Chapter 6: A Provocative Smile

Song Yue maintained a sharp gaze, the killing intent on her face unwavering. "System, show me how much energy I've accumulated."

[Ding—Congratulations to the host, energy value 200, current energy value: 210. Keep up the good work, and you'll soon unlock the system mall, entering the novice stage!]

Song Yue: ...So I'm not even considered a beginner right now?!

When she clashed with Mo Qingqiu, the overwhelming killing intent seemed almost tangible. A gust of wind, out of nowhere, lifted the yellow sleeves of her robe. As the Emperor, Song Yue's unprecedented sharp gaze made the entire hall's atmosphere tense.

The Emperor actually took the blow, and from the look on her face, it seemed like it didn't faze her at all!

Shu Fei nervously twisted her handkerchief. She had originally been watching Mo Qingqiu, but unexpectedly noticed that when the young emperor became serious, her gaze was almost entranced by the beauty—an androgynous, captivating beauty that made it hard to look away.

"Your Majesty..." Mo Qingqiu had never seen such strange inner power from her, his eyes showing surprise.

He was about to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by Song Yue: "Your inner strength isn't bad..." She said, pleased, as she withdrew her hand. The hand was still as it had been, with no swelling or redness, and her expression remained calm and unbothered, exuding the demeanor of a skilled master.

The officials' guesses about Ji Wuzhao's martial arts skills rose another level. They couldn't quite figure out the young emperor's true strength. Song Yue's casual gesture of withdrawing her hand had inadvertently had a deterrent effect, silencing the restless ministers and causing them to reassess the balance of power between the two.

For her, it was a win-win situation.

[Host, you have collected a total of 823 energy points from your opponent. Your current energy value is: 833.]

[By the way, host, you weakling, the force you used in that slap is only one-twentieth of Mo's strength. What are you so proud of?]

Song Yue: ...I was just thinking of a question.

[Hmm?]

Song Yue: In the future, I might not only stop being afraid of being hit, but I may even need to find someone to beat me up. By the way, you won't have any problems, right? If the force is too strong, will it break me?

[Emmm... It should be fine.] After all, the ancient world is quite safe, and even people with high inner strength wouldn't reach the limit of the force they can withstand. But those tricky modern scientists, who knows?

Song Yue: Alright, I'll get some explosive materials or something. If this world doesn't have any, I'll make my own... Anyway, the explosive power will definitely be enough...

[!!!!!]

[Stop! What do you want to do to me! You wicked person! No, you can't! What if you go too far and I really break down?]

Song Yue reluctantly gave up on the idea.

The celebration banquet ended with her pretending to be drunk. Song Yue, having achieved her goal, made an excuse of being intoxicated and left. As she was leaving, she seemed to hear some gossiping voices: "This banquet doesn't seem as grand as the last one... Last time, we had shark fin and bird's nest, but today they're nowhere to be seen..."

Song Yue tapped her head.

The imperial palace really has all kinds of strange people... These random folks are probably here just for the food, huh? Even the onlookers know she values grandeur and is generous when hosting guests.

"Ah, the secret recipe Wu Daxian gave me last time, I haven't fully studied it... Alright, I'll retreat for three days to start alchemy. Tell everyone not to disturb me, and anyone who disobeys will be executed." She walked ahead and, as usual, instructed Li Deshun.

Li Deshun let out a soft sigh.

As expected, the emperor was still the emperor...

"Oh, right, the pile of memorials on the desk in the imperial study, put them in the alchemy room for me." As if recalling something,

Song Yue stopped and turned back, speaking seriously.

"Staying alone in the alchemy room is indeed much quieter."

After a night of rest, Song Yue was now standing in the alchemy room. Unlike usual, this time, even Wu Daxian wasn't allowed in. The cauldron was empty, with not even a wisp of smoke.

She muttered to herself, stretching lazily, and half-lay on the concubine chair, quietly staring at the gold ring on the table. Then, nonchalantly, she picked up a nearby hammer.

[Host! You!!]

With a sharp "clang," the hammer came down, but the gold ring, which should have been flattened, remained perfectly intact. Then, the system's voice echoed in Song Yue's mind: [Energy value 20, current energy value: 853. Please keep it up.]

"Other people's systems are usable as soon as they get them. Why is it so hard for me to unlock a shop..." Song Yue switched to holding the hammer with both hands, jumped up, and slammed it down on the ring with all her might.

[Ah—ah ah ah, could you be a bit gentler!!! #What should I do with my violent host#]

[Energy value 33, current energy value: 886.]

Song Yue seemed to have found the trick. Ignoring the trembling system, she rummaged through the toolbox, found the largest hammer, and swung it with both hands.

"Bang—"

Finally, after her persistent effort, the energy value reached 1000, unlocking the system shop. The palace servants, who were stationed a kilometer away, could hear the strange clanging sounds coming from the palace, but they were too afraid of the execution orders to speak up.

