


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    ¡°He is so¡­ coquettish. Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­¡± Xie Pinggang could not help but mutter.


    ¡°Do you think that everyone is like you who doesn¡¯t care about the details?¡± Xie Qiao lifted the curtain and looked outside,ughing at Xie Pinggang.


    ¡°But this is too much...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Xie Pinggang saw Sang You¡¯s actions again and revealed an expression of extreme disgust. Then, he gritted his teeth and eximed, ¡°Oh my god, this Young Master Sang actually brought a small hairbrush with him. He¡¯s brushing the horse¡¯s hair while riding! Is that thing suitable for horses?¡±


    There were brushes for brushing the horse¡¯s hair. Using a hairbrush was extremely odd!


    ¡°Junior Brother Sang even has a mirror and rouge with him. What is this even?¡± Xie Qiao smiled.


    She did not use Sang You.


    He had a fair face and red lips. His face was really powdered, but it was not too heavy. It was just a thinyer. Besides the powder, Sang You had also used perfume. When one got closer, they could smell... The fresh scent of flowers, it was a little sweet and almost overpowering.


    Xie Pinggang had never seen such a man.


    He lived more exquisitely than a woman.


    ¡°If I had a son like this... I would make him a eunuch,¡± Xie Pinggang whispered.


    In the carriage, Xiao Yurong felt his scalp tingling. He looked at him with fear and felt a chill down his spine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t castrate Junior Brother Sang just because he likes to look pretty. If you can¡¯t stand it, just fight with him and show off how powerful you are to him,¡± Xie Qiao replied in a low voice.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Master Xiao blushed.


    Castration¡­


    ¡°Senior Sister... This word is used on animals...¡± Xiao Yurong said quickly.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong.¡± Xie Qiao quickly restrained herself and corrected herself.


    Just now, she just wanted to be mischievous. She was really happy today. It was great to have so many people to go out with. It was warm in spring and she could get some fresh air.


    Even Xiao Yurong felt it was inappropriate for him to chase after Xie Qiao.


    Zhao Xuanjing could tell that Xie Qiao was venting her anger on Xie Pinggang.


    It was also Sang You¡¯s fault for being judgemental. He could not stand Xie Pinggang¡¯s rudeness and fierce look. Therefore, his disdainful look was a little arrogant.


    However, Xie Pinggang was a martial artist and he was a big-hearted person. He did not like to think about these things. Even in the face of Sang You¡¯s judgemental look, he still looked fine.

 Chapter 1112 - The Rest of My Life

    <h4>Chapter 1112: The Rest of My Life</h4>


    Xie Qiao knew that she felt sorry for her brother.


    She just said a few words to help him vent his anger.


    Sang You did not know that Xie Pinggang had despised him, and he was still immersed in the beautiful scenery.


    In the other carriage¡­


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s face looked as ugly as if he had stepped on dog poop. ¡°S-Stay away from me...¡±


    Looking at Meng Jifang¡¯s eyes, he was a little scared.


    Meng Jifang was also at a loss. ¡°The carriage is only so big. Do I have to jump out of it? You are Mo Chu... Master Mo¡¯s junior brother. How can you be so timid? You are not even as brave as me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say! I can see the thing on you, can you?!¡± Jiang Jinlu red back at him.


    ¡°The ghoul is following me. What right do you have to beining?!¡± Meng Jifang was not afraid of Jiang Jinlu.


    Among this group of people, the one who was the easiest to bully was the person in front of him. If he could not even raise his head in front of Jiang Jinlu, where would he put his face?


    Moreover, now that he saw how scared he was, he felt a little better. ¡°I¡¯ve been suffering from this illness for a few days. Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m not afraid at all. If it weren¡¯t for Master Mo... insisting on treating me, this young master would be with this ghoul for the rest of my life!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Jiang Jinlu sneered.


    He was not stupid. He could tell that he was boasting!


    ¡°Do you want to know what the ghoul who follows you looks like? How about I describe it to you?¡± After saying that, Jiang Jinlu went on his own. ¡°This ghoul is a woman. She looks ordinary, but¡­ Her head is twisted off and held in her arms. Her eyes aren¡¯t red, just like...


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    ¡°Have you seen cooked fish eyes?¡± Jiang Jinlu was scared, but he did not forget to scare Meng Jifang.


    Meng Jifang clenched his hands.


    The people around the Crown Prince were really vicious!


    Forget it that Jiang Jinlu was suffering, he still wanted to make himfortable!


    While Jiang Jinlu was talking, suddenly, the ghoul seemed to be upset. It suddenly spread its hands, and its head rolled to Jiang Jinlu¡¯s feet. When it stopped, it was facing up with its dead fish eyes facing him.


    ¡°Ah... Ah!¡± Jiang Jinlu howled in fear and jumped up instantly. However, he did not notice that his head hit the carriage frame.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing?!¡±


    Under his influence, Meng Jifang almost jumped out of the carriage.


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart was trembling. ¡°I-I know I¡¯m wrong. T-Take your head back quickly...¡±


    He was wrong. He should not have said that her eyes were like dead fish¡­


    Seeing the head jumping around in the carriage, Jiang Jinlu leaned against the window in despair.


    He was really wrong!


    Even Xie Qiao heard such a loud noise.


    ¡°Will Junior Brother Jiang be okay?¡± Xiao Yurong was very worried and his voice was gentle.


    ¡°It¡¯s spring. All living things like to make some noise. It will be fine once you get used to it.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was not worried.


    Xie Qiao must have made some preparations for them to stay together.


    At most, they would be frightened and nothing serious would happen.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good to howl a few more times. It can relieve your depression and make your lungs feel better.¡±


    Xiao Yurong sighed. His senior and junior brothers were too naughty. Unlike him, he did not have so much vitality when he reached the age of 30. He was a little lifeless.


    ¡°I heard from the academy that this Young Master Meng is a yboy who likes to y. He seems to be good at eating, drinking, women, and gambling. But today, I see that he was a little spoiled and indulgent, but he was not a bad person.¡± Xiao Yurong felt pity when he thought of Meng Jifang.

 Chapter 1113 - Nothing Can Hide

    <h4>Chapter 1113: Nothing Can Hide</h4>


    Meng Jifang was pretty good looking. He wore a crown of jade, he was handsome and fair. On the surface, he looked like a handsome young man. Xiao Yurong had the heart of an educator. Looking at this young man, he had a good impression of him.


    Moreover, Meng Jifang was very well-behaved today.


    ¡°Junior Brother, you don¡¯t know much about Young Master Meng. He is indeed not a person of great evil, but he is detestable.¡± Xie Qiao did not agree with Xiao Yurong.


    She was kind to people and would not deliberately target anyone.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Xiao Yurong was a little surprised.


    ¡°This person is rich in appearance, but there¡¯s a saying that one is arrogant and short-tempered. He is just like that. No matter how good his appearance is, he won¡¯t live a long life. Although he is a carefree person, the tail of his eyes is too long, he is sharp yet not friendly enough. He must¡¯ve done all kinds of hurtful things. The problem doesn¡¯t seem to be too big, but he is rich and will never change. If this goes on, it will hurt his dignity and won¡¯tst long,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    To put it simply, this person did not do many immoral things, but he did many tiny immoral things. If his family was not rich, he could have restrained himself. However, his family was rich, and it was like adding oil to the fire, it burned away his longevity.


    Xie Qiao did not say exactly how long this person could live.


    It was not good to reveal the secrets of heaven. Besides, she did not take the divination fee.


    However, it was impossible for him to live beyond 60.


    ¡°Look at him just now. He was a little arrogant at the beginning, but he became well-behaved after that.¡± Xiao Yurong looked at him from the perspective of an elder.


    It was like an adult looking at a child. Unless this person had gone too far, he would more or less sugarcoat him in his heart.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. This Young Master Meng did notmit murder or arson in the academy, but he must havemitted the crime of bullying the children of humble families,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    As expected, Xiao Yurong frowned when he heard that.


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    It was a bit hateful to bully others by force.


    Xie Qiao had heard about Meng Jifang¡¯s behavior when she was in the academy.


    Wherever he went, people had to bow their heads respectfully and not offend him. He was the boss, and others were like ants in his eyes.


    Of course, it was not that he did not have sympathy, but his principles were a little low.


    If she said that this person was bad, she would probably feel that he was wronged. It was just that his parents had taught him so. He had learned it by himself, and others had indulged him. Over time, he had gotten used to it.


    ¡°Senior Sister, can you also tell this kind of thing by looking at one¡¯s face?¡± Xiao Yurong was a little surprised and his face was solemn.


    His eldest senior sister was too amazing. If that was the case, then in the eyes of his eldest senior sister, there was really nothing that could be hidden in the life of others!


    Xie Qiao chuckled.


    No way.


    She was one of the people who had been picked on by Meng Jifang. She had a deep impression of him.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister, is there any way to improve this person¡¯s fate?¡± Xiao Yurong asked again.


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    Previously, when she looked at Meng Jifang¡¯s facial features, she really had not thought about how to improve his fate for him. Now that Xiao Yurong mentioned it¡­


    ¡°Of course there are. There are two ways to solve the problem. First, we have to get rid of all the wealth in the family. The power starts from money, and money brings back luck. Without money, he can¡¯t be arrogant even if he wants to. Besides, he is a little sensible and smart. Without money, he will know how to keep his feet on the ground and restrain himself. As time goes by, he won¡¯t offend anyone and he won¡¯t be a threat. He would be fine.¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while and said.


    ¡°This is impossible. Unless the Meng family was a traitor, otherwise, the family would prosper.¡± Zhao Xuanjing directly rejected the possibility.

 Chapter 1114 - No Fate of Longevity

    <h4>Chapter 1114: No Fate of Longevity</h4>


    Meng Jifang¡¯s biological father, Marquis Meng, was a little wicked. He had done many things that harmed others and did not benefit himself.


    However, it was mainly to steal the Fourth Prince¡¯s favor.


    He was not a fool. He knew what could be done and what could not be done. He would have small tricks, but he would not be muddle-headed when it came to big matters.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not have much hatred toward Marquis Meng. In his eyes, this person was just a little lustful.


    It was because of this matter of fighting for the throne that he caused some trouble. There was no need to wipe out his family.


    ¡°Then since this is impossible, there is only another way to solve this problem.¡± Xie Qiao squinted, as if she was gloating. ¡°He has smooth and good bones, a straight nose, and a good appearance. If he is a monk, he will live a long life.¡±


    Xiao Yurong was speechless.


    Even Zhao Xuanjing was a little shocked when he heard that.


    ¡°I am not trying to trick him. He has a lot of shorings. His eyes are like the mes of a peach blossom. He must be a person who likes to drink, have sex, and have fun. He is young now, so his appearance isn¡¯t set yet. But in the future, there will be a lot of wine, sex, and women. Only by bing a monk, cultivating his body and character, and umting good karma, can he make up for his shorings.¡± Xie Qiao said very seriously.


    Even now, Meng Jifang was not an honest man with a light heart.


    He was a frequent visitor at a brothel!


    The reason why his reputation was not too bad was that the Meng family knew how to restrain themselves. They did not find him a wife and did not get him concubines. Therefore, others thought that he was a good-for-nothing, but they did not think that he was lustful.


    ¡°A young master wouldn¡¯t want to be a monk for nothing, right? I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡± Xiao Yurong frowned and felt it was a pity.


    How could a child be taught a lesson?


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    When he was this age, he wanted to stuff himself into books and travel around. He did not want to eat or sleep all day and night. He wanted to be a bookworm and devour all the books.


    Xiao Yurong felt it was a pity. A few hourster, when he saw Meng Jifang getting out of the carriage, his expression becameplicated.


    Meng Jifang and Jiang Jinlu¡¯s faces were pale.


    Jiang Jinlu still touched his head from time to time.


    It must have been because of the pain from the previous hit that he could not ignore it after such a long time.


    At the moment, the surroundings were very deste.


    ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± Meng Jifang pointed to the right. ¡°I was heading toward this small road. When I came here, I vaguely saw some torn houses over there, so I dived in through the weeds.¡±


    In other words, there was no path.


    The path was created by humans. It had been decades since many people had passed by this ce, so it was normal that they did not know the path.


    Xie Pinggang got off his horse swiftly. He looked very confident and aggressive. Then, with the sound of a de, a cold gleam shed. Whoosh, he began to cut the weeds.


    Sang You¡¯s eyelids twitched. The muscles on his face were almost out of control.


    Fortunately, he was cutting wild weeds. If it was a human head, it would be even scarier.


    There were a lot of dry weeds and thorns here, so it was quite strenuous. Today, Zhao Xuanjing only brought one guard, Zhou Weizong. Therefore, Guard Zhou did not dare to leave the Crown Prince¡¯s side and did not go up to help.


    Among the remaining people, only the two young men, Jiang Jinlu and Meng Jifang, had no right of refusing to help. They braced themselves and went up to clean up the road that Xie Pinggang had cut.


    For Xie Pinggang, this task was not difficult at all.


    After clearing a long path, his breathing was still smooth and did not change at all.


    It was just that his body was not very clean. It was stained with green and yellow juice, and his clothes were also stained with a lot of weeds.

 Chapter 1115 - Music From the Zither

    <h4>Chapter 1115: Music From the Zither</h4>


    Sang You loved cleanliness, but he did not despise this natural environment. He just looked at the messy road and somehow, he thought of the scene of Xie Pinggang picking flowers.


    What would such a person look like if he lived with a bunch of flowers and nts and smelled the fragrance?


    However, after that image shed through his mind, he could not help but shiver.


    It must be extremely terrifying!


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Don¡¯t tell me you want me to carry you on my back? You¡¯re already so old, how can you be so pretentious?¡±


    Sang You was stunned for a moment. He was still sitting on the big white horse.


    Xie Pinggang could not hold it in any longer.


    He was the slowest. In this wilderness, he could not just leave him here alone. He still had to wait for him. He was really troublesome.


    Xie Pinggang had thought that Wen Lancheng, that annoying schr, was already very gentle. However, now that he looked at Sang You, he found out how pretentious a person could be.


    Sang You was still sitting on the white horse, and it was walking slowly.


    Xie Pinggang snorted and strode over. He stretched out his hand and patted the white horse¡¯s back. The horse let out a cry, raised its hooves, and ran.


    ¡°See, isn¡¯t this great?! Such a good horse, we have to make it run faster. Otherwise, it would only grow fat and end up in the boiler sooner orter!¡± Xie Pinggangughed heartily and followed closely behind.


    Sang You¡¯s horsemanship was not bad, but such a sudden sprint made him tremble in fear.


    After dismounting the horse, his eyes were so gloomy that they could eat someone up.


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    ¡°Are you angry? You schrs are so narrow-minded. If you are angry, just say it. Let¡¯s fight and vent our anger on each other!¡± Xie Pinggang said happily.


    Sang You red at him and raised his head proudly. Then, he found a clean rock, held his zither, and went to rest.


    Xie Qiao also looked at the vige carefully.


    It was indeed not big, like the crescent moon. ¡°¡±There were broken walls and ruins all around, and there were hardly any intact houses.


    Even if there were some that could still be seen, no one could live in them. The roof was almost gone, and only some houses built with stones around were slightly stronger.


    Meng Jifang had been nervous ever since he came in.


    He looked left and right, and he was quite afraid.


    Perhaps he grew fond of Jiang Jinlu from their agreement earlier, he stood silently behind Jiang Jinlu and did not walk around.


    He had no choice.


    There were many people here, and he really did not know who else to follow besides Jiang Jinlu. No one was easy to mess with.


    Jiang Jinlu, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief because the surroundings were actually very clean. He did not even see any ghouls.


    However, there was something wrong with the aura. He kept feeling that the ck fog was hazy and lifeless, making him feel ufortable.


    ¡°Where did you stay that day?¡± Xie Qiao shouted at Meng Jifang.


    Meng Jifang pointed at a courtyard not far away unwillingly. ¡°There...¡±


    Only the courtyard of that house was still intact. Although half of the house had been destroyed, the other half was still barely visible. However, the roof had caved in, so the entire house looked like it was the height of a normal house. One look and one could tell that it was a house that was dangerous to live in.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Come with me to take a look.¡±


    Meng Jifang nodded.


    Zhao Xuanjing and Zhou Weizong followed behind them. Xie Pinggang stayed behind to look around.


    He tried his best to trim the weeds in the ce where he was resting. Instead, Sang You took out the zither when he saw the deste scene. His hands began to y the zither back and forth, and the music came out. It was pleasant to the ears, it was extremely ethereal!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Unfortunately, the melodious music did notst for long before the zither was destroyed.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s de struck the zither directly.

 Chapter 1116 - Could Afford It

    <h4>Chapter 1116: Could Afford It</h4>


    Sang You almost went crazy.


    His zither!


    This zither was given to him by his teacher. It was an ancient zither that had been in good condition for many years. He had always kept it carefully and never dared to use force to hit it!


    However, now, this man had actually struck it with a single strike!


    The strings werepletely broken, and the body was also split open. At this condition, it was absolutely impossible to repair!


    In an instant, Sang You¡¯s eyes turned red as he stared furiously at Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang, on the other hand, calmly put away his de. ¡°Are you stupid? Why are you sitting on a rock and ying? Can¡¯t you sit in the carriage? You still have to trouble me to save you. Fortunately, I followed you this time. Otherwise, you¡¯d be waiting to see the King of Hell!¡±


    Was it his fault?!


    ¡°Senior Brother Sang, look over there.¡± Jiang Jinlu saw that he was angry and quickly pointed at the thing that fell to the ground.


    Sang You looked at it angrily, but his expression changed.


    It was a spider. This spider was frighteningly ck, and it looked quite poisonous.


    For a moment, Sang You¡¯s body tensed up. He was neither angry nor not angry. His zither was really more important than his life, but if he lost his life, this zither would not be his anymore¡­


    He looked dejected. After a moment of silence, he put away his broken zither and put it back into the carriage. His whole body exuded an aura that he did not want to talk. It was quite scary.


    ¡°He is quite angry.¡± Even Xie Pinggang felt that this person was living a strange life.


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    He was not happy even though he had saved his life.


    Was it not just a zither? It was just a piece of broken wood and a few strings.


    ¡°Please forgive him, Master. This zither... was given to him by my teacher. It has apanied him for a long time. Not to mention the kindness, but the value of the zither itself... Sigh...¡± Xiao Yurong felt his heart ache. ¡°This zither is unparalleled in the world. We can¡¯t find another one.¡±


    ¡°Is it very expensive? How much is it?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    That piece of wood did not look special, right?


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡± Xiao Yurong also knew how to y the zither and flute, and he was quite good at it. Now that such a good instrument was gone, he could not get his spirits up either.¡±This is a seven-stringed zither, one of the five zithers in the world. It is called ¡°silence¡±. The price... for some people, it is a priceless treasure.¡±


    ¡°What if it is for ordinary people?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Xiao Yurong was stunned.


    After thinking for a while, he gave a number. ¡°There is only one silent zither. I have never bought it, so there is no fixed price. But for the other four famous zithers, one of them was sold for 80,000 taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°How much?!¡± Xie Pinggang shouted at the top of his voice.


    Xiao Yurong was shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a broken zither. One can make it by cutting down a tree and polishing it. It doesn¡¯t even need to be tempered. How can it be so valuable?!¡± Xie Pinggang was stunned.


    Xiao Yurong wanted to say that the price was not too high.


    It was one of the five zithers in the world. No one could buy it with money!


    It was said that many years ago, there was a rich businessman who wanted to buy a zither for 200,000 taels of silver, but no one sold it!


    This 80,000 taels of silver was definitely the price for people who appreciated zithers!


    However, the price was indeed terrifyingly high. It was no wonder that Xie Pinggang was so surprised. ¡°Since it¡¯s broken, Master Xie, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Junior Brother Sang¡¯s life is more precious than the zither.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? How can it be worth 80,000 taels of silver? He would just be bitten by a spider. There¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯d die...¡± Xie Pinggang looked like he was about to cry, he looked as if he had just eaten poison. ¡°What¡¯s the point of bringing such an expensive thing out of the house? Aren¡¯t you afraid that others will steal it?¡±


    If he had known that the price was this high, he definitely would not have struck it with his de!


    ¡°I swear to God, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose just now. I thought this broken... this zither was only worth a few dozen taels of silver. I thought I could afford to pay for it...¡±

 Chapter 1117 - Memento

    <h4>Chapter 1117: Memento</h4>


    Xie Pinggang really could not understand why someone would bring such a valuable thing out.


    This thing did not seem like a weapon that could be used to protect him. It was just a decoration. He could not understand the music. It only made him sleepy.


    Sang You heard what he said.


    It hurt even more.


    ¡°Dozens of taels of silver? Master Xie, look at your de. It cuts iron like mud. Is it only worth dozens of taels of silver?!¡± Sang You was very angry.


    ¡°Yes.¡± However, Xie Pinggang nodded. ¡°This de is very cheap. I spent 27 taels of silver to buy it. I think the shopkeeper made a lot of money from this.¡±


    Cutting iron like mud? That was because he was capable. It had nothing to do with the de!


    Sang You was instantly speechless.


    So cheap¡­


    Did they not say that Xie Pinggang loved weapons?! When he saw the cold gleam of the de, he thought that it was worth a lot of money. He initially wanted to use this thing to mock Xie Pinggang, but he did not expect that... he was checkmated!


    It seemed like he was really foolish to be bringing the zither out¡­


    His heart was cold.


    The wind blew over and almost blew his heart away.


    His zither was gone and he still had to face such an unreasonable Xie Pinggang. He might as well go with his zither¡­


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    With a confused expression, his white clothes fluttered in the cold spring wind. It looked like he was about to ascend to immortality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand at the wind gap. You¡¯re already angry. If your body is damaged by the wind, you¡¯ll have to spend money to treat it,¡± Xie Pinggang could not help but remind him.


    He felt that he would never be able to understand schrs in this lifetime.


    They were sad and weak all over.


    Sigh!


    At this moment, Sang You only felt a surge of blood rushing to his head. He turned around and looked at Xie Pinggang¡¯s ignorant face. For some reason, his vision blurred and he actually fainted from anger!


    ¡°I told you. The wind is strong and thend is evil. You should pay more attention to your body. Do you think that your body is as strong as mine?¡± Xie Pinggang shook his head and walked forward. He ced his hand on Sang You¡¯s armpit with ease, he lifted him up and stuffed him into the carriage as if he was stuffing a bag.


    ¡°Junior Brother Sang...¡± Xiao Yurong said.


    ¡°Senior Brother Sang!¡± Jiang Jinlu said.


    The two of them were dumbfounded and looked at Xie Pinggang with fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s good that he fainted. He lost so much money. How can he not feel bad?¡± Xie Pinggang scratched his head. ¡°By the way... when he wakes up, please tell him that my family doesn¡¯t have much money and I still have a pair of siblings to support. I can¡¯t afford such an expensive zither. Since I saved his life, let¡¯s forget about it!


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, then... bury the zither and treat it as a nightmare. In the future, I will trick him into saying that such an expensive zither has turned into a spirit and flew away! Hahahaha!¡± Xie Pinggang was full of nonsense.


    Anyway, it was impossible for him to pay for it.


    He would rather chop off a finger and give it to him!


    Xiao Yurong was frightened and stuttered. ¡°N-No¡­ L-Let¡¯s keep it as a memento...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t want me to bury it. If he cries when he sees the zither, it¡¯s none of my business. You canfort him yourself.¡± Xie Pinggang talked himself out of the responsibility.


    Xiao Yurong was scared speechless by Xie Pinggang¡¯s terrible look.


    Needless to say, Jiang Jinlu was like a quail. He sympathized with Senior Brother Sang.


    His Senior Brother Sang... was not an unreasonable person. Since Master Xie had saved him, he would definitely not be bothered by the zither. However, this Master Xie was too good at infuriating people¡­


    He was simply Senior Brother Sang¡¯s nemesis!


    If he had known earlier, he would have left with His Highness and eldest senior sister. Why would he stay here?!


    He was so regretful!

 Chapter 1118 - No Children

    <h4>Chapter 1118: No Children</h4>


    Xie Pinggang did not feel guilty at all. After throwing the man into the carriage, he did not forget to remind the others cheerfully.


    ¡°There is no one here all year round. That kid from the Meng family is lucky. He stayed here for one night and was not bitten to death by snakes, insects and rats. You all have to be careful. I only have two eyes. I won¡¯t catch it every time,¡± Xie Pinggang said, then he continued to do his own thing.


    Xiao Yurong and Jiang Jinlu looked like children at the moment. They nodded obediently.


    The two of them did not dare to sit in the wild anymore. They climbed into the carriage and waited. It was really pitiful.


    On the other side, Meng Jifang was not any better.


    It was quite stressful to follow the Crown Prince.


    In the past, he only thought that the Crown Prince was a cripple and there was nothing to be afraid of¡­


    They soon arrived at the courtyard. Looking at the scene in front of them, Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly. He was tall and slender, unlike a short person like Meng Jifang. If he entered this ce, he would have to hunch over. After entering, it would not be of much use. He might even step on the house and destroy it.


    Moreover, it was more interesting outside than inside.


    ¡°You go in with Senior Sister Mo,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said to Zhou Weizong.


    Zhou Weizong looked around. ¡°What about you, Your Highness?¡±


    In the wilderness, he would not feel at ease if he did not protect him closely, right?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still have some ability to protect myself.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was somewhat casual.


    Meng Jifang sneaked a few nces at the Crown Prince, and his gaze subconsciously fell on the Crown Prince¡¯s hand. As far as he knew, no matter where the Crown Prince went, he always brought people with him, and he had many guards.


    If there was really danger, the Crown Prince¡¯s crippled hand would definitely be a burden, right?


    He clearly knew that his hand was weak, yet he still had Guard Zhou follow Mo Chusheng. His love for Mo Chusheng was indeed a bit too much. It was just that he did not know how Xie Qiao in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence would feel if he saw the Crown Prince so willing to risk his life. He did not know how she would feel.


    ¡°Your Highness, you still have the Princess Consort at home!¡± With that thought, he said that out loud.


    As soon as he said that, Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Qiao could not help but look at him.


    ¡°What does this have to do with the Princess Consort?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said with a faint smile.


    ¡°The Princess Consort...¡± Meng Jifang subconsciously wanted to say that the Princess Consort was pitiful, but after thinking for a while, he said, ¡°If something happens to Your Highness, the Princess Consort will be worried. You just got married, and you don¡¯t have any children yet...¡±


    If such words were to reach the ears of the Emperor, the Meng family would be punished again.


    Xie Qiao felt that this Meng Jifang was really arrogant to the point of being a fool.


    Even if he was worried about the Crown Prince, he could not be so straightforward, right?


    Zhao Xuanjing seemed to be used to Meng Jifang¡¯s way of doing things, so he was not angry. ¡°Even your father doesn¡¯t have the right to worry about my matters, let alone you.¡±


    If he guessed correctly, this kid in front of him seemed to have some improper thoughts about his Princess Consort?


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at Xie Qiao.


    He was a little jealous.


    However, the person he fancied was the best. It was not strange for a mortal like Meng Jifang to have feelings of admiration.


    Meng Jifang wanted to say more, but he felt a little guilty when the Crown Prince stared at him, so he did not dare to say anything.


    Xie Qiao also knew that Zhao Xuanjing was worried about her, so she obediently brought Zhou Weizong in with her.


    The door creaked. It seemed that if he used a little more strength, it would be broken into pieces.


    After entering, they realized it was dim inside.


    The ceiling had copsed. The rotten weeds mixed with the dust formed a kind of fertile soil. Many weeds and flowers grew on the ceiling, and theplicated roots became the ropes that fixed the entire house, but they had also blocked out most of the sunlight.

 Chapter 1119 - Memorial Tablet

    <h4>Chapter 1119: Memorial Tablet</h4>


    A strong smell of dust swept over them.


    The room was covered in cobwebs, giving off a strange aura.


    There were not many messy items. After all, ording to the ghoul of Erniang, the people here had moved their things away when they left. Not many of the tables, chairs, and benches were left.


    ¡°I stayed in the inner room that night,¡± Meng Jifang whispered.


    Xie Qiao lowered her head slightly and walked in through the narrow inner door.


    On the ground, there were some scattered wooden nks, some of which had been gnawed by rats. It looked quite messy. When she walked up, the creaking sounds were jarring, making people feel ufortable.


    ¡°Is there nothing else?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing else.¡± Meng Jifang was also very distressed, ¡°I really don¡¯t know how I offended this ghoul. That day, I was quite polite. After I came in, I even prayed to a god. Who knew there was a saying that you can¡¯t pray to a god if your fate shes? In that City God Temple, there are countless worshipers every day...¡±


    He really did not understand why he would provoke the evil spirit.


    Xie Qiao looked around.


    The furnishings in this room were simple. There was only a bed and a table. On that bed... there was not a curtain. There was a quilt, but it was tattered and almost did not take shape.


    Crossing the bed, Xie Qiao looked at the ground again.


    She suddenly realized that there was a very short wooden board among the messy wooden boards. She picked it up and took a look¡­


    ¡°The memorial tablet of Erniang of the Cai family.¡± Xie Qiao read it helplessly and then gave it to Meng Jifang. ¡°Did you step on her that day?¡±


    This memorial tablet had a base, but because it was old, the wood was a little rotten, and the base was separated, so this memorial tablet was ced on the ground like ordinary wood.


    When Meng Jifang came that day, it was already dark, so he definitely could not see too closely at this kind of thing.


    Even if he waited until the next morning, he would definitely be in a hurry to leave and ignore it.


    Meng Jifang was also dumbfounded. ¡°I-I really didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s not because you¡¯re blind, but she was initially staying here and doing well. Who would be happy if you suddenly appeared and trampled on her?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was slow and piercing.


    Furthermore, Cai Erniang had resentment in her heart. She felt that she had always been ignored by others, which was why she had not been reincarnated.


    Now that she was dead, she had been ignored by Meng Jifang once again.


    She could not release her resentment, which was why she had followed him.


    In reality, this ghoul was quite reasonable.


    When she asked her a question, she answered honestly. She had never cheated in the slightest. When she was treating Meng Jifang, she had only followed him, and had not caused any trouble. It was very rare for her to be able to control so much resentment.


    Xie Qiao let Meng Jifang walk out of this ce with the tablet.


    ¡°So fast?¡± It had not even been 15 minutes, right?


    ¡°This house isn¡¯t big. How would it take too long?¡± Xie Qiao smiled and looked at Zhao Xuanjing with a gentle gaze.


    Meng Jifang snorted like a cat.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought that there might be a ghoul inside and that they might be trapped for a while, but he thought since Meng Jifang could leave this ce alive, there should not be too much trouble. Xie Qiao could definitely solve it, it would just take some time.


    However, he did not expect it to be so fast.


    Under the sunlight, the tablet looked even more deste.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s shadow turned into two again.


    The other one was still headless.


    Zhou Weizong was also shocked. He had seen the master capture souls before, but he had never seen such a real and strange phenomenon!

 Chapter 1120 - Appeared in His Dream

    <h4>Chapter 1120: Appeared in His Dream</h4>


    From the moment Xie Qiao received the tablet, this ghoul had appeared. Looking at the tablet, it looked lonely and sad.


    ¡°This tablet is old. I brought my carving tools. Later, I will find a good piece of wood and carve another one for you. If you know the name of your family, when you go back, we can help you look for it and return the tablet. Is that okay?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Erniang of the Cai family shook her head.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t remember me at that time. Now that I¡¯m dead, why would they care about this tablet?¡± She knew very well in her heart.


    Moreover, her children were old, and they had probably forgotten herpletely.


    After being a ghoul for so many years, she had thought about many things.


    Looking back on her life, she more or less understood that she was too foolish when she was alive.


    ¡°Meng Jifang, kneel!¡± Xie Qiao suddenly shouted at Meng Jifang.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched and his knees softened, but he braced himself and said, ¡°Why...¡±


    He was a dignified Young Master Meng, how would he kneel so easily... Moreover, it was the order of a Taoist master like Mo Chusheng¡­


    Xie Qiao nced at him coldly. Without saying anything, Zhao Xuanjing raised his leg and kicked him directly. In an instant, his knees bent and he fell to the ground.


    ¡°You borrowed someone¡¯s house and stepped on her memorial tablet. You have to apologize and thank her,¡± Xie Qiao said matter-of-factly.


    Even the ghoul was stunned.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need...¡± There was no need to apologize¡­


    When she saw the person kneel, she felt a little happy.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s face was livid, but due to the Crown Prince¡¯s power, he had to lower his head at this moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Also, thank you for... Providing a ce that day so that I didn¡¯t have to sleep in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°You should thank her.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him seriously, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of dark energy and resentment in this ce. There would definitely be many snakes, insects and rats. Even if you entered the house, you¡¯d probably be in trouble. However, that day in such a dark environment, you actually managed to survive the night...


    ¡°If my guess is correct, it was Ms. Cai who chased away many dangers for you that night to ensure your safety,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Meng Jifang raised his head in shock when she said this. ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at Ms. Cai instead.


    Ms. Cai nodded quietly.


    ¡°No one hase here for a long time. This Young Master Meng looks like a delicate young master. I¡¯m afraid he must have met with some difficulties to move into my house. A mouse could scare him to the point of trembling. He¡¯s quite pitiful,¡± Ms. Cai said calmly.


    ¡°You protected him, but you didn¡¯t expect him to step on your tablet, did you?¡± Xie Qiao sighed.


    Ms. Cai shook her head. ¡°I-I appeared in his dream.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned. ¡°You did?¡±


    Generally speaking, it was easy to appear in his dream if they were rted.


    However, this ghoul was powerful, and Meng Jifang was in her territory, so it was possible.


    ¡°Yes. I told him to be careful and not step on me, but he didn¡¯t listen.¡± That was why she was resentful, just like how she was resentful of her husband and children. She had clearly paid the price, but every word she said was not taken seriously!


    Xie Qiao asked Meng Jifang about the dream.


    When Meng Jifang heard it, he really wanted to cry but had no tears.


    ¡°I was scared to death that day. How could I sleep? I just took a nap in the middle and was in a daze. Maybe there was a dream, but I didn¡¯t remember it?¡± Meng Jifang felt that there was no one in the world who was more wronged than him.


    ¡°You heard it too. Meng Jifang didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I can¡¯t decide whether you should forgive him or not, but pestering a living person affects your own fate. Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, how about this? I¡¯ll send your memorial tablet to Yuxu Temple and ask the master to take care of it. Also, tell me what other wishes you have. I¡¯ll do everything I can for you.¡±

 Chapter 1121 - Possession

    <h4>Chapter 1121: Possession</h4>


    The only thing Xie Qiao could do was to fulfill herst wish.


    However, she was afraid that this ghoul would be as unwilling to leave as before.


    If this ghoul did not cooperate, she could only use force. By then, both sides would be injured, so what was the point?


    Xie Qiao was quite conflicted. Fortunately, Ms. Cai was silent for a moment before she actually nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a short-lived person with little knowledge and ability. I have no other wish. I just want to... be an unvirtuous person, even if it¡¯s only for one day.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Qiao frowned.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve been obedient all my life. I work every day and worry about others every day. If you ask me about myst wish, then I just want to be myself when I was alive...¡± The ghoul added.


    Thisst wish was actually a little troublesome.


    If she wanted to be herself, then she definitely could not achieve it on her behalf.


    In other words, she needed the ghoul to possess her body and let her live for a day.


    However, if that was the case, did it mean that she had to give up her body?


    Xie Qiao was not willing.


    In order to survive, she really did her best in everything, but this possession was the situation that she hated the most.


    She had suffered in the past, so she knew that this was not a good feeling. Moreover, her body was for others to use. If she had no other choice, it would have been fine, but now... it was awkward.


    No.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing Xie Qiao frown, Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao told him about the situation.


    When Zhao Xuanjing heard it, his brows rxed. ¡°It¡¯s easy to handle this. Isn¡¯t Meng Jifang a ready-made candidate for possession? Although possessing a normal living person has side-effects, you are a master. You can definitely minimize it, right?¡±


    ¡°I think so... it might be difficult to possess other people, but Ms. Cai has been with Meng Jifang for a long time, and there is karma between the two of them. If she possesses him, it won¡¯t be a big problem.¡± She could basically guarantee that with a few more talismans, she would not harm Meng Jifang¡¯s body, and it would not harm the virtue of the ghoul.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Zhao Xuanjing said casually.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a man?¡± Xie Qiao was a little helpless. Ms. Cai wanted to be an unvirtuous woman!


    ¡°Just change into a woman¡¯s outfit. It¡¯s only for a day. Just pretend that he¡¯s a woman,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said after a moment of silence, ¡°Tell the others to turn a blind eyeter. It¡¯ll work.¡±


    Anyway, it was impossible for Xie Qiao to be possessed.


    He had once seen Xie Qiao being possessed with his own eyes. He did not want to see that again.


    Moreover, her body was not in a good condition to begin with. She did not know how long it would take for her body to recover after being possessed once.


    Xie Qiao looked at the ghoul and asked, ¡°Do you think... that¡¯s possible?¡±


    When Meng Jifang heard their words, he was already dumbfounded.


    He wanted to howl and reject them!


    However, Zhou Weizong put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Young Master Meng, if you want to make Master Mo suffer, His Highness would be unhappy. Young Master Xie would be unhappy. Teacher Xiao, Teacher Sang, and Young Master Jiang would hold a grudge against you.¡±


    Meng Jifang¡¯s face was full of despair.


    He should not havee here alone with these animals!


    They were bullying him because he was weak and had no backer!


    However, Zhou Weizong felt that this was supposed to solve Meng Jifang¡¯s problem, so it was only right for him to put in some effort. In addition, inparison, after the master was possessed, it would be more dangerous. He knew this person was proficient in both worlds. She was different from ordinary people. What if after she made an exception for this ghoul and other ghouls nearby took the opportunity to swarm over?


    By then, they would be helpless!


    Ms. Cai was a little hesitant.


    However, Xie Qiao¡¯s aura did make her a little afraid, so in the end, she agreed to it.

 Chapter 1122 - Nowhere to Run

    <h4>Chapter 1122: Nowhere to Run</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart instantly rxed. The way she looked at Meng Jifang was filled with malice.


    She looked kindly at Meng Jifang, the corners of her mouth curling into a perfect arc. Her voice was as gentle as a spring stream hitting a round stone. It was light and melodious, ¡°Young Master Meng, you don¡¯t look big. Since you stepped on someone else¡¯s memorial tablet, you shouldn¡¯t feel wronged by fulfilling Ms. Cai¡¯sst wish, right?¡±


    ¡°I will...¡± Meng Jifang stared at her.


    ¡°Sigh, Cai Erniang really had a tough life. She had lived her entire life, but she has never experienced what it means to live a carefree life. She¡¯s not like you, Young Master Meng. Ever since you were born, you¡¯ve lived a luxurious life, and your servants are all over the ce. You¡¯re very generous, kind, and cute.¡± Xie Qiao was thick-skinned as she spoke slyly.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s good fortune was also due to his good luck.


    Xie Qiao was now standing at the moral high ground... enving him.


    If he did not go to hell, who would?


    ¡°Y-You Taoist master...¡± Was terrible!


    Meng Jifang was a little dumbfounded and kept retreating.


    However, he realized that he really had nowhere to run.


    The Crown Prince and Zhou Weizong were watching him! Although he dared to gossip about the Crown Prince, to be honest, he also knew that his aunt was a virtuous person who never caused trouble. On ount of his aunt and the Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince would not do anything to him¡­


    At most, he would only give him a small punishment.


    However, he did not dare to refuse the Crown Prince¡¯s decree.


    ¡°W-What can I do...¡± He was really helpless. He simply gritted his teeth and offered himself.


    ¡°I should have some clothes in my carriage that I haven¡¯t worn before. You can just change into them,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    Meng Jifang only felt that he had been humiliated.


    Change into women¡¯s clothes?!


    What would happen if others found out?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. At most, we can stay outside for another day. By this time tomorrow, even if you fulfill Ms. Cai¡¯s wish, you can change back to your clothes. When we go back, we definitely won¡¯t tell your family and friends about you so that you won¡¯t be embarrassed,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt that Xie Qiao was too polite to Meng Jifang.


    This kid did not even think it through. Who was he doing all of this for?


    He was haunted by the ghoul. If he found a Taoist master from another Taoist Temple, he would not be able tomunicate with the ghoul, so he could only forcefully collect the ghoul. After collecting it, he would not be able to live a normal life immediately.


    Moreover, he had lived for so long, so he probably had not done many good things. He was foolish and wicked. Now that he was with Xie Qiao, letting this ghoul go in peace would definitely be beneficial to him.


    Of course, he was the Crown Prince.


    What was even more unsatisfying was that the Meng family had given Meng Jifang so much guidance.


    He was already so old, yet he was still ignorant. Did he not know that one could not disobey the emperor¡¯s orders?


    Seeing his expression, he wanted to experience the feeling of being a tyrant. He would be the first to kill him.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s sinister gaze gave Meng Jifang a bad feeling. He did not dare to dawdle and nodded obediently.


    Returning to the carriage, Xie Qiao rummaged for a while.


    She often had to change her identity, so there were a few sets of old and new clothes in the carriage. The ones she wore were definitely not suitable for Meng Jifang, so she could only take out the brand new ones.


    Teacher Xiao and the others did not understand.


    Seeing Zhou Weizong bringing Meng Jifang into the carriage, they did not know what they were doing inside.


    Not only did he need to change his clothes, but he also needed to put on woman¡¯s makeup.


    After dawdling for a long time, Meng Jifang finally got out of the carriage.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Xie Pinggang was drinking water with a water bag when he spat it out. Jiang Jinlu was also dumbfounded and looked at him in a daze.

 Chapter 1123 - Benefactor and Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 1123: Benefactor and Enemy</h4>


    Xiao Yurong blushed and shook his head silently. Young people were too good at having fun. He did not even know what they were doing¡­


    Sang You still felt dizzy.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t braid his hair and I can¡¯t put on makeup on his face. It looks too ugly.¡± Zhou Weizong frowned. He felt very troubled.


    At his age, he had not even drawn his wife¡¯s eyebrows, but he had already drawn the eyebrows of such a stinky man?


    His hand trembled, and he felt like vomiting.


    Fortunately, he had held it in.


    Xie Qiao also felt that this scene was a little difficult to watch.


    Meng Jifang was eighteen or neen years old, and he should have grown a beard by now. However, his face was still very clean, and even if there were some dark spots, he would usually be clean. Therefore, he did not look gross. It was just that his eyebrows were too thick and ck, he was full of heroic spirit, and his face was big. With makeup on it, it was neither here nor there.


    ¡°Master Mo, why don¡¯t you do it? If I were that ghoul with such an ugly face, I wouldn¡¯t be happy either, right?¡± Zhou Weizong could not help but mutter.


    Xie Qiao was about to walk over when Zhao Xuanjing asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Sang You?¡±


    ¡°That kid is useless. After his zither broke, his heart ached and he fainted,¡± Xie Pinggang spoke nonsense.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for him to wake up. His skills are better than anyone else¡¯s.¡± Zhao Xuanjing made the arrangements directly.


    Everyone remembered Sang You¡¯s ability and did not doubt it at all.


    Sang You had fallen asleep.


    While he was dreaming, he felt an excruciating pain on his philtrum. When he opened his eyes, he saw Xie Pinggang¡¯s spirited eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake, he¡¯s awake!¡± Xie Pinggang retracted his hand. ¡°Did I not say that he¡¯s fine? I guess he slept too well.¡±


    At this moment, the sun had set.


    He wanted to wait for Sang You to wake up naturally, but he was worried that this person would sleep until the next morning. That was why Xie Pinggang began to pinch him. He used a lot of strength, and at this moment, Sang You¡¯s philtrum was red and burning. It was quite painful.


    Sang You immediately thought of his zither.


    He did not even want to look at Xie Pinggang.


    This man was both his benefactor and his great enemy!


    His poor zither. He could not do anything about it, so he could not avenge it!


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re awake. The kid from the Meng family has been waiting for you for a long time,¡± Xie Pinggang added.


    He was a little confused. At this moment, Jiang Jinlu immediately exined the situation to Sang You in detail. After listening to it, Sang You suddenly felt¡­


    He did not seem so miserable. Compared to him, Meng Jifang seemed to be the one who was more unfortunate.


    He nodded silently and invited Meng Jifang to the side to help him fix his face.


    With a serious look on his face, he took out something to fix his eyebrows and stroke it.


    However, his breath was almost on Meng Jifang¡¯s face.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s face was flushed red, and he was extremely embarrassed.


    Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong were both very curious. The two men were squatting beside them, one on the left and the other on the right, afraid that they would miss the process.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. It¡¯s so troublesome to be a woman. They even have to draw their eyebrows... They¡¯re thin and curved, and they don¡¯t look good either.¡± Xie Pinggang was a little disgusted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. A woman¡¯s face is tender, and her eyebrows have to be like this to take shape. Young Master Meng¡¯s face isn¡¯t too bad, and his body isn¡¯t too big. I think he¡¯ll turn into a peerless beauty in a while.¡± Zhou Weizongmented.


    ¡°I think Master Yu doesn¡¯t like to put on makeup,¡± Xie Pinggang could not help but say.


    ¡°Nonsense. My cousin is a gooddy. How could she not? It must be because your eyes aren¡¯t good enough to see it, and... my cousin works for your family, why can¡¯t you even bear to buy some rouge and powder for her? What if she can¡¯t get married?!¡±

 Chapter 1124 - Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 1124: Beauty</h4>


    Once Yu Xian was mentioned, Zhou Weizong had a lot of opinions about Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang really had never bought a woman¡¯s item for Yu Xian.


    He thought Yu Xian loved to practice martial arts, so he had given her... a towel for men, a stone for sharpening knives, and a tassel for spears...


    To him, these were practical and not shy.


    However, when he heard Zhou Weizong¡¯s words, he could not help but frown, wondering if he really did not do well enough.


    All women...


    Liked rouge and powder? He had once considered buying it for her, but after hesitating for a while, he did not buy it in the end.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t I give it a try next time?¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    The corner of Zhou Weizong¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°No need. It¡¯s not suitable for an outsider like you to give it to her. I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    It was a pity that Xie Pinggang did not care about what Zhou Weizong saidter on. He was a person who lived his own life and only cared about his own thoughts. If he had to care about others, how tired would he be?


    /


    Xie Qiao also heard Xie Pinggang¡¯s words and her heart moved.


    This eldest brother of hers had never cared so much about other women. Could it be... that he cared about Yu Xian...


    Ever since she returned to the Xie Residence, she had set up a formation around the house to mediate the five elements of yin and yang. It was not easy to change her eldest brother¡¯s fate of loneliness. She had to put in a lot of effort. In such a short period of time, it was likely that it would not be of much use.


    Unless she found something powerful to suppress the fate of loneliness.


    There might not be many treasures that could suppress the fate of loneliness.


    Or, she could find someone with a simr fate...


    She did not know Yu Xian¡¯s eight characters. After returning home... it would be better to calcte it carefully...


    Oh right, and her own life...


    Now that she was married, if she were to have a child, she might not be able to keep it. She had to think of a way in advance.


    While Xie Qiao was indulging in her wild thoughts, Sang You was getting busy.


    Everyone was stunned.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s foundation was really good. He was fair-skinned and had good facial features.


    At this moment, he was wearing a lotus-green dress, and he was wearing soft-soled shoes with peacock thread beads and hibiscus patterns. His eyebrows were as far as the mountains, and his face was as red as a peach in spring...


    Beautiful, simply beautiful!


    Meng Jifang opened his mouth as if he had something to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk!¡± Zhou Weizong suddenly shouted. ¡°It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t talk.¡±


    Xiao Yurong could not help but nod.


    It was hard to imagine what kind of disgusting scene it would be if he suddenly spoke in a rough voice with such a beautiful face. So, it was better to prevent that from happening!


    Meng Jifang rolled his eyes.


    ¡°This is pretty good. So I¡¯ll get Ms. Cai possess him?¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Everyone nodded.


    Xie Qiao took out the talisman and muttered to herself. After a while, the ghoul sessfully possessed Meng Jifang, and his life soul fell asleep.


    Xie Qiao was not worried that the ghoul would possess Meng Jifang forever. Meng Jifang was a living person. By then, he would naturally wake up and his life soul would expel this spirit.


    Jiang Jinlu had never seen a ghoul possess a body before.


    Now, he had seen it with his own eyes.


    He was bbergasted.


    Just as he was in shock, a ghoul floated not far away and gave him another shock.


    It was just a passing ghoul and it was nothing special. However, Jiang Jinlu felt that it was strange and terrifying, exciting and shocking. He could not calm down.


    ¡°This humble one greets all of you.¡± Cai Erniang had followed Meng Jifang for so many days and could be considered a well-informed ghoul. Her etiquette was quite good.


    After saluting, Cai Erniang smiled and sat down to wait for food and drinks.


    She wanted to be an unvirtuous person, so today, she did not do any work. She only wanted to experience the feeling of being served. It was great!

 Chapter 1125 - Astrology

    <h4>Chapter 1125: Astrology</h4>


    Jiang Jinlu, who was serving, started to cook.


    Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing started a fire.


    The surroundings had been sprinkled with a lot of medicinal powder and some talismans. Now, they did not have to worry about snakes, insects and rats getting close.


    Unknowingly, the stars in the sky were twinkling. They had added some light to the dark night. It was extremely beautiful.


    Xie Qiao raised her head to look at the stars. She was slightly stunned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    Xie Qiao raised her hand, indicating that he should not speak for the time being. Zhao Xuanjing was not angry at her rudeness. Instead, he waited patiently.


    Xie Qiao kept calcting in her hand. Her gaze was fixed on the stars in the sky. She looked extremely serious. Her appearance puzzled the others, but they sat down obediently.


    After a while¡­


    Xie Qiao said, ¡°The stars... are not very good.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Xuanjing also became more serious.


    ¡°It looks like the stars are out of alignment. There are rebels in the country. There are soldiers at the border. The five grains are expensive,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not understand the first part, but he understood the second part clearly.


    His heart suddenly tightened. ¡°Can you tell me in detail? When are there soldiers? Are the rebels important? Why are five grains expensive?¡±


    It was a big deal.


    Xiao Yurong and Sang You were also nervous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the stars are clear yet. I¡¯m afraid it will take some time for the war to break out, and there will be a great invasion... So there should be a drought... Exactly how many months would it be? I can¡¯t see it clearly now. Although it is dangerous, you have your ministers, so it wouldn¡¯t harm the country,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    After she finished speaking, she suddenly coughed twice.


    Her palm turned white.


    She could not see it clearly, and it was foggy.


    ¡°I can only make a rough guess now, but this also means that there should only be a slight sign of chaos. As long as we prepare food and soldiers in time, there will definitely be no problem. When Your Highness returns, you can get the grand preceptor to look at it carefully again,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Her ability to look at the stars was pretty great.


    Since she was young, when she had nothing to do at night, she would raise her head to take a look. It was also because of this that she was able to ask her father to take that risk back then.


    However, she was young after all, and the stars wereplicated. They were not as easy to distinguishpared to one¡¯s face. It was better to get an old and capable person to take a look carefully.


    If there really was a disaster, avoid it in advance. It would not hurt the people or the country.


    Zhao Xuanjing put this matter in his heart. There was no need for Xie Qiao to remind him. After he returned, he would definitely get the grand preceptor to take a closer look.


    Of course, it was not that he thought Xie Qiao could not be trusted. It was a matter of national importance and could not be decided based on Xie Qiao¡¯s words. Only when the grand preceptor speak could it be discussed by the officials of the imperial court. Only then could the n of stocking up food and preparing the troops be carried out.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay too much attention to this rebellion. It shouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but this drought needs to be paid more attention to,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Zhao Xuanjing wished he could pull Xie Qiao into his arms.


    He could see that Xie Qiao¡¯s knowledge in astrology probably hurt her a little.


    Was there not a saying that Heaven¡¯s secrets should not be revealed?


    She had tried her best to collect fees for reading the fortune of others, even if it was just a few pieces of advice. Now, the fee¡­


    Zhao Xuanjing was suddenly stunned. Then, he took out two silver notes from his pocket and stuffed them into Xie Qiao¡¯s hands. ¡°I am the Crown Prince. Thank you, Eldest Senior Sister, for answering my questions.¡±


    Xie Qiao was a little stunned.


    Then¡­


    She epted the silver notes.


    Even if the money belonged to her family, she had to ept it, right?


    She knew what Zhao Xuanjing was thinking, but in fact, her body was not weak. It was because... There were too many stars in the sky. She was dizzy from looking¡­


    She had been looking up. When the wind blew, the dust in the fire drifted to her nose, so she coughed¡­

 Chapter 1126 - A Good Piece of Wood

    <h4>Chapter 1126: A Good Piece of Wood</h4>


    Xie Qiao was used to ying dumb. At this moment, she did not exin much.


    Since she had nothing to do, Xie Qiao did not forget to carve a memorial tablet for Ms. Cai. She looked around but did not find a suitable piece of wood. The sky was dark, and it would be difficult to find it somewhere too far away. It would be bad if she attracted snakes and insects.


    ¡°Wood?¡± Xie Pinggang pped his thigh. ¡°Yes! There is one!¡±


    With that, he looked at Sang You.


    Sang You almost wanted to vomit blood.


    Bandit, bandit, a shameless bandit!


    ¡°Why are you looking at Junior Brother Sang?¡± Xie Qiao was a little confused.


