Chapter 15
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After making up her mind, Xiao Minghuang stepped out of the courtyard gate and immediately encountered the person she was looking for.
It had been a month since she last saw Ye Ruoshui.
The little girl seemed quite different now.
Xiao Minghuang observed that the girl had grown taller, her once round chin now more defined, and her innocent, adorable face was beginning to show signs of charm. In a few more years, she would undoubtedly become a stunning beauty capable of captivating hearts!
The only downside was that her chest seemed less full than before.
Xiao Minghuang understood a fundamental truth: matter is conserved.
Since her body had grown taller, it was inevitable that some parts would shrink. Unfortunately, it was the flesh on her chest that had diminished.
But even as she grew, she was still her little girl.
Xiao Minghuang walked up to her naturally and, out of habit, gently patted Ye Ruoshui’s soft hair, smiling as she said, “Ruoshui, you’ve made great progress. You’re already at the sixth level of Body Tempering.”
Ye Ruoshui squinted her eyes, her face filled with contentment. She loved it when her Highness patted her head.
“Compared to Your Highness’s cultivation, my meager strength is nothing.”
“Don’t be so modest.”
Xiao Minghuang spoke seriously, “I need to go to Beiyang City. During this time, you should stay home and focus on your cultivation, understand?”
Hearing that her Highness was leaving, Ye Ruoshui’s face immediately fell.
“Your Highness, can’t you take me with you?”
Originally, Xiao Minghuang hadn’t planned to bring Ye Ruoshui. The journey to Beiyang City was fraught with unknown dangers. If something unexpected happened, she could easily escape alone, but with Ye Ruoshui in tow, it might not be so simple.
But then she thought, if she encountered any opportunities along the way, who else would she share them with if not Ye Ruoshui?
Moreover, once they reached Beiyang City, she could settle the girl in the city, where there would be no danger.
“Alright, but you must behave yourself on the journey. No running off.”
Ye Ruoshui nodded eagerly, quickly agreeing, “Your Highness, don’t worry!”
After making up her mind, Ye Ruoshui went to pack her belongings.
About half an hour later, the little girl returned to her.
“Your Highness, I’ve packed everything. Let’s go.”
Xiao Minghuang nodded, and the two walked to the mansion’s entrance, where they saw three thousand armored soldiers ready for departure, with a large entourage lining both sides of the street, filling it to the brim, showcasing the Royal Family’s grandeur.
But Xiao Minghuang paid no attention to the pomp and circumstance. Without lingering, she boarded the carriage and headed for the city gate.
…
“Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang has been ordered to go to Beiyang City to assist in eradicating the evil cultivators. General, please open the gates and let us pass.”
Upon reaching the city gate, Xiao Minghuang leaned out of the carriage and spoke in a deep voice.
In the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom, the four gates were guarded by warriors at the Yongquan level.
With the Emperor in seclusion and evil cultivators appearing in all directions, the guards were even more vigilant than usual.
Everyone entering or leaving had to undergo thorough inspections.
But as the Ninth Princess, Xiao Minghuang was naturally exempt from such checks. Merely showing her face was enough for the guards to open the gates and let her pass.
After Xiao Minghuang’s carriage had gone some distance, one of the gate guards quietly left and ran all the way to Prince Wu’an’s residence.
In a quiet room within Prince Wu’an’s residence.
Inside the room, a middle-aged man with a long beard sat on a wooden chair, his expression as calm as an ancient well, yet exuding an imposing aura. He was the second most powerful figure in the Great Xia, Prince Wu’an.
Standing before him was the guard from earlier.
“A quarter of an hour ago, the Ninth Princess took a carriage and headed towards Beiyang City.”
Prince Wu’an’s eyes flickered slightly, and he waved his hand, saying, “I am aware. You may leave.”
After the guard departed.
A cold glint suddenly appeared in Prince Wu’an’s pupils, and he muttered to himself:
“Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut…”
…
The capital of the Great Xia stood on a vast plain, with fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles in all directions, perfectly suited for the livelihood of the common people.
Beiyang City, located on the northern border of the Great Xia, was situated right between the plains and the northern mountains, serving as a natural stronghold.
The Great Xia and the northern Kingdom of Golden Elephant had engaged in countless wars, yet Golden Elephant had never managed to breach Beiyang City.
Thus, it was no exaggeration to call Beiyang City the “pillar of stability” for the Great Xia.
At this moment, a simple carriage was speeding across the vast plains like the wind.
Two days had passed since they left the imperial city.
