Volume 3, Chapter 164 – Chi Family’s Legitimate Daughter

“The Chi family’s true legitimate eldest daughter…”

Chi Xiyan lowered her eyes slightly. She understood why Nanny Qin would have such a reaction.

“It’s been over ten years… that incident happened over ten years ago.” Qin Qingfen said, “Everyone thought that girl had long since died.”

“How could she still be alive…”

“And how could she suddenly appear at such a time…”

“The master has already been grooming you as his heir…”

“And there’s your marriage arrangement with Young Sect Master Song…”

“No! Xiyan… we can’t let that girl appear before the master… She’ll destroy everything we’ve worked so hard to obtain these past ten-plus years.”

Qin Qingfen grasped Chi Xiyan’s sleeve.

“Xiyan, this time you must listen to me. You must listen to me!”

“Even if it’s for your mother’s sake… you cannot let the Chi family and Lingbao Commerce Association fall into a wild girl’s hands.”

Chi Xiyan sighed helplessly.

“Calm down, Aunt.”

“Listen to me first.”

“Things might not be as bad as you imagine.”

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“Can we really determine that the girl is the Chi family’s legitimate daughter who disappeared sixteen years ago based solely on a hairpin?”

“Moreover, Aunt, you only saw it from afar. You yourself can’t confirm that the hairpin is the same one from the Chi family matriarch over ten years ago, can you?”

Qin Qingfen fell silent for a moment. “Perhaps we can buy that jade hairpin first.”

Chi Xiyan shook her head. “That would only be trying to cover up the truth and deceiving ourselves.”

“Aunt, you were impulsive in the shop earlier.”

“You should have told me first. That way, I could have bought that jade hairpin under the pretext of providing aid.”

“Going to buy it now would only make us appear calculating and hypocritical.”

Hearing this, Qin Qingfen also frowned. “I wasn’t thorough enough in my thinking. At that moment, I only felt that jade hairpin looked familiar. I hadn’t recalled the hairpin’s origins.”

“That jade hairpin was the first wife’s heirloom. She usually kept it carefully stored in a box. Not many people have seen that jade hairpin. Even the master hasn’t seen it more than a few times.”

“I only saw it more often because when I served the first wife, I helped her organize her jewelry cabinet several times.”

“It should be fine. So much time has passed. No one will connect such a jade hairpin to the first wife.”

“Moreover… that girl doesn’t look anything like the first wife.”

“As long as we’re careful and act discreetly… no one will discover the truth.”

Chi Xiyan interrupted Qin Qingfen again. “Aunt, this time, please listen to me.”

“Let me handle this. Don’t be impulsive.”

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Qin Qingfen looked up slightly at Chi Xiyan. “Xiyan, I know you have your own ideas, but this matter is extremely serious. It concerns the entire Chi family and Lingbao Commerce Association. You cannot be softhearted about this.”

“Your mother was too softhearted back then, which is why…”

Chi Xiyan continued, “I understand, Aunt.”

“How about this, you go back first. I’ll investigate that girl’s background further. If anything comes up, we’ll discuss it afterward.”

Hearing this, Qin Qingfen saw Chi Xiyan’s solemn expression and knew this girl had made up her mind. She could only nod.

After persuading her aunt to leave, Chi Xiyan turned her gaze toward the crowd.

“The Chi family’s true legitimate daughter…” she murmured.

She wanted to personally see what kind of person that girl was.

For now, she didn’t want subordinates handling this matter.

Qin Qingfen thought that by buying that jade hairpin or secretly dealing with that girl, no one would know.

But Chi Xiyan wouldn’t think that way.

Her aunt underestimated the Chi family’s influence and intelligence network.

Master Chi had been secretly searching for his missing legitimate daughter for over ten years, yet no rumors had ever spread to the outside world.

The manager earlier didn’t recognize the jade hairpin in that girl’s hands, but that didn’t mean no one truly knew about that jade hairpin.

Today’s events couldn’t be concealed.

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Reaching Master Chi’s ears was only a matter of time.

When that girl produced that jade hairpin in the Chi family’s pawnshop, it was already too late.

However, this didn’t mean Chi Xiyan truly couldn’t do anything.

“That girl wanted to pawn her jewelry. She couldn’t possibly only go to one pawnshop.”

The Chi family’s pawnshop was the most prominent on the entire street and the first choice for common people throughout the commandery city.

Therefore, after leaving the Chi family’s pawnshop, that girl should still visit other pawnshops.

Chi Xiyan, familiar with these shops, was very clear about their inside dealings. They couldn’t possibly offer higher prices than the Chi family’s shop.

“That girl doesn’t look like someone who would give up easily, so she must still be on this street.”

Chi Xiyan took out a sixth-order aura-concealing talisman, hiding her form and presence, and began searching along the street for that young woman’s figure.

As the Chi family’s eldest young lady, she naturally wouldn’t lack various magical treasures and talismans.

Though such sixth-order talismans were precious to the outside world, to Chi Xiyan, they were the most ordinary kind.

However, she felt that dealing with such a little girl didn’t require using precious talismans above the sixth order.

Would doing this alert the Chi family’s powerhouses?

Chi Xiyan didn’t mind.

As a merchant, the most important thing was a keen sense for opportunities and crises.

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The Chi family was a merchant household. Though Master Chi had been secretly searching for his daughter for over ten years and felt guilty toward his legitimate daughter, if truly selecting an heir, Master Chi couldn’t possibly choose a dull, incompetent legitimate daughter.

Master Chi valued profit. The Chi family was also different from traditional clans. Compared to bloodline legitimacy, they valued personal ability more.

Chi Xiyan had understood this principle since she was eight or nine years old.

When other great family daughters were learning n eedlework, studying music, chess, calligraphy and painting, learning about romance, and following externally hired sect immortals to learn simple qi cultivation methods, Chi Xiyan was learning commerce, studying pharmacology, learning alchemy, learning everything she needed to learn.

The world only knew that Fairy Xiyan, exceptional in both alchemy and sword, had outstanding appearance and exceptional talent.

Yet few people knew just how much effort Chi Xiyan had put in behind the scenes.

This position as the Chi family’s eldest young lady was never prepared for mediocre people.

Chi Xiyan had worked hard for over ten years. She absolutely couldn’t give this position to some country girl.

Without expending much effort, Chi Xiyan found her target on the street.

That country girl in tattered clothing was walking out from a pawnshop.

From the dejection on her face, one could see things hadn’t gone smoothly for her.

Chi Xiyan hid not far away, watching the girl’s face full of gloom and dejection. The corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl in a light smile.

“Found you.”

“Chi family’s legitimate daughter, my cousin.”