Chapter 89

The two of them sipped fruit wine, enjoyed the gentle breeze, and admired the night scenery, savoring this rare and peaceful moment.

It was around this time.

A light set of footsteps approached.

Xiao Minghuang looked up and saw Ye Ruoshui, dressed in a pale yellow dress, slowly stepping into the pavilion.

Xiao Minghuang put down her wine cup and nodded at Ye Ruoshui, greeting her with a smile:

“Ruoshui, you’re back!”

Ye Ruoshui curtsied gracefully.

“Your Highness!”

Xiao Minghuang pointed to the seat on her right.

“Have a seat!”

Ye Ruoshui took her seat as instructed.

After a few rounds of wine and several dishes.

Ye Ruoshui brought up the matter of purchasing spirit gold and materials.

“I’ve found a way to craft the alchemy furnace. The Seventh Elder has agreed to fund it, on the condition that I help him upgrade the quality of his flame-turning furnace.”

“This time, I plan to craft a top-grade Yellow-tier alchemy furnace, and the spirit gold and materials needed are roughly…”

As she spoke, Ye Ruoshui took out a piece of paper from her bosom.

The paper still carried a faint warmth and a subtle milky fragrance. On it, written in neat and elegant handwriting, were the required spirit gold and materials.

Xiao Minghuang, having grown up in the depths of the palace, was not familiar with the prices of goods in the market, so she handed the note to Lin Wanqiu.

“Wanqiu, take a look at how many spirit stones these materials will cost in total.”

Lin Wanqiu took the note, glanced over it briefly, thought for a moment, then looked up at Ye Ruoshui and said:

“The cost of forging a new alchemy furnace would be around two hundred thousand spirit stones, while upgrading the old one would only require one hundred thousand spirit stones.”

Hearing this figure, Ye Ruoshui gasped in shock, and Xiao Minghuang also showed a look of astonishment.

“Two hundred thousand!”

“Together, that’s three hundred thousand!”

This enormous sum exceeded Xiao Minghuang’s entire fortune. Even if she wanted to help Ye Ruoshui with the money, it would be difficult to gather such an amount without selling all the elixirs she had on hand.

Therefore, the Seventh Elder’s willingness to foot the bill was a great help.

Ye Ruoshui also looked relieved, grateful that the Seventh Elder was willing to pay. Otherwise, she would feel guilty about having the princess spend the money.

At this moment, the three of them clearly thought the same thing.

They exchanged smiles, their eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.

Lin Wanqiu smiled and said:

“The spirit gold and materials Your Highness gave me, I’ve kept them unused. This time, I’ll sell them to the Seventh Elder.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly. The spirit gold and materials Lin Wanqiu mentioned were actually gifts Lin Zhengquan had given her before they left Beiyang City.

These items, though presented as gifts to her, were essentially Lin Wanqiu’s dowry.

After all, once Lin Wanqiu followed her, she would no longer be able to marry.

Thinking of this, Xiao Minghuang found it somewhat amusing.

Back then, Lin Zhengquan had desperately tried to promote his daughter to her, yet she had been completely oblivious, even insisting that the relationship between her and Lin Wanqiu could not be defined by a mere marriage contract.

However, that statement wasn’t entirely wrong. The relationship between her and Lin Wanqiu indeed could not be defined by a marriage contract.

After a moment, Xiao Minghuang regained her composure and said solemnly:

“Let’s not touch Wanqiu’s spirit gold and materials. I still have some materials here; we’ll sell those to the Seventh Elder. If it’s not enough, we’ll purchase the rest from Beiyang City.”

Ye and Lin naturally had no objections to this and both nodded in agreement.

…

In the following days, Xiao Minghuang lived quite leisurely, cultivating at home, occasionally strolling the streets, and sometimes visiting the offering hall to observe Ye Ruoshui’s crafting.

During this time, she also discovered a few white opportunities. Although she obtained them, they provided little benefit to her cultivation.

In her spare time, she even personally guided the children in their cultivation.

Every time she visited the children these days, she would bestow some spirit stones and elixirs. Though not much, the children were immensely grateful.

With her 【Immortal’s Grace】 destiny, even without deliberate effort, she could attract the favor of others, let alone the children of Beiyang City who already held her in high esteem.

After just a few days of interaction, they regarded her as a deity, loyal and unwavering.

It is worth mentioning that Li Yun’er sent news from Beiyang City.

