Chapter 361: Sister, Being a Maidservant is for Your Own Good
Qi Huang felt utterly speechless. It was like being invited to a feast in an eight-bearer sedan chair only to be told upon arrival that she couldn’t sit at the table and had to eat squatting. The disparity in treatment was deeply unpleasant, even if the intention was good.
‘Are they looking down on me?’
Qi Huang really wanted to prove herself, but after a moment of consideration, she suppressed the impulse. Being a maidservant had two advantages: firstly, it allowed her to keep a low profile, and secondly, it gave her a legitimate reason to protect Liu Yingyue closely.
Liu Yingyue made up her mind and walked into the courtyard with her maidservant.
“Everyone, I am Liu Yingyue, the proprietor of this auction house. As stated in the recruitment notice, I wish to hire two cultivators as guards to escort me to the Imperial Capital. I am truly flattered that so many Immortals have come. I thank you all here.”
Liu Yingyue introduced herself humbly and then curtsied gracefully.
Having recently lost her father, her complexion was very pale, and she wore no makeup. However, this did little to conceal her astonishing beauty, coupled with her alluring curves. It was a different kind of charm from her usual captivating demeanor, a beauty often described as delicate.
The cultivators were stunned once again. While Qi Huang, with her veil, had an alluring figure, the woman before them possessed both exceptional looks and a perfect physique.
“I didn’t expect the proprietor of Juyin Auction House to be a woman, and such a young and beautiful one at that. She’s even more attractive than many female cultivators.”
“Which village are you from? You don’t even recognize the proprietor of Juyin Auction House? Who doesn’t know she’s the Ninth Miss of the Liu Family, the most prestigious family in the Xihui Dynasty, and one of the three great beauties of the Imperial Capital, Liu Yingyue!”
“The three great beauties of the Imperial Capital? Which three? I’ve never heard of them.”
“One is her, another is the Sixth Princess Lin Ran, also known as the top Immortal Seed of Broken Cloud Peak, and the third is the courtesan of the Chunyue Tower.”
The cultivators began to whisper amongst themselves again.
“As everyone knows, the journey from Yongning Prefecture to the Imperial Capital is a thousand li, taking about ten days. Furthermore, these are unstable times, and it’s inevitable to encounter stray spirits along the way. To ensure my safety and to prevent you all from losing your lives in vain, I would like to conduct a test before we depart. Only those who pass will be qualified to become my guards.”
Liu Yingyue then politely stated her requirements.
“Stop the nonsense and get to the point. How will the test be conducted?”
Tian Yu of the HuXiao Sect asked with a scowl, still smarting from his earlier public humiliation by Qi Huang.
“How can you be so rude?”
Xia Wei immediately chided him.
“Apologies, people from the HuXiao Sect usually speak like this,”
Tian Yu arrogantly announced his affiliation.
“So what if you’re from the HuXiao Sect? You’re here for a job, not to run a business! What right do you have to be so overbearing?”
Xia Wei, fiery as ever, retorted. With Old Master Liu’s passing, she, as his adopted daughter, was also feeling the grief. She couldn’t believe this fellow was so tactless.
“Unsatisfied? If you’re not satisfied, you can drive me away! Of course, only if you have the authority!”
Tian Yu said without fear.
“You…”
Xia Wei was so enraged that her chest heaved.
Qi Huang watched, dumbfounded. She’d encountered many unreasonable people, but this “working emperor” was a first.
“Forget it!”
Liu Yingyue gently bit her lip, rationally stopping her maidservant. After all, the HuXiao Sect was like the local overlord of Yongning Prefecture, and she couldn’t afford to offend them.
“I apologize for my rambling. The rules for the test are simple. I will write down numbers, and you will draw lots. Those with adjacent numbers will compete, for example, one against two, three against four, five against six, and so on. Those with byes will automatically advance to the next round. The last two remaining will become my guards. However, I have a few requirements: First, no killing. Second, no poisonous or hidden weapons.”
Liu Yingyue concisely explained the competition rules.
“Why can’t we use poison and hidden weapons?”
Someone raised an objection.
“As I said, I’m looking for people with passing strength.”
Liu Yingyue reiterated.
Upon hearing this, two or three cultivators’ expressions soured. Clearly, they had come with the hope of a lucky break.
Qi Huang nodded inwardly. While poison and hidden weapons were indeed a form of strength, cultivators were meant to deal with stray spirits, making such methods impractical. Pure cultivation was far more reliable.
“Can we begin?”
Tian Yu impatiently urged again.
Liu Yingyue said no more, picked up her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began writing the numbers.
Xia Wei also took the opportunity to approach Qi Huang, intending to convey her young lady’s decision.
“May I know your name, sister?”
Xia Wei asked softly, as if looking at a decorative vase.
“My name is Chen Yuzhu,”
Qi Huang casually replied, feeling increasingly frustrated inwardly. She thought, ‘How little do you think of me? You even call me ‘sister’. Couldn’t you at least call me Immortal/Fairy?’
“Little Zhu sister, we’re doing this for your own good. There are spirits everywhere along the way, and staying by Miss’s side is the safest.”
Xia Wei took the opportunity to explain earnestly.
“Maidservant is fine!”
Qi Huang replied indifferently, having already come to terms with it. However, the address was unbearable. She said, “Could you please not call me ‘Little Zhu’? People might think you’re calling a little pig.”
“Pfft, then I’ll call you Little Jade Sister.”
