Volume 3, Chapter 392 – Wisps of Flower Fragrance

“Alright! That’s enough!”

Chi Xiyan grabbed hold of Lu Zhuxin’s wrist.

She looked at the puzzled young woman before her, the corner of her eye twitching a few times.

Even though she had long known her sister was not skilled at applying makeup, she had not expected the girl to have no concept of it whatsoever.

Chi Xiyan glanced out of the corner of her eye at the rouge in Lu Zhuxin’s hand.

The color of this rouge really was lovely, and it carried a spiritual fragrance within it, clearly worth a great deal. It would have been quite suitable for heavy makeup.

But the way this girl applied heavy makeup did not look like she was doing someone’s makeup at all. It was practically like plastering putty onto Chi Xiyan’s face.

So, after Lu Zhuxin had scraped at her face a few times, Chi Xiyan hurriedly stopped her.

Facing Lu Zhuxin, Chi Xiyan smiled stiffly. “Alright, Little Xue’er. Someone is coming. It would not look good if they saw this.”

Would not look good if they saw?

Lu Zhuxin raised an eyebrow.

Between sisters, applying rouge to one another did not seem like anything unusual, did it?

As expected, getting this girl to break through that line in her heart really was not easy.

Otherwise, she would not have reacted so excessively.

A shame. Still needed a bit more heat.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhuxin withdrew her hand and put the rouge away. “Alright, sister.”

Just then, Bu Lianshuang and Cheng Yinyin walked over together.

Bu Lianshuang was in front, Cheng Yinyin behind.

Cheng Yinyin looked at Bu Lianshuang’s back, a shadow crossing her eyes.

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Bu Lianshuang seemed unaware of it, simply walking ahead on her own.

But soon, Cheng Yinyin caught sight of Chi Xiyan’s face, painted red, and the flicker of displeasure in her heart was chased away by delight.

Cheng Lixue had done quite well, this girl!

Ruthless enough, too!

That was her own older sister, and she actually dared smear that drug onto her sister’s face!

Cheng Yinyin’s face broke into a smile as she hurried over to Lu Zhuxin’s side. “Second sister, I was wondering why I did not see you so early this morning. So you came to find our eldest sister.”

She glanced at the makeup on Chi Xiyan’s face and feigned surprise. “Oh! Eldest sister, did second sister help you with that makeup on your face?”

“Second sister did such a lovely job.”

“So, does this mean the two of you have made up?”

“This is truly wonderful!”

Cheng Yinyin took hold of both Chi Xiyan’s and Lu Zhuxin’s hands. “With the three of us sisters united in heart, we are sure to make a name for ourselves in the imperial palace.”

She smiled happily, her tone cheerful, as if she had truly set aside the earlier grudge.

Chi Xiyan felt a bit at a loss for words. She pulled her hand back directly.

Just yesterday Cheng Yinyin had still been at odds with her. There was no way her temperament had changed overnight.

Moreover, Chi Xiyan felt that this girl’s smile did not look like happiness so much as smugness.

The smile of a petty person who had gotten their way.

Seeing Chi Xiyan pull her hand back, Cheng Yinyin did not take offense. She simply sat down at her own spot, all smiles, and chatted with Lu Zhuxin.

Bu Lianshuang, meanwhile, sat like someone of no importance, at a distance from Lu Zhuxin that was neither too close nor too far.

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Only the glances she occasionally cast toward Cheng Yinyin were filled with coldness and murderous intent.

Before long, more and more young men and women had gathered within the court.

Still, after yesterday’s initial selection, the number of people who remained to continue in the selection was already far fewer than the day before.

Bu Lianshuang stared blankly at the sea of flowers at the center, gently rubbing her nose.

The fragrance here was too strong, making her feel somewhat unwell.

Once everyone had gathered, Wei Ziqing ascended the high platform surrounded by officials.

An official stepped forward to announce today’s selection rules and declared the selection officially underway.

For this round of the Empress’s search for consorts across the various commanderies, with so many noble clans participating, the rules and procedures had been simplified considerably compared to the previous selection.

And the rules for this second round were also far more open than the first.

Everyone was free to step forward and showcase their own talents as they wished.

Lu Zhuxin watched with great interest for a while, feeling that it was quite an eye opening experience.

This world truly lived up to being a fantastical one. These clan disciples had turned those mysterious arts into a dazzling display.

It was like watching a fantastical talent show.

But after watching for a while, Lu Zhuxin began to wonder whether these clan disciples had misunderstood the intent behind the rules Wei Ziqing had set.

What Wei Ziqing was looking for was not the kind of pretty but useless vase of a woman, but rather someone whose appearance passed muster while also possessing a genuine skill.

But from the very start, most of what these clan disciples had shown on stage were performances that looked impressive but served no real purpose.

Although it was clear that many of the techniques were not easy to perform, that did not change their fundamentally showy and impractical nature.

“These young ladies have gone in the wrong direction.” Lu Zhuxin murmured to herself.

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“Hmm? Second sister? What did you just say?” Cheng Yinyin looked over.

“Nothing.” Lu Zhuxin shook her head. “I was just talking to myself.”

Up on the high platform, Wei Ziqing watched these performances with furrowed brows, growing more and more irritated by the moment.

Not a single one of those who had gone on stage so far had caught his eye.

What use was it, even if these people carried some level of cultivation.

They did not even come close to the stunning immortal sword dance Cheng Lixia had performed the day before.

But he could not simply eliminate all of them outright.

After all, in past selections, only appearance and background had ever mattered.

If he crossed all of these people off in one go, it would be difficult to explain to the Empress afterward.

So for now, Wei Ziqing had no choice but to pick out a few clan disciples whose looks were passable and whose performances showed at least some substance, letting them pass this round.

Even so, of the hundred or so people in the court, nearly half had been cut by him.

“Perhaps I should have the Cheng sisters come up sooner.”

Wei Ziqing’s finger lightly tapped the name in the register before him.

Yesterday, after receiving the hint, he had sent people to investigate the Cheng family of Beihe Commandery.

Unfortunately, the Demon Suppression Bureau of Beihe Commandery had already placed the entire commandery under complete lockdown.

Wei Ziqing’s influence was mostly concentrated in the capital, and in these outer commanderies, he did not hold nearly as much sway.

He thought that getting detailed information on the Chi family would still take some time.

Still, Wei Ziqing was not in a hurry.

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Those young ladies were right here. They could not run off.

The official presiding over the proceedings noticed Wei Ziqing’s gesture and understood at once.

“Next, Cheng Yinyin.”

Cheng Yinyin’s face showed surprise. She had not expected her name to be called first.

“This truly is heaven helping me!”

Cheng Yinyin was overjoyed inside.

Having her go on stage first was practically heaven willing the destruction of Cheng Lixia.

The preparations she had made earlier to target Cheng Lixia would surely be able to achieve their fullest effect.

“Do your best, Little Sister Yin.” Lu Zhuxin encouraged her.

“Mm, I will.”

Cheng Yinyin stepped onto the stage and offered Wei Ziqing a graceful bow.

Wei Ziqing watched her with an air of indifference.

The performance Cheng Yinyin had prepared was a wood attribute technique.

She lightly scattered the seeds she had prepared onto the ground.

Soon, under the urging of spiritual energy, the seeds grew rapidly.

In just a few breaths, the entire flower platform was covered in all manner of blossoms.

Wisps of flower fragrance drifted through the air.