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墨書 Inktalez
Qi Xiaomian would not oppose the moment Sang Qingxiao leaped down alone.
Qiao Yi's expression changed dramatically, and he ground his teeth in frustration. This girl was quite remarkable; he had underestimated her. Forget about the previous suggestion—whoever let that slip would be in trouble later.
At that moment, a ghostly figure appeared behind him. Once he finished speaking, it patted his shoulder and asked, "What bad things have I said about you?"
Qiao Yi slowly turned around, revealing a grin. "Brother! Long time no see! Don't think you can hide anything from me!"
"Brother?"
"Lord City Master, seeing you back made me so excited, especially since you brought a lady with you. My excitement got the better of me, and I unintentionally said some nonsense. Best not to ask too much about it. Just smile at me for the sake of the banquet I've prepared for you, and let's remain good friends."
With Sang Qingxiao nearby, Qi Xiaomian didn’t want to hear any more. He laughed and scolded, "Qiao Xiaosan, are you taking my kindness for granted? With your reckless nature, how can you even claim to be from the Qiao Family?"
"The Qiao Family is known for being bookworms who don’t understand social niceties," Qiao Yi retorted. "It’s a shame they’ve been wronged like this. Heaven couldn’t stand by and let it happen, which is why I was sent as a celestial being. My birth signifies that the Qiao Family is on the verge of great change."
"For instance, perhaps we’ll soon gain our freedom. Lord City Master, this is a sign from heaven, right? You sensed it too? Is this visit meant to set us free?"
"If the gods knew you were spreading false divine messages, they would surely punish you and ensure that your Qiao Family never finds peace."
Qiao Yi boldly covered Qi Xiaomian's mouth. "Pfft! Haven't seen you in ages, and your tongue is still as sharp as ever! Even if you curse me to die an untimely death or lose my soul, it's still better than whatever nonsense you're spouting."
Qi Xiaomian understood Black Flame City's yearning for freedom and joked, "You will surely see it in your lifetime."
Qiao Yi interrupted him, "I’ll end my life before you tomorrow; can you grant us our freedom today?"
Finally, someone had come forward to take charge. "Qiao Yi," he said, "you haven’t finished your homework today, have you? Your mentor has been searching for you all over town and is about to arrive."
Knowing that pushing further would only anger the other party, Qiao Yi decided to drop the topic. He exchanged a few playful remarks before sneaking a glance around and disappearing into the crowd.
The intermediary turned to Qi Xiaomian and said, "The banquet is ready; Lord City Master, please follow me."
Qi Xiaomian quietly introduced Sang Qingxiao to Yan Xi, the current rotating city master of Black Flame City.
The Yan Family had once been a powerful lordship whose strength surpassed that of the reigning dynasty at the time. It was a promising situation that fell apart due to the machinations of a female spy who had influenced their leader.
Yan Xi quickly interjected, "Lord City Master, let’s not dwell on those unfortunate past events. Also, we can no longer use the title of city master; we only need our steward now."
Some rules needed to be established, and Qi Xiaomian accepted the goodwill extended by the other party. The banquet in Black Flame City was meticulously prepared; despite the tight schedule, they managed to arrange several performances. From start to finish, everything went off without a hitch, showcasing the hidden talents of the people in this city.
With the effects of alcohol, Qi Xiaomian promised them a ten-day deadline and added that each family could choose one person to come and adapt with him. After tasting the sweetness of this arrangement, amidst the clinking of cups, the atmosphere grew even more sincere.
Once back on the city wall, Qi Xiaomian quickly shook off his drunkenness. Sang Qingxiao remarked that the people in this city were not bad; if they were good, they would not be inferior to those from Wolf Howl Camp.
I knew well that their apparent humility today was merely superficial; deep down, they were all proud. There was still some grinding to do between us.
At that moment, Qilang presented Qi Xiaomian with a number of official documents, including news from Jingjing City. Qi Xiaomian opened it, glanced at a few lines, and then handed it over to Sang Qingxiao.
Sang Qingxiao laughed, "You've been out for almost two months now, right? Xuande Emperor still curses daily. The most frequent accusation is that you are ungrateful; there are no new words in his tirades. I'm getting tired of reading them."
Sang Qingxiao quickly flipped through the document and continued reading. "Oh, Chi Chen'an really became the top scorer in the Martial Arts Examination. His final battle with Tang Tian was quite difficult; Tang Tian slipped and somehow lost?"
Qi Xiaomian swiftly handed her another letter. "Your cousin wrote to complain that Tang Tian must have let him win on purpose. He feels that winning without merit is shameful and wants to directly admit defeat for second place. But even if Tang Tian won, he wouldn't record the results or rankings, putting him in a dilemma."
In truth, his feelings were likely correct. Although Chi Chen'an had honed his external skills in the Dungeon, his internal foundation was weak compared to Tang Tian's. Tang Tian's actions should have been at Huayang Princess's behest. Huayang Princess had just stepped into a power struggle and needed to be somewhat restrained; this timing was just right.
Sang Qingxiao ignored her cousin's petty complaints and continued reading. The people from Jianghu had also participated, with their best ranking being above average. Qi Xiaopeng had also made it through; it was worth it for Huo, Senior’s long hours of teaching.
Qi Xiaomian snorted coldly; indeed, his family had prepared answers for him, but he ended up forgetting his lines during the exam. If it weren't for my intervention, how could he have ended up with such a disgraceful score?
Sang Qingxiao found this amusing and then noticed that Wen Ju's top scorer was actually Yan Min's son?!
Qi Xiaomian explained that Shi Yuan had written the best essay but unfortunately got implicated by the Chancellor. Xuande Emperor grew increasingly suspicious and did not want another standout from the Left Minister's Residence; perhaps he still remembered that Sanzi was reported by Shi Yuan.
In the end, he only received fourth place. Well, Shi Yuan was broad-minded and content; when he entered the palace to bow and express gratitude, he wore a cheerful expression while Xuande Emperor darkly plotted traps with a few questions that were easily deflected by Shi Yuan's somewhat foolish responses.
Sang Qingxiao felt a bit angry; perhaps it was still a good thing to have a muddled person as a subordinate—every Riri would be startled and fearful, never knowing when they might lose their heads. It would be better to keep a low profile for self-preservation until the political situation clarified; then opportunities would arise.
The Chancellor had said something similar.
Sang Qingxiao looked again at Shi Yun's letter asking when she would return.
Qi Xiaomian remembered Sang Qingxiao's words about the blooming flowers and asked her, "When do they bloom? June? July? It depends."
Sang Qingxiao, who was used to going to bed early and waking up late, found herself awakened by hunger. After searching around, she only spotted Qilang. "Where is everyone else?" she wondered.
"The old man took Old Vine and went to Black Flame City. The Old Master is having a match with Silly Beast against the Warriors, and Yin Can is accompanying Liu Cong to check out the mechanisms. The others are wandering around their military area," Qilang explained.
"The old man said he would be back after lunch to take you around."
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