Chapter 193: Who Salutes Whom?
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Upon returning to the city, Yu Zhi Yi resolutely declined the repeated pleas of the broker and made her way directly back to Graceful Phoenix Charity.
She had a premonition—there was no need to inspect any more properties. She was certain that she shared a special bond with that house on Northern Suburb Street. Now, all that remained was to wait.
Early that morning, Steward Wu Shan had instructed the staff to prepare a meal. The moment Yu Zhi Yi stepped into Graceful Phoenix Charity, she was greeted with a fresh, piping-hot feast. After her meal, she began to organize her belongings.
Everything she had brought from the Du Mansion was openly acknowledged as her dowry, a gift from the Yu Family. Meanwhile, her personal items had been safely tucked away in her Space Talisman.
The Space Talisman was akin to a spatial artifact. Though it appeared to be a simple piece of talisman paper, it contained a space of several dozen square meters—ample room for storing a plethora of items. Back when she had secretly left the Yu Mansion to earn her own living, she had hidden her money in the talisman.
During her stay at the Chancellor’s Mansion, aside from the monthly allowance of fifty taels, she had also amassed a considerable collection of treasures: the jade thumb ring worth eight thousand taels from Chancellor Du, the jewelry and prayer beads from Madam Yao, and an additional one thousand taels of silver. Combined with her earnings from Du Zi Heng, her total wealth exceeded tens of thousands of taels.
Even after subtracting the amount she intended to donate, she still had over thirty thousand taels remaining. And this didn’t even include the jewelry and the jade thumb ring.
“This is a considerable sum,” she mused. “But it’s unlikely to be enough to commission a golden statue for the ancestral master and support the livelihood of my master and fellow disciples.”
Her master had often lamented the dire poverty of the Heaven’s Mystery Sect. Back on the mountain, she and her senior brothers had been so impoverished that even affording daily meals had been a struggle. Her master had always dreamt of creating a golden statue for their ancestral founder, but the lack of funds made it an unattainable goal.
Within the entire sect, not a single member managed to avoid the infamous “three harms and five shortages.” Yu Zhi Yi couldn’t help but sympathize with their plight. Compared to the financial destitution of her master and senior brothers, the things she lacked seemed insignificant. After all, one could survive without familial bonds, but poverty was far more ruthless. It not only left one hungry but also deprived cultivators of the resources essential for their practice.
She sighed as she looked at the five boxes retrieved from the deepest part of the Space Talisman. These were gifts from her senior brothers upon her initiation into the sect, presented through her master.
The first senior brother had given her a piece of Lightning-Struck Wood. The second had offered a stack of talismans. The third—a bottle of Qi Refining Pills. The fourth—a plain, old-fashioned set of Daoist Robes. And the fifth—a finely crafted Peachwood Sword.
While the Lightning-Struck Wood was rare, it didn’t require money to acquire. The stack of talismans included basic types like protective talismans, cleansing talismans, and elemental defense talismans, all of which Yu Zhi Yi could produce at the rate of a hundred per hour. The Qi Refining Pills, though valuable in the mortal world, were housed in a cracked, rudimentary bottle, revealing the third senior brother’s dire financial state. The Daoist robes were dull and gray, and while the Peachwood Sword was exquisitely made, it wasn’t particularly valuable.
Their gifts testified to their financial struggles, as did her master’s initiation present: three Five Emperors Coins.
Yu Zhi Yi had long wanted to send money back to the sect to improve her master and senior brothers’ lives. Unfortunately, her obligations to the Yu and Du Mansions had made extended absences impossible. Now that she was free from those constraints, she could finally consider the matter of supporting the sect.
The only problem? She had never been to Heaven’s Mystery Sect and had no idea of its exact location.
Hmm… Should she attempt a divination?
Just as she was about to begin her calculations, Steward Wu Shan’s voice sounded from outside the door.
“Mistress, someone from the Pingnan Duke’s Household seeks an audience.”
Yu Zhi Yi paused in her actions.
“Understood,” she replied calmly.
She had time to spare. This matter could wait.
Now free from any constraints, Yu Zhi Yi could take leave from the Emperor whenever she accumulated enough vacation days, basking in her newfound liberty.
As she stepped into the first-floor reception hall, her gaze landed upon an imposing elder standing with his hands clasped behind his back. This man exuded a powerful aura, a faintly blood-colored mist surrounding him, yet interwoven with the golden radiance of merit.
Though she had not recalled his face from the palace banquet, Yu Zhi Yi instantly recognized him. “Duke of Pingnan, visiting so late into the night… might I inquire as to your purpose?”
The Duke’s sharp eyes swept over the woman before him. Though he had witnessed her abilities during the palace banquet, he had dismissed her at the time. That was, until this evening, when the Duke’s coachman reported his son had gone missing. The coachman also mentioned that before his disappearance, his son had quarreled with Yu Zhi Yi.
“With your unparalleled ability to foresee the future, Official Yu, surely you know the reason for my visit,” the Duke began, his tone lofty despite needing her help.
Yu Zhi Yi’s expression remained cool. “If Your Grace chooses not to state it, how would I know?”
The middle-aged man accompanying the Duke stepped forward, his tone icy. “How dare you! A mere fifth-rank official, speaking so impudently before the Duke! Where are your manners? Has your family not taught you proper etiquette? Do you not know to bow before His Grace?”
Yu Zhi Yi blinked in mock surprise. “Must I bow?”
The man was just about to retort “of course” when his gaze fell upon something gleaming in her hand. A golden token. The bold inscription upon it, “As If The Emperor Himself Arrived,” almost blinded him.
The man’s arrogance evaporated instantly.
Toying with the token, Yu Zhi Yi cast an indifferent glance upward. “If Your Grace has no business here, please take your leave. It is late, and I’d like to rest.”
The Duke hesitated before bowing slightly, his companion scrambling to follow suit. After completing their bows, the Duke finally admitted, “I do have a matter that requires Official Yu’s assistance.”
The Duke’s prior arrogance melted away, replaced by a humble demeanor. “My son ignored your earlier warning and has fallen into trouble. It is my son’s fault for failing to recognize your greatness. I’ve come to beg for your help in retrieving him.”
Seeing that he had learned proper decorum, Yu Zhi Yi stowed away the token. “Very well. Let’s discuss terms.”
“A thousand taels per person, for a total of ten thousand taels. Payment upfront.”
The Duke’s eyes widened. “We serve the same court, yet you demand payment?”
Yu Zhi Yi tilted her head, equally perplexed. “Your Grace is neither my father nor my son. Why shouldn’t I charge? Or does Your Grace think the talismans I use and the spiritual energy I expend grow on trees?”
The Duke was left speechless.
“Or perhaps Your Grace wishes to save only your son and leave the others to their fates? If so, it will be merely one thousand taels.”
Gritting his teeth, the Duke growled, “Save them all!”
The word squeezed out between his teeth as if it physically pained him to say it. He knew the gossip would be unbearable if he saved only his son while abandoning the others. Worse still, among those missing were the son of the Vice-Minister of War and the daughter of the Grand Tutor. The consequences of their families’ outrage were not something he could afford to face.
“I accept only hard currency for exorcisms and divination. The moment I receive the payment, I’ll act,” Yu Zhi Yi stated firmly.
While the Duke agonized over the financial loss, the young duke and his companions trapped in the little forest were also suffering. Blood trickled from their mouths—not a metaphor, but literal injuries—as they faced their dire situation. Regret consumed them.
If they could turn back time, they would have heeded Yu Zhi Yi’s warning without hesitation.