The Li family had decided to no longer collude with the Liu and Wang families. They planned to surrender the ill-gotten gains they had extorted from the people over the years and hand over ninety percent of the spirit veins and spirit fields under their control to the city lord’s office for management. All proceeds would be sent directly to the imperial city, to be delivered to Xiao Minghuang herself.

Upon hearing this news, both Xiao Minghuang and Lin Wanqiu were delighted.

Especially for Lin Wanqiu, who was born and raised in Beiyang City, the Li and Lin families had been close for generations, and she naturally did not wish to see the Li family fall into ruin.

Xiao Minghuang knew that Li Yun’er must have played a significant role in the decision for the Li family to submit. Therefore, she sent out a message saying that once Li Yun’er returned to the imperial city, she would be granted a Ningling Pill.

However, this matter was kept secret, known only to Xiao Minghuang, Lin Wanqiu, and Li Yun’er. No one else, including Ye Ruoshui, was aware of it.

It wasn’t that Xiao Minghuang didn’t trust Ye Ruoshui.

But during this period, Ye Ruoshui had been fully focused on refining the alchemy furnace, and discussing such matters with her would be of no benefit.

Moreover, Xiao Minghuang knew that Ye Ruoshui had a pure heart, and she didn’t want to burden the young girl with these trivial and sordid affairs, causing her unnecessary distress.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.

Only one month remained until the imperial competition.

The princes who had been out training began to return to the capital one after another.

Those who were already in the capital also became more active.

The once stagnant imperial city suddenly came alive.

At the same time, the news of Xiao Minghuang being conferred the title of Princess Ziwei quickly spread.

Reactions varied.

“Princess Ziwei? The Ninth Princess? What right does she have to receive this title? Has some villain been whispering slander in His Majesty’s ear again?”

This was the public voice of the forces close to the Second Prince. Backed by Prince Wu’an, they were deeply rooted. If the Emperor had not already advanced to the Spirit Seed Realm, they would not have been so restrained but would have directly criticized the emperor for being foolish and incompetent, unable to recognize talent.

“Her Highness the Princess possesses unparalleled talent, born with the Five Elements Spiritual Roots, a genius unseen in a millennium, unparalleled in the southern region. It is only natural that she receives this title!”

This was the voice of the forces close to Princess Ziwei. In fact, most of these people came from Lin Wanqiu’s efforts during this period. Since arriving in the imperial city, she had not been idle for a moment, spending every day organizing intelligence, building momentum for Xiao Minghuang, and liaising with various factions.

The ability to smoothly form this voice was largely thanks to the Emperor’s covert assistance.

But even so, the support for Princess Ziwei remained weak, far from matching the powerful Second Prince and Prince Wu’an’s faction.

“I heard the Second Prince obtained an Earth-grade pill and has already advanced to the third level of the Spring Realm. This competition might as well be decided before it even begins.”

“That’s not necessarily true. The Sixth Prince has joined the Spirit Sword Sect and is now an inner disciple, favored by many elders. He is soon to be promoted to a True Disciple. His foundation is something the Second Prince cannot match.”

“Have you all forgotten? The one in the spotlight now should be Princess Ziwei. The fact that His Majesty has bestowed the Ziwei title upon her is itself a statement of attitude. She has likely been designated as the heir apparent!”

“Hmph! Designated or not, even His Majesty cannot break the rules of the competition. The ultimate victor shall be the heir apparent!”

Within the imperial city, rumors abounded, and disputes among the imperial heirs grew increasingly heated.

Supporters of various factions argued their cases in taverns and teahouses, causing disturbances and even resorting to physical altercations in the heat of the moment.

In their anger, they even spoke recklessly, touching upon matters concerning the imperial family.

“Hmph! His Majesty is truly senile, favoring such a green and inexperienced girl. In my opinion, there’s no need for this competition. Just appoint the Second Prince as the heir apparent!”

“Nonsense! I think you’re a spy sent by the Golden Elephant Kingdom, daring to slander His Majesty and Princess Ziwei. Stand right there, the Ministry of Justice will be here to arrest you soon!”

Upon hearing the words “Ministry of Justice,” the man’s arrogant expression instantly vanished, and he immediately fled, disappearing without a trace.

While the outside world was abuzz with various opinions and rumors, the princess’s residence remained a scene of peace and tranquility.

Xiao Minghuang sat upright in her room, with ten swirling vortices of energy continuously rotating around her body. Her entire being exuded a spring-like vitality, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth condensed without dispersing, gathering within a radius of one zhang. Thick, misty white vapor continuously rose, almost on the verge of condensing into liquid!

