Chapter 125: Punishing the Unscrupulous Girl

"You stinking lass, how heartless can you get! I'm gonna to slap you dead!" Tianpi heard her and became immediately enraged. He hurled out a palm. Hua Qiyue executed Mourning Steps and avoided his brutal, severing palm.

Hua Qiyue rolled her eyes. The man had meant it. Had she not avoided him quickly, she would have been hit dead by his palm.

Tianpi snorted coldly and leaned against the ancient tree again. His stomach was rumbling noisily. He stretched out a hand and pulled out a Ginseng with Nine Souls from the herbal ground and started to chew.

Hua Qiyue was a little embarrassed. "I didn't bring you anything because I had hurried in due to worry. It's so tiring battling those women. I just want a final showdown with them."

Tianpi did not snort even a word, treating Hua Qiyue as totally transparent.

Hua Qiyue walked around him and stared at him, left and right. She felt that Tianpi wasn't the same as before. He wasn't as alert and fresh as before. Perhaps that dream was real? Since her reincarnation, 90% of her dreams would come true.

"Master, tell me, has something happened? I found you not as lively and alert as before."

Hua Qiyue was frowning. She saw that Tianpi wasn't speaking and walked over to grab the Ginseng with Nine Souls from his hand. "Tell me. Or I won't come in anymore!"

"You dare?" Tianpi suddenly lifted up his phoenix-like eyes, full of fury.

Hua Qiyue spread her arms helplessly. "Why won't you be obedient and listen?"

"Don't speak to me in that tone. I am your Master!" Tianpi rolled his eyes unhappily at her, a murderous malice spreading across his lips. "Of course, if you dare not to come in again, the Soul Mark I have sealed in your body would detonate. You will explode and die."

Hua Qiyue was at a loss for words. She knew that Tianpi wasn't joking with her. He must have sealed her with the Soul Mark the first time she entered into this world!

"You'll be letting me down if you keep me in the dark! Humph, count your blessings!"

"Very well. I haven't had a woman for over 10,000 years. That's why my spirit is depressed and my face getting pale!"

The rascal said helplessly.

"Go and die!" An attractive leg flew out, nearly kicking Tianpi's male member. Luckily, he managed to dodge it.

"Hua Qiyue, are you trying to make me a eunuch?"

"…"

After the outburst, Tianpi finally coughed, "Alright, since you are so concerned about your Master, I… shall let you know!"

Hua Qiyue sat quietly where she was, listening attentively to Tianpi's recount.

It turned out that if Hua Qiyue did not improve in her Qi Art cultivation, he would slowly lose his anima energy and finally die.

The solution would be to make Hua Qiyue improve rapidly. Another would be to go to Moyuan and hunt for the Eight-horned Dragon's Magic Core, using it to release the coagulated Qi inside his body.

A Soul Mark indicated that Hua Qiyue and Tianpi's souls had become entwined as Master and disciple. Hua Qiyue realized that a superior had done the same to Tianpi years ago.

Once Hua Qiyue's cultivation began to stagnate, Tianpi would edge slowly toward death.

When Hua Qiyue reached the ultimate Round Sun and the ninth level of Spirit Summoning Art, Tianpi would then be able to leave.

Hua Qiyue heard him and had to smile wryly, "Master, my cultivation hasn't improved for some time, but I can't help it!"

Tianpi nodded, "That was why that person sealed my Soul here. Because she knew that no one could cultivate fast enough to make me live. She would let me stay here to endure all the loneliness and the pain…"

Hua Qiyue turned silent. She knew that loneliness was terrible to bear. Perhaps it was a worse feeling than death?

After all, a man, sealed in a void space, with no one to talk to, no scenery to see, nothing to do… all that was left was for the man to do was to recollect his past.

Constantly recalling, constantly regretting, getting excited, sad… then finally accepting reality. Under such circumstances, a man would be slowly tortured to a mental breakdown. Then… those who couldn't bear it would annihilate themselves.

"There's another way to ease the consumption of anima energy in your body… the Nine-horned Dragon's Magic Core. But going to Moyuan in person and killing the dragon is very time-consuming." Hua Qiyue frowned and Tianpi snorted. He sounded quite disappointed.

He had spent so much effort nurturing her. He had thought that she would a disciple who could alleviate his cares. How could she claim it was a waste of time?

Hua Qiyue saw the disappointed expression in his eyes and gave a light chuckle. "I can get people to fetch me the Nine-horned Dragon's Magic Core at an astronomical price. Countless Qi Artists would do it for me. Of course, the money would come from selling divine herbs. We have so many divine herbs now. Money's not a problem."

Hua Qiyue's words made Tianpi's eyes shine.

This girl is so smart!

"Humph, I don't care what method you use. If I die, you won't get anything either. Your cultivation will fall by five levels."

What?

Hua Qiyue was so horrified that her forehead broke out in cold sweat. Five levels, all at once? Wouldn't she end up as a useless idiot? Very well, she would take action tomorrow!

After emerging from the Mysterious World, Hua Qiyue fell fast asleep. After daybreak, she got Butler Wang to put out a notice of reward. If anyone could fetch her a Nine-horned Dragon's Magic Core, she would pay him 150,000 taels of gold!

When Butler Wang received her order, his entire body froze. He could not believe his ears at all.