At this moment, Song Yue was opening the system shop—this was her first time entering the system space, which only existed in her mind. The ground was dark blue-black, as if she had entered an interstellar era. In the center of her vision, a large screen appeared. The only furnishings were a small rotating chair and a transparent table. There was also a room with a closed door labeled "Warehouse."

"What kind of system is this, so simple..."

[This system is advanced! Take the shop for example, it's the latest version! Pay attention!]

The large black screen suddenly lit up, displaying the words "System Shop." Soon after, Song Yue's character level appeared at the bottom of the screen.

[Detection in progress—Body: Native of the ancient world, Ji Wuzhao, Body Rating: A. Soul: Gold Medal Correction Officer of the Time and Space Management Bureau, Song Yue, Soul Rating: S. Overall Rating: LV.1 Newbie.]

Song Yue: Why am I only level 1?!

[If I were you, I'd be secretly pleased. The host's body and soul ratings are pretty good, skipping the zero-level stage. Otherwise, even if the shop is unlocked, you wouldn't be able to use any functions.]

Song Yue: This is such a scam!!

[LV.1 Newbie Level Permissions unlocked—The host can use energy values to exchange for items that are lit up in the system.]

On the large screen, an inverted pyramid of item icons appeared, with only one item lit up on the bottom layer.

"What the heck... Golden Elixir?" Song Yue read the description above, confused. "This elixir is a basic material, not for consumption. After being refined in a large fire, it can turn into gold, used for crafting various weapon parts... Wait, gold? As in actual gold?!"

It seemed that the Golden Elixir was used to assemble other advanced items in the shop, but her level was still too low to craft various weapon parts…

However, gold was useful! Thanks to Ji Wuzhao, she now had an alchemy furnace, just waiting for the Golden Elixir to be refined!

[Calm down, one Golden Elixir requires 1000 energy points. It will take until next year to gather that much.]

The system's words felt like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.

Song Yue gradually calmed down, realizing that she might need to take a longer-term approach and find more ways to accumulate energy. With her current weak state, just earning over a hundred energy points from hammering the ring had already left her arms sore and her body weak. If she continued to work towards reaching 1000 energy points, refining the small Golden Elixir would likely cost her life.

She still considered trying her luck, hoping to borrow the inner strength of other powerful individuals…

The people in the palace were already used to the emperor's occasional seclusion for several days. When the strange noises from the alchemy room stopped and were replaced by wisps of blue smoke, they knew the emperor was refining pills, and no one ever questioned his whereabouts.

After handling the court documents for a whole day, Song Yue gained a deeper understanding of the deteriorating state of Yan Kingdom, plagued by internal strife and external threats. By the time she closed the documents, it was already deep into the night.

As the saying goes, "A dead camel is still bigger than a horse." After the fall of the Chu Kingdom, Yan had not immediately crumbled but had only begun to decline after Xuan Sibei stirred the pot. He exposed Ji Wuzhao's true identity as a woman, causing her to lose most of the people's trust. He then seized the opportunity to create further chaos, hastening the kingdom's downfall. By the time his scheme revealed only the tip of the iceberg, Ji Wuzhao had already succumbed to poison.

It wasn't yet a time of famine. This was still the thriving spring season when all things flourished, and at least on the surface, the Yan Kingdom maintained a sense of peace. Now, the most important thing was to ally with the young Xuan Sibei as soon as possible and work to benefit society.

At noon on the second day, when the glaring sunlight poured into Jiulong Bay, Song Yue was driving her carriage into this neglected area.

Along the way, she casually bought a maid and gave her a name that even the system couldn't help but mock—Xiao Cui. But since it was easy to pronounce, she never bothered to change it during the trip.

At this moment, Xiao Cui nervously tugged at the curtain, peering out the window, clearly afraid. "Mistress, are you really going to settle here? I've heard that the people in Jiulong Bay are all very vicious. I'm afraid…"

She only knew that her mistress, named Song Yue, was from the Yan Kingdom. She had done business there but suffered great losses, leaving only a small amount of silver. Looking for a place to settle down, she bought Xiao Cui and set off.

But Jiulong Bay... was far from stable! A woman living here, especially a widow—if those villains had ill intentions, how would they survive?

"Don't worry, don't worry, Xiao Cui, be good." Song Yue patted Xiao Cui's head, her lips curving into a gentle smile, signaling her not to be so nervous. "I do want to settle here... After all, I'm an unregistered person, unwanted by the six kingdoms. Rather than living in fear, it's better to settle here. Besides, I'm also looking for someone."

"Huh?"

Song Yue's mind was already working, and her smile grew even warmer. "Let's take a look around first, find out where there are houses for sale. It doesn't have to be too big, just needs to be fully equipped, preferably at a low price, and I'm not afraid if it's a bit remote…"

Even with her reassurances, Xiao Cui still couldn't relax. "But Mistress, your current attire... although it's less eye-catching than before, anyone with a keen eye can tell you're a merchant. I'm afraid they'll think there's gold or silver in our bundles... as the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the thief who's eyeing you. And they're nothing less than robbers…"

"If they're robbers, all the better…" Song Yue's smile turned slightly twisted, a grin full of subtle mischief as she muttered to herself.

