Putting herself in danger for a stranger—that kind of self-sacrifice was something Chen Xiaoyan didn’t think she could do.
Nor did she want to.
Was this young scholar named Wu Yaowen stupid?
No, he wasn’t stupid.
If he were stupid, he would have charged into the Prime Minister’s residence alone, without coming to find her.
In any case, a gentleman is judged by his actions, not his intentions. What Wu Yaowen had done so far was indeed admirable, but she couldn’t support it.
Then again…
Was this guy stupid?
He really was.
If she remembered correctly, in ancient dynasties the position of Prime Minister was the head of all civil officials.
A scholar studies for ten years in bitter solitude, all for the sake of passing exams and becoming a government official.
This kid had just offended the Prime Minister right off the bat—his future was definitely ruined.
For a complete stranger… he really was stupid.
Still, a fool like this was surprisingly likable. If a few more like him appeared, the world would be perfect.
“The head of the family wants to see you. Follow me.” Half an hour later, Mo Jiuchi suddenly appeared beside the three of them like a ghost.
Chen Xiaoyan had known before that his Qinggong was formidable, so she was mentally prepared, but experiencing it firsthand still startled her.
“Please lead the way, Senior Mo.”
Mo Jiuchi didn’t reply. He turned and walked off in one direction.
Chen Xiaoyan quickly called for Chong Chong and Wu Yaowen to follow.
—
In the main hall of the Prime Minister’s residence, the entire arrangement was U-shaped, with the seats of honor at the deepest end.
Those seats were divided into left and right.
The left seat was only used for honored guests; normally only the family head and his wife were qualified to sit there.
The right seat was reserved for the honored guests themselves.
Mo Ruhui, dressed in a white moiré long robe, sat upright in the upper left seat, resting with his eyes closed. His left hand rested on the tea table beside the chair, tapping rhythmically.
As footsteps sounded from outside, he slowly opened his eyes.
“Family head, the guests have arrived.”
“Brother Jiuchi, I’ve troubled you.”
“You’re too kind, family head. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave to cultivate.”
“Very well.” As Mo Jiuchi turned to leave, he swept his gaze over the three of them, especially Chen Xiaoyan. His eyes flickered with a strange light, as if issuing a warning.
Chen Xiaoyan just smiled it off and paid no attention.
“Two fairies, I am Mo Ruhui. When I heard that a Tianxiang Fairy had graced my residence, I was so excited that I kept you waiting a moment. Please forgive me.”
Mo Ruhui stood up, cupped his hands, his tone gentle and courteous.
“Prime Minister Mo.”
Chen Xiaoyan hadn’t expected that the Grand Prime Minister of the Datang Dynasty—the man second only to the emperor—would be so polite. She was stunned for a moment, then hastily returned the greeting.
Her eyes darted around. ‘This is bad. This Prime Minister Mo is definitely a sly old fox. This is going to be tough. Should I call Shen Qingqing over to spar with this old fox?’
Knowing her own abilities, Chen Xiaoyan was self-aware—she was absolutely no match for this old fox.
“Haha, no need to be so formal, fairy. May I ask who your master is?”
1…
Chen Xiaoyan’s beautiful eyes narrowed. ‘He’s trying to probe my background.’
“My master is Shen Qingqing. This is my junior sister, Chong Chong.”
Shen Qingqing…
When Mo Ruhui heard that name—a name engraved in the DNA of the royal family and nobility of Datang—a flicker of fear passed through his eyes, but his face immediately displayed an expression of extreme shock. He cupped his hands again. “So you are Fairy Shen’s disciples. I’ve been remiss.”
Chen Xiaoyan returned the gesture.
“Fairies, you’ve arrived at a perfect time. My daughter Nichang just got into trouble outside. I was about to impose family discipline on her. Would you be willing to observe?”
“That doesn’t seem appropriate, Prime Minister. As outsiders, we shouldn’t interfere in your family affairs.”
“Ah, you don’t understand, fairy. Nichang has always admired the Tianxiang Sect the most, but she lacks talent and never had the chance to join. If the fairies supervise the discipline, it will surely leave a deep impression on her and prevent her from making such mistakes again.”
“Alright then.”
Since he had put it that way, refusing would seem arrogant and ill-mannered.
Plus, she had just revealed she was Shen Qingqing’s disciple—rejecting him might tarnish that older sister’s reputation.
“Excellent! Haha!” Mo Ruhui laughed heartily.
Under the three’s puzzled looks, he said, “With the fairies’ supervision, I’m sure Nichang won’t dare to repeat her offense.”
Chen Xiaoyan twitched the corner of her mouth and forced a bitter smile. “Let’s hope so.”
‘Now I see,’ she thought. ‘I finally understand why this old fox suddenly decided to impose family discipline, and why he wanted me to watch.’
‘That was a brilliant move—getting ahead of things. Once the discipline is carried out, if we try to accuse her later, we’ll lose our momentum. “I’ve already punished her—what more do you want?”’
1,000
In ancient times, a commoner’s life wasn’t a life at all—it was just garbage by the roadside, disposable at any moment.
Who was Mo Nichang?
She was the Prime Minister’s daughter, as noble as can be. How could she be compared to a commoner?
If Mo Nichang then played the victim, claiming she only accidentally killed that woman, and Mo Ruhui gave her a beating, what could Chen Xiaoyan do?
Make a fuss and refuse to let it go? Or call Shen Qingqing to help?
Ancient times couldn’t be compared to the real world. The saying “a life for a life among the upper class” was just for show—not to be taken seriously.
Even if Shen Qingqing came, it would be useless. The only path left would be to use cultivation to suppress them, and then this old fox would spread the word, and she and her master would become infamous in Shangjing City.
“Bullying the weak—how wonderful.”
After all, this place was nothing like the highly connected real world. Once rumors started, everyone would chatter, and it would be hard to clear things up.
Chen Xiaoyan furrowed her brow. She was suddenly regretting wading into this muddy water. The depths here were far too deep; she couldn’t handle it.
At the end of the day, without the identity of a player, she was just an ordinary person.
[Chong Chong: Xiaoyan-jie, I feel like this guy isn’t a good person.]
Seeing Chong Chong’s private message, Chen Xiaoyan had a flash of inspiration and thought of an idea.
[Chen Xiaoyan: Chong Chong, you need to act arrogant and domineering right now. Get straight to the point. Don’t let Mo Ruhui carry out the family discipline on Mo Nichang.]
[Chong Chong: ?] The girl sent a question mark, then glanced at her with a look of pure suspicion.
[Chong Chong: Xiaoyan-jie, you wouldn’t sell me out, would you?]
[Chen Xiaoyan: Little cutie, am I that kind of person?]
[Chen Xiaoyan: I just revealed my identity. If I cause trouble recklessly, it’ll only embarrass Shen Qingqing. But you’re different.]
[Chong Chong: But I’m a Tianxiang disciple too. You’d better pass this job to the NPC behind us.]
Chen Xiaoyan had also considered using Wu Yaowen, the scholar, as a breakthrough.
But that kid didn’t seem reliable. Now, seeing Mo Ruhui, he was just playing ostrich in the back.
[Chen Xiaoyan: Look at this coward. Do you think he’s dependable?]
Chong Chong turned back to glance at Wu Yaowen. He had his head down, looking humble and submissive—nothing like the confident person he’d been before.
‘Forget it. Xiaoyan-jie is right. It’s up to me after all.’
“Ahem.”
“Wait.”
Just as Chong Chong pretended to cough a few times, Wu Yaowen spoke up.
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