"Where is it? Where is it?"
The boudoir adorned with red silk was in utter disarray. Min Ming, gasping for breath, frantically rummaged through drawers and overturned storage boxes as if in a frenzy.
The drawers were all pulled out, the wardrobe left wide open. The delicate figure was already drenched in fragrant sweat, her cheeks flushed. When she accidentally tripped and fell onto the ground, she caught her breath for a mont, only for her face to suddenly go pale.
"It’s gone... The Spring Jade Balm gifted by Her Majesty is gone..."
Min Ming’s face turned utterly ashen. Raising her hand, she slapped herself hard to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
The sharp pain snapped her into a slightly clearer state of mind, but the clarity only deepened her despair.
To lose a gift from the Heavenly Family—no matter the dynasty—once such a matter cos to light, it’s always a cri of great disrespect. What’s more, the Spring Jade Balm given to her by the Empress Dowager was ant for an important purpose. Its disappearance would ruin the palace’s plans.
The Empress Dowager was already deeply disappointed in her. Now, with such a careless mistake, it’s very likely...
Very likely that being sent off to drum duty for Chen Yi would already be lenient!
The more Min Ming thought about it, the colder and more numb her hands and feet beca. Over the past ten years, the Min family had enjoyed so asure of royal favor in the Capital City. But now? What did the Min family have left? Just the title of "Min Manor," nothing more.
She trembled as she got to her feet, her head drooping as she stared blankly ahead. Just as she couldn’t see any hope, she looked down and couldn’t even see her own feet.
"Could it be... soone took it..." After a long silence, Min Ming slowly began to process her thoughts.
But who could have taken it?
Min Ming couldn’t think of anyone. Her boudoir was not a place where just anyone could enter, nor should anyone enter. Even the old maidservants who ca to clean had to request her permission first.
"Min Ning? ...She’s too straightforward, it couldn’t be her. Then was it Granny Qingi? Or soone else?"
Her mind buzzed, suddenly hitting a dead end. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out. Min Ning’s shadow might have flitted through her mind for an instant, but without realizing it, she dismissed her younger sister entirely.
That naturally graceful figure paced the room. The burdens of recent days gripped her throat tighter and tighter. Unable to sleep at night, she’d occasionally harbor impulsive thoughts of abandoning everything—like Du Shiniang casting her intricate life into the river in rage. After all, she was nothing more than a courtesan. Even though, in na, she now belonged to the palace and was no longer of low status, a courtesan would always be a courtesan. Why not just live wildly? And yet... she couldn’t shed her pride, still clinging to a thread of chastity and dignity. But wasn’t that still just the hypocrisy of wanting to set up a morial while being a courtesan?
Sighing heavily, she wallowed in self-pity for a while longer. But then, halfway through her lanting, she caught herself. Why was she sinking into self-pity? Shouldn’t she just act decisively and efficiently? Maybe she should just willingly turn herself in to let him te out punishnt—strikes of red, strikes of pain, no matter where the strikes landed...
What nonsense was running through her head? It was all so chaotic, too chaotic!
Min Ming found herself gasping for air, her body giving out as she collapsed onto the bed. After a long mont, her breathing finally steadied sowhat.
She slowly stood up, thinking for a long while, murmuring to herself:
"I’ll just go find him. After all, it’s just an aphrodisiac. I’ll go find him... As long as he gets the job done, Her Majesty wouldn’t care whether I had it or not."
She hesitated for a while, only to suddenly freeze in her tracks at the doorway.
It was as if sothing struck her, leaving her thunderstruck.
Her feet stopped; she stood there, stiff and unmoving.
But he doesn’t seem to... want anymore...
............
Outside, a light rain drizzled, splashing onto the flagstone paths. The courtyard was suffused with the earthy scent of dampened soil—not too faint, not too strong. Once the doors and windows were shut, the sll would be completely cut off. But for now, the main doors remained open. Yin Tingxue liked sitting on the primary chair in the main hall, reading a book while idly gazing out at the scenery, even if it had long since grown tireso.
That morning, Yin Tingxue had eaten so leftover biscuits. Whenever Chen Yi was away, he’d always prepare als ahead of ti. Even if the dishes grew cold, it didn’t matter—she just had to use a small brazier to warm them up, and they’d still be edible. Though not as tasty as freshly made food, they were passable.
When it ca to food, Chen Yi never liked to let her suffer. Sotis, when he’d been out a lot, guilt would gnaw at him, and he’d softly ask her what delicacies she wanted to eat next ti.
After finishing her biscuits, Yin Tingxue gave a small yawn. She had only just woken up, but after breakfast, drowsiness weighed on her again. She sat in the chair, her head nodding as she drifted off to sleep.
Footsteps sounded from outside.
A one-ard woman with a lotus crown on her head walked in slowly. Though she carried no umbrella, not a single drop of water clung to her as she entered.
Seeing Yin Tingxue dozing in the chair, the woman flicked a fingertip, sending a rain droplet zipping through the air. The droplet struck the girl’s cheek like an arrow.
Startled awake, Yin Tingxue blinked in confusion at the stoic Zhou Yitang before her.
"Sunrise and sunset are the best tis for cultivation," the one-ard woman remarked coolly, neither warmly nor harshly.
With those words of urging, Yin Tingxue imdiately forced herself to perk up, hugging a manual of Yin Sword Mountain’s ntal thod despite her lingering sleepiness. She carefully began to recite it aloud.
Zhou Yitang watched her read, noting how streams of invisible Primordial Qi gathered as they flowed into the young girl’s acupoints. The girl, however, was completely unaware, focusing instead as she read while sneaking glances, hoping for a mont when Zhou Yitang looked away so she could sneak in a small yawn.
Though her thoughts often wandered, she always avoided offending anyone. Yin Tingxue fretted about displeasing Zhou Yitang by appearing lazy.
In truth, there was no need to worry, for Zhou Yitang never believed anyone to be particularly diligent.
The ways of the Daoist path were governed by Heaven: forty-nine out of fifty, with one avenue left to humanity.
It is often said that the Heavenly Dao rewards diligence, but in the end, it is only with the Dao that diligence finds its reward.
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