Chapter 75: Let Her Be My Maidservant
Qi Huang walked with small steps, unhurriedly towards the backyard, her spiritual sense already probing inward before she arrived.
The backyard was unusually lively at this moment, with more than a dozen cultivators waiting for tests to seek employment.
“It seems Liu Yingyue is offering generous rewards this time, otherwise, she wouldn’t attract so many people,” Qi Huang thought to herself.
While waiting, the more than a dozen cultivators weren’t idle; they were all exchanging pre-test trash talk.
“May I know your esteemed surname, fellow Daoist? And which sect do you belong to?”
“Just a rogue cultivator, no sect, no school, nothing worth mentioning.”
“What? A mere rogue cultivator dares to seek employment here? It’s over a thousand li to the Imperial Capital, with sparse population and rampant demons and monsters along the way. Do you have the ability to protect Manager Liu’s safety?”
“Hmph, so what if I’m a rogue cultivator? This Immortal Elder used to be at Broken Cloud Peak. Do you know Broken Cloud Peak? The second-largest Immortal Sect in the Cultivation World. All the sects in your Yongning Prefecture combined can’t match one of their peaks.”
“Heh heh, Broken Cloud Peak being powerful doesn’t mean you are. If you truly had strength, why would you become a rogue cultivator?”
“Yes, may I know your cultivation level? What level of Guiyi Realm are you at?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Could it be you haven’t even reached Guiyi Realm? If you’re just at Body Refining Realm or something, you won’t even see ghosts. Be careful not to become one yourself.”
…
The more than ten people were like mad dogs, biting at each other, making the scene very chaotic.
Although Qi Huang was strong, she was thin-skinned, so as soon as she entered, she walked to a corner alone to admire the flowers, afraid of being caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, her appearance destined her not to be low-key.
The cultivators spotted Qi Huang at the first moment, and their eyes revealed naked possessiveness. Fortunately, no one openly mocked her; most assumed she was just a guest of Juyin Auction House.
Although Qi Huang was displeased, she knew that with gain comes loss, so she didn’t dwell on it too much, content to watch the group fight like dogs.
Alas, the tree wished for calm, but the wind would not cease. Her appearance dictated that she would attract admirers wherever she went, even with a veil.
A moment later, a middle-aged cultivator approached her and said, “Miss, I am Tian Yu from HuXiao Sect. May I know your name?”
“What guidance does Immortal Elder Tian have?” Qi Huang asked back calmly.
“It’s like this: I have some property in HuXiao Sect, two or three mansions, and four or five mu of fertile land. Unfortunately, my wife is not capable and has no children to date. If you are willing, I can offer you a chance to become a concubine. In the future, if you have a son or daughter, you can rise in status through your child and become the mistress of the Tian manor.”
That Tian Yu spoke the most arrogant words in the most polite tone.
“Heh heh…” Qi Huang was so amused she almost laughed out loud. Unfortunately, it was broad daylight, and she couldn’t act rashly. She immediately “gently” refused, “Thank you for your kindness, immortal elder, but this humble girl is not interested!”
“Have you thought it through? HuXiao Sect is the largest Immortal Sect in Yongning Prefecture. Most women rack their brains trying to get in. If you miss this opportunity, I can’t guarantee I’ll still have the idea of taking a concubine.” Tian Yu said somewhat unwillingly.
“Scram!” Qi Huang couldn’t stand it anymore and cursed. She thought, “How dare someone like you look down on others with such arrogance? Even Elder Zhou wouldn’t dare speak to this Immortal Fairy like this.”
“Very good! I’ve noted you down.” Tian Yu left a stern remark with an ill-intentioned smile on his face and turned to leave.
“Is this little girl crazy? She dares to curse someone from HuXiao Sect.”
“Yes, HuXiao Sect is the biggest Immortal Sect in our Yongning Prefecture. Their disciples are usually lawless, and even the Yamen dare not interfere. By doing this, she not only harms herself but also brings disaster upon her relatives and friends.”
“Serves her right. Relying on the fact that women in the mortal world are precious, she’s developed a bad temper. She still thinks cultivators are like ordinary men with no bottom line, and everyone will fawn over her.”