    Xiao Yurong and Jiang Jinlu had already understood Xie Pinggang¡¯s intention at this time. They immediately had a deep understanding of this man. They made up their minds secretly. From now on, when they see this Xie family member, they must turn around and leave immediately!


    ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to keep this piece of wood. It¡¯s gone. It has to die in a proper way, don¡¯t you think?¡± Xie Pinggang was quite reasonable.


    Sang You gritted his teeth and stood up indifferently. He took the broken zither and stuffed it into Xie Qiao¡¯s arms.


    Xie Qiao was shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it... Silence? What happened? How did it die so miserably?¡±


    Sang You felt a pain in his heart and did not want to say anything.


    ¡°It died to save him. There¡¯s no grievance,¡± Xie Pinggang said immediately.


    He was not wrong!


    If someone was at fault, it would be that poisonous spider, right?


    Xie Qiao also guessed that Xie Pinggang had something to do with this matter. However, this zither was indeed valuable. It was really a pity that it had be like this.


    ¡°Forget about it. Although it¡¯s so bad that it can¡¯t be repaired, it¡¯s still good for Junior Brother to keep it as a memento,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Hearing this, Sang You did not want to keep it.


    ¡°When it was intact, it was a famous zither. Now that it¡¯s broken, it¡¯s just a piece of wood. It¡¯s a good deed for Senior Sister to carve a memorial tablet for this ghoul. It¡¯s not a disgrace to it,¡± Sang You said helplessly.


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a pity to keep it.


    He might as well give it away.


    Even Xie Qiao felt that Sang You must have been greatly triggered by his decisiveness.


    He was a person who pursued perfection in all aspects. Now that he was gritting his teeth and giving away his treasure, it was even rarer than pouring blood rain.


    Sang You felt helpless in his heart!


    If he did not give it away, Xie Pinggang would probably look at him with even more disdain!


    He had mixed feelings at the moment and could not say anything.


    Seeing that he decided to let it go, Xie Qiao did not refuse. She took her bamboo basket and put some tools in it. She started a fire while carving the wood. It was easy to make a memorial tablet. Xie Qiao finished it before she went to sleep.


    Ms. Cai, who was staring with Meng Jifang¡¯s cross-dressing face, was watching from the side. The more she watched, the more satisfied she became.


    From time to time, she would mutter, ¡°This wood is really good.¡± Every word made Sang You feel as if all the acupoints in his body were throbbing.


    This wood... how could it not be good?!


    It was cleaned and maintained daily. When it was passed down to him, one could not tell how many years it had been!


    ¡­


    Late at night, everyone had already fallen into a deep sleep.


    The chirping of insects continued in the wild. The sound of the wind blew, and there were also some rustling sounds.


    Xie Qiao and Ms. Cai had their own carriage. The others either slept by the carriage ory by the fire. Now that the weather was warmer, they had enough things, so it was not cold.


    However, in the middle of the night, the rustling sound seemed to be getting closer and closer¡­


    Suddenly, many ck-clothed people rushed out from the bushes. Without saying anything, they stabbed Zhao Xuanjing!


    A cold gleam appeared without any sound. Seeing that the sword gleam was about to pierce his body, Zhao Xuanjing opened his eyes and immediately pulled out his sword with his left hand to block it.

 Chapter 1127 - Time to Fight to the Death

    <h4>Chapter 1127: Time to Fight to the Death</h4>


    The ear-piercing collision sound instantly woke everyone up!


    They quickly looked over.


    They saw that Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong had already started fighting with the ck-clothed people. Behind Zhao Xuanjing was Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage. He held his sword in his left hand, and his graceful figure was like a ghoul in the dark night, he could easily dodge the ck-clothed man¡¯s attack!


    Xie Qiao immediately took out her small crossbow from the bamboo basket and carried a dagger in her pocket, just in case.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s expression was cold, and his attacks were extremely fierce.


    From the moment he arrived at this ce, he vaguely sensed that there was something wrong with his surroundings.


    However, he was not very sure at that time, so he let Xie Qiao enter the house while he looked carefully outside. The other party had hidden very carefully, and there was no movement at all. Other than the faint smell of poison in the air, he could not sense anything odd.


    However, at that time, they had not spread the poison yet.


    At that time, Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were filled with ghouls, so she did not notice anything.


    After he met up with Xie Pinggang, Xie Pinggang said that there were some corpses of snakes and insects nearby, which was a bit strange. Only then did he confirm that there must be an ambush nearby.


    It was alreadyte at that time. Since the other party could guard them once, if they failed, there would be a second time. If Xie Qiao and Meng Jifang came alone next time, it would be dangerous. Therefore, they stayed on the spot to guard.


    Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong¡¯s martial arts skills were quite good. They did not dare to stay too far away from the Crown Prince. So far, they did not look defeated.


    Xiao Yurong, Sang You, and even Jiang Jinlu did not stay idle at the moment.


    Although they were schrs, they knew a little bit of swordsmanship. They learned it so that they could protect themselves when they were traveling.


    They had their swords in the carriage, so they took them out now. However, they were rtively small, and rushing forward was equivalent to throwing their lives away.¡±Search our n?wno?el.?rg¡± They knew that they had to be obedient and approach Xie Qiao¡¯s carriage to protect her, the Eldest Senior Sister. They had to make sure that her surroundings were watertight!


    These ck-clothed people also knew that they could not continue fighting, and they risked their lives to kill Zhao Xuanjing.


    Seeing that several people were surrounding him, Xie Qiao aimed directly and released an arrow!


    There seemed to be a sound of an arrow piercing one¡¯s flesh.


    A person fell down directly.


    The three junior brothers, who were all at the window, nced at her at this moment.


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister, great archery skill!¡± Jiang Jinlu could not help but admire her.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to count on us to save the Crown Prince. Everyone just needs to ensure their own safety. We can¡¯t drag the Crown Prince down,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    They all nodded.


    Zhou Weizong and Xie Pinggang were guarding the Crown Prince. Most of the battle strength was there. Unless it was time for them to fight to the death, they would not be able to join in the fun. If they could not win and fell into the other party¡¯s hands, that would not be helpful.


    Just as Xie Qiao finished speaking, two men in ck seemed to have noticed Xie Qiao holding a bow. They began to think about getting rid of the threat, which was her, so they rushed forward.


    Not only that, another group of people ran over from the bushes. This time, there were quite a number of people!


    Everyone¡¯s expressions turned grim.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s brows were furrowed tightly, and she was somewhat worried.


    On the other side, Ms. Cai was hiding in another carriage. She did not move as if she did not exist. It was pitch-ck inside the carriage, and those people did not seem to have seen her.


    ¡°How dare someone be so audacious to assassinate the Crown Prince! I¡¯m afraid they came prepared. These people are not afraid of death. They should be death warriors... Today, unless we kill all of them, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to escape...¡± Xiao Yurong thought for a while. ¡°We will go quickly and block them for Your Highness. We will try to buy time for Your Highness to escape!¡±


    After Xiao Yurong said that, Sang You and Jiang Jinlu nodded at the same time without any hesitation.

 Chapter 1128 - Eldest Senior Sister’s Abilities

    <h4>Chapter 1128: Eldest Senior Sister¡¯s Abilities</h4>


    What Xiao Yurong wanted to say more was to let His Highness ride the carriage and take eldest senior sister away.


    However, there were too many people and the carriage was a burden. They could not run far. By then, both of them would be in trouble. At this time, they could only choose the Crown Prince. There was no other way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± They were about to rush up when Xie Qiao spoke.


    She took out something from the bamboo basket.


    There were some soul-guiding incense, strange little gs, and some bottles, jars, and talismans.


    She shot the gs in a few directions, and the gpoles were all stuck on the ground. They did not move at all. After she ced them in a few directions, Xie Qiao asked some ghouls that had not been sent away to help.


    In addition, there were also some guards of the spirits of the dead who were protecting Zhao Xuanjing not far away. They were all summoned by her at this moment.


    She got off the carriage and chanted a spell.


    Pieces of talismans were thrown into the air. They floated in the air like Ghouls¡¯ me for a while. It looked very strange, and it sessfully distracted the attention of the people in ck.


    ¡°Riding on the heavenly dipper, take nine steps. Riding on Yuan Dou, flying immortals. Heaven Immortal, myriad spirits, invisible transformation... ¡°Search our n?wn0?el.?rg¡±The great schrs of light, the yin spirits. Come to me, all souls, with fire bells on the left, and golden bells on the right¡­ The mighty light spreads 10,000 kilometers, hear mymand!¡±


    She started to chant, and the dark wind instantly drifted over.


    The dark energy of the ghouls became powerful in an instant, and they could not help but drift toward the direction where the gs were.


    The sudden gust of wind made these ck-clothed people feel that something was wrong.


    These ghouls were invited by Xie Qiao, so they naturally knew who to deal with.


    They shed at Zhou Weizong, but the hands of the ck-clothed people suddenly became soft. They spun and for some reason, they fell to the ground and cut off their hands and feet.


    The others were also in a mess.


    For a moment, everyone was confused.


    Xie Qiao could not get the ghouls to kill people. Even though she was the one who bore the karma, for the sake of caution, she only let the dark energy to affect the judgment of these people. The surrounding environment also became worse and worse, it was no longer suitable for fighting.


    Mournful cries continued.


    In the eyes of the ck-clothed man, this ce suddenly became strange.


    The wind blew so hard that they felt cold through their bones. It was as if there were countless pairs of eyes around them looking at them, making their hearts jolt.


    Not only that¡­


    For no reason at all, fog slowly began to appear.


    In such a short period of time, they could not see anything!


    Xie Qiao walked over and gave Zhao Xuanjing and the others some talismans. There was nothing in front of them.


    Jiang Jinlu was so scared that his legs went soft.


    They were surrounded by ghouls! They looked fierce and terrifying. Some of them were emitting blood energy, some of them had a dark aura, and some of them flew out of their bloody mouths and rushed toward the ck-clothed men¡­


    He saw a ghoul open its mouth and bite the ck-clothed men¡¯s arms. One moment, the people were holding a sword, and the next moment, their hands turned soft. The sword fell, so how could they fight?


    Eldest senior sister¡¯s ability... was it actually so powerful?!


    Xie Qiao really did not have the strength at this moment.


    With Xie Qiao¡¯s help, Xie Pinggang and Zhou Weizong dealing with these people was as simple as chopping vegetables and cutting melons. It was so simple that it made them anxious.


    Was this person capable of fighting against an army of thousands?!


    Not long after, all of them were defeated.


    These men in ck had brought a huge over. They were probably trying to use it as a trap. Now, they were using it to protect them, and each of them was tied up firmly with ropes.


    Xie Pinggang was also fast in tying people up, but even so, Xie Qiao was holding on to the point where she wanted to vomit blood.


    Her job was too difficult!

 Chapter 1129 - A Piece of Cake

    <h4>Chapter 1129: A Piece of Cake</h4>


    When they were all tied up, the fog had dispersed.


    The men in ck looked at Xie Qiao and the others with eyes full of fear and disbelief.


    Some of them had swallowed the poison they hid in their mouths at the first moment and died. The remaining ten or so were held down by Xie Pinggang and the others before they could die.


    ¡°Senior Sister... How did you change the weather?!¡± Xiao Yurong could not exin it.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was pale. She grabbed the frame and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s all fake...¡±


    It was more like dark energy than fog.


    Some powerful spirits could make their own houses into all kinds of illusions. These illusions did not exist in reality. In fact, they used auras and other mysterious factors to make people see the illusions.


    Where did she get the ability to call the wind and summon the rain?


    It was just that the souls of the dead gathered their strength to help her.


    Xie Qiao had already put away the souls of the dead.


    Controlling the souls of the dead to deal with the living was different from dealing with the souls of the dead. Therefore, at this moment, she was very tired and her hands were trembling. She was trying her best to maintain her perfect image and kept her emotions in check.


    Xiao Jurong and Sang You could not tell that. They only thought that their senior sister was very powerful.


    However, just when Xie Qiao was about to copse, Zhao Xuanjing reached out and held her waist.


    The three junior brothers widened their eyes and were a little confused.


    In fact, Zhao Xuanjing wanted to say that although there were many enemies in the area, they might not necessarily lose if they fought to the end. He had already shot the fireworks at the first moment. As long as he could stall for time, it would not be a big problem for him to save his life.


    However, he thought that it was because he had killed so many people that he did not have the time to say some things.


    Of course, with Xie Qiao¡¯s help, it would save a lot of effort. It would also be smoother if there were so many people left alive.


    His eyes were filled with heartache. After he pulled Xie Qiao over, he picked her up and sat on the carriage frame.


    The unnecessary words became pale.


    ¡°What happened to Eldest Senior Sister? Is she alright?¡± Xiao Yurong and the others also realized that something was wrong with her. They all became concerned.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s a piece of cake.¡±


    She did not even faint. It was not a big deal.


    She was just a little tired. She just needed to rest.


    ¡°Your Highness, you should go back early tomorrow. As for Eldest Senior Sister... since she promised the ghoul, it¡¯s not good to go back on her words. Tomorrow morning, we will take her to the nearby viges and towns to deal with the ghoul,¡± Sang You thought for a while and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    These people were all here for the Crown Prince. The longer the Crown Prince stayed outside, the more dangerous it would be.


    There were 60 to 70 people here today. What if 500 to 600 people came tomorrow night?


    Of course, it would be a little difficult to get with so many people, but it was possible, right?


    ¡°Not only Your Highness has to go back early, but he also can¡¯t stay in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence outside the imperial city after he returns. He should go back to the Eastern Pce as soon as possible so that Your Highness can be safe and sound!¡± Xiao Yurong also said.


    Jiang Jinlu nodded as well.


    There were many guards in the imperial city, so it was not a problem. However, it was not difficult to hide an assassin in the capital.


    The Crown Prince had always been headstrong and always ran around. He would not be lucky every time.


    Zhao Xuanjing was cold.


    They want him to leave his wife behind and go back to the imperial city by himself?


    Why did he feel something odd about that?


    He looked at the men in ck with a gloomy look and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The guards have arrived before dawn. The same thing won¡¯t happen again tomorrow. Minister Xie, I¡¯ll leave these people to you when we get back. No matter what method you use, you have to find out who¡¯s behind this!¡±


    If he found out which b*stard that did not care about his life and dared to be so outrageous... Ha!

 Chapter 1130 - Where Are You Going?!

    <h4>Chapter 1130: Where Are You Going?!</h4>


    The Crown Prince was full of hostility. Xiao Yurong and the others did not dare to provoke him, so they could not continue to persuade him.


    Xie Qiao looked sick. After a while, she went to the carriage to rest. On the other side, Ms. Cai stuck her head out of the carriage. She did not look flustered at all. She was even a little excited?


    Jiang Jinlu was very curious about Ms. Cai.


    After all, this was the first living dead person he had seen.


    He mustered his courage and said to Ms. Cai, ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t get scared from the incidentst night?¡±


    After saying that, he could not help but have goosebumps all over his body. Ms. Cai was wearing Meng Jifang¡¯s face now, right? He was strange, young, and a little good-looking¡­


    Ms. Cai seemed to be quite satisfied with her current appearance. When she heard Jiang Jinlu¡¯s words, she smiled slightly and shook her head. ¡°No, it was quite lively.¡±


    ¡°Lively?¡± Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mouth twitched. He thought he had misheard her. He nced at Ms. Cai and saw her nodding in confirmation. Then, he said in a confused manner, ¡°Many people diedst night...¡±


    ¡°But people die every day, right?¡± Ms. Cai said matter-of-factly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I die too?¡±


    Jiang Jinlu instantly came to a realization.


    Although she had possessed Meng Jifang, she was no longer a living person. Her mentality had also changed.


    In her eyes, regardless of whether she would be hacked to death at night or not, she was still a dead person.


    It was fortunate that she did not have evil thoughts and did not want to kill Meng Jifang. Otherwise, if she did not cooperate, Meng Jifang¡¯s life would be implicated.


    Jiang Jinlu secretly sighed.


    When Ms. Cai was alive, she must have been an ordinary woman. He did not expect that there would be such a big difference after her death.


    He did not know what would happen after his death.


    Ms. Cai did not care about this at all. She was even very interested in these scenes that she had not seen when she was alive.


    She knew that it was not easy for her to possess someone, so she cherished this time very much.


    For instance, when Jiang Jinlu was cooking, there were a few times when she could not help but want to intervene, but after thinking about it, she stopped. However, she did not deliberately make things difficult for others. Her sense of presence was actually simr to when she was alive. It was not exactly different. If Xie Qiao was not present, Xie Pinggang and the others would probably be unable to help but forget about her again.


    A few hourster, it was daybreak and the members of the Crown Prince¡¯s guards had arrived.


    Xie Qiao had almost rested well and looked a little better.


    However, after getting out of the carriage, Xiao Yurong, who was concerned about her, was stunned.


    He looked at her in a daze.


    Xie Qiao was still a little confused and her legs were weak. Seeing Xiao Yurong¡¯s shocked expression, she frowned and asked, ¡°What happened again?¡±


    Xiao Yurong was in a daze for a while.


    A familiar feeling rose in his heart.


    Eldest senior sister¡¯s eyes... He seemed to have seen those eyes somewhere before¡­


    Or rather, the upper half of his eldest senior sister¡¯s face¡­


    Xiao Yurong opened his mouth but could not remember where he had seen her before¡­


    At this moment, Xie Pinggang walked over.


    He was going to bring these men in ck back for interrogation. Before he left, he had to say goodbye to the master. At this moment, he ran over with a silly smile on his face.


    It was just that when he was far away, his smile was still there. However, when he arrived in front of Xie Qiao, his expression was as if he was going to eat someone¡­


    Xie Qiao felt that something was wrong.


    She suddenly thought of her own face and quickly covered it. She turned around and climbed into the carriage.


    However, just as she stuffed her head into the carriage, her back was grabbed by Xie Pinggang. ¡°Where are you going?!¡±


    Xie Qiao felt hopeless. Oh, no. He must have found out about her!

 Chapter 1131 - Biological Sister

    <h4>Chapter 1131: Biological Sister</h4>


    Xie Qiao recalled the situation at night¡­


    There was a firest night, and there was a lot of dust on her face, making her dirty and itchy. Later on, when she was in a daze, she seemed to wipe her forehead with her sleeve a few times?


    She could not remember.


    Zhao Xuanjing was standing with Zhou Weizong and interrogating those ck-clothed men.


    As he was questioning them, he saw Xie Pinggang attack.


    Not only did he see it, Sang You and Jiang Jinlu were also shocked by Xie Pinggang¡¯s action. They were close to each other and immediately rushed over.


    ¡°Master Xie! Let¡¯s talk it out. What are you doing?!¡± Sang You thought this person was too much!


    He was a strong man. It was okay for him to be bullied by Xie Pinggang, but his senior sister was a weak woman. She had done such a big thing yesterday, and she was tired! How could he be so cruel to her?!


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk it out with her!¡± Xie Pinggang flew into a rage.


    His face turned pale, and he insisted on dragging Xie Qiao over.


    How could Xie Qiao¡¯s small body withstand Xie Pinggang¡¯s strength?


    He lifted her up, and she stopped struggling. She covered her face with her sleeves, and her head shrank like a bat hanging on a tree.


    ¡°Master Xie! My senior sister¡¯s health iscking. Let go of her!¡± Jiang Jinlu shouted as well.


    Xie Pinggang red at Sang You and Jiang Jinlu as if they were his enemies.


    Xiao Yurong suddenly patted his head and said, ¡°I-It¡¯s Young Lady Xie!¡±


    Xie Qiao closed her eyes in despair.


    She was like a little chick whose feathers had been plucked. She had no desire to live.


    ¡°What Young Lady Xie?¡± Sang You and Jiang Jinlu were dumbfounded. They did not understand what Brother Xiao meant.


    After Xiao Yurong finished talking, his face turned pale. He felt a pain in his heart and took a step back. ¡°Y-You are her?!¡±


    It was the... talented Young Lady Xie!


    In other words... The Princess Consort!


    She was only 18 or 19 years old. She was not even 20 years old?!


    Xiao Yurong¡¯s face was pale. He did not look good, as if he was severely injured. ¡°¡±Sang You and Jiang Jinlu still did not understand. They were extremely curious when they saw Brother Xiao¡¯s reaction.


    Xie Pinggang almost wanted to strangle her to death.


    If she was only his biological sister, he would definitely bring this person back and give her a good beating!


    Of course, even now, he was still quite angry.


    ¡°You still dare to hide?!¡± Xie Pinggang said fiercely.


    Xie Qiao hurriedly shook her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare...¡±


    Then, she turned around awkwardly and looked at Xie Pinggang with her eyes wide open. Then... she stiffened and wanted to argue. After thinking for a while, she tried her best to put on a fearless expression, her gaze was kind and dignified. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you have mistaken me for someone else, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind?!¡± Xie Pinggang red at her.


    How could he not recognize his own sister?!


    Just this half of her face was exactly the same as Xie Qiao¡¯s. Her skin was fair and she was quite pretty!


    He knew that Master Mo had a fake face, but he had never thought that underneath that fake face was his own sister!


    He had been tricked!


    ¡°Master Xie, you really made a mistake. Do I look exactly the same as your sister? Sigh, this penniless master has cultivated for thirty to forty years, but I¡¯m naturally beautiful and look like a teenage girl. In order to avoid trouble, I changed my appearance. As for the resemnce to your sister, it¡¯s purely a coincidence, or perhaps... just as your brother said, your mother and I...¡±


    Xie Qiao was a little cowardly at this point, but she still braced herself and said, ¡°Your mother and I may have been...


    ¡°Sisters who were separated for years...¡±

 Chapter 1132 - The More He Thought About It, the Angrier He Got

    <h4>Chapter 1132: The More He Thought About It, the Angrier He Got</h4>


    Almost no one could hear thest three words.


    Xie Qiao felt guilty and tried to make up for it in her heart.


    ¡®Dear mother, I¡¯m really sorry...¡¯


    This eldest brother of hers was too fierce and scary. Just by staring at her so fiercely, she felt that her bones were trembling as if she was going to die..


    ¡°Sisters? I will really beat you up!¡± Xie Pinggang was about to punch her!


    He just raised his fist and was about to punch Xie Qiao, he hit Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s shoulder.


    Xie Pinggang was stunned.


    The next moment, he knelt down.


    Not only did he kneel down, Xiao Yurong and the others also knelt down beside him.


    His Highness¡¯ precious body was damaged!


    Sang You could not help but roll his eyes at Xie Pinggang again. Why did not this martial artist know how to retract his attack? His Highness¡¯ shoulder would be in pain for days after this punch!


    Moreover, from what he said, the person in front of him was not his eldest senior sister, but his younger sister?


    However, if it was his younger sister, they could just talk it out nicely. What was the rush?


    Right, where did his eldest senior sister go?


    Sang You became more and more confused.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s sudden appearance to block Xie Pinggang gave Xie Qiao a fright. She quickly frowned and asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly.


    It hurt.


    How could it not hurt? Xie Pinggang was famous for his strength.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s punch might not havended on Xie Qiao, but if this foolish brother-inw got angry and really did something, Xie Qiao might be bedridden for half a month.


    ¡°Did you catch her?¡± Zhao Xuanjing stared at Xie Pinggang and asked.


    ¡°I just held her... this little sister of mine actually lied to me! Your Highness, you should call the shots for me, right? I thought she was staying in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence obediently, but I didn¡¯t expect her toe here. She doesn¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± Xie Pinggang quickly shouted.


    ¡°She is my wife. I didn¡¯t say anything about it,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said faintly.


    ¡°But she¡¯s my sister!¡± Xie Pinggang replied subconsciously.


    ¡°Then, do you think the rtionship between husband and wife is closer, or the rtionship between brother and sister is closer?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked him sinisterly.


    Of course brother and sister were closer!


    He and Xie Qiao came from the same womb. No matter who she lied to, she should not have lied to him. It was fine if she lied to him, but what did she do? She was disguised as Mo Chusheng!


    That was right, the most infuriating thing was that she was disguised as Mo Chusheng!


    He was the eldest brother, the leader of the entire Xie family. Other than his useless father, all the younger members of the family should listen to hismands and teachings. They could not go against his orders!


    However, Xie Qiao¡­


    At this moment, countless images appeared in Xie Pinggang¡¯s mind.


    In each of the images, there was a simple and honest version of himself who had a look of admiration for this unfathomable master¡­


    In the past, he had worshiped the master.


    Now, it was as if... he worshiped his own younger sister?


    In front of his own younger sister, he kept saying that Xie Qiao was useless and was not as formidable as the master?!


    This was not how he taught his younger sister! Now that Xie Qiao had been praised by him, she must have thought that she was incredible and that she could fly into the sky!


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s face reddened in anger.


    Zhao Xuanjing also knew that Xie Pinggang was angry. It would not be good if he stood in the middle. The siblings would have tomunicate with each other in the future.


    ¡°Minister Xie, get up.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s tone suddenly softened. He helped Xie Pinggang up. ¡°I understand your feelings. In fact... I¡¯m even angrier than you!¡±


    Xie Qiao took a step back.

 Chapter 1133 - Arrogant

    <h4>Chapter 1133: Arrogant</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing looked serious.


    Xie Pinggang was at a loss, and Zhao Xuanjing continued, ¡°I am angry. How could the Princess Consort hide such an important matter from Minister Xie? As an elder brother, I understand Minister Xie¡¯s love for his sister. I have been very moved. I have advised her many times to tell you as soon as possible, but she¡¯s really... worried about you, right?¡±


    Xie Pinggang was stunned.


    Worried about him?! Nonsense!


    Of course, he could not say that the Crown Prince was spewing nonsense... He had to take that back¡­


    ¡°Hey, do you know that your fate is a little bad?¡± Zhao Xuanjing sighed and continued.


    ¡°Yes, my younger sister...¡± Xie Pinggang scratched his head in frustration. ¡°She told me before that it¡¯s my destiny to bring lethal fate to my wife and not understand romance.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Qiaoqiao also knew that you had a serious problem. She¡¯s worried and wants to find the solution for you. That was why she was helpless and did not tell you the truth. If you knew that she was Mo Chusheng, I¡¯m afraid that you wouldn¡¯t allow her to go out, and you wouldn¡¯t allow her to worry too much...¡± Zhao Xuanjing continued to talk nonsense.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, Eldest Brother, I¡¯m worried about you!¡±


    She looked at him eagerly.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes looked brilliant. At this moment, they were still shining with crystal light, which made people feel soft-hearted.


    ¡°This little problem of mine doesn¡¯t matter. If I can¡¯t marry a wife, then I won¡¯t marry. Who cares?¡± Xie Pinggang snorted.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t care, your sister would be even more worried.¡± Zhao Xuanjing patted his shoulder, ¡°Even if I¡¯m her husband, I¡¯m only an outsider in the matter between you and your sister. It¡¯s not good for me to interfere. If you have something to say, you can talk it out. But don¡¯t use violence. You know how weak her body is. She only worked for one nightst night and is physically and mentally exhausted.


    ¡°Be gentle with your tone. Don¡¯t scare her,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    These words made Xie Pinggang feel a little better.


    He did not want others to interfere when he was lecturing his sister, even if the person was the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Thank You, Your Highness. I understand.¡± Xie Pinggang could still understand human words.


    At this moment, Sang You and Jiang Jinlu finally understood.


    Oh, it was not that their eldest senior sister was missing¡­


    Their eldest senior sister was right in front of them. She was the Princess Consort?!


    Now that they looked at her¡­


    They all remembered.


    She seemed... very simr!


    They had only seen the Princess Consort on the day of the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding. At that time, the Princess Consort had heavy makeup and was very dignified. They were not too close to her, so they could not see her clearly¡­


    However, now that they had been reminded, they felt that the images ovepped.


    The two of them were stunned on the spot.


    They did not move at all, as if they were big rocks.


    Zhao Xuanjing left between Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang.


    He wanted them to have a good talk.


    Xie Qiao seized the opportunity and quickly said, ¡°Eldest Brother, I¡¯m doing this for our bodies. Look, my body is much better now... and Eldest Brother, you can marry a wife sooner orter. I¡¯ve been using a formation to protect our house...¡±


    Xie Qiao had never been so cowardly.


    She, Mo Chusheng, and Half-immortal Xie, who was she afraid of?


    Even with the Crown Prince, they had discussed things together. They knew each other well, but only with her own eldest brother¡­


    She was helpless. It was all her mother¡¯s fault for giving birth to her eldest brother who was so fierce.


    As long as she was born a little stronger than Xie Pinggang, she would not allow Xie Pinggang to be so arrogant¡­


    Xie Qiao had quite a backbone inside her, but on the surface, she was as obedient as a kitten.


    Xie Pinggang was about to speak when Sang You shook his head and said in despair, ¡°Y-You¡¯re not ugly... Eldest Senior Sister, why did you hurt my eyes so much...¡±

 Chapter 1134 - The Villain Gets What He Wants

    <h4>Chapter 1134: The Viin Gets What He Wants</h4>


    Sang You took a step back. He looked as if Xie Qiao had done something wrong to him.


    Xie Qiao was numb.


    She was done for today.


    She had five junior brothers in total. Except for Fourth Junior Brother whom she had never met, the others were all here. Her brother by blood and junior brothers were staring at her. Even if she had three heads and six arms, it was not good for her to knock all of them out for a while. It was not good to knock all of them out¡­


    ¡°Eldest Senior Sister... So you¡¯re actually the Princess Consort? But... The Princess Consort is so young, how can you be our senior sister...¡± Jiang Jinlu was also dumbfounded.


    Xie Qiao had an innocent look on her face.


    Xie Pinggang felt that these people were getting in the way.


    This was his younger sister. He did not have the time to talk to her, so why did he interrupt?!


    Xie Pinggang red at them. ¡°Do you have something to say? Go and wait for your turn.¡±


    Jiang Jinlu¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    At that moment, the three junior brothers remembered the most important thing at the same time. Their senior sister was the daughter of the Xie family. If she was the biological sister of the person in front of them, then their rtionship with the Xie family... would be extraordinary!


    Moreover, Xiao Yurong was Xie Pinghuai¡¯s teacher¡­


    Thinking of this, the three of them suddenly felt suffocated.


    ¡°Wipe off this thing on your face first!¡± Xie Pinggang wanted to be more fierce, but seeing the dull eyes of the other three, the difort in his heart actually dissipated a lot!


    Look at these idiots. Were they not fooled by his sister for so long?


    They even called her sister their senior sister!


    In the past, his own brother was Xiao Yurong¡¯s disciple, and his brother was a fool. So whenever he saw Xiao Yurong, he always felt that he was a head shorter than him. Even when he saw these schrs, he did not have enough confidence.


    However, now¡­


    Although his sister lied to him, but¡­


    It did not seem like she did anything major, and she was quite good at it?


    Xie Pinggang was still angry in his heart. However, when he saw that there were quite a number of people who were angry, he felt that there was no need for him to do so. Moreover, he was different from these sour teachers. He was a straightforward person. In front of others, it would not be good for him to lose the prestige of his sister as their senior sister. If he really wanted to teach her a lesson, he would have to wait until they returned home.


    Thinking of this, he tried his best to restrain his anger.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you helping your eldest senior sister wash up? If you don¡¯t clean up this thing on her face first, how can she put on her disguise again?¡± Xie Pinggang frowned and said to the sour masters.


    Jiang Jinlu and the others felt as if they had been shot in the chest.


    The viin got what he wanted!


    Xie Qiao looked at Xie Pinggang speechlessly.


    She could guess what her brother was thinking!


    He must be thinking of settling the scoreter!


    However... that was fine.


    Her junior brothers were still around. With her eldest brother¡¯s words, she would not lose all her dignity. She had been their senior sister since she was young. She had sent them a lot of New Year¡¯s money during the holidays. She had always been sitting high up. If all of a sudden they did not treat her as their senior sister anymore, she would definitely feel disappointed!


    Xie Qiao sat there and said, ¡°Bring me some water.¡±


    Xiao Yurong and Sang You did not want to move at all.


    One of them was hurt by her. He felt ashamed and sad. He was almost depressed. The other one was thinking about Mo Chusheng¡¯s appearance frantically. He could not get rid of the feeling that he had been tricked.


    She could only order Jiang Jinlu around at this moment.


    This person was quite sensible. He dawdled for a while, but in the end, he did it obediently.

 Chapter 1135 - No Need to Be Sad

    <h4>Chapter 1135: No Need to Be Sad</h4>


    Xie Qiao would also feel ufortable if the makeup on her face was left on for too long. In a short while, the water came and she happily removed the makeup.


    Her fair and clean face was revealed.


    ¡°You people are too curious. As the eldest senior sister, I usually y monsters and demons in the world. It¡¯s quite inconvenient to wear such a face. Now that you¡¯ve seen it, you can¡¯t tell others. Otherwise, I won¡¯t acknowledge you as junior brothers in the future,¡± Xie Qiao said with a serious expression.


    She used to look like a celestial master. She sounded dignified when she said that.


    However, now, her face was young and full of childishness. Although she was good-looking, the baby fat on her face was still there. She looked... like she was trying to coax people.


    Xiao Yurong had seen her before, but at that time, he thought that Xie Qiao was a junior who had just learned well.


    He had never had any ambiguous feelings.


    However, now¡­


    The eldest senior sister... was so beautiful that it was tempting.


    However... he also felt a sense of shame! He had reached the age of 30, but his eldest senior sister... was still a child! He could no longer have that beast-like idea!


    His face was filled with despair. For some reason, he still had the emptiness of seeing through the mortal world¡­


    Xiao Yurong felt extremely empty, while Sang You was stunned.


    He only took a nce at the Princess Consort on the wedding day and did not even dare to take another look. Now¡­


    His eldest senior sister was right in front of him.


    Just as his teacher had said, the beauty of the country was like the clouds, the sun, and the moon. It did not seem real.


    In an instant, he felt that the sun had faded and the birds had stopped chirping. ¡®¡¯ His heart felt like it was filled with chaotic dust and colorful spots. When he looked at her, he felt like there was a fierce glint in the eyes of a beast in his chest. Her sharp ws and jade hooks were scratching his hooves, she kept howling and ttering.


    He just stared straight at her.


    Her face turned red.


    Even Jiang Jinlu was stunned.


    ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± Xie Pinggang felt Sang You¡¯s stare and snorted. ¡°Do you have a girlfriend? Would you be happy if I also stare at her like this?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nodded silently.


    It made sense.


    Sang You slowly came back to his senses. ¡°What?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing sneered. If he did not know that Sang You was narcissistic and did not have any filthy thoughts, he would have dragged him out and dug out his eyes.


    Xie Pinggang looked at the sour masters¡¯ silly looks and lost his anger.


    ¡°Howe they didn¡¯t know your identity? Didn¡¯t you do that when you were at the Water Moon Temple?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t use the name of Mo Chusheng for long, so there was no need. This name was mainly used to... deal with my junior brothers.¡±


    Deal with?!


    The four junior brothers, including Zhao Xuanjing, felt a strange sadness at this moment.


    Xie Pinggang was satisfied. ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t have a father and mother back then. You had to be careful. Although you guys are from the same sect, you guys had never met. Who knows if they were beasts in disguise?¡±


    Although Xie Qiao was speechless, she still nodded.


    That was what she thought when she was very young.


    She felt that she could not beat others and her health wascking. If she was still young and let others bully her, she would not be able to stand tall in the future.


    She needed an identity to fool her junior brothers.


    However, now that she felt the discontented gazes of her junior brothers, he hurriedly added, ¡°Actually... At that time, I had another thought. When I was young, my body was even worse. Many doctors had mentioned that I wouldn¡¯t be able to live past that time. If I said that I was older, even if I died, I wouldn¡¯t look so pitiful. I did not want all of you to feel sad.¡±

 Chapter 1136 - The Position of Grand Preceptor

    <h4>Chapter 1136: The Position of Grand Preceptor</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words were the truth, but Sang You was touched when he heard it.


    Eldest senior sister was good-looking, and she was right about everything.


    ¡°Teacher said that Eldest Senior Sister is weak and sick, so she needs us to take care of her.¡± Sang You looked infatuated.


    This look was really pleasing to the eye.


    Her skin was fair and wless, absolutely perfect¡­


    Jiang Jinlu looked at Senior Brother Sang in disbelief and noticed the cold look on His Highness¡¯ face. He hurriedly reminded Sang You, ¡°Eldest Senior Sister and His Highness are really a match made in heaven. They are really a good match.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are both born beautiful.¡± Sang You nodded.


    Of course, thetter was naturally the better choice between a beautiful man and a beautiful woman. He liked beautiful women more.


    Xie Pinggang coughed dryly. ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡±


    He thought that since she was already married, it would be inappropriate for her to deal with ghouls. If His Highness felt ufortable, his sister would definitely fall out of favor.


    For now, it would be better to have a child as soon as possible¡­


    However, Xie Qiao was afraid that the child would not survive.


    She felt conflicted in her heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns. It¡¯s fine just like this.¡± Xie Qiao braced herself and said, ¡°Eldest Brother, look, there are no outsiders here...¡±


    Halfway through her words, she looked at Ms. Cai.


    ¡°This Meng Jifang is an outsider, but Ms. Cai has possessed him now. He doesn¡¯t know anything. The people around His Highness are all far away, except for Imperial Guard Zhou. They won¡¯t ask any more questions. I¡¯ll redo my makeup in a while. No one else will find out...¡± Xie Qiao added, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. You have to ask His Highness what he wants. If I marry a wife who is out all day, I won¡¯t be happy either.¡± Xie Pinggang was implying something.


    Zhao Xuanjing did not know whether tough or cry.


    Everyone said that Xie Pinggang was a martial artist who did not have any shrewdness.


    In fact, this kid was more shrewd than anyone else. It was just hidden by his fierce appearance.


    At this moment, how was he reminding Xie Qiao?


    He was clearly testing her intentions.


    The status of the Princess Consort was different from the others. Logically speaking, she should be dignified enough not to wander around like a Taoist master. If she agreed today, regardless of whether or not the status of the Princess Consort would be pointed out by others in the future, he had to bear the responsibility with Xie Qiao. He could not bully her and abandon her. He could not use the matter of the Taoist master to oppress Xie Qiao.


    This kid was asking for a decree in advance.


    However, the Xie family was small in number, and Xie Qiao only had two brothers. Xie Niushan¡¯s reputation as a bandit was too great, and it was impossible for him to be ced in an important position in his life. At most, he could rely on Xie Qiao, the Princess Consort, or even the Empress. In the future, he could obtain a title of nobility.


    The only person the Xie family could use was Xie Pinggang.


    It was a good thing that he was smart.


    ¡°I married Mo Chusheng, also Xie Qiao. Although she is the Princess Consort, she is someone that I love. Whatever she wants to do, it¡¯s up to her. I will help her,¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought for a while and said, ¡°Also, I have another idea.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him suspiciously.


    ¡°The current grand preceptor Peng Tianyin is already old. I intend to rmend Mo Chusheng to my father as the next grand preceptor,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m not capable enough at my age.¡±


    That was the truth.


    She was good at fortune-telling and soul-catching, but she was not proficient in other things. She still had to focus on learning more.


    Just like yesterday, if it was her teacher, Mo Lingzi, she would be able to tell the difference even if it was obscure.


    She was confident enough in herself, but if she wanted to be the grand preceptor, she would have to be more capable.

 Chapter 1137 - Mocks Herself

    <h4>Chapter 1137: Mocks Herself</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing did not expect Xie Qiao to reject him outright.


    To him, Xie Qiao¡¯s ability was enough.


    ¡°The current grand preceptor should be able to hold on for a few more years. If you think you can¡¯t do it, then in the future, I would get someone else to try.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not force her. Xie Qiao was not a person who was too modest. If she thought she could do it, she would definitely not reject him directly.


    There were also experts from Yuxu Temple.


    It was just that they did not like to leave the mountain. There were also some great Taoist temples with great abilities. However, there were indeed few people like Peng Tianming and Xie Qiao.


    Unfortunately, Xie Qiao was indeed too young. It was difficult to discern the secrets of the heavens. At her age, it was indeed difficult for her to take on this task.


    However, if she could not take on the job now, she could do it next time.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and suddenly thought of Xie Qiao¡¯s master.


    ¡°How about your master, Mo Lingzi? Is he good at this?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked.


    ¡°My master should be qualified, but he has a big problem,¡± Xie Qiao said truthfully, ¡°My master is a straightforward person. He never beat around the bush. If he sees that you are in trouble, he will tell you everything about the disaster. He will make people feel ufortable and flustered. Maybe the disaster would be even worse. If he works for the Emperor, if he is not magnanimous enough as the Emperor... he would either be angered to death by my master, or my master would lose his head.¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡± Even Zhao Xuanjing found it unbelievable.


    ¡°It was still very popr when the Water Moon Temple was passed down from the previous generation. However, it almost died in my master¡¯s hands because he offended people repeatedly and was often beaten up. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask my eldest brother. He must have heard my father mention my master,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Zhao Xuanjing looked at Xie Pinggang.


    Xie Pinggang thought for a moment¡­


    ¡°Mo Lingzi, that stupid old Taoist...¡± Xie Pinggang smacked his lips, ¡°I heard my father mention that this person was asking for a beating and wanted to chop him up with a knife. Back then, when he took that person up the mountain, he really could not hold it in anymore. He wanted to kill him and feed him to the wolves. Fortunately, he insisted that my mother was in trouble and gambled with my father. Then, the grand preceptor spoke up for him and saved his life.¡±


    Xie Qiao spread her hands.


    See, her master was such a weirdo.


    He was rampaging in the bandit¡¯sir.


    He did not know what kind of good deeds he had done in his previous life to have such a thoughtful and sensible disciple like her. Not only did she make money for him to run the Taoist temple, she also supported him in his old age and taught him to deceive people.


    With that said, Zhao Xuanjing really did not dare to rmend such a person when his father was still on the throne.


    Perhaps Mo Lingzi would lose his head before he ascended the throne.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll talk about this in the future.¡± Zhao Xuanjing felt that he should be able to love the house and care about the crow.


    Even if Mo Lingzi was such a trouble, when he recalled he had raised such a good disciple, he would not hold it against him.


    Therefore, he would consider this matter after he ascended the throne.


    At this moment, only Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Pinggang¡¯s reactions were normal and could talk to Xie Qiao calmly. The other three junior brothers hadplicated emotions all over.


    Xie Qiao also knew that it was hard to ept, so she gave them time to think¡­


    Of course, the correct way to say it was that she was the eldest senior sister. At this moment, she could not lower her head and admit her mistake. She wanted to raise her dignity as a senior sister and let the three little ones greet her sincerely!


    This was the first step to revealing her identity. She could not make a mistake!


    Not long after, Xie Qiao redid the makeup on her face.


    After seeing her real face and then seeing Mo Chusheng¡¯s face, Sang You felt a mouthful of blood clogging up in his throat. His eyes were about to go blind. ¡°Why does Eldest Senior Sister mock herself like this... I don¡¯t understand...¡±

 Chapter 1138 - The Master Is Busy

    <h4>Chapter 1138: The Master Is Busy</h4>


    Xie Qiao was such a beautiful youngdy, yet she had to dress herself up like an old woman. Not to mention Sang You who did not understand, even Jiang Jinlu could not help but dislike this fake face.


    However, now, they did not have the right to say anything.


    They could only watch as Xie Qiao put on the disguise.


    She felt much morefortable after letting her face breathe a little bit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me by the wrong name in the future.¡± Xie Qiao did not forget to remind her junior brothers.


    Her junior brothers stared at each other, unwilling to cooperate. Seeing this, Xie Qiao felt that these ¡°brats¡± were insensible. They were men, and their days were too carefree. An ordinary man would not know the hunger of a hungry man. They did not understand how difficult it would be for her to y demons with her identity as Xie Qiao!


    In case they could not remember it, Xie Qiao said seriously, ¡°Teacher knows my identity. If anyone slips up, he... would be angry.¡±


    Sang You looked troubled.


    The other two nodded helplessly.


    What else could they do? The little girl was young, and her seniority was quite high. They had been in the sect for so long, and every year, they said that they had to be filial to their teacher and senior sister. The words that were said were like water that was sshed, so it was inappropriate to be disrespectful to her now¡­


    However, just thinking about her young appearance made them feel like they were facing a child!


    After mentioning their teacher, Xie Qiao had sessfully shut them up.


    It did not take long for her to change her clothes, so it was a great constion that no one saw her.


    Xie Pinggang still had countless words to say, but the matter of the ck-clothed men was more important now, so he had no choice but to leave with his men. Before he left, he did not forget to re at her to warn her. He probably wanted her to go back. He would report to the Xie family and she would be scolded.


    That was impossible.


    Xie Qiao had already thought that when she went back, she would definitely be the obedient Princess Consort!


    If she could not afford to offend him, could she not hide?


    After hiding for a few days, Xie Pinggang, that careless person, would probably forget about such a small matter.


    Once Xie Pinggang left, Xie Qiao¡¯s heart felt as if there was a mountain missing. She turned around with an unfathomable expression and continued to be a master. She took a group of people and left this deste ce to a nearby town.


    Zhao Xuanjing had many guards behind him. They looked awe-inspiring. There was also a courier station in the small town that could amodate them.


    Xie Qiao was still more concerned about the thoughts of the ghoul, so she brought Ms. Cai to stroll around.


    Ms. Cai had seen her change her appearance before.


    When Zhao Xuanjing and the others were not around, Ms. Cai finally looked at her, and she asked in a puzzled manner, ¡°Why, as a woman, can you do what you want to do? Even if one¡¯s family is rich and noble, I saw that the madam of the Meng family is busy with trivial matters.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also very busy.¡± Xie Qiao sat up straight and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡± Ms. Cai shook her head.


    After seeing this master, she knew how ridiculous her life was.


    ¡°They all take you to heart. Even if you lied to them, they were only surprised but did not me you. They protected you and helped you. Your husband also indulged you. Unlike me, when I was in my mother¡¯s house, I was like a servant who did hardbor. When I came to my inw¡¯s house, it was the same.


    ¡°I used to think that this was what I was supposed to do, but now I suddenly feel like a living animal,¡± Ms. Cai said in confusion.


    Her value was to work nonstop.


    Just like an animal.


    However, if the animal was gone, one could buy another one. It was not important at all.


    Was she living her life wrong when she was alive?

 Chapter 1139 - Don’t Cry!

    <h4>Chapter 1139: Don¡¯t Cry!</h4>


    Ms. Cai did not have much jealousy. When she saw Xie Qiao¡¯s freedom, she did not have any resentment at all.


    She was kind-hearted by nature and treated people kindly all her life.


    After she died, she just wanted to understand what was wrong and did not want to be forgotten.


    ¡°Master, shouldn¡¯t I be a clean and hardworking person?¡± Ms. Cai asked her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand the rules of getting along with others. I just think that people shouldn¡¯t be too submissive. It¡¯s a beautiful virtue to work hard and notin. But I think that you also have feelings and desires. It¡¯s better to be happy yourself before you take others into consideration.¡± Xie Qiao frowned and thought for a while.


    ¡°Perhaps you have given too much, so much that you don¡¯t need others to make demands. So much that it¡¯s only natural? Children who cry would be given candies. If you asionally indulge yourself, perhaps others will feel sorry for you. Only when they cared for you will they truly put you in their hearts...¡±


    Xie Qiao was only trying to say something.


    However, Ms. Cai fell silent.


    She thought about her life.


    She had a brother, an elder sister, and a younger sister. There were a few children at home, and their lives were not good. However, her parents were not very harsh on them¡­


    When she was young, she saw that her parents were working hard, so she learned to be more diligent and let her parents rx and be happy. In the first few years, she seemed to have received praise. After that, there was no more praise. There was even one day when she dyed her work, she even got scolded.


    From then on, the work was all hers.


    She was used to being busy, so she got a good reputation for being sensible.


    Her inws epted her for this reputation. After she got married, she could not stop. When she first married into the family, her mother-inw saw that she was quick in her work and praised her. She even said that she should give her a break. However, at that time, she felt that her mother-inw was considerate, so she should work hard¡­


    After a long time, it was the same. No one cared about her or praised her anymore.


    All her efforts had be something that she was supposed to do.


    ¡°I used to think that they had gone too far. As a living person, I was actually forgotten. But now that I think about it, I actually did not think of myself as a human being...¡± Ms. Cai¡¯s voice suddenly became hoarse.


    It was very pitiful.


    However, she had Meng Jifang¡¯s cross-dressing face.


    A beautifuldy, who was big and burly, suddenly squatted down on the main road of the small town, covering her face and sobbing.


    Xie Qiao almost ran away.


    She saw that many people were looking over, and when they saw that she was wearing a Taoist robe, they thought that she had cheated thedy of her money!


    ¡°Err... Don¡¯t cry...¡± Xie Qiao was a little embarrassed.


    Some people slowly approached and began to point fingers.


    ¡°All these years, I have been muddle-headed and resentful. I even¡­ resented my children. But what I should resent more is myself.¡± Ms. Cai was extremely regretful.


    What was the point of this one day of rxation?


    All of a sudden, Ms. Cai left Meng Jifang¡¯s body.


    ¡°Master, my wish has been fulfilled.¡± If there was a next life, she definitely would not have lived such a hard life.


    Xie Qiao was a bit confused. She had not done anything, so how could she have thought things through?


    However, thinking things through was a good thing. It also saved her the trouble of wasting her effort. Therefore, at this moment, Xie Qiao immediately put away her soul.


    It was easy to do that, especially for someone like Ms. Cai who was willing to leave. She did her best to avoid anyplicated movements. When the people nearby saw that, they did not think too much of it. They only felt that this Taoist master¡­ seemed to be doing a ritual for ady¡­


    After all, Meng Jifang was crying and lying down.

 Chapter 1140 - Morals Are Declining More and More Each Day

    <h4>Chapter 1140: Morals Are Declining More and More Each Day</h4>


    Xie Qiao had an awkward expression on her face.


    ¡°Taoist master, this person has fainted. You can¡¯t go against your conscience and ignore thisdy, right?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Taoist master. I feel sorry for her. What¡¯s going on? Could it be that... You¡¯ve collected too much money from thedy?.¡±


    There was nock of spectators everywhere.


    As more and more people gathered, Xie Qiao was blocked.


    She looked helplessly at Meng Jifang on the ground and then coughed dryly. She said, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. This penniless master is only trying to appease this young master. This young master was born with an illness in his heart. He always felt that there¡¯s a woman living in his body. I saw that he had been possessed by an evil spirit, so I chatted with him. Perhaps it was because he had talked about his grief that he fainted from crying... but it doesn¡¯t matter. Very soon, he will wake up.¡±


    After Xie Qiao said that, she quickly took the talisman and pped it on Meng Jifang¡¯s head.


    ¡°She¡¯s obviously ady, she doesn¡¯t look like a sick young master. How can a man look like this?¡± Some people were suspicious.


    Meng Jifang was woken up by Xie Qiao¡¯s p.


    He opened his eyes in a daze and realized that he was surrounded by people.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake! She¡¯s really capable!¡± Some pedestrians shouted. He did not know what they meant.


    He thought for a while and then remembered that he seemed to have been possessed by a ghoul. He immediately got up from the ground and looked around. ¡°Why am I here... Did you bring me here? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve put her away,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    ¡°Put her away?¡± Meng Jifang was quite surprised. He did not expect this Taoist master to be so capable.


    He spoke in a hoarse voice. At first, others thought that the Taoist master was lying, but now that they heard his voice, they were even more certain that the pretty-lookingdy in front of them was a real man.


    ¡°Morals are declining more and more each day...¡± An old man looked at Meng Jifang with a strange expression.


    What a nice young man. Why did he want to pretend to be a woman?


    There were also two dirty-looking burly men who stared at Meng Jifang with eyes that turned from fiery to disgusted.


    In the small town, there were not manydies who looked and dressed like this. When one suddenly appeared, it was inevitable that they would be overjoyed and could not help but take a few more nces. Who knew that it was actually a man!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Meng Jifang asked in a daze.


    After he finished speaking, he suddenly noticed his clothes.


    In an instant, his entire body was petrified.


    H-He was still wearing women¡¯s clothes!


    Why did Xie Qiao feel that she had experienced the joy of her junior brothers at this moment? When her junior brothers saw her being picked up by his eldest brother with a face full of despair, could it be that they were in the same mood as her now?


    No, no, no. That was not right either. It should be much worse.


    Her junior brothers could notpare to her.


    ¡°Where are we? Take me away quickly!¡± Meng Jifang was anxious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, words won¡¯t spread to the capital.¡± Xie Qiao smiled kindly. ¡°You can go back now. But first, say some praises. I want to hear them.¡±


    Meng Jifang stared at her.


    Was she something else?! How could she take advantage of the situation?!


    Xie Qiao looked at him with her dark eyes. ¡°Are you going to do it? If you do it obediently, I¡¯ll help you solve the disaster in the future.¡±


    ¡°How would I get so many disasters?!¡± Meng Jifang was about to explode.


    Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. I think... If you¡¯re still the same as before, you¡¯ll only live to thirty at most, and then you¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    As she said that, Xie Qiao paused and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay for this divination. When we go back, you¡¯ll have to give me another hundred taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy about money? A few words cost a hundred taels of silver?!¡± Meng Jifang had the urge to chop her to death.