They continued to inquire around and finally settled on a small house. It was in a good location, the price was right, and Song Yue quickly urged Xiao Cui to take out the silver to make the purchase. However, they were met with a scam. The door suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang, plunging the room into darkness.

The elderly man at the counter, who had been tapping on an abacus, suddenly looked up. He bared his yellow teeth in a crooked smile, eyeing her with a malicious grin. Behind him, a tall, burly figure had appeared, blocking their way.

If they had encountered someone else, they wouldn't dare to act so shamelessly. But now, two weak, foreign women had come, dressed decently, and their bundles looked full... If they didn't take the opportunity to rob them, it would be a shame to the reputation of Jiulong Bay.

Xiao Cui screamed in fear, but Song Yue, who claimed to be in her thirties and a widow, remained calm and composed, fiddling with her gold ring as if she couldn't see the impending danger. "Boss, are you not going to sell me the house anymore?"

"Sell! Of course, I'll sell! But the silver…" The elderly man's greed was evident on his face as he leaned closer to Xiao Cui. "How about this? I won't bully you little ladies. If you want the house, you can take it, but all the silver on you must stay…"

Song Yue's lips curled into a faint, sarcastic smile. "Change the terms."

"Changing terms is fine," the elderly man's gaze slowly shifted to Song Yue, his smile growing more lecherous. "You came alone to Jiulong Bay to buy a ready-made house, and you're only accompanied by a maid... Let me guess, you're probably without a place to go? In your twenties, judging by your hair, you should be a married woman, yet I don't see your husband with you... Ever considered remarrying? I don't mind widows, as long as you're obedient, I'll take you as my concubine…"

"What if I don't obey?"

"Then don't expect to walk out that door." The elderly man clapped his hands, and several burly men immediately surrounded them. He sat in a grand chair, pulling out a smoking pipe as he casually issued his commands. "Remember, don't damage these two beautiful ladies' faces. If you won't marry, fine, then hand over all your silver, kneel and beg me to let you go, and I'll let you leave."

Song Yue: ... I think I've just encountered the ancient version of a criminal underworld.

[Should I bow to the boss of the underworld?]

Song Yue: No, he just gave me an idea.

...

Everyone in the lower street of Jiulong Bay had heard of the name of Boss Kui. This old man owned a shop in the lower street, specializing in property sales, a business that didn't exist in other countries but only in Jiulong Bay. The houses in Jiulong Bay were too expensive for ordinary people to afford, so when outsiders were forced to come to Jiulong Bay, they were usually robbed by him when they bought houses.

The residents of this area had grown used to Boss Kui's ways. In this place, everyone was too busy with their own lives to care about what the so-called "Old Master" Kui did.

One day, when the door of Boss Kui's shop slammed shut again, the passersby who happened to see it could already predict the fate of the two outsiders who had just entered.

Ah… nothing unusual.

The passersby continued walking briskly, not even looking up, but when they suddenly heard a man's angry shout from inside the shop, they knew that Old Master Kui had sent his hired thugs after them.

However, there were no expected screams from the women.

With a "bang," the door reopened quickly, drawing the attention of curious onlookers sitting across the street, who couldn't help but glance inside. "Wow, Old Master Kui is fast this time, taking care of two in no time..."

But when they saw the two women walking out, properly dressed and striding confidently, they were left speechless.

Inside Old Master Kui's shop, everything was still neat and tidy, with no sign of a struggle. Two large and muscular men were bowing respectfully, seeing the guests off. Sitting in his chair, Old Master Kui's smoking pipe had fallen to the ground at some point! If one looked carefully, his trembling, aged hand was still in the position of holding the pipe, but it was shaking so violently that it appeared white, and his expression was awful!

Xiao Cu", take these to our new house. If possible, clean it up a bit; we'll probably move in tonight."

"Understood. Then… where are you going, Master?"

"I have something to take care of, I'll come find you later." At this moment, Song Yue's voice was much lighter, with a smile clearly in her eyes, as she watched Xiao Cui disappear around the corner. She then turned back to glance at Old Master Kui.

"Slow… slow down, no need to send them off." The old man was still trembling with fear, leaning against his chair, his eyes wide with astonishment.

How could this happen?

That widow just now looked quite young, and didn't seem like someone skilled in martial arts. Yet, her movements were swift. Every punch from his thugs was blocked by her, and she easily neutralized their force. He had spent years in Jiulong Bay, seen all kinds of people, and knew there were many hidden experts in the world. Could she be one of them?

For someone whose background was hard to figure out, he couldn't afford to meddle. He made a quick decision to change his attitude, repeatedly apologizing and ordering his men to escort the guests out. He reopened the shop door, and that's how the scene unfolded.

Meanwhile, Song Yue walked out leisurely, twisting her wrist as she happily counted the energy points she had just collected, her eyes curving into a smile.

[Don't count them, you look like a poor person. Just now, each punch from them had varying strength, and up to now, you've collected 1283 energy points, enough to exchange for a Golden Dan.] The system's.