Yue Jinghua sighed, "Then that means there’s no hope."
"Master..." Hong Yao was both amused and annoyed. She made a gesture with her hand, instantly flabbergasting Yue Jinghua.
The same gesture that Yue Jinghua had often performed in front of Hong Yao whenever she squandered all her Dark Pills and wanted to dip into the small pharmacy’s treasury.
Hong Yao rubbed her thumb, index, and middle finger together, "A problem that can be solved with money is not a problem. Have you forgotten what I used to do? Dragon Saliva Cave Formation had once been auctioned at the nightclub."
About six months ago, General Tianwei Qin Gang acquired a bottle of Dragon Saliva Cave Formation through an auction at the nightclub.
The name of General Tianwei Qin Gang sounded vaguely familiar.
After brief contemplation, Yue Jinghua decided to visit General Tianwei’s Mansion to seek the medicine.
These days, General Tianwei Qin Gang had been desperately busy. Though the issue in Yanpo Forest was ostensibly resolved, Fa Xiaoyun demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the insect tide.
An insect tide. It was indeed an insect tide! He wasn’t a Beast Tamer; where was he supposed to find the cause of the insect tide?
One day, as he was feeling frustrated, he heard a report from the house guards of the General Mansion that a woman named Yue Jinghua had come to request an audience.
"What Tom, Dick, Harry - don’t see her," General Tianwei refused outright.
The house guards were about to dismiss the visitor when they were stopped, "Wait, what did you say was the lady’s full name? Yue Jinghua? Isn’t she that notorious waste from the Lie Family Mansion? Lie Rou’s daughter? Please, hurry and invite Miss Yue in, offer her the best tea and hospitality."
Qin Gang suddenly perked up. Ever since he caught a glimpse of Lie Rou at Little Shang Palace, he had been constantly thinking about her.
Unfortunately, Lie Rou was as insensitive as a block of wood. Despite the Empress Dowager and the Emperor personally intervening several times, and Qin Gang himself having sent numerous respectful invitations, hoping to take Lie Rou out to enjoy the lake scenery, she categorically refused him each time.
The more she resisted, the more eager Qin Gang became. He knew Yue Jinghua must have a favor to ask. If he could handle the daughter, wouldn’t the charming widow be easy to grasp?
With such frivolous thoughts, Qin Gang welcomed Yue Jinghua into his mansion.
Meanwhile, Yue Jinghua was calculating how to buy that bottle of Dragon Saliva Jade Marrow from Qin Gang at the most reasonable price.
Both harboring their own thoughts, they exchanged pleasantries upon meeting.
"For what matter does my world’s niece come today?" Qin Gang’s eyes rolled around as he sized up Yue Jinghua, the most pitiable and recently talked-about cast-off in the city, who indeed bore a resemblance to her mother.
"Jinghua is incompetent. I have heard that my world’s uncle has a bottle of Dragon Saliva Cave Formation, and I humbly ask if my uncle would be willing to part with it," Yue Jinghua stood up and bowed.
"Dragon Saliva Stalactite? Haha, my dear niece, you are a bit too late. Just a few days ago, I gave the stalactite to a friend. Coincidentally, you know this friend too. It’s none other than the current Prince Fa," Qin Gang said at a leisurely pace.
"The Prince? Could you be referring to Prince Fa Xiaoyi?" Yue Jinghua’s smile faded as she spoke, realizing the irony of the situation.
Qin Gang understood the subtle change in Yue Jinghua’s expression. The incident at Cuiwei Lake had caused quite a stir in Polo City, and it was indeed a coincidence that the noble lady of Yanpo Lake, Yue Jinghua, upon deep reflection, decisively cut off her ties of affection with a slash of her sword. In her anger, she had sent a Divorce Paper to the household of Fa Xiaoyi.
Following that event, Yue Jinghua was occupied with alchemy and artifact refining, leaving all matters to be handled by Lie Rou.
