Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The Celestial Maiden Masters a Skillful Plan

Minister Yu was woken up in the middle of the night. When he met with Shang Liangzheng, he was still wearing his sleeping clothes.

The old servants and maids in the residence rubbed their sleepy eyes, hurriedly preparing tea and snacks.

Minister Yu had heard about Shang Liangzheng’s setback at the government office, but he didn’t know the details and didn’t dare send anyone to inquire with Shang Liangzheng at the Jing’an Palace gate.

It would be troublesome if he got involved.

Having his sleep interrupted, Minister Yu was in a bad mood, but his curiosity about the day’s events overshadowed his displeasure.

After drinking some hot tea, Shang Liangzheng recounted his experience, becoming increasingly angry as he spoke. He couldn’t help but slap his thigh, which made his leg go numb.

Even more infuriating!

“Minister Yu, I really didn’t expect that boy to somehow gain the favor of the Jing’an Palace, and they even came to the government office to protect him!”

Shang Liangzheng’s original plan was to use the excuse of catching a thief to bring Chu Wuji to the Yu residence as a gatekeeper. Once he was there, many things would be out of his control.

Serving tea, carrying water, even cleaning up manure – all these tasks could be assigned to Chu Wuji.

He hadn’t expected that it would be him, Shang Liangzheng, kneeling in front of the Jing’an Palace gate all day.

Minister Yu sipped his strong tea to clear his head, his expression grim. He remained silent.

He didn’t have any deep hatred for Chu Wuji. After all, they weren’t on the same level. Holding a grudge against a commoner like that would only lower his own status!

To someone like Minister Yu, Chu Wuji was like a small pebble encountered on the road, easily kicked away without a second thought.

But now, the situation was different. He had accidentally stubbed his toe on this pebble, and when he turned back to kick it, he tripped and fell.

It was both frustrating and disgusting!

After a long silence, Minister Yu finally spoke.

“While you were kneeling at the Jing’an Palace gate during the day, that boy accompanied the Palace entourage on their outing. He showed off his skills again, protecting them and earning their favor. He even killed a bear, took its paws, cooked them, and sent them to the Jing’an Palace.”

“Ah? That boy is so good at currying favor?” Shang Liangzheng was stunned.

He hadn’t noticed Chu Wuji delivering the meal that evening because his vision was blurred from kneeling all day. He hadn’t paid attention to his surroundings.

Yu Hualong, the son-in-law of the Yu family, was also present in the hall. It had taken him almost a month to recover from his injuries. He had gone out that afternoon to visit other noble families and, upon hearing about Chu Wuji gaining the favor of the Jing’an Palace, he was so angry that he had to lie down for half a day.

He declared with certainty, “It must be a staged performance, a self-directed act to win the favor of the Jing’an Palace!”

Shang Liangzheng also leaned towards this possibility. “Young Master Yu, what are your thoughts? Didn’t many people witness him fighting the bear?”

“That’s precisely the suspicious part. If he had the ability to defeat the bear, why didn’t he just kill it? Instead, he let the black bear go and only took its paws.”

Yu Hualong’s implication was that the black bear was a person in disguise, and the bear paws were prepared in advance. Letting the black bear go was to avoid examination of the body.

Otherwise, if he had brought the bear carcass back and paraded it around, his fame would be even greater. There was no reason not to do so, given the immense benefits.

The only explanation was that there was something wrong with the so-called black bear. If investigated, the truth might be exposed. By taking only the paws and claiming to have let the bear go, there was no way to verify his claims. It was a cunning and sly move!

Minister Yu raised his hand, signaling to stop dwelling on the bear incident. He said, “There’s no point in dwelling on this matter. You can’t expose him. It’s certain that the Jing’an Palace has taken him under their wing. It’s just… I’m so frustrated!”

If he had suffered a loss against someone of the same social standing, he would be willing to accept it. After all, there were always temporary setbacks in life; one couldn’t always have smooth sailing. If that were the case, he would have become the emperor long ago.

But now, he, the dignified Minister of Revenue, had been hurt by an unknown little chick, and he had to watch helplessly as this chick soared to prominence, currying favor with the royal family.

How could he tolerate this?

Shang Liangzheng sighed. “Now, even if I want to give that boy extra training, I have to consider whether that maidservant will come knocking…”

Yu Hualong had been lying in bed all day, but he hadn’t been idle. He said, “Now everyone is calling him a demon-subduing expert. Isn’t there an evil being causing trouble in Yunhe Town? The kitchen here can’t even buy fresh shrimp anymore and has to use small shrimp instead. It’s all because of that evil being. I heard it’s quite serious!”

Reputation was a good thing; it could elevate one’s status invisibly. But it also had its drawbacks. It could easily put someone on a pedestal, making it difficult to climb down!

Yunhe Town was severely plagued by an evil being. Chu Wuji, as a demon-subduing expert, wouldn’t it be inappropriate if he didn’t go?

Minister Yu shook his head, reminding him, “Hualong, you’re being naive. The Jing’an Palace has taken him in. He’s now their exclusive guard. His reputation won’t force him to do anything.”

It was absurd to expect a chef hired by one family to cook for another!

Even if the entire martial arts division was sent to Yunhe Town, it wouldn’t be Chu Wuji’s turn to run errands.

Shang Liangzheng frowned, recalling some information. “Who did I hear this from… Chu Wuji joined the martial arts division to find good doctors and imperial physicians, hoping to cure his mother’s strange coma. If his mother hadn’t woken up, we could have spread some false news and tricked him into going to Yunhe Town. It’s a pity his sick mother has recovered, sigh!”