    However, Xie Qiao was not in a hurry. ¡°This penniless master is serious. If you don¡¯t believe me, after you return to the capital, take a look. I bet that after you return to the capital, you will obtain a beautiful woman and lose the money you gambled. It will be a double disaster.¡±

 Chapter 1141 - Insult the Clan

    <h4>Chapter 1141: Insult the n</h4>


    As soon as Ms. Cai left, Meng Jifang¡¯s cmity was resolved. However, as soon as the bad luck went away, the other minor cmities could be seen more clearly.


    ¡°Double disasters? If I got ady, would it not be a blessing?¡± Meng Jifang did not believe it.


    However, this master¡¯s words were quite frightening. He would not live to thirty? Was that not too short?


    Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, ¡°Your fate of romance looks very murderous.¡±


    Meng Jifang¡¯s expression wasplicated.


    He would not be so miserable, right?


    Ady, and another cmity?


    However, for now, he had to leave first. This female outfit was unbearable for him, so he could only say, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll talk about it when we go back. Master Mo, please...¡±


    ¡°Some praises, please.¡± Xie Qiao looked serious.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Master Mo, you¡¯re an expert, don¡¯t... be petty...¡±


    He had already said that Mo Chusheng was an expert.


    He was not a liar.


    That was enough, right?


    The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth twitched, and she nodded. ¡°This penniless master indeed won¡¯t be petty with a child like you.¡±


    However, during these two days of fortune-telling for Meng Jifang, she could vaguely see some of the secrets of heaven. This person actually had a little bit of the fate of master-disciple with her¡­


    Xie Qiao felt a bit of disdain in her heart.


    Meng Jifang was not a good person. He was just a good-for-nothing young master. How could he insult her sect?


    Fortunately, this little bit of fate was not small, and there were many variables. It could not be considered a certainty.


    Meng Jifang always felt that Mo Chusheng was fierce to him. After he gritted his teeth and said good things to her, she brought him back and immediately changed out of the clothes he was wearing.


    After Xie Qiao brought him back, she strolled around. In the afternoon, she even took in a few ghouls.


    At night, the senior sister and junior brothers gathered together again.


    Meng Jifang immediately felt that the atmosphere around them had changed.


    Previously, when Teacher Xiao looked at Mo Chusheng, he was especially respectful. With one look, he could tell that they were a match. However, now... it seemed that he was avoiding Mo Chusheng. He did not even raise his head. He was very unhappy, he had never seen him look so gloomy.


    Teacher Xiao was famous for being a gentleman. Everyone in the academy knew that he would not lose his temper easily. Even if he was angry, he must have enough etiquette to be pleasing to the eyes. How could he be like this, full of decadence?


    Oh right, there was also Teacher Sang.


    He had changed.


    ¡°Could it be that the souls of the two teachers have also been swapped?¡± He asked Jiang Jinlu secretly.


    The corner of Jiang Jinlu¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°Did I not only lend my body for one night? Why does it feel like a long time has passed... Can a day make a person change so much?¡± He asked again.


    Jiang Jinlu smiled.


    He did not want to say anything.


    Meng Jifang said this because Sang You¡¯s expression was too infatuated. As he spoke, he even poured tea for Master Mo personally. He looked like an attentive servant, those who did not know would think that he had some ulterior motive for Mo Chusheng.


    ¡°Oh right, why is Master Xie missing? Also... There are more guards now...¡± Meng Jifang hoped that someone could exin it to him!


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Sang You rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb Senior Sister.¡±


    Meng Jifang¡¯s expression was almost distorted.


    ¡°Teacher Sang, do you also want to ask Master Mo for fortune-telling? Or does Master Mo know your secrets?¡± Meng Jifang really could not find another exnation.


    ¡°Nonsense! Senior Sister is a celestial being. We mortals naturally admire her. It¡¯s only right to be a ve for her.¡± Sang You smiled while admiring her.


    He was trying his best to see through her disguise.

 Chapter 1142 - Not a Single Decent Person

    <h4>Chapter 1142: Not a Single Decent Person</h4>


    Sang You¡¯s ttery was so loud that it shocked Meng Jifang, and his eyes almost popped out.


    Oh no, these two masters must have been seriously ill to have such a drastic change in personality!


    Meng Jifang thought that the change was temporary, but he never expected that it would be like that for the rest of the time. Teacher Xiao refused to look at anyone, and Teacher Sang¡¯s romantic poems came out one after another. It was as if he had eaten a lot of poetry recently, and his output was astonishing.


    As for this Young Master Jiang¡­


    Now that he could see ghouls, he was always in a state of shock. He even vomited from time to time. It was quite pitiful.


    However, secretly, the most pitiful person was none other than Old Master Li.


    What kind of sin had hemitted in his previous life to actually take in so many disciples in this life?


    There was not a single decent person.


    Meng Jifang tried his best to endure for another night. The next morning, he finally returned to the capital. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had lived for so long, but he had never been so cowardly. He had never been with these teachers. It was really difficult... He was wrong to even breathe.


    Especially Mo Chusheng.


    She was really strict with him. Even when he was eating, he had to chew and swallow slowly in front of her. asionally, she would ask him about some Taoist scriptures!


    How would he know?! He had lived for so long and had never read any scriptures. He was not at the age of his grandmother, so he was not interested in these things!


    If it were not for the fact that he might have to look for her to solve the disaster, he would not have listened obediently!


    After being a coward for the past two days and returning to the capital, Meng Jifang really let himself go.


    He immediately looked for his good brothers.


    These brothers had grown up with him and had a good rtionship with him. If it were not for this, they would have cut ties with these people for abandoning him and running away.


    ¡°Boss, you actually came back in one piece? How was it? The Crown Prince didn¡¯t hit you, did he?¡± The moment they arrived, they took a careful look at him.


    He actually looked pretty good, but... he did not seem to be in a good mood.


    ¡°How dare you say that! You promised to go with me, but what happened?!¡± Meng Jifang rolled his eyes at them. ¡°When you guys saw the Crown Prince, your soul was gone! Is he really that scary?!¡±


    Hearing this, they looked at him helplessly. ¡°Boss, what do you think? If the Crown Prince was not scary, we wouldn¡¯t have run away. Besides, those two teachers were there. Were we going on a spring outing or listening to a lecture?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re all idiots. We don¡¯t think before we speak. It¡¯s easy to offend people. If the Crown Prince gets angry, we won¡¯t have a good ending.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re different. No matter how much you insult the Crown Prince, the most he could do is give you a few reprimands. With the Fourth Prince protecting you, your head is still solid.¡±


    As they spoke, Meng Jifang snorted.


    ¡°Enough, don¡¯t talk about these useless things. I¡¯ll ept your apology reluctantly, but you have to show me your sincerity, right?¡± Meng Jifang said shamelessly.


    They all muttered secretly. They did not express their apology at all¡­


    However, Meng Jifang still had to save his dignity.


    ¡°Definitely! There were a few newly hired singers in my family, and two of them are from Mount Rong. They¡¯re extremely beautiful! Their eyes are like gemstones, and their waists are thin and soft. Boss, do you want to take a look?¡± One of them hurriedly asked.


    Meng Jifang wanted to go.


    However, he suddenly recalled what Mo Chusheng said.


    She said that after he returned to the capital, there would be two disasters. One was a beauty, and the other was a gambling game¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, boss? Did you really learn to be obedient after going out with the teachers?¡± Someone teased him.

 Chapter 1143 - She Made His Heart Turn Cold

    <h4>Chapter 1143: She Made His Heart Turn Cold</h4>


    Meng Jifang initially had some misgivings, but when he heard what his friend said, he was displeased. He also felt that he had indeed been too cautious. Could it be that Mo Chusheng could really predict the future?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He replied directly.


    This trip had really opened his eyes.


    The few beauties that his friend had just hired were indeed top-notch. Some were plump and beautiful, while others had beautiful eyebrows and thin waist. The most outstanding ones were indeed the two beauties from Mount Rong. They had a pair of green eyes and were extremely alluring.


    With just one look, he fell in love with them.


    This friend knew that he had let him down, so he was very generous and gifted these two beauties to him directly.


    The Meng family was actually quite good. Otherwise, they would not have been able to raise a virtuous woman like Imperial Concubine Meng. It was just that Meng Jifang was a little different. He was the son of the first wife, and he had an older brother, but his body was especially weak, so he should not be able to live for long. Furthermore, his older brother had no children. He was like an invisible person at home. It was almost certain that the title of nobility in the Meng family would fall to him in the future.


    Meng Jifang was also the best among the Meng family¡¯s children.


    From the olddy of the Meng family to the three-year-old child in the family, there was no one who did not like him.


    Imperial Concubine Meng doted on this nephew of hers. The Fourth Prince, who had never been interested in worldly things, also had a deep friendship with this cousin.


    Even Meng Jifang himself was a frequent visitor to the imperial pce. The emperor regarded these young fellows with great importance. When he was young, he was praised many times. However,ter on, when the Meng family saw that he was yful, they did not dare to send him into the pce. They were afraid that the emperor would be disappointed when he saw him.


    Now that he had brought home two great beauties who were foreign women, it would be strange if Marquis Meng was not angry.


    He reprimanded him several times.


    However, it was useless.


    Marquis Meng was quite shrewd. When he was impeaching the Crown Prince, he would not let go of even the tiniest thing. However, when facing his own son, he really could not bear to do it.


    He could not bear to hit him, and he could only scold him a few times. In the end, he thought that they were only two singers, and they were not even concubines. It was fine, he would let him be.


    Marquis Meng did not say anything, so the other family members did not care much.


    Thinking back to the scene of being oppressed by the Crown Prince and the others, Meng Jifang felt that his home was like heaven.


    All day long, he called his friends to listen to the singers dance to relieve their boredom.


    However, he did notpletely indulge himself.


    There were not many women in his courtyard. There were two or three of them who were good-looking and obedient. They did not often go inside. He would watch them dance and y the zither mostly. The Meng family only had one request for him, which was not to spend all of the money.


    A few days ago, he had been possessed by Ms. Cai. It seemed too much and his family was still very angry. However, now that Ms. Cai had left, he felt much better, so the Meng family did not say anything more.


    After Xie Qiao returned, she did not go to the Xie Residence. Instead, she went straight to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s reaction was slow. After he left first that day, he suddenly remembered something big.


    That was that the master was a little expert at making money back then!


    Now that he found out that the master was his own sister, did that mean that this sister of his had her money hidden in her hands?! Even those treasure chests from before were hers?!


    With that said, Xie Pinggang¡¯s anger from being deceived became even greater.


    Later on, he found out from Xi¡¯er that there were items from the two treasure chests!


    As her biological brother, he was only given 500 taels of silver!


    When she got married, he had given her everything he had! This heartless girl did not give him money when she had so much. She made his heart turn cold

 Chapter 1144 - Spend Money

    <h4>Chapter 1144: Spend Money</h4>


    The more Xie Pinggang thought about it, the angrier he got. He went home to sharpen his knife and wait for Xie Qiao toe.


    However, after waiting for a few days, Xie Qiao still did note to his door.


    His anger grew.


    Although that was the case, Xie Qiao was now the Princess Consort. As a subject, he could not go to her door to look for trouble. His anger was brought to the criminal division. His fierce face scared the men in ck so much that they were about to cry.


    He did not hold back when interrogating them.


    These men in ck were all death warriors. They kept their mouths shut. Xie Pinggang tortured them until they were half dead, but he could not get anything out of them. He was going bald from the stress.


    Zhao Xuanjing knew that it was not easy to handle this matter, so he did not make things difficult for him. However, Xie Pinggang felt ufortable. After thinking about it, he turned his thoughts to Xie Qiao.


    The girl was a master. He would be a fool to not use her.


    However, he could not see her now, so it was a little troublesome¡­


    The Crown Prince was still indulging his sister, so he probably would not help him¡­


    After Xie Pinggang returned home, he called his younger siblings to him without hesitation.


    The way Xie Pinghuai looked at him was actually not as hostile as before. He was very restrained. However, Xie Pinggang knew that this kid also had bad intentions in his heart, but he did not care. He even said cheerfully, ¡°Your eldest sister has been married for so long. Other than returning home the first time, she has never returned home since then. You must miss her very much, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Pinghuai looked much moreposed.


    Xie Xi also shook her head.


    Eldest sister had only been married for a short period of time!


    They did not often see her in the past, so they were used to it and did not miss her much.


    ¡°You two have a veryfortable life. You live a carefree life. From now on, I¡¯ll set a few rules for you two.¡± Xie Pinggang was thick-skinned. ¡°From now on, wake up at 5.45 A.M. every day and wait on our father to wash up. Then, go visit Master Yu and wait on her to have breakfast. After that, go to ss. When you¡¯re free, we¡¯ll hold a tea party. It¡¯ll be lively.¡±


    ¡°Tea party!¡± Xie Pinghuai frowned. He almost could not help but start shouting again. Fortunately, he had adjusted well recently. He could really endure it. He slowly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the use of having that...?¡±


    Xie Xi also resisted.


    ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. You should learn from that kid from the Meng family and make friends with him. It¡¯ll be easier for you to get married in the future.¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s words were quite reasonable, ¡°Have a few more banquets every month. You must invite enough people to each banquet. If you can¡¯t invite them, I will punish you severely.¡±


    Xie Pinghuai secretly rolled his eyes.


    If you want to punish them, just say it. Why do you have to beat around the bush and make excuses?


    Although the Xie family was rted to the Emperor, there were not many people who were willing to hang out with him and Xie Xi!


    ¡°How big is the banquet... And how much money would it cost...¡± Xie Xi¡¯s heart was beating fast.


    ¡°Money is nothing! Your eldest sister has plenty of money!¡± Xie Pinggang harrumphed. ¡°Go ahead and spend it. If you run out of money, go rob the Fortune Pavilion!¡±


    Xie Xi was so scared that her face turned pale.


    Xie Pinghuai was a little confused. ¡°Don¡¯t you admire that Master Mo so much?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! When have I ever admired her? Never!¡± Xie Pinggang refused to admit it directly. ¡°In short, the banquet must be held in a dignified manner. Don¡¯t be afraid of spending money!¡±


    Xie Pinggang did not feel that he was thick-skinned at all. Even if the girl was married off, she was still his sister!


    When she was married off, he eagerly sold the big golden eagle at home for money. He also sold all the private properties that he had saved all these years on it. He did not forget to borrow some from his colleagues. What happened in the end?!

 Chapter 1145 - A Secret

    <h4>Chapter 1145: A Secret</h4>


    On the day of Xie Qiao¡¯s wedding, there were so many gifts.


    Many of the things were prepared by the imperial family. They did not bother Xie Niushan and his son at all. However, Xie Pinggang felt that his sister¡¯s health was already so poor. If she used all the dowry given by others, then she would have even less dignity in the future.


    Hence, he put in all his effort, worried that he would not do well enough.


    Of course, after doing all that, he did not say anything. In fact, he even thought his father was useless and could not make her more glorious and dignified.


    Now that he had been pped in the face by reality, thinking about how Xie Qiao had gotten two big treasure chests behind his back, he felt terrible.


    He had a serious look on his face. After being beaten by him for a long time, Xie Pinghuai could slowly understand his temper. He knew that he could not provoke his brother now. Although he was very reluctant, he still chose to nod his head.


    In the following days, the brother and sister were very busy.


    Xie Niushan was a rough man, so he did not need to be served, right?


    However, now that he was being monitored by his eldest son, he could only get up early in the morning to ept the kindness of his children. It was a torture.


    The atmosphere at home was strange.


    Yu Xian felt that she was an outsider after all. It was a little inappropriate for her to be served by the brother and sister like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, alright? I¡¯m just a boorish person, and I don¡¯t like to have so many rules. Brother Xie, look at how pitiful they are. They are still growing and haven¡¯t woken up yet. Why bother?¡± Yu Xian could not help but shake her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for their own good!¡± Xie Pinggang said seriously.


    Yu Xian could tell that he was lying at a nce.


    ¡°Your younger brother was a little insensible in the past, but he has been behaving very well recently. He¡¯s much more stable and doesn¡¯t like to joke or cause trouble. How can you treat him like this?¡± Yu Xian frowned and looked quite angry.


    Of these two, one was her true disciple, and the other was her nominal student.


    She had to protect them a little, right?


    She could understand the banquets, but serving others... What was the point of such unnecessary rules?


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re filial or not doesn¡¯t depend on what you do on the surface,¡± Yu Xian said again.


    Xie Pinghuai could not help but secretly give the master a thumbs up.


    He did not even dare to open his mouth, yet his master did not realize that his eldest brother was furious right now?


    ¡°The Princess Consort isn¡¯ting home recently. If she doesn¡¯te, I¡¯ll deal with her siblings. Let¡¯s see how long she can hold it in!¡± Xie Pinggang was very straightforward and did not hide it from his siblings.


    Yu Xian¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Why is Brother Xie so angry?¡± Did he discover something?


    ¡°She...¡± Xie Pinggang wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words. ¡°Although we are like brothers, there are some things that I can¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡®Then don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a secret!¡¯


    It was so tempting that it made people feel ufortable!


    ¡°Young Lady Xie has such a weak body. Don¡¯t try to make her angry. She is so lovely. If I had such a girl, I would praise her everyday!¡± Yu Xian shook her head.


    ¡°This lousy girl, I¡¯ll give her to you!¡±


    The girl should scram and leave the treasure chests behind!


    He was not that fond of lying!


    Even the Crown Prince knew about it before him! What did she mean?! Could it be that she thought the Crown Prince was closer to her than him?!


    She was born from the same mother¡¯s womb. Who the hell was the Crown Prince¡­?


    Xie Pinggang was filled with jealousy.


    When Yu Xian saw him like that, she could not help but say, ¡°It¡¯s because you are too fierce that Young Lady Xie doesn¡¯t dare toe back. She is not like us, the unreasonable, boorish people. She is a refined person, and there must be a reason for her decision. Brother Xie, no matter how angry you are, if you really see her, you are not allowed to use violence, right? ¡°If you use violence... Our brotherhood will be lost.¡±


    Xie Qiao was a master, and they were close!


    Moreover, she had promised to help her!

 Chapter 1146 - Flirtatious

    <h4>Chapter 1146: Flirtatious</h4>


    Seeing Yu Xian speak up for Xie Qiao like this, Xie Pinggang felt terrible in his heart.


    ¡°Is she my sister or your sister? Why are you protecting her more than me? Besides, our rtionship is deep. It¡¯s definitely her fault that I¡¯m angry with her. You should scold her for fun with me. This is what brotherhood is all about!¡±


    Yu Xian gave him a punch speechlessly. ¡°Why are you talking so much nonsense? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ll be happy if I beat up your sister?¡±


    He was hesitating.


    She tried to reason with him, but he did not listen to her. That was really¡­


    If it were not for the fact that he was her employer, she would have said even worse things based on their rtionship.


    Xie Pinggang red at her.


    ¡°Do you know how difficult it is for Young Lady Xie? Look at the Zhou family. There are a few girls around your sister¡¯s age, and they are all lively and healthy. Look at Young Lady Xie. She would fall when the wind blows. She has a good personality and is reasonable. With her body, she keeps putting on airs for the Xie family. Brother Xie, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you, but if your father and brother can really shelter her from the wind and rain, there¡¯s no need for her to work so hard!¡± Yu Xian tried her best to persuade him.


    When she found out that Xie Qiao was Master Mo, she could not help but feel sorry for her.


    How busy was it to be a master?


    It was one thing to only look at the ghouls, but to capture them? The ghouls were not like gold or silver that could make people like them. She was just a little girl, who knew how scared she would be¡­


    That was fine, but she had to worry about her identity being discovered by her eldest brother. It was not easy to live in fear all day long.


    Xie Pinggang was a burly man. Why was he so narrow-minded?


    Yu Xian knew how bad the reputation of the Xie family was in the past. However, now, everyone was praising the future of the Xie family.


    It was all thanks to Xie Qiao that they were able to make such a big change.


    Xie Pinggang¡¯s head hurt from her words. ¡°Whether my sister is good or not has nothing to do with whether I¡¯m fierce or not!¡±


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± Yu Xian rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Leave. I won¡¯t bother to drink with you today.¡±


    Xie Pinggang opened his mouth.


    Needless to say, he really liked drinking with Yu Xian. It was because all of the good wine that Xie Qiao had hidden away were given to Yu Xian! Moreover, chatting with Yu Xian was indeed enjoyable. She dared to say anything, unlike others who thought that he looked fierce and would hide it and not dare to say it directly even if they had something to say.


    ¡°How¡¯s your family?¡± Xie Pinggang gave a rare smile to curry favor with her and then talked about other things.


    Now that Yu Xian was upset, someone else had to bear the anger, right?


    Sure enough, when the Zhou family was mentioned, Yu Xian¡¯s eyes shed with a bright light. She pped the table and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about them! Now that my cousin has invited my aunt to live outside, even if I won¡¯t get the dowry back, I¡¯d still leave that man-eating hole!¡±


    In any case, the dowry was little.


    It could only be said that it was barely passable!


    It was fortunate that the family in Dong¡¯an who wanted to marry her was not a poor family. Otherwise, they would have sent her a bedding without even giving her a quilt!


    ¡°Now that cousin has be sessful, they don¡¯t dare to provoke him. A few days ago, in order to keep my aunt, they made my uncle behave flirtariously and spend all his time by my aunt¡¯s side. It¡¯s probably only now that they think that my aunt has been a virtuous person all these years and isn¡¯t willing to let her go!¡±


    Or perhaps, they were not willing to let go of her outstanding cousin.


    It was a pity that her heart had been cold for so many years. How could she change her mind in a single day? Moreover, a flirtatious uncle looked even more disgusting!

 Chapter 1147 - Trick

    <h4>Chapter 1147: Trick</h4>


    In reality, there were quite a lot of rumors about the Zhou family.


    After all, the Zhou family was a prestigious family. How could they not spread the news of the divorce of the first son¡¯s wife?


    Everyone was curious about what the Zhou family had done to make this woman rather go out and fend for herself.


    After asking around, they really did find out a lot of things.


    For instance, the first madam of the main family had rules set all year round, and the two sons left behind by the previous madam did not respect her very much. Another example was that the son had quite a few concubines, and the tendency of the concubines and wife fighting was very serious¡­


    Of course, there were also those who were capable enough to find out that this old madam wanted to make the first madam¡¯s niece the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine¡­


    It was also said that because of this matter, this cousin actually kicked several of the old madam¡¯s grannies, causing their faces to swell up and caused a ruckus. However, because of her reputation, no one dared to spread it¡­


    Whether it was true or not, they were not sure.


    However, they were indeed curious about this youngdy.


    In the end, when they asked around, they found out that this youngdy was actually the master the Xie family hired!


    The rtionship... was truly confusing!


    Xie Pinggang had dragged the Zhou family into this matter, and after talking about it, Yu Xian had also forgotten about chasing him away. Not long after, the two of them drank together again.


    However, both of them had a secret in their hearts. When they drank, they were very guarded against each other. They only drank when they lost in rock-paper-scissors. The atmosphere was as if they were going to kill someone on the battlefield. They could not wait for the other party to drink more in case they drank too muchter, they would be tricked and spill the beans.


    The atmosphere scared the servants so much that they did not dare toe any closer¡­


    ¡­


    A few dayster, Xie Qiao, who was hiding in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, had heard many rumors about the Xie family.


    Chun Er had to go out to buy things every day, and once she came back, she would exin the situation of the Xie family clearly.


    ¡°Now, people outside say that the young master and Second Young Lady are extremely filial and have to serve the old master every day before dawn. They also say that the old master is moved to tears and says that his children are sensible... In the academy, the two of you have also been praised by the teachers for being filial...¡± Chun Er thought it was a little strange.


    If the Second Young Lady was filial, perhaps... it was because she had given enough money.


    However, the Second Young Master... had be filial?


    The children of the Xie family were all ferocious. Even thedy in front of her was not entirely filial.


    ¡°This is my eldest brother¡¯s trick...¡± Xie Qiao smacked her lips, hesitating whether she should do something.


    ¡°What else?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    If her eldest brother wanted to force her to go back, this little trick would not do it. He had to make her younger brother and sisterin continuously in order to achieve that.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special. I only know that Second Young Master is going to hold a banquet recently. It¡¯s also considered the first time. I heard that he invited quite a number of people,¡± Chun Er added.


    Xie Qiao understood.


    This younger brother and sister of hers did not have the temperament to hold a banquet. It was definitely a request from her eldest brother.


    ¡°It¡¯s great. We should train their temperament.¡± Xie Qiao was not soft-hearted.


    It was just hosting a banquet. It was not a life-threatening thing.


    Her brother and sister were not ignorant little rabbits.


    However, her stubbornness was triggered by her brother¡¯s provocation.


    At night, Zhao Xuanjing came home.


    Xie Qiao asked directly, ¡°Did my brother not manage his job well?¡±


    ¡°A group of men of sacrifice is indeed difficult to interrogate, and all kinds of methods have been used. It can¡¯t be said that he failed to do a good job.¡± Zhao Xuanjing dragged his outer robe and scooped Xie Qiao over. ¡°Your husband has just returned home. Why are you asking about others?¡±

 Chapter 1148 - Beggar Master

    <h4>Chapter 1148: Beggar Master</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face turned slightly red.


    ¡°I figured that he hasn¡¯t been doing well recently. After thinking about it, it should have something to do with those people. Eldest brother still wants me to go home and listen to his lecture... Naturally, I can¡¯t go along with his wishes, so I thought that I should go to the criminal division and help him with his errands with you. He would need to thank me. He won¡¯t be able to vent his anger,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Zhao Xuanjing smiled helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re just worried about his job.¡±


    How could she make others angry like that?


    ¡°That¡¯s not right either. Those men in ck were trying to assassinate you.¡± The corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. I¡¯m doing this for myself.¡±


    ¡°The criminal division is too hostile.¡± Zhao Xuanjing also knew that Xie Qiao did not like that ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to go there once in a while. My body is much better now, and I¡¯m not as fragile as before. The main thing is that the ghouls there are generally ugly and make people want to throw up. I¡¯ll try not to look at them when the timees.¡± If it were any other case, Xie Qiao would not take the initiative to intervene, but that group of ck-clothed people had almost killed her before. Of course, she had to know who sent them.


    After dealing with these people that day, her body was a little weak. She did not have the time to ask them personally. It was not toote to make up for it now.


    ¡°Since you want to go, let¡¯s go take a look first thing in the morning.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not continue to stop her.


    He could not stop her.


    However, seeing that Xie Qiao¡¯s attitude toward Xie Pinggang was almost better than her attitude with him, he was jealous. He could not help but want to do something to her. Unfortunately, as he had just started, someone came to pass a message.


    ¡°Your Highness, Her Highness, there¡¯s a beggar outside. He insisted that he¡¯s Her Highness¡¯ master... We wanted to chase him away, but that person mentioned the Water Moon Temple. We... could not make the decision, so we came to ask Her Highness¡¯ opinion...¡±?The person outside said.


    ¡°Beggar?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched. She had a bad feeling.


    Zhao Xuanjing immediately tidied up his clothes and held Xie Qiao¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and take a look.¡±


    It could not be Xie Qiao¡¯s unfathomable master, could it?


    He was a master, after all. How could he be described as a beggar?


    Thinking of Xie Qiao¡¯s unrestrained and mysterious ways, Zhao Xuanjing naturally felt that Mo Lingzi was also such a person, unless he encountered some difficulties on the road. However, if he really encountered something, Xie Qiao must be anxious, so he had to go and take a look.


    The two walked side by side, and someone invited the ¡°beggar¡± in.


    When they reached the hall, Xie Qiao was dumbfounded when she saw.


    Xie Qiao wished she could turn around and leave.


    However, the beggar pounced on her and grabbed her sleeve directly. ¡°My dear disciple, I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing almost kicked him away.


    Why did he pull her sleeve?!


    Xie Qiao looked helpless. ¡°Don¡¯t we have a lot of money in the temple? Master, didn¡¯t you bring it with you when you went out?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Mo Lingzi wiped his tears in grievance. ¡°It¡¯s all the fault of those d*mn bandits. I did not walk more than a few miles before I was robbed... Not only was my money robbed, I was also captured as a coolie. After working for two months, I escaped and wanted to go back to the temple, but I didn¡¯t have any money. Since I always offend people, I gritted my teeth and came to the capital¡­


    ¡°My dear disciple, I¡¯ve had a hard time...¡± Mo Lingzi was really crying.


    Needless to say, Xie Qiao knew that he must have had a hard time.


    His outfit...

 Chapter 1149 - Why Blame Me

    <h4>Chapter 1149: Why me Me</h4>


    Xie Qiao could not help but sigh. She felt both distressed and helpless. She quickly asked someone to prepare some hot water and clothes for her master to wash up.


    Her master¡¯s clothes seemed to have been rolled in a mud pit. His entire body was emitting a foul smell. If one looked carefully, there seemed to be some dead insects mixed in the dirt¡­


    His hair was knotted, his boots were broken, his legs were trembling, and his nails were mixed with mud¡­


    She rubbed his head.


    ¡°Wait, I even brought a fool into the capital. I thought that it was not easy to enter this high-gated courtyard. If they hit me, it would be difficult to run away with the fool, so I ced him outside...¡± Mo Lingzi quickly said.


    Xie Qiao did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Master, you¡¯re already like this, but you brought someone else with you? Are you sure you did not make this person a fool?!¡±


    Mo Lingzi felt like he had been shot in the chest, and his voice sounded a little cowardly. ¡°I did, but I didn¡¯t do it on purpose... Who asked this stupid kid to follow me all the way...¡±


    ¡°You really did it?!¡± Xie Qiao took a deep breath.


    It was really the ability for her master to be able to be like this!


    When she left the Water Moon Temple, she had left behind some pretty good junior brothers. Of course, they were not direct disciples of the Water Moon Temple, but secr disciples who had entered the sect to cultivate. They were all kind and dutiful people, and with them around, as long as her master did not act foolishly, it would not be difficult for the Water Moon Temple to continue operating.


    Apart from people, she had also left property behind.


    After so many years, she had umted many talismans and dharmic instruments. She had stored quite a lot into the treasury. There were also tens of thousands of taels of gold, silver, andmon goods. She had given him almost all the money she had made from Yun Wei¡¯s paintings in the past.


    In addition, the people at the foot of the mountain of the Water Moon Temple also treated him with great respect. If he wanted to enter the capital, all he had to do was to go to the foot of the mountain and look for a convoy. His journey would definitely be smooth!


    In the end, he was robbed¡­


    Xie Qiao was sure that he did not take the usual route at all!


    On the usual route, there were no bandits that were so bold!


    Xie Qiao saw through it with one look. Mo Lingzi did not dare to look at Xie Qiao. He turned his head timidly and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Great-Grandmaster once said that I do not have the fate to amass wealth...¡±


    ¡°Master, you have broken the rule again, haven¡¯t you?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was calm.


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He did not want to tell the truth.


    Xie Qiao suddenly clutched her chest and started coughing violently. ¡°Y-You can just piss me off to death...¡±


    Her pale face was so scary that Mo Lingzi¡¯s heart almost jumped out of his chest. If Xie Qiao had not pinched Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s palm before acting, even Zhao Xuanjing would be scared out of his wits right now!


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry! I did make a mistake! When I went down the mountain, I met a-a widow and followed her down that road. I was curious too. I thought why didn¡¯t she take the main road and follow her all the way. Who knew she was there to seduce people.¡±


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    Her master had improved?


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything... I just talked to that woman and... read her fortune...¡±


    Mainly, he read her palm.


    Since he read her palm, it was inevitable that he would pinch her hand and take a closer look. After reading her palm, he found that the woman¡¯s life was not good, so his words were a little harsh.


    She said she had the life of a prostitute, having unfilial children for three generations, such a vicious person would be reincarnated as a pig or dog in her next life¡­


    In short, he did not know why but he said it out loud at that time.


    ¡°That woman didn¡¯t want to rob me initially, seeing that I¡¯m an old master¡­¡± Mo Lingzi admitted it himself. ¡°But her life was not good, and she insisted on letting me tell her fortune. So why did she get angry and me me after that?¡±

 Chapter 1150 - Crippled for Life

    <h4>Chapter 1150: Crippled for Life</h4>


    When Mo Lingzi brought up that woman, he did not forget toin to Xie Qiao, ¡°Not paying for fortune-telling is even more immoral! I initially thought that her looks were pretty good, but who knew that her fortune is so bad, with thebor and death patterns on her palms? She¡¯s also an extraordinary person. I haven¡¯t evenined that she has tarnished my eyes, but she actually started to rob me...¡±


    Xie Qiao was helpless and wanted to cover her master¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t talk about people¡¯s rights and wrongs.¡± Xie Qiao shook her head. ¡°Now that we¡¯re so far away, it¡¯s impossible for you to bring people to take revenge. Since this matter is over, don¡¯t mention it again. It¡¯s a waste of your own virtue.¡±


    Xie Qiao was talking about her master¡¯s attitude.


    The more irritable he was, the easier it was for something to happen.


    Zhao Xuanjing felt that Xie Qiao was more like a master than a disciple when she was with this old man.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll just whisper a few words to you. I¡¯ll forget all about that womanter. Send someone to pick up the little fool first. If he¡¯s gone for too long, I¡¯m worried that he¡¯ll be lost... I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be obedient now,¡± Mo Lingzi said.


    He was quitefortable with instructing his own disciple.


    Xie Qiao was also used to it. After confirming the address, she sent someone to do it.


    Mo Lingzi was in no hurry to wash up. He insisted on waiting for the little fool to be brought over before he was willing to go over, so Xie Qiao let him be.


    After a while, Mo Lingzi seemed to notice Zhao Xuanjing next to him.


    Then, there was a look of surprise. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk... I say, girl, your taste is really good. This Crown Prince is truly a handsome man that is hard toe by in ten thousand miles, and he even has the face of an emperor. His bone structure is even more perfect. There is jade in the mountains, pearls in the sea, and a glorious appearance of heavenly wealth. Not bad, not bad...¡±


    Mo Lingzi circled around Zhao Xuanjing. ¡°In one¡¯s life, wealth, poverty, longevity, fortune, and evil are all in this body. Girl, your husband is really beautiful. His appearance, skin, hair, bones,plexion, and voice are all good. Your father is not that good. His ability to choose your husband is really not bad. If you want to talk about shorings...


    ¡°Kid, your waist is good, but your hand is a little crippled. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be crippled for life?¡± Mo Lingzi had already spoken before Xie Qiao could stop him.


    Xie Qiao exhaled and did not know whether tough or cry as she nced at Zhao Xuanjing.


    If it was anyone else, Zhao Xuanjing would have been angry.


    His right hand had always been a taboo, and no one had ever dared to mention it.


    Mo Lingzi, whom he had just met, had directly exposed his weakness with one sentence. He was indeed a person who was seeking death.


    ¡°Master,¡± Xie Qiao snorted and looked at him quietly. Mo Lingzi immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing. He nced at Zhao Xuanjing embarrassedly and then stood back silently.


    He shook his body and put his hands in front of his body, pretending to be an expert.


    He had not seen his precious disciple for a long time. He was so excited that he talked too much.


    Of course, in his life... He could not shut his mouth.


    It was because of this mouth that he had offended so many people.


    It was not that he did not want to change, but... he really could not!


    ¡°Master, His Highness¡¯ hand is okay. It doesn¡¯t affect his daily life. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not good to practice martial arts with his right hand. However, not everyone in this world is required to learn martial arts,¡± Xie Qiao exined.


    Mo Lingzi nodded obediently.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve heard about you before. Master is a straightforward person. If everyone is like Zhou Weizong, being cautious of me all the time, it¡¯d be boring.¡± Zhao Xuanjing raised his right hand and chuckled.

 Chapter 1151 - Dragon Slaying Pestle

    <h4>Chapter 1151: Dragon ying Pestle</h4>


    Mo Lingzi actually saw something else.


    The Crown Prince did not look like he would be crippled. The dragon energy seemed to be quite strong, but... it was faintly leaking.


    However, it did not leak too much. How was it affected?


    Of course, Mo Lingzi did not know that the Crown Prince¡¯s dragon energy was not this strong in the past. It was also because Xie Qiao was strong enough. Ever since she got together with the Crown Prince, she often gathered good karma for him. She even offered incense to the Gods herself, and she would also do it in the name of Zhao Xuanjing.


    After such a long time, he naturally made up for the dragon energy.


    Moreover, Xie Qiao gave him many talismans, which also restrained the situation of ¡°leaking of energy¡±.


    ¡°Your Highness, did youe into contact with something with too much evil energy in the past? I¡¯ve seen something before, and the evil energy was quite strong...¡± Mo Lingzi thought for a while, in the end, he added in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you haven¡¯te into contact with it before. This penniless master is just asking out of curiosity.¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, her ears pricked up, her interest was piqued. ¡°Master, what kind of thing can threaten the energy of the dragon¡¯s vein? His Highness is the legitimate son of the emperor, and the Emperor favors him. Before the age of twelve, everything was smooth sailing. Logically speaking, this dragon energy should be very strong...¡±


    ¡°There are not many things that can threaten the dragon vein, but the dragon energy is still easier to be harmed. For instance, when I came to the capital twenty years ago, I saw something called the Dragon ying Pestle.¡±


    ¡°Dragon ying Pestle?¡± Hearing this name, the evil energy sounded powerful?


    Zhao Xuanjing was also interested, so he sat down and listened carefully.


    However, the faintly discernible stench from Mo Lingzi¡¯s body really made people hold their breath. It was unbearable.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name to scare people. In reality, it¡¯s made from the backbone of the previous dynasty¡¯s emperor. The bones are polished and strung together one by one, finally turning into something that looks like a rod but doesn¡¯t look like a rod. It looks like a pestle but doesn¡¯t look like one. The auras of these two dynasties sh, and they were born to be enemies. If that thing is processed, it can be made into something that can truly y dragons. But it¡¯s not easy to do it. It¡¯s a heavy burden of karma,¡± Mo Lingzi added.


    He had also taken a closer look at that thing back then.


    During the Dao meeting, apart from some talismans and scriptures, everyone would also take out some powerful dharma instruments topare. That person had shown the Dragon ying Pestle, and had given it such a name. However, although the Dragon ying Pestle had a strong evil energy, its power was not great. It was a paper tiger that had never seen blood before.


    It was also because it had never seen blood before that he was able to take it out for everyone to have a look.


    Only when he saw the Crown Prince did he remember that item.


    He suspected that it might have developed its powerter on and was just right to use it.


    ¡°Master, who owns this Dragon ying Pestle? What is its character? His Highness and I have been investigating the reason for the leakage of his dragon energy...¡± Xie Qiao felt a little pleasantly surprised.


    It was really rare to find something that could consume dragon energy.


    Especially when the Crown Prince¡¯s dragon energy was so strong in the past, it could be said that he was destined to be the emperor in the future. The price of forcibly stealing dragon energy was unusual.


    It was rare to hear of such a Dragon ying Pestle, so Xie Qiao naturally had to ask about it.


    ¡°That person?¡± Mo Lingzi thought for a while. ¡°I really don¡¯t remember the name of that Taoist master. It was a long time ago, and that person only showed up once. Although the thing he took out was rare, he did not do anything special.¡±


    He had offended many people at that time, but he did not offend this person.


    After all, the emperor¡¯s bones were indeed rare. He would not despise and abuse it.


    Xie Qiao felt it was a pity, but his master would not lie to her. It was useless to dig into the root of the problem now.

 Chapter 1152 - A Good Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 1152: A Good Treasure</h4>


    The three of them talked about their daily lives. Of course, Xie Qiao was the main speaker.


    She told her master about what had happened after she left the Water Moon Temple. Mo Lingzi felt more at ease when he heard these things.


    ¡°When I saw you this time, I knew you were busy. You look much better than when you left. If I had known this would happen, I would have kicked you out a few years ago and let you go out on your own. You might even be able to practice martial arts now,¡± Mo Lingzi added.


    These words were just words.


    A few years ago, Xie Qiao would always faint that she could not go far. She could only wander around the town near the Water Moon Temple.


    When Xie Niushan sent someone to pick her up, Mo Lingzi felt that the number of times Xie Qiao fainted had decreased a lot. That was why he was willing to let her go. Otherwise, he would not have dared to let her go so far toe to such a lively ce like the capital.


    Zhao Xuanjing also saw it.


    Although Mo Lingzi¡¯s words were not likable, he was really capable.


    In addition, he probably doted on Xie Qiao more than Xie Niushan, her biological father.


    He even took out an object from his hand and neck. The object was dirty and stained with a lot of dust. He could not tell what it was, but he happily gave it to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°This thing is a good thing that I got on the road. Keep it well.¡± Mo Lingzi¡¯s sneaky eyes were quite bright.


    Xie Qiao took the object in surprise. She wiped it and looked at it. Then, she said in shock, ¡°Master, this... is a sarira relic?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the old monk¡¯s. On the way here, I saw a temple, so I went in to have a spar with them. I identally won their ancestor. Look, the beads are neatly strung, and I carefully polished them. I even put it on the altar to take good care of it. Every day, I pinched it and read the scriptures several times. It¡¯s so smooth that I can barely see it. You can bring it with you or bring it to your family,¡± Mo Lingzi exined excitedly.


    Xie Qiao suddenly felt that it was a little hot to touch.


    She had touched it anyway.


    Xie Qiao had a headache.


    Zhao Xuanjing was even more shocked. He nced at the sarira bracelet and could not help but sigh.


    He did not know which temple it was that was so unfortunate...


    The sarira relic that Mo Lingzi took a fancy to definitely did not belong to an ordinary monk. It might even be an eminent monk¡­


    He had already won the bracelet. If she did not ept it, it would only make her master sad. Xie Qiao could only nod in agreement. ¡°Master, I won¡¯t believe your nonsense in the future. You did not abide by any of the rules of abstinence from alcohol, lust, arrogance, and gambling...¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I predict that something good was about to happen to you? I wanted to give you a dowry...¡± Mo Lingzi did not mind at all. ¡°I¡¯m already so old. It¡¯s okay for me to make some mistakes. In my life, I can¡¯t keep my money, and I always get beaten up. I¡¯ve paid back all the karma. This bracelet was given to me willingly by others. They lost their ancestor, so how can they me me? Even if their ancestor wants to me me, they can only me their own grandchildren for not living up to his expectations.¡±


    Xie Qiao had nothing to say.


    She could only sigh repeatedly.


    ¡°This is a good thing. You were born with that fate, so there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. But with this treasure, it¡¯s going to change,¡± Mo Lingzi said again.


    The fate of bringing lethal fate to her family could be suppressed with a good treasure.


    This thing could be considered a good treasure.


    That Xie Niushan was not young anymore. Even if he identally died, it did not matter. It was not for him.


    Besides, with the protection of talismans, as long as they did not spend too much time together, the other rtives would not be too much of a problem.


    After he entered the capital and found out that this girl was married, he felt that this thing was just right for her. If she identally had a child, she would be able to keep it.

 Chapter 1153 - Troublesome

    <h4>Chapter 1153: Troublesome</h4>


    Xie Qiao was touched. Ever since she was young, even though the old man had reprimanded her many times, he was the only person who cared about her the most.


    She still remembered that when she was young, she would always faint. When she woke up, she would asionally see the old man with red eyes. He looked even more aggrieved than she did. It was both sad and funny.


    The bracelet was dirty and had a smell. Xie Qiao did not despise it and wore it obediently in front of him.


    After a while, the ¡°fool¡± was brought over.


    Xie Qiao opened her mouth with difficulty.


    He¡­ looked even clumsier than the old man.


    His face was ck and gray, which was really dirty. The clothes on his body could barely be seen as brocade clothes, but... they were almost worn out and smelly.


    Xie Qiao could see that this little fool was not old, at most about twenty years old. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be rich, but she did not know how he ended up in such a sorry state.


    ¡°Master, where did you find this person?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Zhao Xuanjing vaguely thought that this person... looked familiar.


    After a moment of silence, he was thinking.


    ¡°I happened to meet him when I was staying in an inn. He was incredible. He brought many servants with him and was very impressive. However, I could tell that this person was in trouble at a nce, so I reminded him a few times. This person¡¯s brain was not right. After hearing my words, he actually believed me and insisted on following me. He insisted that I was an expert. I was pestered by him and managed to escape with great difficulty. In the end, I met him again. When I met him again, his convoy was in danger. A few people were smashed by falling rocks along the way...¡±


    It was also because this person did not deserve to die.


    Other than the things he had given this person to use to break the disaster, this person had also brought some good items with him, which allowed him to avoid two major disasters in a row.


    However, having his head smashed by a rock, he was a little dumbfounded.


    It was not good to just watch the child wandering on the streets, so he brought the person along to the capital. He thought that this person also had a local ent in the capital. If he came to the capital, he could even help him find his family members.


    The fool¡¯s face was ck and gray. It was hard to tell what he looked like. At this time, Mo Lingzi was willing to wash up. He asked someone to bring them to wash up.


    After waiting for another hour, the old man and the young man appeared in front of them again.


    However, when Zhao Xuanjing saw the person, he almost choked.


    The teacup was shaking, and he looked very surprised.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Qiao was still a little confused.


    Zhao Xuanjing pointed at the fool. ¡°Do you know who he is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Xie Qiao looked confused.


    The little fool ran over cheerfully and tugged at the corner of Xie Qiao¡¯s shirt. ¡°Sister, sister, I¡¯m clean now. I want to kiss you...¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Mo Lingzi quickly pulled him and smiled guiltily at the Crown Prince. ¡°On the way, he couldn¡¯t sleep at night and asked for his mother. I said he did not have a mother, he only had a sister...¡±


    Then, the fool asked for his sister and a kiss¡­


    He had no choice. In order to coax this fool to sleep, he could only endure the pain and agreed¡­


    ¡°Someone, go to Imperial Duke Meng¡¯s house and ask the Duke toe and pick up his son.¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at this foolish junior brother who wanted to kiss his wife. He did not know whether he should be angry or pity him for bing a fool.


    ¡°Imperial Duke Meng?!¡± Xie Qiao eximed and stood up. ¡°You mean he is my junior brother Meng Yan?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s him. He went on a trip with teacher and left because he thought teacher was boring.¡± Zhao Xuanjing rubbed his forehead silently.


    All of them were troublesome.

 Chapter 1154 - Thick-skinned

    <h4>Chapter 1154: Thick-skinned</h4>


    Xie Qiao looked at the little fool in front of her and thought of the Junior Brother Meng that her teacher had once described to her¡­


    The difference was like heaven and earth!


    Imperial Duke Meng could be considered the most honorable duke in the capital. His ancestors fought together with the founding emperor, and the sessive emperors also attached great importance to the Meng family. Thus, this title of nobility stood high throughout the ages.


    As his junior brother was a member of the Meng family, Xie Qiao also had some understanding of the family.


    The Meng family was noble. The men in the family could only take in concubines when they were over 40, so there were not many children in the family. Meng Yan was the direct grandson of the Meng family¡¯s eldest son. Since he was young, he was fearless of anything. He was also the most uncontroble person among all her junior brothers, except for the Crown Prince. His teacher could not control him the most.


    It was said that when he first became his teacher, Meng Yan wanted to follow the Crown Prince to be a family of sect brothers. That was why he pestered his teacher and waited at the intersection every day. Otherwise, he would directly barge into the Royal Academy. Delicious food and drinks were sent to his teacher¡¯s courtyard. He was so annoying that his teacher could not eat or sleep well. There was really no other way¡­


    He also felt that he was quite smart and had a good personality, so he took him in as a disciple.


    However, although he was a disciple of his teacher, he was the least talented.


    He did not make any progress.


    His ability to y and visit the brothels was too much, and he could not study.


    If nothing unexpected happened, he would have a noble title in the future, so he did not need to take the path of an official. In addition, the Meng family did not have any requirements for him, so this person was even more willful. Among the rich young yboys in the capital, Meng Jifang and him, their rankings were not inferior to others.


    Xie Qiao had heard of him long ago, but this was the first time she had met him.


    She just did not expect that she would not meet her junior brother. The first time she met him, he had be a fool!


    Xie Qiao could not help but take a careful look.


    This Meng Yan... really had the qualifications to be a yboy.


    He had a pair of eyes that attracted romance and was born with a bit of flirtatious looks. He was good-looking, but his appearance had broken the hearts of countless people.


    ¡°He¡¯s silly, but he doesn¡¯t have evil energy in her. It must be due to the disaster he encountered. Since he¡¯s here in the capital, he should be fine if he visits a few doctorster,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°Yes, I see that his soul is still stable,¡± Mo Lingzi said immediately.


    Meng Yan seemed to like Xie Qiao very much. If Zhao Xuanjing did not stop him, this person would have pounced on her again.


    ¡°Little sister,¡± he called out again.


    ¡°What little sister? This is your senior sister. How rude.¡± Zhao Xuanjing snorted, there were no outsiders here, so Xie Qiao¡¯s identity was not a secret. When he thought of another junior brother and how he was so attentive to Xie Qiao, he did not feel good. He thought for a while, then he said again, ¡°Call her the Princess Consort. If you dare to offend her, I¡¯ll throw you into the river.¡±


    Meng Yan pouted and looked at Mo Lingzi with a wronged expression. ¡°He¡¯s terrible!¡±


    Mo Lingzi felt his heart ache. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. This is the Crown Prince. My head isn¡¯t worth much to him. Be good and call her sister when he¡¯s gone...¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at Mo Lingzi quietly.


    He decided to be closer to Xie Qiao for the time being so that Mo Lingzi would not bring this little fool over to be alone with Xie Qiao.


    However, while Zhao Xuanjing despised him, he could not help but raise his eyebrows and admire Meng Yan a few more times.


    ¡°This kid¡¯s current behavior is more likable than usual. No wonder even Master is so gentle to him,¡± Zhao Xuanjing could not help but say.


    Mo Lingzi lowered his head silently.


    Who was he calling his master... This Crown Prince is quite thick-skinned¡­

 Chapter 1155 - Vixen

    <h4>Chapter 1155: Vixen</h4>


    Meng Yan was very obedient at the moment. He sat down when he was asked to. He was obediently holding a snack in his hand like a little mouse. He looked around and slowly nibbled on it, the crumbs of the snack were all over his face. It made one¡¯s heart soften.


    Not to mention an old man like Mo Lingzi, even Xie Qiao¡¯s care for this junior brother could not help but rise.


    ¡°Meng Yan is back. I¡¯m afraid the prices of clothes and jewelry in the capital would go up again.¡± Zhao Xuanjing sighed again.


    Xie Qiao looked at him in confusion. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You can go and ask around when you have the time. Do any of thedies in the capital not know him? Every time when he was out, the streets would be crowded with people, and there were pretty girls everywhere.¡± With that said, Zhao Xuanjing asked someone to bring a book and put it in front of Xie Qiao. He said, ¡°This book was written by him.¡±


    Xie Qiao was confused. She took the book and nced at it.


    Then she was a little dumbfounded.


    The Story of a Beautiful Woman?


    What was that?


    Xie Qiao flipped through it briefly and was really stunned. In this story book, it was mainly about a young girl who was innocent and lively since she was young. Later on, her family declined, and the young girl had to take care of her family. She had no choice but to marry a rich and powerful young master as his third concubine¡­


    It was a love story.


    After the marriage, the young girl stood firm and unyielding against her bully husband, causing him to treat her differently. After many misunderstandings and frustrations, the two of them ended up loving each other for the rest of their lives¡­


    Xie Qiao could not believe it. This book was written by her junior brother.


    ¡°Does teacher know about it too?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask.


    He was not enraged that he vomited blood?


    It was not that the story book was not good, but in this day and age, few serious schrs wrote story books, not to mention that they wrote about love.


    ¡°I know.¡± Zhao Xuanjing had a meaningful look on his face. ¡°Not only did he not get angry, but he was forced to buy twenty books. I¡¯m afraid he took them back to pad the table.¡±


    ¡°He bought them?¡± Xie Qiao was incredulous.


    It really did not seem like something that her teacher could do!


    ¡°I had to buy them. He was very annoying. When we met, he asked himself how his writing was. He was full of sweet words. As the saying goes, you don¡¯t hit a smiling person when you reach out your hand. Even I was forced to buy some.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was very helpless.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao had some admiration for this junior brother.


    He was the only person in the world who could do this, right?


    His teacher was extremely strict in his studies, and Zhao Xuanjing was even more methodical when it came to socializing with others. Yet, he made an exception for him?


    Meeting Meng Yan¡¯s gaze, he smiled shyly at her. That smile was indeed like the rain of sugar in spring. It was simply too sweet.


    Zhao Xuanjing wished he could cover Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes.


    He did not want her to be seduced by this vixen.


    Fortunately, the Meng family received the news not long ago and came immediately. Imperial Duke Meng was also a weirdo. Seeing his grandson like this, there was no reaction at all. ¡°It¡¯s good that he came back alive. I haven¡¯t heard from him for so long. I thought he died outside...¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she almost choked.


    After saying that, Imperial Duke Meng did not forget to thank the Crown Prince, Xie Qiao, and Mo Lingzi.


    However, just as he was about to take him away, Meng Yan actually cried.


    ¡°Grandfather, sister, I don¡¯t want to go... Do you not want me anymore...¡± When Meng Yan opened his mouth, Xie Qiao was petrified on the spot.


    Grandfather?