The spiritual energy overflowed, condensing the mist into liquid, manifesting externally—this was a sign that she was about to step into the Spring Realm!

But in the next moment.

Xiao Minghuang suddenly opened her eyes, and the ten swirling vortices around her body instantly disappeared, along with the thick white mist.

Her eyes were clear and bright, with golden light shimmering and shining, as if stars were twinkling within them.

She slowly exhaled a breath of pure energy.

“Just a little more…”

A hint of regret appeared on Xiao Minghuang’s face.

Although she was just one step away, that step was like crossing a vast chasm.

With her extraordinary talent, breaking through to the Spring Realm through Qi cultivation was already so difficult. One can only imagine how much more arduous it must be for martial artists with lesser talent to advance their realms!

Across the vast expanse of the Great Xia, spanning tens of thousands of miles and home to billions of people, the number of martial artists born within its borders, regardless of their cultivation level, likely does not exceed one million in total.

This means that among every thousand people, only one would be a martial artist, and this is without considering their cultivation level.

Among these million martial artists, at least eighty percent are at the Body Tempering Realm.

The higher the cultivation level, the rarer the martial artist becomes.

The Great Xia’s foundation, the Divine Sea realm royal court officials, number only a little over ten.

This illustrates the difficulty of cultivation.

Xiao Minghuang knew that the scarcity of martial artists in the Great Xia was largely due to the sparse spiritual energy in the southern region, which could not support a greater number of high-level martial artists.

Therefore, her breakthrough to the Qi Refining Realm at the age of fourteen was already an extraordinary feat of genius.

Even if the prodigies from the major powers were placed in her position, they could not have done better.

“Breaking through to the next realm is only a matter of time.”

Xiao Minghuang’s heart was at peace; she did not care for immediate gains, as long as she could achieve her ultimate goal.

“Counting the days, today should be the opening day of the Spirit Source Workshop in the Treasure Pavilion. It’s time to make a trip.”

She possessed the Opportunity Hint System, and if there truly was an innate divine object containing the dual energies of Yin and Yang within the Spirit Source Workshop, she would surely be able to detect it in advance.

With this thought, Xiao Minghuang rose, pushed open the door, and headed towards Lin Wanqiu’s courtyard.

In the spacious courtyard, Lin Wanqiu, clad in a light red dress and wielding a green longsword, was practicing her sword techniques. Her figure was as ethereal as smoke, her movements both shadowy and indistinct, yet graceful and fluid.

As the children’s education had settled into a routine, she gradually entrusted the matters to the martial instructors and nannies, allowing her to find time for cultivation during her leisure.

After obtaining a new cultivation technique, Ye Ruoshui’s progress had already surpassed hers.

Although Lin Wanqiu was not a competitive person, she particularly did not want to lose to Ye Ruoshui in front of Her Highness.

Thus, she had to redouble her efforts to catch up to Ye Ruoshui.

Moreover, she knew that the little girl Ye Ruoshui focused her energy mainly on the unorthodox arts and was not dedicated to cultivation. As long as she worked harder, she could surely catch up quickly.

At that moment.

Lin Wanqiu heard the sound of soft footsteps.

Immediately after, she heard Her Highness’s voice.

“Wanqiu, are you there?”

Lin Wanqiu sheathed her sword, rubbed her snow-white wrist, and walked towards the courtyard gate.

“I’m here! Your Highness, please come in!”

Lin Wanqiu was dressed in a light red long dress, her hair simply tied into a ponytail, adorned with a jade green hairpin.

Xiao Minghuang was slightly taken aback, her gaze fixed on Lin Wanqiu’s head, lost in thought.

At the same time.

She asked in her mind:

“System, for the gifts given, can I choose to compensate by returning them in quantity?”

[Ding!]

[Prompt: When the host triggers a qualitative change return, a quantitative change return can be chosen.]

[Prompt: When the host triggers a quantitative change return, a qualitative change return cannot be chosen.]

As the system’s voice echoed in her mind, Xiao Minghuang had a plan.

Noticing her distracted appearance, Lin Wanqiu asked in confusion:

“Your Highness? Is there something on my head?”

Xiao Minghuang stared at the jade green hairpin and slowly spoke:

“This hairpin, it doesn’t look good.”

Lin Wanqiu was taken aback by this.

