Volume 6, Chapter 346 – She Actually Wants to Test Me

Liu Yingyue awoke in a daze to find her maidservant, Xia Wei, keeping vigil by her bedside. The girl’s delicate face was streaked with fresh tear tracks.

Overwhelmed by grief, Liu Yingyue felt as though an entire lifetime had passed. Hesitantly, she asked, “Xia Wei… has my father… passed away? Or am I dreaming?”

“Young Miss, wu wu…”

Xia Wei burst into tears again, choking out words of comfort between sobs. “M-Madam is very worried about you… Sh-She said you mustn’t grieve too much… You must take care… take care of your health!”

“So… my father really is gone?”

Liu Yingyue still couldn’t believe it. Frantically, she kept questioning, “He was perfectly fine, wasn’t he? No illness, no pain—how could he just leave like that? No, no, there must be some mistake. I refuse to believe it!”

“Young Miss, please don’t be like this… Such matters cannot be mistaken.”

Xia Wei nervously grasped her mistress’s jade-like hands.

“No, no! I won’t believe it! Wu wu… I won’t! I never even got to tell him the good news… Why did it have to be like this?”

Liu Yingyue finally broke down, burying her face in her maid’s shoulder as she wept uncontrollably.

“Young Miss…”

Xia Wei didn’t know what to say. She could only gently embrace her mistress’s slender shoulders and stroke her back soothingly.

“Xia Wei… Wu wu… Do you know? It was my fault he lost his position as clan head… And in the end… in the end, I never even told him the mission was complete… I’m an unfilial daughter… I truly deserve death!”

Liu Yingyue’s voice shattered under the weight of her sobs.

“Young Miss, please don’t blame yourself… The master loved you dearly. He would never hold it against you.”

Xia Wei also wept as she tried to console her.

“But I can’t forgive myself! I deserve to die! If only I had agreed to that political marriage back then… none of this would have happened.”

Liu Yingyue clenched her teeth, her self-loathing reaching unprecedented depths. At this moment, she truly wished for death to atone for her sins.

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Meanwhile, Qi Huang of the Honghua Sect soon received the news as well. Caught off guard, she immediately sensed something amiss. After all, how could a perfectly healthy man just drop dead without reason?

‘As long as it doesn’t affect my interests, they can scheme all they want.’

That was Qi Huang’s stance. While she did share some camaraderie with Liu Yingyue, it was strictly business-oriented. She wasn’t the type to meddle gratuitously, unless the other party explicitly sought her help.

Qi Huang promptly sent her condolences via the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube, but refrained from further involvement. This was a family matter, after all, and it wasn’t her place to interfere.

Liu Yingyue seemed to hesitate, as if wanting to say more, but ultimately held her tongue.

Once their conversation ended, Huang Di immediately contacted Qi Huang via telepathic transmission.

“In two days, Manager Liu will return to the capital for the funeral. Should we follow her? I have a feeling her homecoming won’t go smoothly.”

Huang Di proposed.

“What exactly are you referring to?”

Qi Huang inquired. After all, Huang Di had been working closely with Liu Yingyue for years and was far more familiar with the Liu family’s affairs than she was.

“Isn’t it obvious? The political marriage.”

Huang Di explained: “Manager Liu’s previous betrothal candidate was a man of power and influence. Had the union succeeded, it would’ve greatly benefited the entire clan. That’s why her father had no choice but to relinquish his position as clan head as collateral. But now that he’s dead, that Second Elder Liu will formally assume leadership. Do you think he’ll honor the original agreement?”

“Of course not. Marrying off someone else’s daughter for political gain is nothing but advantageous for him. Not only does he suffer no loss, but he also eliminates a competitor for his own children. It’s killing two birds with one stone.”

Qi Huang answered without hesitation.

“Exactly. So the moment she returns, she’ll likely face forced marriage again. If she can’t find a way out, the Yongning branch will need a new manager.”

Huang Di voiced his concern.

“What? After all these years, is that toad still waiting to feast on swan meat?”

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Qi Huang frowned.

“Who would complain about having another wife? Especially a beauty like her. The man has been waiting all this time to take her as a concubine.”

Huang Di let out a disdainful chuckle.