    Xie Qiao red at Mo Lingzi. ¡°Master, what kind of grandfather are you? Aren¡¯t you teaching him nonsense?¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that you knew him...¡± Mo Lingzi scratched his nose, feeling embarrassed. ¡°When he asked me if I was his father, I could not answer either. It¡¯s better to be a grandfather than a father. It¡¯s morefortable to hear...¡±

 Chapter 1156 - Give Me Some Money

    <h4>Chapter 1156: Give Me Some Money</h4>


    His master had always been unreliable. It was Meng Yan¡¯s great fortune that he was able to bring this person to the capital sessfully!


    As for whether he should call him grandfather or father, it was indeed secondary.


    However, looking at the frowning expression of his legitimate grandfather, Imperial Duke Meng, if he did not exin himself, she was afraid that he would think that her master was a kidnapper.


    ¡°Young Master Meng¡¯s head is hurt, and he is like a child now. My master brought him all the way here. The two of them have lived together for a few months, and it is inevitable that feelings developed... Since he does not want to leave, why not stay here with my master and get the people from the imperial academy of medicine toe over to take a look?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    When Imperial Duke Meng heard that, although he was not very happy, he did not think of any other way.


    His grandson was seriously ill.


    If he forcefully dragged him away, he was afraid that he would be triggered again. If he sobbed all the way back and was seen by others, he did not know where to put his face even if his grandson was cured in the future.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Your Highness and the Princess Consort.¡± Imperial Duke Meng was very polite.


    Zhao Xuanjing was not willing to let Meng Yan stay¡­


    This kid was too flirtatious, and it was not suitable for him to stay at home.


    However, Xie Qiao was the madam, and since she had already spoken, he respected what she meant. ¡°We¡¯re both brothers, so it¡¯s only right.¡±


    Imperial Duke Meng¡¯s heart was beating a little, but he was still a little surprised.


    The Crown Prince did not like to meddle in other people¡¯s business in the past, so he probably had not spoken such polite words since he was young. He had really changed.


    It seemed that this Crown Princess had chosen well... Her ability to tame her husband was quite good.


    Imperial Duke Meng had not seen his grandson for a long time. At this moment, he stayed in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence for a while. He also had the intention to chat with the Crown Prince about political matters. Xie Qiao was more tactful, so she brought her master around the Crown Prince¡¯s residence.


    Her master¡¯s courtyard had long been set up in the residence. When the old man looked into the courtyard, he was extremely satisfied.


    After Xie Qiao got married, she bought many things for the courtyard. They looked rough, but her old man liked them.


    For instance, there was a fortune-telling tree nted in the courtyard.


    This fortune-telling tree was not ordinary. It was shining with gold. It was a gold foil that Xie Qiao had hired someone to make with a lot of money. One by one, the foil was tied to it. When the wind blew, the gold foil floated in the air. It looked very bright.


    There were tworge vats in the courtyard. The ones kept inside were gold carps.


    This old man could not save up money so he preferred these things. He could not spend them, but it was good to look at them everyday.


    ¡°This penniless master has note to the capital for a few years. Since I¡¯m here, it¡¯s not good for me to stay in this residence all day and not go out. My dear disciple, my hands are very tight. Give me two taels of silver. I¡¯ll go out and have a look tomorrow...¡± Mo Lingzi said eagerly.


    He really did not have two taels of silver in his hands!


    Not to mention two taels of silver, he could not even fork out two coins!


    Along the way, he had relied on his perseverance and a heart that did not mind losing face to beg with all his might to climb over here alive!


    ¡°Two taels of silver?¡± Xie Qiao looked at him, already knowing what happened. ¡°You lost your belongings as well? Are you starting all over again?¡±


    Mo Lingzi nodded obediently. ¡°I¡¯m already here. If I see my old friends, I can¡¯t tell them that I live on nothing all day and rely on my disciple to feed me. I¡¯m thinking of getting a divination banner and a table. I¡¯ll set it up at the city gate and read the fortunes of the pedestrians.¡±


    Mo Lingzi was actually very proud.


    Back then, the kitten-like doll was in his hands, but she did not die. Now, she was so powerful!


    He could not hide such an outstanding disciple, could he? He had to go out and see the Taoist masters in the big Taoist temples to show off.

 Chapter 1157 - Personality Change

    <h4>Chapter 1157: Personality Change</h4>


    Xie Qiao understood what Mo Lingzi was thinking.


    ¡°How can two taels of silver be enough? But Master, you can¡¯t hold on to money. No matter how much I give you, it¡¯s useless. Every time you go out, it should be just right for you to ask the ounts for ten taels of silver. I won¡¯t lock you up. You can do whatever you want. It¡¯s just that... It¡¯s not good for you to spread the word that I¡¯m a Taoist master who can capture souls.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him with a smile. ¡°As a youngdy from a noble family, a ghoul is terrifying. If it gets out, it¡¯ll scare people.¡±


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t tell others?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Qiao nodded seriously. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not only your iparably powerful junior sister, Mo Chusheng, but also your disciple, Xie Qiao, who knows a little about Taoist scriptures. You can¡¯t mix me up. I¡¯m not as powerful as senior aunty.¡±


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s mind was a little confused.


    Does this mean that he can only show off his junior sister and not his disciple?


    What did that mean?


    Mo Lingzi became a little listless.


    ¡°Master, if you are confused, everyone in the world would know that the dignified Princess Consort cultivates to capture souls. Those old-fashioned people in the imperial court would have to pay respect to the Crown Prince. They might even force the Crown Prince to divorce his wife. Even the Xie family will be despised. Perhaps in the future, I will have to live on the streets with you and read fortunes for others. However, Master always offends people. My health is not good, and if I get beaten during fortune-telling, my life... Sigh...¡± After Xie Qiao finished, she sighed faintly and looked very worried.


    ¡°You only know how to scare me.¡± Mo Lingzi red at her. ¡°In the past, when you weren¡¯t feeling well, you did not talk so much.¡±


    However, now, she was speaking so coherently that it took him a lot of effort to listen to her.


    Xie Qiao raised her eyebrows and was quite proud of herself.


    Although her master¡¯s words would offend people, she had always attached great importance to her matters. Even when he was drunk, he would not spout nonsense.


    Of course, this was also the result of his ¡°teaching¡± when she was young.


    Countless times, she had taken advantage of her master¡¯s drunkenness to get him to talk. Every time she seeded, she would take a lot of the money he saved for alcohol. As time went by, whenever she was mentioned, her master would think before he spoke.


    Mo Lingzi was a little disappointed, but when he saw Xie Qiao¡¯s lively appearance, he was even happier.


    She hade to the right ce in the capital.


    Look at her now. Her small face was flushed with a healthy blush. Her talking speed had not changed, but it did not sound fake. Even her coughs had decreased, not to mention the number of times she fainted.


    Mo Lingzi could not help but have a good impression of Xie Niushan¡¯s family and the Crown Prince.


    He was happy.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao had initially nned to make a trip to the criminal division the next day. However, before she could make it, Chun Er received news from the Fortune Pavilion first. Xie Qiao, who looked like Mo Chusheng, hurriedly went over to take a look.


    The person who hade was quite anxious. Xie Qiao did not recognize her.


    When the other party saw her, she was also very polite, but she was a little cautious.


    She was a woman.


    The woman looked fearful and hesitated for a moment, then she said, ¡°I heard that Master has a good ability to catch souls and monsters. I think that you must have seen a lot of things. If I ask you for help, will what you saw... be spread out?¡±


    ¡°If you want to hide it, I will naturally keep it a secret for you.¡± Xie Qiao immediately understood what she meant.


    She looked at this person¡¯s facial features. There was not any major problem or disaster.


    Even her parents pce and children pce were quite normal.


    ¡°Alright, if Master can keep a secret, there will be benefits for you after the matter is settled,¡± the woman said before continuing, ¡°I came to you not for myself, but for my niece. She is about to get married, but for some reason, her personality has changed recently...¡±

 Chapter 1158 - Paranoia

    <h4>Chapter 1158: Paranoia</h4>


    The woman seemed to be afraid that people might be eavesdropping, so she only said a few words.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me to my home to take a look? My niece isn¡¯t home right now, but she should be home in a couple of hours. If there¡¯s no problem, then I¡¯ll look for a doctor to take a look. If there¡¯s a problem... I¡¯ll have to trouble you, master,¡± the woman said.


    Xie Qiao could understand the woman¡¯s thoughts.


    Before a woman was about to get married, it would not be good to create too much of amotion. If the inws could not tolerate that, they might break off the engagement.


    This person first took out a hundred taels of silver. Clearly, her family was wealthy.


    Xie Qiao had also captured souls for ordinary people before. The price was not high, some even paid over ten cash only.


    People like this who did not care about the price and paid silver notes directly were all big families.


    Xie Qiao took the banknotes, informed Shopkeeper Chang, carried the bamboo basket, and went straight into the carriage.


    She was not afraid of danger.


    Although her fate could not be seen clearly, every morning, a simple good or bad fortune could still be predicted. Today was not a good day, but there were no signs of evil.


    This family hid themselves quite well. The carriage turned around and moved. It went around several streets of the capital. After about four hours when Xie Qiao was about to fall apart, only did it stop.


    They arrived at a courtyard.


    This courtyard was quite grand. It was quite close to the courtyard of Prince Ning Bei¡¯s mansion. It was obvious that the family did not guard against her. They were probably afraid of being followed.


    Xie Qiao got off the carriage and followed her inside.


    After entering the courtyard, the woman then said, ¡°Master, to tell you the truth, this niece of mine was at most naive and willful in the past. She definitely did not have a cruel and vicious temper. However, everything has changed in the past month or two. Her temperament has suddenly changed drastically. She would be angry at anyone she sees. asionally, when I talked to her, if things did not go her way, she would get angry again. Several servants in the house were killed. Her mother was afraid that she would cause trouble, so she did not dare to let her see anyone. She was trapped in the house. However, the more she¡¯s trapped, the more paranoid she became...


    ¡°It¡¯s only a few days away from the wedding. If this goes on, there will definitely be trouble on the day of the wedding!¡± The woman was very anxious.


    ¡°Does she have any dissatisfaction with her future husband?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That child¡¯s future is not bad either. He is a young master in the capital. She agrees with this marriage as well. She must have adored that young master.¡± The woman sighed and denied Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    Xie Qiao had not seen her yet, so she could not say for sure what was wrong with her.


    The woman invited her to the main hall and drank tea for a while. After waiting for more than an hour, she finally saw her.


    Xie Qiao was stunned when he saw her.


    He saw the Fourth Prince walking over with his people.


    The girl next to him was wearing a hat. Even Xie Qiao could see that she was reluctant toe from afar.


    Xie Qiao could not say that she knew him, so she pretended not to know him and said calmly, ¡°Is this the girl? Can you take off her hat and let me have a look?¡±


    The Fourth Prince nodded.


    Only then did she see the girl¡¯s face.


    It was the first princess.


    ¡°I heard from my brother that Master Mo is good at reading a person¡¯s facial features. I have no intention to test you, so I¡¯ll speak frankly.¡± The Fourth Prince was quite straightforward, he immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s just that my sister is a little sick. Please take a look, master. There¡¯s no need to hide anything from my brother, but I hope that you won¡¯t reveal anything to the others.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    The Fourth Prince was an honest person. It seemed that he was only sending the person over.


    He sat down obediently. Then, he took out a book from his pocket and lowered his head to read. He did not ask about anything else.

 Chapter 1159 - Anger

    <h4>Chapter 1159: Anger</h4>


    When she entered the pce a few days ago, Xie Qiao found that the first princess was a little worried and seemed to be in a bad mood. Today, she saw that it was even more serious than before.


    The red bump at the end of her eye was bing more and more obvious. It did not look like a pimple. Instead, it looked like a red mole that had been on her skin since she was born.


    There were no ghouls around her.


    It was just that the aura was a little strange. Xie Qiao could feel that the yin, yang, and five elements around her were very chaotic.


    ¡°The first princess looks a little more heroic,¡± Xie Qiao could not help but say.


    The first princess¡¯ aunt, Madam Ruan, also nodded when she heard that. ¡°In the past, the princess¡¯ gaze was a little softer...¡±


    As she spoke, the first princess became even angrier.


    However, it could be seen that she had been restraining herself. The more she did so, the more ferocious she looked.


    ¡°Princess, you must answer my questions. If you want to get married properly, you must not hide it.¡± Xie Qiao reminded her first.


    The princess nodded in annoyance.


    She was a little angry, but she was also very flustered.


    ¡°I heard that you recently killed many pce maids and eunuchs? When you killed, were you rational?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    Were the servants in the pce not pce maids and eunuchs? It was also pitiful that they had encountered that.


    With this question, the first princess¡¯ face turned pale. She clenched her fists and said, ¡°They couldn¡¯t do a good job. I find it annoying to look at them. I really... couldn¡¯t help it. I was not... rational.¡±


    She had tried it. If she did not vent her anger, she would feel restless¡­


    Moreover¡­


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not always angry. Sometimes it¡¯s more serious. It¡¯s fine now. I¡¯m still somewhat conscious.¡± The first princess added.


    She... was also panicking.


    The Empress and Imperial Concubine Meng were both benevolent people. They had always been lenient toward the eunuchs and pce maids in the harem. However, she had killed five people these days. If it were not for her mother holding her back, there would probably be even more people.


    Even so, she could not hide it for long.


    Recently, she did not dare to pay her respects. Even if her father came to Imperial Concubine Meng¡¯s pce, she did not dare to go and see him. She could only hide herself, afraid that if she was not careful, she would cause big trouble.


    However, what about the wedding day?


    If she suddenly fell ill on that day, would she not hurt the imperial family¡¯s face and the rtionship with the Prince Consort¡­


    ¡°Your wedding date is less than five days away, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    The first princess nodded.


    ¡°When do you think you are feeling more and more emotional? Do you know?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    The first princess shook her head.


    Xie Qiao was about to ask again, but she saw the first princess¡¯ expression be more and more ferocious. She gritted her teeth as if she had changed into a different person. ¡°Have you asked enough?! Get out!¡±


    The Fourth Prince¡¯s hand trembled in fear. He almost dropped his book and hurriedly raised his head to look at his eldest sister.


    In reality... he had only heard Consort Ruan mention this matter and did not know what it would look like when she was triggered.


    Now it looked¡­


    It was quite scary. There was a faint trace of worry in his eyes.


    The moment the first princess was triggered, Xie Qiao faintly felt that something was not right. The red mole on her face seemed to be emitting an evil energy.


    It was as if... she was beingpressed there. Something was very wrong.


    This situation was probably a kind of evil technique¡­


    She had not encountered many evil techniques since she was young. She had almost forgotten all the knowledge about evil techniques. At this moment, it was a little difficult for her to think about it.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you escorting this master away?! Do you want me to do it myself?!¡± The first princess shouted again, then, her gaze fell on arge vase beside her. She actually rushed over and picked up the vase and smashed it on Xie Qiao¡¯s head!

 Chapter 1160 - Personal Belongings

    <h4>Chapter 1160: Personal Belongings</h4>


    The sudden appearance of the vase frightened Madam Ruan so much that her heart tightened and her breathing stopped.


    Xie Qiao also did not expect the first princess¡¯ hostility toe so quickly. When she saw the vaseing toward her, she subconsciously used the horsetail whisk in her hand to block it.


    She also secretlyined in her heart and was prepared to be beaten up¡­


    However, she saw that the Fourth Prince acted swiftly and reacted very quickly. The book in his hand instantly flew out and directly hit the first princess¡¯ wrist. In the blink of an eye, the vase fell to the ground!


    With a bang, it rolled to the side from the nket.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s raised hand was a little awkward, but she put it down with a calm look.


    ¡°Thank you, Fourth Prince,¡± Xie Qiao said politely.


    The Fourth Prince let out a sigh of relief, but he looked like a nerd. ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t hurt Master. Eldest Sister, Master Mo is Old Master Li¡¯s disciple. Don¡¯t mess around.¡±


    However, the first princess was currently in a rage and could not listen to him at all.


    Her wrist was in great pain from being smashed by the book, and her eyes were red as if she was going to eat someone. She bared her fangs and brandished her ws, wanting to pounce on Xie Qiao. This time, Xie Qiao immediately dodged. Madam Ruan saw this and she immediately had the servant girl next to her control her, in case someone really died.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to her sudden trigger that I can probably determine what¡¯s wrong with her,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly said.


    Madam Ruan and the Fourth Prince were stunned when they heard that.


    ¡°In that case, she¡¯s really... bewitched? Master, please do something to get rid of that demon!¡± Madam Ruan was very excited.


    ¡°Master, what kind of demon is causing trouble?¡± The Fourth Prince asked curiously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as evil. It¡¯s just an evil technique. It¡¯s just a little strange...¡± Xie Qiao hesitated for a moment, but still chose to tell the truth, ¡°Usually, these evil techniques aren¡¯t easy to create. They require the victim¡¯s birth characters, blood, or hair. It¡¯s not easy to obtain them. It¡¯s even more difficult for the princess to stay in the pce for a long time. Moreover, this evil technique is quite powerful. It doesn¡¯t take her life, but her fortune. If they want the evil technique to seed, not only do one need her blood and birth characters, one would also need the princess to carry the item close to her body.¡±


    The person in front of her was the princess.


    Since ancient times, the nobles in the imperial pce had nock of vicious methods. Killing a few people was not a big deal.


    It was also because the imperial harem was so peaceful that Concubine Ruan became more worried. She became suspicious and asked her mother¡¯s family to help her to find help outside.


    ¡°She carries it around with her? Then...¡± Madam Ruan could not help but look at the first princess.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°This thing should be hidden very deeply. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to discover it just by relying on our eyes. We need to get people over and rece everything on the first princess¡¯ body, including the hairpin and the rings. I¡¯ll check them one by one.¡±


    How could Madam Ruan wait any longer? Completely disregarding the first princess¡¯ emotions, she immediately sent a trusted woman over and had someone escort the first princess into the house.


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and followed her.


    This kind of sorcery was a little tyrannical. In just a short month or two, it had made the victim so angry that they had lost their rationality. Something was not right.


    She had to watch it personally in case she missed something.


    She was thick-skinned. The first princess in front of her was her client. Staring at her, Xie Qiao was no different from staring at a lump of pork. His expression was calm.


    ¡°What¡¯s this on her shoulder?¡± Xie Qiao observed very carefully and asked the first princess¡¯ personal maid.

 Chapter 1161 - Seizing Luck

    <h4>Chapter 1161: Seizing Luck</h4>


    It seemed to be a flower tattooed on it.


    The body, hair and skin of a princess were precious. One would not joke about their own body. Even if it was a flower, it was not normal.


    The maid servant immediately lowered her head and replied, ¡°Master, since our princess was born, there has been a birthmark here. It is not very good-looking. After the engagement, the princess was worried that her future husband would not like it. After listening to the words of a pce maid, she tattooed this flower here. She said it was a fire lotus.¡±


    It was bright red like fire and was indeed pretty.


    ¡°Who drew it?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    ¡°It was that young pce maid. She said that she learned such a skill from someone else. The princess saw that the pattern she drew was pretty and her technique was not bad, so she let her do it,¡± the maid servant said again.


    Xie Qiao frowned.


    There was nothing wrong with this fire lotus. What was wrong was the princess¡¯ aura.


    She had been robbed of her fortune. Her five elements were in disorder, and her golden aura was burning. She should have suppressed it, but she had tattooed a fire lotus on her shoulder. Regardless of its position or size, it was too eye-catching, causing the golden aura to be even more intense.


    This kind of thing was rather strange, but it could also be exined.


    The first princess herself could be considered naive and kind. Although the fire lotus was beautiful, it did not match her temperament. It was said that appearance was born from the heart, but changing one¡¯s appearance after birth would also change one¡¯s temperament¡­


    One would feel a little anxious at a nce. If one saw too many things, it would have a subtle influence.


    Not long after, under the first princess¡¯ roar, they finished changing her clothes.


    Even her hair, Xie Qiao had someoneb it again to make sure that nothing was hidden.


    Then, there was a pile of things.


    Xie Qiao carefully rummaged through them for a while.


    Finally, she saw a small hollow pendant. This pendant was from a hairpin, it looked very inconspicuous.


    Xie Qiao took this thing out.


    She brought it out to show Madam Ruan and the Fourth Prince. She opened her hand and said, ¡°This is it.¡±


    Xie Qiao opened the hollow pendant. There was a ck thing inside. She did not touch it directly with her hand. Instead, she pulled out a silver hairpin from her head and pulled it a few times. She frowned. ¡°It should be something made of the other party¡¯s hair and blood. It was ced on her body.¡±


    Madam Ruan saw that it was just a dirty thing.


    However, she was still a little disgusted by the master¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then do we know who it is?¡± Madam Ruan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who this ck ball belongs to. However, I¡¯ll bring it backter to do a ritual and it will naturally backfire. As for who gave this pendant and arranged for the pce maid to tattoo the princess, I believe that Consort Ruan should be able to find out.¡±


    Madam Ruan stared at the maid servant.


    The maid servant hurriedly knelt down. ¡°This beaded pendant was given by Young Master Dai. My princess cherishes it very much and wears it every day.¡±


    Young Master Dai was the first princess¡¯ future husband.


    In reality, there was no need for the maid servant to say much. Xie Qiao also knew that this matter definitely had something to do with the Prince Consort.


    Previously, Xie Qiao had already seen that the first princess had a bit of a romance tribtion on her face. At that time, this seizing technique was not obvious and she could see it more clearly. Now that it was suppressed by the seizing technique, the romance tribtion could not be seen if one did not look carefully.


    When the Fourth Prince heard that, he was enraged.


    ¡°Many thanks, Master. It¡¯s gettingte. In a while, I will send someone to send you back. Regarding this matter, I will personally ask my brother to make the decision.¡± After saying this, the Fourth Prince took his leave.


    Needless to say, he would definitely go look for the Crown Prince.


    Xie Qiao wanted the Fourth Prince to wait for her... Could she go with him?


    However, this person walked fast, and her slow legs could not keep up.

 Chapter 1162 - Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 1162: Fortune</h4>


    Since she could not keep up, Xie Qiao did not make things difficult for herself. After staying for a while, she gave the first princess a few talismans.


    ¡°Getting rid of evil energy isn¡¯t that simple. After the first princess returned, drink the talisman water three times. In the pce, it¡¯s best to keep some flowers, birds and fish. Don¡¯t bask in the sun, the fire element is too strong, and the lotus patterns on her body have already been tattooed. There¡¯s nothing that you can do about it. It¡¯s just that the mole at the end of her eye needs to be pricked with a golden needle. Draw some blood, and don¡¯t waste that blood. Find a bottle and keep it. Three dayster, give me her eight characters and fresh blood,¡± Xie Qiao arranged.


    Madam Ruan listened carefully and did not dare to go against it.


    However, she thought time was a little tight.


    When she thought about the time, Madam Ruan frowned again. ¡°Master, can you please perform divination on the first princess¡¯ marriage...¡±


    If that thing was given by Young Master Dai, it would be fine if it was unintentional, but what if it was intentional? Why did he want to steal the princess¡¯ fortune?! If he wanted to harm the princess, she definitely could not marry this person, right?!


    However, it was probably not appropriate to exin such matters to His Majesty. If His Majesty did not believe her, she might even implicate Consort Ruan...


    Xie Qiao asked for her eight characters and did a simple calction first.


    ¡°There are more variables. If this marriage is sessful, it would not be good for the princess. I suggest that we find her another husband.¡± After a moment, Xie Qiao replied.


    With that said, the heavy weight in Madam Ruan¡¯s heart became even heavier.


    Master Mo would never lie to them. She had helped many noblemen and every family treated her with great respect. Even the Fourth Prince¡¯s father-inw, Master Yan, had previously called her a witch. He respected Master Mo very much now.


    She was only five days away from getting married. Yet, at thest minute, the marriage was going to be called off?


    It would also be bad for the first princess¡¯s reputation¡­


    However, how could she not listen to the master¡¯s advice?


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go pick up Master in three days,¡± Madam Ruan said very politely.


    Xie Qiao nodded.


    Madam Ruan sent her off.


    After Xie Qiao went back, she immediately went to look for Mo Lingzi. Today, he was at the city gate, setting up a stall. He looked like a fraud.


    Xie Qiao did not mention the first princess, but only mentioned the evil fortune-stealing technique. When Mo Lingzi heard it, he frowned.


    ¡°Someone was robbed of their fortune? Is it a man or a woman?¡± Mo Lingzi asked curiously.


    ¡°Master, I can¡¯t say too much. I just want to ask you if you¡¯ve encountered such a thing before.¡± Xie Qiao looked quite obedient.


    Mo Lingzi scratched his head. ¡°Any evil technique will exhaust one¡¯s spirit. Who wouldn¡¯t want to do it? Unless the other party is strong enough to secure the capital... However, it isn¡¯t something that can be easily done. No matter how rich a person is, there will always be a variable in his or her life. It¡¯s not worth the risk, unless he or she is from the imperial family. With the protection of the nation, the viin would not be at a loss for stealing one¡¯s fortune.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    His master was right.


    Although the first princess was a woman, she was a member of the imperial family and the Emperor¡¯s biological daughter. The current Emperor had few heirs, so the fortunes of every prince and princess would be rtively stronger¡­


    Xie Qiao recalled the astrological signs she had seen previously.


    Perhaps the person behind this wanted to collect dragon energy?


    The more Xie Qiao thought about it, the more she felt that the possibility was very high.


    Initially, she was not in a hurry to interrogate those men in ck, but now, she could not wait any longer.


    Early the next morning, she eagerly followed the Crown Prince to the criminal division.


    Inside the criminal division, it was just like in the past, making Xie Qiao not want to open her eyes. A wisp of ghoul would fly past her eyes every now and then. They were ferocious, strange and terrifying. Just that sharp voice made people¡¯s hearts tremble and did not dare to speak.

 Chapter 1163 - Spent Them All

    <h4>Chapter 1163: Spent Them All</h4>


    Xie Qiao tried her best to keep her head down. She wore a hat on her head, which made her look very strange.


    As soon as she arrived, Xie Pinggang stared at her fiercely.


    Many people in the criminal division had seen her, Master Mo, and they knew that this was the Taoist master that Xie Pinggang respected the most. In the past, they had seen Xie Pinggang lowering his head meekly in front of this master, but now, all of a sudden... his attitude had changed?


    ¡°Sir, could it be that this Master Mo said something terrible?¡± Some bold people with smiling faces could not help but probe.


    There was a group of men in the criminal division. They usually hung out with each other, and they did not have any manners.


    Of course, in front of Xie Pinggang, they had to more or less restrain themselves. Xie Pinggang¡¯s temperament was really too scary, and he was easily angered.


    Xie Pinggang red back at him. ¡°I saw that the Taoist master is as timid as a mouse, and I didn¡¯t think she would go up!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that she¡¯s very capable?¡± After that person said that, he thought about it and decided to follow Xie Pinggang¡¯s instructions. After all, this person was his superior, and he had to respect him, ¡°However, you¡¯re right, Sir. The guards around the Crown Prince always say that this Master Mo is good, but she is a mortal after all, not a god. How can she be as magical as they say? Also...¡±


    As the man spoke, he smiled wretchedly. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Master Mo relied on her rtionship with the Crown Prince to cheat...?¡±


    The officials in the criminal division had not seen much of Mo Chusheng¡¯s abilities.


    They only knew that this person was powerful and could not be provoked.


    At this moment, Xie Pinggang¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    That person was stunned. He felt that Xie Pinggang¡¯s expression was even stranger.


    ¡°Sir?!¡± He felt a little guilty.


    ¡°Did you say Mo Chusheng is a swindler?¡± Xie Pinggang¡¯s tall figure faced the person in front of him and snorted coldly. ¡°Did I say that in the past? It seems that you have deep doubts about my words? Does that mean you don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    No, he did not. ¡°Sir, I only said that Master Mo...¡±


    ¡°You dare to drag His Highness into it? You have guts.¡± Xie Pinggang snorted coldly and directly called someone over. ¡± I¡¯ll beat you up a few times for this crime. Do you yield?¡±


    The person was stunned.


    He¡­ did not?


    He had only said one thing about the Crown Prince, and this was already considered talking bad about His Highness?


    However, looking at Xie Pinggang¡¯s frightening appearance, he did not dare to say the rest of his words. He resigned himself to his fate and was dragged out.


    The others beside him could not help but feel a little fortunate. Fortunately, they were not stupid. Although they could see that there seemed to be a conflict between Xie Pinggang and Master Mo, they did not dare to rashly say anything bad about Master Mo¡­


    This master was favored by many noblemen. There were also those who had interfered in the previous cases. Even if they had not personally witnessed her prowess, it was not right to speak ill of her behind her back.


    Xie Pinggang snorted and followed Xie Qiao¡¯s direction.


    This was his sister. Even if he did not like her, he was the only one who could say it. If he were to fight, what did it have to do with other people?


    ¡°Master, I have never seen the two big treasure chests that you dug up. When will you let me take a look?¡± Xie Pinggang said after he moved closer.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression froze.


    She knew it¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s really unfortunate, Young Master Xie. I¡¯ve spent them all...¡± Xie Qiao chuckled. Her attitude was the same as before, and she was much better at acting than Xie Pinggang.


    Facing Xie Qiao¡¯s expression, Xie Pinggang was a little absent-minded.


    It was as if the fact that Mo Chusheng was his sister was just a dream, and it became more and more unreal.

 Chapter 1164 - Her Junior Brothers Are the Professionals

    <h4>Chapter 1164: Her Junior Brothers Are the Professionals</h4>


    Xie Pinggang was lost in thought for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he almost felt his hair stand on end again.


    ¡°You spent all the gold in the two chests? Did you use all the gold to build a house of gold?¡± Xie Pinggang furrowed his brows. ¡°Such a spendthrift, the Crown Prince...¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, he knew that he could not let the cat out of the bag. He changed his tone and said, ¡°That¡¯s too extravagant. You¡¯re already so old. Don¡¯t you know how to save some money for your retirement?¡±


    He did not doubt Xie Qiao¡¯s words.


    This girl was really a spendthrift. When she lived in the Xie Residence, the expenses of the entire family could notpare to the expenses of her courtyard alone.


    However, those expenses were also necessary. For instance, those medicinal pills, the charcoal fire in winter, her clothes, and the ginseng and bird¡¯s nest wine that she ate¡­


    Her standard of living could not be lowered, or else her body would be weak.


    He had thought that the two big chests wouldst for a while, but he did not expect her to spend them all so fast¡­


    It seemed that she had saved money when she was at the Xie Residence?


    ¡°That was a windfall. How could I spend it all by myself? Half of it was used for charity.¡± Xie Qiao was very calm. She was not afraid that Xie Pinggang would look into it.


    She also knew that the money she had given him to keep his mouth shut was too little. Her eldest brother had put a lot of effort into her dowry, but if she did not have money, then she did not have money. She could not make money out of nothing?


    The remaining half of the money was divided into a portion for her younger siblings to save, and a portion was ced in the Fortune Pavilion to maintain expenses. The remaining small portion was used to buy some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to send other ghouls to reincarnation. There really was not much left.


    For instance, Fu Hanwen, who had died in the Octagon Garden earlier, had been included in her painting after all. So when this person was buried, she had even given him a slightly more expensive funeral ritual.


    During Qingming Festival, she had even sent him to reincarnation.


    He was a water ghoul. When he was reincarnated, she had bought gold powder and found a high-quality academic excellence brush. She had found the best ink and written quite a number of scriptures to burn. Only then was she able to bless his body bit by bit¡­


    Also, she had to buy the medicinal herbs used to concoct cow tears. After using cow tears, the side effects of the Fu parents and future wife were great. She also had to give them some things to keep them safe¡­


    It was all money!


    It would not work if something was missing.


    Thinking of this, Xie Qiao¡¯s heart ached, but she could not do anything about it.


    ¡°Master Xie, I¡¯m afraid you still don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve built an ancestral hall for the Baili family. Now that it¡¯s finished, I¡¯m preparing to take in a few children and raise them as descendants of the Baili family. The entire world map was drawn by the Baili family. If we think about it, the Xie family also has to take care of the Baili family. In the future, Young Master Xie, you¡¯ll have to take care of those children more...¡± Xie Qiao added.


    The corner of Xie Pinggang¡¯s mouth twitched.


    So it turned out that not only was he unable to benefit from those big treasure chests, he still had to pay for it?


    ¡°Baili family... It¡¯s just a painting. It¡¯s already given to the emperor. What does it have to do with me?¡± Xie Pinggang was not happy.


    Why would he take care of the children?!


    ¡°Young Master Xie... I¡¯m so busy, are you really not going to help me?¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s face was full of resentment.


    She was going to take the ghoul of Baili Ji around. There were a lot of beggars in the capital. It all depended on his taste. He would pick a few of them himself.


    Now she had learned a lot from the Baili family. After taking them in, she would find a house to keep them. Of the five junior brothers, apart from the Crown Prince, they could all be teachers.


    Especially Xiao Yurong. Even if they were not suitable to be his direct disciple, it did not matter. asionally, he would give them pointers. It was enough for them for the rest of their lives.


    Once they were enlightened, they could pass on the things of the Baili family to them in the future. It could be considered that they would have sessors.


    She wanted to teach them personally, but she could not.


    There were too many things to do and she could not do all of them. Instead, it would dy her clients. Her junior brothers were the professionals to be teachers.

 Chapter 1165 - Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 1165: Interrogation</h4>


    Xie Pinggang felt aggrieved. If this was his own younger brother, he would give him a p directly. He would not help him, right?


    Facing Xie Qiao, he was a little soft-hearted after all. He gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money. If you give me enough money, I will take care of those children in the future and raise them as my sons. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Sir.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    This eldest brother of hers was fierce and had a scary reputation. In the future, he would often interact with those children. There would definitely be no one bullying the children who did not have parents. It would be even better if he taught them some martial arts to protect themselves.


    Of course, the reason he came to look for Xie Pinggang was because his eldest brother¡¯s fate was not very good.


    He was too rigid. If he could raise a few children, it would be beneficial to him.


    The fate of loneliness could be changed, so he had to wear it out slowly.


    In addition, as he was older, he was less anxious and less impulsive. His temper was slowly restrained, and his fate would naturally be softer.


    Her face was calm, and Xie Pinggang sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re not healthy, would you feel sorry for all that gold? How can raising someone else¡¯s child bepared to your own? I was even prepared to hold my nephew, you...¡±


    Xie Pinggang was in the middle of urging her, but when he felt the Crown Prince¡¯s gaze, he immediately changed his words. ¡°Tell that sister of mine to work harder...¡±


    Xie Qiao stared at him speechlessly.


    Luckily, he was able to hold it back. If he really let the cat out of the bag, she would remove all the talismans on her body and kill him!


    While they were talking, they arrived at the water cure where the ck-clothed men were being held.


    This ce... was dark and damp. There were probably quite a lot of snakes, insects and rats. Just looking at it gave people goosebumps.


    Xie Qiao did not have time to sympathize with the death warriors. In such a dynasty, the hierarchy was strict. Some people bought lives and some people sold their lives. As a Taoist master, she could not do anything about it.


    Moreover, these people almost killed her and the Crown Prince.


    ¡°How is it? Do you see anything?¡± Xie Pinggang asked with concern.


    Zhao Xuanjing was also standing at the side. The tworge human-shaped pirs made Xie Qiao feel much more at ease. She was also less afraid of the ghouls floating in front of her.


    The ghouls in the criminal division were more terrifying than any other ce.


    Their appearance and resentment were terrifying.


    ¡°I can see it. It¡¯s just that... There are many ghouls. I need to distinguish them.¡± Xie Qiao gestured for them to wait.


    The ghouls in this ce were all quite wild.


    It was not difficult to notice that there was indeed a ghoul. It was very different from the others. It was a man in his forties. His face was pale and his eyes were numb. He followed one of the ck-clothed men.


    Xie Qiao pointed at him and asked Xie Pinggang to bring him up.


    This ck-clothed man was already tortured until he was gasping for air. He was almost like a dead person. Xie Qiao was also terrified when she saw that.


    It was no wonder that the people outside felt terrified when they heard the name of the criminal division¡­


    There was no good skin on him when he entered this ce. However, the criminal division usually did not care about regr cases. Most of the people who were severely punished were criminals with ruled cases, so they were not pitiful.


    Xie Qiao almost could not breathe in this water cure.


    The Crown Prince and Xie Pinggang only felt that the smell was a little bad in this ce, but itwas different for her. In front of her eyes were those dirty, evil spirits. It was as if they could enter her body with one breath.


    The officials and jailers here were protected by the righteousness of officials. They would be fine if they breathed in too much, but those prisoners were different. The longer they stayed there, the worse their spirits became. Even if they were not tortured, if they stayed in this ce for ten days to eight months, their bodies would not be able to recover for at least a few years.


    Zhao Xuanjing had someone prepare a clean cell.


    No one had died in there, and the sunlight made one much morefortable.


    Even the man in ck seemed to have calmed down a little aftering to this cell. He did not look so miserable anymore.

 Chapter 1166 - Slaughter

    <h4>Chapter 1166: ughter</h4>


    Xie Qiao had someone prepare a chair for the ck-clothed man so that he would not faint when she asked questions.


    However, her actions made the ck-clothed man panic even more.


    He could not live, he could not die, and he had endured so many great punishments... He thought that after the great punishment, he would die, but he did not expect things to change again.


    What were they doing¡­


    Could it be that after he recovered, he was punished again?


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Xie Qiao asked the ghoul.


    The ck-clothed man thought that Xie Qiao was asking him, but he still gritted his teeth and did not say anything. When the ghoul saw that Xie Qiao seemed to be staring straight at him, although he knew that Xie Qiao was not looking at him, he still muttered, ¡°I am Fu Ankai from Dongyu¡­ I have sons and a daughter. My sons are Fu Jian and Fu Chao, and my daughter... Fu Ruozhen...¡±


    ¡°Fu Ankai,¡± Xie Qiao repeated, ¡°The person in front of you killed you?¡±


    As soon as Xie Qiao¡¯s voice was heard, the ck-clothed man revealed a terrified expression and looked at her in disbelief.


    His entire body began to tremble violently. He struggled non-stop as if he wanted to escape.


    Fu Ankai¡¯s ghoul also looked at her in shock. Suddenly, the ghoul that was initially not breathing became restless. ¡°It¡¯s them! ¡°They did it. His sword fell on me and my wife! My entire family, the elderly, servants, children, except for my daughter, all died! 17 people died! Please do justice for me!¡±


    ¡°17 people? Can you tell me in detail?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    It was painful to relive the past, but it was clear that this ck-clothed man cared about his name. The more he said, the more likely it was to pry the ck-clothed man¡¯s mouth open.


    ¡°My family was quite wealthy. We made a living by buying seafood from fishermen and know many merchants whoe and go. That night, my wife and I went to bed early. In the middle of the night, we heard amotion. When we came out, we saw that it was a group of beasts who were shing people with swords! My elderly parents were already stabbed. My wife and I were also killed in the courtyard... After I died, I was unwilling and wandered around the courtyard..


    ¡°My parents were stabbed more than ten times, my two sons and daughter... I don¡¯t know the whereabouts of my daughter. My sons...¡±


    As he said that, he shed tears and said hatefully, ¡°These animals. My youngest son was only seventeen or eighteen, and his arm was cut off. He bled to death, and my eldest son fought back with all his might. He was killed and pushed into the well! All the other servants were not spared!


    ¡°I followed them all the time, but I could not do anything. They killed everyone and searched my house thoroughly. There were pearls, corals, and other goods in my house¡¯s warehouse, but they were all robbed.


    ¡°These animals wanted money, so I gave it to them. Why did they kill my family and take my daughter away?


    ¡°It was this man who killed me. I could only follow him, but I could not find my daughter...¡±


    It was truly tragic.


    Xie Qiao ryed his words one by one.


    The more the ck-clothed man listened, the more afraid he became.


    He knew the most about the situation that day!


    He knew more than anyone else how many of those corals and pearls there were!


    Back then, he had followed them to ughter the entire Fu family. Some of them had died long ago, while some had not followed them at all. In the team that assassinated the Crown Prince this time, not a single person knew about this matter in such detail. After so many days, he did not say a single word. H-How did this person know so much?!


    ¡°I beg you, Master, I don¡¯t beg for revenge. My family is already in such a state. I only want to know where my daughter went...¡± Fu Ankai said.


    After following the ck-clothed man for so long, he probably knew why he had died.


    He had never thought about revenge, because it was too difficult.

 Chapter 1167 - A Dog That Bites Does Not Bark

    <h4>Chapter 1167: A Dog That Bites Does Not Bark</h4>


    Since Xie Qiao had asked about the death of this ghoul, she could only agree to his request.


    ¡°I will do my best. However, this ck-clothed man has a tight mouth. I am afraid that it will not be easy to interrogate him,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    ¡°As long as you do your best, it will be fine... It is better than me following him and not even having the ability to interrogate him...¡± Fu Ankai was very reasonable.


    Seeing him like that, Xie Qiao felt even more pitiful for this person.


    ¡°Then can you tell me why you got into trouble? Also, do you know who the master behind this person is?¡± Xie Qiao asked again.


    After Xie Qiao said that, Zhao Xuanjing said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s Prince Rong.¡±


    Xie Qiao also thought of Prince Rong.


    The capital was not close to the sea. Among the people who came to the capital this time, only Prince Rong was generous. Previously, he had given the Xie family a very precious coral, but it was transferred to the emperor. However, it was said that other than the coral, during the time Prince Rong was in the capital, he had also given out many pearls. The gifts for each family were extremely generous.


    This person was the most suspicious.


    Hearing the Crown Prince¡¯s words, the expression on the ck-clothed man¡¯s face exined everything.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following him all this time. I heard him chatting with others, and only then did I know how unjust my family was!


    ¡°Two years ago, my family received a lot of sea goods. Even the blood-red coral, there were several of them. There were also a few pearls the size of longans. Although these were priceless, they were all done by me, but they were only small businesses. I was only the middleman. The fishermen and I who went into the sea did not get much money... The businesses were also set by someone earlier, so I did not dare to break the contract and not sell them.


    ¡°But one day, someone suddenly came and said that he wanted to take my things. The price he offered was extremely low. That person had a fierce look on his face and looked like he was not someone to be trifled with. However, I really did not dare to go against him, so I could only tell the truth. The other party did not say anything at that time, but who knew that he would actually do such a thing!


    ¡°When I heard the truth, I was so angry that I almost went crazy, but I was unable to do anything.


    ¡°There are many of them. They usually practice martial arts in the same ce and are asionally called on missions. Most of them do some killing. Although I became a ghoul, I was still afraid after seeing those things.


    ¡°Only once, this person was called over by their master. It was a woman...¡± Fu Ankai added.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she was also a little suspicious. ¡°A woman?¡±


    Could it be Princess Rong?


    However, although Princess Rong¡¯s appearance was not very good, she did not seem to have that much evil energy. She should not have been stained with so much blood, right?


    ¡°Yes, it was a woman. They called her Her Highness... She seemed to be a great consort. That person was very noble!¡± Fu Ankai hurriedly added, ¡°At that time, I bared my fangs and brandished my ws, wanting to take revenge. I did not expect that the great consort had a very powerful talisman on her. I couldn¡¯t get close to her at all and almost vanished into thin air...¡±


    Xie Qiao was also shocked.


    Great Consort Hui seemed to havee to the capital with him this time.


    Great Consort Hui did note from a noble background, and it was said that she was not in good health. Thus, when Prince Rong was young, he was sent to be raised by Great Consort Mei. Great Consort Mei was the oddball who used bone powder to fertilize flowers when Xie Qiao entered the pce earlier.


    It was said that Prince Rong was not close to his birth mother when he was young, but when the emperor ascended the throne, Prince Rong made a mistake and was banished from the capital. However, he invited Great Consort Hui and brought her to the fief to support him.


    The emperor pitied his young age and agreed.


    This person had always been invisible. It was estimated that even the empress¡¯s mother-inw could not have recalled such a person.


    As expected, it was like the saying, ¡°a dog that bites does not bark¡±. Who would have thought that this person had actually done so many disgusting things?

 Chapter 1168 - Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 1168: Sacrifice</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing seemed to be recalling what this Great Consort Hui looked like, but no matter how he thought about it, he had no impression of her at all.


    ¡°Since she has a talisman on her, there should be an expert by her side,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said.


    He was a little worried about Xie Qiao.


    These ck-clothed people were not a big problem, but this incident was extremely mysterious. If they secretly used some method, she would not be able to help.


    Xie Qiao looked at Fu Ankai and continued to ask, ¡°When you followed this person, did you see anything else? What evil things did they do?¡±


    As Xie Qiao spoke, she asked Xie Pinggang to record everything.


    Fu Ankai thought for a moment, ¡°He killed many people, but I don¡¯t know them. I only know that they were all from Prince Rong¡¯s fief. Some of them were from poor families. Their daughters... Their daughters were young and beautiful, but they could not be bought by force. Their entire family suffered.¡±


    His daughter was also young, and she was only twelve years old.


    Xie Qiao was already a little worried when she heard that.


    The women who were taken away would probably not have a good ending. They could either be ves, concubines or¡­


    She already suspected that the first princess¡¯ illness was rted to Great Consort Hui. If that was the case, there must be an evil person around Great Consort Hui. When this evil person performed evil techniques, they would often need the blood of children and women as sacrifices¡­


    If that was the case, Fu Ankai¡¯s daughter would most likely be in grave danger.


    Xie Qiao did not give him too much hope and told him the truth.


    When Fu Ankai heard that, his entire soul could not help but tremble. He looked even more pale and weak, looking very pitiful.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m useless. I did a small business and actually implicated my parents, wife, and children. If I can find my daughter now, that would naturally be good. If I can¡¯t... Master, please try your best to find her corpse, or... sacrifice the person who killed my daughter to the Heavens!¡±


    At first, he really did not have any thoughts of taking revenge.


    Now, hearing that his daughter was very likely to be killed by witchcraft¡­


    He feltpletely different now.


    He also knew that if he gotten involved with witchcraft, he might even lose his soul. It would not be just death¡­


    How could he not be resentful?


    At this moment, the ck-clothed man¡¯s heart had already turned cold.


    How was this an interrogation? Xie Qiao was only looking at him, and she had actually thoroughly investigated all the things he had done in the past! In fact, many things were only known to himself, and now, they had all been revealed!


    How could he hide that?!


    He looked nervous, but when he saw that the Taoist master did not seem to have any intention of asking him, he became even more flustered. ¡°Is there... something beside me?¡±


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she sneered. ¡°Are you going to interrogate me now, or should I interrogate you?¡±


    The ck-clothed man¡¯s legs trembled.


    He was really not afraid of living things.


    However, if it was something dead¡­


    He had done many evil deeds, and he was also worried that he would have to pay back his debts after he died... He was not afraid that there would be ghouls looking for him in his dreams, but he was afraid that what he had done wrong in this life would implicate him in suffering in the next life.


    He was born lowly, and he thought that it was because he was unlucky. However, if he had to suffer for the rest of his life because of what had happened in this life, then... how could he have the chance to make aeback?


    ¡°I already know what I should know now. If there¡¯s anything that¡¯s not clear that you¡¯d like to rify, I won¡¯t stop you. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll send you on your way in a while,¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s tone was indifferent, it was as if she was already looking at a dead person.


    The ck-clothed man was not at ease. He carefully said, ¡°H-How¡¯s hell like...¡±

 Chapter 1169 - The Woman

    <h4>Chapter 1169: The Woman</h4>


    Since he could not live, he could only think of the better days after his death.


    ¡°Hell? You must have heard a lot of stories in the past. It should be about the same,¡± Xie Qiao said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m advising you. In life, no matter how many mistakes you make, you should still say a few kind words before you die. Maybe because of these kind words, your crimes would be less serious in your next life? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not willing to be a death warrior. Or maybe there are rtives in your family who are controlled by your master. Now, I know clearly what I shouldn¡¯t know. In your master¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re all traitors. How can you protect your family?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me now? If you¡¯re really forced into a corner, you can also atone for your crimes slightly. Or maybe you can make it in time for your family to be saved?¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    To be saved... that was impossible.


    If Prince Rong was given a fiefdom, it would be beyond the reach of the whip.


    However, Xie Qiao could be sure that if she exined it clearly, regardless of whether he was dead or alive, he would be able to bear less pain.


    However, when she thought of that, she was suddenly stunned. She felt that she had thought wrongly.


    She smiled coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯m wrong. I actually forgot where this ce is.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll go to hell directly after you die. Even if you suffer a lot, you¡¯d still be able to survive one day. It doesn¡¯t matter if you be a cow or a dog in your next life, you¡¯d still exist. However, if you¡¯re unlucky, you¡¯ll be trapped in this criminal division forever after you die and be devoured by the other ghouls. The pain you¡¯ll suffer is much more severe than the thousands of knives in your body.¡± Xie Qiao was very good at scaring people.


    After she finished speaking, the expression of the ck-clothed man changed.


    The Taoist master in front of him did not seem to be lying.


    Moreover, he also knew that this Taoist master was quite capable. This kind of cultivator would not spew nonsense.


    ¡°I¡­¡± The ck-clothed man hesitated for a while. When he saw Xie Qiao getting up to leave, he hurriedly let go. ¡°We are the death warriors who work for Prince Rong!


    ¡°After Great Consort Hui arrived at the fief, she had people choose young children to raise. When I was selected, I was a little older. I was already ten years old, so I was not very important. I was mostly sent to collect beauties or treasures for Prince Rong.


    ¡°I was lucky to meet Great Consort Hui three or five times. She is very, very young. She looked like she was thirty years old... I heard from the people who worked with her that she had a lot of aides. These people would help her contact some of the courtiers in the court, and also...


    ¡°This time, Great Consort Hui brought many beauties with her. These beauties are all very beautiful, and they have all been sent to noble families through various means...¡±


    After the ck-clothed man said that, he became more and more exhausted.


    He was under a lot of pressure.


    He had been taught to be loyal for so many years. Now that he suddenly betrayed his master, he definitely could not stand it.


    Zhao Xuanjing and Xie Pinggang frowned hard.


    ¡°Beauties? A few days ago, my father went out to drink, and I smelled a lot of strange fragrance. I asked a few more questions, and my father said that it was a woman at the brothel. She sold her skills but not her body. She was very attentive to him and even thought of asking him to help her redeem herself. However, my father did not have any money, and that woman was too beautiful, so he did not agree. Later, that woman was bought by my father¡¯s colleague,¡± Xie Pinggang suddenly said.


    When Xie Niushan went out, he had at most 30 to 50 taels of silver in his hands.


    Even though that was quite a lot for an ordinary family, it was really not enough for people who went out to drink. He had even learned to get others to treat him.


    In any case, he was the father-inw of the Crown Prince, and others respected him. It was just a meal, and they were all fighting to pay for him.

 Chapter 1170 - Clean Up

    <h4>Chapter 1170: Clean Up</h4>


    Xie Niushan was able to get to where he was today from being a bandit. Naturally, he did not rely on his stupidity.


    He only epted his colleagues¡¯ treat once in a while, and the food he ate were all ordinary dishes. He did not dare to ept the other party¡¯s expensive gifts, afraid that he would be schemed against.


    As for women, he had thought about them before, but after Xie Qiao became the Princess Consort, he hadpletely stopped thinking about them.


    He could not find a new mother-inw for the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s mother-inw could only be the family¡¯s tigress. Even though she was no longer around, her glory lingered. It would not be good for others to take it away from her.


    Therefore, when he saw those women who came knocking on his door, he would at most touch their hands, hug them, and give them a couple of kisses. He would definitely not take the next step.


    Even if he felt stifled in his heart, he could only ept his fate.


    However, as he was really following the rules now, even the members of the Lin family were polite when they saw him at Xie Qiao¡¯s wedding.


    That was the current Xie Niushan.


    This ck-clothed man did not know much, and he had indeed said everything he could.


    When he came out of the criminal division, Zhao Xuanjing also had a headache.


    Prince Rong was only ten years older than him, but he was still his uncle. He was just a man in ck. Even if his confession went to his father, no matter how much his father trusted him, it would not be good for him to arrest him directly.


    Xie Qiao did not disturb him.


    There were many things for him to do. At the very least, he had to investigate all the families these women had fallen into.


    Also, he had to find out about how long and how close Prince Rong was with the people he secretly contacted. He also had to find out that it was not that the Crown Prince did not have any aides by his side. It was just that he did not need them on normal days and was very idle, it was time for them to show their faces ande up with strategies.


    Xie Qiao did not need to intervene in these matters.


    However, before she left, Xie Qiao thought of Meng Jifang and said, ¡°Previously, I calcted that Meng Jifang had a romantic tribtion. Recently, didn¡¯t the public say that he had two beautiful foreign beauties? Could it be two of those women?¡±


    ¡°The inexplicable appearance of these beauties is most likely not from the right background, and they are foreign...¡± Zhao Xuanjing thought of the results of Xie Qiao and the grand preceptor¡¯s divination by looking at the stars, and he already had an idea. ¡°Since Great Consort Hui knows to contact the courtiers, she must have people in Mount Rong as well.¡±


    Secretly, she must have given Mount Rong many benefits, right?


    It was still early to find out.


    In the imperial family, besides him, there were two other princes. Even if his father was in trouble, it was not Prince Rong¡¯s turn to ascend to the throne. So... his two brothers also needed to be careful.


    Zhao Xuanjing entered the pce first.


    He also knew about the matter of his eldest sister. If her situation was also done by Prince Rong¡¯s family, then his scheme was already deep in the pce.


    He needed to get his mother to clean up the pce without leaving a trace.