“This hairpin is quite ordinary, there’s nothing unattractive about it!”

“Hmm, it’s ordinary, it doesn’t suit you.”

As she spoke, Xiao Minghuang took out a phoenix hairpin she had kept for a long time from her bosom and presented it to Lin Wanqiu.

The hairpin was entirely golden, with exquisite craftsmanship that made it appear lifelike. The ends of the phoenix’s wings transitioned into a vivid crimson, and the phoenix held a string of rubies in its beak, sparkling with a crystalline brilliance.

What was even more astonishing was that Lin Wanqiu could faintly sense a spiritual aura emanating from the hairpin, clearly indicating that it was a magical artifact!

Lin Wanqiu’s voice trembled slightly as a thought arose in her heart—could it be that Her Highness intended to give this hairpin to her?

Xiao Minghuang smiled warmly, like a gentle spring breeze, and said:

“Of course, this is a gift for Wanqiu. Let me help you put it on!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

Lin Wanqiu’s delicate cheeks immediately flushed with a rosy hue, and she slightly lowered her head.

As Lin Wanqiu bowed her head, the nape of her neck, as smooth and white as fine jade, was revealed. Her slender, fair neck resembled a delicate willow branch, its tender and smooth texture akin to the finest mutton-fat jade.

Xiao Minghuang gazed at the soft, smooth jade-like neck before her, her heart swaying slightly, and her pulse quickened for a moment.

She steadied her mind, reached out, and gently pulled out the jade hairpin that seemed out of place.

Her cascading black hair fell like a waterfall onto Lin Wanqiu’s chest, as dark and lustrous as ink, exuding a faint, delicate fragrance.

The ink-black strands of hair covered half of Lin Wanqiu’s delicate face, the contrast between the dark, glossy hair and her snow-white, smooth skin adding an extra touch of charm and softness, making her appear breathtakingly beautiful.

Xiao Minghuang held the jade hairpin and slowly approached Lin Wanqiu’s neck, her heart once again captivated by her.

But it was only for a fleeting moment before she regained her composure.

Lin Wanqiu’s slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, and she whispered:

“Your Highness, perhaps I should do it myself…”

“No need!”

Xiao Minghuang firmly refused, quickening her pace. With one hand, she gathered Lin Wanqiu’s hair, her movements skilled and fluid as flowing water.

In just a few moments, she had coiled Lin Wanqiu’s beautiful hair into a bun and inserted the phoenix hairpin into it.

After completing this, Xiao Minghuang channeled her spiritual energy, waved her sleeve, and conjured a water mirror, placing it in front of Lin Wanqiu.

Seeing her reflection in the water mirror, Lin Wanqiu was stunned, utterly amazed.

The woman in the mirror had a peerlessly beautiful countenance, her features exquisite. Her eyebrows arched like distant mountains, and her enchanting eyes exuded endless charm. Beneath her straight nose, her cherry-like lips were a tempting crimson, full and rosy.

Before seeing this mirror, she had no idea she could look so stunning.

However, Xiao Minghuang still felt a bit disappointed. She had tried to recreate the look that had captivated everyone at the banquet in Beiyang City.

But the final result still fell slightly short of that moment.

Nevertheless, she still liked Lin Wanqiu as she was now.

Xiao Minghuang smiled softly and asked in a gentle voice:

“Do you like it?”

Lin Wanqiu’s face slightly lowered, her red lips lightly bitten, and she murmured in a low voice:

“I like it…”

The same scene was reflected in the water mirror.

In this moment, Xiao Minghuang’s heart was filled with gratitude. If she hadn’t been moved by a moment of compassion and decided to bind herself to Lin Wanqiu, she would have missed such a beautiful and intelligent girl.

And it wasn’t just Lin Wanqiu.

Ye Ruoshui was equally beautiful.

Xiao Minghuang thought to herself that if she unlocked new binding slots in the future, she would also choose beautiful girls.

As she pondered.

Xiao Minghuang snapped back to reality, took Lin Wanqiu’s delicate hand, and said softly:

“Accompany me for a stroll today, alright?”

“Alright…”

Lin Wanqiu naturally agreed with whatever Her Highness said, murmuring her consent.

Xiao Minghuang linked arms with Lin Wanqiu, walking side by side towards the mansion gate.

In her storage bag, two identical phoenix hairpins lay quietly.

…

This time, they did not make a grand procession with fanfare and heralds.

