Chapter 24: Ji Ya’s Suitors
In the power struggle within the Gold and Jade Chamber of Commerce, both factions had employed various tactics to restrain, suppress, and outmaneuver each other, but they had never resorted to assassination.
Because their every move was being monitored by the Chamber’s true backers.
At least three Mystic Lord realm protectors.
They weren’t authorized to interfere in the Chamber’s operations, but they possessed the highest supervisory authority. Anyone who broke the rules, harming a fellow member, would be punished, even expelled from the board.
The assassination attempts Ji Ya had faced mostly originated from external forces, not from within the Chamber.
As Yan Zhen had said, they didn’t believe she would poison Han Feng. But that was irrelevant. What mattered was that someone had to be held responsible for his death.
Neither the Second nor the Third Shopkeeper could afford to take the blame. The best solution was to pin it on Ji Ya, forcing her to resign.
Even with their scheme exposed, they still stubbornly insisted.
“Nonsense! You’re definitely involved! No amount of excuses will change that!”
“Yes! You’re the culprits! Just you wait! This isn’t over!”
They turned to leave, but Ji Ya’s voice, laced with a chilling laughter, stopped them.
“Hmph, feeling guilty and running away after being exposed by my Little Brother Yan Zhen? You think you can come and go as you please? Not so fast.”
Before she could finish, Aunt Mu had already appeared before them, blocking their path.
Their expressions changed as they turned, finding Jin Tong and Yu Nu also approaching.
Although the twins were only at the Mystic Master realm, together, their strength rivaled that of a low-star Mystic General!
“What do you mean, Ji Ya?”
“Are you trying to silence us? Kill us and bury the evidence?”
They blustered, their faces red with feigned anger, but their eyes betrayed their fear.
Ji Ya wouldn’t kill them, but she hadn’t said anything about not beating them up!
“Killing you would only dirty my hands.” She scoffed. “You can leave, but first, pay up. You broke down my door. You’ll pay for the damage and repairs. You trespassed and frightened us. You’ll pay for emotional distress. You wasted my precious time. You’ll pay for lost wages. You tried to frame us. You’ll pay for compensation… Let’s see… one hundred million Crystal Coins should cover it.”
““One hundred million?!””
They both exclaimed, their faces flushed with rage.
“Are you crazy?!”
“Why don’t you just rob us?!”
They might be wealthy, but they weren’t idiots!
“Fine, you don’t have to pay.” She smirked. “Aunt Mu, do it. Beat them until they’re worth one hundred million in medical expenses.”
Aunt Mu pondered seriously. “One hundred million for two people… fifty million each? That means at least multiple compound fractures. Is that acceptable?”
“Do as you please.”
“Very well.”
Her figure dissolved into a flock of ravens, scattering.
A Ninth Star Mystic King, skilled in assassination and stealth, was a terrifying opponent.
The two Shopkeepers paled, shouting in unison.
““We’ll pay! We’ll pay!””
…
Thus, they left, having accomplished nothing but delivering one hundred million Crystal Coins.
Ji Ya divided the money equally among the six people present, counting the twins as one, giving each person twenty million.
Yan Zhen silently mourned for the two Shopkeepers for three seconds, then accepted his share.
They wouldn’t let this go. Their hatred for him was even greater than in the script. They might even resort to assassination.
He wasn’t a member of the Gold and Jade Chamber of Commerce. They had nothing to fear.
However, if the script was accurate, they would likely simply reveal his existence to Ji Ya’s suitors, using them as weapons against him.
Ji Ya was renowned for her beauty throughout the nation, but she had few suitors in the Royal Capital, because among the pack of dogs vying for her attention were two wolves: the Sunward Kingdom’s Third Prince and the Young Sect Master of the Dream God Palace, the nation’s protector sect.
Their presence deterred other admirers from pursuing her.
The Third Prince had declared that anyone who dared touch Ji Ya would have their hand chopped off.
No one dared to cross him, except for the Young Sect Master, who had been obsessed with swordsmanship until he fell head over heels for Ji Ya.
The Sunward Kingdom was located on the edge of the Jia Lan Continent, bordering the “Tsukushi Continent,” separated only by a stretch of sea. Both the royal family and the protector sect originated from the Wa people of that continent.
The Dream God Palace practiced the art of Iaijutsu, emphasizing speed, drawing their swords with lightning reflexes, killing in an instant.
The swords used in Dream God Iaijutsu were called “tachi,” a weapon popular in the Tsukushi Continent, slightly different from the straight swords of the Jia Lan Continent, prioritizing lightness and sharpness.
Soon, the straightforward Young Sect Master would be instigated by the Second and Third Shopkeepers, emerging from seclusion early to challenge Yan Zhen, demanding he leave Ji Ya.
And Yan Zhen would face a difficult battle.
— That’s how the script wrote it, but reality might be different.
In the script, when he accepted the challenge, he had still been a Ninth Star Mystic Adept, while his opponent had been a Six Star Mystic Scholar, preparing to break through to the Seventh Star.
The difference in their cultivation levels had been vast. If he hadn’t learned the flying movement technique from his Beautiful Sect Master, he might have lost his life in that duel.
Now, however, he was already a Three Star Mystic Scholar.
As his cultivation advanced, the advantages of his high-grade techniques became more apparent. His Mystic Power was far more potent than that of his peers. A Six Star Mystic Scholar wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
And he also had his Extreme Flame. As his cultivation increased, so did its power.
At the Ninth Star Mystic Adept realm, his Extreme Flame Sword had been able to match his opponent’s sword. Now, at the Three Star Mystic Scholar realm, his sword might even melt his opponent’s weapon.
So how should he fight this time?
Following the script was too dangerous. One mistake, and he could lose his head to that Iaijutsu*. He needed to be even faster to stand a chance.
He would worry about that later. For now, he had a score to settle.
He sat across from Yi Xian’er, his tone like that of an interrogator.
“Explain yourself. Why did you kill Han Feng?”
She should have at least spared his life! What if this deviation affected the future plot?
Ji Ya stood behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder, adding fuel to the fire.
“Why did you do such a terrible thing, Little Sister Xian’er?”
Yi Xian’er glared at her “plastic sister,” then said calmly, “I don’t like being blatantly coveted. So I struck first.”
He understood her feelings. She had lost her mother at a young age. A beautiful girl, alone in the world, would inevitably attract unwanted attention. To protect herself, she approached every stranger with caution and suspicion.
Han Feng’s blatant lust had crossed her line.
“And he broke the rules during the duel, trying to cripple you. And… it wasn’t just that.” Her eyes narrowed, a chilling glint within them. “I sensed his true intentions. He wanted to kill you… So he had to die.”
***
Iaijutsu (居合術) is a combative quick-draw sword technique.
Leave a Reply