    Xie Qiao continued to do her own things obediently.


    On that day, the first princess came out again. This time, she had received the royal decree and went out. She even invited Young Master Dai to meet her in the courtyard.


    This time, the first princess¡¯plexion was much better than before. It could be seen that the talisman water was useful. In addition, there was a wound at the end of her eye, but the red mole¡¯s color was not as bright.


    When Young Master Dai saw the first princess, he was first delighted, then a look of surprise shed across his face.


    ¡°What? Boheng, are you not happy to see me?¡± The first princess asked.


    Dai Boheng was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. ¡°How can that be? Our wedding day will be in two days. ording to the rules, it¡¯s not good to see each other now. I¡¯m worried that it¡¯s not good for the Princess...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not good about it? It¡¯s just some stupid rules. Even if I don¡¯t abide by them, what can they do? As for you, why don¡¯t you show some concern seeing that the wound on my face has not healed?¡±

 Chapter 1171 - Cannot Hide

    <h4>Chapter 1171: Cannot Hide</h4>


    Dai Boheng¡¯s expression was somewhat awkward. His gazended on Xie Qiao, but he had never seen her before. He only looked at her clothes and his brows furrowed.


    ¡°How can I not care about the Princess? Last time, I identally injured the Princess¡¯ precious body. After returning, my heart has been tormented to this day. It¡¯s just that previously, the Princess had sent a letter saying that the injuries were almost healed. I don¡¯t know why, but now...¡±


    Before he could finish his words, the first princess stood up.


    ¡°Boheng, you said that you wanted to give me a hairpin. I was pleasantly surprised, so I let you be. However, you were flustered and actually injured my face. I did not me you, right?¡± The first princess asked faintly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Dai Boheng¡¯s heart grew colder and colder.


    ¡°I initially thought that you were really nervous when you saw me!¡± As soon as the first princess finished speaking, there was a sudden loud noise as she pped Dai Boheng.


    The ornament in her hand instantly scratched Dai Boheng¡¯s face.


    Xie Qiao did not say anything as he observed Prince Consort Dai.


    He was indeed not bad-looking. He had a schrly aura about him, and he did not look like an ambitious person. He probably... was under someone¡¯s control.


    Dai Boheng immediately knelt down. ¡°Princess... Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? You pricked my face, and I¡¯ll return this injury to you. What¡¯s wrong with that?!¡± The first princess felt both angry and cold.


    Sad? Yes.


    When she woke up that day, she remembered that her situation was caused by her beloved. Her heart was boiling, and she was in extreme pain!


    She could not figure it out, and she even wondered if she had done something wrong!


    Her mother washed her face with tears. Yesterday, her brother, the Crown Prince, had asked her to go to the Eastern Pce to ask how she was doing¡­


    After lecturing her about how ridiculous she had been these past few days, she remembered that she was the princess of a country. She had almost ruined her father¡¯s dignity because of Dai Boheng!


    ¡°Princess... We¡¯re getting married in two days...¡± Now, she had hurt his face?


    ¡°Get married? Before I came, my mother had already gone to ask the Empress to make the decision. The engagement between the two of us is off. Today, after you leave this ce, outsiders will only say that you, Dai Boheng, have a mad illness and lied to the imperial family. When you were sick, you even tried to kill me! The Dai family hid the fact that you were sick, and the entire family is guilty. Don¡¯t even think about running away!¡± The first princess said everything clearly.


    When Dai Boheng heard that, he raised his head in shock.


    ¡°Why is the Princess so cruel to me? My feelings for you can be seen by the sun and the moon. Even if the princess has changed her feelings, there¡¯s no need to...¡±


    ¡°Huh? You still want to continue ying dumb? Did you not get the pce maid to tattoo me? The hairpin that was tainted with evil energy ruined my face and stained my blood. Was it you? You said that you were willing to marry me, so what did you send the hair for? Dai Boheng, I called you here today not to humiliate you, nor to harm your entire family. You should understand that the only one who can save your entire family is me!¡± The first princess said coldly.


    The crime of lying to the princess would not let the Dai family lose their lives.


    It was inappropriate to tell the public about witchcraft. If it were to spread, it would affect the people¡¯s morale.


    However, Prince Rong was guilty. If the Dai family was found to be involved with Prince Rong in the future, there would be no chance for them to turn their life around!


    Now, they had confessed honestly. For the sake of the past, they could at least protect their innocent young son in the future!


    The first princess was so angry that she wanted Dai Boheng to close his eyes and lose his life.


    However, ever since the engagement, she had genuinely liked him. She also knew that Dai Boheng should not have been such a despicable person. There must be some reason behind it, so she was willing to give him a chance to exin clearly!


    Since the first princess had already said so much, how could Dai Boheng not understand?


    He closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t hide it from the Princess...¡±

 Chapter 1172 - Mercy

    <h4>Chapter 1172: Mercy</h4>


    Dai Boheng waspletely dispirited on the ground. In an instant, he lost the confidence and confidence of the elegant young master before he entered the room.


    His heart was as dead as ash. He slowly said, ¡°I have never lied to the Princess. I only me myself for pulling tricks on her...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying all this now? It¡¯s true that you bullied me, and it¡¯s true that you hurt me. Just because you pulled tricks on me, do you think you¡¯re innocent?¡± The first princess said coldly, ¡°If you tell the truth today, your family still has some leeway. If you continue to deceive me, you¡¯ll definitely die!¡±


    Dai Boheng raised his head to look at her.


    Heughed in a mocking manner.


    ¡°The Dai family is already dead.¡± He sighed. ¡°Now that the Princess knows that she¡¯s been bewitched, I¡¯m afraid she knows clearly who did it and what the other party did, right?


    ¡°My family can be considered innocent. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have chosen me to marry you... It¡¯s a pity that my family was unfortunate. When my second uncle was sent out to be an official, he made a huge mistake... That mistake caused my entire family to suffer. I thought that I could hide it for a lifetime, but I didn¡¯t expect that after Prince Rong returned to the capital, he woulde looking for me. Back then, the letters were in his hands, and he knew all the ounts clearly. If I didn¡¯t do as he asked...¡±


    Dai Boheng gave a wry smile.


    ¡°First Princess, if we were to marry, perhaps with the protection of the Princess, I would be able to escape this cmity. However, how could I not care about my parents and brothers?¡± Dai Boheng said.


    When the first princess heard that, she scoffed. ¡°So you abandoned me? You used my life in exchange for your entire family?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Dai Boheng¡¯s heart jolted. ¡°I won¡¯t harm the Princess¡¯ life! The people sent by Prince Rong said that this is a fortune-stealing technique. The Princess has the imperial family¡¯s fortune. If I take away this fortune, the Princess will only be... unfortunate for a while, but you are the Princess...¡±


    As she was the princess, even if she lost her fortune, she would only be injured at most. It was not to the point of losing her life.


    However, his words made the first princess¡¯ heart turn cold.


    She initially thought that perhaps he had been coerced and had no choice but to do so. He should have some care for her in his heart.


    However, she did not expect that his so-called care would be so cheap.


    ¡°As long as I have my life, it will be your mercy to me, right?¡± The first princess was extremely hurt and smiled instead. ¡°In the imperial family, who would live a good life when they made a big mistake and are forgiven? Prince Rong kept his life, but that was when he was young when he made the mistake. Even so, he was sent to a remote fief. My second brother and third brother are still alive, but one became amoner and the other was imprisoned. How are they living freely?


    ¡°As a princess, if I reallymitted an unforgivable crime, even if they did not kill me with a foot of white silk, I would not have an easy life for the rest of my life!¡±


    The first princess felt that Dai Boheng was extremelyughable.


    If the princess made a fool of herself, her father, in order to protect the imperial family¡¯s dignity even if he was not willing, he would still have to take action against her!


    Whether he was sent to the Taoist temple for cultivation or imprisoned for life, they would all be notorious for thousands of years. Moreover, she still had her mother!


    It was fine if she suffered alone, but what about her mother?! Was she not innocent?!


    ¡°Tell me, who did your second unclemunicate with? How could those letters have such a great impact?¡± The first princess asked again.


    ¡°He... When he was an official overseas, he got to know many traveling merchants. Those people held many rare treasures produced by Mount Rong in their hands. My second uncle was envious for a moment and thought the price was cheap and fair. He almost gave half of them to him, so he often bought them. Later that year, on the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, my second uncle sold... the border defense map in order to buy a piece of jade. That was why the people of Mount Rong attacked so quickly back then. There was no strength to resist at the border at all...¡±


    Were it not for the bandit¡¯s sudden fall from the sky, the bodies of thousands of people would have been cold by the time the imperial court came to their aid.

 Chapter 1173 - Great Sin

    <h4>Chapter 1173: Great Sin</h4>


    When the first princess heard Dai Boheng¡¯s words, she waspletely dumbfounded.


    She thought that someone from the Dai family had done something greedy, corrupt, and illegal, or perhaps, just like the Meng family, they were thinking about pushing the Fourth Prince to the throne and secretly doing something to let the Crown Prince down¡­


    However, who would have thought that he was actually colluding with the enemy?!


    Her hands could not help but tremble.


    She also knew about the situation at the border back then. When the capital received the news, they had already broken through two or three cities. A few of the guards at the border had died, and the generals in the court had their own duties. In a short period of time, they could not even find a suitable person to go to the battlefield. Even if they had chosen a person, they still needed time to prepare the rations and gather the troops. If they were to head over from the capital, they would not be able to make it in time even if they sped up their march.


    At that time, his father was so anxious that he could not sleep well. The harem was also filled with worry.


    Later, when he suddenly said that the border had been guarded, father was extremely happy. Even if it was a bandit leading troops to guard it, he still said that he wanted to reward him, and he wanted to reward him greatly!


    Having a bandit as an official was supposed to be a big joke in the world, but it had been done!


    Now, he was telling her that the incident back then was the work of the Dai family?


    ¡°Even I can¡¯t help you with this matter.¡± The first princess sat back in her seat and looked at Dai Boheng with apletely disappointed gaze. ¡°If you really have the heart to repent, why don¡¯t you let your elders go to the main hall and tell everyone about this matter? Your grandfather has also made a lot of contributions over the years. Perhaps, he can keep your family¡¯s lives, and not everyone would lose their lives.¡±


    However, she was not sure if it could be done this way.


    This crime was too great.


    Dai Boheng also knew that there was no way out now.


    Xie Qiao had been sitting by the side the whole time. Dai Boheng now had no secrets, and he did not have much life left. ¡°The evil technique in you... If it can be resolved, I am willing to do my best...¡±


    ¡°This matter... you really can¡¯t be of much help,¡± Xie Qiao said. ¡°You didn¡¯t take the fortune... If it has to be returned, perhaps it can be done with Prince Rong¡¯s blood.¡±


    The ck mixture from before could not be used anymore.


    The evil technique had already been formed, and that thing was emitting a wave of evil energy. The talisman water that she had prepared for the first princess previously had a restraining effect, but it could not bepletely dissolved.


    If she wanted to take back the fortune, she had to set up a fortune-stealing formation.


    Dai Boheng thought for a moment. ¡°I have alreadymitted a crime. Please give me one day, Princess. When I return, I will deliver Prince Rong¡¯s blood. After that, my grandfather will enter the pce to apologize. In this life, it is all my fault that I can not be together with the Princess. In my next life, I will be a cow and a horse to repay the Princess.¡±


    After saying this, Dai Boheng stood up and staggered out.


    The first princess wanted to speak, but she hesitated. In the end, she turned her head away.


    She could tolerate other sins.


    However, this one, she could not.


    Even if the person whomitted the sin was not him, but the second uncle of the Dai family, she was the daughter of the imperial family. She could marry anyone in this life, but she could not have any rtions with those who rebelled against the enemy!


    ¡°Master, without Prince Rong¡¯s blood, the first princess¡¯s illness is not...¡± Madam Ruan sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m only saying that without blood, the fortune that has already been taken away can not be returned,¡± Xie Qiao exined seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll do itter. I¡¯ll first protect the princess from the future. Even without Prince Rong¡¯s blood, her fortune won¡¯t be taken away in the future. However, this witchcraft has been going on for a long time. I¡¯m afraid that the princess¡¯s best fortune has been taken away by him. If we can¡¯t bring it back, I¡¯m afraid that the princess will have trouble in her next life.¡±


    Especially in the aspect of marriage. There would definitely be major problems.


    The first princess nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Master.¡±

 Chapter 1174 - Great Consort Hui

    <h4>Chapter 1174: Great Consort Hui</h4>


    Xie Qiao invited her into the courtyard to carry out a ceremony.


    Over the past three days, she had made a lot of preparations. In addition, her master was also present, so she had quite a lot of good things on hand. She took a step forward, and her iprehensible manner made Madam Ruan, who was not far away, feel a strong sense of respect in her heart.


    Look, it was the same shamanism, but the way this great master danced was different from the way a divinedy was invited into the house in the past.


    She was dancing like an immortal, as if she was a celestial being.


    The first princess knew that this was strange, but as she sat in the middle of the formation and the master recited the scriptures and incantations, she could not help but feel rxed, it was as if her head, which had been covered in ayer of gray fog, suddenly became clear.


    She instantly felt much better.


    At the same time, in a big mansion in the capital, a Taoist master spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Once again...¡± the Taoist¡¯s voice was grim and hoarse, sounding a little old. ¡°This person is really powerful. She destroyed my hard work so easily!¡±


    Great Consort Hui frowned slightly. ¡°She found out that we stole her fortune? Didn¡¯t you say that this kind of evil technique is very rare? Even if the Taoist masters of the Yuxu Temple saw it with their own eyes, they might not be able to find it?¡±


    The master¡¯s face was pale. ¡°This penniless master also did not expect that Mo Chusheng was actually so formidable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her again?¡± Great Consort Hui¡¯s face was filled with displeasure, ¡°Hasn¡¯t she done enough? That Li family was supposed to have no descendants. In a few more years, there would no longer be anyone in his family who could take charge! But now, his grandson¡¯s virtuous reputation is almost spread throughout the capital!¡±


    The Empress¡¯s family as well!


    Although the courtyard was full of good-for-nothings, the formation was gone. As long as they had children in the future, would they not have the chance to rise again?!


    The people who had once bullied her were now all living so well!


    ¡°Junior Sister, don¡¯t worry, I will help you...¡± the Taoist master saw her like this and immediatelyforted her.


    ¡°How will you help me? All these years, haven¡¯t we done enough? But being trapped in that small space, if we want to enter the capital, we have to look at the Emperor¡¯s attitude! I¡¯ve had enough...¡± Great Consort Hui rubbed the space between her brows, looking pained.


    If there were no more powerful Taoist masters like them in this world, she would sooner orter seed.


    However, Mo Chusheng, a female Taoist master who appeared out of nowhere, repeatedly broke her arrangements!


    ¡°Since this matter of stealing fortune has been discovered by others, I¡¯m afraid that the kid from the Dai family is not reliable. I¡¯m afraid that he has already said all the things that he should not have said. Fortunately, after we entered the capital, the Empress rarely showed herself in front of others. It¡¯s better to n ahead now,¡± the Taoist master said.


    There was a hint of viciousness in Great Consort Hui¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a mere throne. I¡¯m a woman, and I can¡¯t sit on it. I don¡¯t really want it... but I can¡¯t tolerate those people who look down on me. They¡¯re so arrogant and carefree...¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve suffered all these years.¡± The Taoist master sighed.


    Great Consort Hui looked at him and could not help but think of the past.


    Her father was a wandering Taoist master. He boasted of his exceptional talent and was very proud of himself. During those years, he traveled through famous mountains and rivers and met her mother by chance. They were married for a few years.


    They gave birth to her.


    However, that never made her father stay. After she was born, her father left. asionally, he returned home and brought three disciples one after another.


    When she was young, she did not understand. She only felt that her mother had never been happy. She would often cry and be sad. After a few years, she would be depressed and leave. She was raised by her rtives, had to look at people¡¯s bad attitudes, and was bullied. Only when her father asionally returned home, would she be able to live a few good days.

 Chapter 1175 - The Wheel of Fortune Turns

    <h4>Chapter 1175: The Wheel of Fortune Turns</h4>


    One year, she suddenly became a little different.


    asionally, she would see some strange ghouls that shed by, scaring her to the core. She would often make a scene, and her rtives would treat her as a lunatic, saying that she was a monster and refused to get close to her. When her father returned, they would say that she had her third eye opened.


    For three years, her father had gone to great lengths to seal her third eye.


    However, for three years, she did not dare to see anyone.


    Without the third eye, her father said that their fate was over. He even left her a letter and sent her to a good friend¡¯s house to spend the day. She did not understand why, but she could only follow his arrangements. However, she did not spend much time there, she helped the daughter of that family enter the pce and be a pce maid¡­


    Time and fortune went by, but she was never willing to have anything to do with it.


    Thete Emperor¡¯s harem was rtively quiet, and she had never thought of climbing up thedder. However, she had identally bumped into one and became a great consort. Her body was weak, and it was difficult for her to give birth. She had almost lost her life because of that unfilial son.


    When she was on the verge of death, many thoughts shed through her mind.


    All of them were the cold stares of others.


    She recalled that when she was outside the pce, as an orphan, she had bumped into that young master of the Gu family who was both talented and beautiful. At such a young age, he was already flirtatious. He was just like her father, with a proud face and an unworldly outlook.


    She recalled that Imperial Tutor Li¡¯s family was in the limelight. At the pce banquet, they were dazzling. At that time, she was a little pce maid, but because of the youngdy of the Li family, she had to lie on the ground and clean it up... It was the other members of the Li family who asked her to step down as they pitied her young age, but that kind of sympathetic gaze was still piercing to her.


    She initially had a father and mother.


    However, she was an orphan with no one to rely on.


    When she gave birth to a child that almost took her life, only then would peoplee to congratte her or even... guard against her.


    When thete emperor passed away, everyone said that her life was tough and that she had obtained the favor of the emperor. Before she could exchange for the honor and favor of her child, she had already be a great consort. What did the Li and Gu family members who entered the pce said to her?


    They said that the empress was a benevolent person and told her not to worry. As long as she lived obediently in the pce, she would protect her for the rest of her life¡­


    Ha¡­


    Thinking of these things, Great Consort Hui could not help butugh.


    The wheel of fortune had been turned. If she did not want to change it, she would destroy it!


    ¡°Hide? Then hide...¡± Great Consort Hui did not care, she touched her face, which had not changed much, and smiled. ¡°Even if I lose, it won¡¯t matter. I have to do what I did not do before I die.¡±


    ¡°Junior Sister?¡± The Taoist master frowned.


    ¡°Peng Tianming? He changed a good name and became the grand preceptor.¡± Great Consort Hui stood up and said with her thin figure, ¡°Let my father go with the two senior brothers, okay?¡±


    The Taoist master trembled.


    After his master took in three disciples and sealed his junior sister¡¯s third eye, he left them a lot of books, and then his master disappeared.


    Later, they found their master¡¯s daughter. At that time, she was already a great consort, so they stayed by her side to take care of her.


    There were many things that they could not touch.


    Twenty years ago, at the Dao meeting, two of his junior brothers died after being found out that they used human lives to make spells.


    He was worried that he would get burned, so he and his junior sister set up a trap. They took Prince Rong to the fief and hid for a long time.


    ¡°He is now the grand preceptor. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to kill him,¡± the Taoist said after thinking for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m his biological daughter. It¡¯d be convenient to sacrifice myself,¡± Great Consort Hui¡¯s voice was cold and clear.

 Chapter 1176 - Fated to Have Few Relatives

    <h4>Chapter 1176: Fated to Have Few Rtives</h4>


    With a casual look on her face, Great Consort Hui snorted lightly. Like a gust of wind blowing through the clouds, it disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The Taoist master at the side stood guard quietly. After a while, he asked, ¡°Prince Rong... is Junior Sister¡¯s son after all...¡±


    Great Consort Hui¡¯s hand froze, and she looked up at him.


    ¡°That piece of trash, he can¡¯t do a small thing well. His temper is not the least bit like mine. In the past, I only asked him to pretend to be a good-for-nothing with that d*mn old thing and find a reason to get kicked out of the capital. But he really became a fool who has been dispelled. With his little talent, he¡¯s dreaming of bing the Emperor?¡± Great Consort Huiughed, she held a prayer bead in her hand and gently rubbed it. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous to think that he can really do it just because he has a little bit of luck. Let him be.¡±


    The master was silent for a while and silently agreed.


    Although Prince Rong was the only bloodline of his junior sister, she was fated to have few rtives.


    If she was too close to Prince Rong, it would be bad for both of them. This was also why she had given Prince Rong to someone else to raise.


    Even after they went to the fief, the mother and son rarely saw each other for a year or so.


    At this moment, Great Consort Hui knew that something had happened, but she was still calm and prepared.


    Prince Rong did not know anything.


    He was dreaming.


    There were too few children nowadays. One had a crippled arm, the other was weak, and the other was too young. As long as he used more methods while he was in the capital, when the Emperor lost his heir, he had to ept¡­ his younger brother.


    ¡°Your Highness, Young Master Dai has invited you over. He said that he has something important to tell you.¡± Prince Rong was watching the singing and dancing. It was the time when he was happy when someone called him from outside.


    He did not have the slightest doubt in his heart.


    ¡°I think the Dai family is going to panic? Marrying a princess who had lost her fortune, of course, he would feel ufortable. I¡¯ll lecture him. Otherwise, this person would be wasting his time,¡± he said sarcastically.


    He did not believe that Dai Boheng would dare to go against his wishes after the Dai family hadmitted such a grave crime.


    In this world, the best people to use were not his confidants or aides, but these people who he had leverage on.


    If he let them live, they would live. If he let them die, they would have no way to live at all. They were like ants.


    He did not mind that Dai Boheng did note personally. He only thought that this person was about to get married. He guessed that there were many things going on at home, so he changed his clothes and brought people to the Dai Residence.


    After Dai Boheng left the princess¡¯ courtyard, he returned home and washed himself clean. He changed into a new set of clothes and looked like he was really going to get married. In the evening, Prince Rong really came.


    He prepared a pot of good wine and warmed it in his own courtyard.


    When Prince Rong arrived, he was even more respectful. He did not look disrespectful at all.


    ¡°Prince Consort Dai, why are you so polite today? I¡¯m ashamed to ept it,¡± Prince Rong said with a half-smile.


    ¡°How can I not be respectful to Your Highness? If I were to marry the princess, I would have to call you uncle,¡± Dai Boheng paused, he continued, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m well aware of Your Highness¡¯ ambition. Now, we can take it as an advance congrattions to Your Highness. Therefore, we prepared this wine. After I get married, I¡¯m afraid that the princess will be watching closely. By then, it won¡¯t be good to do so.¡±


    Prince Rong was delighted by his words. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s drink up as uncle and nephew!¡±


    With that, Prince Rong downed the wine in one gulp.

 Chapter 1177 - Assassination

    <h4>Chapter 1177: Assassination</h4>


    Dai Boheng watched, but his smile was somewhat impudent, as if he was venting. One cup after another, he filled Prince Rong¡¯s Cup.


    When Prince Rong went out, he brought a lot of people with him. However, now, he had no way out and was not afraid at all.


    At this moment, looking at Prince Rong¡¯s drunken state, he suddenly took out a knife from his sleeve and stabbed it into Prince Rong¡¯s chest while the guards were not paying attention.


    Unfortunately, he was only a schr and did not know martial arts.


    With this stab, blood sttered. However, he knew that it was not deep enough to take Prince Rong¡¯s life.


    It was enough.


    When Prince Rong¡¯s guards saw that, they were shocked. Without saying anything else, they immediately took him down!


    Prince Rong¡¯s face was full of pain. He covered his wound and was in so much pain that he could not speak.


    ¡°The Dai family dared to assassinate the prince! How dare you! Men, detain this criminal and wait for his punishment!¡± The head guard¡¯s heart turned cold.


    He really did not expect that Dai Boheng would actually dare to act in such a manner!


    The wine that Prince Rong drank naturally had to be checked in advance, so it was definitely not poisonous. In the beginning, they kept a close watch on him, butter on, the two of them drank one cup after another, and they drank happily. Who would have thought¡­


    The guard immediately sent someone to call the imperial physician, and on this side, Dai Boheng had already been detained.


    The people in the courtyard were thrown into chaos. The group of people immediately moved Prince Rong into the house, but there was not even a guest bed in this courtyard. They had no choice but to go to other small courtyards to recuperate and treat him.


    The other members of the Dai family were trembling with fear and confusion, but the old master was well aware of this. At this moment, he could only clench his teeth and sigh.


    As soon as these guards left, someone immediately went forward and collected as much fresh blood as possible from the table.


    The old master ordered his men to speed up and immediately sent it to the Fortune Pavilion.


    ¡­


    In the middle of the night, Xie Qiao was naturally at the Crown Prince¡¯s residence.


    It was only when she arrived at the Fortune Pavilion the next day that Shopkeeper Chang delivered the item!


    This blood... was quite a lot?!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whose blood it is, but it smells quite fishy. A bottle was sent here in the middle of the night, and a lot more in the middle of the night. Boss, could this be ck dog¡¯s blood? Is it used to get rid of bad spirits?¡± Shopkeeper Chang had followed Xie Qiao for a long time, he became more and more curious about these things.


    Usually, he would take a look at the strange things in the shop first.


    Seeing his old bones, Xie Qiao was quite curious. She was worried that he might get some dirty things one day, so she even taught him a few protective spells and talisman-inscribing techniques. The little old man was quite interested in learning them.


    ¡°This is Prince Rong¡¯s blood.¡± Xie Qiao opened the bottle and took a look.


    ¡°Prince Rong?!¡± Shopkeeper Chang¡¯s heart shrank. ¡°Why... did you buy His Highness¡¯s blood? There¡¯s so much. Was his arm or a leg severed?¡±


    Xie Qiao smiled. ¡°Actually, a few drops are enough. Who would have thought that Dai Boheng would be so ruthless?¡±


    However, it was no wonder.


    The whole family had been hiding things and never talked about it. They could still live their lives.


    Who would have thought that Prince Rong woulde, take the evidence, be on tenterhooks, and now that he had no way out, it would be strange if he did not go out of his mind.


    Xie Qiao went upstairs to do some business. Shopkeeper Chang was curious, so he sent someone to inquire about Prince Rong¡¯s situation.


    When he did, he was shocked.


    Prince Rong had been assassinated!


    Not only that, the person who assassinated Prince Rong was actually Dai Boheng, who was supposed to be the prince consort. Oh right, today... was supposed to be Dai Boheng¡¯s wedding day?!


    He had just finished asking around when another wave of rumors came in the afternoon.


    The engagement between Dai Boheng and the princess was broken off, but not because of Prince Rong¡¯s matter, but because the Dai family... had deceived the emperor and worked with the enemy?!

 Chapter 1178 - Debt

    <h4>Chapter 1178: Debt</h4>


    When Shopkeeper Chang heard that, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    Did the world not change too quickly? The joyous day had actually be the unlucky day for the Dai family?


    Deceiving the Emperor and working with the enemy were two major crimes, right?! The entire family could not escape it, right?!


    At this moment, the Dai family was truly crying.


    It had to be said that the Dai family was also implicated by Second Uncle Dai alone. The other people were indeed innocent. The princess and even the Crown Prince had given him a day. The time seemed short, but in reality, he could do many things.


    Those women and children in the family who were not important, those who could rest and those who could leave, were given away as much as possible, especially the newlyweds.


    They wanted to protect their children, but they had no choice. The state had its ownws.


    The imperial family could tolerate them sending away unrted people, but those with the bloodline of the Dai family could not.


    After all¡­


    They were innocent, and the people in that area were even more innocent. They had to give an exnation.


    Old Master Dai personally confessed to his crimes and went to court. After he left in the morning, he did not return and was directly sent to prison. Now, the officers and soldiers who were confiscating the property and arresting people had arrived¡­


    Prince Rong had just been injured, so it was not suitable for him to move.


    He was resting on his bed on one side, and when he saw the officers and soldiers arresting people on the other side, his heart was filled with anger and hatred. He was so anxious that he almost vomited blood.


    When they were done arresting, the eunuch in the pce came looking for him.


    Since Old Master Dai had confessed, how could there be anything else that he was hiding? Even the matter of Prince Ronging to his door to threaten him was clearly stated. The Emperor initially did not believe it, but Old Master Dai had evidence. Furthermore, the Crown Prince was fast and brought many women into the pce. They were all people that Prince Rong had brought into the capital¡­


    Among these women, some were innocent ordinary singers who were only used to solicit and seduce men. However, there were also a few... who were spies from Mount Rong.


    On this first day, the Dai family could not see the light of day.


    However, in the following days, the other families in the capital were also in chaos.


    The Crown Prince acted swiftly. He took them in by force or willingly. One by one, they fell into his hands.


    They could notpare to the Crown Prince¡¯s status, so they could not resist. They initially thought that the Crown Prince was just lustful, but they did not think that he wanted to take action!


    Within the Meng family, a dark cloud hung over.


    Meng Jifang knelt on the ground, his eyes ck and blue.


    Marquis Meng was so angry that he clutched his heart and almost fainted.


    ¡°A debt of 100,000 taels of silver... W-What have you done?! You were coaxed by those two women until you couldn¡¯t see clearly, and you even learned to gamble?!¡± Marquis Meng was really angered to death.


    His family was wealthy and did notck money.


    However, 100,000 taels of silver was not a small amount!


    Meng Jifang himself was also stunned¡­


    ¡°Father, this debt can¡¯t be counted, right? I was drunk at that time, who knew that the wine that woman gave me was so strong? I only drank two sips, and I already lost most of my consciousness...¡±


    ¡°You still dare to drink outside without knowledge?! That wine is Mount Rong¡¯s strange wine, and there are quite a few medicinal herbs in it. You don¡¯t even know that it would poison you to death!¡± Marquis Meng was even more furious that his son was actually so foolish and fell for the trap!


    That kind of wine... was for people who could handle liquor very well. He would definitely fall after three cups!


    Even if he was drunk, that was not right. It should be that after drinking this wine, he would be delirious. He would just stupidly agree and do whatever the others said!


    ¡°Then what should we do... Let¡¯s raid his gambling den...¡± Meng Jifang stretched out his head and asked.


    Even though Marquis Meng was reluctant, he still kicked him.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m angry at the money?! Your two beauties have long disappeared without a trace. You said that they ran away. They were simply muddle-headed. Now, they¡¯re in the Crown Prince¡¯s hands!¡± Marquis Meng was anxious.

 Chapter 1179 - Incriminating Evidence

    <h4>Chapter 1179: Incriminating Evidence</h4>


    When Meng Jifang heard his father¡¯s words, he was stunned for a moment before he flew into a rage.


    ¡°Could it be that the Crown Prince used a dirty trick? No wonder Master Mo told my fortune that I would get two beauties and lose the bet. It was all arranged!¡± Meng Jifang stood up angrily.


    ¡°You! Use your brain!¡± Marquis Meng really... did not know how to scold his own son.


    Meng Jifang was not really a fool. He was just nervous and could not think.


    ¡°Father, just say what you want to say. What big mistake did I make? It¡¯s just money, you don¡¯t have to be so fierce to me, right?¡± Meng Jifang knew his own limits.


    ¡°Crown Prince... had been quiet for so long. I didn¡¯t know that he was holding back. It¡¯s Prince Rong¡¯s shamelessness that dragged you down!¡± Marquis Meng looked at his son and said, ¡°The Crown Prince has already found out that those two beauties of yours were spies sent by Mount Rong. Fortunately, my study is under strict supervision. Otherwise, they would have found out more than just a few things! Also, the money you lost... is indeed not a big deal...¡±


    ¡°100,000 taels of silver is not a big deal?¡± Meng Jifang was also stunned.


    His father... could it be that he secretly saved up a million yuan?


    ¡°You were knocked out by someone and signed a credit instrument. Since those women were given to you by Prince Rong, then the money must have fallen into Prince Rong¡¯s hands. Why does he need so much money? It¡¯s nothing more than recruiting soldiers and buying horses to rebel. Tomorrow, I will go to the pce and hand this credit instrument to his majesty. It will prove your innocence. Compared to being implicated by those two Mount Rong women, what is money even?¡±


    Of course, if this credit instrument was given to his majesty, the money in the credit instrument would also be given to his majesty.


    Meng Jifang understood.


    His face turned slightly pale. ¡°What is Prince Rong trying to do? Rebel? With his status, he¡¯s not qualified, right? His Majesty has five sons, and all of them are still alive!¡±


    Even if two of them were useless, it would not be his turn to be the emperor!


    Even if his majesty really did not have any sons, it would still be fine if passed it on to the concubines¡¯ child? Who said he had to pass on his younger brother?


    ¡°It¡¯s just wishful thinking! Even the emperor, the Crown Prince... and the Fourth Prince!¡± Marquis Meng agreed.


    His nephew, the Fourth Prince, was not qualified to ascend the throne yet. Prince Rong? Who was he?


    ¡°I was so muddle-headed... that I got involved in the case of Prince Rong¡¯s rebellion?¡± Meng Jifang felt a little dazed. ¡°But I really didn¡¯t do anything, right? Father, how could Prince Rong¡¯s rebellion be discovered so easily? I don¡¯t see that there are soldiers?¡±


    Marquis Meng looked at him awkwardly.


    He was too embarrassed to say it.


    It was unknown how long Prince Rong had been scheming behind the scenes, and he even said that he had contacted many courtiers.


    Who knew that, not only did he inexplicably give himself away, there was also irrefutable evidence!


    ¡°That Dai family member seemed to have been possessed and testified against him. They did not even want the lives of the entire family. Just to say that he did such a thing... we can only me him... He offended people too ruthlessly...¡± Marquis Meng¡¯s old face was slightly flushed. In his mind, he still thought of the Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince was even more ruthless in his handling of matters.


    It was just a slight stir in the wind, but in the end, he had searched the entire city. It was said that he had even found the weapons and money that Prince Rong had hidden in the suburbs.


    Not only that, the Crown Prince also obtained several pieces of incriminating evidence against Prince Rong.


    For instance, stealing civilian women, killing people and stealing treasures¡­


    These pieces of incriminating evidence had a high degree of credibility.


    These two days, he did not want to go to court anymore. He kept feeling that the Crown Prince¡¯s gaze was gloomy, and the way he looked at him was as if he was suspecting that he and Prince Rong were wearing the same pants¡­


    It made him angry, but it also made him panic. It was quite an injustice.

 Chapter 1180 - Disregard the Severity

    <h4>Chapter 1180: Disregard the Severity</h4>


    Meng Jifang also felt that there was something wrong with the rumors. In the past few days, his good friends did not go out and stayed home like cowards.


    The friend who gave him the beauty seemed to have been caught.


    He also wanted to ask about it to show his loyalty. However, he had lost so much money, so he knew that the creditor woulde sooner orter. He had to be more obedient and let his father calm down first.


    ¡°Father, you already said that I owe money but I can still prove my innocence... Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Don¡¯t me me...¡± Meng Jifang smiled obsequiously and pretended to be obedient.


    If Prince Rong¡¯s men had not plotted against him for the money, he would probably have been caught too.


    Being plotted against would prove that he and Prince Rong were not in cahoots!


    Marquis Meng could not help but re at his own son. His face turned grim with anger. Gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°That... fortune-telling you mentioned just now, what happened?¡±


    Upon mentioning this, not only did Meng Jifang stop kneeling, he even sat down directly and asked a servant to pour him a cup of tea.


    Marquis Meng was angry and could not do anything about it, so he could only endure it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story...¡± Meng Jifang let out a mischievous chuckle. ¡°Father, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t believe me. A while ago, didn¡¯t you feel sorry for my weak body? Actually... It wasn¡¯t that my body was weak. I was possessed... I did not want to tell you about this. It¡¯s too embarrassing...¡±


    Now that he had made a mistake, his father would be gentler to him if he told him about it.


    ¡°Possessed? What happened?¡± As expected, Marquis Meng¡¯s expression did not look too good. He could not hide his concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It was just a ghoul following me. Wherever I go, she goes. I hadn¡¯t been able to sleep well for a few days. Later, I found Mo Chusheng and went outside to send that ghoul away. However, when I returned to the capital, Mo Chusheng read my fortune and said that I was in double trouble and that it wasn¡¯t good.¡±


    Meng Jifang was still not too concerned.


    However, Marquis Meng had already taken it very seriously.


    He knew what kind of background Mo Chusheng had.


    That person was the Crown Prince¡¯s senior sister. He had never been on good terms with the Crown Prince, so he had also thoroughly investigated this Taoist master. This person came from the Water Moon Temple. The temple did not seem to have much of a reputation, but more than twenty years ago, the Taoist master there had also made a name for herself!


    Moreover, ever since Mo Chusheng entered the capital, she had read the fortunes of many people. She was very urate.


    He did not doubt Mo Chusheng¡¯s ability at all.


    However, now, this person had predicted his son¡¯s double misfortune¡­


    ¡°What else did Mo Chusheng say?¡± Marquis Meng was very nervous.


    ¡°What else did she say?¡± Meng Jifang thought for a moment and then said, ¡°Oh. She said that I won¡¯t live to be thirty, but Father, I don¡¯t believe it at all. Look at my body, how good is it? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the eldest daughter of the Xie family, like I was sick since I was in my mother¡¯s womb.¡±


    Marquis Meng¡¯s hand that was holding the cup trembled.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say such an important thing earlier?!¡± Marquis Meng was furious.


    He was really angry. How could this child disregard the severity?!


    ¡°She said that I won¡¯t live to be 30. Father, she¡¯s on the Crown Prince¡¯s side...¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s voice was a little softer.


    ¡°Then why did you look for her to read your fortune? It¡¯s already done, why don¡¯t you believe it?!¡± Marquis Meng said fiercely, then, he rxed his tone. ¡°My son, the Crown Prince¡¯s reputation is extremely high. All these years, I have suffered quite a lot from him, no? If his majesty had treated all his sons equally, then the Fourth Prince would still have had a chance. But now... The Crown Prince is like the sun in the sky. The emperor has even let him approve the memorials to the throne...¡±

 Chapter 1181 - Within Expectations

    <h4>Chapter 1181: Within Expectations</h4>


    Marquis Meng had no choice but to admit that he had never been able to gain anything from the Crown Prince.


    ¡°His majesty is extremely protective of the Crown Prince. The Fourth Prince does not know how to rope him in and is not interested in the throne. I only thought of a way to help them n for the mother and son, but it was not good. It¡¯s impossible to say that my heart is not cold. It¡¯s just that the arrow is on the bowstring and it is not good to retreat.¡± Marquis Meng spoke the truth in front of his son.


    After fighting for so many years, if he suddenly said he was not going to fight, who would he let down?


    There were many people in the court who were on his side. Even if he did not want to fight, he could only keep his head down and move forward.


    ¡°Father, you mean you don¡¯t think you can shake the Crown Prince¡¯s position?¡± Meng Jifang frowned.


    Marquis Meng asked his servants to leave.


    ¡°Well, if we fight openly, the Fourth Prince has no chance of winning. If we want to win, the Crown Prince will have to lose his life. In the early years, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t send people to assassinate him. It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t seed. Now, the Crown Prince is harder to deal with than before. The guards around him aren¡¯t simple either. How could I dare to make a move so easily?¡± Marquis Meng sighed. ¡°Besides, I can see that if anything were to happen to the Crown Prince, I would be the first to be reprimanded by the emperor. I have worked so hard for what? Isn¡¯t it for the Meng family and the descendants of the future generations?¡±


    In the past two years, the Crown Prince¡¯s fortunes had soared.


    He had solved many cases while he was in charge of the criminal division.


    There were some mementos in the court that were sent to him. The decisions he made were all correct. He even made many suggestions and made many meritorious contributions.


    He had a high reputation among the people, and he had gained many supporters in the court. It had been a long time since anyone had mentioned that the Crown Prince was crippled and unfit to be an emperor.


    Meng Jifang opened his mouth. After thinking about it, he had no choice but to admit that the Crown Prince... might really have nothing wrong with being the emperor.


    However, the division made him want the Fourth Prince to take the throne.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is not a cruel person. I see that his rtionship with the Fourth Prince is not just that of brothers, but also that there is no animosity between them. In the future, when he takes the throne, the Fourth Prince will definitely be a carefree prince and won¡¯t suffer any losses. Your aunt has advised me many times, but I still seem to be somewhat dissatisfied. In fact, I¡¯ve already taken away more than half of the schemes arranged earlier.¡±


    In the future, when the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, he would make sure that the Meng family restrained themselves. He would also make arrangements for the individuals who were on good terms with the Meng family, so as to minimize their losses and influence.


    Fortunately, he had participated in the Crown Prince¡¯s affairs quite a few times over the years, but the damage done to the Crown Prince was not too great. He had not offended the Crown Prince to death.


    Otherwise, there really was no way out.


    In the past, he had not been willing to tell his son these things. After all, he was someone who cared about his dignity.


    Now... he had to make his son understand something.


    Meng Jifang thought that he could not ept it, but after hearing all this, he was actually quite calm. It was as if... It was within his expectations.


    ¡°Father, I understand. In the future, when you see the Crown Prince, you just have to be more respectful.¡± Meng Jifang was quite tactful.


    ¡°You have to follow me to look for that Master Mo first. Please take a careful look. Of course, Master Mo doesn¡¯t have the final say. I¡¯ll ask your aunt to send a letter of visit and ask Master Huiqing at the Imperial Temple. This divination concerns your life. You have to pay attention to it,¡± Marquis Meng quickly added.


    Meng Jifang was still quite obedient in front of his father. He did not refute at this moment.


    The next day, Marquis Meng entered the pce and exined the mistakes his son had made.


    The emperor and the Crown Prince were both present. He was nervous. He was afraid that the Crown Prince would be dissatisfied with his family and take advantage of this matter to suppress them

 Chapter 1182 Fortune-telling from a Master

    Chapter 1182 Fortune-telling from a Master


    Zhao Xuanjing nced at the credit instrument, but his expression did not change. He was as calm and indifferent as before, without any expression.


    Marquis Meng was even more nervous.


    The Crown Prince had yet to ascend the throne, and he already could not figure out his thoughts¡­


    Unlike the Fourth Prince, he could understand what the child was thinking and saying at a nce.


    "Your Majesty, my son is simple and ignorant. He only took them in because of the two women''s beauty. It''s all my fault for indulging him... It''s my fault for not teaching my son well. When I go back, I will definitely reprimand him severely. It''s just that... My son has always been ignorant and fell into the trap of others. He was coaxed by others when he was drunk. I will bear the money he owes on behalf of my son. However, I feel wronged in my heart. I hope that Your Majesty can help me make a decision..."


    This meant that he was going to find fault with Prince Rong.


    "The matter of Prince Rong has been handed over to the Crown Princepletely for supervision. Crown Prince, what do you think?" The emperor was quite leisurely.


    Having a capable son was a relief.


    After he had less control over the court affairs this year, he was younger than before.


    Marquis Meng was even more nervous. He kept feeling that his son would not be able to escape this time. At the very least, he would be beaten up. However, his son would be bedridden for a year and a half after being beaten up, right?


    How terrible... If only the Fourth Prince had been a little more capable.


    They were both princes. Why was there such a big difference?


    "Father, I have already interrogated the two spies. Marquis Meng''s son is indeed innocent. It is just that he is a little yful and did notmit any major mistakes. Of course, there are still minor mistakes. As the son of the marquis, he only knows how to indulge in his looks and does not distinguish between loyalty and treachery. It''s really inappropriate. Marquis Meng, when you go back, you must take care of him. Make sure he knows what is right and what is wrong, so that he does not make any major mistakes in the future." The Crown Prince''s tone was calm. There was nothing special with his attitude when looking at Marquis Meng.


    Marquis Meng was stunned when he heard that.


    That was it?


    It was... just going back to discipline his son and reflect?


    Could it be... that the Crown Prince wanted to kill his son?


    It would not be to the extent. The Crown Prince could not hold onto him every day, right?


    A huge weight was lifted off his heart. Marquis Meng immediately thanked him, "When I go back, I will definitely discipline him severely. I''ll d-discipline him!"


    The emperor had a good impression of the Meng family. Marquis Meng was a practical man. He had some thoughts, but he was also loyal enough. In the harem, the empress was virtuous, but she was not in good health. Half of the matters in the harem were managed by Imperial Concubine Meng. She was a virtuous woman who did not fight for anything.


    Therefore, even though Marquis Meng had made mistakes in the past, the emperor could tolerate it. Over the years, he had even given a lot of rewards.


    Marquis Meng came out of the emperor''s study and waited in the pce. When the Crown Prince finally came out, he quickly followed.


    He looked embarrassed, but he did not lose his demeanor. In front of the Crown Prince, he was not overly ttering.


    "I was waiting for Your Highness toe out. I would like to ask you some trivial matters..." Marquis Meng was rather reserved.


    The Crown Prince nced at him and knew clearly. "Is it rted to Meng Jifang''s fortune?"


    "That''s right. I heard from my son that Master Mo predicted that he wouldn''t live past 30. As his father, I''m very anxious. I want to ask what the reason is..." Marquis Meng said quickly.


    Was she trying to scare his son, or was she really trying to scare him?


    "I''m afraid you won''t believe what Master Mo said. Why don''t you go find a master from Yuxu Temple or the Imperial Temple to do the divination?" Zhao Xuanjing was very direct.


    Marquis Meng was embarrassed for a moment.


    The Crown Prince was good at everything, but he did not know how to be tactful.


    The warm face was snubbed. In a short while, he was left behind by the Crown Prince.


    Marquis Meng sighed. After all, he listened to the Crown Prince''s advice and went to look for someone else first.


    Bringing his son, he went all over the capital to look for a master.

 Chapter 1183 - Acknowledging a Master

    <h4>Chapter 1183: Acknowledging a Master</h4>


    If it were some street swindlers, they would definitely praise Meng Jifang¡¯s fortune to the point that there was no such thing as heaven or earth. However, the Meng family was not an ordinary family, and they knew what kind of masters were legitimate.


    The ones they found were all reliable.


    The masters did a simple calction and did not feel that there was much of a problem. Meng Jifang¡¯s facial features and bone structure were all excellent.


    However,bining his eight characters, demeanor, and his background, after a careful calction, they found that there was a big problem.


    ¡°The life of a monk.¡±


    After working hard for a few days, Marquis Meng received these five words.


    His hair turned white.


    After careful calction, all of the masters got the same result. If his son became a monk, he would definitely live a long life. However, if he did not be a monk, he would not live for more than thirty years?!


    Meng Jifang was also dumbfounded.


    He felt dizzy.


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t want to shave my head and be a monk!¡± Meng Jifang was dumbfounded, ¡°I can¡¯t drink wine or look at beauties. What¡¯s the point of living like this? I don¡¯t care, just let me die! Don¡¯t I still have a few years left? At least let me give birth to a child!¡±


    Marquis Meng¡¯s hands were shaking.


    ¡°Father, you¡¯re not really going to send me off to be a monk, are you?!¡± Meng Jifang was a little afraid.


    Marquis Meng clenched his fists. ¡°If you die before your mother and I, not only would it take your life, it would also take our lives! Your eldest brother¡¯s health isn¡¯t good, and I thought that the Crown Prince¡¯s position would be yours sooner orter. But now... Son, fortunately, you still have a younger brother, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the direct line of session...¡±


    Meng Jifang looked at him in a daze.


    So now it was¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t those masters also say so? Fortunately, they discovered it early. If you were to dy it for a few more years, you can¡¯t even be a monk. You can only wait for death...


    ¡°I thought that being a monk is a bit rough. You¡¯ll have to get up before dawn to recite scriptures and shave your head. You don¡¯t look good without hair. Why don¡¯t you be a Taoist master? I see that Taoist masters don¡¯t have many rules...¡±


    There were two kinds of Taoist masters.


    One would fast and not marry, and the other could marry and have children¡­


    However, he guessed that his son might not be able to marry¡­


    ¡°Father?¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to...¡±


    ¡°There are several big Taoist temples in the capital. Choose carefully. When I go back, I¡¯ll go to the ounts and get some money. Give it to the Taoist temple and donate a golden statue. After you go in, you¡¯ll have some dignity and you won¡¯t suffer...¡± Marquis Meng¡¯s eyes were red.


    How could this poor son of his have such a life?


    Meng Jifang almost rolled his eyes and passed out.


    He had been to a lot of Taoist temples in the past few days, and the rules were quite strict!


    After he went in, all the good food, drinks, and fun would be gone. What was there to live on?!


    ¡°Father, that Mo Chusheng is also a Taoist master, right?! Look at her. She drinks, brags and strolls around. She¡¯s living a very leisurely life, right?! If I be a Taoist master like her, then that¡¯s fine. But the tortures at the Taoist temple... I can¡¯t do that!¡± He suddenly thought of something.


    That Mo Chusheng could still open a shop.


    He had earned quite a lot of money as well. He was living a carefree life.


    ¡°You want to acknowledge Mo Chusheng as your master?¡± Marquis Meng thought about it. Although it was a little embarrassing, his son was already like this. As long as he wanted to, he would do everything he could to fulfill his wish!


    ¡°I haven¡¯t... thought about it...¡±


    He did not want to be a Taoist master at all!


    ¡°My son, when you return, bring some more money and give it to Master Mo as the acknowledgement fee. Learn well from her and work hard to learn the ability to extend your life... As long as you are healthy and safe, I have nothing to ask for!¡±

 Chapter 1184 - Die Early, Reincarnate Early

    <h4>Chapter 1184: Die Early, Reincarnate Early</h4>


    Marquis Meng¡¯s face was filled with grief. He patted his son¡¯s shoulder, his heart aching more and more. His old face looked much more haggard, and he looked listless.


    The father and son had always had a good rtionship. At this moment, Meng Jifang saw that his father was even more heartbroken than he was, and he did not know what to say...


    ¡°Father... Don¡¯t worry about me. I don¡¯t deserve to bow to her. It¡¯s like she has phoenix feathers on her body. She¡¯s very proud, and when she looks at me, she¡¯s very powerful. Previously, we stayed in the same ce for a day and a half, she ordered me around like her son...¡± Meng Jifang quicklyined.


    When Marquis Meng heard that, he fell into deep thought.


    ¡°Did she treat you like this before or after she told your fortune?¡± He asked.


    Meng Jifang thought for a moment and understood what his father meant. He was a little hesitant. However, he said, ¡°After she told my fortune... Before that, although she was a little cold to me, she didn¡¯t think of ordering me around. After that, it was as if she suddenly became a different person. One moment, sheined that I didn¡¯t know how to respect my elders, and the next moment, sheined that I was stubborn and didn¡¯t know how to behave...


    ¡°Father, what you mean is...¡±


    ¡°This Master Mo¡¯s abilities aren¡¯t ordinary. She could easily tell your doom. Who knows, she might even predict that she would take you in as a disciple in the future? Look at those masters. They don¡¯t show their emotions. They don¡¯t like to get involved with worldly things. They wouldn¡¯t do anything unnecessary to other people¡¯s children...¡± Marquis Meng thought about it.


    Meng Jifang thought for a moment, and it seemed that that was indeed the case.


    He had met quite a few masters in the past few days, but even though those people had calcted his fortune, they were very calm. There was not the slightest change in their expressions.


    /


    It was just like how he was like the birds and insects in the forest. There was nothing special about him.


    ¡°Father, it can¡¯t be?¡± Meng Jifang became more and more nervous.


    Could it be that he really had to be a Taoist master?


    He even had to be Mo Chusheng¡¯s disciple. From now on, he will never be able to raise his head. Not only would he have to lower his voice, he would even have to kneel three times and kowtow nine times?


    All of a sudden, he really did not want to live anymore.


    What was the point of living?


    He looked defeated.


    Marquis Meng understood his son and knew what he was thinking. Looking at him, heforted him patiently, ¡°I think that Master Mo is not bad. No matter what, she is Li Shiyan¡¯s eldest disciple. An eldest disciple is like the eldest son of a family. They are all people who can shoulder important responsibilities. Although you do not want to be Li Shiyan¡¯s disciple, you are more or less rted to him. Even if you be a Taoist master, you can still be more schrly than others.


    ¡°You are usually yful, and this Master Mo is not a reserved person. Following her is much better than cultivating in a Taoist temple,¡± Marquis Meng added.


    However, Meng Jifang could no longer hear anything.


    Unknowingly, he was sent back home.


    Marquis Meng told his entire family about this matter.


    They cried again. At this moment, Meng Jifang felt as if he was already dead, especially his mother. Her tears kept falling, one drop at a time. They were like wax oil, dripping onto his body. It was very painful.


    He mustered his courage to say that he did not want to learn the Dao, but his mother cried even harder.


    Fine, they would rather him be a Taoist master for his entire life than let him die early and reincarnate early.


    He waspletely stupefied.


    In order to let his son ¡°go¡± at ease, Marquis Meng even arranged for three days of lively activities. All kinds of rare and delicious delicacies were brought to him in turn. Every meal was apanied by singing and dancing. It was very cheerful.


    At first, he thought that it was to let him enjoy himself, but looking at it, he felt as if they were celebrating his departure...

 Chapter 1185 - Raised for Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 1185: Raised for Nothing</h4>


    Meng Jifang thought that his 18 or 19 years had been pretty good.


    He had eaten everything from the sky to the sea. He had seen all kinds of beauties.


