At noon, the day was extraordinarily charming; rays of golden-red sunlight streamed through the windows of the Heavy Wood Pavillion, bathing the interior in a warm glow.
Headmistress Yu flicked her finger, and with a gentle push of Spiritual Energy, the Heavy Wood Pavillion window opened, letting in a beam of sunlight. A breeze lifted the delicate veil on Yu Hongxiu’s face, revealing her breathtaking beauty.
Then a figure abruptly appeared before her.
She lounged casually in a chair, the collar of her light green gauze dress slightly open. Despite a jade-colored bodice tied before her chest, her ample bosom was still pressed together without restraint.
The cleavage was subtly revealed, its depths profound.
"Headmistress Yu, you really know how to enjoy life, with grapes to eat and wine to drink..."
Wenren Pingxin inspected Yu Hongxiu with interest, her gaze roaming up and down the other woman’s crimson silk attire. It seemed she thought of something, made a subtle comparison with her head lowered, and then her smile remained as bright as ever.
In some aspects, although women might not admit it verbally, it’s undeniable that they care a great deal. And somehow, a sense of rivalry emerges from nowhere.
Yu Hongxiu, noticing Wenren Pingxin’s actions, chuckled lightly and then said nonchalantly, "Oh, what kind of wind has blown such a busy person over here?"
"Has the Acting Sect Leader of the Sword Sect come to visit little old me? Could it be that the Sword Sect’s pigs are all gone?"
Wenren Pingxin’s lips curled into a cold smile, ignoring Yu Hongxiu’s sarcastic tone. She sat up straight and casually took off the embroidered shoes on her feet.
Her feet curled upwards, revealing slender and smooth ankles. She placed one leg on the chair, picking at her foot, and said in a flat tone, "I came to see if this fish was still alive. It seems you’re living a more comfortable life than I imagined."
"I don’t have time to bicker with you either. You should be clear about the purpose of my visit..."
"The profits from this newspaper, between Star Moon Sect and Sword Sect, should be split nine-to-one!"
Yu Hongxiu blinked her beautiful eyes. Upon hearing that, she looked as if she had heard the most hilarious joke. She rose from her luxurious couch, wrapped in red silk, her lower body adorned with a large red pleated skirt that complemented the red silk garment above.
Her voluptuous figure was highlighted to perfection. She casually pulled over a chair, crossed one leg over the other, and simply looked at Wenren Pingxin.
Wenren Pingxin stared, astounded, at the transparent, slightly shiny stockings on Yu Hongxiu’s legs. They appeared identical to those worn by Su Bei, a disciple from No-Sword Peak at the Sword Sect.
The difference was, these seemed to be skin-colored...
Because Yu Hongxiu’s leg was crossed, one could see the uppermost band rolled into a ring, like two light-colored bracelets clasping the tender flesh of her thigh, revealing the fair skin where the stockings ended. Her slender calves beneath the material emitted a tantalizing sheen.
Had Su Bei given these to her? Doubt filled Wenren Pingxin’s eyes. How far had their relationship progressed for him to give such an intimate gift? But admittedly, although those stockings seemed a bit indecent... they were strangely captivating.
Seeing Wenren Pingxin focused intently on her leg, Yu Hongxiu’s mouth curved into a smug smile. She feigned nonchalance and surprise as she said, "What is the Acting Sect Leader looking at? Oh? Are you looking at this?"
"Don’t you have a pair? That’s strange. Could it be that Elder Su only gave them to me? Such a pity..."
"Ah! When Elder Su visited the Red Pavilion, he kept complaining to me about how poorly his Senior Sister treated him."
"He said she’s always tormenting him, even stuffing her feet into his mouth! Listening to his plight truly brought me to tears, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Little Brother Su. To be stuck with such a brainless Senior Sister, who has nothing to recommend her but two large mounds on her body, it truly is..."
Yu Hongxiu hadn’t finished her sentence when she saw Wenren Pingxin’s eyes turn icy as she looked at her. Her mouth curled into an ambiguous smile as she said coolly, "What else did he say?"
"Really, what else? Tell me."
Wenren Pingxin had raised Su Bei since he was a child. Although she sometimes did things that left Su Bei feeling helpless, she generally treated him well. She couldn’t believe Su Bei would say such things to this fish; that boy might be unreliable at times, but he always showed her respect in front of others. These were family matters, discussed behind closed doors. What business was it of this fish? Where did she get off trying to sow discord?
Yu Hongxiu raised her eyebrows, sensing a subtle, almost imperceptible killing intent emanating from Wenren Pingxin.
Licking the corner of her mouth, she involuntarily uncrossed her legs, cleared her throat, and said, "Don’t you think the Acting Sect Leader is being overly domineering?"
"Who demands a nine-to-one split right off the bat?"
"Why don’t you just claim the entire newspaper is yours? Are you that desperate for money? Gone mad with poverty?"
"Elder Su and I had a perfectly good agreement: a fifty-fifty split! Star Moon Sect and Sword Sect, fifty-fifty."
Wenren Pingxin put her leg down, crossed her arms over her chest, and said coldly, "Su Bei doesn’t call the shots in the Sword Sect. I do!"
"I say nine-to-one, so it’s nine-to-one."
Yu Hongxiu frowned, looking at the unreasonable, mercenary woman before her, feeling exasperated.
She just barges in here stirring up trouble without understanding anything? Is her head filled with dumpling stuffings?
Carelessly twirling a strand of hair that had fallen beside her ear, she said coldly, "I truly feel sorry for Su Bei, having you as a Senior Sister."
"You’re unreasonable and just here to cause trouble. You handed over the Sword Sect’s recruitment to Su Bei but didn’t even give him one hundred taels of gold. Instead, he had to come all this way to borrow money from me."
"Su Bei finally thought of a way to make money, and now the Sword Sect, without lifting a finger, wants to come here and take a piece of the pie from me?"
"Wenren Pingxin, what do you think a partnership is? Child’s play?"
"The Sword Sect doesn’t deserve Su Bei at all."
Wenren Pingxin was taken aback. She looked at Yu Hongxiu, who stood with hands on her hips, berating her. On reflection, what she said did make sense...
But wasn’t everything she did for the sake of the Sword Sect? The Sword Sect was so poor now. Ever since that irresponsible old man left, she alone had supported so many people in the sect. They were all mouths waiting to be fed. What was wrong with her asking for some money? What was wrong with fighting for the Sword Sect’s best interests? The Sword Sect didn’t run a brothel; they barely scraped by through mining, hauling bricks, farming a little, and selling some pigs.
The more Wenren Pingxin thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Her eyelashes fluttered. She abruptly stood up and snapped at Yu Hongxiu, "Who are you to Su Bei, daring to use him to criticize me?"
"What Su Bei thinks of me as his Senior Sister is none of your business!"
"What is your relationship with him? And what is mine?"
Yu Hongxiu was a bit irritated. Seriously? She can’t win the argument, so now she’s resorting to playing dirty?