He checked with her several times, making Hua Qiyue annoyed. Then, in great trepidation, he got someone to write a notice of reward and paste it on the capital's public announcement board.

Of course, after the reward was announced, it instantly resulted in a great clamor!

But Hua Qiyue was a legitimate daughter of the Hua's Mansion, and Prince Nan's silently acknowledged fiancee. She was also a Qi Artist highly valued by the Emperor. She couldn't be lying.

Yet 500,000 taels of gold was too much. Although a Nine-horned Dragon was hard to hunt down, it was still not too difficult for several high-level Qi Artists to do that together in a team.

For the first half of the day, no one believed the announcement. Hua Qiyue made Butler Wang bring five Long Reds to auction at the auction house.

When the medical efficacy of Long Red became more well known, the auction price of the herb would go up.

The first Long Red would fetch 100,000 taels of gold from the auction, the second 150, 000!

After all, it was a divine herb which was extremely rare. Qi Artists and lchemists had great need for such herbs! In the end, these Long Reds fetched a total price of 1,000,000 taels of gold!

Within half a day, Hua Qiyue's name had reverberated throughout the entire capital and kingdom, causing great commotion everywhere. Even the Qi Artists from other countries had turned crazy due to her!

They quickly formed teams to hunt down the Nine-horned Dragon at Moyuan. Although no one knew why Hua Qiyue needed these Magic Cores, their hearts itched when they thought about the 500,000 taels of gold.

Since many were eager to fetch the Magic Cores for her, Hua Qiyue could rest at home. On this day, Hua Qiyue went personally to the Old Madame's compound to pay her respects.

Hua Xiaoyi and Hua Mengshi were both there. The early morning sunlight shone gently into the courtyard, showering the ground with golden rays.

"Grandma, you're looking very sprightly. I have something to tell you, grandma." Hua Qiyue sat by Old Madame Hua's side, grinning widely.

In the entire Hua's Mansion, only Hua Qiyue had the right to sit by the Old Madame's side. Hua Xiaoyi and Hua Mengshi were not the Old Madame's favorites.

"Ho ho, I am looking sprightly now because of Nanny Wang's Long Red ginseng soup. I have no illnesses. Let me know what you have in mind, Qiyue. I am most happy about this fact: that Prince Nan has silently acknowledged you as his fiancee. It's delightful!"

The Old Madame answered smilingly. Hua Qiyue was speechless. Shouldn't the Old Madame be most satisfied with the First Prince? Yet she and him were almost about to break their friendship!

On the Flower Fair night, Hua Qiyue had quietly rejected the First Prince's gift. The news had spread. Some praised Hua Qiyue's indifference to fame and fortune, while others thought her an idiot, offending the crown prince to please Prince Nan.

"Grandma, every time our people step out to the streets, people will point fingers at us. They say that our house has offended the First Prince. It won't be long before we start to suffer!" Hua Xiaoyi's loud voice broke through the harmonious atmosphere of the hall.

The Old Madame's face sank. Hua Qiyue was a Qi Artist at the lower levels of the Dragon Diagram Realm. Even if she offended the First Prince, the Emperor could do nothing to her. Hua Xiaoyi was quite a simpleton to pass such thoughtless remarks here.

"Xiaoyi! Your sister is already a Qi Artist at the lower levels of the Dragon Diagram Realm. Even the Emperor does not dare to do anything to her. How dare you make such irresponsible remarks!" The Old Madame shouted harshly. Hua Xiaoyi retracted into her shell, pulled back by Third Madame.

Hua Qiyue's face did not show any expression. The Old Madame was both right and wrong.

The Emperor valued her because she had divine herbs and was a female Qi Artist.

However, if she posed a threat to the royalty, the Emperor would definitely get rid of her. There were a few royal Qi Artists who surpassed her in cultivation. Just one or two would be enough.

So now, she was trying hard to cultivate. But she had to remove those troublemakers first.

"Grandma, actually some time ago, I got Qiuyun to sew you a scented sachet. Do you remember? When I made Qiuyun buy the spices, one of them was Sword Leaf Grass." Hua Qiyue smiled quietly.

Hua Xiaoyi heard her and her eyelids started to twitch. Her scalp tingled and her palms broke out in cold sweat.

"Yes. I've heard Nanny Wang tell me that. She was wondering why you love that scented sachet so much." The Old Madame answered, gazing at Hua Qiyue lovingly and caressing her hand. "Grandma is so sorry. When you were young, I did not nurture you properly. Sigh… you must know that girls ought to know how to sew…"

When Hua Qiyue was a child, she was stupid and foolish. She wasn't cut out to sew.

Furthermore, she could not cultivate, leading to her devaluation in this large clan. Hua Qiyue shook her head indifferently. She did not care if she knew embroidery.

"Grandma, the spice in that scented sachet has been switched by someone. It's no longer Sword Leaf Grass but Ghastly Tear Grass."

"What!" The Old Madame was astounded. She looked at the solemn Hua Qiyue and fumed. "Who did that?"

Hua Xiaoyi's face immediately turned ashen. Even her hands started to shake.

Hua Qiyue turned her gaze slowly to Hua Xiaoyi. Although Hua Xiaoyi wasn't a great threat, once she became the Queen's minion together with Hua Mengshi, they would leak all the information out from Hua's Mansion!