    When he had gone out, he would hang out with his friends. Everyone had treated him with respect. He had led a carefree life. His parents doted on him, and his brothers protected him. Other than the fact that his marriage had not been decided, he had led a carefree life, even the Crown Prince could notpare to him.


    When he thought about it, there seemed to be nothing left for him to cherish.


    It was not good. His life was really short, and it made his parents feel bad.


    Meng Jifang finally locked himself in his room for an entire day. After that day, when he came out of the room, he felt as if he hade to a realization. He brought a Taoist robe over, and as he did so, heined about the ugliness of the robe. He changed into it, cleaned himself up, and followed his father into the carriage, heading toward the Fortune Pavilion.


    Xie Qiao sat on the second floor early in the morning, registering the ghouls as usual.


    Marquis Meng was dressed inly, and his expression was grave. Meng Jifang was no better.


    When the father and son arrived, Shopkeeper Chang was scared out of his wits.


    Could it be that these two were here to cause trouble? However, it did not seem like it, especially this Young Master Meng. No one knew what had provoked him to look like this¡­


    Of course, Young Master Meng was indeed quite good-looking. Look at the Taoist robe he was wearing, it actually gave him a sense of elegance.


    Downstairs, besides Shopkeeper Chang, there were Mo Lingzi and Meng Yan.


    The old man was carving wood, he was carving arge peach. Beside him, Meng Yan was foolishly watching and learning from him.


    ¡°The two of you¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡± Shopkeeper Chang asked in shock.


    ¡°Today, I specially brought my son here to learn from Master Mo... I hope Master Mo can give him some pointers... May I know if the master is around?¡± Marquis Meng asked.


    The shopkeeper was stunned. ¡°Master? Who?¡±


    ¡°My son wants to learn from Master Mo¡­¡± Marquis Meng hurriedly said.


    The shopkeeper was stunned. He froze on the spot and was almost scared to death. Fortunately, he had experienced a lot and reacted quickly. ¡°Marquis Meng, are you joking? Your son wants to learn from Master...


    ¡°Oh, I understand... Do you want my master to teach him? It¡¯s really unfortunate, Marquis Meng. My master has already said that her body is weak and her abilities are average. It¡¯s really not good to dy the students. If you want to exchange knowledge, you can go to the Royal Academy to look for Teacher Xiao or Teacher Sang. She has too many mundane matters and can¡¯t take care of them,¡± Shopkeeper Chang immediately said.


    He had almost forgotten that the master was Li Shiyan¡¯s disciple.


    Some time ago, there were people who came to take her as their master. However, after the master spread the news, those people knew how difficult it was and retreated.


    Moreover, the master was a woman after all. In this day and age, there were fewer people who wanted to take a woman as their master.


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Previously, Master Mo said that my son was destined to meet a cmity, so I specially sent him here. I hope that he can learn the Dao from Master Mo¡­ In the future, as long as he joins Master Mo¡¯s sect, my Meng family will never interfere with how this person is taught.¡± Marquis Meng felt a pang of heartache.


    His son had been raised for nothing.


    This was even more ruthless than giving him away as a son-inw.


    It was said that Taoist masters were all peaceful and quiet. In the future, when he met his biological parents, he would not address them as father and mother, but ¡°kind people¡± or ¡°benefactors¡±... How could he bear it?


    Shopkeeper Chang gulped.


    His old face twitched a few times, and for a moment, he did not know how to reply.


    Behind him, Mo Lingzi also heard themotion. He lifted the curtain and came out to take a look. He nced at Meng Jifang from top to bottom, his eyes lit up. ¡°Tsk, this kid is pretty good-looking, huh? He¡¯s fair and tender, and he looks quite likable... You want to acknowledge her as your master, right? Come,e,e. I¡¯ll do some calctions for you first to see if it¡¯s suitable...¡±

 Chapter 1186 - Vixen

    <h4>Chapter 1186: Vixen</h4>


    Mo Lingzi was really curious. After all, if Meng Jifang seeded in bing a disciple, this would be his grand-disciple.


    He still had the qualifications to choose his grand-disciple.


    ¡°What...¡± Marquis Meng¡¯s heart trembled as he hurriedly asked.


    ¡°This is the boss¡¯ senior brother, and also the current head of the Water Moon Temple, Master Mo Lingzi,¡± Shopkeeper Chang hurriedly said.


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s gaze became a little strange.


    What senior brother? He was her master and half a father. That child was raised by him!


    ¡°So it¡¯s a Taoist master. Son, hurry up and let the Taoist master take a look.¡± Marquis Meng immediately pushed him over.


    Meng Jifang was like a walking corpse, looking listless. Mo Lingzi did not care much and just stared at him carefully. The more he looked at him, the more serious he became. He looked at his palm and even asked for his eight characters¡­


    After going back and forth for an hour, he finally stared at Meng Jifang with a grim face.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re not old, but you¡¯ve done a lot of immoral things, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s fortunate that your family is blessed, and your ancestors are blessed by virtue. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have had a good ending...¡± Mo Lingzi frowned. ¡°You have a rich and noble face, and you¡¯re a yboy. You steal chickens and dogs, you¡¯re wild and wanton. You have a sense of intelligence, but it¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not on the right path. You cursed when you were three, and you¡¯re a b*stard who dug graves when you were seven. Why would a fool like youe to acknowledge a master? You should get a rope to hang yourself...¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Marquis Meng stood up and red at him angrily.


    How could he say such things about his son?!


    However, fortunately, he knew what he was here for today and forcefully held back.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re nothing better than him. It¡¯s hard to say whether an official is good and has a good heart or not. Your ancestors must have had great talents, right? You¡¯ve taken all the remaining benefits of your ancestors. Consider yourself lucky.¡± Mo Lingzi rolled his eyes at Marquis Meng.


    This official did not have a good temper.


    He was someone who wouldmit crimes.


    However, there were many such people. They could not be considered evil. Moreover, this person had good luck on his face.


    Marquis Meng¡¯s face flushed red from his words, but he could not refute him.


    His family¡¯s ancestors did indeed have many great talents, and they were also people who contributed to the country and brought good fortune to the future¡­


    ¡°Grandpa, look at the chicken I carved.¡± Meng Yan suddenly rushed out and showed the thing in his hand to Mo Lingzi.


    Marquis Meng and Meng Jifang subconsciously looked over. When they saw that, they almost jumped up.


    ¡°Y-Young Master Meng?¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s jaw was about to drop. ¡°Why are you here!¡±


    In his entire life, his biggestpetitor was Meng Yan!


    Of course, he was only an opponent in his imagination. In fact, in terms of status and position, he could not evenpare to Meng Yan!


    Meng Yan was born better looking than him. He was even more popr than him since he was young. He was only the second son of the marquis, but Meng Yan was the eldest grandson of the duke. Ever since he was young, wherever Meng Yan was, those youngdies would not look at anyone else!


    He was a vixen¡­


    Moreover, his good looks were different from the Crown Prince¡¯s. The Crown Prince was dignified and did not like to smile. Even if he was good-looking, his cold temperament also covered up his good looks a little. However, what about Meng Yan? He had been flirtatious since he was young. His face had always been like a warm spring breeze, attracting the wild cats within a few miles and making them howl!


    The moment Meng Yan saw him, his head hurt for a moment.


    He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t like this brother. He¡¯s ugly...¡±


    Meng Jifang could not help but feel pain.


    What was wrong with this coquettish guy? He looked like a fool¡­


    Fool¡­


    It could not be, right?!


    Meng Yan... the most beautiful man in the world, was he really a fool? Haha, the heavens were on his side. From now on, no one wouldpete with him for the title of the number one young master!


    ¡°Good Grandson, he is here to acknowledge a master. If you don¡¯t like him, we will ignore him.¡± Mo Lingzi pretended to be doting on Meng Yan. Those who did not know would think that the person in front of them was really his own grandson.

 Chapter 1187 - Paying His Old Deb

    <h4>Chapter 1187: Paying His Old Debt</h4>


    The savage smile in Meng Jifang¡¯s heart had yet to fade, and he thought of his current situation¡­


    It was not any better.


    He was even worse off than Meng Yan, the foolish person. At least he did not know anything about human affairs, and he did not know what stupid things he had done.


    Marquis Meng looked at Imperial Duke Meng¡¯s eldest grandson, then he looked at his own son. He suddenly felt that it was not a bad thing at all to get his son to acknowledge a master.


    Mo Chusheng was surrounded by important figures, both the Crown Prince and the young heir. She was very impressive. If this person was willing to ept his son, who was a profligate son, as her disciple, it would seem that his son had hit the jackpot¡­


    As he was thinking, Xie Qiao came down.


    She was not surprised to see the father and son.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed your clothes?¡± Xie Qiao was quite surprised. ¡°Can you ept it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Meng Jifang said listlessly. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want my parents to die before I do... So... I want to take you as my master...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a good person at all,¡± Xie Qiao said. ¡°You have many ws. It¡¯s true that your filial piety is hard toe by. However, if you be my disciple from now on, will you be as filial to me as you are to your parents?¡±


    If she really epted him, then they would be like mother and son.


    There were not many disciples in the Water Moon Temple. In the recent few generations, they had been passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, it was very likely that Meng Jifang would be the next sessor of the Water Moon Temple.


    He would have to be taught strictly and take on a big responsibility.


    Of course, this person was not great. He was a bit older and muddle-headed. However, the divination... was bing more and more obvious. There was definitely something to be learned.


    Fortunately, it was not toote to learn the Dao.


    Meng Jifang was a little flustered. He turned his head to look at his father. Marquis Meng was silent for a moment, then turned his head.


    ¡°Yes, if I acknowledge Master... From now on, Master Mo will be like my... direct elder. I will be filial and serve you. I won¡¯t offend you.¡± After Meng Jifang said that, his heart was filled with bitterness.


    ¡°Disciple...¡± Mo Lingzi shouted at Xie Qiao, then he suddenly paused. ¡°You can¡¯t just ept disciples, right? He¡¯s quite wicked.¡±


    Xie Qiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Since you were wicked in the past, if you want to join my sect now, you must pay your old debt. Young Master Meng, I¡¯ll give you a month. If you can lower your head and kneel to apologize to the people you¡¯ve bullied and let them take revenge, while the Meng family is not allowed to interfere, then I can ept you as my disciple.¡±


    There were many people that Meng Jifang had let down.


    In the Royal Academy, many humble ss students had been insulted and bullied by him.


    He should not have hurt anyone¡¯s life, but he had done a lot of bullying.


    ¡°Also, as you know, our Water Moon Temple is different from other Taoist temples. Apart from performing some rituals, we also have to learn the ability to capture ghouls and remove bad luck. You once sat in a carriage with Jiang Jinlu. What he heard and saw are what you will face in the future. Have you thought it through? If you can¡¯t ept it... why don¡¯t you go to other Taoist temples and be an ordinary and well-behaved young Taoist master?¡±


    Xie Qiao exined her request clearly so that this person would not regret it.


    If she really epted him, she would definitely teach him well.


    In addition, it was not good for her to hide her identity to her disciple. When he entered the sect, he had to pay his respects to the Great-Grandmaster. He would also have to understand the people in her sect.


    As for whether or not he would reveal the secret...


    She was not afraid that he would reveal it. She was more afraid that he would not dare. Once he nodded his head and confirmed his apprenticeship, there would be karma. If he dared to act rashly, it would hurt himself the most.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words sessfully woke Meng Jifang up.


    He was a person who cared about his reputation, and he did not have much courage. Apologizing to those people, as well as facing the ghouls, were things that he feared and could not do...

 Chapter 1188 - Discipleship Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 1188: Discipleship Gifts</h4>


    Meng Jifang hesitated.


    He had always cared about his dignity. Mo Chusheng¡¯s words almost made him tear off his own skin and rub it against the ground.


    He could not take it.


    He turned around and wanted to leave, however, Marquis Meng directly pressed on his shoulder. ¡°Master, this child of mine has been spoiled. He has done many bad things in the past. It¡¯s also my fault as a father. It¡¯s only right for him to apologize to those people. In less than a month, when I return, I¡¯ll bring my son over personally. I won¡¯t use the power of the Meng family to oppress others. I must let Master see my son¡¯s sincerity.¡±


    ¡°Father?!¡± Meng Jifang was truly stunned this time.


    His family was the marquis¡¯ family, and also the Fourth Prince¡¯s external family. What kind of honor was that?


    Even if he had made some mistakes, how could he lower his head like this?


    ¡°My son has been well fed and clothed since he was young, and has never been wronged. Now that I think about it, I was wrong. If I had disciplined you strictly, perhaps you would not be in this predicament now. You have always been strong, and you have always loved to y and have fun. If you go to the other Taoist temples, you¡¯d have to follow the rules all your life. It really doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± Marquis Meng added.


    He looked at it carefully. This Water Moon Temple... Even if there were many things to learn, Mo Lingzi and Mo Chusheng were not stubborn and inflexible people. In the long run, his son would not feel stifled here.


    It was nothing to lower his head for a moment.


    Even in the officialdom, when it was time to admit defeat, one had to admit defeat.


    Furthermore, what he said was the truth. Recently, he had been feeling very regretful. The great masters mostly said that his son was used to indulging himself in the nest of the rich and powerful. The more he did so in the future, the sooner he would die.


    He was well aware that the entire Meng family, including himself, had no power to restrain this child. Even if he hadmitted a grave mistake, there was no way he would be cruel to his son.


    Just this alone was enough to send his son to eternal damnation.


    As for seeing something like ghouls¡­


    Marquis Meng could not imagine how terrifying that thing was. He did not think it was a big deal. The scariest thing in the world was the living. If the dead were capable, then would it not be meaningless for the living to live?


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t...¡± Meng Jifang resisted.


    ¡°Son, be obedient. Don¡¯t let your mother and I worry.¡± There was an underlying meaning on Marquis Meng¡¯s face.


    Meng Jifang had a headache.


    Was the sin he hadmitted so great? Did the heavens want to do this to him?!


    Yes, he was insensible. Sometimes, when he saw those poor students, he could not help but mock and bully them, but that was it¡­


    At least he did not kill people and start fires, right? He was much better than many good-for-nothing young masters!


    ¡°Since Marquis Meng is thoughtful, then it¡¯s a deal.¡± Xie Qiao smiled faintly.


    She wanted to know if this Meng Jifang could really lower his head.


    After Marquis Meng finished speaking, he did not forget to do something important. He hurriedly moved the things into the Fortune Pavilion. There were boxes of items and... a stack of banknotes in front of Xie Qiao.


    When the boxes were opened, there were many precious items inside. All of them looked quite valuable.


    ¡°Since he is your disciple, how can he not show his sincerity? My son is useless, he only has afamily background that¡¯s rather great. Although it has not beenpletely settled, it is not good toe here for nothing. I will drop off the discipleship gifts and wait for my son to turn over a new leaf. When the timees, I will officially kowtow to Master Mo...¡± Marquis Meng was smart.


    He did not wait for Xie Qiao to reject him. He pulled his son and left.


    The rest of the Meng family members also left quickly.


    Xie Qiao and Mo Lingzi stared at each other.

 Chapter 1189 - Resentment

    <h4>Chapter 1189: Resentment</h4>


    When Mo Lingzi looked around, his eyes were shining with a golden light, and his face was filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Is taking in disciples so lucrative?¡± Mo Lingzi cried out in surprise and picked up a white porcin jar. This jar was white and wless, it was extremely beautiful. When he held it in his hand, it was ice-cold and felt extremely good.


    Back then, when he took in a disciple¡­


    It was terrible. Not only did the bandit give him a tiny bit of silver, he asked him to raise her from a baby!


    When Xie Qiao was young, he was so worried about that little bit of silver that his hair turned white!


    Fortunately, this child was lucky. Every time he was at the end of his rope, there would always be a fool who woulde to him for a fortune-telling. They would give him arge sum of money so that he could continue raising the child.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s life was difficult, but she was also blessed.


    She was almost unable to withstand so many gifts. She wanted Meng Jifang to kneel immediately and call her master.


    ¡°If this kid can really lower his head, it¡¯s not too bad. After entering the sect, I¡¯ll watch over him for a few more years for you. I¡¯ll hone all of his bad habits and be a great man.¡± It was rare that Mo Lingzi did not continue to speak ill of him.


    Xie Qiao could not help but sigh. This master of hers was... a master who was lustful for women and money.


    Xie Qiao had people move the things to the backyard and store them temporarily.


    On the other side, Marquis Meng brought Meng Jifang home and called the errand boy over.


    He asked Meng Jifang and errand boy to think carefully about who they had done bad things to over the years.


    However, the errand boy was also used to being arrogant and did not know anything. He only felt that the students in the academy were not sensible and never thought that his young master was at fault. There was no other way. Marquis Meng found someone else toe forward, he invited some ordinary students of the academy to have a drink and chat. Only then did he manage to obtain many things.


    Quite a lot.


    There were hundreds of them.


    Meng Jifang was cold to some of them, he said unpleasant things to some, and the others did not dare to refute them. There were also some that he robbed of their books or items, or used his power to make others kneel or bear the punishment from the dean of the academy for him.


    The most serious ones were about ten or so who he had made people beat and scold.


    One of them had almost formed a monstrous resentment toward his son.


    This person was called Wang Duo, a child of a poor family. He was really talented. With his own ability, he became a schr at a young age, and was enrolled in the Royal Academy.


    He was talented, but he was also proud. He had never been willing to go along with the crowd. He had once watched others bow and kneel to Meng Jifang, and he secretly despised him.


    Meng Jifang was once punished by the dean of the academy to copy an article. It was when he was unhappy when Wang Duo saw him.


    One showed his edge, while the other refused to bow. For some reason, the two of them became enemies.


    There were many people around Meng Jifang, so he forced this person to copy the article for him. However, he refused toply and said a lot of rebellious words, which made this hedonistic young master even more arrogant. They thought of taking him outside the academy and beat him up several times.


    Every time, they beat him until he could not get out of bed for half a month.


    This man¡¯s family was poor. Even if he passed the imperial examinations, his family could not afford his studies. In order to recover from his injuries, they even spent a lot of money.


    If that was the case, it would be fine.


    Wang Duo had a future wife, who he would marry after passing the imperial examinations. Hisfuture wife¡¯s family was not bad. She was from a schrly family and not from a prestigious family. However, she had some property and was somewhat famous. This family was interested in Wang Duo¡¯s future, they did not mind that he was poor.


    However, after the news that Wang Duo had offended Meng Jifang spread, the family hesitated.


    They wanted to persuade Wang Duo to lower his head and beg Meng Jifang for mercy, but Wang Duo refused. The marriage... was called off!

 Chapter 1190 - Crawls around Three Times

    <h4>Chapter 1190: Crawls around Three Times</h4>


    Meng Jifang was used to being a tyrant. Wang Duo¡¯s heart was filled with resentment, but he could never vent it out. He could only study hard and work hard.


    When Marquis Meng found out about this person¡¯s situation, he felt a chill in his heart.


    This stupid son of his really dared to provoke any kind of person!


    Although this Wang Duo did not have a backer, he could throw caution to the wind. He also had the ability and knowledge. Why would such a person worry about not shining one day? Even if he could notpare to the Meng family in 10 to 20 years, what about 30 to 50 yearster? In the future, if he died and his stupid son could not maintain the family, he might fall into the hands of others!


    Apart from that, it was not a good thing to be watched by such a person in the dark.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with this Wang Duo. Tomorrow, you wille with me. I will apologize to him together with you.¡± Marquis Meng was willing to go all out for his son.


    ¡°Father? How is he worthy?¡± Meng Jifang raised his eyebrows and looked down on him.


    ¡°Silly boy, do you think that all the officials in this world are from noble families?! Such a strong-willed and proud child from a humble family is even stronger than the young masters of noble families!¡± Marquis Meng did not know what to say to him. ¡°If you don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll go myself. I don¡¯t want my dignity anymore...¡±


    Meng Jifang knew that his father doted on him. How could he bear to let his father suffer?


    ¡°I understand, Father. You stay at home. I¡¯ll go myself...¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s voice was soft.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I can let you do whatever you want with other things. But now that your life is at stake, I won¡¯t hesitate even if I have to lose my life, let alone my dignity. It¡¯s useless for you to pretend to lie to me.¡± Marquis Meng red at him.


    Meng Jifang looked discouraged. ¡°Father, you¡¯re the marquis... If you go and bow your head, how can the Meng family survive in the capital? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll be beaten and scolded...¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Marquis Meng doted on his son even more.


    Meng Jifang was unwilling, but he knew there was no other way. The next day, he really went to the academy and found Wang Duo.


    When enemies met, their eyes were especially red.


    When Wang Duo saw him, the hatred in his eyes was very unusual, as if he was going to eat him alive.


    ¡°What advice do you have, Young Master Meng?¡± He was neither servile nor overbearing. He was alone and very strong.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s expression was absent-minded for a moment, then he lowered his head. ¡°In the past... it was I who wronged you. Today, I came to apologize to you. I hope you... will forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Meng, you must have thought of some new trick, right? Why are you beating around the bush? I¡¯m just an ordinary person, and I don¡¯t have the ability to go against the Meng family...¡± Wang Duo sneered, not believing him.


    He knew very well what kind of person Meng Jifang was.


    This person did not have much shrewdness in his heart, and was very pure and arrogant.


    Other than showing mercy to the members of the imperial family, he never cared about ordinary people like them. It was as if they were grass that he could trample on whenever he wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯m really apologizing to you! I won¡¯t do that in the future. Tell me, how can you forgive me?¡± Meng Jifang¡¯s attitude was still quite irritating.


    If it were anyone else, they would have shook their heads along with his words. However, Wang Duo said angrily, ¡°Forgive you? Young Master Meng said it so easily. The knife has already scratched the flesh. Can you pretend that nothing happened?!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there must be a way to solve it, right? Just tell me, how can I make you feel better!¡± Meng Jifang huffed and puffed with an unhappy expression.


    ¡°Alright. If Young Master Meng crawls around the courtyard three times like a dog, I¡¯ll take your words seriously.¡±

 Chapter 1191 - Admitting His Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 1191: Admitting His Mistake</h4>


    When he had been humiliated by Meng Jifang, he had felt like an animal when so many students had looked at him. He felt useless.


    Now, he, Meng Jifang, wanted to be forgiven?


    It was ridiculous.


    There were many people in the academy. Everyone knew Meng Jifang.


    Meng Jifang clenched his fists. He thought of his father¡¯s distressed look and his mother¡¯s heartbroken face. He gritted his teeth and knelt.


    Wang Duo was shocked, he even took a step back.


    Everyone who saw this scene was stunned.


    Meng Jifang... had gone mad?


    What Wang Duo had said waspletely out of anger. He knew that Meng Jifang would never do it... However, now, seeing Meng Jifang kneel down, his heart jolted.


    The person he hated was right under his nose, groveling and kowtowing¡­


    ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± He was still not used to it.


    Could it be that he was thinking about how to scheme against him again? However, was there a need to do this to scheme against him?


    Meng Jifang gritted his teeth. He thought about how he would kneel if he wanted to. Was it not just a crawl? This young master was born with the ability to bend and stretch without fear. With that thought, he nimbly circled around the courtyard and began to move.


    His knees were in pain from the blue bricks on the ground. The suspicious and shocked gazes around him made him feel that his dignity was gone. It was as if he had been torn off, and his face was beyond recognition.


    He crawled around and was about to continue when Wang Duo blocked the way. ¡°Young Master Meng, are you really admitting your mistake?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Meng Jifang told the truth.


    What was he wrong about? He was not wrong, right? His family had money and ability, and he was born superior to others. The current Wang Duo was only a schr, and his family was not as good as his. What was wrong with being bullied by him?


    ¡°Heh... if you don¡¯t admit your mistake, then why are you doing this?¡± Wang Duo found it ridiculous.


    ¡°You want to hear the truth?¡± Meng Jifang was not prepared to hide it. ¡°The master read my fortune and said that I won¡¯t live to be thirty. If I want to live to be a hundred years old, I have to be a monk. Master Mo said that if she takes me as her disciple, you have to let me repay the debt I owe you first.¡±


    With that said, Wang Duo came to a realization.


    The others came to a realization too.


    Wang Duo was initially angry. He was angry that he had clearly lowered his head but did not sincerely admit his mistake. This made him feel suffocated in his chest, which made him feel even more ufortable.


    However, when he heard that, the gloominess in his heart suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°Young Master Meng, what are you going to do after bing a Taoist master? I heard that Master Mo often does good deeds and is very kind-hearted. Are you going to do the same by following Master Mo?¡±


    That did not seem like him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If I be her disciple, I can only follow whatever the master says. It¡¯s quite annoying.¡± Meng Jifang sighed.


    ¡°A rich and noble young master like you was born unaware of the hardships of the people. Even if you were forced to admit your mistakes, I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t know what you did wrong no matter what. I, Wang Duo, came from a humble background and didn¡¯t bow down to you in the beginning. Now, I don¡¯t want to take the opportunity to humiliate you. Since you¡¯ve made things clear, then...¡±


    Wang Duo looked at him and said, ¡°I understand. The conflict between us in the past is over. You can go and be a master.¡±


    He wanted to see Meng Jifang do good deeds under Master Mo...


    The humiliation he was facing now was of no use. On the contrary, bing a master was the best punishment for him.


    After bing a Taoist master, it was no longer good to be arrogant and unbridled. It was also no good to have no one in front of him.


    He knew that Master Mo often traveled around. If he followed her, then Meng Jifang... would no longer be a wealthy young master. He would spend his entire life redeeming himself. Even if he lived a long life because of that, he was willing to do so.

 Chapter 1192 - Self-immolation

    <h4>Chapter 1192: Self-immtion</h4>


    Meng Jifang was a little dumbfounded. He thought Wang Duo was not clear-headed? How could he let him off so easily?


    From the looks of it, this person was quite a character. He was not so petty.


    Meng Jifang did not want to crawl on the ground any longer. He stood up immediately.


    He did not want to continue to embarrass himself. At this moment, he nced at Wang Duo and said, ¡°It¡¯s you who don¡¯t want me to continue crawling. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m running away.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Duo looked at him with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go to the next one.¡± Meng Jifang patted his clothes and turned to leave. He looked extremely handsome. Those who did not know better would think that he was here to stir trouble.


    Wang Duo looked at his unhesitant back and could not help butugh sarcastically.


    This Meng Jifang was arrogant. However, there was one thing that made people admire him. It was his shamelessness.


    After Meng Jifang left Wang Duo¡¯s ce, he followed the list of names that his father had found out and went to look for them one by one.


    The others were not as unyielding as Wang Duo. When they faced Meng Jifang, they would think that it was better to avoid trouble. They did not want to provoke him. Now that Meng Jifang hade to apologize, they still did not want to give him any attention. If they could avoid him, they would avoid him. If they could not avoid him, they would nod and let him go.


    After all, the Meng family was the marquis¡¯ family. How could these ordinary students not give him face?


    Even if Meng Jifang¡¯s attitude was extremely low, they would still be afraid of him.


    Except for Wang Duo who rolled his eyes a little, everything went smoothly with the others.


    However, this was also the first time in Meng Jifang¡¯s life that he had lost so much dignity at the academy. In less than two days, everyone knew about his abnormal behavior.


    Those who had heard of him now knew that he was going to be a Taoist master.


    Some people sighed, while others gloated.


    Xie Qiao also knew about Meng Jifang¡¯s actions. She could guess that he would not suffer much, but it was just to see if he was willing to bow his head.


    What really surprised Xie Qiao was that Meng Jifang was not afraid of ghouls?!


    This bit of virtue was much better than her Junior Brother Jiang!


    It was great.


    ¡­


    Inside the Fortune Pavilion, Xie Qiao had also set up a formation for the first princess.


    It was to retrieve the fortune that had been taken away.


    However, after performing the ceremony, Xie Qiao felt that something was not right. The fortune that had been retrieved was extremely rare... She had tried several times, but every time it did not work. This only proved that Prince Rong only took a tiny bit of fortune, as for the rest¡­


    Where did they go?


    Great Consort Hui?


    However, Great Consort Hui... was dead?!


    Prince Rong had caused such a hugemotion, how could Great Consort Hui just stand by and watch?


    Prince Rong was injured and had only recuperated for less than ten days before he was imprisoned. After that, Great Consort Hui was extremely anxious and immediately sent a letter to bear all the me.


    She said that when Prince Rong went to the fief, he was young and insensible, and everything was arranged by her. She also felt that she had let down thete emperor and Prince Rong, and after writing the letter, she set herself on fire and died.


    Not only did Great Consort Hui die, the maids in Great Consort Hui¡¯s residence also said that the Taoist masters who followed her also died.


    Xie Qiao thought it was not that simple. This person... did not seem like someone who would give up easily¡­


    Furthermore, she had died from self-immtion and was beyond recognition.


    Although there were maids as witnesses and people from the criminal division had gone to check and confirm that she was wearing Great Consort Hui¡¯s belongings, she still felt a little uneasy.


    Especially¡­


    It was even more strange that the fortune that Prince Rong had seized had not been used on himself.

 Chapter 1193

    <h4>Chapter 1193: Escape</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Looking at what Great Consort Hui had done, she should be a person who loved her son and would take the initiative to bear the responsibility and give up her life.


    Such a person wanted her son to be the emperor, but she did not want to give her son the fortune that she had taken from the imperial family. Instead, she kept it for herself?


    Xie Qiao could not figure it out.


    In the evening, Xie Qiao returned to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence and told Zhao Xuanjing about the formation.


    Zhao Xuanjing thought for a moment and held her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about these small matters. She¡¯s just a consort. I¡¯m investigating it.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°What you mean is¡­ you also suspect that this Great Consort Hui is still alive?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. I just feel that it¡¯s not very believable to die from self-immtion.¡± Zhao Xuanjing smiled sarcastically. ¡°Prince Rong is arrogant. In the fief, no one can control him except for Great Consort Hui. In the past few years, he has done a lot of things besides taking people¡¯s fortune. Recently, the criminal division has interrogated a lot of old matters. Things areplicated.¡±


    Xie Qiao immediately sat up straight and listened carefully.


    Seeing that she was interested, Zhao Xuanjing exined in detail, ¡°Prince Rong has raised many death warriors, and some of them have been working for him for nearly twenty years. How old is Prince Rong? He already knows this at the age of ten? In addition, now that his master has been captured, these death warriors have not made any movements. The people around Prince Rong have also confessed. There are many death warriors who have entered the capital, and now they are all hiding.


    ¡°When Prince Rong was in the fief, the residence often had some strange things bought in. For instance, blood jade, cat bones, and hair were taken out from all kinds of ancient tombs. There is a side courtyard in the residence. Every once in a while, people would clean up the trash. Every time, it was extremely smelly. I wonder what the people inside are doing.¡±


    Hearing what Zhao Xuanjing said, Xie Qiao felt her whole body ooze with panic.


    ¡°This Great Consort Hui is at least 50 years old this year, but it is said that she is as young as a woman in her 20s. You should know better than me about beauty cultivation techniques. Such an exaggerated effect, I¡¯m afraid she is not on the right path,¡± Zhao Xuanjing added.


    Xie Qiao nodded. ¡°In her 50s, it is possible for her to be more than 10 years younger if she uses pearls and herbs to maintain her appearance. If¡­ her skin conditionpletely matches the appearance of a young girl in her 20s, it is indeed abnormal¡­¡±


    She also knew some cosmetic techniques, but it was simr to what the imperial physicians in the pce knew.


    It was nothing more thanbining food with feelings, as well as adding flowers, nts, pearls, and milk.


    Just like the empress and Imperial Concubine Meng, they were both in their forties. They looked like women in their thirties, and there were not many wrinkles on their faces.


    ¡°This Great Consort Hui seems to be unconcerned with the affairs of the world in the residence, but even her confidants around Prince Rong were arranged by her. Simply put, Prince Rong may look powerful, but he¡¯s actually a puppet. Did he die for a puppet? It doesn¡¯t look like it. It¡¯s just that this trick of hers was very straightforward. No one was able to react in time.¡± Zhao Xuanjing could not help but admire the ruthlessness of this Great Consort Hui.


    Xie Qiao understood what he meant and was almost certain that Great Consort Hui was not dead.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy to find this person, right?¡± Xie Qiao frowned slightly.


    Great Consort Hui had almost never shown her face. Xie Qiao did not even know what this person looked like!


    Moreover, Great Consort Hui and the others had just arrived in the capital not long ago. Even the ghouls were not familiar with them. Although Xie Qiao could ask the ghouls to help her, they really could not help much now.


    ¡°She spent so much effort trying to escape. There is something she wants that hasn¡¯t beenpleted. Since she has ambition, she will definitely show her face.¡±

 Chapter 1194

    <h4>Chapter 1194: Obsequious Ruler</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Qiao also agreed with what Zhao Xuanjing said.


    It was impossible for Great Consort Hui toe all the way to the capital just to send her son to his death.


    ¡°I can do divination. Although I can¡¯t find out the exact location, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to find out the rough location.¡± As she spoke, Xie Qiao stood up and prepared to do a divination seriously.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing pulled her into his arms. ¡°Where do you have the time to think about her? You don¡¯t need to bother to do this now.¡±


    It was too exhausting. He would feel sorry for her.


    There was light in his eyes. He did not seem to be thinking about anything serious.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to make babies.¡± Xie Qiao was stunned. She did not force it. She met his gaze and said seriously.


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°The bracelet given by Master is very useful,¡± Xie Qiao said immediately.


    She was not young anymore, and she also wanted to have a taste of taking care of a child as soon as possible. Moreover¡­ people outside actually said that she could not do it!


    If they said that her body was terrible that she would definitely be dead in two or three years, she had been trying her best to survive since she was young. If others said that she could not do it, she would definitely win back her dignity.


    Xie Qiao looked quite expectant, and Zhao Xuanjing was dumbfounded by her gaze. He did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°We can¡¯t rush it¡­


    ¡°We need to fatten you up a little,¡± he added.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you cut down on the food at home? My face is chubby now. If this goes on, the outerwordliness in my body will plummet. How can I put on the disguise?¡± Xie Qiao frowned and was very mncholic.


    Her face, Mo Chusheng¡¯s, had to be thinner in order to look powerful.


    However, now, it was a bit like baby fat.


    Zhao Xuanjing really treated her like a piglet, did he not?


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to feel at ease with just the bracelet. You and I are still young, so we should umte more good karma. In the future, you and our child can only get close to each other. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already made it clear to my parents. They won¡¯t rush us.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not tell the truth.


    His father had long wanted to hold a grandchild.


    Thest few times he went to the pce, he asked in the open and in the dark if they were working on it, and then asked if he should bring a few beauties home.


    He only said that he had looked for a master and calcted the situation. Fortune had note, so he told him not to worry.


    His father did not say anything at the time. After that, he probably looked for the grand preceptor to ask about it. However, he had also mentioned it to Xie Pinggang in advance. Therefore, Xie Pinggang spoke to the grand preceptor and reassured his father. Only then did he stop worrying.


    He only hoped that Xie Qiao would recuperate. He did not want to talk to her about such trivial matters, which would only cause more trouble.


    With such health, seeing her frown, he could not help but feel mncholic.


    He was probably going to be an obsequious ruler who was addicted to women in the future.


    As for the matter of Great Consort Hui, Xie Qiao did not need to bother with divination. He and Xie Pinggang had their own arrangements.


    It had to be said that Xie Qiao felt that since she was married, she was truly free and unfettered, and the pressure was less than before. The family was rich in money, and it was enough to take care of her. On the Xie family¡¯s side, her eldest brother could handle it, her younger siblings had grown up, and they were all sensible.


    Now that both masters were still in the capital, they could properly show their respect to them.


    Xie Qiao looked at Zhao Xuanjing, and her heart was filled with warmth.


    After living for so many years, he was the first person who had arranged everything for her so well and loved her so much.


    He treated her very well, and she naturally had to repay him.


    As the Crown Prince, children were especially important.


    ¡°Ever since I returned to the Xie Residence, I¡¯ve almost always brought along the talismans. Perhaps¡­ my lethal fate with my close rtive isn¡¯t that serious anymore.¡± Xie Qiao did not dare to remove the talismanpletely to test it.


    She could not calcte her own fate clearly, so she could only muddle through it.


    Her master was close to her, so her fate was more or less hazy.

 Chapter 1195

    <h4>Chapter 1195: Did You Use It Today</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to Yuxu Temple another day and look for the Taoist masters there.¡± Zhao Xuanjing did not seem to be in a hurry at all.


    Xie Qiao nodded and agreed.


    The grand preceptor was good with divinition, but he had a strange temper. Apart from being a little friendly to Xie Pinggang, he did not care about anyone else. If there was a problem with the divination, it would probably be spread to his family.


    With him around, Xie Qiao could only focus on being a master. Like a little mouse, she secretly umted good karma.


    However, Xie Qiao did not know that the Crown Prince was at Xie Pinggang¡¯s throat that he could not sleep.


    He had to look for someone!


    He had to look for someone every day!


    If he wanted to look for someone with obvious characteristics and was extremely vicious, then it would be easy. He just needed to search every house. However, now, he needed to find a consort. Her appearance¡­ there was only a portrait. Other than searching for such a strange consort, the Crown Prince also wanted him to search for Taoist masters, and he also wanted him to search for strange things in the streets of the capital!


    For instance, which housecked a big ck dog, which housecked a woman¡¯s sanitary pad or other strange things!


    A sanitary pad. He was a man, and he had to muster his courage to ask, ¡°Did you use it today?!¡±


    Even if he had always been shameless, he would not do such a shameful thing!


    He asked his brothers to investigate other strange things, but this¡­


    He had no choice but to look for Yu Xian.


    Yu Xian was also a person who was shameless, but she was also shocked by his strange request and took a few steps back.


    She frowned, she looked at him with a strange gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there are strange men in this world who like women¡¯s personal belongings and will secretly take them back¡­ Y-You¡­ If you do this, don¡¯t me me for reporting it to the authorities!¡±


    Xie Pinggang blushed, which was rare.


    ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s all that b*stard¡­ It was His Highness, he came up with such a bad idea! It¡¯s for investigating a case¡­¡± Xie Pinggang said quickly.


    Being looked at by Yu Xian, his heart turned cold, ¡°I, Xie Pinggang, am a man who wants to do such an unspeakable thing? If I like youngdies, why do I need to go through such a way? Why don¡¯t I just go to the door and propose marriage?¡±


    ¡°What kind of case is this¡­ You didn¡¯t lie to me on purpose, did you?¡± Yu Xian¡¯s facial features were contemptuous as she resisted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for so long. When I was in the mountain stronghold, I followed a few uncles to watch the girls take a bath. Later on, I¡¯ve changed, and I¡¯m definitely not that kind of person!¡± Xie Pinggang exined again.


    ¡°Brother Xie, you used to be¡­¡± Yu Xian felt that Xie Pinggang¡¯s heroic image was gone.


    He was just like a wretched man.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just that there¡¯s nothing to do in the mountain stronghold. Those women can¡¯t wait for me to visit them!¡± Xie Pinggang said shamelessly.


    When he did that, he was only eleven or twelve years old.


    He was fearless at that age. He ran amok in the mountain stronghold. There was no one who was not afraid of him.


    The people of his Xie family were all like that. Look at his stupid brother. Was he not a little naughty? He even went to a brothel!


    Back then, he did not even have the chance to go to a brothel. His brother was quite lucky with women.


    Yu Xian became more and more disgusted. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. The more you talk about it, the more I feel that you have ill intentions¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to do it or not? We brothers don¡¯t want to get involved in this job. If you can lead a group of people and ask around, there will be money for it,¡± Xie Pinggang said again.


    At the mention of money, Yu Xian became spirited.


    She wanted to save up for her retirement.


    Her aunt had already moved out of the Zhou Residence. The Zhou family had been cursing and swearing, but there was nothing they could do.


    She asionally stayed at the Xie Residence and asionally apanied her aunt, but she knew that she could not go to her aunt¡¯s ce often.


    In the future, her cousin would marry.

 Chapter 1196

    <h4>Chapter 1196: Strange Things</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    In the past, in the Zhou Residence, her aunt suppressed her cousin¡¯s marriage mainly because she was afraid that the Zhou family would find an unsuitable person for their interests. Now that they had left thend of dispute, naturally, his marriage had to be nned.


    Her aunt had also asked her about her thoughts.


    She really¡­ only treated her cousin as her brother.


    Moreover, although her cousin was a good person, he was somewhat pedantic. He often advised her to be gentle and obedient. After listening to him, she wanted to punch him in the face and ask him to find a cool ce to stay by himself and cut the nonsense.


    Recently, her aunt had taken a fancy to a family that was not very well-off.


    Thedy¡¯s father was only a sixth-rank civil servant, but his family was clean. Thedy was great. She seemed to be the eldest daughter of the family. She was well-educated and had a good reputation. The other party also saw that after she married her cousin, it was a terrible thing without a powerful family. She also saw that her cousin was young and had a bright future, so she agreed to it.


    They were in the middle of a discussion and had yet to get engaged.


    However, it would be soon.


    Once her cousin got married, she would have one cousin less.


    She had to support herself.


    It was an embarrassing job, but Yu Xian still agreed. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s just a small matter. I can do it!¡±


    Yu Xian had a heroic look on her face.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xie Pinggang felt like a big rock was lifted off his shoulder.


    There were quite many people at the criminal division. Xie Pinggang brought Yu Xian over and she changed into a man¡¯s outfit. She looked like a heroic man, but she was not rigid at all. The people there did not even think that she was a youngdy. When they heard that she was going to bring people to investigate this ¡°tabooed¡± thing, they allplimented her and treated her extremely well.


    Yu Xian was very meticulous in handling things. She also knew that many women liked to gather together and chat.


    Therefore, she found more ces with more women and tried to get information from them.


    She could run through several streets and alleys in a day, and there were already blisters on her feet, but she still looked like she was fine.


    After investigating for a few days, Yu Xian really found something wrong.


    However, it was not the monthly menstruation.


    ¡°When a few women in the capital gave birth, the midwife took many of the centa and the blood of the women who gave birth. Is this considered strange?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xie Pinggang pped his thigh. ¡°Is there more?¡±


    ¡°I found one of the midwives and spent some money to learn from her that someone bought these things. In the past, if the pregnant woman didn¡¯t want the centa, she would have sold it to the medicine shop. However, the midwife secretly took the centa and said that she would soak it in the blood of the pregnant woman¡­ This is the only thing that can be sold for a hundred taels of silver.¡± Yu Xian was also quite excited.


    She did not know what kind of monster would do such a thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also found something odd in the past few days. A few people who were tortured by illness all year round had their blood spurted before they died. Their blood was also bought by someone¡­¡±


    It was not easy to find people who spurted blood before they died. Moreover, the family members were not willing to sell the blood.


    It was precisely because it was not easy to find that she was able to find out.


    Those families who refused to sell the blood were stillining.


    Yu Xian had guessed it by now. Someone must be doing some evil techniques, right?


    ¡°Do you want to ask Master Mo?¡± She looked at Xie Pinggang expectantly, waiting for him to speak.


    ¡°Yes, now that we have found out about this, we finally have the right to trouble her.¡± Xie Pinggang nodded. Previously, there were no clues, so the Crown Prince was very protective of his sister, afraid that he would disturb Xie Qiao.

 Chapter 1197

    <h4>Chapter 1197: Wife</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask what kind of sorcery is it used for. Don¡¯t stay idle, my brothers. We must catch the one who bought the blood. If anyone can find the clue first, His Highness will definitely reward them.¡± Xie Pinggang did not forget to give a sweet promise.


    Since the Crown Prince came to the criminal division, the brothers¡¯ work was a little tiring. However, every time they finished a case, the reward would be handsome.


    In particr, this case was investigated in private. It was not recorded in the case file, so it was not counted as merit. The reward would definitely be handsome.


    Therefore, when Xie Pinggang said that, everyone¡¯s spirit was immediately ignited.


    They followed the current clues and continued to trace. Meanwhile, Xie Pinggang brought Yu Xian with him to meet Xie Qiao.


    Mo Lingzi stayed at the Fortune Pavilion no matter if he had anything to do or not. Xie Pinggang saw him, too.


    He did not look happy.


    Mo Lingzi had indeed raised this foolish girl, but he was too talkative. If he were to pay attention to him, he might say something unpleasant again. When Mo Lingzi left the mountain, he was still young. He should not have remembered those things, but his father had scolded this old Taoist master for many years!


    Therefore, he knew this old Taoist master very well!


    Yu Xian did not know Mo Lingzi¡¯s identity. She only knew that he was another master at the Fortune Pavilion.


    Just like the sitting doctor in the medicine shop, he must be someone very capable.


    Therefore, Yu Xian was even more respectful to Mo Lingzi.


    The contrast between the two was obvious.


    ¡°Where did this little girle from? She is quite likable. Why don¡¯t you stay and be my good grandson¡¯s wife?¡± Mo Lingzi said.


    After saying that, he reached out and patted Meng Yan¡¯s shoulder.


    Meng Yan was silly now, but he could not change his bad habit after so many years. He still had some flirtatious nature. When he heard the word ¡°wife,¡± his eyes lit up and he instantly looked straight at Yu Xian. However, when they met, he frowned and pursed his lips. ¡°She¡¯s not a little girl.¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you know? You can¡¯t just look at a person¡¯s face? You have to look at their eyes and bones. If you can¡¯t even understand this, then look at their breasts and buttocks! One look and you¡¯ll know!¡± Mo Lingzi said casually in delight.


    Yu Xian¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    ¡°D*mn old man, do you dare to say that again?!¡± Xie Pinggang was furious.


    Look my a*s!


    Meng Yan seemed to understand, and that extremely beautiful face was directed at Yu Xian.


    He looked at the unruly man. as long as he did not open his mouth, he could not tell that there was something wrong with his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Brother Xie. That¡¯s not wrong either. That¡¯s how you look at people.¡± Yu Xian pressed Xie Pinggang down, then stretched out her head and asked, ¡°What if the front and back are t?¡±


    ¡°Look at her Adam¡¯s apple. If it really doesn¡¯t work, why don¡¯t you just touch it with your hand?¡± Mo Lingzi said with a serious expression.


    Xie Pinggang sneered.


    He knew that this Taoist master was terrible!


    The man next to him, who was a flirtatious man, was also terrible!


    ¡°Don¡¯t learn from him. Back then, it was because he didn¡¯t look like a good person that my father took him to the mountain. You¡¯ve lived for so long, have you ever seen such a shameless Taoist master? Fortunately, my sister was born an obedient and sensible person. That¡¯s why she wasn¡¯t led astray by him.¡± Xie Pinggang red at him.


    However, Mo Lingzi was really fearless.


    ¡°Back then, when this penniless master went up the mountain, you chased after me and insisted on taking me as your master. You wanted to ascend to heaven and be immortal!¡± When Mo Lingzi thought of the past, heughed loudly.


    Xie Pinggang was instantly speechless.


    He did not believe it!


    His father had never mentioned this before!


    ¡°Really? Master?¡± Yu Xian was in disbelief and asked in surprise.

 Chapter 1198

    <h4>Chapter 1198: Forbidden Techniques</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Mo Lingzi nodded his head solemnly. ¡°When this penniless master first came up the mountain, these bandits were extremely vicious. Later on, I discovered that I was even more powerful than the second-in-charge, who had lost his memory, so they worshiped me!¡±


    That second-in-charge was referring to the military advisor at that time, the current grand preceptor, Peng Tianming.


    ¡°That second-in-charge of theirs was also a capable person. This penniless master only saw that his brain was damaged. When I was in the mountain stronghold, I had nothing to do, so I narrated some of his abilities to him. If it wasn¡¯t for this penniless master, he wouldn¡¯t even be the current grand preceptor!¡± His face was full of pride.


    Xie Pinggang acknowledged that.


    Back then, the grand preceptor had wandered into the mountain stronghold and did not know anything. He waspletely a beggar.


    However, seeing that he was born well, his mother felt that this person might be a talent, so she took him in.


    One day, the grand preceptor identally read a book and found that he actually knew how to read!


    Just like a piece of absorbent cotton, he suddenly learned many things. Anything could be inferred by him. Initially, she thought that he only knew how to read, but who knew that after the Taoist master came and guided him, he had actually learned feng shui.


    Yu Xian had never heard of such things and was very interested.


    If it were not for the fact that they still had business to do, she would want to sit down and listen to Mo Lingzi tell them more about the past.


    When Xie Qiao came down from upstairs, they stopped talking about the past.


    Xie Pinggang exined everything that they had found to Xie Qiao.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of the blood? Why would someone spend so much effort to buy it?¡± Xie Pinggang asked.


    Hearing that, Xie Qiao frowned, then he looked at Mo Lingzi. ¡°S-Senior brother, this centa has innate qi, and the blood of the dead is mixed with theirst breath¡­ I¡¯m not very familiar with these evil techniques, so I can¡¯t remember which book it was from¡­¡±


    ¡°You secretly read the forbidden book in our Taoist temple when you were young, and I beat you up.¡± Mo Lingzi nced at her.


    He rarely beat up Xie Qiao, only once.


    Of course, it was just a light blow with a horsetail whisk, and he was afraid that she would not feel any pain.


    ¡°You even beat her up? Her health iscking!¡± Xie Pinggang frowned.


    ¡°I was raising a child. I can beat her up however I want. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Mo Lingzi did not show any weakness.


    ¡°Stop arguing.¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at them.


    Yu Xian was confused as she listened. She felt that something was wrong.


    She knew that Xie Qiao was Mo Chusheng. Then¡­ Mo Chusheng was Mo Lingzi¡¯s junior sister, Mo Lingzi was Xie Qiao¡¯s master¡­ and Mo Lingzi raised Xie Qiao? So¡­ the person Xie Pinggang was protecting was Xie Qiao?


    That meant that Xie Pinggang already knew that Xie Qiao was Mo Chusheng?!


    Yu Xian¡¯s mind was in a mess.


    ¡°Our Water Moon Temple is a proper Taoist temple, so we don¡¯t use those crooked and evil techniques. It¡¯s just that there are some Taoist masters out there who don¡¯t care about morality and do all kinds of bad things. To be on the safe side, we also have to learn these things. It¡¯s just that you were still too young back then. I was afraid that you were too curious and young and did not know the severity of things that you would learn the forbidden techniques and do bad things¡­¡±


    After Xie Qiao turned twelve, he showed her the forbidden techniques again.


    However¡­


    ¡°When I read the bookter, many pages were eaten by rats. This is one of them, right?¡± Xie Qiao asked.


    It was one thing that the pages were eaten, but when she read it carefully, she found that there were many disgusting techniques in the book, and there were even drawings. She felt her scalp go numb from reading it, so¡­


    Toward the end, when she saw that the pages were missing, she only briefly understood it from her master and did not study it in detail.


    It could be said that she had thought about it, but she did not write it down seriously.

 Chapter 1199

    <h4>Chapter 1199: Flirting</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Thinking back to her days at the Taoist temple, Xie Qiao missed it.


    ¡°Master¡­ Senior Brother, what is this thing used for?¡± Xie Qiao thought for a while. ¡°I remember that the spells on thest few pages are quite overbearing. They can kill people directly, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Young Master Xie, you will know when you look carefully. As long as the mother and child who have their centa and blood taken are sessful in the spells, the child will definitely die young. The pregnant woman would also be gued with bad luck. Even if she doesn¡¯t die, she would still lose ayer of skin. Also, the blood and qi of the deceased must be used by people who have died of a long illness with resentment. This way, the effect of the blood and qi would be even greater.


    ¡°With these two things together with the evil energy in the tomb, the blood of a person¡¯s heart, the hair on his head, and the eight characters of his birth date, can curse this person to have no kins in life. It¡¯s very overbearing,¡± Mo Lingzi added.


    Once he said that, Xie Qiao¡¯s memory of the book she had read became clearer.


    She remembered that at that time, she should have asked her master. However, her master said that there were not many Taoist masters who would do this nowadays¡­


    ¡°Then, if this curse backfires¡­¡± Xie Qiao hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s not a curse on others, of course it will fall on your own head. If you want to avoid it, you must rece it with your own kins and eight characters. That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    However, the fate of the kins of the person who cast the curse would not be great.


    This kind of thing could not be touched.


    The evil energy soared to the sky, and the resentment was thick.


    Moreover, seven children¡¯s lives were sacrificed. This kind of evil spell was not easy to do. Normally, no one would do it, and it would be too easy to fail.


    ¡°M-Master Xie, have you checked Great Consort Hui¡¯s family? And the Taoist master beside her, is the identity clear? Does that person have a family?¡± Xie Qiao suddenly asked.


    Since the probability of this spell failing was very high¡­


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Yu Xian suddenly raised her hand weakly.


    Xie Qiao turned back to look at her.


    The others were also stunned.


    Hearing Xie Qiao¡¯s messy address, Yu Xian felt a headache.


    ¡°I-I actually know everything. Since Master Xie also knows, then¡­ Master Mo, if you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to avoid it. I think¡­ It¡¯s good that Master Xie knows that I know. In the future, we¡¯ll have more things to talk about together,¡± Yu Xian said earnestly. After saying that, she went back and forth¡­


    Yu Xian had alreadyid her cards on the table with Xie Qiao.


    However¡­


    Xie Qiao felt that since she was in a disguise now, she had to be in her act.


    Even if everyone knew, she had to y her role conscientiously to avoid getting used to beingzy and making mistakes in front of others.


    When Xie Pinggang heard Yu Xian¡¯s words, he looked at her in shock. ¡°You also know?! Could it be that this wretched girl is hiding it from me?!¡±


    Xie Qiao coughed dryly. ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise in this penniless master¡¯s shop.¡±


    Xie Pinggang was speechless.