Instead, they only brought a few attendants and rode in a simple carriage to the Treasure Pavilion.

Besides seeking opportunities, this outing was also to enjoy a leisurely stroll with Lin Wanqiu.

Even though they did not travel in a grand manner, merely lifting the carriage curtain for a moment caused passersby to turn their heads at the glimpse of their beauty.

Along the way, the carriage moved slowly, allowing Xiao Minghuang to make an unexpected discovery.

The long-dormant opportunity compass suddenly flickered with a golden light, but just as she was about to investigate, the light extinguished.

Xiao Minghuang showed a puzzled expression, thinking:

“A golden opportunity bearer entered within a hundred miles and then left?”

Lin Wanqiu was sharing some interesting anecdotes she had heard, but noticing Xiao Minghuang’s distracted expression, she stopped and asked:

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Minghuang shook her head slightly and said:

“Nothing, are we almost there?”

Lin Wanqiu glanced out the window and saw a towering building in the distance, over ten zhang tall, majestic and splendid.

“We’ll be there soon.”

Not long after.

The two arrived outside the Treasure Pavilion.

Outside the Treasure Pavilion, there was a sea of people and a stream of carriages.

Xiao Minghuang led Lin Wanqiu out of the carriage, avoiding the crowded main entrance and heading towards the VIP passage.

Her attendant took out a gold card and handed it to the welcoming maid.

Upon seeing the gold card, the maid immediately smiled, bowed, and said respectfully:

“Esteemed guests, this way please!”

Xiao Minghuang tucked the gold card back into her sleeve, surprised that the gold card given by Seventh Elder was actually effective.

Previously, she had mentioned to Seventh Elder her interest in the Treasure Pavilion, and he had promptly given her a VIP gold card, which supposedly granted a 10% discount on all purchases within the pavilion.

According to Seventh Elder, in the entire Great Xia, only he and the Emperor possessed such a card.

Xiao Minghuang wasn’t sure if it was true, but she calmed her thoughts and followed the maid into the pavilion.

The Treasure Pavilion’s decor was luxurious yet simple, exuding an elegant and unpretentious atmosphere, appearing ancient and grand.

Xiao Minghuang and Lin Wanqiu took a seat in a private room on the second floor.

At the same time, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a manager arrived, dressed in a brocade robe, with a shrewd and capable demeanor, exuding the aura of a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, a powerful martial artist comparable to a royal guardian.

However, he did not display the usual arrogance of martial artists, instead bowing slightly and saying respectfully:

“My surname is Wang, and I am the master of the Great Xia Treasure Pavilion. Esteemed guests, please let me know what treasures you seek, and all purchases will be discounted by 10%.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected the gold card to have such influence, immediately drawing out the master of the Treasure Pavilion, a formidable Divine Sea Realm expert.

It is well known that the Pavilion Master of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion is as elusive as a dragon, appearing only briefly and then vanishing. Rumors suggest that he is a high-level Divine Sea Realm expert, ranking among the top five in the entire Great Xia Dynasty.

Seeing him today, the rumors proved true.

However, Xiao Minghuang was a seasoned veteran. Even in the presence of a Divine Sea Realm expert, her expression remained calm and composed as she spoke plainly:

“I’ve come today to see if your pavilion has any innate divine objects containing the dual energies of Yin and Yang.”

Xiao Minghuang did not directly mention the spirit sources. If the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had the innate divine objects she needed, purchasing them directly with spirit stones would be quicker and more convenient.

Hearing this, Pavilion Master Wang was slightly surprised and frowned as he replied:

“Innate divine objects are already rare, let alone those containing the dual energies of Yin and Yang. I’m afraid such objects cannot be found anywhere in the Southern Region…”

At this point, his tone shifted, and a faint smile appeared on his face:

“Our pavilion has recently acquired a batch of spirit sources. According to the appraisers, some of these spirit sources may contain sealed innate divine objects. As for whether they contain the dual energies of Yin and Yang, that’s hard to say…”

In truth, from the moment he saw the golden card, he had guessed Xiao Minghuang’s identity.

The recently prominent Princess Ziwei!

Pavilion Master Wang glanced at the red-dressed young woman sitting beside Xiao Minghuang, also knowing she was the young mistress of Beiyang City.

These two were certainly not lacking in wealth.

If he could sell this batch of spirit sources to Princess Ziwei and the young mistress of the Lin family, he would surely make a hefty profit!

---

Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

Please support us on Ko-Fi.

---