Both Minister Yu and Shang Liangzheng felt resigned to suffering this silent loss.

Chu Wuji was protected by the Jing’an Palace. Unless he committed some heinous crime that angered heaven and man, they couldn’t touch him.

But Yu Hualong couldn’t swallow this insult. He was a son-in-law, and even though his father-in-law, Minister Yu, intended to nurture him, his wife wouldn’t treat him with respect in private. Any minor friction would result in him being scolded and losing all his dignity as a man.

During the last Sword Tomb Duel, his wife had been watching from below. Yu Hualong had hoped to use this opportunity to gain some face, but Chu Wuji had beaten him in front of his wife!

During his recovery, his wife had constantly given him cold glances and sarcastic remarks, believing that he, as a son-in-law, had caused her to lose face in front of her friends!

Yu Hualong had to try, no matter what, to find a way to send Chu Wuji to Yunhe Town.

Minister Yu didn’t notice his son-in-law’s gloomy expression and instructed Shang Liangzheng, “In the upcoming competition, if Chu Wuji participates, put more skilled fighters in his group. Let him suffer a bit, and then we’ll leave it at that!”

Shang Liangzheng understood that Minister Yu had decided to give up. Now, he was just hoping to see Chu Wuji get punched and kicked in the competition as some psychological comfort.

“Understood. I’ll personally handle this matter at dawn and choose those with good fist and kick techniques!”

***

Over the next few days, Chu Wuji and his godmother stayed leisurely at home.

Chu Wuji actually wanted to take his godmother out for a walk, but after the bear paw incident, his previous feat of catching the cat spirit also spread, and many people came to visit. He had no choice but to pretend that no one was home and close the door to avoid them.

Only under the cover of darkness would they go out for a walk together.

During these days, Ning Xianzhi carefully observed the boy’s daily activities and discovered that he did practice his martial arts, but compared to most civilian martial artists, he spent relatively little time on it.

Through casual conversations, Ning Xianzhi learned that he had acquired his martial arts skills from wild beasts in the mountains.

In his early years, when he roamed the world with Bai Sujin, he naturally took on the responsibility of hunting to support their livelihood.

In his eyes, the fact that wild beasts could thrive generation after generation meant that their hunting skills were the essence of survival of the fittest, worthy of imitation and learning.

He would observe and learn from every beast he encountered – their gaze and imposing aura when confronting prey, their alert posture during a standoff, the coordination of their entire body when attacking – he studied every detail meticulously.

As for the nourishment that martial artists often lacked, he had never been deficient in his growth, eating whatever he could catch. How could he lack nutrition?

Ning Xianzhi guessed that the snake demon must have helped him a lot in secret, perhaps even using rare medicinal herbs to bathe and strengthen his body. But this child’s natural talent was indeed exceptional.

It was a waste of his talent to only practice mundane martial arts.

What Ning Xianzhi was most curious about now was what kind of talent and aura this child possessed. That snake demon hadn’t paved any path for him in this aspect!

“Wuji, come here. Mother just remembered a cultivation technique. You can observe and try to learn it.”

Hearing the beautiful woman’s call, Chu Wuji immediately ran over and asked with confusion, “Mother, you’ve practiced this kind of skill before?”

Ning Xianzhi could now handle such questions calmly. She gently shook her head. “Mother hasn’t practiced it, but I vaguely remember that this was prepared for Wuji. I just forgot to teach you before.”

“Okay, then let me see what it’s about!”

Ning Xianzhi was quite helpless at the boy’s decisive response.

Just saying “Mother prepared this for you” was enough to lead this child anywhere. She just hoped to lead him up the mountain soon!

However, as soon as Ning Xianzhi recited half of the introductory cultivation mantra, Chu Wuji sensed its profound meaning and immediately refused to learn it.

He looked a bit angry, his face stern and devoid of any smile. Ning Xianzhi was bewildered, completely unprepared for this reaction.

“Wuji, what’s wrong? Why do you look so upset…”

“Mother, this is probably some immortal technique from the mountains, right? Why do you keep trying to lead me down this path!”

“…I don’t know what kind of technique it is either, I just vaguely remember it. Alright, we won’t learn it, don’t be angry!”

The beautiful woman pulled the young man into her arms, gently embracing him and stroking his head, quickly soothing him.

Ning Xianzhi truly hadn’t expected this child’s senses to be so sharp. He hadn’t even opened his Qi Acupoint, yet after hearing half of the introductory cultivation mantra, he knew what it was.

She now understood how this child had learned skills from wild beasts back then. His intuition and comprehension were too keen!

***

Late at night, Chu Wuji sat alone in the courtyard, enjoying the cool air.

He looked up at the sky and fell into deep thought.

‘Mother’s behavior after waking up has been too strange. She keeps trying to persuade me to leave her and go cultivate in the mountains.’

‘Could it be that her recovery is fake, and it’s actually a final surge of energy before death? Perhaps she’s trying to arrange my future because she’s afraid I’ll be left with nothing…’

Thinking of this, Chu Wuji’s heart sank. He realized that he had been too relaxed recently, even overly optimistic.

‘I still need to find a reliable and renowned physician to diagnose her condition!’

‘I also need to obtain the Black Jade Soul-Returning Pill. I must be prepared and not let my guard down!’

While he was lost in thought, a small white tiger jumped down from the wall and rolled to his feet.

A soft voice called out from outside the gate, “Brother Chu, could you please open the door?”