    Yu Xian was speechless, too.


    The two of them subconsciously shut their mouths. Then, they looked at each other and could not help but be speechless.


    There was clearly a room full of people who knew everything, yet Xie Qiao still had to put on the posture of a master. Look at her attitude, it was as if she could fly to the sky.


    Xie Pinggang had been holding it in for quite some time, and now, he wished he could immediately go back and have a drink with Yu Xian, telling her how hard Xie Qiao had tricked him¡­


    In Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes, the way the two of them winked at each other was like they were flirting with each other.


    It was not easy. Could it be her eldest brother, who did not understand romance, had be enlightened?


    That fate could be changed sooner orter.


    However, it was only his fate that changed, and it had nothing to do with his character.


    Even if this unromantic temper was influenced by fate, it had been ingrained in his character over time. She was afraid that even if he did not have a lonely fate, he would not be able to find a wife with this irritable and impulsive appearance!

 Chapter 1200

    <h4>Chapter 1200: Can¡¯t Break It</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Qiao had been worrying about Xie Pinggang all this time. Now that she saw that he even knew how to flirt, she suddenly felt very gratified¡­


    ¡°Young Master Xie, let¡¯s continue with the business,¡± Xie Qiao said kindly.


    When he saw Xie Qiao¡¯s expression, Xie Pinggang wanted to hit her.


    How rude.


    ¡°Did you mention Great Consort Hui¡¯s kins?¡± Xie Pinggang snorted. ¡°I checked long ago. This Great Consort Hui¡¯s life is quite miserable. I only know that her parents died early and she was adopted as a foster daughter by a family. When she was sent to the pce, the family that was recorded in her birth records was also the same family. I think that apart from Prince Rong, her blood rtives are all dead.


    ¡°As for the Taoist master who followed her, I¡¯ve also found out that he seems to be called Lu Yuping. After he became a disciple in the early years, he did not study for long and became a self-taught genius. After thete Emperor left, this person ran a small Taoist temple. Great Consort Hui often went to worship the gods. Later on, the Taoist temple copsed,¡± Xie Pinggang said.


    ¡°Lu Yuping?¡± Mo Lingzi repeated.


    ¡°Have you heard of him, Senior Brother?¡± Xie Qiao asked with her identity.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of him, but I don¡¯t think so¡­ I¡¯m old and my memory is not as good as before. I need to think about it¡­¡± Mo Lingzi suddenly stood up and paced back and forth, his mind spinning.


    Finally, his eyes fell on Meng Yan, and a thought shed through his mind¡­


    ¡°Fool¡­ A fool with amnesia¡­¡± Mo Lingzi muttered to himself and suddenly patted his head. ¡°Got it! It¡¯s Peng Tianming, that fool who lost his memory. When I taught him to recall Dao techniques back then, he would oftene up with names of people, such as Yuping, Dongfang, Xiaoxian¡­ And there was also Ms¡­ Ms. Hui? It¡¯s a mess. He often said that his brain hurts when he talks too much¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang was shocked. ¡°How can you remember something from such a long time ago so clearly? I also remember that the grand preceptor once mentioned a few names, but it¡¯s been a long time and I¡¯ve long forgotten them!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just an ordinary person. How can youpare to this poor Taoist master?¡± Mo Lingzi grinned.


    The truth was that when he was guiding Peng Tianming to read, he subconsciously wrote these few words. He tested him back and forth and did not got sick of that.


    ¡°There seems to be a character in Great Consort Hui¡¯s maiden name. When she entered the pce as a pce maid, she changed it,¡± Xie Pinggang said. ¡°Then¡­ is the grand preceptor really rted to this Great Consort? They¡¯re family?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    Although the grand preceptor had lost his memory, after her master¡¯s simple guidance, all of his abilities hade back.


    As for Lu Yuping, did he learn by himself after bing a master?


    In this line of work, without the guidance of a master, it was not easy to learn by himself. Just like her, she relied on her master and the countless ancient books at the Water Moon Temple to read and learn more before she was able to be a master.


    Xie Pinggang respected the grand preceptor very much.


    To him, if the grand preceptor did not exist, the current Xie family would not exist.


    When he was fighting the barbarians, it was Xie Qiao who sent him a letter of advice. However,ter on in the army, it was the grand preceptor who came up with all kinds of schemes!


    After he came to the capital, it was also the grand preceptor who protected the Xie family. That was why the bandit-like Xie family was not destroyed by the emperor.


    ¡°I still have something to do!¡± Xie Pinggang immediately stood up. He did not even have time to say anything before he turned around and left.


    Yu Xian also said goodbye briefly and quickly chased after him.


    Mo Lingzi looked at his expression and then nced at Xie Qiao, he said, ¡°Silly girl, is your eldest brother supposed to mourn? If you look carefully, it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s a big problem with his parents pce¡­ I think it¡¯s the grand preceptor who¡¯s about to die.¡±


    Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang were blood-rted siblings. If she only nced at him, she would not be able to see his fortune clearly.


    However, Xie Qiao did not like to pay close attention to others, so she naturally could not see her eldest brother¡¯s situation.


    Moreover¡­


    As they were not blood-rted, the fortune was not obvious.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression changed slightly. She was about to chase after him, but Mo Lingzi stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing, not a curse. If It¡¯s a curse, it can¡¯t be avoided. Girl, you don¡¯t have to go. The fortune is obvious. The curse is already done. You can¡¯t break the curse.¡±


    If she could break it easily¡­ he would have said it earlier¡­

 Chapter 1201

    <h4>Chapter 1201: The Method to Crack It</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was grave and worried.


    She was not familiar with the grand preceptor, but he had indeed helped the Xie family a lot. Was she going to watch this person die? She felt ufortable.


    Moreover, if the sorcery was sessful, it would implicate a few children and cause them to lose their lives. Even if it did not work, it would be harmful to these children!


    ¡°Master, you once told me that everything has its own way of bnce¡­ and I remember that when I read that book, there seemed to be a way to crack it.¡±


    Xie Qiao recalled carefully.


    However, for some reason, she actually had no impression of the method of cracking it.


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s face shed with uneasiness. ¡°What method? I don¡¯t know¡­ You, don¡¯t worry so much. Everyone has their own fate.¡±


    ¡°Master, you know that if I don¡¯t try it if I know there¡¯s a solution, it will hurt my moral integrity.¡± Xie Qiao looked at him quietly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± Mo Lingzi grinned. ¡°Silly girl, there¡¯s really no solution.¡±


    Even if there was a solution, if it could not be achieved, would that not mean there was no solution?


    It was not a lie.


    ¡°Old man, you¡¯d better tell me the truth. I will decide for myself whether it can be used or not.¡± Xie Qiao still felt that the old man was lying to her.


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s heart choked and felt very helpless.


    When Xie Qiao was young, her body was not in good condition. However, because she could see ghouls, she had a lot of things to do. Either some ghouls wanted to possess her, or the ghouls were looking for her to help resolve theirst wishes.


    These ghouls were pestering her day and night. She had no choice but to give in.


    However, her body was really too weak. In the beginning, thest wishes that she could resolve could only be those ordinary things. Those that were slightly more difficult could only be piled up. She was unable to do anything about it.


    As time passed, the things in her heart grew more and more, and she worked harder and harder to learn.


    Perhaps he also knew what kind of person Xie Qiao was, so he subconsciously told her about this matter and did not hide it.


    It was not necessarily that he did not have the intention of letting her choose for herself.


    Mo Lingzi sighed.


    ¡°We need a ce with Yang energy only. To put it bluntly, we need to go to a Taoist temple high up in the sky to receive the qi of heaven and earth and pure Yang energy. Then, we need to find an Academic Excellence Brush and mix it with cinnabar, gold powder, and a first-ss medicinal ink. Together with the four seasons heavenly water, we need to copy the incantation and use it for the ceremony,¡± Mo Lingzi said.


    Xie Qiao immediately nodded and listened.


    She knew what the four seasons heavenly water that her master was talking about was.


    It was water formed from dew, frost, rain, snow, and ice. It was water flowing from the east, reversed flowing water, cold spring water, hot spring water, well water¡­


    It was indeed not easy to gather all of them.


    ¡°With this Yang energy and heavenly water, we can receive the qi of life and eliminate the qi of death. Many evil spells can be broken with this. However, your body is not well, and this spell will take at least nine days. I¡¯m afraid your body won¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡±


    ¡°There are many powerful Taoist masters in the Yuxu Temple. Yuan Changzi and I are considered friends. Why don¡¯t we invite them?¡± Xie Qiao quickly asked.


    Her master was old, and his body was not healthy. His hands and feet were no longer agile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. That sorcery hurts people¡¯s lives, and it¡¯s too overbearing. If you want to snatch food from the tiger¡¯s mouth, you¡¯ll naturally have to pay something. The way both sides do things is a fight between dragons and tigers. If you don¡¯t have a pair of natural yin-yang eyes that can see between two worlds, you won¡¯t be able to see the children¡¯s innate qi. It¡¯s not good to channel that qi back. Cow¡¯s tears won¡¯t do. Moreover, if you look at it too much, even if your body is able to withstand it, in that ce of extreme Yang energy, if you do that sorcery, the cmity would be solved. Your eyes that can see ghouls will be gone. From now on, you won¡¯t be able to see living people.¡±


    In other words, she had to use her eyes to exchange for the lives of others.


    He was a cultivator. If it were him, perhaps he would sacrifice himself for others. However, he did not have a pair of yin-yang eyes.


    Of course, people without yin-yang eyes could do it. However, the probability of failure was high, and it was impossible to save all the childrenpletely.

 Chapter 1202

    <h4>Chapter 1202: Lucky Charm</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    When the other party used this kind of evil technique, it was usually with the intention of fighting to the death.


    It was unknown how great the enmity was.


    Xie Qiao also did not expect that a simple method to crack it would actually blind the eyes.


    This pair of eyes could be exchanged for several lives. It was a good deal, but the eyes belonged to her. From now on, if she could not see¡­


    Xie Qiao was stunned.


    ¡°If you are really worried, please ask the people from Yuxu Temple to give it a try. But I think there is a 90% chance that it will be a waste of effort. It¡¯d be considered powerful even if one child¡¯s life is saved. If this evil technique is so easy to break, it would not be a forbidden technique,¡± Mo Lingzi added.


    There were many other evil techniques in this world that could hurt people. Using a child as a sacrifice was the most vicious.


    ¡°Master, let me think about it,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    ¡°This harmful spell should take about forty-nine days toplete, right? It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know when this spell started. You can go and check the condition of those children. The worse their bodies are, the longer the spell hassted.¡±


    As it had already begun, Xie Qiao needed to look with her eyes in order to get the life force in their bodies back.


    If she could not get it back, even if she broke the spell, these children would be fools if they did not die.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Xie Qiao nodded.


    ¡°Girl, if you be blind, you definitely won¡¯t be the Princess Consort anymore. Even if you can¡¯t see ghouls in the future¡­ It may seem like a good thing, but you won¡¯t be able to solve theirst wish and umte good karma. Your body won¡¯t be able to recover. How many more years can youst?


    ¡°It¡¯s said that it¡¯s using your eyes to exchange for it, but in reality, it¡¯s using your life. Moreover, your body isn¡¯t well. If you want tost for nine days, you have to use some spells to forcefully protect your body and heart. After that, your body will be weak.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, there¡¯s no way to solve it.


    ¡°This method is life-threatening. It¡¯s not a big crime for you to give it up. Presumably, you won¡¯t lose too much good karma. Where there is life, there is hope. Even if you lose a little, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the future, you just have to think of a way to earn it back. Haven¡¯t we all lived like this for so many years¡­¡±


    Mo Lingzi muttered to himself.


    He was a Taoist master, but he was not so magnanimous.


    If Xie Qiao¡¯s life was not easy, he knew better than anyone else how much this girl wanted to live.


    She risked her life to save others. It looked like she was afraid that she would live for too long. It was extremely contradictory.


    Xie Qiao felt veryplicated, and she did not know what to choose.


    She had been struggling for her life these years, and it was quite tiring. However, after living for years, she felt proud. She had a stubborn temper, and all she wanted was to live a long life. It would be best if she could still be a good person.


    However¡­


    Not to mention the pregnant women and the grand preceptor, but the children¡­


    The children had just been born and there were seven of them. She pretended not to see it and let them die. She was afraid that she would destroy her enlightenment-mind.


    Xie Qiao left the Fortune Pavilion in a sorry state and returned to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence.


    Zhao Xuanjing saw her expression and knew that she had something on her mind. He did not ask her in a hurry and asked someone to serve the food on the table.


    ¡°Did Xie Pinggang look for you today?¡± Zhao Xuanjing asked as he picked up the food.


    Xie Qiao pursed her lips and nodded.


    ¡°This evil technique is very tough, but you¡¯re not the only Taoist master in the world, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Zhao Xuanjing looked at her with a gaze full of affection.


    Xie Qiao sighed, tilting her head as she asked, ¡°There are thousands of Taoist masters, but there are really not many people like me who are born with a pair of yin-yang eyes, right? Moreover, I have that, and I¡¯m very capable. I can live like no one else in the world, and others can¡¯t help me even if they want to¡­¡±


    The corner of Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Her tone was up and down, it was even more abnormal.


    ¡°My master said that the grand preceptor¡¯s life is probably in danger, so the evil technique should have been used on him. There are seven newborn children, and only I can save them. What do you think we should do?¡± Xie Qiao asked directly, then, with a serious face, she said, ¡°If I lose my beauty and eyes because I¡¯m saving people, wouldn¡¯t I be giving you, my lucky charm, away?¡±

 Chapter 1203

    <h4>Chapter 1203: Mo Chusheng Who Is neither Dead nor Alive</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    As for why her beauty would be gone¡­ it was because she could no longer see!


    In short, she was talking nonsense at the moment, whether it was true or not.


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s face turned grim.


    ¡°It sounds like a big deal?¡± Zhao Xuanjing raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why would you be hurt when you save them? Then we won¡¯t save these people. It should be¡­ their fate!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Crown Prince. They¡¯re your subjects.¡± Xie Qiao was a little dispirited. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning when you say something like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the Crown Prince. I¡¯m your husband.¡± Zhao Xuanjing was very dissatisfied with her words, ¡°Aren¡¯t I your lucky charm? Your muddle-headed eldest brother used to send me women. If something happened to you, he might be worried about my loneliness and send me more women.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t even get a wife himself. How can he have the right to care about you?¡± Xie Qiao snorted lightly.


    ¡°You have to take care of yourself and keep him under control,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said, then he added, ¡°He went to the grand preceptor¡¯s ce today. The grand preceptor has indeed been feeling unwell these few days. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s old and knows his body well¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Xie Qiao suddenly called him.


    Zhao Xuanjing was stunned.


    After Xie Qiao married him, she addressed him in all kinds of weird ways.


    Sometimes he was her lucky charm, and sometimes he ridiculed him for no reason. He called him ¡°big man,¡± or ¡°husband,¡± or she called him by his full name. It was not very respectful, and sometimes it was quite annoying.


    The sudden call made his heart quiver.


    ¡°I won¡¯t listen if you¡¯re talking about serious business. ¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Since you know it, it¡¯s not good to not save them.¡± Xie Qiao looked like an enigmatic half-immortal. ¡°When I was young, I used to gamble with my life every time I helped the souls of the dead. I used to think that I did it to prolong my life, but now that I think about it, I feel quitefortable seeing those souls leave with satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not allowed to.¡± Zhao Xuanjing pinched her wrist. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to give birth to my children?¡±


    ¡°I think that I should prepare more treasures and talismans so that my eyes won¡¯t be really damaged. Your Highness, you dote on me. If you still want me, I¡¯ll stay in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence in the future. If you think that I¡¯m blind and boring, just send me to a Taoist temple to cultivate. I¡¯m generous and I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    It was not that she was too kind.


    She had lived for so long, and it was not that she had not watched others die before.


    She also believed in the phrase, ¡°It¡¯s fate.¡±


    The reason she made this choice was not because of her kindness, but because of her conscience. Ever since she was young, she felt that she could be an expert of a generation. This expert usually had to sacrifice herself for others.


    If the victims were some adults, she might not have been so decisive. It was true that children¡­ were ignorant and could make people¡¯s hearts soften more than any other living creature.


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Zhao Xuanjing suddenly became fierce.


    The maids outside were shocked. Chun Er was busy with work and she also heard it. She was shocked and stomped her feet.


    The Crown Prince was a tyrant. Why did he bully her girl?!


    She wanted to rush into the house, but after taking two steps, she held back her steps. After all, the Crown Prince was usually quite gentle. If there was a misunderstanding, she could not exin it even if she barged in. It was better to hear it secretly¡­


    She pricked up her ears.


    Xie Qiao saw that he was angry, she felt sorry and guilty. She stuffed herself into his arms and started tofort him. ¡°You know that I am the Sharp Tongued And Straightforward Half-Immortal Xie. You should also know that I am Mo Chusheng Who Is neither Dead nor Alive.¡±


    What was neither dead nor alive?


    He would understand.

 Chapter 1204

    <h4>Chapter 1204: Outrageous</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Zhao Xuanjing had seen Xie Qiao¡¯s two divination banners before. He had a deep impression of the term ¡°neither dead nor alive¡± .


    In this world, there were only a few people who dared to say that they could reach such a state of mind.


    Zhao Xuanjing was terrible at getting angry.


    He did not need to open his mouth to persuade outsiders. He only needed to give orders. No one had ever dared to go against his wishes in front of him.


    However, his mood was indeed fluctuating at the moment, but even so, he could not bear to be more fierce to her, afraid that she would really be scared.


    After looking at her for a moment, he felt tired. ¡°You said you would live for another 90 years, but you forgot about it in the blink of an eye?¡±


    ¡°I did not forget. I can continue to live after I do it!¡± Xie Qiao said seriously. ¡°I did not say that I would give up on myself. It¡¯s just that it will be harder in the future.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing was so angry that he was at a loss for words.


    ¡°You¡¯re just relying on me to do whatever you want!¡± Zhao Xuanjing gnashed his teeth. ¡°You have big ideas and can¡¯t be stopped. Since that¡¯s the case¡­ tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll go to the imperial pce and resign from the position of Crown Prince. It¡¯ll save me a lot of trouble in the future.¡±


    Xie Qiao looked at him abruptly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re blind, you and I will be a cripled couple. How can we have the right to rule the world? I can¡¯t live without you. If I want to listen to the nonsense of those courtiers, I¡¯d rather have peace of mind from now on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m really going to let you do whatever you want. I want to know the spells that you¡¯re performing. You can¡¯t act on your own. I¡¯ll help you find what you need. You must use the best one. Also¡­¡± Zhao Xuanjing paused before he added, ¡°Ask your master if the blood of my father and I is useful. For my wife, I¡¯ll poke myself with needles¡­ it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Xie Qiao shrunk her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that outrageous?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing hit her head directly.


    He was just borrowing some blood, and that was outrageous? Please!


    Xie Qiao really wanted to say that the life of an emperor was really tough. He had met such a terrible Crown Prince!


    Zhao Xuanjing seemed to know what she wanted to say, so he said directly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he¡¯s my subject? I¡¯m just a Crown Prince, and my father is their god. I¡¯ll exin it clearly.¡±


    Thinking about it, it made sense.


    ¡°Dragon¡¯s blood.¡± It was a good thing. She did not need to ask her master. She knew that this thing would work.


    ¡°Then¡­ Thank you¡­¡± Xie Qiao felt guilty, and her words were very weak.


    ¡°Say that again?¡± Zhao Xuanjing sneered.


    Not only did she want to risk his life, she was also being polite to him?


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Xie Qiao cleared her throat. ¡°Crown Prince¡­ darling? You and I will be a pair of desperate lovebirds from now on, right? I will cherish you well¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°Perhaps it will be more auspicious?¡±


    ¡°Big man¡­¡± Xie Qiao blinked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. Every time you say that, I feel like you¡¯re trying to poison me to death.¡± Zhao Xuanjing had never seen through a person like this in his life!


    Xie Qiao puffed and could not help butugh.


    Zhao Xuanjing was so angry that he could not take it anymore. Seeing that she was still so happy, his heart was even more stabbed and bleeding. His entire body felt weak, and he had nowhere to vent his anger. The way he looked at Xie Qiao was a bit like a wolf¡­


    With a tug, Xie Qiao could not escape even if she wanted to.


    Chun Er, who was still eavesdropping outside, knew that she had to leave when she heard Xie Qiao calling Zhao Xuanjing ¡°big man¡±.


    She ran like a rabbit to y with the guards.


    As for what the Crown Prince and Xie Qiao said, she did not hear them clearly. Moreover, Xie Qiao had performed many spells in the past, so she was not worried.


    After all, Xie Qiao would certainly be blessed with good fortune and a long life!

 Chapter 1205

    <h4>Chapter 1205: Jinx</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    After exining everything to the Crown Prince, Xie Qiao began to gather the things she needed.


    The four seasons heavenly water was not difficult to find. This wealthy family would often collect some fresh snow and dew water to make tea. There were also hot springs in the suburbs of the capital. In just two days, Xie Qiao had gathered all these things.


    As for the scriptures and incantations written by an academic excellence brush, they were not difficult to gather as well.


    Xie Qiao only told Xie Pinggang that she had a way to solve it, but she did not exin much else.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, since we have found out that Great Consort Hui wants to harm her biological father, then¡­ There is one thing that I have to remind you of.¡± Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang found some time to have a good chat.


    When Xie Pinggang heard her words, he had a bad feeling in his heart. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between Great Consort Hui and the grand preceptor. I just feel that since she wanted to harm him, she would definitely choose a foolproof method¡­


    ¡°This evil technique can harm family members. If it backfires, it will also harm her family members. If she insists on the grand preceptor dying, then¡­ It is very likely that she will personally control the evil technique, so¡­¡± Xie Qiao paused.


    In this way, regardless of what the evil technique she would end up doing, the grand preceptor¡¯s life would be lost.


    Previously, Xie Qiao had been thinking about what the Taoist master beside Great Consort Hui would do. However, these two days, she thought if Great Consort Hui was an evil person, she would not give the enemy a chance to catch his breath.


    ¡°In doing so, we can not take the grand preceptor¡¯s life¡­¡±


    ¡°Eldest Brother, this is different. I can break this evil technique, so I can save the grand preceptor and the children. However, even if the grand preceptor does not get into trouble because of the evil technique, he will also suffer the backfire¡­ The reason why it will be backfired is because Great Consort Hui hasmitted evil. This kind of cmity can only be said to be self-inflicted. Therefore, there is nothing I can do.¡±


    The grand preceptor was indeed innocent, but with blood ties, he really had no way of escaping.


    After realizing that she might not be able to save the grand preceptor at all, Xie Qiao was also very depressed.


    ¡°I see.¡± Xie Pinggang did not show much emotion on his face. ¡°I understand. Just try your best.¡±


    Xie Qiao was surprised when she heard that. When her eldest brother heard that something was going to happen to the grand preceptor, his expression was terrible. How could he ept it so easily now?


    It was not that Xie Pinggang was not upset.


    It was just that he had been going to the grand preceptor¡¯s ce every day for the past two days to serve him well and fulfill his filial piety.


    If Xie Qiao could really save him, she would definitely try her best to do it. She would definitely not hold back. Since it was no longer possible, there was nothing he could do. He could only ept fate.


    The grand preceptor could be considered to have lived a long life.


    In this life, he had been a bandit and also the grand preceptor. In this world, there was no master who was more glorious than him.


    He also told the grand preceptor that he had a daughter. Although that daughter wanted to harm him, the grand preceptor also knew that he had married and had a child in this life. This life was very exciting and he had no regrets.


    He had no memory, so he did not have much affection for his daughter, Great Consort Hui. Even after knowing the truth, he only sighed a little.


    ¡°This method of cracking the spell is definitely not easy to do. You still have to pay more attention to your health. It¡¯s not easy for you to live to this age and you¡¯re already married. You haven¡¯t even had a child yet. Don¡¯t lose it just like that.¡± Xie Pinggang could still joke.


    People, after all, had to die!


    He was open-minded!


    ¡°Jinx.¡± Xie Qiao rolled her eyes at him.


    Just as Xie Qiao finished speaking, the steward suddenly brought people over with him. It seemed like he had something important to report.


    When he saw Xie Pinggang, that person immediately knelt down. ¡°Master Xie, the grand preceptor is missing¡­¡±


    They were people from the grand preceptor¡¯s residence?


    Xie Qiao looked at Xie Pinggang in surprise.


    Xie Pinggang frowned and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay by the grand preceptor¡¯s side and not leave?!¡±

 Chapter 1206

    <h4>Chapter 1206: Father and Daughter</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The man was nervous. When he heard Xie Pinggang¡¯s voice, his whole body trembled.


    ¡°We sent people to protect the grand preceptor. However, the grand preceptor was annoyed and asked us to leave. After that, he left the house. We followed him from afar. However, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared¡­¡±


    Xie Pinggang was so angry that he wanted to p the table.


    However, because of Xie Qiao, he endured it.


    He immediately went out and led his men to look for him.


    At this moment, Peng Tianming arrived at an abandoned vige. Lu Yuping appeared behind him with aplicated look in his eyes.


    ¡°Ha, master, how have you been?¡± Lu Yuping¡¯s tone was sarcastic.


    Back then, he wanted to pursue the dao, but he met his master.


    Seeing that he was like an immortal, he was very excited and joined the sect. He taught him for some time, but soon, he was gone.


    There was only arge pile of books left.


    He could only read and learn on his own. As he was the eldest senior brother, he had to take care of his two junior brothers. The three of them depended on each other. They did not understand what should be read and what should not be in those books.


    If he was not careful, he would be stained with karma and suffer a lot.


    Later, he met his master¡¯s daughter.


    His master was even more ruthless toward his own daughter. She actually ended up alone in the pce and was taken over by that old man, thete emperor, and even gave birth to a b*stard.


    His junior sister¡¯s temperament changed drastically and she was emotional. It was all his master¡¯s fault.


    Peng Tianming seemed to have returned to his senses. He looked at Lu Yuping with a strange gaze. ¡°You are my disciple? The puppet technique is not bad. However, such a technique is very easy to be discovered and easily backfired.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t Master here?¡± Lu Yuping sneered.


    It was indeed easy to backfire. However, he bet that his master would not resist.


    As expected, the mission today was extremely smooth. This person had arrived.


    ¡°Go and see junior sister. She is your daughter after all. You should see her before you die. Don¡¯t worry, junior sister and I will not do anything to you. There is no need,¡± Lu Yuping said.


    His junior sister only wanted to know why he had abandoned her that year and never heard from him again.


    He knew that she had been bullied all those years and wanted a backer, but he still left without hesitation.


    Peng Tianming did not say anything but followed Lu Yuping.


    They followed the well and arrived at the underground secret room. It was very big and should have been built by Prince Rong after he entered the capital. This ce was remote, and there were many twists and turns inside. It was indeed a good ce to hide.


    There were even death warriors in the secret room.


    This daughter of his seemed to be very unusual.


    Outsiders only knew that the grand preceptor of the current dynasty had a cold personality and did not like to smile. However, they did not know that the grand preceptor had lost his memory, and no one dared to ask about his past.


    Not long after, he saw a woman.


    It was somewhat familiar, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt a headache.


    This woman¡­ looked very young, about twenty years old, but¡­ her bone structure was not right.


    She should be very old, and no one knew how she maintained her appearance.


    ¡°Father is here?¡± Great Consort Hui raised her eyebrows and looked at the center of the dark room.


    There was an altar there, and this ce was filled with a strange and disgusting aura, which made people want to vomit.


    ¡°You are¡­ Ms. Hui.¡± The grand preceptor found this name from the only memory he had.


    ¡°So you still remember me.¡± Great Consort Hui sneered, ¡°Since you remember me, why haven¡¯t youe to look for me all these years? Or am I also a monster to you? A monster that you are afraid of or loathe?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± The grand preceptor did not understand.


    He forgot.


    Great Consort Hui was stunned, then, she became a little crazy. ¡°You are really heartless. When I was young, you were always away from home. My mother and I waited for you every day! You let her die. She left. What about me? I had to wait! I had to wait for you! ¡±

 Chapter 1207

    <h4>Chapter 1207: Memory Lost</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    When Great Consort Hui said that, the grand preceptor¡¯s head hurt even more.


    Especially when he met her fierce eyes, he felt extremely ufortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been holding on so that I can remain young forever. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll forget my face and my mother! Look at my face. Does it look like my mother¡¯s? I have some wrinkles recently, but I made some pills and they are good.


    ¡°You are a Taoist master. You used to perform rituals for others. You went away for months. I still remember that you once told me that you hated evil in this world the most. Now, your disciple and daughter are the evil people in your words. What does it feel like?¡± Great Consort Hui said and snickered.


    Her voice was a little old, but her face was so beautiful.


    The unmatched qualities made people¡¯s hair stand on end.


    The grand preceptor did not say anything.


    Great Consort Hui did not seem to see the reaction on his face. She was very upset.


    Even after the smile stopped, she threw the thing in front of her.


    ¡°Listen carefully! I will not give you a quick death! I will use the evil spell that you hate the most to take your life bit by bit! You know this evil spell. When the timees, you will clearly feel the vitality in your body drain away bit by bit. Even after you die, your body will emit the most disgusting stench. You want to leave a clean trail? Impossible! You want to be a carefree person in your next life? That¡¯s even more impossible! I want you to be gued with evil debts and never be able to escape!¡± Great Consort Hui¡¯s gaze was as if she wanted to eat the grand preceptor.


    ¡°Unfortunately, you sealed my heavenly eye back then. If I still have that, I would not only want you to die.¡± Great Consort Hui added with some regret.


    Those eyes could see the ghouls of the world.


    When she was young, she thought that ghouls were terrifying. However, now, she felt that she had missed out on something good.


    She had the help of her senior brother, and her talent was not bad. If she had the heavenly eye to protect herself, she would be able to control the ghouls and use them for her.


    That Mo Chusheng wanted to win against her, but it was a fool¡¯s dream.


    ¡°Did you have the heavenly eye? Did you have it when you were born, or did you acquire itter?¡± The grand preceptor frowned and asked in puzzlement.


    Great Consort Hui froze.


    He had even forgotten about that?


    As her father, did he really not think of her for a moment?!


    ¡°I have long forgotten the past. It was onlyter that I received the guidance of a Taoist master and remembered some simple skills.¡± The grand preceptor still looked calm and collected, ¡°If you only acquired heavenly eyester, it must have been touched by something of extreme yin. If it was not sealed, it would affect your life and fate.¡±


    Great Consort Hui was stunned.


    Lu Yuping looked over in shock as well.


    All these years, they had taught themselves. They only read the books and they knew some spells, formations, and talismans. They did not know anything that was not written in the books.


    It was as if they did not know that some spells could not be done. If they did, it would harm their virtue.


    All these years, she had relied on fumbling around, thinking of ways to make others bear the burden of karma. If she identally got it on herself, she would seize the luck of others and offset the karma¡­


    ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± At this moment, Great Consort Hui suddenly felt that something was not right. ¡°You¡­ have lost your memory?¡±


    Even if he had lost his memory, it was impossible to forgive him.


    Back then, he had left a letter saying that their fate had ended!


    ¡°I have.¡± The grand preceptor was very organized, ¡°If you were attacked by something of extreme yin, it would take a huge price to treat you. I think that when I was your father, there were things that I had no choice but to make. I hope you can forgive me.¡±

 Chapter 1208

    <h4>Chapter 1208: Living Incognito</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The reason why the grand preceptor knew how to treat this object affected by extreme yin was entirely because of the Crown Prince.


    After the Crown Prince got married, he seemed to have received Mo Chusheng¡¯s guidance and asked him about what he should do if he had touched something with a concentrated evil aura when he was young¡­


    It was as if the answer had appeared in his mind subconsciously¡­


    The Crown Prince was a king. He had the protection of the dragon bloodline. Even if he was affected by an evil instrument, it would not harm his life.


    If he wanted to recover, he would first need to use a method to umte good karma. However, this method was not easy to do. After all, it was not so easy to umte good karma. It was hard to say how long or how much it would take. It might even take him a lifetime.


    The second method¡­ was to use the fate of others to make up for it.


    To forcefully remove the evil energy.


    However, he needed his closest rtive to do so.


    After he thought of this answer, he was somewhat puzzled. He felt that the answer was very familiar to him.


    At that time, he did not understand. Now, after hearing what Great Consort Hui said, he roughly understood.


    This daughter of his was only an ordinary person. Without the protection of the dragon bloodline, she would definitely be heavily affected by the evil energy. If her heavenly eye was not removed, she would be a battlefield for the lonely souls sooner orter. She was neither human nor ghoul.


    He had exhausted everything to help her solve it.


    As for why he had to leave¡­


    At this moment, the grand preceptor could clearlye to a conclusion in his mind.


    His own fate had already been given to her. How could there be any good fate left? If he apanied his daughter, she would sooner orter be countered. Moreover¡­ How could an ordinary persone into contact with a ghoul? She would definitely be implicated by him.


    And now, he defiedmon sense and became the grand preceptor. He should have earned his respect by chasing away the barbarians back then and saved the lives of manymoners.


    Thinking of this, the grand preceptor clearly stated his conclusion.


    He remembered his feelings for his daughter and could still treat her calmly.


    When Great Consort Hui heard everything, her eyes turned blood red.


    ¡°Do you think that I will believe you just because you pretend to be kind? At my age, how many cunning people have I seen in this world? All of them are like you, with a hypocritical face that makes me sick!¡± Great Consort Hui spat.


    Did he leave for her own good?


    Impossible!


    He was not there when she and her mother depended on each other. He was not there when she saw her mother cry blood and die. What about when she was bullied because of the heavenly eye? He was not there either!


    He only showed up asionally and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    He was the one who sent her to someone else¡¯s home, which was why she was sent to the pce!


    She had been bullied in the pce¡­


    Even now, she still had nightmares every day and was suffering unspeakably!


    ¡°I asked you toe here because I wanted you to see how your daughter killed you step by step. Tell your rebuttal to the King of Hell. Maybe he will forgive you,¡± Great Consort Hui said, then she tied him up.


    Since the grand preceptor was willing toe here, he was mentally prepared.


    At this moment, he did not struggle and let these people do it.


    ¡°Junior Sister.¡± Lu Yuping looked at his long-lost master and was a little worried.


    Of course, he was not worried about the grand preceptor, but he was worried that his junior sister¡¯s emotions were too fluctuating and that she would be hurt.


    Her appearance could be preserved, but her spirit was hard to recover. His junior sister still had to continue the ritual. He did not want her to tire herself out because of this.


    ¡°After we finish this ritual, you and I will find a ce to live incognito,¡± Lu Yuping said.


    Great Consort Hui nced at him.


    No, she never wanted to run away.


    ¡°In this world, those who bully me, lie to me, and look down on me should all die. After I kill them, I will leave.¡± Great Consort Hui was a little crazy.


    Lu Yuping wanted to say that it was about time.


    Back then, the young master of the Gu family had mocked her, but in the end, the entire family was destroyed. Even if they managed to break the formation in the graveyard, the Gu family would not be able to prosper for another ten to twenty years.


    There was also the Empress and the Crown Prince. One of them had a weak body and the other had a crippled hand. That should be enough.

 Chapter 1209

    <h4>Chapter 1209: Seeing through the Mortal World</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    However, Lu Yuping knew that he could not persuade his junior sister.


    She had been a great consort for many years. Although it seemed glorious, the things that happened in the past were still in her mind. As time passed, she became more and more stubborn.


    Great Consort Hui nced at her father who was tied up. She felt even more frustrated.


    She had a terrible headache.


    She did not know if it was because she had done too many things in the past few years, but as she got older, the pain in her body grew more and more.


    She often had a splitting headache, and even the doctors could not figure it out. On rainy days, the pain in her body was even more intense, and it was as if her bones were about to break.


    The more this was the case, the more hatred she felt in her heart.


    ¡­


    Although the grand preceptor was tied up at this moment, he was still quite calm.


    There was karma. If he owed her something, he would return it. He did not have any regrets or desires in his life.


    ¡­


    At this moment, Xie Pinggang was furious.


    He could ept the grand preceptor¡¯s death, but it did not mean that he could tolerate that person taking him away right under his nose!


    Moreover, if the grand preceptor died, he would have to leave his corpse intact and be buried in glory, right? However, now, there was not even a shadow left. Where could he find him? That Great Consort Hui was a coward. After getting people to buy blood, that was the end of it. Now, there was not even a single clue!


    They had almost searched all the residences in the capital¡­


    Xie Pinggang was unhappy, and there were even more unhappy people in the court.


    The grand preceptor¡¯s disappearance made the emperor very unhappy. Early in the morning, he reprimanded a few people who had made small mistakes.


    That was fine, but two days ago, the Crown Prince went crazy and actually asked to be deposed in the court¡­


    To be honest, some of the officials were happy for the Crown Prince to have such a realization. After all, after the Fourth Prince married his wife, it did not take long for good news to spread that she was already pregnant. In a few months, an imperial grandchild would be born!


    What about the Crown Prince?!


    There was nothing.


    Could he have a child or not?


    They had already epted the Crown Prince as the emperor. It was fine if it was useless, they could not bring him down anyway. Furthermore, the Crown Prince was indeed talented and virtuous, but since they saw him as the heir and looked at his wife¡­ They were disgusted.


    She was not wealthy, and she was not considered noble.


    Her health was not good either. She had married into the family for so long, but there was no news at all.


    If she could not have children, she should at least be sensible and let the Crown Prince choose his concubines, right? However¡­ They heard that the Crown Prince¡¯s residence was extremely quiet. There was not even a maid who climbed onto the bed!


    They paid close attention, but they did not dare to say anything.


    They knew that the Crown Prince could not be provoked.


    There were even a few stubborn people who were thinking that after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, in a dozen or twenty years, if he still did not have children, then he would give up the throne. The Fourth Prince would definitely try his best to give birth to a few good-natured children


    They had thought so far ahead, but they did not expect the Crown Prince to suddenly abdicate.


    While they were happy, they actually felt a little uneasy. It felt like they were stepping on cotton, and they could not help but feel a little worried. They could not even sleep well¡­


    In the open and in the dark, many people inquired about the reason.


    Unfortunately, they could not find out.


    They could only guess.


    Some people thought the Crown Prince felt that it was inappropriate for him to have his hand crippled and had epted it. However, only a few people thought that. After all, something had happened to the Crown Prince¡¯s hand when he was twelve or thirteen years old. After so many years, he had nevere to such a realization.


    More people felt that the Crown Prince was loyal.


    It must be that the Princess Consort¡¯s body was already at the end of its flight. The Crown Prince was deeply agitated, so¡­ he had seen through the mortal world?

 Chapter 1210

    <h4>Chapter 1210: Dying</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Everyone knew that the Crown Prince doted on the Princess Consort.


    The imperial pce, the capital, and all sorts of supplements went to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. They were all used on the Princess Consort.


    If he was not infatuated, how could the Crown Prince do such a luxurious thing? In the past, he lived a simple life¡­


    ¡°Do you guys think that if the Princess Consort is gone, the Crown Prince¡­ Will he die for love?¡± A group of court officials gathered together to chat. It was unknown who could not help but mutter.


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s hearts turned cold.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible. The Crown Prince¡¯splexion hasn¡¯t been too good these past two days. I heard that the Crown Prince¡¯s residence has been searching everywhere for heavenly water recently. I reckon that they¡¯re making life-saving pills?¡±


    ¡°Right, right, right. The Crown Prince seems to have gone to Hanwen Garden to personally copy Taoist scriptures and pray for blessings these past two days¡­ And he even said that¡­ the ink is mixed with blood¡­¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this harm his body?! How can His Highness, the dragon¡¯s descendant, be so absurd?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he do many absurd things? His Highness has always done things like this. This Princess Consort is the person at the tip of his heart. Now, for her sake, he doesn¡¯t even care about his body. If something were to happen to the Princess Consort, I think¡­¡± the person who spoke shook his head, he did not say anything else after that.


    However, everyone understood.


    Under the circumstances of being provoked, even if he did not die for love, he would most likely be a monk.


    ¡°The Crown Prince will definitely be a benevolent ruler¡­¡± Although there were ws, they could not cover up the ws!


    The reason why they were always picky was that the throne was a heavy burden. They were afraid that the people would be dissatisfied and that future generations would gossip about it. Now that His Highness had really seen through it, they were actually a little disappointed.


    They did not know how this news had spread.


    After two days, the rumors said that Xie Qiao could not get out of bed. She was only left with herst breath. Even the imperial physician could not do anything¡­


    Xie Pinggang was busy looking for the man and did not pay attention to these rumors.


    However, Xie Pinghuai was different from Xie Xi. He was so anxious that tears fell. He ran to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence to see his sister. When he got off the carriage, his red eyes and anxious look once again confirmed the fact that the Princess Consort was dying.


    Xie Qiao had been recuperating at home, preparing to do something.


    She did not know anything.


    When the pair of younger siblings rushed into the house with red eyes, she thought that something had happened to the Xie family.


    ¡°Sister! How are you feeling?!¡± Xie Pinghuai rushed forward with big strides. He looked very anxious on the surface, but when she looked at him, he no longer had the impulsive and wavering look that he used to have.


    At the beginning of the year, Xie Pinghuai went to take the imperial examination and passed.


    As it was only the imperial examination, a small title was nothing in the capital, so he did not publicize it.


    More importantly, she was worried that Xie Pinghuai would be proud. When she found out the result, the family only had a meal together and encouraged him. They did not celebrate too much.


    ¡°Sister.¡± Xie Xi also walked forward, looking graceful.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Qiao looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m in good health, especially recently. I¡¯m full of energy.¡±


    It was true. They had already decided that from tomorrow onward, they would perform the ritual for nine days in a row. They had to save their energy forter use. Zhao Xuanjing would copy the scriptures. The Hanwen Garden was a ce full of literature and had a better effect. She would stay home and inscribe some talismans, her master could also help with this matter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to us. Everyone said that you are already dying.¡± Xie Pinghuai looked worried. ¡°Eldest Sister, you are ridiculous. Your health is already so terrible, you should be lying on the bed. How can you get up just to see us?¡±


    Oh¡­


    Xie Qiao could not help but raise her eyebrows.


    Xie Pinghuai was sensible!


    These words sounded reallyfortable¡­ Then¡­ Why did she not be obedient and lie down?

 Chapter 1211

    <h4>Chapter 1211: Wishful Thinking</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Qiao thought that was possible, so under the gaze of her siblings, she covered her chest, coughed twice, and then let them help her back into the house.


    Shey on the bed, looking weak.


    Chun Er was confused, but she would not expose her.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, is there anything else that you¡¯d like to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai paused, then added, ¡°Xi¡¯er will give you money.¡±


    Xie Xi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve saved a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Recently¡­ I¡¯ve been bored. Do you want to y with the grasshoppers?¡± Xie Qiao said wickedly.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, don¡¯t make fun of me. I don¡¯t like to y with those things anymore.¡± Xie Pinghuai smiled bitterly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in good health before? How did it suddenly be like this?¡±


    ¡°Before? Maybe it was a long period of time?¡± Xie Qiao said slowly.


    She did not know why such a rumor would suddenly spread, but since they were blood-rted siblings, she could not be med for tricking them¡­ It was fun¡­


    Of course, she did not know what would happen after the ceremony. It would be better to let them get used to it early so that they would not be sad afterwards.


    She would not die. She would just be blind. That would still be a happy thing for them!


    Xie Qiao was not afraid of bad luck. She began to say herst words.


    ¡°Little brother, I¡¯m worried about you the most. After I leave, you must protect your sister well. You must practice martial arts hard and fulfill my wish to beat eldest brother. Don¡¯t bezy¡­¡±


    The corner of Xie Pinghuai¡¯s mouth twitched. He did not want to say yes to that.


    He knew the gap between him and his eldest brother now. He was afraid that he could not beat him.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He had no choice. He wanted his eldest sister to die in peace.


    ¡°I, ahem¡­ I still want to be a great schr, but¡­ my body isn¡¯t strong enough¡­ I¡¯ll leave it all to you¡­ In our family, without me, only you can read the most books¡­¡±


    Xie Pinghuai gulped and wanted to run.


    Great schr?!


    Oh god, just kill him already!


    Do not take his eldest sister¡¯s life, let him die instead. Him, a person who almost took half his life in the entrance exam, she wanted him to be a great schr? Spending all day in books?


    Eldest sister was too ruthless, she was probably possessed by some monster! Such a wish, it was simply wishful thinking!


    ¡°He will definitely do it! Eldest Sister, don¡¯t worry.¡± Xie Xi stabbed his back.


    Xie Qiao nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Of course I believe in you.¡±


    As for Xie Xi, Xie Qiao was not worried for her at all.


    She looked silly, but in reality, she was more understanding and sensible than anyone else in the family. In the future, she would only worry about her marriage, but it was not a problem.


    The reason being in the Xie family, there were three men, and none of them should be offended.


    ¡°In the future, if you suffer any grievances, just tell them. Didn¡¯t you learn a few moves yourself? If anyone bullies you, just hit them back. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Xie Qiao¡¯s words¡­ It was purely to give Xie Xi more courage and make her more bold.


    Women should be gentle? That was nonsense.


    If she, Xie Qiao, was born with a good body, she would learn martial arts and be a hero. She was tougher than anyone else.


    The pair of siblings cried as they listened to her finish her sentence.


    asionally, when Xie Qiao was almost out of breath, they thought that was thest sentence she would say before she died. However, in the blink of an eye, she was out of breath and continued to nag.


    The two of them were a little confused as they listened.


    Their minds were in a mess.


    How long did she talk for?


    About two hours? Was her mouth not dry? Had she not used up all her breath? How can a dying person be more talkative than them¡­

 Chapter 1212

    <h4>Chapter 1212: Too Difficult</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    After all, Xie Pinghuai had been learning from Xiao Yurong for a long time. He was a little older now, and he could think faster than before.


    After leaving the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, he looked at his silly sister who was red-eyed and sad. His heart was beating fast. ¡°Xi¡¯er, I feel that eldest sister is tricking me again¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that about eldest sister?¡± Xie Xi¡¯s eyes were red.


    ¡°I just feel that she is weird. She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s about to die at all. Also, look at the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. Where is the slightest hint of sadness? Sister Chun Er looked at me as if she thinks I¡¯m stupid¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai analyzed it seriously.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. We came to see eldest sister and did not even bring a gift¡­¡± Xie Xi was filled with regret.


    After hearing the news, she did not believe it and immediately ran over. She did not even have time to prepare the gifts!


    ¡°Eldest sister has died before. She was buried in the ground, but in the end, she was still alive and standing in front of us.¡± Xie Pinghuai thought of the look in Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes and felt that it was too familiar.


    It was exactly the same as when her eldest sister lied to him in the past.


    ¡°Brother, you are clearly biased against her!¡± Xie Xi ignored him.


    Eldest sister was so kind, how could she deceive her?!


    Eldest sister was the best to her!


    Xie Pinghuai wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. In the end, he swallowed his words.


    Xie Xi was too stupid. She had not been trained by eldest brother and eldest sister. She was still naive. He was different. He had seen this kind of situation many times. He did not believe that eldest sister would die¡­ He even felt that¡­ a woman like his eldest sister who could lie would definitely be a scourge for thousands of years!


    After deceiving the brother and sister, Xie Qiao quickly got out of bed.


    She went to the Meng family and invited Meng Jifang over.


    It was time to acknowledge her as a master.


    While she was still fine, she epted him into the sect. It was just right. This time, he could also see the world.


    Meng Jifang had been listless recently. After apologizing all day, Mo Chusheng handed him two books and told him to study on his own. She said that he would have to take the examter.


    He opened the book and almost threw it away.


    The first book was a thick picture book. It was full of lifelike pictures of all kinds of ghouls!


    Some were torn to pieces, some were badly mutted, and some were dejected and emitting green juice. Even through the book, one could smell a foul stench!


    At the back of the picture book were the features of all kinds of ghouls in the world. Some died unjustly, some drowned, and all kinds of ways of dying, all kinds of resentment. He had to remember them all.


    Then there was another book. In that book, there was a description¡­ of all the ghouls that Mo Chusheng had helped over the years. Those ghouls had made all kinds of strange requests!


    This book was said to be an exclusive inheritance and was not allowed to be taught to others.


    Although he was a b*stard, he had basic credibility. Therefore, such a ¡°wonderful¡± thing could only be enjoyed by him alone!


    Ever since he saw this thing, he felt that day and night, there were things lingering around him!


    However, the matter of bing a disciple had already spread to everyone.


    Meng Jifang could not be a good-for-nothing who did not keep his word.


    However, he had been having nightmares for several days¡­


    Nowadays, it was too difficult to be a Taoist master¡­


    Meng Jifang was still at home with a face full of resentment when he heard a servant say that Master Mo had invited him to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. His heart thumped, and his face instantly turned pale.


    He pretended to be strong and walked out.


    He found that his parents had already packed up his belongings.


    ¡°Son, Master Mo has sent someone to take you as a disciple. From now on, you will go wherever she goes. I have already informed the Meng family. Don¡¯te back. This secr fate should be broken.¡± Marquis Meng said that for the sake of his son.

 Chapter 1213

    <h4>Chapter 1213: Betraying His Master</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Marquis Meng was afraid that his son would not be able to let go of the secr world. After a few days as a Taoist master, he would quit again, and the retribution would be even heavier.


    ¡°Son, after you go, you must devote yourself to the Dao. If you don¡¯t listen to your master, I¡­ will have no meaning to live anymore¡­¡± His mother said again.


    In order to prevent Meng Jifang from going back on his words, they had already done their best.


    Just like that¡­ Meng Jifang was chased out.


    There was a bag with two old clothes inside.


    They had given the money to Master Mo a long time ago. In the future, Master Mo would provide food and amodation, so his parents did not give him any money!


    It was too cruel!


    His heavy body walked step by step toward the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. When he arrived, the sky was already dark.


    After entering, he did not see Mo Chusheng. He saw that old man Mo Lingzi and Xie Qiao. In the middle of them was a portrait that had been there for a long time.


    Xie Qiao¡­


    It had been a long time¡­ since he had seen her.


    Recently, he had also heard that she was about to die. She was at the end of her life. However, he was busy with his own matters, so he did not have the time to spare to sympathize with this unlucky girl.


    However, it seemed a little different from the rumors.


    Her face was red and her teeth were white. She seemed to be in good spirits.


    ¡°This is the portrait of the Great-Grandmaster. Kneel, kowtow, and offer incense,¡± Xie Qiao said.


    Meng Jifang was a little stunned, but he did not ask much. After all, offering incense to the Great-Grandmaster was not anything special, so there was nothing to fuss about. He immediately knelt and obediently followed the rules.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to serve tea,¡± Xie Qiao said again.


    There were two cups of tea.


    There was no need to guess. One was for Mo Lingzi, and the other was for Xie Qiao.


    Xie Qiao was Mo Lingzi¡¯s disciple, so he knew about this. He was not surprised. He thought that since he was a junior disciple, he and Xie Qiao could be considered fellow disciples, so it was only right for him to serve her tea.


    He did as he was told.


    He did not say much, and his conflicted attitude made it so that he did not even call Xie Qiao ¡°senior sister¡±.


    ¡°Um¡­ Where¡¯s my master? Do I have to offer my master tea?¡± Meng Jifang asked.


    Xie Qiao coughed dryly. ¡°I am your master.¡±


    Meng Jifang was stunned. ¡°What do you mean? I am taking Mo Chusheng as my master, not you, right? It¡¯s impossible for me to be a junior!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mo Chusheng.¡± Xie Qiao¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°This is your grandmaster, Mo Lingzi. Our sect usually has only one disciple, a nominal disciple. They usually only teach some ordinary Taoist scriptures. You¡¯re an in-house disciple.¡±


    In other words, she was the sessor of the next generation of the Water Moon Temple.


    No, she was not.


    There must be a mistake.


    She was Mo Chusheng?


    That was impossible. She could not be Mo Chusheng.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re not even twenty years old, and Mo Chusheng is already¡­¡± The corners of his mouth were dry, and his eyes were filled with shock.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s face was calm, ¡°Silly disciple, I can just change your appearance, right? What¡¯s there to be shocked about? If you can use a few years to learn all of my skills, and it¡¯s enough for you to graduate, then you¡¯ll have to disguise yourself a little older, so that it¡¯ll be easier for you to do things, right?


    ¡°People in this world have many misunderstandings about our profession. They only think that the older you are, the more powerful you¡¯ll be. I had no choice but to do thid. I hope you can understand. Now that you¡¯ve entered the sect, it¡¯s not good for you to go back on your words. If you want to betray your master, hmm¡­¡± Xie Qiao thought for a moment, tilting her head, she asked Mo Lingzi, ¡°The crime of betraying one¡¯s master is quite serious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a disciple who enters the sect isn¡¯t a nominal disciple. If you betray your master, the other Taoist temples won¡¯t dare to ept you anymore. If they ept you, then they¡¯ll be making things difficult for the Water Moon Temple.¡± Mo Lingzi nodded.


    Meng Jifang felt a little dizzy.


    ¡°Moreover, since I have already epted you as my disciple, the karma has already been settled. If you go back on your words now¡­ You might have to pay me back in your next life.¡±


    It was purely a bluff.

