Chapter 370

Chapter 370: Jiang Liu Ting Apologizes

They agreed that when Yu Zhi Yi was ready to leave the Capital City to search for her sect, they would head back to the Martial Alliance together. Yu Zhi Yi had no objection.

After the family settled their plan, they prepared to say goodbye to Jiang Yu Wei’s household. As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Jiang Liu Ting waiting by the door. He asked, his voice careful: “Jin’er, can I speak with you alone?”

Jiang Yu Chuan and the others traded looks, then glanced at Yu Zhi Yi. She nodded: “All right.”

They went back inside. Before Yu Zhi Yi could ask why he’d come, Jiang Liu Ting spoke plainly: “Jin’er, I’m here to apologize.”

She raised an eyebrow and asked, calm and direct: “Apologize for what?”

He said, sincere and steady: “I didn’t know your true strength or your identity before, and I offended you more than once. After spending this time with you, I’ve realized how shallow and ignorant I was-and I see you’re not someone who speaks without reason. I hope you can forgive my rashness.”

Yu Zhi Yi looked surprised. She hadn’t expected Jiang Liu Ting to apologize for those past frictions. Over the years she’d been doubted so often that she didn’t have the time or energy to argue every single case. Unless someone jumped up and down too much or got in the way of real business, once a matter passed, she let it go. If she hadn’t made a fuss then, she almost never held it later. Yet Jiang Liu Ting had remembered it all this time.

She answered with a faint smile: “You were only raising fair questions. I’m not so petty that I won’t allow others to doubt me. After all, I’m not a copper coin. Even copper coins have people who dislike them; why else would people come up with an insult like ‘reeking of money’?”

Watching her closely, Jiang Liu Ting saw no pretense in her face. She truly wasn’t angry, and he let out a breath.

He paused, then drew a finely made dagger from his belt and offered it with both hands: “I’ve heard the Capital City looks calm on the surface, but hidden tides run deep. I can’t leave right now to protect you, so please accept this dagger for self-defense.”

The dagger was forged from xuan-iron. It could cut iron like mud and slice a falling hair in half. He had worked hard to obtain a piece of xuan-iron and have this dagger made; it was very precious. It was short and sturdy, easy to hide, and perfect for catching petty villains off guard.

Yu Zhi Yi wasn’t interested in the dagger for herself, but she thought someone by her side might need it, so she accepted it and said with simple warmth: “Thank you, big brother.”

Jiang Liu Ting finally relaxed for real.

Saying goodbye to their aunt’s side of the family passed without trouble. The only surprise was that Jiang Si Ying took the initiative to give Yu Zhi Yi a gift. She spoke with frank concern as she handed over a box: “You’re far from home and have to compete with a whole crowd of sharp-minded nobles for power; it must be hard. Inside is a hundred-year ginseng root, plus deer antler, lingzhi, and other herbs. Don’t be stingy with them-take good care of your health. When you finish them, I’ll send more.”

Yu Zhi Yi hesitated, taken aback: “Uh… this is too valuable.”

In truth, Jiang Si Ying was being modest. It wasn’t a hundred-year ginseng at all, but a two-hundred-year root-something even Yu Zhi Yi had rarely seen. Jiang Si Ying shoved the box into her arms and urged with a light laugh: “Take it. My maternal grandfather’s family runs a big herb market. We have all sorts of good things. I don’t lack these, so don’t feel burdened.”

Yu Zhi Yi thought for a moment and swallowed the refusal on the tip of her tongue. These top-grade herbs were perfect for refining elixirs. She hadn’t tried alchemy before, but she now had many pill recipes, including several that could help ordinary people rebuild their health. She accepted and said, sincere: “Thank you, sister.”

Seeing her take the herbs, Jiang Si Ying showed a genuine smile.

Lin Jing Xuan’s gift was tea-choice Cloud Mountain mist tea. It tasted crisp and mellow and even helped improve the body. Martial heroes and nobles prized it, and even the Emperor cherished it. But the roads to Cloud Mountain were dangerous, and the mist-tea trees produced little; in a whole year, the estate harvested at most ten jin (about ten pounds). With so little tea to divide among hundreds of eager buyers, the estate held an auction every year, and each lot was only about one tael.

Yet the tea in Yu Zhi Yi’s hands weighed a full jin.

She blurted, stunned: “Eldest Aunt, this is far too valuable!”

A single tael of that tea could fetch well over a hundred thousand taels of silver at auction. A whole jin meant she’d been handed over a million taels’ worth. And the real value of Cloud Mountain mist tea wasn’t just in drinking it; it was in the favors it could earn. Especially for an official like Yu Zhi Yi-if she wanted to play the game, she could divide the tea into small gifts. Whether she sent it to the Emperor or to some senior minister, she would gain immense goodwill.

Lin Jing Xuan only chuckled: “Silly child, it’s just tea. How is it so precious?”

Jiang Yu Wei smiled as well and said, easy and kind: “Drink with peace of mind. If it’s not enough, your Eldest Aunt will send you more next year.”

Yu Zhi Yi blinked in surprise and asked, curious: “Then the Cloud Mountain mist tea…”

Jiang Yu Chuan explained with a smile: “Yes-Cloud Mountain mist tea’s seller is your Eldest Aunt’s father.”

What was rare treasure to others was something Lin Jing Xuan could get by raising a hand. Although Cloud Mountain produced ten jin a year, Old Mr. Lin sold only five jin; the other five he kept for the family. Lin Jing Xuan’s personal share was originally just three taels, but for Yu Zhi Yi’s sake she pulled strings for a full jin-and she didn’t keep any for herself. She gave all of it to Yu Zhi Yi.

Jiang Liu Bin had nothing fine to give, so he wanted to “wrap himself up” and present himself to his sister as her guard. Sadly, the family did not consider him a qualified guard. Worse, they saw him as a troublemaker and refused to let him go along. Jiang Liu Bin felt like he was breaking apart inside: [Why can Jiang Liu Yun go but I can’t? Is it just because I’m not my sister’s blood brother?]

The Jiang Clan ignored his gloom and prepared a rich farewell feast for Yu Zhi Yi that night. It was also the last day of the Earthly Ranking tournament, so there were still many Martial World people on the mountain. The final match had ended at dusk; many didn’t like to travel at night and planned to leave at dawn. This was routine, so Jiang Yu Wei had ordered a generous dinner made for the guests. But the Jiang Clan didn’t attend; they told the steward to host the visitors. The family wanted a proper private farewell meal with Yu Zhi Yi.

Suddenly, a servant rushed in to report, voice tight with alarm: “Alliance Leader, Second Master, something’s wrong-Miss Chen is missing!”

Jiang Yu Wei’s chopsticks halted mid-air as he snapped, steady but stern: “Explain clearly. What happened?”

Wasn’t Chen Xin Yue under house arrest? There were guards outside-how could she be gone?

Yu Zhi Yi’s eyes flickered. [Finally.] She had wondered why that mother and daughter had been so quiet and had thought they’d given up their last chance to go after her. [Looks like they just couldn’t hold back.]