C23 Dignity

"Did I ever say I needed your help?" Tiange shot a cold glance at Rong Qi, feeling even more disgusted.

"If I hadn't helped, how would you have gotten into Wenn Mansion?" Rong Qi looked up from his book, his gaze settling on Tiange. "You need to understand what's more important: your future or your pride."

Tiange stood up, her eyes icy, and spoke slowly, "If you lose your life, what's the point of future or pride?"

Rong Qi felt a pang in his heart, knowing exactly who Tiange was referring to.

"Don't worry, Miss Feng. If this isn't useful, I'll find something else." Rong Qi retrieved the book and pulled out a small, exquisite gold box from his sleeve. "Inside are pills that can boost your strength by thirty percent in two weeks. How about that?"

Rong Qi didn't expect Tiange to thank him, just hoped she wouldn't throw it away.

Tiange despised Rong Qi's actions, but the promise of the pills intrigued her. She had managed to defeat Ruxuan not because she was particularly strong, but because Ruxuan wasn't a formidable opponent.

There were at least ten people on the martial arts exam list stronger than Ruxuan, and in her current state, she wouldn't make the top five.

Tiange had planned to ask Chu Ping for medicine today, but now it seemed unnecessary.

"Name your price," Tiange said, her eyes on the pills, her lips set in a neutral line.

Rong Qi took a deep breath, relieved she was interested.

"I'm not short on money," the prince declared. In Qi, hostages had no status but lived comfortably, and Beiming Yuan would never let anyone hold that over him.

"What do you need?" Tiange wanted that special pill, and she wouldn't refuse any price she could afford.

"You," Rong Qi replied sincerely. Given his position, he couldn't make a mark in Qi, but Tiange was different. He needed her to stir the political waters.

Tiange's expression turned cold. "Do you think I'm easy to toy with?"

Someone nearby felt the urge to punch Rong Qi. When they had escorted him back from Chu, he wasn't like other hostages, who were usually somber. Instead, he was cheerful, practically dancing, even though his mother was weeping bitterly from the city tower.

"No, no, what I mean is, if one day you, Eldest Miss Feng, enter the Wenn Mansion and are chosen for the 'Chess' room, I'll gladly give you this pill."

Rong Qi thought Tiange shouldn't overthink it. With his normal taste, he wouldn't consider toying with her unless he was blind.

Even then, he doubted it...

The Wenn Mansion had eight rooms: Music, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting, Poetry, Wine, Flowers, and Tea. Each had an instructor, and Rong Qi was the Chess instructor, the only non-native allowed free access to the Imperial Academy.

The reason is that this guy was already famous for his chess skills back in his homeland, and even now, no one in this country can match him. Tiange glanced at Rong Qi, thinking about how a good chess player is often a good strategist. When she brought him back from his homeland, she had the Thirteen Sects keep a close watch on him and concluded that he was all talk and no action. His expertise was limited to chess; he never applied its strategies to his own life. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been the one brought back from his homeland.

In this regard, Beiming Yuan shared her opinion. So when the emperor allowed Rong Qi to enter the Imperial Academy, Beiming Yuan didn't object.

"Deal." Tiange picked up the solid gold square box from the table, tucked it into her sleeve, and turned to leave.

Rong Qi was stunned, "But the food hasn't even been served yet!"

Tiange said nothing, just waved her sleeve, leaving without a trace of warmth.

Watching the door creak shut, Rong Qi shivered. It was so cold...

The Fish Market was different from the Nether Market; to thrive here, one needed the court's backing, and the No-south House was one such place. At this moment, a woman sat inside, angrily smashing her teacup on the ground. "How could you mess this up?"

Lyi Xiaotian glanced at the young lady seated above, bowing his head even lower. "It was my oversight. I didn't expect Tiange to be so skilled in martial arts."

"Ugh! How skilled can she be? You're just trying to brush me off!" Ruxuan glared fiercely at the elder standing nearby. He wore a gray silk robe, his temples dusted with silver, and his face lined with wrinkles mostly around his eyes and brows, a testament to years of deep contemplation.

"I wouldn't dare," Lyi Xiaotian replied humbly, bowing slightly.

"Hmph!" Ruxuan stood abruptly, her eyes cold as she looked at the elder. "Let me warn you, don't let my father know about this. And as for Tiange, keep your hands off. You're all useless!"

Lyi Xiaotian didn't argue. He straightened only after Ruxuan left, his sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on the doorway.

Footsteps approached from behind, but Lyi Xiaotian didn't turn.

"Father, Ruxuan is too much! We lost a dozen men, and she doesn't even acknowledge it. Instead, she calls us useless!" The newcomer was none other than Lyi Xiaotian's son, Lyi Jing.

Lyi Jing wore a deep blue robe, his build was balanced, and his features were handsome, with a light bronze complexion that added to his striking appearance.

"She's Xie Jin's daughter, so let her be," Lyi Xiaotian sighed, turning to his son. "Without Xie Jin's support all these years, the No-south House wouldn't have been able to establish itself in the Fish Market."

"We haven't shortchanged him; we've given him the same money and information as everyone else!" Lyi Jing spoke with frustration, his eyes reflecting the typical cynicism of someone from the underworld.

Lyi Xiaotian gave a wry smile, "Those in high positions hold the power. Xie Jin can choose any gang in the market; no one would dare short him on money or information. But if No-south House is abandoned by Xie Jin, it will vanish from the market."

In the bustling market, there are dozens of gangs, and the influential figures in the capital would never choose a discarded piece. They wouldn't risk their relationships with colleagues over a gang they consider insignificant.

Losing Xie Jin would mean the end of No-south House...

Meanwhile, after leaving the market, Xie Ruxuan headed to the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion. She told Feng Xueyao she planned to let Feng Tiange's leg heal for a few more days and that in two weeks, at the Martial Academy's arena, she would personally make sure Feng Tiange faced consequences.

Feng Xueyao feigned a polite smile, thinking to herself that Xie Ruxuan had already slipped up. Fortunately, she had a backup plan and wasn't too concerned about this temporary setback.

After Xie Ruxuan finally left Feng Xueyao's place, Feng Xueyao went to see the matriarch. To prove that Feng Tiange was not Feng Qing's biological daughter, the matriarch was her greatest ally. No matter what, she needed the matriarch to utterly despise that eyesore, to the point where she couldn't stand her presence.

At this moment, Rong Qi was back at the Prince Mansion, lounging lazily in his chair with a hand warmer in his grasp, staring absentmindedly out the window.

Feng Tiange was so cautious of him that she actually took the Jade Dew Pill to Chu Ping for verification. If he had known it would come to this, he wouldn't have bothered. He could have just had Chu Ping give it to her directly.

"Lei Yi, do I look like a bad guy?" Rong Qi mused, his fingers, as delicate as porcelain, brushing across his face.

"Not at all."

The study was empty, and the sudden, chilly voice that echoed from the rooftop was eerily unsettling.

"Lei Yi, when I'm talking to you, could you at least show yourself? If someone saw this, they might think I'm talking to myself, you know." As Rong Qi finished speaking, Lei Yi appeared.