Although Fa Xiaoyi received the Divorce Paper, he had not returned it to Yue Jinghua, not to mention the considerable monetary compensation that accompanied the letter.
"My dear niece, don’t blame your uncle for meddling; I’ve heard a bit about your affair with Prince Fa. A woman, she obeys her father at home, her husband after marriage, her sons if her husband dies – these are the eternal and unchanging rules. As a woman, you should particularly uphold rites, righteousness, integrity, and chastity. Though Prince Fa’s reputation is tainted, that was simply due to his youthful propensity for flirtation. Giving him another chance is only proper. If you marry him, you will still be a Princess, but if you break off the engagement, who else would dare to marry you," Qin Gang stated in a tone befitting an elder, but in Yue Jinghua’s eyes, his words were filled with unspeakable sarcasm.
"General Qin," Yue Jinghua said with a smile at the corner of her mouth, but with a chilly look in her eyes. She stood up and gave a curtsy, "If it were me who had been humiliated on the boat that day, do you think I could still live in this world properly? The world is cold, and everyone tramples over the fallen. That day, uncle, you were not on the boat, so you naturally don’t understand the extent of your niece’s grievances."
Noticing a hint of sorrow and grievance in Yue Jinghua’s words, Qin Gang was initially stunned and then stepped forward to lift her up.
But as his hand nearly touched Yue Jinghua, he saw her shoulders shrink back.
Qin Gang was also taken aback, for he, a grand Dark Heavenly Master, had been avoided by an ordinary woman without Dark Energy.
He became suspicious and scrutinized Yue Jinghua once more. After confirming that she did not possess the slightest trace of Dark Energy, he laughed awkwardly, "My dear niece, don’t get angry; I meant well. You should think not only of yourself but also consider your mother. Your father is no longer with us, and your mother, for the sake of you and your brother, has been delaying... if your reputation causes further delay..."
What an old curmudgeon, Yue Jinghua thought, her sense of irritation growing as she listened. Qin Gang had talked in circles; not only did he display the face of a conservative moralist, but it turned out he was eyeing her beautiful mother.
Go to hell, it’s your father who’s dead, your whole family is dead. Can’t even pee on his own image to see his sorry state, with a face like a bear, daring to set his sights on my beautiful mother, Yue Jinghua cursed inwardly.
But considering the man was a Dark Heavenly Master, she couldn’t very well tear off his face right there.
Yue Jinghua chuckled dryly twice, "General Qin, you need not worry. Firstly, my father has merely disappeared, and for the time being, my siblings and I have no intention of accepting any godfather or adoptive fathers. Secondly, I have an elder brother who will provide for my mother. Thank you for your concern, General Qin. Thirdly, as you said, a woman must maintain rites and virtues. My mother may appear gentle, but in reality, she has a fiery temperament. She has reiterated many times to us siblings that in this life, she only recognizes my father, and she certainly won’t regard anyone else."
Hearing this, Qin Gang’s face flushed with embarrassment, yet Yue Jinghua spoke with a smile on her face, and after concluding, she did not forget to curtsy and repeatedly thank Qin Gang for his ’teachings’ before leaving the General Mansion.
As Qin Gang watched Yue Jinghua leave, his expression immediately soured. He spat a glob of thick phlegm on the ground, "Who doesn’t know you used to chase after Fa Xiao? Now you pretend to be aloof. Mother and daughter both, the same kind of bitches, trash. Hmph, during the Imperial Alchemist examination in a few days, I’ll show you what for."
After stepping out of the General Mansion, Yue Jinghua felt a surge of anger, but then she thought, if the object had fallen into the hands of Fa Xiaoyi, that was for the best. She hadn’t forgotten that Fa Xiaoyi still owed her a considerable sum of money, and incidentally, she could enforce the terms of the Divorce Paper.
Yue Jinghua, someone who was decisive in action, thought it over and then made her way to the residence of Fa Xiaoyi.