Xia Wei couldn’t help but chuckle and then made the decision herself.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t just make decisions like that! At least ask for my opinion.”
Qi Huang protested.
Xia Wei completely ignored her and, with a look of pity, said, “Little Jade Sister, what’s your relationship with Brother Huang?”
“Hmm, we’re siblings. His father is my godfather.”
Qi Huang lied after a moment’s thought.
“So you’re Brother Huang’s sister. You’re so young to be looking for work. You must really need money, right?”
Xia Wei visibly relaxed and then made a presumptuous guess.
“Need! Of course, I need it!”
Qi Huang answered without hesitation. Who wouldn’t want more money?
“Don’t worry, on Brother Huang’s account, Miss will definitely treat you well. Consider this trip an opportunity to see the world.”
Xia Wei said with great consideration.
‘Goodness, why has this fiery temper changed into such gentleness? She wasn’t like this when I was disguised as a man!’
Qi Huang was incredibly surprised. Aren’t opposites supposed to attract? Why didn’t that apply to this woman?
Meanwhile, Liu Yingyue had finished writing the numbers, and the dozen or so cultivators began to draw lots.
Poor Qi Huang was excluded and could only stand by the side to watch the show.
After a series of matches, only the rogue cultivator from Broken Cloud Peak and Tian Yu of the HuXiao Sect remained.
Qi Huang secretly shook her head. It seemed that background was indeed important in the Cultivation World. People from major sects were different. It was like bloodlines; there was always a gap between low-grade and high-grade bloodlines.
Although Qi Huang felt a little unhappy, from another perspective, Tian Yu’s selection was a good thing for her, at least she would have some “toys” on the road.
With the personnel decided, Liu Yingyue didn’t dare to delay any further and set off with the team the next day.
…
Meanwhile, in the Liu family home in the Imperial Capital, due to the sudden death of the eldest master of the Liu family, there had been constant commotion and bright lights for the past few days. The only exception was a few rooms in the rear courtyard, which remained as quiet as an external paradise. This was where the Old Ancestor of the Liu family resided.
Madam Shen, the Old Ancestor of the Liu family, was Liu Yingyue’s great-grandmother. She had seven children. Four daughters had married off, and three sons had successively died in accidents while doing business. Therefore, she had experienced the grief of parents outliving their children multiple times. Because of this, everyone had deliberately concealed the news of the death of her eldest grandson, Old Master Liu, from her.
However, there was one exception: Liu Biao. At that moment, he wished he could announce his elder brother’s death to the entire world, as he had long coveted the position of Clan Leader.
Liu Biao knew that to become the Clan Leader, he needed to inform the Old Ancestor of his elder brother’s death as soon as possible. Therefore, ignoring everyone’s warnings, he went ahead and informed the Old Ancestor.
“What? My eldest grandson is dead?”
Upon hearing the news, Old Ancestor Shen of the Liu family felt as if the sky had fallen. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Liu Yingyue’s family was thrown into chaos again. Servants found four or five doctors, and with great effort, they managed to pull Madam Shen back from the brink of death.
After waking, Madam Shen lost her appetite and only wept. After all, the most painful thing in life was “losing a spouse in middle age and a child in old age.” She had experienced all of it, and now even her grandson had left her behind.
“Second brother, don’t blame your sister-in-law for speaking out of turn, but didn’t you promise me not to tell the Old Ancestor about this for now, until her health improves?”
Liu Yingyue’s mother, Fang Yun, couldn’t stand it any longer and reprimanded him. She appeared to be around forty years old and, with her innate beauty and excellent maintenance, looked very feminine.
Fang Yun looked so young because she was not the first wife of Old Master Liu. Before she married into the family, Old Master Liu had already married two other women. Although one died of illness and the other ran away, they had left behind eight children. That’s why Liu Yingyue was ranked ninth.
“Eldest sister-in-law, how can such a big matter be kept secret? It’s better to announce it sooner. Otherwise, holding a funeral for Elder Brother would be done stealthily and timidly. How can that do justice to his spirit in heaven?”
Liu Biao argued unreasonably.
“You…”
Fang Yun gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. She had already suspected that her husband’s death was related to this person, but she lacked evidence. Therefore, she could only endure it in silence. Now, seeing him acting one way outwardly and another inwardly, completely disregarding her, she naturally felt hurt.
Liu Biao ignored Fang Yun and said to the weakened Old Ancestor, “Old Ancestor, please stop crying. Everyone is busy with Elder Brother’s funeral arrangements; who has time to take care of you?”
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen actually stopped crying. Her ability to adjust was extremely strong, indicating that her status as the Old Ancestor was not simply due to her age.
“You all go about your business! I don’t need your care.”
Madam Shen then calmly wiped away her tears.
“Very well, but Grandmother, now that Elder Brother is dead, someone needs to take charge to send him off grandly. But I am only acting Clan Leader and cannot command sufficient respect.”
Liu Biao seized the opportunity.
“There’s no need to say more. Since your Elder Brother has passed away, the Clan Leader of the Liu clan will naturally be you.”
Madam Shen waved her hand.
“Understood! Please rest assured, Old Ancestor. The Liu clan will only grow stronger under my leadership.”
Liu Biao was overjoyed and made a grand declaration.
Fang Yun’s face was filled with unwillingness, but she had no reason to object. Although her husband had several younger brothers, Liu Biao’s position as the second-born was an undisputed fact.
“By the way, Grandmother, I also want to discuss Yue’er’s matters with you.”
Liu Biao, carried away by his triumph, said impatiently.