 Chapter 1214

    <h4>Chapter 1214: Trick Him</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Betraying his master definitely had an impact. It was not as serious as killing his father, but it was almost there.


    Who could say for sure what kind of retribution he would receive?


    With a thud, Meng Jifang finally¡­ fainted.


    Everyone in the world¡­ bullied him, lied to him, and tricked him!


    ¡°This child won¡¯t hate you, right?¡± Mo Lingzi rubbed his nose. He felt that this child was quite pitiful. Look at this young man, he was actually subjected to such a great humiliation¡­


    His disciple was so good-looking. It would be more appropriate to marry her as a wife. As his master, he could look at her but not touch her!


    ¡°That¡¯s life. How can you get everything you want? You have to suffer a little before you can grow up.¡± Xie Qiao had no sympathy at all.


    Being a Taoist master could extend one¡¯s life? How could it be so simple?


    It was only because he had be a Taoist master and tempered his character that he could get rid of his bad habits and be a new person.


    Meng Jifang had made many big and small mistakes in the past. It was normal for him to suffer some hardships in the future.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking like an old man, little girl.¡± Mo Lingzi red at her.


    They got someone to drag Meng Jifang away and sent him to Mo Lingzi¡¯s courtyard.


    Meng Yan was there too, but the fool seemed to be better now. The imperial physician came all day long, and he could asionally recall some fragments. They estimated that it would not take long for him to recoverpletely.


    It was also because he had a little memory that he had a great opinion of Meng Jifang. He insisted on not sleeping the whole night and insisted on chasing Meng Jifang out.


    It was as if he was afraid that Mo Lingzi would forget his old love when he had a new one.


    Mo Lingzi also thought the fool was cute, so he patiently coaxed him.


    The next day, everything was ready.


    Meng Jifang was still sleeping when Xie Qiao and Zhao Xuanjing brought him to a Taoist temple in the suburbs.


    The Taoist temple was built on the top of the mountain. It was not big, and there were only a few rooms. It was very dpidated, and the mountain road was steep. They had to climb it.


    Meng Jifang was dizzy, so Xie Pinggang carried him up, which saved him a lot of effort.


    When he woke up, he found that he had changed into a Taoist robe¡­


    Xie Qiao had disguised into Mo Chusheng, and her face was solemn.


    ¡°From today on, you and I will stay on the top of the mountain for nine days. During these nine days, do whatever I want you to do. Don¡¯t ck off,¡± Xie Qiao instructed.


    On the mountain¡­ The wind was quite strong.


    The thin fog looked like a cloud, giving people they were in heaven.


    The surrounding scenery was extremely beautiful, making people feelfortable in their bodies and minds. As they looked around, they instantly felt a sense of relief, and the emotions in their hearts instantly disappeared.


    He had never seen such a scene.


    He was secretly shocked.


    Mo Chusheng, who stood in front of him, was like an immortal, not tainted by worldly possessions.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I understand.¡± He nodded subconsciously.


    At first, he wanted to ask her why she lied to him¡­ However, now, for some reason, he could not bring himself to ask.


    ¡°Good. Now that you haven¡¯t cultivated and are a mortal, you can¡¯t see anything scary. Don¡¯t be too nervous. I only asked you toe over to have a look at the general process of breaking the formation and see what fighting with evil looks like. This doesn¡¯t happen very often. You must remember it in your heart,¡± Xie Qiao added.


    Meng Jifang nced at the Crown Prince and saw that his expression was calm. Then, he nervously nodded his head.


    Was the Crown Prince not upset?


    Xie Qiao was Mo Chusheng!


    She was a Taoist master, and she knew how to fight evil. As a wife and the Princess Consort, how strange was that? His Highness had already epted his fate?


    If it was him¡­


    Meng Jifang admitted that if he had been able to marry Xie Qiao back then, he probably would not have been as magnanimous as the Crown Prince¡­


    In the past, he had felt that the Crown Prince had trampled on such a talented and good-lookingdy like Xie Qiao. However, now¡­ The Crown Prince¡¯s indulgence had really confirmed what outsiders said about his doting¡­

 Chapter 1215

    <h4>Chapter 1215: Die Before She Does</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Meng Jifang did not know why he was still thinking about these things.


    Perhaps¡­ he could not help but think about the first time he met Xie Qiao, or he thought about how he deliberately caused trouble and looked for trouble with her, and he felt somewhat guilty.


    A girl like her, with her talent and breadth of mind, and her easygoing and indifferent attitude, should not have a short life.


    While Meng Jifang¡¯s thoughts were running wild, Xie Qiao had already set up the formation.


    In an instant, Meng Jifang felt something different.


    He could not help but feel a little nervous.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanjing saw the surrounding scene.


    How could he let Xie Qiao face it alone? Even if he could not help much, he would only feel at ease after seeing what she felt and saw.


    He had robbed half of the cow¡¯s tears that Yuxu Temple had kept for many years.


    Of course, he did not take them for free. He promised to send people to search for them after this matter was over andpensate her. After all, half of this thing was used to capture the souls of the dead. It would be best if he could make up for it.


    Xie Pinggang was only responsible for escorting them up. He had other matters to attend to and would not wait here for nine days.


    Xie Qiao did not know the grand preceptor¡¯s eight characters, so he could not be found out. However, with the blood and hair as a guide, it was fine. Before the grand preceptor went missing, these things had already been prepared.


    Once the star formation was set up, Xie Qiao began to break the formation.


    She chanted an incantation and stepped on the seven stars.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s entire body trembled. He obediently followed the instructions and began to sprinkle the talisman water.


    He could not see anything. This matter seemed very important. If Xie Qiao asked him to do it, then he would do it¡­ In any case, he was already a disciple, so he could not resist even if he wanted to.


    Meng Jifang was open-minded, so he was quite efficient in doing things now.


    His mind was straight, and he sprinkled the talisman water very smoothly.


    From time to time, he even pricked up his ears to listen to what Xie Qiao was saying.


    He could not understand it either.


    ¡± ¡­ Ascending to the left of heaven, stepping on tiptoes, stepping on the strong¡­


    ¡°Former Emperor God, Yue Zhang who cameter, the divine master will punish them¡­ Gate deputy fetters¡­ I contain the qi of heaven and earth, the form to chant curses and kill souls, spitting into the sky, falling to the ground, to the mountain, to the carbuncle, to the fire, to the evil¡­


    ¡°The disease can heal itself, the sickness can be cured, the underworld will depend on you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing Xie Qiao¡¯s voice, he felt refreshed and veryfortable.


    However, he could not understand it, and he could not hear it clearly either. If he could hear it clearly, would he not feel happier?


    It had to be said that Meng Jifang was actually a good seedling.


    The fact that the Meng family had banished him did not mean that he was a fool. It could even be said that his intelligence was not inferior to people like Jiang Jinlu and Sang You!


    The more calm one¡¯s heart was, the more effective the incantation would be.


    After Xie Qiao yed with her sword, some of the talismans in the altar buzzed as if they had been blown by the wind.


    Xie Qiao sat cross-legged with her eyes slightly closed as she chanted the incantation non-stop.


    When ordinary people saw that, they felt that the scene was so majestic that they respected it.


    However, Zhao Xuanjing could see the surroundings with the cow¡¯s tears.


    It was really a fight between dragons and tigers.


    At the same time, in a secret room, Great Consort Hui¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Someone was doing something to fight her!


    ¡°Someone is actually saving you?! So naive!¡± Great Consort Hui sneered and clutched her chest, feeling very ufortable.


    The longer she did this ritual, the more severe the bacsh would be!


    Now that the other party had just started, the effect was already so strong. If the curse was brokenpletely, would her heart not be torn apart and she would die?!


    However¡­ someone had to bear the burden of her death¡­ No matter what, her biological father had to die before she did!

 Chapter 1216

    <h4>Chapter 1216: The Future Is Uncertain</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Great Consort Hui gritted her teeth and coldly nced at the grand preceptor.


    Inside the Taoist temple, Xie Pinggang saw that Xie Qiao had started her ritual and hurriedly left.


    Xie Qiao had already told him that the grand preceptor was doomed, but he had to find him dead or alive. He had to find out his whereabouts. Now, he had some clues and found a few witnesses who saw the grand preceptorst¡­


    Now, he could roughly determine the general location of the grand preceptor.


    The scene was solemn and quiet. Only Xie Qiao¡¯s recitation of the scriptures could be heard.


    Meng Jifang really wanted to ask, could it be that she had to keep doing this for the past nine days?


    It was so tiring¡­


    It was only the first day, and he already did not want to move¡­


    However, there was something else in front of him besides the talisman water. His master had actually prepared many Taoist scriptures for him in advance. Did this mean¡­ reciting?


    He could recognize the words, but he should not be able to understand the meaning. If he recite them badly, he should not be med.


    Meng Jifang rubbed his nose. After a while, he imitated Xie Qiao and sat cross-legged. Then, he picked up a book with a serious expression and began to ramble on.


    His voice was a little loud and a little noisy, but Xie Qiao did not seem to be able to hear him.


    Meng Jifang only felt that the surroundings were strange, as if there was a dark aura pressing down on him.


    Only by calming his heart and listening to Xie Qiao¡¯s voice would he feel a little morefortable.


    Also, the scriptures¡­


    As he read it, he actually felt a little addicted?


    He scratched his head, feeling that these things were not that difficult, and the content was also very reasonable. It was just a little boring. However¡­ As they were breaking the formation, the moment he read it, he felt morefortable, and this made the boring matter a little more interesting.


    Looking at Xie Qiao¡¯s back, Meng Jifang felt awkward.


    Then, he began to read with his head lowered.


    If he followed Xie Qiao in the future, it would not be impossible¡­ Although his seniority was lower now, Xie Qiao was still very special, especially her good skills in horse training. She was even more amazing. In the future, he could openly learn¡­


    Mo Lingzi had been paying attention to this grand-disciple. At this moment, he was quite surprised to see that he was so sensible.


    It had to be said that this kid was indeed intelligent.


    His eyes were clear and his mind was clean. If he had not been born into a wealthy family, he might have be a schr full of literary energy.


    If he performed well, he could reward him with a few drumsticks after breaking the formation.


    The Water Moon Temple did not emphasize on cultivation, so it was not considered a proper cultivation sect. They could eat meat and drink wine, and one could even have a family. However, if one had a family, there would be a lot of karma and more trouble.


    Ever since Xie Qiao was born, her situation had been different. Her body was already like this, so there were no taboos in other aspects.


    Time passed by.


    On the first day, Meng Jifang was still able to sit still.


    On the second day, he barely managed to sit still.


    ¡­


    After that, he had a bit of a breakdown. The scriptures he chanted did not seem to have the same effect as before, and it made his heart even more chaotic.


    However, he had just entered the sect, and it was already good enough for him to have this level of willpower. Therefore, Mo Lingzi did not despise him and let him rest.


    However, Xie Qiao could not stop.


    The person who broke the formation had to work much harder than the person who did the sorcery. She could not let her guard down at all times.


    Meng Jifang had previously thought that it was just a small scene. However, the more time passed, the more admiration he felt in his heart.


    He knew better than anyone else that the aura he felt in the formation was different. Xie Qiao had to recite scriptures and cast spells. Her aura could not be lost. It was really tiring.


    Thinking of his future¡­


    Being a Taoist master of the Water Moon Temple was indeed carefree, but¡­ it was tiring.


    The future was uncertain.

 Chapter 1217

    <h4>Chapter 1217: Finding Someone</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Qiao felt as if her body and mind were in torment. There were many protective talismans on her body, but they were not of much use. Her eyes were filled with dark energy, and she kept chanting. In this yin-yang imbnce formation, it was burning hot, it was very ufortable.


    Then, she could see the innate qi of those children.


    She worked hard to pull it back bit by bit.


    On the altar, there was an extremely good piece of jade, which was also ying a role.


    For the first few days, Xie Qiao was still rtively rxed, but as time went on, he became more and more exhausted.


    During the day, Yang energy was strong, which was good for the ritual. At night, she could have a simple rest, but she did not dare to ck off. She ate less and slept less, afraid that if there was anything wrong, all her previous efforts would be wasted.


    On the seventh day, at the foot of the mountain, Xie Pinggang looked as if he was going to kill someone.


    He had already confirmed that the person was hiding right under his nose, but he could not find him. Today, he finally found something wrong.


    This deste house was not big. When he came to search, he searched everywhere, but he did not find anything special. If it were not for the repeated search today, Yu Xian would not have found anything wrong with this well!


    In front of him was a shallow well. He could see the bottom at a nce. The bottom was dry, and there was nothing.


    It was thanks to Yu Xian¡¯s reminder that the well was too clean that he reacted.


    In ordinary deste wells, there were piles of old leaves, dead branches, and even mud!


    Perhaps the other party was afraid that the mud would leave footprints, so he cleaned up all these things. There were only a few fallen leaves, and there was no smell of decay!


    ¡°You can hide quite well, huh?¡± Xie Pinggang sneered, and then he nced at Yu Xian.


    He thought Yu Xian was very bold. She was more or less a woman, so she would be more careful. Therefore, he specially invited her to go out to look for him. He did not expect that she would really find a clue.


    Her eyesight was indeed the best.


    ¡°Brothers, get ready.¡± With that, Xie Pinggang went down to explore.


    When he went down, he found that there was indeed a trap. With a light push from the wall of the well, a big hole was pushed out, followed by the stairs.


    There was someone inside!


    Without saying a word, Xie Pinggang drew his saber and rushed over. In just a few moments, he caught the person guarding the door.


    The other brothers also went down to look for people. Yu Xian was just about to follow him when Xie Pinggang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Master Yu, climb to a higher ce and have a look. Since there is an entrance, there must be an exit. If someone has escaped, capture him immediately!¡±


    What Xie Pinggang said made sense. Yu Xian leaped onto the top of the wall and followed the wall all the way to the roof. Wherever she sat, the surrounding scenery could almost be seen clearly.


    Many of the surrounding manors had cers in their homes. It could be seen that the secret room here was built quite deep¡­ However, if she was the person who built the secret room, she probably would not have ced the exit near the entrance. She had to go further.


    There were still a few people guarding the courtyard. Yu Xian racked her brain, thinking about how to n the route if she wanted to escape.


    This ce was very far from the city gate. The secret room could not lead to the outside of the city directly, so it had to lead to a path that did not have many guards.


    That path had the best number of intersections, and it was not too far from the main street that led to the city gate. There had to be a ce to hide nearby¡­


    With that thought, Yu Xian looked up from the roof and saw a piece ofnd in the distance.


    The people living there were messy, and it was a ce where many traveling merchants gathered. It was not easy to manage¡­


    She quickly brought two other people over to investigate.


    Recently, she had been following Xie Pinggang to investigate Great Consort Hui. She had memorized all the surrounding houses clearly. She knew which house was best to hide in and which alley was best to escape in!

 Chapter 1218

    <h4>Chapter 1218: She Ran Away Again?</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    At this moment, Xie Pinggang had already led a group of people to kill his way in.


    There were quite a number of death warriors inside, but Xie Pinggang was getting more and more excited as he fought. The more death warriors there were, the more it proved that this ce was that Great Consort Hui¡¯sir!


    ¡°Junior Sister, you don¡¯t have to worry about this formation anymore. Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Lu Yuping had already heard the voice and directly asked his men to stand in front of him.


    Great Consort Hui¡¯s eyes shed with viciousness. ¡°Just a few more days!¡±


    ¡°But he has to die whether she seeds or not! Why bother about him?!¡± Lu Yuping was anxious.


    ¡°It¡¯s different!¡± Great Consort Hui¡¯s voice sounded old.


    She wanted him to die in her hands more than to die because of this little bit of blood. It was not perfect enough! Unfortunately, it was just a little bit more!


    She could feel that Mo Chusheng could not hold on much longer when she broke the formation. Perhaps she would fail in a few hours. When that time came, even Mo Chusheng would be affected by her spell. She could kill one more person!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Junior Sister!¡± Lu Yuping begged, ¡°Master is already like this. He has no memory, so what you did is meaningless. You and I should leave quickly and take revenge on Mo Chusheng in the future!¡±


    Great Consort Hui was so angry that she gave her father a whip.


    She had been enjoying this for the past few days.


    Now, this man was full of whip marks. He had lost more than half of his life like a dead dog!


    She gritted her teeth and left in the end.


    Back then, she had also left the capital in such a sorry state, afraid that the Taoist masters who were more capable than them would cause trouble. Now, she had once again fled in a panic. She had always wanted to save face, but she had always lost all her dignity!


    The heavens were really unfair. Every time, they wanted her to not be able toplete the things she wanted to do perfectly!


    Lu Yuping called for his death warriors to defend while he dragged his junior sister away quickly.


    He was anxious.


    Xie Pinggang charged into the middle of the secret room and saw the grand preceptor. He was covered in blood, he immediately put the grand preceptor down. He looked at the various objects around him that were emitting a strange smell and was so angry that he kicked them.


    They all had talismans given by Xie Qiao on them. This kick did not cause much of an effect.


    Xie Qiao, who was at the top of the mountain, felt her chest rx.


    Knowing that the evil technique had failed, she immediately took the opportunity to protect the innate qi of the children. This way, she was not afraid of any more damage to the children.


    At least it was not in vain.


    She was strong when facing the strong, and weak when facing the weak. Seeing that there was no danger, she let out a sigh of relief and did not want to continue suffering. She walked to Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s side with a calm expression, but in less than two breaths, she fainted.


    The corner of Meng Jifang¡¯s mouth twitched.


    His master¡¯s bones were really tough?


    She fainted so methodically. Those who did not know would think that she could still fight another 300 rounds!


    Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s heart ached, but he did not say anything. He carried her into the house to rest. Mo Lingzi also went in immediately. He looked at Xie Qiao¡¯s current situation and made more talismans to prevent her soul from being unstable and her life from being lost when she was too tired.


    Xie Pinggang asked someone to bring the grand preceptor back. He searched for her, but he could not find any trace of Great Consort Hui or the evil person.


    ¡°D*mn it! She ran away again? Could she be a rabbit that knows how to dig holes?!¡±


    There were several exits, and a few of them were dead ends!


    If he wasted time, he might not be able to catch up with them even if he chased them now!


    However, even if he could not catch up, he had to do it. He had lost hope.


    After nearly two hours, Xie Pinggang was stunned when he got out of the secret passage.

 Chapter 1219

    <h4>Chapter 1219: Submission</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Pinggang had crawled out from under a stove. That small exit had almost trapped him inside.


    He crawled out with his face covered in dust. He was extremely irritable, and his face was filled with killing intent. It was very frightening.


    He rushed into the courtyard and was about to arrange for his brothers toe out to handle matters right away. However, before he could finish his words, he saw Yu Xian.


    The ring sunlight was a little dazzling.


    Under the sunlight, Yu Xian¡¯s eyes were very eye-catching.


    Her body was a little bloody, and there were five or six death warriors lying in a mess in front of her. On both sides of her body, one of them was holding the head of a fainted man and pulling his hair, afraid that he would run away.


    ¡°Quick, quick, quick, this person is very cunning. I did not dare to find a rope to tie him up. I was afraid that he would disappear in the blink of an eye¡­¡± Yu Xian looked anxious. Her arm was injured, and now it was bloody and painful.


    Xie Pinggang immediately went up to arrest the person.


    The dignified Great Consort Hui¡¯s hair was in a mess, and she was unconscious.


    Only then did Yu Xian free her hands and grimaced. ¡°When I learned from my father, I really did not face such a scene. It scared me to death¡­ Fortunately, you and I did not hold back during our sparring sessions, so my fighting skills increased without any loss. Otherwise, I would have died here today¡­¡±


    She really had lingering fear in her heart!


    There were quite a few death warriors!


    These people used killing moves, and she felt that she was going to die several times.


    ¡°Are they dead?¡± Xie Pinggang said while lowering his body to probe.


    ¡°No, no, this is¡­¡± Yu Xian hurriedly shook her head and said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s the great consort¡­ Although she is a bad person, I don¡¯t dare to kill her¡­ but aren¡¯t they evil? They are very capable, and I¡¯m afraid that I would be possessed by them. Just in case, I did not give them a chance to speak and knocked them out¡­ It¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t hurt them¡­¡±


    Yu Xian¡¯s position was very clear.


    She could not cause any trouble.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you kill them. Great Consort Hui has long set herself on fire and died. These two? They are evil,¡± Xie Pinggang said as he tilted his head and nced at Yu Xian.


    His heart skipped a beat at this nce.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± He pretended to be fine. ¡°Well done, you¡¯ve made a great contribution. I¡¯ll ask His Highness for money for youter.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Master Yu agreed immediately.


    She could not ask for less, could she?


    ¡°I¡¯m rich now. I¡¯ll treat everyone to a drink¡­¡± She added.


    She could not afford to buy drinks that were too expensive, but she could also buy drinks that were cheaper. She had more options as a brother. The work at the criminal division was too easy, and the money came quickly. She hoped that everyone woulde to her for lucrative jobs in the future¡­


    Master Yu was too embarrassed to say the rest of her sentence.


    After all, she had just done a meritorious deed, and it was not good to say these words immediately. It would seem like she was showing off.


    ¡°There are benefits to not killing this person¡­¡± On the way back, Xie Pinggang suddenly remembered Xie Qiao¡¯s instructions and said, ¡°If she dies and bes a vengeful soul, it will be even more troublesome. It¡¯s fine for now, but leave her alive. When we go back, let Mo Chusheng think of a way to deal with it so that there won¡¯t be endless trouble in the future.¡±


    That was why Yu Xian did a really good job.


    She was different from other dainty women.


    If she had the ability, she could drink and practice martial arts. She had a decisive personality, and she was also good-looking. She had delicate and pretty eyes, and she looked like a decent person. It was morefortable for her not to act coquettishly¡­


    A thought began to sprout in Xie Pinggang¡¯s mind.


    Yu Xian was so good, and it was simply a match made in heaven with him. Such a gooddy would only be suitable to bring her home and be the wife of a bandit¡­


    As for whether she would agree or not¡­


    He would ask her another day. If she agreed, everyone would be happy. If she did not¡­


    Then what should he do? It should not be the same as what he did to Xie Pinghuai. He should not just beat her into submission, right?

 Chapter 1220

    <h4>Chapter 1220: Helpless to Change the Situation</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Pinggang furrowed his brows. He felt that he had encountered the biggest problem in his life.


    Marrying a wife was much more difficult than killing and arson. Moreover¡­ he was afraid that he would harm his wife. Even if he managed to marry her, she would not be able to live for more than a few days, right?


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt a headacheing on. The excitement on his face had disappeared, and he looked rather scary.


    Yu Xian did not think too much about it. She thought that something had happened to the grand preceptor, and she felt very sad.


    She even could not help but think that Xie Pinggang was quite filial. Previously, he had said that he did not care about life and death, and she thought that this person was really so cold to his family. However, now, look at him. He was clearly only acting tough but soft-hearted.


    In these troubled times, it was not good for Xie Pinggang to think too much about it.


    After he returned, he immediately summoned the imperial physician to treat the grand preceptor.


    The grand preceptor was seriously injured. There was not a single piece of flesh that was not wounded on his body, and he did not have much consciousness. He was extremely weak. The external injuries were easy to treat, but the internal injuries left the imperial physician helpless.


    ¡°The grand preceptor¡¯s organs are damaged, as if he was poisoned. Right now, his organs are probably festering. I¡¯m afraid that¡­ There¡¯s nothing I can do¡­


    ¡°The grand preceptor¡¯s body is already injured, but he¡¯s locked up in that dark ce every day. If it¡¯s extremely dirty, it won¡¯t be good for him to recover. On the contrary, it will make his body even weaker. We can only make some medicine to make him feel less pain, but his life¡­¡±


    There was nothing he could do.


    Xie Pinggang heard the same thing several times in a day.


    Xie Pinggang knew in his heart.


    The grand preceptor must have suffered a bacsh.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s decision to save him was the right one. The grand preceptor knew and nodded his head. However, looking at the grand preceptor like this, Xie Pinggang felt a little sad in his heart.


    His biological father had never been reliable. When he was young, he stayed by the grand preceptor¡¯s side and learned some reading and writing skills. He had gained a lot of knowledge.


    A person who was like a master and like a father had now be like this.


    The grand preceptor rested for a day and regained some consciousness. Only then did he open his eyes weakly.


    ¡°Did you capture my daughter?¡± He opened his eyes and asked.


    Xie Pinggang nodded. ¡°She was tied up in the criminal division. She was drugged and couldn¡¯t wake up. We¡¯ll deal with her when the Crown Prince returns.¡±


    The grand preceptor¡¯s breathing was weak. ¡°It¡¯s good that you caught her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any memories, but¡­ looking at my daughter and disciple, I know that I¡¯ve done many things wrong¡­ Now that I¡¯ve gotten this, it¡¯s not an injustice¡­ After I leave, you don¡¯t have to be too sentimental.¡± The grand preceptor looked as if he had just returned from the afterlife.


    Xie Pinggang gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Life and death are determined by fate. I¡¯m willing to ept it.¡±


    ¡°Let her die¡­ in a decent way. After she dies, ask Mo Chusheng to help to release our souls. All the wealth I¡¯ve umted in my life¡­ will be donated in the name of her and her junior brother¡­ to umte good fortune.¡±


    He did not ask for her to be a rich and noble person in her next life. He only hoped that she could do some good deeds so that she would not have to suffer so much. In her next life, she would just have to live a normal life.


    Xie Pinggang was sad.


    That Great Consort Hui had caused the death of her own father, yet he still wanted to umte good fortune for her?


    She wished!


    Impossible!


    With a cold expression, the grand preceptor could tell what he was thinking. ¡°I have never asked you to do anything in my life. This is the only thing I am asking you to do¡­


    ¡°Father and daughter are fated to be together. It was because of that that there are now consequences,¡± the grand preceptor added.


    When he was trapped in the secret room, he knew almost everything that happened in the past.


    After he helped his daughter get rid of the heavenly eye, he must have lost a lot of luck and good karma. That was why he left a letter to cut ties with her. Perhaps the letter was too heartless, or perhaps his daughter had a bad lifeter on, so she became more and more stubborn.

 Chapter 1221

    <h4>Chapter 1221: Last Wish</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The biggest mistake the grand preceptor had made in his life was not his daughter¡¯s matter, but the matter of taking in disciples.


    He had taken in three disciples, but he had never done a single bit of teaching. He had only left behind books, but he had never given any guidance. That was why all three disciples had gone astray, causing harm to others and themselves. Two of them had died, one¡­ hadmitted a series of misdeeds with his daughter.


    It was precisely because he understood the past that he was willing to die.


    ¡°I¡¯m old, it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± The grand preceptor¡¯s gaze wandered as he nced at Xie Pinggang.


    A momentter, there was no sign of life.


    He had made many mistakes in his life.


    However, after losing his memory, he had also done the most right thing.


    Back then, when he was snatched up by Ms. Peng, he had not thought of resisting. Later on, when he saw that Xie Pinggang was unusually ferocious at such a young age and had no etiquette, for some reason, he had developed a desire to teach and care for him.


    He did not teach him any strange techniques. He only told him about the principles he saw in the books.


    This child, however, was very good-looking.


    He was born a bandit and had a wild and cold nature, but he was not stupid.


    From now on, even if the Xie family did not have any other protection, they would probably be fine.


    ¡­


    Xie Pinggang saw that the grand preceptor was dead.


    He did not cry. His eyes did not even turn red. He just calmly changed into mourning clothes to deal with his funeral.


    A grand funeral.


    The grand preceptor was over seventy years old. He passed away at this age, so he could be considered to have lived a long life.


    However, once the grand preceptor passed away, the emperor seemed to have lost something in his heart. He was extremely worried and almost fell ill. Fortunately, after the Crown Prince returned from the mountain, he immediately went to the pce, which made him a little more energetic.


    Xie Qiao was still unconscious.


    She had long been brought back to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence.


    In the capital, many people were waiting for the news from the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, but they did not expect that news toe from the grand preceptor¡¯s residence first.


    Xie Qiao was unconscious for five days before she opened her eyes.


    As soon as she opened her eyes, Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment, then she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s much better than I expected. I can roughly see your outlines. Oh, this is His Highness, and this is master. The one standing behind¡­ well¡­ is Meng Jifang, right? The color you¡¯re wearing is too bright. It¡¯s a little dazzling.¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing turned around and red at him.


    Meng Jifang¡¯s eyelids twitched. He looked innocently at the clothes he was wearing.


    It was not bright, right? It was just an ordinary Taoist robe¡­ The same color and style as Mo Chuseng¡­ And grandmaster!


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I¡¯m not blind. It¡¯s pretty good.¡± Xie Qiao was quite satisfied. ¡°How are the children? And how is the grand preceptor now?¡±


    ¡°The children are fine and healthy. Their parents did not notice anything wrong with them. The grand preceptor passed away a few days ago, but before he left, the imperial physician prescribed medicine. He did not feel much pain,¡± Zhao Xuanjing said carefully.


    If he had not found him in advance, the grand preceptor¡¯s death would have been a thousand times more tragic.


    That would not be all¡­


    After his death, his body would decaypletely less than two dayster and almost turn into blood.


    Fortunately, Xie Pinggang had made preparations in advance and gave him a glorious funeral.


    ¡°He¡¯s already gone?¡± Xie Qiao expressed her regret. ¡°Does he have anyst wishes after his death?¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing told Xie Pinggang about hisst wishes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things. Master is also here. He will handle it properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at the matter of sending one¡¯s soul away. My eyes aren¡¯t very bright right now, but it doesn¡¯t hinder my work.¡± Xie Qiao looked no different from usual.


    She was really open-minded.


    She had already thought about it before doing the ritual. Now that the ritual waspleted, what was there to regret?

 Chapter 1222

    <h4>Chapter 1222: The Cause</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Not only that¡­


    Xie Qiao rubbed her eyes.


    It was just that she could not see clearly, but she could see somerger objects. It was much better than being blind.


    With such eyes, she should not be able to see ghouls anymore. Although there were some disadvantages, she did not have to worry about being scared by those ugly ghouls anymore. It was a win-win situation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked master to deal with Great Consort Hui, and he will take care of the rest. If you want to interfere, you can just recite the scripturester. There¡¯s no need for anything else. Now that you¡¯ve taken in a disciple, you don¡¯t have to be polite where you can order him around.¡± Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s voice was gentle.


    He was happy that Xie Qiao could wake up.


    These few days, he had been worried all the time, afraid that she would not be able to open her eyes again.


    When Xie Qiao heard that, she felt differently.


    She was an old woman, she could never be idle!


    Unfortunately¡­ Now that she was half blind, she wanted to wink at him to show her pity, but she did not know where to look. Thinking that the Crown Prince was also worried about her, she had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°How did you deal with Great Consort Hui?¡± Xie Qiao asked listlessly.


    ¡°After drinking a cup of poisoned wine, she died. The grand preceptor wanted her to die with dignity. This method also left her body intact. Before I dealt with her, I set up a formation to restrain the resentment, so that she would not turn into a ferocious ghoul, saving a lot of trouble,¡± Mo Lingzi nagged, ¡°That great consort¡­ Tsk, tsk, tsk, I saw her face. I don¡¯t know how much young woman¡¯s blood was used to refine this evil pill to maintain it. It¡¯s very scary.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Xie Qiao was quite curious.


    ¡°Before she died, she was quite unwilling to ept it. She cursed the heavens, the earth, her father, and you. She was very vicious.¡± Mo Lingzi snorted. ¡°It was also because this penniless master could not stand it anymore. I told her about the time when I first saw the grand preceptor, and only then did she calm down.¡±


    At that time, he told her in detail about the grand preceptor¡¯s amnesia.


    He also said that even though the grand preceptor had lost his memory, he kept repeating a few names in his mouth. He also recounted these names.


    Great Consort Hui became more and more stubborn as she got older. Of course, she would not let go just because of that.


    She was so angry that she went to the Yuxu Temple to borrow a few books. The price that needed to resolve the heavenly eye was clearly written in the books!


    Only then did she believe a little.


    Just a little.


    After that, she began tough hysterically, saying that her father was selfish, that he gave birth to her and did not support her. Even before he left, he did not tell her all the truth.


    If she had known back then, perhaps she would not have hated him until now.


    And now, even if she knew everything, year after year, she would only hate him. Even if she died, she would never forgive him.


    At that time, her state was very frightening. Even a Taoist master like Mo Lingzi, who had seen the world, was so scared that he did not dare to make a sound.


    He could be considered to have sent her away.


    Fortunately, she died quickly.


    Mo Lingzi spoke in detail. When Xie Qiao heard it, she also felt very sad.


    Something that happened so many years ago had changed Great Consort Hui¡¯s life.


    Perhaps¡­


    ¡°Master, do you think¡­ that the evil dark energy had not beenpletely resolved back then, so Great Consort Hui¡¯s personality was slowly influenced by it, and that¡¯s why she was so stubborn?¡± Xie Qiao could not help but ask.


    Mo Lingzi was stunned for a moment, then, he nodded. ¡°That must be the case. Back then, the grand preceptor was wandering around, and there were quite a lot of evil people. He often went against them, and it was inevitable that his family would be harmed. Although the heavenly eye was resolved, it should still need to be nurtured. Presumably, Peng Tianming¡¯s own situation was not optimistic at that time, so he forgot about this matter.¡±


    Later on, he got amnesia, the more he could not remember.

 Chapter 1223

    <h4>Chapter 1223: Abolishing the Crown Prince</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Initially, Xie Qiao felt that she was not very happy to help a person like Great Consort Hui to send her soul away. However, now, she thought if this person was affected by dark energy, she would be somewhat pitiful.


    She had been harmed her whole life.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think too much now,¡± Zhao Xuanjing reminded her.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t think about anything.¡± Xie Qiao grinned.


    She looked very obedient now, but Zhao Xuanjing was still worried. He just stayed at the residence and did not go anywhere.


    ¡­


    At the Xie family¡¯s side, Xie Pinggang handled the funeral coldly at first. Many people still thought that he was cold-blooded and heartless. After all, the grand preceptor treated the Xie family well. Now, Xie Pinggang should at least cry¡­


    Who knew how many people scolded him behind his back for not being a good person.


    However, after scolding him for two days, Xie Pinggang resigned. He said that he would be the grand preceptor¡¯s adopted son and would mourn for three years.


    At that time, many people praised him for being grateful¡­


    Xie Niushan did not have any objections to that.


    It was a pity that he quit being an official for three years. However, the grand preceptor¡­ was really good to his family. Not to mention his son attending the funeral, even if he had to personally mourn for three years, it was possible!


    The Xie family lived in seclusion.


    Only Xie Pinghuai and Xie Xi would asionallye to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence to see Xie Qiao.


    Xie Pinghuai initially suspected that Xie Qiao was lying again, but when he saw her lifeless eyes, he immediately felt guilty.


    He was really terrible!


    His eldest sister was already like this, yet he actually thought she was faking it!


    ¡°Eldest Sister, your illness is still hurting your eyes? What about in the future? It can¡¯t be¡­ It can¡¯t be that you can¡¯t even get off the ground, right? This way of dying is too miserable¡­¡± Xie Pinghuai¡¯s heart was bleeding.


    Xie Xi also pursed her lips.


    Meng Jifang rolled his eyes.


    Where did this illnesse from?! It was a life-saving treatment, yet this blood-rted brother of the Xie family did not even know about that? Did he think that Xie Qiao got it somewhere?


    ¡°Have you seen the fruit tree? I¡¯m like those trees now. First, my eyes were shaken off. In the future, as my eyes are hollowed, the branches on my body¡­ My hair and limbs will also peel off bit by bit. In the end, I¡¯ll only have my head left¡­¡± Xie Qiao tried her best to scare them.


    Xie Pinghuai felt a little disgusted. ¡°Are you blind? Do you want your eyes to fall out of your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Xie Qiao nodded, feeling happy in her heart.


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll find a craftsman to fix a fake one for you¡­ At least you can coax people¡­ Otherwise, what will you do when the Crown Prince ascends the throne?¡± Xie Pinghuai said disdainfully.


    ¡°Ascends the throne?¡± Xie Qiao was stunned.


    ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t brother-inw going to be the emperor soon?¡± Xie Pinghuai was very naive.


    Meng Jifang had not left the house recently and did not know anything. When he heard that, he was shocked. ¡°Impossible! The Crown Prince just said that he wants to resign!¡±


    ¡°But those ministers wrote a letter together to oppose the abolition of the Crown Prince, right?¡± Xie Pinghuai said matter-of-factly, ¡°The Emperor is sick and said that he wants to abdicate. The Fourth and Fifth Princes went to the pce and they were asked if they were willing to take the Crown Prince¡¯s ce. The Fifth Prince was scared to tears on the spot and insisted on not being the emperor. The Fourth Prince also kept rejecting it. Your father was so angry that his beard turned white.¡±


    The opportunity that came to his door waspletely rejected by the Fourth Prince.


    The Crown Prince, Zhao Xuanjing, was talented and virtuous. He would rather volunteer to guard the border than agree to be the heir.


    The Fourth Prince almost wanted tomit suicide. He insisted on proving that he really did not want to be the emperor¡­


    At that time, the emperor really wanted to find someone new. He thought that the next generation would have to have some courage. That was why he asked in public. Who would have thought that the two of them would have such a big reaction.


    As such, the civil and military officials could only ce their hopes on the Crown Prince. Even Marquis Meng began to brag about how wise and divine the Crown Prince was.

 Chapter 1224 - What Everyone Expected

    <h4>Chapter 1224: What Everyone Expected</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The Emperor had initially intended to favor the Crown Prince. Now that the court no longer had any objections, he directly decided that the Crown Prince would ascend the throne next year.


    This joyous event had spread all over the outside world!


    Xie Pinghuai did not expect that his own sister would not know about it!


    Meng Jifang opened his mouth and nced at Xie Qiao. Finally, he snorted and turned his head.


    The Crown Prince ascending the throne¡­ was pretty good.


    He used to think that the Crown Prince was cold and indifferent. Every time he returned to the capital, he would cause a bloodbath and investigate all kinds of cases. The execution ground would be filled with rivers of blood. Even his good friends from the academy were dragged into exile because of his investigation. In his heart, he thought that the Crown Prince was looking for trouble for no reason. On the surface, he was benevolent, but on the inside, he was ruthless.


    However, this time¡­


    In order to save him, he stayed at the Taoist temple for a few days. He was even willing to share hardships with the Princess Consort and resign¡­


    After the ritual was over, the imperial physician went to see the children and took them seriously.


    This person was not as hypocritical and scary as he thought.


    At this moment, Xie Qiao was only a little surprised. She was not even shocked.


    The Crown Prince had been umting good karma for the past two years, and he had the protection of dragon energy. To put it simply, it was the life of a true dragon emperor, and it would not be easy for him to resign.


    Furthermore, Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s move to resign was not foolish.


    The Fourth Prince had a gentle nature. Even if he became the emperor, he could still keep the Crown Prince safe. These years, the Crown Prince did not form parties for personal gain, so he did not have to worry about being feared by the new emperor. Of course, this was the worst oue.


    All these years, many people in the imperial court had proposed to depose the Crown Prince. Even if the Crown Prince pretended not to see it and sessfully ascended the throne in the future, there would definitely be a lot of gossip in the imperial court. They might even have to clean it up.


    Taking a step back now also let the courtiers know that they had no choice at all.


    This throne was something they were eager for the Crown Prince to take. It was what everyone expected.


    In the future, the records of Zhao Xuanjing in history would be even more favorable. He was obviously disabled, but he was still supported by all the officials. It was evident that his virtue was rare in the world.


    Unfortunately, for instance, Marquis Meng could only suffer this loss.


    Xie Qiao even suspected that the Crown Prince hadmunicated with his two younger brothers earlier¡­


    Not to mention other things, the Crown Prince¡¯s ability to deceive people was still very good.


    Xie Qiao naturally would not say these to Xie Pinghuai. This silly kid still had to learn to think on his own.


    Xie Qiao was quite bored, so she got her younger brother and sister to stay in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence for a while.


    However, at night, Mo Lingzi mysteriously returned from outside with a Taoist master from Yuxu Temple.


    After calling Xie Qiao over, he said to the Taoist master with a serious expression, ¡°This is my disciple. I can see that she¡¯s very blessed now. Her appearance is slightly different from before, but¡­ I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ve made a mistake. You can calcte itter.¡±


    If they were too close, it was inevitable that there would be mistakes!


    Xie Qiao was dumbfounded.


    The Taoist master was very old, and he looked very helpless.


    However, he seemed to have a good personality. When he looked at her, his expression was still quite calm.


    Mo Lingzi did not forget to take out her eight characters and let the Taoist master take a closer look.


    The Taoist master calcted for a long time and then carefully looked at her palm. After a long time, he said, ¡°The Princess Consort has a short life. It is not easy to be born with a rough life. If you are not careful, your life will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°However, Your Highness has a lot of good fortune. I saw that¡­ There seems to be some changes in this fate.¡± The master stroked his beard. ¡°Has something happened to Your Highness recently?¡±


    ¡°Something happened?¡± Xie Qiao was stunned.


    Mo Lingzi pped his hands. ¡°I knew it! This girl saved seven children who were just born. How can such a great kindness not be repaid at all?!¡±

 Chapter 1225 - Ending No. 1

    <h4>Chapter 1225: Ending No. 1</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Mo Lingzi¡¯s face was full of excitement as he grinned.


    ¡°Who in this world has not heard of the reputation of sacrificing themselves to save the world?


    ¡°Although you only saved seven children, these children are the most innocent people in the world. This is a great merit. Of course, you will be rewarded.


    ¡°Even if your vision can not be restored, your lethal fate has already been broken. It is not a loss!¡± Mo Lingzi said seriously.


    Whether Xie Qiao had helped the ghouls or saved people in the past, most of the time, she had the idea of saving the fortune for herself.


    After all, this purposeful act of kindness could not bepared to this act of being open-minded and saving people.


    A cultivator cultivated the heart.


    Even Xie Qiao was a little confused.


    She wanted to say¡­


    The reason why she did not hesitate to do the ritual waspletely because¡­ she could not tarnish her reputation as a master!


    Even if it was a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, she had to brace herself and charge forward. Only then would she be worthy of her powerful identity as a sage. If she was as afraid of death as a coward and pretended not to see it, how could she still have the face to say that she was an expert in the future?


    However, in the end, just like that, her fate changed?


    She no longer had a lethal fate?


    Xie Qiao felt that it was a little unreal.


    ¡°Your Highness must have done a lot of good deeds in her daily life. Changing her fate isn¡¯t something that can bepletely aplished in a day or two.¡± The master was also a bit surprised. How many good deeds did this Princess Consort do, to change her short life to what it was today.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s only right to do good deeds.¡± Xie Qiao raised her head and puffed out her chest. She coughed dryly and pretended to say that.


    The money she donated was not wasted.


    When the Taoist master saw how sincere she was, he could not help but admire her.


    ¡°Your Highness has a kind heart and will be rewarded well,¡± the Taoist master quickly said.


    Xie Qiao felt a little embarrassed after being praised.


    A kind heart¡­ could be considered to have dignity.


    In this lifetime, one¡¯s life had always been hanging by a thread. The only thing in one¡¯s hand was dignity. If this little thing was gone, what was the point of living?


    Mo Lingzi did not even let this master have a meal. After paying the divination money, he chased him away.


    The master seemed to be an old acquaintance. He rolled his eyes at him and could not be bothered to argue with him.


    ¡°Master, in that case, could I be considered a normal person now?¡± Xie Qiao looked expectant.


    ¡°Nothing could be more normal!¡± Mo Lingzi was very proud. ¡°Such a great fortune. In the future, when the ghouls see you, they wouldn¡¯t dare to think about possessing you again.¡±


    Xie Qiao was very happy, but she still looked very dignified on the surface.


    Mo Lingzi knew his best and knew that she was probably feeling very smug in her heart right now.


    With this calm expression, she had lied to him countless times in the past.


    ¡­


    In the next spring, the emperor resigned from the throne and went to the imperial garden to recuperate with the empress.


    Crown Prince Zhao Xuanjing ascended the throne and changed his title to Qingshuo.


    After ascending the throne, he immediately conferred the title of empress to Princess Consort Xie Qiao and the title of grand preceptor to Mo Lingzi, who was in charge of feng shui.


    As the grand preceptor¡¯s disciple, Meng Jifang was also conferred the title of feng shui official. Compared to the Meng family who had to live carefully, although Meng Jifang was only a small official, he was still a ¡°fellow disciple¡± of the empress and could be considered decent.


    As the father of the empress, Xie Niushan was conferred the title of first-ss high official while Xie Pinggang was still mourning. However, he had already be the young man that all the important figures in the capital wanted to rope in the most.


    Especially after the emperor ascended to the throne, he directly abolished the harem and decreed that during his reign, there would be no selection of concubines. This way, the position of empress would be unbreakable and the Xie family would be even more popr.


    Unfortunately, the current Xie family was no longer the same as before. It could be said that they were indestructible.

 Chapter 1226 - Ending No. 2

    <h4>Chapter 1226: Ending No. 2</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Xie Pinghuai, the second son of the Xie family, followed Teacher Xiao and studied hard. He used to be wild and unruly, but as he grew older, he became more and more stable. He was usually stable, and his personality was a mystery.


    Although he was not the best schr, he was well-versed in both literature and martial arts. He was barely able to be put together as one of the schrs in the capital.


    The youngest daughter of the Xie family, Xie Xi, was said to be a naive and carefree person. She was an expert in managing family affairs. After the emperor ascended to the throne, many families wanted to marry her.


    Xie Qiao was not worried about Xie Xi¡¯s marriage.


    She did not have to mourn like Xie Pinggang did, but she had to choose properly.


    The man she chose had to have a pure and simple family background. That noble family was not suitable for her pure personality, unless that man was extremely outstanding and was goof enough to protect her.


    ¡­


    In the seventh month of the first year of Qingshuo, there was a drought in the north.


    The people of Mount Rong rose again and caused trouble.


    Themoners thought that it would be like a few years ago, whereby there would be a big battle. They did not expect the imperial court to act so quickly. They had already arranged many troops to suppress the people of Mount Rong.


    Their morale rose greatly.


    Not only that, the imperial court¡¯s food storage was abundant. Although the drought in the north was severe, they had already dug a dam and stored waterst year. The emperor sent Wen Lancheng and other new officials to send out food for the disaster. This allowed the victims to be stable and did not cause any big trouble.


    ¡­


    Xie Qiao¡¯s eyes were still blurry and could not see clearly. Fortunately, the harem was quiet and there was nothing for her to worry about.


    From time to time, she would change back to Mo Chusheng¡¯s identity and leave the pce to have fun.


    She initially thought that her vision would not recover well, but she did not expect that after the great drought, when the first rain fell, her eyes would suddenly recover and her vision would be clear.


    Xie Qiao understood.


    Back then, because she suddenly saw a special astrological sign, she reminded the Crown Prince to make preparations early and fewer people died. This little credit was also partly attributed to her.


    Not only could she see the living, but even the dead¡­ she could see them too.


    However, what was different from the past was that her heavenly eyes would only open when the incantation was used!


    In the past, she had always been forced to look at many unpleasant ghouls, but in the future, it would never happen again!


    After her eyes recovered, Xie Qiao sent Baili Ji away. The old man had been worried about her previously and could not be at ease. After releasing the descendants¡¯ souls, he stayed alone at the Fortune Pavilion to watch over her. He held the fort for her and helped her a lot.


    Now that she was well, Baili Ji finally had nothing to worry about.


    In the past, the Baili family had no descendants to pray to them, but during this period of time, Xie Qiao and Xie Pinggang had selected a few intelligent orphans to inherit the Baili family¡¯s ethos. The children were filial. They were taught by Old Master Li and his disciples for literature, while they learned martial arts from Xie Pinggang. They were doing great.


    One could foresee that in a few decades, the Baili family would be prosperous again.


    ¡­


    In the third year of Qingshuo, under the concern of the subjects, Xie Qiao became pregnant.


    The next year, she gave birth to a son. When the eldest son of the emperor came, he was immediately conferred the title of Crown Prince.


    In the tenth year of Qingshuo, Xie Qiao gave birth to another son and a daughter. The young Crown Prince secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    In the past, as the only seedling of the imperial family, whenever he had a tiny scratch, there would always be people around him taking care of him, which was really tiring. Now that he had a younger brother, he did not have to live so carefully anymore.


    After giving birth twice, Zhao Xuanjing could not bear to see her suffer anymore.


    Xie Qiao, the empress, finally did not have to worry about having no sessor to the throne.


    During Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s reign, he worked hard to rule. The Qianyuan dynasty was rich and the people were prosperous, and the reputation of being powerful made Mount Rong stop stirring troubles.


    Due to the empress¡¯ wishes, she repeatedly issued imperial edicts to raise the status of women. More than ten yearster, there were already a few extremely outstanding female officials in the imperial court.


    The courtiers or the people had long forgotten that the current emperor had a crippled hand. The people got what they wanted, which was peace in the country.

 Chapter 1227End - Extra

    <h4>Chapter 1227: Extra</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Many yearster, Master Yun Wei¡¯s painting was still hanging in a bookstore.


    An old man in his nies walked into the bookstore. He took out a few thousand taels of silver, and shakily bought the treasure of the store.


    It had been more than sixty years¡­


    When he was in his thirties, he was lucky enough to get a copy of Master Yun Wei¡¯s painting. From then on, he tried to find out about the old man¡¯s new work¡­ At that time, everyone said that Master Yun Wei was definitely an old man in his seventies or eighties¡­


    However, so many years had passed, and every few years, he would be able to buy a painting¡­


    Master Yun Wei¡¯s paintings were bing more and more exquisite, but¡­ he was already in his nies, and he was still alive¡­


    The old man¡¯s legs trembled, and when he walked out of the door, he gritted his teeth.


    He had to endure it, he had to endure it. When Master Yun Wei no longer produced any new paintings, the prices of the paintings in his hands would increase by several times! H-He had to¡­ persevere!


    Thud!


    Unfortunately, before he could climb onto his carriage, the old man¡¯s vision turned ck, and he passed away.


    ¡­


    This year, Xie Qiao turned eighty.


    The year after she gave birth to the twins, his elder brother hadpletely smoothed out the fate of being a lonely man and married Yu Xian.


    Xie Pinghuai was not considered to have gotten married early. He only settled down when he was twenty-five years old. His wife was not of noble status and was a cousin from the Lin family. She was eight years younger than him, yet she still wanted to marry him.


    However, the two of them were childhood sweethearts, so Xie Qiao could not stop them.


    In this day and age, cousins getting married¡­ was not umon.


    Moreover, another cousin from the Lin family was hired at the imperial hospital when he was only twenty years old. He had the talent of an expert doctor, so Xie Pinghuai did not have the right to look down on the Lin family. He had to respect them.


    However, Xie Xi¡­


    In the end, she married a military official.


    It was a man named Lu Lin. He did not have any backing, but he was rather likable. ording to her father, this kid was someone who knew how to fight with his life. He was also quite capable and was young. When Mount Rong stirred trouble back then, he was one of the vanguard. He killed many people.


    Her father also said that in order to be the son-inw of the Xie family, this man kowtowed so hard that his head almost cracked¡­.


    Xie Xi had seen him secretly and even chatted with him quite a bit. For some reason, the two of them took a liking to each other, which was why they were married for life.


    Of course, Xie Qiao could not marry his sister off just like that. She got people to monitor Lu Lin for a long time.


    He was really a good person.


    Although he was a military official, he knew his manners and did not have any bad habits. He saved money and did not squander.


    With military merits and spoils of war, he also had a house in the capital. He did not spend his money on entertainment, and he did not have concubines.


    That was why Xie Qiao agreed to the marriage¡­


    ¡­


    When she was forty-five, she was tired of the hard life in the pce together with Zhao Xuanjing.


    Zhao Xuanjing abdicated to his eldest son.


    At that time, when Meng jifang became the new grand preceptor, he no longer had the arrogance he had when he was young. Although he startedte, he was very intelligent. Ten to twenty yearster, his ability would be on par with Mo Lingzi¡¯s.


    Xie Qiao¡¯s son was taught by a great schr since he was young. He was very intelligent and had a good character. After he ascended to the throne, he maintained the rule of peace.


    Perhaps it was because the previous two emperors abdicated early, her son only became the emperor for more than twenty years before he passed the throne to the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson.


    Now, she already had seven or eight great-grandsons.


    The current Crown Prince was only six years old. He was very thick-skinned and yful. He often came to the courtyard to disturb her and Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s retirement. Several times, he was thrown out by Zhao Xuanjing¡¯s men.


    ¡°Great-grandfather, great-grandmother! I went to the gambling den yesterday, and guess what?! There was actually someone betting on whether you guys would die this year!¡± The little guy snorted angrily. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not a proper gambling den to begin with, and they dare to be so arrogant. I¡¯m so angry that I smashed that ce!¡±


    Zhao Xuanjing did not even raise his eyebrows, and his beard moved.


    Die?


    Xie Qiao was only eighty years old, so she would not die.


    In the past few decades, as long as she did not appear in a while, people would say that her body was weak, but in fact¡­ she had been great!


    Now¡­ Although she was eighty years old, she felt that she was getting younger and younger.


    She could still continue to live!


    The little Crown Prince always thought that the two elders¡¯ eyes were a bit crafty.


    It was not until many yearster, when the two elders were still alive, that he realized how naive the people out there were.


    The two of them had long lives!


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