Initially, Xiao Minghuang had traveled with a large entourage, but she soon found it cumbersome. It was much more convenient to travel light with just Ye Ruoshui, allowing them to reach Beiyang City more quickly.
After parting ways with the guards, Xiao Minghuang found herself with much more free time. She used this leisure to refine a large amount of spirit stones and elixirs, nearly depleting the rewards bestowed by the Emperor of Xia and the compensation from the system.
Yet, she only managed to break through a minor realm, reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement.
Although her foundation was solid, advancing her cultivation required a vast amount of spirit stones and elixirs. It was also possible that the elixirs given by the Emperor of Xia were of poor quality, which limited their effectiveness in boosting her cultivation.
“The system seems to be getting stingier. It gave Ruoshui an entire storage bag of spirit stones and elixirs, yet only compensated me with double the amount.”
“System, are you there? Can you explain why this is?”
Xiao Minghuang asked.
【Ding! The system’s compensation depends on the quantity of items given in a single instance. The more items given at once, the lower the chance of receiving a high multiplier compensation.】
【Additionally, giving the same type of item multiple times will also reduce the critical multiplier.】
【The critical multiplier will never fall below the number of contractors.】
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang understood.
Currently, she only had Ye Ruoshui as a contractor, so the minimum compensation for giving opportunities would be one times, meaning no loss or gain.
But if she gave something to Ye Ruoshui, it would be two times.
Because she could give it to the girl and then take it back.
But Xiao Minghuang wouldn’t do that.
That would be too inhumane.
Inside the carriage.
“I’ve never traveled this far in my life,” Ye Ruoshui said, leaning against the window, gazing at the distant horizon where the sky met the earth, feeling a surge of boldness and emotion.
Xiao Minghuang remained calm, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, refining elixirs while chatting with Ye Ruoshui.
“You’ll get used to it if you travel often.”
Ye Ruoshui closed the curtain and leaned her head on Xiao Minghuang’s shoulder, smiling.
“Only by Your Highness’s side do I feel at ease, no matter where we go.”
Xiao Minghuang stopped her cultivation and tapped Ye Ruoshui’s forehead, chiding her, “It’s been two days since we left, and you haven’t cultivated for even a quarter of an hour. Can’t you talk less and cultivate more?”
Ye Ruoshui covered her forehead, looking pitiful as she said, “This servant also wishes to cultivate, but for some reason, I can’t concentrate when I’m by Your Highness’s side. I always can’t help but want to look at Your Highness.”
“Are you saying that I’m disturbing your cultivation?”
Xiao Minghuang narrowed her eyes, staring at Ye Ruoshui.
Ye Ruoshui felt a chill under her gaze, not daring to breathe heavily, and quickly tried to remedy the situation:
“No, no! Absolutely not!”
“This servant’s will to cultivate is not firm, and it has nothing to do with Your Highness. This servant will definitely calm down and work hard on my cultivation!”
After earnestly pledging her loyalty and seeing Xiao Minghuang’s expression soften, Ye Ruoshui finally let out a sigh of relief.
Ever since they went out two days ago, she noticed that Her Highness’s attitude towards her had been getting worse.
Perhaps because they had been together for a long time, so the reservations had lessened, and Her Highness was showing more of her true self in front of her.
Thinking of this, Ye Ruoshui couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy in her heart.
But if she wanted to please Her Highness and continue to improve their relationship, she still needed to take action.
After pondering for a moment, Ye Ruoshui took out a gift she had prepared earlier from her bosom.
“This is for Your Highness.”
Ye Ruoshui pursed her lips slightly, lowering her head a little, her eyes occasionally stealing glances at Xiao Minghuang, perfectly embodying the phrase “shy and coy, seemingly reluctant yet welcoming.”
Xiao Minghuang looked up and saw Ye Ruoshui holding a delicate little box in her hands, square and about the size of a fist.
From its length, it didn’t seem like a hairpin or a hairpiece. Could it be a ring?
“What is this?”
Ye Ruoshui whispered, “Your Highness will know when you open it.”
Xiao Minghuang took the box, flipped open the lid, and a strong medicinal fragrance wafted out, refreshing and sweet.
“What is this?”
Inside the delicate little box lay ten smooth pills, emitting a faint luster, with no impurities to be found.
Seeing these ten neatly arranged pills, Xiao Minghuang initially didn’t pay much attention, thinking they were just ordinary low-grade Qi-Mending pills.
But when she picked up one and examined it closely, her pupils suddenly contracted.
“This is… an eighty percent purity pill!”
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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how can this little servant got something like that from?