…
Several cultivators whispered amongst themselves.
Qi Huang remained calm and composed. With her current strength, let alone this unknown nobody, even if the entire HuXiao Sect were present, she wouldn’t back down.
Seeing that the HuXiao Sect members had been put in their place, no one else dared to provoke Qi Huang, this thorny rose. They even started looking at her stealthily, afraid of being implicated.
…
Meanwhile, in a private room on the third floor, Xia Wei was reporting Qi Huang’s arrival to her young lady.
“Why did you let her go to the backyard? Does someone introduced by Brother Huang still need to be tested?” Liu Yingyue was a little displeased.
“Miss, why don’t you go and confirm with Brother Huang if the recommended person is indeed her?” Xia Wei said with some concern.
“Is there a problem?” Liu Yingyue asked absentmindedly, as she was still immersed in the grief of her father’s death.
“She… she doesn’t look like someone with strength at all.” Xia Wei revealed a helpless expression.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you trust Brother Huang? He has been diligently working at our auction house since he came, as you have seen. Therefore, he would never recommend unreliable people to us,” Liu Yingyue asked, raising her head.
“No, I naturally trust Brother Huang, but she looks so young. It would be too tragic if she lost her life because of it.” Xia Wei quickly explained.
“How young?” Liu Yingyue asked casually.
“Except for her figure, she’s small everywhere. I estimate her age to be only sixteen or seventeen,” Xia Wei described after recalling a little.
“What? Sixteen or seventeen? Are you sure?” Liu Yingyue was astonished.
“If you don’t believe me, look for yourself. She’s in the backyard now.” Xia Wei gestured towards the window.
Liu Yingyue stood up and walked to the window, immediately seeing Qi Huang in the backyard.
“Isn’t she wearing a veil? How did you see her age?” Liu Yingyue frowned. Because of the distance and the fact that she was an ordinary person, she couldn’t see very clearly.
“She’s only wearing a veil, not a mask. More than half of her face is exposed! Beyond her beauty, her eyes and brows also carry a youthful immaturity. How could I not tell?” Xia Wei shook her head helplessly.
“Alright, bring the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, let’s go down and take a look.” Liu Yingyue pondered for a moment, then strode out of the room.
…
Qi Huang was bored. Her spiritual sense finally detected Liu Yingyue’s figure appearing at the entrance, accompanied only by her maidservant Xia Wei.
“Miss, I wasn’t lying, was I? Doesn’t she look very young?” Xia Wei peeked furtively at the entrance like a thief, then eagerly said to her young lady.
Liu Yingyue also stretched her delicate neck to carefully observe Qi Huang. Her delicate face finally showed an astonished expression. She hadn’t expected her maidservant to have exaggerated at all.
“Perhaps her talent is very good?” Liu Yingyue tried to salvage the situation.
“Miss, cultivation is not much easier than martial arts. At her age, no matter how good her talent is, how powerful can she be?” Xia Wei still expressed doubt.
Hearing this, Liu Yingyue’s heart also wavered, and she fell silent.
“Miss, should she still be tested? It’s not that I don’t trust Brother Huang, nor am I afraid of you being deceived, but I don’t want to see such a little girl throw away her life in vain.” As time passed, Xia Wei couldn’t help but remind her.
“No need. Hire her directly. Consider it giving Brother Huang some face. Seeing how young she is to be seeking employment, she’s probably in urgent need of money. Anyway, there are still more than ten cultivators here, so she’s not the only one.” Liu Yingyue finally made a decision.
“Then what if the other cultivators have opinions?” Xia Wei asked after a moment of hesitation.
“Say she’s a new maidservant I’ve taken in. That way, no one will dare to say anything,” Liu Yingyue immediately provided a solution.
“That’s a good reason. It can both silence those people and allow her to stay by your side without taking risks.” Xia Wei nodded quickly. Her original intention was not to let Qi Huang leave, but she was afraid the little girl would lose her life in vain.
“What the heck? Maidservant? Wasn’t I supposed to be a bodyguard?” Qi Huang heard the entire conversation clearly with her spiritual sense, and her whole body went numb.