After a brief contemplation, Qi Huang sighed. “I understand your worries. But we must have a justifiable reason to act. Right now, we’re merely business partners. If we interfere in her family affairs based on mere conjecture, wouldn’t that seem suspiciously overbearing? It’d be different if she asked for help.”

“She won’t. Manager Liu may seem delicate, but her pride is strong. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have refused the political marriage in the first place.”

Huang Di was certain. Then he added, “But if we want to follow her to the capital, we don’t necessarily have to reveal our identities or intentions. We can find another pretext.”

“Another pretext? Like what?”

Qi Huang was puzzled.

“The journey from the provincial capital to the imperial city spans over a thousand li. She plans to hire two cultivators for protection. I can recommend someone, you can join as a bodyguard. Doesn’t that sound more reasonable?”

Huang Di suggested.

“That’s actually a decent plan.”

Qi Huang mused.

“To be safe, as long as we have a plausible reason, we should accompany her to the Liu family. Helping her also benefits us, after all, we’re counting on her to auction the cat’s tears and procure ghost tomatoes. If the manager changes, there’ll be too many uncertainties.”

Huang Di elaborated further.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way. No time to waste, go recommend me to her immediately.”

Qi Huang urged.

Huang Di cut the connection and promptly sought out Liu Yingyue to relay the proposal.

“Brother Huang, is this immortal you speak of male or female?”

Liu Yingyue suppressed her sorrow to ask.

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“Either is fine.”

Huang Di reflexively replied.

“Huh? What do you mean? Is he a eunuch?”

Liu Yingyue was taken aback. If the candidate were a eunuch, she wasn’t sure she wanted them.

“No, no! That’s not what I meant! I just know many cultivators, you can choose whichever gender you prefer.”

Huang Di hastily clarified, a faint sweat breaking out on his forehead.

“I see.”

Liu Yingyue exhaled in relief. “A woman would be best. She can protect me more closely.”

“Very well. I’ll arrange for a fairy to accompany you, you’ll be satisfied.”

Huang Di thumped his chest in assurance.

He then relayed the details to his main body, Qi Huang.

“Why does it have to be a woman?”

Qi Huang grumbled in disappointment. She had been planning to disguise herself as a man to deepen their bond.

“She’s an unmarried maiden, of course she’d prefer a female. How else are you supposed to provide close protection?”

Huang Di retorted, exasperated.

“Fine, a woman it is. Even if I can’t foster romantic feelings, at least she’ll let her guard down around me. Maybe I can still enjoy the view and sneak a few liberties.”

Qi Huang consoled herself.

“Truly worthy of being me. Even though my body’s turned female, my orientation remains steadfast. I was half-afraid you’d show up one day with a swollen belly.”

Huang Di praised.

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“Exactly. I may have a woman’s body, but I haven’t become a woman in mind. Don’t worry, the only way this belly swells is if I overeat.”

Qi Huang declared with unshakable confidence.

Without delay, Qi Huang set off for the provincial capital the next day. With the Evergreen Conference barely a year away, there could be no disruptions in procuring ghost tomatoes.

This time, Qi Huang didn’t disguise herself as a man. With only a veil and a forehead pendant, she strode straight into the Golden Fortune Auction House.

Guided by a servant, she first met Xia Wei.

“Are you the fairy recommended by Brother Huang?”

Xia Wei scrutinized Qi Huang before posing the question with tentative certainty.

“Is there a problem?”

Qi Huang smirked faintly.

“Little Sister, while we trust Brother Huang, I must emphasize, we already have one young miss. We don’t need another. If you want this job, you’ll have to pass a test.”

A trace of disdain flickered in Xia Wei’s eyes. The girl before her seemed far too young. How much combat prowess could she possibly have? Cultivators needed time to grow, after all. Compared to the white-haired, sage-like immortals waiting in the backyard, this one hardly inspired confidence.

“You want to test me? Fine. What’s the test?”

Qi Huang burst out laughing.

“Well, since the other cultivators applying for the job have also arrived, you can join them in the backyard. We’ll conduct the assessment together shortly.”

Xia Wei replied after some thought.

“Gladly!”

Qi Huang agreed without hesitation. She had no intention of letting anyone think she got the job through connections.

Upstairs, Huang Di observed everything clearly through his divine sense. Since his main body had her own plans, he could only turn a blind eye.